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Objectives: To observe whether electroacupuncture (EA) can inhibit the inflammatory response via down-regulating hexokinase 2 (HK2) mediated Warburg effect in rats with acute lung injury (ALI)., Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, model and EA groups, with 12 rats in each group. The ALI model was established by injection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS, 5 mg/mL, 1 mL/kg) into the tail vein. The rats in the control group received intravenous injection of the same volume of 0.9% NaCl solution. Immediately after the modeling was completed, EA (3 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Chize" (LU5) for 30 min, once a day for 5 consecutive days. The contents of serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) were measured by using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of the lung tissue was calculated to assess the severity of pulmonary edema. Histopathological changes of the lung tissue (inflammatory damage, damage score) were observed and calculated after hematoxylin and eosin (H.E.) staining. The qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression of HK2 mRNA and protein, respectively. The lactate kit was used to detect the lactate content of the lung tissue., Results: Compared with the control group, the serum IL-1β content, lung damage score, ratio of W/D of the lung tissue, expression levels of HK2 mRNA and protein and the lactate content were significantly increased ( P <0.01), while the serum TGF-β content was significantly decreased ( P <0.01) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, the serum IL-1β content, pathological score, HK2 mRNA expression level, and lactic acid content were significantly decreased ( P <0.01), and the TGF-β content was significantly increased ( P <0.01) in the EA group. H.E. stain showed obvious congestion and hemorrhage of the lung tissue, disappearance of the alveolar structure with thickened alveolar wall, and a large number of inflammatory cells infiltration in the model group, which was relatively milder in the EA group, including milder pulmonary tissue congestion, partial alveolar fusion, and fewer inflammatory cells gathered in the alveolar septum, etc., Conclusions: EA can reduce the inflammatory response and pulmonary edema of ALI in rats, which may be related to its functions in down-regulating the content of serum IL-1β, and lung HK2 mRNA expression and lactic acid content and in up-regulating serum TGF-β (anti-inflammatory factor) level and HK2-mediated Warburg effect.

A 3D-printed all-dielectric metasurface is presented in this Letter which can generate an accelerating beam with a circularly symmetric non-spreading transverse profile that can propagate along arbitrary convex trajectories. The curved trajectory is mapped to the corresponding direct-space spatial phases by the basic cube units with different geometrical heights. The required phase distribution is derived in detail based on the enveloping theory of differential geometry and the Bessel beam generation method. A metasurface with a preset trajectory is simulated and measured to demonstrate the validity of the phase distribution calculated by the proposed theory. The full-wave simulation and measurement results verify that the Bessel-like beam whose intensity follows a curved (off-axis) trajectory can be produced by the proposed metasurface. The generated hybrid beam merges the advantages of non-accelerating and accelerating diffractive-free beams. Therefore, the proposed metasurface has great potential in ultrahigh-speed communication, secure communication, near-field imaging, wireless energy transmission applications, and so on. The all-dielectric characteristic provides the proposed metasurface with the competitive advantages of low cost and easy large-scale processing.

Chemosensory genes play important roles in insect behaviors and have thus become potential molecular targets for pest control based on the manipulation of chemoreception-driven behaviors. The great gray weevil Sympiezomias velatus (Chevrolat) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an important agricultural pest that causes serious economic losses to many crops in China, but its chemosensory genes have not been reported. Here we assembled the antennal transcriptomes of female and male adult S. velatus and revealed the major chemosensory genes necessary for olfaction. A total of 138 candidate chemosensory genes in six families were identified, including 41 encoding odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 11 encoding chemosensory proteins (CSPs), 62 encoding odorant receptors (ORs), 15 encoding gustatory receptors (GRs), six encoding ionotropic receptors (IRs), and three encoding sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). We analyzed their phylogenetic relationship based on the amino acid sequences of these chemosensory-related protein families in S. velatus and other insects, and the expression profiles based on their antennal transcriptomes. Chemosensory genes that show antenna-abundant/specific or sex-biased expression were observed, suggesting that these genes might have functions in olfaction. Furthermore, we chose an antenna-abundant OBP belonging to ABPX subfamily, SvelOBP15, to investigate its binding property. The results showed that among 33 tested compounds, SvelOBP15 displayed high binding affinities (Ki = 7.36-12.94 μmol/L) with farnesol, nerolidol, limonene and diisobutyl phthalate, indicating that SvelOBP15 plays olfactory roles by binding and transporting specific plant volatiles. These findings will help us better understand the olfactory systems of S. velatus , and provide a basis for functional elucidation of these chemosensory genes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Li, Li, Sun, Li, Gao, Liu and Qu.)

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are known as chemosynthetic ecosystems. However, high temperature vents emit light that hypothetically can drive photosynthesis in this habitat. Metagenomic studies have sporadically reported the occurrence of phototrophic populations such as cyanobacteria in hydrothermal vents. To determine how geographically and taxonomically widespread phototrophs are in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, we collected samples from three niches in a hydrothermal vent on the Southwest Indian Ridge and carried out an integrated metagenomic analysis. We determined the typical community structures of microorganisms found in active venting fields and identified populations of known potential chlorophototrophs and retinalophototrophs. Complete chlorophyll biosynthetic pathways were identified in all samples. By contrast, proteorhodopsins were only found in active beehive smoker diffusers. Taxonomic groups possessing potential phototrophy dependent on semiconductors present in hydrothermal vents were also found in these samples. This systematic comparative metagenomic study reveals the widespread distribution of phototrophic bacteria in hydrothermal vent fields. Our results support the hypothesis that the ocean is a seed bank of diverse microorganisms. Geothermal vent light may provide energy and confer a competitive advantage on phototrophs to proliferate in hydrothermal vent ecosystems., Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-021-00121-y., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestThere are no conflicts of interest or competing interests., (© Ocean University of China 2022.)

Background: Prediction and early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Parkinson's disease with depression (PDD) are essential for the clinical management of PD. Objectives: The present study aimed to develop a plasma Family with sequence similarity 19, member A5 (FAM19A5) and MRI-based radiomics nomogram to predict PD and PDD. Methods: The study involved 176 PD patients and 181 healthy controls (HC). Sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure FAM19A5 concentration in the plasma samples collected from all participants. For enrolled subjects, MRI data were collected from 164 individuals (82 in the PD group and 82 in the HC group). The bilateral amygdala, head of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and substantia nigra, and red nucleus were manually labeled on the MR images. Radiomics features of the labeled regions were extracted. Further, machine learning methods were applied to shrink the feature size and build a predictive radiomics signature. The resulting radiomics signature was combined with plasma FAM19A5 concentration and other risk factors to establish logistic regression models for the prediction of PD and PDD. Results: The plasma FAM19A5 levels (2.456 ± 0.517) were recorded to be significantly higher in the PD group as compared to the HC group (2.23 ± 0.457) ( P < 0.001). Importantly, the plasma FAM19A5 levels were also significantly higher in the PDD subgroup (2.577 ± 0.408) as compared to the non-depressive subgroup (2.406 ± 0.549) ( P = 0.045 < 0.05). The model based on the combination of plasma FAM19A5 and radiomics signature showed excellent predictive validity for PD and PDD, with AUCs of 0.913 (95% CI: 0.861-0.955) and 0.937 (95% CI: 0.845-0.970), respectively. Conclusion: Altogether, the present study reported the development of nomograms incorporating radiomics signature, plasma FAM19A5, and clinical risk factors, which might serve as potential tools for early prediction of PD and PDD in clinical settings., Competing Interests: A-bM was employed by Shanghai Xunshi Technology Co., Ltd. as a data engineer and directly participated in data analysis of this study. This study did not receive any financial support from the company. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Li, Hao, Qu, Zhang, Ma, Pan and Ma.)

In this Letter, a metasurface combined with emerging 3D printing technology is proposed. The proposed metasurface regards the simple cube as the unit cell, and the height of the cube is the only variable. A nearly linear transmission phase range covering 360° operating at 20 GHz is obtained when the height is regulated in [2.26 mm, 11.20 mm]. Therefore, the proposed unit cell can be adopted to any metasurface with various functions. Taking the generation of a non-diffractive Bessel beam as an example, two metasurfaces composed of 30×30 units with different focusing directions are designed based on non-diffractive theory and the generalized law of refraction. Two prototypes are 3D printed and measured by a near-field scanning system. The measured results validate our design with satisfactory focusing and beam deflection performance. Additionally, the 3D printed metasurface has lower cost and a shorter processing cycle, and avoids metal loss. Therefore, a 3D printed metasurface is an excellent candidate that can be applied in millimeter wave or even higher frequency bands.

Holotrichia oblita (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a major soil insect pest that damages forest trees, crops, and lawns. Adults of H. oblita fly, forage, and mate at night but remain underground during the day. We studied the effect of photoperiod on H. oblita reproduction. H. oblita females laid more eggs at 8:16 (L:D) h and 0:24 (L:D) h than other photoperiods. As the scotophase increased, the preoviposition period decreased and the oviposition period increased. Female longevity exceeded that of males at all photoperiods, and both males and females at 0:24 (L:D) h had the shortest longevity. The number of eggs laid per female increased with increasing food consumption. Females at 8:16 (L:D) h had the greatest food consumption and laid the most eggs, while females at 24:0 (L:D) h had the lowest food consumption and laid few eggs. The food intake of adults increased gradually and decreased slowly after reaching a peak. Females began to lay eggs when their food consumption reached a maximum. These results indicate that a scotophase is necessary for the reproduction of H. oblita. A long scotophase promotes greater oviposition. The effect of photoperiod on reproduction is affected by food intake., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Chemosensory systems are considered to play an important role in host plant selection in herbivorous insects. However, few studies have focused on chemosensory proteins (CSPs) for aphid host-location mechanisms. The roles of CSPs in searching for different Poaceae species (wheat, barley, triticale, maize and sorghum) were tested in Rhopalosiphum padi, an important cereal pest. The olfactometer assays showed that R. padi responds to plant odors. Seven R. padi CSP genes were identified. Influence of aphid morph, tissue and starvation state on expression patterns of CSPs was evaluated. Expression levels of CSP1, CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6 in winged aphids were significantly higher than those in wingless ones. Transcription levels of four genes (CSP1, CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6) were relatively higher in the head with antennae, and the four genes tended to be upregulated following starvation. Silencing of three CSPs (CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6) altered aphid host-location behavior in response to the five different host plants tested. Three volatile compounds of host plants (octanal, [E]-2-hexenol and linalool) have significant attraction to winged R. padi according to the four-arm olfactometer tests. Molecular docking predicted hydrogen bonding sites which played key roles in the binding of CSP4, CSP5 and CSP6 with volatile compounds. Knockdown of CSP4 or CSP5 significantly decreased the staying time of R. padi in the arms with octanal. However, knockdown of CSP6 could not affect the response of R. padi to octanal. These results bring evidence for the involvement of three CSPs in R. padi host-location behavior., (© 2020 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Exosomes show diagnostic and therapeutic promise as carriers of ncRNAs in diseases. LncRNAs in exosomes have been identified as being stable and avoided degradation by nucleolytic enzymes. Although lncRNAs have been confirmed to be important in cancers, no studies for exo-lncRNAs have been reported in LAA stroke. High-throughput sequencing was performed to detect the differential expression profiles of lncRNAs in five paired plasma-derived exosome samples from patients with LAA stroke and controls (matched on vascular risk factors). Exo-lncRNA-associated networks were predicted with a combination of multiple databases. The expression of the selected genes in the networks was confirmed by qRT-PCR in a validation set (LAA vs. controls = 30:30). Furthermore, ROC analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the lncRNA-related networks. A total of 1,020 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified in LAA stroke patients. GO and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that their target genes are involved in atherosclerosis-related pathways, including inflammation, cell adhesion, and cell migration. qRT-PCR confirmed that the expression trend of differential expressed genes was consistent with RNA-seq. Furthermore, the AUCs of the lnc&#95;002015-related network and lnc&#95;001350-related network were 0.959 and 0.97, respectively, in LAA stroke. Our study showed the differential expression of lncRNAs in plasma exosomes and presented related diagnostic networks for LAA stroke for the first time. The results suggested that exosomal lncRNA-related networks could be potential diagnostic tools in LAA stroke., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zhang, Wang, Qu, Wang, Ma, Pan and Zhu.)

Rhopalosiphum padi is a worldwide agricultural pest. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are considered to be a type of transporters which can bind chemicals from external environments. Previous research showed that the expression of some insect CSPs were significantly increased after exposure to insecticides, and CSPs were involved in insecticide resistance or susceptibility. However, the role of CSPs in the susceptibility and response of R. padi to insecticides is still unknown. In this study, we identified eight CSP (RpCSP) from R. padi by genome-wide investigation. Seven RpCSP genes had two exons, while RpCSP7 had three exons. qPCR analyses showed that the mRNA levels of the eight RpCSP genes were significantly affected by imidacloprid and beta-cypermethrin in different post-treatment periods. Molecular docking predicted that there were hydrogen bonding sites which played key roles in binding of RpCSP4, RpCSP5, RpCSP6, RpCSP7 and RpCSP10 with imidacloprid and beta-cypermethrin. Knockdown of RpCSP4, RpCSP5, RpCSP6 and RpCSP10 by RNA interference significantly increased the aphid mortality under two sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid. Mortalities under two sublethal concentrations of beta-cypermethrin conditions were significantly higher after injection of R. padi with dsCSP4 and dsCSP6. The results indicate that some RpCSP genes are involved in the insecticide susceptibility of R. padi., (© 2020 Royal Entomological Society.)

Neuropeptides are the most abundant and diverse signal molecules in insects. They act as neurohormones and neuromodulators to regulate the physiology and behavior of insects. The majority of neuropeptides initiate downstream signaling pathways through binding to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) on the cell surface. In this study, RNA-seq technology and bioinformatics were used to search for genes encoding neuropeptides and their GPCRs in the cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora . And the expression of these genes at different developmental stages of A. craccivora was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). A total of 40 candidate genes encoding neuropeptide precursors were identified from the transcriptome data, which is roughly equivalent to the number of neuropeptide genes that have been reported in other insects. On this basis, software analysis combined with homologous prediction estimated that there could be more than 60 mature neuropeptides with biological activity. In addition, 46 neuropeptide GPCRs were obtained, of which 40 belong to rhodopsin-like receptors (A-family GPCRs), including 21 families of neuropeptide receptors and 7 orphan receptors, and 6 belong to secretin-like receptors (B-family GPCRs), including receptors for diuretic hormone 31, diuretic hormone 44 and pigment-dispersing factor (PDF). Compared with holometabolous insects such as Drosophila melanogaster , the coding genes for sulfakinin, corazonin, arginine vasopressin-like peptide (AVLP), and trissin and the corresponding receptors were not found in A. craccivora . It is speculated that A. craccivora likely lacks the above neuropeptide signaling pathways, which is consistent with Acyrthosiphon pisum and that the loss of these pathways may be a common feature of aphids. In addition, expression profiling revealed neuropeptide genes and their GPCR genes that are differentially expressed at different developmental stages and in different wing morphs. This study will help to deepen our understanding of the neuropeptide signaling systems in aphids, thus laying the foundation for the development of new methods for aphid control targeting these signaling systems., (Copyright © 2020 Li, Du, Jiang, Ju, Qu, Qu and Liu.)

Objective: To compare the von Mises stresses of the pedicle screw system and the displacement of injured vertebrae using 3-D finite element analysis, and to evaluate the curative effect of the pedicle screw system., Methods: Finite element methods were used for biomechanical comparison of four posterior short segment pedicle screw fixation techniques. The different pedicle screw models are traditional trajectory (TT), Universal Spine System (USS), cortical bone trajectory (CBT), and CBT at the cranial level and pedicle screw (PS) at the caudal level (UP-CBT). The stress distribution of the screws and connecting rods under different working conditions and the displacement of the injured vertebrae were compared and analyzed., Results: After the pedicle screw system was fixed, the stress under vertical compression was mainly concentrated at the proximal end of the screw, while the stress was mainly concentrated on the connecting rod during flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation. The TT group had the greatest stress during the flexion, extension, and left and right rotation. The UP-CBT group was most stressed when the left and right sides were flexed; the stress of the USS screw system was less than that of the other three models during flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation. The maximum von Mises stress values of pedicle screws in all exercise states were 556.2, 340.7, 458.1, and 533.4 MPa, respectively. In the USS group, the displacement of the injured vertebra was small in the flexion, and the left and right lateral flexion and the right rotation were higher than in the TT group and the CBT group. The maximum displacements of the injured vertebrae in all motion states were 1.679, 1.604, 1.752, and 1.777 mm, respectively., Conclusion: Universal Spine System pedicle screws are relatively less stressed under different working conditions, the risk of breakage is small, and the model is relatively stable; CBT screws do not exhibit better mechanical properties than conventional pedicle screws and USS pedicle screws., (© 2020 The Authors. Orthopaedic Surgery published by Chinese Orthopaedic Association and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Introduction: L-glutamine is an antioxidant that plays a role in a variety of biochemical processes. Given that oxidative stress is a key component of stroke pathology, the potential of L-glutamine in the treatment of ischemic stroke is worth exploring., Aims: In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanisms of action of L-glutamine after cerebral ischemic injury., Results: L-glutamine reduced brain infarct volume and promoted neurobehavioral recovery in mice. L-glutamine administration increased the expression of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) in astrocytes and endothelial cells. Such effects were abolished by the coadministration of Apoptozole, an inhibitor of the ATPase activity of HSP70. L-glutamine also reduced oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis, and increased the level of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Cotreatment with Apoptozole abolished these effects. Cell culture study further revealed that the conditioned medium from astrocytes cultured with L-glutamine reduced the apoptosis of neurons after oxygen-glucose deprivation., Conclusion: L-glutamine attenuated ischemic brain injury and promoted functional recovery via HSP70, suggesting its potential in ischemic stroke therapy., (© 2019 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Dl-3-N-butylphthalide (NBP), a small molecule drug used clinically in the acute phase of ischemic stroke, has been shown to improve functional recovery and promote angiogenesis and collateral vessel circulation after experimental cerebral ischemia. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is unknown., Aims: To explore the potential molecular mechanism of angiogenesis induced by NBP after cerebral ischemia., Results: NBP treatment attenuated body weight loss, reduced brain infarct volume, and improved neurobehavioral outcomes during focal ischemia compared to the control rats (P < 0.05). NBP increased the number of CD31 + microvessels, the number of CD31 + /BrdU + proliferating endothelial cells, and the functional vascular density (P < 0.05). Further study demonstrated that NBP also promoted the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-1 (P < 0.05), which was accompanied by upregulated sonic hedgehog expression in astrocytes in vivo and in vitro., Conclusion: NBP treatment promoted the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin-1, induced angiogenesis, and improved neurobehavioral recovery. These effects were associated with increased sonic hedgehog expression after NBP treatment. Our results broadened the clinical application of NBP to include the later phase of ischemia., (© 2019 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The dark black chafer (DBC), Holotrichia parallela , is an important pest of multiple crops. Insect host-searching behaviors are regulated by host plant volatiles. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanism linking the chemosensory system to plant volatiles at the molecular level will benefit DBC control strategies. Based on antenna transcriptome data, two highly expressed antenna-specific odorant-binding proteins (HparOBP20 and 49) were selected to identify novel DBC attractants using reverse chemical ecology methods. We expressed these proteins, mapped their binding specificity, and tested the activity of the plant volatiles in the field. The ligands used in the binding specificity assays included 31 host-plant-associated volatiles and two sex pheromone components. The results showed that (1) HparOBP20 and 49 are involved in odor recognition; (2) these proteins bind attractive plant volatiles strongly and can therefore be employed to develop environmentally friendly DBC management strategies; and (3) the green-leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate shows a high binding affinity to HparOBP20 (Ki = 18.51 μM) and HparOBP49 (Ki = 39.65 μM) and is highly attractive to DBC adults, especially females. In the field test, a (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate trap caught an average of 13 ± 1.202 females per day, which was significantly greater than the corresponding male catch ( F 2,6 = 74.18, P < 0.0001). (Z)-3-Hexenyl acetate may represent a useful supplement to the known sex pheromone for DBC attraction. In the present study, the binding characteristics of two HparOBPs with host plant volatiles were screened, providing behaviourally active compounds that might be useful for DBC control, based on reverse chemical ecology.

Neuropeptide F (NPF) signaling systems are widespread and highly evolutionarily conserved from vertebrates to invertebrates. In fact, NPF has been identified in many insect species and plays regulatory roles in diverse physiological processes, such as feeding, learning, reproduction and stress responses. NPF operates by interacting with the NPF receptor (NPFR). Here, we characterized and determined the presumed role of NPF signaling in the wingless parthenogenetic pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum . Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that the expression levels of both NPF and NPFR transcripts varied across developmental stages, which implies that the NPF signaling system might participate in the developmental regulation of aphid physiological processes or behaviors. The NPF transcript was mainly detected in the head but not in the gut, whereas the NPFR transcript was mainly detected in both the gut and head. In addition, the NPF transcript levels were markedly up-regulated in starved aphids compared with satiated aphids, and the transcript levels recovered after re-feeding. In contrast, the NPFR transcript levels remained stable in starved and re-fed aphids. Furthermore, RNAi knockdown by the injection of NPF dsRNA into wingless adult aphids significantly reduced their food intake. Further analysis of the modification of aphid feeding behavior on broad bean plants using electrical penetration graphs (EPGs) revealed that both the probing time and the total duration of phloem activity decreased significantly in the NPF treatment group. These results indicated a lower appetite for food after NPF knockdown, which could explain the reduction in aphid food intake. NPF silencing was also shown to reduce reproduction but not survival in aphids. Overall, the results of these experiments suggest that NPF plays an important role in regulation of feeding in A. pisum .

The location of perianal abscesses and the course of the fistula follow certain patterns, especially in the relationship between external and internal openings. However, it is still not clear how the contents of the ischioanal fossa, especially the fibrous network of fat tissue, affect the route for such diseases. Ten male adult cadavers were selected for the study. Seven horizontal transverse section planes from 1 cm above the pubic symphysis to the inferior border of the lesser trochanter of the femur were recorded after P45 sheet plastination. We observed characteristics of fiber distribution in the ischioanal fossa and its relationship with surrounding structures in every plane. There was a dense strip-type fiber connecting with junction fascia between the obturator internus and gluteus maximus muscles. Close to the levator ani, obturator internus, and gluteus maximus, the fibers were very dense and continuous with the fascia on the surfaces of these three muscles. The function of the fibrous network was considered to be not only the support of fat tissue in the fossa but also cushioning during physiological actions such as defecation. We hope that these morphological results could help to elucidate the passage of fistulae and the locations susceptible to perianal abscesses. Clin. Anat. 30:1029-1033, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Freshly isolated cells are used as an ideal experimental model in in vitro toxicology analysis, especially the detection of diverse xenobiotics induced genotoxic effects. In present study, heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb) and PCBs were selected as representative xenobiotics to verify the ability of in vitro model in assessing genotoxic effects in cells of marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). DNA damage and chromosome aberration were assessed in freshly isolated cells from haemolymph, gill and digestive gland by single cell gel electrophoresis and micronucleus assay respectively. Gill cells showed more sensitive to Zn exposure among three types of cells, indicating tissue-specific genotoxicity. Significantly higher DNA aberrations were induced by Cu in haemocytes compared to Cd and Pb, indicating chemical-specific genotoxicity. An additive effect was detected after combined heavy metals and PCBs exposure, suggesting the interaction of selected xenobiotics. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to study the complex effects of organic and/or inorganic contaminants using freshly isolated cells from marine mussels. Genetic responses are proved to occur and maintained in vitro in relation to short-term xenobiotics induced stresses. The utilization of the in vitro model could provide a rapid tool to investigate the comprehensive toxic effects in marine invertebrates and monitor environmental health., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Holotrichia parallela (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) is a notorious pest of many crops. To improve the effectiveness of its female-produced sex pheromone (L-isoleucine methyl ester:(R)-(-)-linalool = 6:1), 14 plant volatiles, including dodecanoic acid, dodecanal, farnesol, α-farnesene, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, (R)-(+)-limonene, α-phellandrene, α-pinene, ocimene, methyl benzoate, and benzaldehyde, were individually evaluated using electroantennography and olfactometer assays. (E)-2-Hexenyl acetate and (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate were found to elicit the strongest responses in both males and females. Further testing of these two compounds in mixtures with the sex pheromone indicated that (E)-2-hexenyl acetate had a stronger synergistic effect than (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate. Field evaluations showed that mixtures of (E)-2-hexenyl acetate and the sex pheromone resulted in significantly higher catches than the sex pheromone alone. Using a 5:1 mixture of the sex pheromone and (E)-2-hexenyl acetate, the maximum number of females per trap per day was 14, showing a synergistic effect of a factor of four. For males, a 3:1 mixture of the sex pheromone and (E)-2-hexenyl acetate yielded a maximum number of 310 individuals per trap per day, equivalent to a synergistic effect of 175%. These results may provide the basis for the development of efficient pest management systems against H. parallela using plant volatiles and insect sex pheromones.

Insect gustatory systems play important roles in food selection and feeding behaviors. In spite of the enormous progress in understanding gustation in Drosophila, for other insects one of the key elements in gustatory signaling, the gustatory receptor (GR), is still elusive. In this study, we report that fructose elicits behavioral and physiological responses in Helicoverpa armigera (Harm) to fructose and identify the gustatory receptor for this sugar. Using the proboscis extension reflex (PER) assays we found that females respond to fructose following stimulation of the distal part of the antenna, where we have identified contact chemosensilla tuned to fructose in tip recording experiments. We isolated three full-length cDNAs encoding candidate HarmGRs based on comparison with orthologous GR sequences in Heliothis virescens and functionally characterized the responses of HarmGR4 to 15 chemicals when this receptor was expressed in Xenopus oocytes with two-electrode voltage-clamp recording. Among the tastants tested, the oocytes dose-dependently responded only to D-fructose (EC50 = 0.045 M). By combining behavioral, electrophysiological and molecular approaches, these results provide basic knowledge for further research on the molecular mechanisms of gustatory reception., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study evaluates the inhibitory effect of IPO against ischemia reperfusion (I/R) induced lung injury in rats., Methods: Anesthetized and mechanically ventilated adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of the following groups (n=12 each): the sham operated control group, the ischemia-reperfusion (IR) group (30min of left-lung ischemia and 24h of reperfusion), the IPO group (three successive cycles of 30-s reperfusion per 30-s occlusion before restoring full perfusion), and the dexamethasone plus IPO group (rats were injected with dexamethasone (3mg/kg·day(-1)) 10min prior to the experiment and the rest of the procedures were the same as the IPO group). Lung injury was assessed by wet-to-dry lung weight ratio and tissue apoptosis and biochemical changes., Results: Lung ischemia-reperfusion increased lung MDA production, serum proinflammatory cytokine count, and MPO activity and reduced antioxidant enzyme activities (all p<0.05 I/R versus sham), accompanied with a compensatory increase in caspase-3, bax, Fas, FasL proteins and a decrease in Bcl-2 protein. Plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β were increased in the I/R group (all p<0.05 versus sham). IPO attenuated or prevented all the above changes. Treatment with dexamethasone enhanced all the protective effects of postconditioning., Conclusion: Postconditioning obviously inhibits I/R induced lung injury by its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis activities., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The dark black chafer, Holotrichia parallela, is an economically important pest in China and worldwide. Traps based on chemical communication are being developed as an alternative control measure to pesticides for this pest, and studies to reveal chemical communication mechanisms in this pest are highly desirable. To systematically analyze genes potentially involved in chemical communication in this pest, we generated a comprehensive transcriptome with combined samples derived from multiple tissues and developmental stages. A total of 43,967 nonredundant sequences (unigenes) with average length of 806 bp were obtained. These unigenes were annotated into different pathways using gene ontology analysis and cluster analysis of orthologous groups of proteins, and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes. In total, 25 transcripts encoding odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and 16 transcripts encoding chemosensory proteins (CSPs) were identified based on homology searches. Tissue-specific expression profile indicates that OBP17 and CSP7 are likely responsible for male sex pheromone recognition, whereas OBP1-4, OBP9, OBP13-14, OBP17-18, OBP20, OBP22, OBP25, CSP1-7, CSP11, and CSP12-15 are likely responsible for chemical communication between the beetle and environments. Our data shall provide a foundation for further research on the molecular aspects of chemical communication of this insect, and for comparative genomic studies with other species., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Flow shear stress plays important roles in modulating differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). MicroRNAs are crucial for diverse cellular processes, but the expressions and functions of microRNAs in EPCs responding to mechanical stimuli remain unclear. We sought to determine the effects of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) and a novel target Forkhead box j2 (Foxj2) on shear stress-induced EPC differentiation. Human umbilical cord blood-derived EPCs were exposed to laminar shear stress of 15dyn/cm(2) with parallel plate flow chamber system. Real time RT-PCR showed that shear stress significantly increased miR-34a expression, which was accompanied by the endothelial differentiation of EPCs. Whereas Foxj2, a putative target of miR-34a predicted by multiple algorithms, was suppressed in this process. Dual luciferase reporter assays, as well as miR-34a mimics and inhibitor treatment were used to confirm the interplay between miR-34a and Foxj2. Our results revealed an inverse correlation of miR-34a and Foxj2 expressions implicated in the endothelial differentiation of EPCs. MiR-34a contributed to this process by up-regulating the expressions of endothelial cell markers, and down-regulating smooth muscular cell markers. In addition, Foxj2 overexpression attenuated endothelial differentiation of EPCs, while Foxj2 siRNA had the opposite effect. These data suggested a unique mechanism that shear stress induces the expression of miR-34a, which targets to Foxj2 and promotes endothelial differentiation of EPCs. The results provide new insights into miR-34a/Foxj2 on shear stress-induced EPC differentiation., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The dark black chafer, Holotrichia parallela Motschulsky, is an economically important pest worldwide. Odorant-based lures and traps are being developed as a key kind of alternative control measures for this pest, and studies to reveal the mechanisms for chemotaxis in this pest are necessary. Two full-length cDNAs encoding different odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) were cloned. The predicted proteins were found to have the functional domains characteristic of typical OBPs and share a high degree of sequence similarity with OBP1 and OBP2 from other insects and were therefore designated as H. parallela OBP-1 and H. parallela OBP-2 (HparOBP-1 and HparOBP-2, respectively). These two OBPs were specifically expressed in antennae. The binding affinity of two purified proteins indicated that HparOBP-1 and HparOBP-2 could selectively interact with various volatiles emitted from host plants and pheromone components. Among the 10 chemicals tested, HparOBP-1 could bind to six of the tested compounds with a dissociation concentration (Ki) less than 20, and HparOBP-2 could bind to three of the compounds. The two OBPs are probably involved in chemotaxis of the dark black chafer. This discovery should accelerate research on chemical communications of this pest, which could potentially lead to the improvement of control measures based on lures and traps.

Cyclic strain is an important inducer of proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) which are involved in vascular remodeling during hypertension. However, its mechanism remains to be elucidated. VSMCs of rat aorta were exposed to cyclic strains in vitro with defined parameters, the static, 5%-strain (physiological) and 15%-strain (pathological), at 1.25 Hz for 24 h respectively. Then the possible signaling molecules participated in strain-induced VSMC migration and proliferation were investigated. The results showed that 15%-strain significantly increased VSMC migration and proliferation in comparison with 5%-strain. Expression of Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha (Rho-GDIalpha) was repressed by 15%-strain, but expressions of phospho-Rac1 and phospho-p38 were increased. Expressions of phospho-Akt and phospho-ERK1/2 were similar between the static, 5%-strain and 15%-strain groups. Rho-GDIalpha "knock-down" by target siRNA transfection increased migration and proliferation of VSMCs, and up-regulated phosphorylation of Rac1 and p38 in all groups. Rac1 "knock-down" repressed migration and proliferation of VSMCs, down-regulated phosphorylation of p38, but had no effect on Rho-GDIalpha expression. When siRNAs of Rho-GDIalpha and Rac1 were co-transfected to VSMCs, the expressions of Rho-GDIalpha and phospho-Rac1 were both decreased, and the effects of Rho-GDIalpha "knock-down" were blocked. Rho-GDIalpha "knock-down" promoted while Rac1 "knock-down" postponed the assembly of stress fibers and focal adhesions in static. The results demonstrate that the pathological cyclic strain might induce migration and proliferation of VSMCs via repressing expression of Rho-GDIalpha, which subsequently verified phosphorylations of Rac1 and p38., (Copyright 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Aims: Low shear stress (LSS) plays a significant role in vascular remodelling during atherogenesis, which involves migration, proliferation, and apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The aim of the present study is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which LSS induces vascular remodelling., Methods and Results: Using proteomic techniques, two-dimensional electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry, the protein profiles of Sprague-Dawley rat aorta cultured under two levels of shear stress, 5 and 15 dyn/cm(2), were determined. The results showed a significantly lower expression of protein-Rho-GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha (Rho-GDIalpha) in the LSS vessels. Rho-GDIalpha signalling mechanisms and effects on VSMC migration and apoptosis were then studied to understand the role of Rho-GDIalpha in the LSS-induced vascular remodelling. A decrease in Rho-GDIalpha expression by using target small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection caused increases in the phosphorylation of Rac1 and Akt and enhancements of VSMC migration and apoptosis. Treatment with the PI3K/Akt-specific inhibitor wortmannin significantly decreased Akt phosphorylation, but had no effect on Rho-GDIalpha expression and Rac1 phosphorylation. Wortmannin was able to reverse the Rho-GDIalpha siRNA-induced enhancement of VSMC migration, but not VSMC apoptosis., Conclusion: The results indicate that the LSS-induced VSMC migration and apoptosis are mediated by a downregulation of Rho-GDIalpha. The effect of Rho-GDIalpha on VSMC migration is mediated by the PI3K/Akt pathway, but its effect on VSMC apoptosis is not.

Phenotype transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has been reported to be directly influenced by the frequency of mechanical strain. This study explored the effects of different frequencies of mechanical strain on expression of phenotype marker h1-calponin and the possible mechanism. VSMCs were subjected to cyclic strains of 10% elongation at 1 and 2 Hz for 24 h by using a Flexercell strain unit. The protein expression of h1-calponin was assessed by Western blotting and the possible protein kinases involved were evaluated by their specific inhibitor or targeted siRNA 'knock-down.' The results showed that cyclic strains modulated the expressions of h1-calponin, phospho-p38, Rac and Rho-guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor alpha (Rho-GDI alpha) in nonlinear frequency-dependent manners. This nonlinear frequency-dependent change of h1-calponin expression could be blocked by a specific p38 inhibitor, SB202190. The changed expression of phospho-p38 induced by the frequencies of cyclic strain was reversed by targeted siRNA 'knock-down' of Rac, while enhanced by targeted siRNA 'knock-down' of Rho-GDI alpha. These results suggest that the frequency-dependent expression of h1-calponin under cyclic strain is mediated at least partly by the regulation of Rac and Rho-GDI alpha expression on the activation of p38 pathway.

The arterial system is subjected to cyclic strain because of periodic alterations in blood pressure, but the effects of frequency of cyclic strain on arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) remain unclear. Here, we investigated the potential role of the cyclic strain frequency in regulating SMC alignment using an in vitro model. Aortic SMCs were subject to cyclic strain at one elongation but at various frequencies using a Flexercell Tension Plus system. It was found that the angle information entropy, the activation of integrin-beta1, p38 MAPK, and F/G actin ratio of filaments were all changed in a frequency-dependent manner, which was consistent with SMC alignment under cyclic strain with various frequencies. A treatment with anti-integrin-beta1 antibody, SB202190, or cytochalasin D inhibited the cyclic strain frequency-dependent SMC alignment. These observations suggested that the frequency of cyclic strain plays a role in regulating the alignment of vascular SMCs in an intact actin filament-dependent manner, and cyclic strain at 1.25 Hz was the most effective frequency influencing SMC alignment. Furthermore, integrin-beta1 and p38 MAPK possibly mediated cyclic strain frequency-dependent SMC alignment.

Apple grain aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus), is an important wheat pest. In China, it has been reported that R. padi has developed high resistance to carbamate and organophosphate insecticides. Previous work cloned from this aphid 2 different genes encoding acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which is the target enzyme for carbamate and organophosphate insecticides, and its insensitive alteration has been proven to be an important mechanism for insecticide resistance in other insects. In this study, both resistant and susceptible strains of R, padi were developed, and their AChEs were compared to determine whether resistance resulted from this mechanism and whether these 2 genes both play a role in resistance. Bioassays showed that the resistant strain used was highly or moderately resistant to pirimicarb, omethoate, and monocrotophos (resistance ratio, 263.8, 53.8, and 17.5, respectively), and showed little resistance to deltamethrin or thiodicarb (resistance ratio, 5.2 and 3.4, respectively). Correspondingly, biochemistry analysis found that AChE from resistant aphids was very insensitive to the first 3 insecticides (I50 increased 43.0-, 15.2-, and 8.8-fold, respectively), but not to thiodicarb (I50 increased 1.1-fold). Enzyme kinetics tests showed that resistant and susceptible strains had different AChEs. Sequence analysis of the 2 AChE genes cloned from resistant and susceptible aphids revealed that 2 mutations in Ace2 and 1 in Ace1 were consistently associated with resistance. Mutation F368(290)L in Ace2 localized at the same position as a previously proven resistance mutation site in other insects. The other 2 mutations, S329(228)P in Ace1 and V435(356)A in Ace2, were also found to affect the enzyme structure. These findings indicate that resistance in this aphid is mainly the result of insensistive AChE alteration, that the 3 mutations found might contribute to resistance, and that the AChEs encoded by both genes could serve as targets of insecticides.

Phenotype transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is known to be modulated by mechanical strain. The present study was designed to investigate how different frequencies of mechanical strain affected VSMC phenotype. VSMCs were subjected to the strains of 10% elongation at 0, 0.5, 1 and 2 Hz for 24 h using a Flexercell strain unit. VSMC phenotype was assessed by cell morphology, measurement of two-dimensional cell area, Western blotting for protein and RT-PCR for mRNA expression of differentiation markers. Possible protein kinases involved were evaluated by Western blotting with their specific antibodies. The strains at certain frequencies could induce a contractile morphology in VSMC with almost perpendicular alignment to the strain direction. The strains also regulated protein and mRNA expression of several differentiation markers, as well as the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), p38 MAP kinase and protein kinase B (Akt) in a frequency-dependent manner. Furthermore, the inhibition of the p38 pathway could block the frequency-induced phenotype modulation of VSMCs, but not inhibition of ERK or Akt pathways. These results indicate that the frequency of cyclic strain can result in the differentiated phenotype of VSMCs, and it is mediated at least partly by the activation of the p38 pathway., (Copyright 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) are constantly exposed to blood flow-induced shear stress; these forces strongly influence the behaviors of neighboring vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). VSMC migration is a key event in vascular wall remodeling. In this study, the authors assessed the difference between VSMC migration in VSMC/EC coculture under static and shear stress conditions. Utilizing a parallel-plate coculture flow chamber system and Transwell migration assays, they demonstrated that human ECs cocultured with VSMCs under static conditions induced VSMC migration, whereas laminar shear stress (1.5 Pa, 15 dynes/cm2) applied to the EC side for 12 h significantly inhibited this process. The changes in VSMC migration is mainly dependent on the close interactions between ECs and VSMCs. Western blotting showed that there was a consistent correlation between the level of Akt phosphorylation and the efficacy of shear stress-mediated EC regulation of VSMC migration. Wortmannin and Akti significantly inhibited the EC-induced effect on VSMC Akt phosphorylation and migration. These results indicate that shear stress protects against endothelial regulation of VSMC migration, which may be an atheroprotective function on the vessel wall.

Objective: To study the influence of clinical and pathological-morphological parameters on the prognosis of colorectal carcinoma., Methods: Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard model were used to study the influence of clinical and pathological-morphological factors on the prognosis in 226 colorectal carcinoma cases., Results: Using univariate analysis, data showed that the factors significantly related to disease prognosis would include: the depth of direct spread, vessel invasion, perineural invasion, tumor budding, peritumoral-lymphocytic infiltration, Crohn-like reaction, number of positive lymph nodes, distant metastasis, TNM stage and urine glucose. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that six factors were identified to be associated with higher relative-risk (RR), including: older age, advanced TNM stage, more severe budding, perineural invasion, less peritumoral-lymphocytic infiltration and urine glucose., Conclusion: Age, TNM stage, tumor budding, perineural invasive, peritumoral-lymphocytic infiltration and urine glucose were independent predictors to the prognosis of colorectal carcinoma.