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The oriented films of a new enantiomeric pair of 2D organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites demonstrated bright circularly polarized luminescence and a 5-fold enlarged glum of up to 1.0 × 10−2, relative to the solid-state powders.

Efficient detection of trace water was important before use in water-sensitive reactions. Herein, a fluorescence sensor 1,4-bis((E)-(2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)hydrazineylidene)methyl)benzene (DHB) was designed and synthesised by a simple one-step reaction using 2-hydrazinobenzothiazole and terephthalaldehyde as raw materials. DHB showed aggregation-induced emission characteristics in solid state and 1,4-dioxane/H2O mixture. In addition, the fluorescent colour changes in IPA and fluorescence quenching in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), glycerine (GI), and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) were obviously observed with increasing water content, making DHB a highly sensitive fluorescent sensor for water detection with a detection limit of 0.174% for IPA, 0.040% for DMSO, 0.067% for DMF, 0.039% for DMA, 0.069% for 1,3-PDO, and 0.013% for GI, respectively. Further, DHB displayed fluorescence colorimetric response to water in solid state. 1H NMR titration indicated that the sensing mechanism for the detection of trace water was form hydrogen bonds between H2O molecule and amino group of DHB.

BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common acute pancreatitis (AP)-associated complications that has a significant effect on AP, but the factors affecting the AP patients’ survival rate remains unclear. AIM To assess the influences of AKI on the survival rate in AP patients. METHODS A total of 139 AP patients were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into AKI group (n = 72) and non-AKI group (n = 67) according to the occurrence of AKI. Data were collected from medical records of hospitalized patients. Then, these data were compared between the two groups and further analysis was performed. RESULTS AKI is more likely to occur in male AP patients (P = 0.009). AP patients in AKI group exhibited a significantly higher acute physiologic assessment and chronic health evaluation II score, higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, lower Glasgow Coma Scale score, and higher demand for mechanical ventilation, infusion of vasopressors, and renal replacement therapy than AP patients in non-AKI group (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P = 0.01, P = 0.001, P < 0.01, P < 0.01, respectively). Significant differences were noted in dose of norepinephrine and adrenaline, duration of mechanical ventilation, maximum and mean values of intra-peritoneal pressure (IPP), maximum and mean values of procalcitonin, maximum and mean serum levels of creatinine, minimum platelet count, and length of hospitalization. Among AP patients with AKI, the survival rate of surgical intensive care unit and in-hospital were only 23% and 21% of the corresponding rates in AP patients without AKI, respectively. The factors that influenced the AP patients’ survival rate included body mass index (BMI), mean values of IPP, minimum platelet count, and hospital day, of which mean values of IPP showed the greatest impact. CONCLUSION AP patients with AKI had a lower survival rate and worse relevant clinical outcomes than AP patients without AKI, which necessitates further attention to AP patients with AKI in surgical intensive care unit.

The subject of this paper is a nonlocal Hirota equation. Firstly, we provide associated Lax pair and zero curvature condition to establish the integrability. Secondly, we construct N-fold Darboux transformation (DT) by taking the form of determinants. Thirdly, we derive parity-time (PT) symmetric broken bright soliton solutions under zero background and PT symmetric unbroken dark (or antidark) soliton solutions under plane wave background and simulate dynamic behaviors of those solutions. Respectively, we call solitons with instability as symmetry broken solitons and with stability as symmetry unbroken solitons. The root why two kinds of solitons occur is eigenvalue choices, leading to self-induced potential’s change. For bright solitons, potential terms both show unstable states, while interestingly their product (namely self-induced potential) is stable with the same parameter values. For dark and antidark solitons, potentials and their product all show stable states, and we present possible collision combinations of two potentials with the help of DT.

In this study, we aimed to explore whether Lymphocyte-C-reactive protein ratio (LCR) can differentiate disease severity of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and its value as an assistant screening tool for admission to the hospital and the intensive care unit (ICU). A total of 184 adult COVID-19 patients from the COVID-19 Treatment Center in Heilongjiang Province at the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between January 2020 and March 2021 were included in this study. Patients were divided into asymptomatic infection group, mild group, moderate group, severe group, and critical group according to the Diagnosis and Treatment of New Coronavirus Pneumonia (9th edition). Demographic and clinical data including gender, age, comorbidities, severity of COVID-19, white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil proportion (NEUT%), lymphocyte count (LYMPH), lymphocyte percentage (LYM%), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), platelet (PLT), C-reaction protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum creatinine (SCr), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DBIL), indirect bilirubin (IBIL), and D-Dimer were obtained and collated from medical records at admission, from which sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and LCR were calculated, and all above indicators were compared among groups. Multiple clinical parameters, including LYMPH, CRP and LCR, showed significant differences among groups. The related factors to classify COVID-19 patients into moderate, severe and critical groups included age, number of comorbidities, WBC, LCR, and AST. Among these factors, number of comorbidities showed the greatest effect, and only WBC and LCR were protective factors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of LCR to classify COVID-19 patients into moderate, severe and critical groups was 0.176. The cut-off value of LCR, and the sensitivity and specificity of ROC curve were 1780.7050, 84.6% and 66.2%, respectively. The related factors to classify COVID-19 patients into severe and critical groups included number of comorbidities, PLT, LCR, and SOFA score. Among these factors, SOFA score showed the greatest effect, and LCR was the only protective factor. The area under ROC curve of LCR to classify COVID-19 patients into severe and critical groups was 0.106. The cut-off value of LCR and the sensitivity and specificity of ROC curve were 571.2200, 81.3% and 90.0%, respectively. In summary, LCR can differentiate disease severity of COVID-19 patients and serve as a simple and objective assistant screening tool for hospital and ICU admission.

FeS nanoparticles encapsulated with highly nanoporous graphitic shells were prepared via a S-template-approach. The template was in situ doped in the graphitic shells during fabricating the FeS@C core–shell nanoparticles via short-time floating catalytic pyrolysis (1–4 seconds) and then nanopores were significantly created by partially removing the S-doping structure in the shells. FeS encapsulated with the nanoporous graphitic shells could avoid the large volume change between the insertion and extraction of Na+, leading to good stability of the prepared FeS@PWS900 nanoparticles (after 500 cycles at a current density of 3 A g−1; specific capacity > 240 mA h g−1; capacity retention: 89.6%). Additionally, the high nanoporosity of the graphitic shells could offer more efficient diffusion channels and shorten the diffusion route for the fast distribution of the Na+/Li+, leading to the improved electrochemical performance of the FeS@PWS900 (772 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.1 A g−1 and 340 mA h g−1 at 3 A g−1 for SIBs; 1426 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and 1057 mA h g−1 at 3 A g−1 for LIBs).

Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) can protect neurons in animal stroke models; however, their low rates of survival and neuronal differentiation limit their clinical application. Glial niches, an important location of neural stem cells, regulate survival, proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. However, the effects of activated glial cells on neural stem cells remain unclear. In the present study, we explored the effects of activated astrocytes and microglia on neural stem cells in vitro stroke models. We also investigated the effects of combined transplantation of neural stem cells and glial cells after stroke in rats. In a Transwell co-culture system, primary cultured astrocytes, microglia or mixed glial cells were exposed to glutamate or H2O2 and then seeded in the upper inserts, while primary neural stem cells were seeded in the lower uncoated wells and cultured for 7 days. Our results showed that microglia were conducive to neurosphere formation and had no effects on apoptosis within neurospheres, while astrocytes and mixed glial cells were conducive to neurosphere differentiation and reduced apoptosis within neurospheres, regardless of their pretreatment. In contrast, microglia and astrocytes induced neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells in differentiation medium, regardless of their pretreatment, with an exception of astrocytes pretreated with H2O2. Rat models of ischemic stroke were established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. Three days later, 5 × 105 neural stem cells with microglia or astrocytes were injected into the right lateral ventricle. Neural stem cell/astrocyte-treated rats displayed better improvement of neurological deficits than neural stem cell only-treated rats at 4 days after cell transplantation. Moreover, neural stem cell/microglia-, and neural stem cell/astrocyte-treated rats showed a significant decrease in ischemic volume compared with neural stem cell-treated rats. These findings indicate that microglia and astrocytes exert different effects on neural stem cells, and that co-transplantation of neural stem cells and astrocytes is more conducive to the recovery of neurological impairment in rats with ischemic stroke. The study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Tongji University School of Medicine, China (approval No. 2010-TJAA08220401) in 2010.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of splenectomy on dexmedetomidine-activated cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway-mediated alleviation of LPS-induced AKI. A mouse model of septic kidney injury was established in C57BL/6 mice. A total of 30 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group, LPS group, dexmedetomidine + LPS group, splenectomy group, splenectomy + LPS group, and splenectomy + dexmedetomidine + LPS group. The pathological effects in kidney tissues in each group were analyzed by HE staining. Apoptosis in each group was examined by the TUNEL method. Cr and Cys-C levels in each group were measured by ELISA. The expression levels of IL-6, NF-κB p65, Caspase-3, the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, the proapoptotic protein Bax, and α7nAChR in each group were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Dexmedetomidine alone reduced apoptosis in kidney tissue; however, apoptosis was increased after splenectomy in mice treated with dexmedetomidine. Splenectomy reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines in circulation and had a protective effect on the kidney. Splenectomy inhibited dexmedetomidine-mediated activation of the α7nAChR pathway. Dexmedetomidine effectively alleviated LPS-induced kidney injury, and splenectomy inhibited the anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and renoprotective effects of dexmedetomidine. The kidney-spleen axis is mediated by the α7nAChR-NF-κB signaling pathway and is involved in the development of AKI.

Liver injury is one of the most common critical clinical illnesses and is one of the manifestations of multiple organ dysfunction induced by sepsis. The liver plays a central role in the development of sepsis. The role of the liver in removing bacteria and regulating immune inflammation is crucial, and the liver is the target of sepsis-related injuries. However, the mechanism of liver injury in sepsis is still not clear. This review discusses the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and treatment of sepsis-related liver injury. Liver injury, pathophysiological mechanism, sepsis, sepsis-related liver injury

Symbionts can regulate animal reproduction in multiple ways, but the underlying physiological and biochemical mechanisms remain largely unknown. The presence of multiple lineages of maternally inherited, intracellular symbionts (the primary and secondary symbionts) in terrestrial arthropods is widespread in nature. However, the biological, metabolic, and evolutionary role of co-resident secondary symbionts for hosts is poorly understood. The bacterial symbionts Hamiltonella and Arsenophonus have very high prevalence in two globally important pests, the whiteflies Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum, respectively. Both symbionts coexist with the primary symbiont Portiera in the same host cell (bacteriocyte) and are maternally transmitted. We found that elimination of both Hamiltonella and Arsenophonous by antibiotic treatment reduced the percentage of female offspring in whiteflies. Microsatellite genotyping and cytogenetic analysis revealed that symbiont deficiency inhibited fertilization in whiteflies, leading to more haploid males with one maternal allele, which is consistent with distorted sex ratio in whiteflies. Quantification of essential amino acids and B vitamins in whiteflies indicated that symbiont deficiency reduced B vitamin levels, and dietary B vitamin supplementation rescued fitness of whiteflies. This study, for the first time, conclusively demonstrates that these two intracellular symbionts affect sex ratios in their whitefly hosts by regulating fertilization and supplying B vitamins. Our results reveal that both symbionts have the convergent function of regulating reproduction in phylogenetically-distant whitefly species. The 100% frequency, the inability of whiteflies to develop normally without their symbiont, and rescue with B vitamins suggests that both symbionts may be better considered co-primary symbionts.

Aβ plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are believed to precede cognitive deficits or clinical manifestation by decades. However, validated biomarkers for early diagnosis of the AD disease are still not available. In this present study, we combined MRI-based neuroimages and histological assessment of the glial response and altered cytokines, neurogenesis during the early course of Aβ deposits in TgAPP/PS1 mice to find potential early biomarkers for AD. We found that microglia and astrocytes were initially activated and clustered around Aβ plaques at the age of 6 months and significantly increased with age from 6-12 months of age. Confocal microscope analysis revealed that microglia not astrocytes began to phagocytose Aβ in 6-month-old TgAPP/PS1 mice, evidenced by the intracellular Aβ in Iba1 positive microglia not in GFAP positive astrocytes. In parallel with these observations, we found that mainly clustered microglia significantly upregulated the production of proinflammatory factors including TNF-α, iNOS and IL-1β, and anti-inflammatory cytokines including IL-4, TGF-β and extracellular protecting matrix YM-1 and enzyme arginase 1 (Arg1) at 6-12 months of age. Interestingly, reactive astrocyte did not express these cytokines and YM-1 and Arg1. These results may suggest that microglia rather than astrocytes play crucial roles in clearing Aβ and neuroinflammation in early stage of AD. In addition, the number of neural stem cells labeled by BrdU and immature neurons labeled by doublecortin was significantly decreased in 3-month-old TgAPP/PS1 mice ahead of Aβ deposits. Finally, DTI conforms that reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in dentate gyrus of hippocampus and rs-MRI shows an increased connectivity in the networks of somatosensory cortex-caudoputamen and insula in TgAPP/PS1 mice at 6 months. These findings provide a clue to early biomarkers for diagnosis of the AD disease.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been far more devastating than expected, showing no signs of slowing down at present. Heilongjiang Province is the most northeastern province of China, and has cold weather for nearly half a year and an annual temperature difference of more than 60ºC, which increases the underlying morbidity associated with pulmonary diseases, and thus leads to lung dysfunction. The demographic features and laboratory parameters of COVID-19 deceased patients in Heilongjiang Province, China with such climatic characteristics are still not clearly illustrated.To illustrate the demographic features and laboratory parameters of COVID-19 deceased patients in Heilongjiang Province by comparing with those of surviving severe and critically ill cases.COVID-19 deceased patients from different hospitals in Heilongjiang Province were included in this retrospective study and compared their characteristics with those of surviving severe and critically ill cases in the COVID-19 treatment center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University. The surviving patients were divided into severe group and critically ill group according to the Diagnosis and Treatment of New Coronavirus Pneumonia (the seventh edition). Demographic data were collected and recorded upon admission. Laboratory parameters were obtained from the medical records, and then compared among the groups.Twelve COVID-19 deceased patients, 27 severe cases and 26 critically ill cases were enrolled in this retrospective study. No differences in age, gender, and number of comorbidities between groups were found. Neutrophil percentage (NEUT%), platelet (PLT), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), serum troponin I (TNI) and brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) showed significant differences among the groups (Compared with surviving severe and critically ill cases, no special demographic features of COVID-19 deceased patients were observed, while some laboratory parameters including NEUT%, PLT, CRP, CK-MB, TNI and BNP showed significant differences. COVID-19 deceased patients had higher CRP, D-dimer and NEUT% levels and lower LYMPH and PLT counts.

In this work, organic supramolecular linkers involving cucubit[6]urils CB[6] and N,N′-hexamethylene-bis(pyrazinyl hexafluorophosphate) (BPHF@CB[6]) were utilized to assemble dodenuclear silver chalcogenolate clusters into three one-dimensional (1D) materials under different synthesis conditions. These three crystal structures of CB[6]-based sliver cluster-organic rotaxane frameworks were well resolved, and their emission properties were investigated systematically. This construction strategy involving organic supramolecular linkers gives a new methodology for cluster-assembled materials with intriguing structural and functional properties.

Background: The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) remain unclear over the years. Neuroinflammation caused by surgery has been recognized as an important element in the development of POCD. Many studies also suggest that the vagus nerve plays an important role in transmitting peripheral injury signals to the central nervous system (CNS) and the resultant neuroinflammation. Previously, we have demonstrated that brain mast cells (BMCs), as the “first responders”, play a vital role in neuroinflammation and POCD. However, how the vagus nerve communicates with BMCs in POCD has not yet been clarified.Methods: In the current study, we highlighted the role of the vagus nerve as a conduction highway in surgery-induced neuroinflammation for the first time. In our model, we tested if mice underwent unilateral cervical vagotomy (VGX) had less neuroinflammation compared to the shams after laparotomy (LP) at an early stage. To further investigate the roles of mast cells and glutamate in the process, we employed KitW-sh mice and primary bone marrow-derived MCs to verify the glutamate-NR2B axis on MCs once again.Results: Our results demonstrated that there were higher levels of glutamate and BMCs activation as early as 4 h after LP. Meanwhile, vagotomy could partially block the increases and reduce neuroinflammation caused by peripheral inflammation during the acute phase. Excitingly, inhibition of NR2B receptor and knockout of mast cells can attenuateneuroinflammation induced by glutamate.Conclusion: Taken together, our findings indicate that the vagus is a high-speed pathway in the transmission of peripheral inflammation to the CNS. Activation of BMCs triggered a neuroinflammatory cascade. Inhibition of NR2B receptor on BMCs can reduce glutamate-induced BMCs activation, neuroinflammation, and memory impairment, suggesting a novel treatment strategy for POCD.

Fe2O3 nanoparticles encapsulated with N-doped porous graphitic shells (Fe2O3@PWSs) were successfully prepared through a facile approach as anodes for SIBs. In such approach, owing to the short synthetic time, ∼7 nm precursor (Fe3C@N-doped graphitic shells core-shell nanoparticles) were prepared by floating catalytic pyrolysis, leading to in situ doped N atoms were well distributed. By partially removing homogeneous N-doped structure, lots of nanopores were created on the shell of the precursor, which made Fe3C cores efficiently oxidized without violently destroying graphitic shells. The excellent structural characteristics of Fe2O3@PWSs could effectively prevent pulverization/agglomeration of Fe2O3 and accommodate its volume changes during long-term cycling processes, exhibiting distinct cycling stability (at current density of 5000 mA g−1, 3000 cycles: a fading rate of only 0.007% per cycle for SIBs). Additionally, small size of Fe2O3 nanoparticles (average size of 5 nm) and higher porosity of carbon shells could offer more diffusion pathway which facilitate the transportation of Na+/Li+ and electrolyte leading to significantly improved electrochemical activity toward Na+/Li+ storage (the specific capacity: 637 and 525 mAh g−1 at current density of 100 and 3000 mA g−1, respectively, for SIBs; the specific capacity: 1506 and 1310 mAh g−1 at current density of 200 and 3000 mA g−1, respectively, for LIBs).

A simple naphthalene derivative, 6-hydroxy-2-naphthohydrazide (NAH), was designed and synthesized through two facile steps reactions with the 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (NCA) as the starting material. In neat H2O (10% 0.01 M HEPES buffer, v/v, pH = 7.4), probe NAH showed a highly selective and sensitive response towards Fe3+ via perceptible color change and displayed “turn-on” dual-emission fluorescence response for Cu2+. The binding stoichiometry ratio of NAH/Cu2+ and NAH/Fe3+ were all confirmed as 1:1 by the method of fluorescence job's plot and UV–Vis job's plot, respectively. Probe NAH can be used over a wide pH range for the determination of Fe3+ (2.0–10.0) and Cu2+ (6.0–10.0) without interference from other co-existing metal ions. A possible detection mechanism was the hydrolysis of NAH upon the addition of Fe3+ or Cu2+, thereby leading to the formation of 6-hydroxy-naphthalene-2-carboxylic acid (NCA) which was further confirmed by the various spectroscopic techniques including FT-IR, 1H NMR titration and HRMS. Moreover, NAH was successfully applied to the detection of Cu2+ and Fe3+ in tap water, ultrapure water and BSA.

The UNMIX model was used to analyze the source of heavy metals found to be present in the topsoil of parks in the main district of Lanzhou City. The Hakanson toxicity response coefficient was used concurrently to modify the traditional weights in the model, and the matter-element extension model was used to evaluate heavy metal pollution. The results of the evaluation were compared with the comprehensive pollution index (

Habitat loss and fragmentation are serious threats to biodiversity worldwide. In order to promote animal movement and gene flow between habitat islands, it is important to identify and evaluate the ecological network of species. In Tieli Forestry Bureau (TFB) in Northeast China, we simulated and evaluated the ecological network of roe deer, aiming to provide theoretical support to population conservation. By using three sources of roe deer occurrence data and 15 environmental variables, we simulated the suitability of habitats using the Maximum Entropy Model (MaxEnt). Then, the corridor design model Linkage Mapper was used to identify and evaluate the linkages between habitat cores which are defined by the home range size of roe deer. The results showed that, of the terrain, land cover, vegetation, and anthropogenic interference factors, the anthropogenic interference factors played the most important and complex role in roe deer habitat selection, creating large-area suitable habitats by farming. Two innovative variables of farmland-forest edge length/patch perimeter (FFE:PP) and viewshed introduced in simulation contributed 8.5% and 2.3%, respectively. Surrounded by the unsuitable habitats, the suitable habitats mainly distributed along both sides of the river, covering 41.8% of the total area of TFB. The ecological network of roe deer was composed of 11 habitat cores and 17 linkages. Three linkages connecting the key habitat cores had low quality and linkage suitability ratios, which were probably due to barrier effect of the HeHa expressway intersecting with the linkages. Our study suggests the priority areas for protecting roe deer and the key locations where the wildlife road-crossing structures or animal guidance measures are needed.

To investigate the expression and electrophysiological characteristics of calcium-activated chlorine channel anoctamin-1 (ANO1) protein during the differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) into myofibroblasts (MFs), and to elucidate the role of ANO1 in myocardial fibrosis.The primary CFs from neonatal rats were isolated and the cells differentiated into MFs by subculture. The CaThe current density in the early adherent CFs was stronger than that in MFs. ANO1 was expressed preferentially within and around the nuclei, and a small amount of ANO1 was expressed on the cell membrane. Moreover, ANO1 expression was weak in the early adherent CFs and displayed stronger expression in the MFs with proliferation tendency.The expression of ANO1 is closely related to the differentiation of MFs and it may be involved in modulation myocardial fibrosis.目的: 研究钙激活氯通道蛋白ANO1在心肌成纤维细胞(CFs)向成肌纤维细胞(MFs)分化过程中的表达规律及其电生理特性,探索ANO1在心肌纤维化进程中的作用。方法: 以刚分离贴壁的大鼠原代CFs及其分化的MFs为研究对象,利用全细胞膜片钳检测钙激活氯通道电流变化,采用免疫荧光标记技术和Western blot检测ANO1、α-SMA和vimentin在CFs和MFs细胞中的表达特征。结果: 刚贴壁培养的CFs钙激活氯通道电流密度远高于MFs;ANO1主要表达于CFs和MFs的细胞核周围及细胞核上,少量表达于细胞膜;ANO1在刚贴壁的CFs中表达较弱,而在有分裂增殖趋向的MFs细胞中表达较为明显。结论: ANO1的表达与MFs的分化过程密切相关,提示其可能参与调节心肌纤维化进程。.

In this study, seven types of heavy metal elements and 11 types of characteristic parameters affecting heavy metal pollution and accumulation in surface dust were selected. Based on the comprehensive pollution index (

It is necessary to estimate the population abundance of deer for managing their populations. However, most estimates are from high-density populations inhabiting the forests of North America or Europe, there is currently a lack of necessary knowledge regarding low-density deer populations in different forest habitats. In this article, we used fecal DNA based on the capture-mark-recapture method to estimate the population abundance of Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) in Liangshui National Nature Reserve in the Lesser Xing&rsquo, an Mountains, northeast China, where the deer population was found to be of a low density by limited studies. We used a robust survey design to collect 422 fecal pellet groups in 2016 and extracted DNA from those samples, generating 265 different genotypes, we thus identified 77 deer individuals based on six microsatellite markers (Roe1, Roe8, Roe9, BM757, MB25 and OarFCB304). With capture and recapture records of these 77 individuals, the abundance of roe deer was estimated to be 87 deer (80&ndash, 112, 95% CI) using the Program CAPTURE. Using an effective sampling area which resulted from the mean maximum recapture distance (MMRD), we converted the population abundance to a density of 2.9 deer/km2 (2.7&ndash, 3.7, 95% CI). Our study estimated the roe deer population abundance by a feces-based capture-mark-recapture approach in northeast China, successfully demonstrating the applicability of non-invasive genetic sampling in monitoring populations of deer in this area, which contributes to the development of low-density deer population ecology and management.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the progression of acute lung injury (ALI). So far, little is known about the role of miR-520c-3p in ALI. In this study, the mechanism of the occurrence and development of ALI was explored. We firstly found that miR-520c-3p could inhibit the expression of NLRC5. A549 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)

This paper focused on the seismic performance of buckling-restrained braced concrete frame. Two different systems including the single-level yielding buckling-restrained braced concrete frame (SYBRBCF) and the double-level yielding buckling-restrained braced concrete frame (DYBRBCF) were designed for comparison. Compared with the single-level yielding buckling-restrained braces which are similar to many existing types of buckling-restrained braces, the double-level yielding buckling-restrained braces (DYBRBs) have two different energy absorption mechanisms that are expected to provide energy dissipations under the frequent earthquakes and rare earthquakes. To comparatively investigate the seismic performances of the two systems, cyclic tests were performed on one DYBRBCF specimen and another SYBRBCF specimen. The seismic response including the hysteretic curves, backbone curves, ductility coefficients, equivalent damping ratios, strengths, and stiffness degradations of the two experimental specimens was compared and analyzed. The test results indicate that the properly designed SYBRBCF and DYBRBCF can both exhibit the full hysteretic curves, meet the strong-column–weak-beam design requirement, and achieve the expected seismic performance. However, it was found that the ductility coefficient and energy dissipation capacity of the DYBRBCF were 72.2% and 23.4% higher than those of the SYBRBCF. The present study also provided useful design recommendations, which were beneficial to promote the application of DYBRBs.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of splenectomy on dexmedetomidine-activated cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway-mediated alleviation of LPS-induced AKI. A mouse model of septic kidney injury was established in C57BL/6 mice. A total of 30 C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group, LPS group, dexmedetomidine + LPS group, splenectomy group, splenectomy + LPS group, and splenectomy + dexmedetomidine + LPS group. The pathological effects in kidney tissues in each group were analyzed by HE staining. Apoptosis in each group was examined by the TUNEL method. Cr and Cys-C levels in each group were measured by ELISA. The expression levels of IL-6, NF-κB p65, Caspase-3, the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, the proapoptotic protein Bax, and α7nAChR in each group were measured by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Dexmedetomidine alone reduced apoptosis in kidney tissue; however, apoptosis was increased after splenectomy in mice treated with dexmedetomidine. Splenectomy reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines in circulation and had a protective effect on the kidney. Splenectomy inhibited dexmedetomidine-mediated activation of the α7nAChR pathway. Dexmedetomidine effectively alleviated LPS-induced kidney injury, and splenectomy inhibited the anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and renoprotective effects of dexmedetomidine. The kidney-spleen axis is mediated by the α7nAChR-NF-κB signaling pathway and is involved in the development of AKI.

Some symbiotic microbes are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the development of bacteriocytes are largely obscure. We find that maternally inherited bacteriocytes proliferate in adult females but degenerate in adult males of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Single-cell transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry reveal that cell division only occurs in the bacteriocytes of adult females, whereas autophagy and apoptosis are induced in the bacteriocytes of adult males. A transcription factor, Adf-1, enriched in bacteriocytes, is highly expressed in female bacteriocytes relative to male bacteriocytes. Silencing Adf-1 reduces the bacteriocyte number and Portiera titer and activates autophagy and apoptosis in females. The differential dynamics of both cell division and death in bacteriocytes and distinct expression of Adf-1 in bacteriocytes between whitefly sexes underlie the sexual differentiation of bacteriocyte development. Our study reveals that insect sex affects the development of bacteriocytes by cellular and molecular remodeling.