Unraveling the Intrinsic Origin of the Superior Sodium-Ion Storage Performance of Metal Selenides Anode in Ether-Based Electrolytes.

Metal selenides show outstanding sodium-ion storage performance when matched with an ether-based electrolyte. However, the intrinsic origin of improvement and deterministic interface characteristics have not been systematically elucidated. Herein, employing FeSe2 anode as the model system, the electrochemical kinetics of metal selenides in ether and ester-based electrolytes and associated solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) are investigated in detail. Based on the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique and in situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it is found that the ether-based electrolyte can ensure fast Na+ transfer and low interface impedance. Additionally, the ether-derived thin and smooth double-layer SEI, which is critical in facilitating ion transport, maintaining structural stability, and inhibiting electrolyte overdecomposition, is concretely visualized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This work provides a deep understanding of the optimization mechanism of electrolytes, which can guide available inspiration for the design of practical electrode materials.

Microbiological isolates and associated complications of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis in a prominent tertiary ophthalmic teaching hospital in northern China.

BACKGROUND: To report the microbiological isolates, aetiology, complications, antibiotic susceptibilities, and clinical remission of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis in a prominent tertiary ophthalmic teaching and referral hospital located in northern China and to offer appropriate recommendations for preventing and formulating drug treatment strategies. METHODS: This prospective study recruited a total of 477 participants who had been diagnosed with either dacryocystitis or canaliculitis. The cohort comprised 307 patients with chronic dacryocystitis, 111 patients with acute dacryocystitis, and 59 patients with canaliculitis. Purulent discharge from the lacrimal duct was collected using a sterile swab and immediately subjected to microbial culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted following established protocols. All participants were scheduled for follow-up visits within 14 days after receiving antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: The present findings indicated that women exhibited a higher susceptibility to the condition, as evidenced by the occurrence of 367 cases in comparison to 110 cases among men. Among the 477 patients, definitive causes were established in 59 individuals, accounting for 12.4% of the patients. Additionally, ocular complications were reported by 132 patients, representing 27.7% of the total. Monocular involvement was observed in the majority of cases, with 402 out of 477 patients (84.3%) affected, while binocular involvement was present in 75 patients (15.7%). In total, 506 microbiological strains were recovered from 552 eyes, with Staphylococcus epidermidis (16.4%) being the most prevalent microorganism. Other predominant isolates included Corynebacterium macginleyi (9.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (5.1%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (4.9%), Haemophilus (4.4%), Propionibacterium acnes (3.5%), and Eikenella corrodens (3.1%). Among the 12 isolated fungi, Candida parapsilosis accounted for 66.7%. The susceptibility to antimicrobial agents tested in gram-negative bacilli (79.5%) was observed to be higher than that of anaerobic bacteria (76.7%) and gram-positive cocci (55.4%). With pharmacological therapy, the remission rate of acute dacryocystitis (72.7%) was found to be higher than that of canaliculitis (53.3%) and chronic dacryocystitis (42.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the microbial spectrum of dacryocystitis and canaliculitis, particularly C.macginleyi, E.corrodens and C.parapsilosis, which are also more frequently isolated. Vancomycin and imipenem may be more effective treatment options. Most cases have an unknown aetiology, and essential preventive measures involve postoperative cleansing of the lacrimal passage following eye and nasal surgeries, as well as the proactive management of rhinitis.

Direct de/carboxylation of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabidiol (CBD) from hemp plant material under supercritical CO2.

Many organic reactions rely on CO2 sources to generate important structural units and valuable chemicals. In this study, we compared the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on the supercritical CO2 (scCO2)-induced de/carboxylation reaction. The results showed that CBD was directly carboxylated in the ortho-position to form CBDA with up to 62% conversion. Meanwhile, CBDA decarboxylation occurred on hemp plant material via varying composition. Mechanistic studies revealed that CBD carboxylation was influenced not only by the physical properties of scCO2, but also by the vegetable matrix.

Development of a capillary electrophoresis method based on magnetic solid-phase extraction for simultaneous and sensitive detection of eight biogenic amines in foods.

BACKGROUND: Biogenic amines (BAs) in high concentrations are toxic and may cause a series of health symptoms. A sensitive measurement of BA levels is essential for human health. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has emerged for the separation of eight BAs due to simple sample preparation and highly efficient separation. However, an important drawback for CE is low sensitivity. Magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) has become a technique of interest owing to its brief operation and low solvent consumption. Hence, MSPE as a pretreatment has great potential to improve CE sensitivity for the analysis of BAs in complex food. RESULTS: Results showed that the Pt-Co-MWCNTs-COOH possessed strong magnetism, good reusability, and high adsorptive ability toward eight biogenic amines based on the hydrogen bonding between the -COOH of Pt-Co-MWCNTs-COOH and -NH2 groups of BAs. Using it as an adsorbent, a magnetic solid-phase extraction coupled with capillary electrophoresis (MSPE-CE) method was developed to effectively extract and sensitively analyze eight BAs. Under optimal conditions, the MSPE-CE method has wide linearities (10.0-1000.0 µg L-1 ) and low limits of detection (1.0-6.1 µg L-1 ). The accuracy of the developed method yielded recovery values from 82.07% to 102.58%. Meanwhile, the BAs contents in two samples were analyzed using the MSPE-CE method, with the results consistent with those detected by a high-performance liquid chromatography method. CONCLUSION: Given those advantages, the established MSPE-CE method promises the practical guidance of monitoring a variety of BAs and provides a foundation for the detection of other food hazards. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks of the response to NaHCO3 stress in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.).

BACKGROUND: Industrial hemp is an important industrial crop and has strong resistance to saline-alkaline stress. However, research on the industrial hemp response to NaHCO3 stress is limited. Therefore, the response mechanisms of industrial hemp under NaHCO3 stress were analysed through miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks. RESULTS: Seedlings of two salt-alkali tolerant and sensitive varieties were cultured in a solution containing 100 mM NaHCO3 and randomly sampled at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h. With prolonged NaHCO3 stress, the seedlings gradually withered, and the contents of jasmonic acid, lignin, trehalose, soluble protein, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase in the roots increased significantly. The abscisic acid content decreased and then gradually increased. Overall, 18,215 mRNAs and 74 miRNAs were identified as differentially expressed under NaHCO3 stress. The network showed that 230 miRNA-mRNA interactions involved 16 miRNAs and 179 mRNAs, including some key hub novel mRNAs of these crucial pathways. Carbon metabolism, starch, sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and the spliceosome (SPL) were crucial pathways in industrial hemp's response to NaHCO3 stress. CONCLUSIONS: It is speculated that industrial hemp can regulate SPL pathway by upregulating miRNAs such as novel_miR_179 and novel_miR_75, thus affecting starch and sucrose metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction and carbon metabolism and improving key physiological indices such as jasmonic acid content, trehalose content, and peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities under NaHCO3 stress.

An alkaline protease from Bacillus cereus NJSZ-13 can act as a pathogenicity factor in infection of pinewood nematode.

Endophytic bacteria are an important biological control for nematodes. We isolated the nematicidal Bacillus cereus NJSZ-13 from healthy Pinus elliottii trunks. Bioassay experiments showed killing of all tested nematodes by proteins from the NJSZ-13 culture filtrate within 72 h. Degradation of the nematode cuticles was observed, suggesting the action of extracellular bacterial enzymes. The responsible protease was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, hydrophobic interaction chromatography, ion-exchange chromatography, and SDS-PAGE. The protease had a molecular weight of 28 kDa and optimal activity at 55 °C and pH 9, indicating an alkaline protease. The study suggests the potential for using this B. cereus NJSZ-13 strain protease to prevent pinewood nematode infection.

One-step rapid colorimetric detection of K+ using silver nanoparticles modified by crown ether.

Urinary potassium is an important parameter in clinical health diagnosis. Rapid and convenient detection of potassium ions (K+) in urine is essential for personal healthcare and health management. Here, crown ether (4-aminodibenzo-18-crown-6, ADC) modified silver nanoparticles (ADC-Ag NPs) were successfully prepared for one-step rapid colorimetric detection of urinary potassium. The detection mechanism is as follows: due to the matching sizes of the diameter of K+ and the cavity in crown ether 6, K+ is encapsulated between the cavities of two crown ethers, resulting in the clumping of ADC-Ag NPs and the color of the solution being altered. The colorimetric detection method has a fast response and is completed within 20 minutes. It also shows good selectivity and interference immunity. The lowest detectable concentration is 20 µM with the naked eye and 2.16 µM for UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. A good linear relationship (R2 = 0.9931) between the absorption intensity ratio and K+ concentration (0-100 µM) indicates that this colorimetric probe can be used to detect K+. The method was also applied for quantitative analysis of K+ in real urine samples with recovery between 116 and 120%.

Oral vaccination with recombinant Lactobacillus casei with surface displayed OmpK fused to CTB as an adjuvant against Vibrio mimicus infection in Carassius auratus.

Vibrio mimicus (V. mimicus) is a pathogenic bacterium that causes diseases in humans and various aquatic animals. A particularly efficient way to provide protection against V. mimicus is through vaccination. However, there are few commercial vaccines against V. mimics, especially oral vaccines. In our study, two surface-display recombinant Lactobacillus casei (L. casei) Lc-pPG-OmpK and Lc-pPG-OmpK-CTB were constructed using L. casei ATCC393 as an antigen delivery vector, outer membrane protein K (OmpK) of V. mimicus as an antigen, and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as a molecular adjuvant; furthermore, the immunological effects of recombinant L.casei in Carassius auratus (C. auratus) were assessed. The results indicated that oral recombinant L.casei Lc-pPG-OmpK and Lc-pPG-OmpK-CTB stimulated higher levels of serum-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) and increased the activity of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), lysozyme (LYS), lectin, C3, and C4 in C. auratus, compared with control groups (Lc-pPG group and PBS group). Furthermore, the expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) in the liver, spleen, head kidney, hind intestine and gills of C. auratus was significantly increased, compared with that in the controls. These results demonstrated that the two recombinant L. casei strains could effectively trigger humoral and cellular immunity in C. auratus. In addition, two recombinant L.casei strains were able to survive and colonize the intestine of C. auratus. Importantly, after being challenged with V. mimicus, C. auratus fed Lc-pPG-OmpK and Lc-pPG-OmpK-CTB exhibited greater survival rates than the controls (52.08% and 58.33%, respectively). The data showed that recombinant L. casei could elicit a protective immunological response in C. auratus. The effect of the Lc-pPG-OmpK-CTB group was better than that of the Lc-pPG-OmpK group, and Lc-pPG-OmpK-CTB was found to be an effective candidate for oral vaccination.

Repair and Mechanism of Oligopeptide SEP-3 on Oxidative Stress Liver Injury Induced by Sleep Deprivation in Mice.

To investigate the effects of bonito oligopeptide SEP-3 on the repair of liver damage and regulation of liver biorhythm in sleep-deprived mice (SDM), C57BL/6 male mice were subjected to sleep deprivation by modified multi-platform water environment method, and were given different doses of bonito oligopeptide SEP-3 in groups. To determine the liver organ index, liver tissue-related apoptotic protein levels, Wnt/ß-Catenin pathway-related protein expression levels, serum alanine transaminase (ALT), glutamicum transaminase (AST), glucocorticoid (GC), and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) content in each group of mice, four time points were selected to examine the mRNA expression levels of circadian clock-related genes in mouse liver tissue. The results showed that low, medium, and high doses of SEP-3 significantly increased SDM, ALT, and AST (p < 0.05), and medium and high doses of SEP-3 significantly reduced SDM liver index and GC and ACTH. As SEP-3 increased the apoptotic protein and Wnt/ß-Catenin pathway, mRNA expression gradually tended to normal (p < 0.05). This suggests that sleep deprivation can cause excessive oxidative stress in mice, which can lead to liver damage. Additionally, oligopeptide SEP-3 achieves the repair of liver damage by inhibiting SDM hepatocyte apoptosis, activating liver Wnt/ß-Catenin pathway, and promoting hepatocyte proliferation and migration, and suggests that oligopeptide SEP-3 is closely related to repair of liver damage by regulating the biological rhythm of SDM disorder.

A computer model of the effect of venous-arterial-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation venous return of oxygenated blood on right atrial recirculation and tricuspid valve blood oxygen saturation.

OBJECTIVE: Venous-arterial venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-AV ECMO), as a new clinical application of ECMO, showed great clinical application potential in the treatment of patients with combined cardiopulmonary failure. Given the complicated cannulation strategy of V-AV ECMO, its influence on the hemodynamics of the human circulatory system remained unclear. METHODS: In this paper, a fluid-structure interaction was used to study the effect of V-AV ECMO oxygenated blood shunt ratio on right atrial recirculation and tricuspid valve (TV) blood oxygen saturation. In this study, the right atrium, superior vena cava supplying cannulae and inferior vena cava draining cannulae model of a specific patient was constructed. Seven cases with shunt ratio of 12.50%, 18.75%, 25.00%, 31.25%, 37.50%, 43.75% and 50.00% were designed. RESULTS: The streamline diagram and velocity contour of oxygenated blood, recirculation fraction (RF), correlation of three variables (shunt ratio, RF, and oxygen saturation), and the oxygen saturation of blood at the TV were extracted for the study. Study results showed that, first, as the shunt ratio increased, the RF of the seven cases was 14.64%, 29.87%, 33.85%, 40.12%, 40.40%, 40.02%, and 38.09%. Second, with the increase of the shunt ratio, oxygen saturation of blood at the TV in seven cases was 82.1%, 82.5%, 83.3%, 83.3%, 84.0%, 84.6%, and 85.3%. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the shunt ratio had a strong correlation with the RF and oxygen saturation of blood at the TV. As the shunt ratio increased, the RF initially increased and then stabilized. However, oxygen saturation of blood at the TV would increase with the increase of the shunt ratio, but the degree of increase was small. This research provided useful information for surgeons and operators using V-AV ECMO.

Combined use of specific length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) and bulked segregant analysis (BSA) for rapid identification of genes influencing fiber content of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.).

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), an ancient crop, is a significant source of high-quality fiber that primarily caters to the textile industry worldwide. Fiber content is a crucial quantitative trait for evaluating fiber yield in hemp. Understanding the genetic mechanisms involved in hemp breeding is essential for improving yield. In this study, we developed 660 F1 plants from a cross between Jindao-15 (high fiber content fiber-use variety) and Fire No.1 (low fiber content fiber-use variety), and thirty plants each with high and low fiber content were selected from 305 monoecious plants of this population according to 5%-10% of population size for quantitative traits. The DNA from these plants was extracted to establish two bulk DNA pools and then subjected to the restriction digestion by the enzymes RsaI and HaeIII to obtain 314-364 bp digestion fragments and subjected to sequencing using specific length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). Finally, we successfully developed 368,404 SLAF tags, which led to the detection of 25,133 high-quality SNPs. Combing with the resequencing results of parents, the SNPs of mixed pools were then subjected to the SNP-Index correlation algorithm, which revealed four candidate regions related to fiber content traits on Chromosome 1, with a length of 8.68 Mb and containing 389 annotated genes. The annotation information and the comparison results identified 15 genes that were highly likely to modulate the fiber content of hemp. Further, qPCR validation identified six genes (LOC115705530, LOC115705875, LOC115704794, LOC115705371, LOC115705688 and LOC115707511) that were highly positively correlated with influencing the hemp fiber content. These genes were involved in the transcription regulation, auxin and water transportion, one carbon and sugar metabolism. And non-synnoumous mutation SNPs which may play vital role in influencing the fiber content were detected in LOC115705875, LOC115704794, LOC115705688 and LOC115707511. Thus, our study highlights the importance of the combined use of SLAF-Seq and Bulked Segregant analysis (BSA) to locate genes related to hemp fiber content rapidly. Hence, our study provides novel mechanistic inputs for the fast identification of genes related to important agronomic traits of hemp and other crops catering to the textile industry.

A Capillary Electrophoresis Method Based on Molecularly Imprinted Solid-Phase Extraction for Selective and Sensitive Detection of Histamine in Foods.

In this study, a sensitive capillary electrophoresis (CE) method based on molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) was proposed to determine histamine in foods. A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) synthesized by bulk polymerization was used as the MISPE adsorbent for the selective extraction of histamine. Under the optimal conditions, the MISPE-CE method possessed good linearity for histamine detection in the concentration range of 0.1-100.0 µg/L. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of the method were calculated to be 0.087 µg/L and 0.29 µg/L, respectively. The histamine in spiked rice vinegar and liquor samples were detected by the developed method with recoveries of 92.63-111.00%. The histamine contents in fish, prawn, pork, chicken breast and soy sauce samples were determined using the developed method and a high-performance liquid chromatography method, with no significant difference found between the two methods.

Iron-Catalyzed Highly Enantioselective Hydrogenation of Alkenes.

Here, we reported for the first time an iron-catalyzed highly enantioselective hydrogenation of minimally functionalized 1,1-disubstituted alkenes to access chiral alkanes with full conversion and excellent ee. A novel chiral 8-oxazoline iminoquinoline ligand and its iron complex have been designed and synthesized. This protocol is operationally simple by using 1 atm of hydrogen gas and shows good functional group tolerance. A primary mechanism has been proposed by the deuterium-labeling experiments.

Comparative genomics analysis of strains from diverse sources reveals the evolutionary relationship of Aeromonas veronii.

Aeromonas veronii (A. veronii, AV) strains are emerging zoonotic and aquatic pathogens, yet we know very little about their genomics. This study aims to utilize comparative genomics to investigate the intraspecific genetic diversity, differences in virulence factors and evolutionary mechanisms of A. veronii strains from diverse sources and to fundamentally demonstrate their pathogenic mechanisms. We conducted comparative genomics analysis of 39 A. veronii strains from different sources and found that 1993 core genes are shared by these strains and that these shared core genes may be necessary to maintain the basic characteristics of A. veronii. Additionally, phylogenetic relationship analysis based on these shared genes revealed that a distant relationship between the AMC34 strain and the other 38 strains but that, the genetic relationship among the 38 strains is relatively close, indicating that AMC34 may not belong to A. veronii. Furthermore, analysis of shared core genes and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values showed no obvious correlation with the location of A. veronii isolation and genetic relationship. Our research indicates the evolutionary mechanism of A. veronii from different sources and provides new insights for a deeper understanding of its pathogenic mechanism.

Comparative genomic analysis of different virulence strains reveals reasons for the increased virulence of Aeromonas veronii.

Aeromonas veronii is an important zoonotic and aquatic agent. More and more cases have shown that it has caused huge economic losses in the aquaculture industry in addition to threatening human health. But the reasons for the increasing virulence of A. veronii are still unclear. In order to further understand the reasons for the increased virulence of A. veronii, we conducted a comparative analysis of the genomes of A. veronii with different virulence. The analysis revealed that there are multiple virulence factors, such as those related to fimbriae, flagella, toxins, iron ion uptake systems and type II, type III and type VI secretion systems in the virulent strain TH0426 genome. And comparative analysis showed that there were two complete type III secretion systems (API1 and API2), of which the API2 and iron ion transport system were unique to the TH0426 strain. In addition, TH0426 strain also has unique functional gene clusters, which may play important roles in terms of resisting infection, adapting to different environments and genetic evolution. These particular virulence factors and gene clusters may be the important reasons for the increased virulence. These insights will provide a reference for the study of the pathogenesis of A. veronii.

Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Scan Analysis of Secondary Labial Deformities in Patients With Unilateral Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate After Revisional Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical reconstruction of secondary labial deformities associated with isolated unilateral cleft lip (UCL) and/or UCL and palate (UCLP) is challenging. There have been few studies in the literature looking at labial soft tissues quantitatively to assess surgical results. OBJECTIVE: To apply a novel computer-aided, 3-dimensional reconstruction technique based on CT scan images to conduct quantitative preoperative and postoperative assessments in patients with UCL/UCLP undergoing surgical revision of secondary labial deformities. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative spiral computed tomographic (CT) scans of the face were performed in 21 randomly selected UCL or UCLP patients, who underwent secondary lip revision surgery. The data was then imported to the SimPlant 11.04 software system. Fixed point-to-point, linear distance, and angles were measured, statistically analyzed and used to assess the effect of the surgery. RESULTS: Preoperative measurements showed that the thickness of the upper vermilion at the apex of the Cupid's bow on the affected side was greater than that on the unaffected side. The distance from the apex of the Cupid's bow to the ipsilateral subnasal point of the affected side was smaller than that of the unaffected side (P < 0.05). After surgery, the subjects were rescanned at an average of 9 months, and the curative effects were evaluated. The statistically significant preoperative differences between the affected and unaffected sides were not found postoperatively indicating surgical success. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the utility of a novel method to measure and assess results in the surgical revision of UCL/UCLP patients with secondary lip deformities. This knowledge can aid the surgeon in selection of treatment techniques.

[Identification of active components of Dendrobium inhibit growth of gastric cancer cells based on component-activity relationship].

Three cancer cell lines including gastric cancer SGC-7901, HGC-27, and MGC-803 cells were employed to evaluate the bioactivity of seven Dendrobium species. Simultaneously, these Dendrobium species were assessed with UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, and 504 common peaks were found. Based on the hypothesis that biological effects varied with differences in components, multivariate relevance analysis for chemical component-activity relationship of Dendrobium, including grey relation(GRA) and partial least squares(PLS) analysis were performed to evaluate the contribution of each identified component. The target peaks were identified by standards toge-ther with databases of Dendrobium, Nature Chemistry, MassBank, etc. Finally, four active components, including 3,5,9-trihydroxy-23-methylergosta-7,22-dien-6-one, diacylglycerol(14∶1/22∶6/0∶0), pipercitine, and 22-tricosenoic acid, might have negative effect on the growth of gastric cancer cells.

Regio-controllable Cobalt-Catalyzed Sequential Hydrosilylation/Hydroboration of Arylacetylenes.

Regiodivergent addition reactions provide straightforward and atom-economic approaches to access different regioisomers. However, the regio-chemistry control to access all the possible results is still challenging especially for the reaction involving multiple addition steps. Herein, we reported regio-controllable cobalt-catalyzed sequential hydrosilylation/hydroboration of arylacetylenes, delivering all the possible regio-outcomes with high regioselectivities (up to >20/1 rr for all the cases). Each regioisomer of value-added silylboronates could be efficiently and regioselectively obtained from the same materials. The adjustment of the ligands of cobalt catalysts combined with dual catalysis relay strategy is the key to achieve regio-chemistry control. This regio-controllable research might inspire the exploration of the diversity-oriented synthesis that involves multiple additions and provide full sets of regioisomers of other synthetic useful molecules.

Odorant Binding Proteins and Chemosensory Proteins in Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera: Syrphidae): Molecular Cloning, Expression Profiling, and Gene Evolution.

Aphidophagous syrphids (Diptera: Syrphidae) are important insects in agroecosystems for pollination and biological control. Insect chemoreception is essential for these processes and for insect survival and reproduction; however, molecular determinants is not well understood for these beneficial insects. Here, we used recent transcriptome data for the common hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus, to characterize key molecular components of chemoreception: odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) and chemosensory proteins (CSPs). Six EbalCSPs and 44 EbalOBPs were cloned from this species, and sequence analysis showed that most share the characteristic hallmarks of their protein family, including a signal peptide and conserved cysteine signature. Some regular patterns and key conserved motifs of OBPs and CSPs in Diptera were identified using the online tool MEME. Motifs were also compared among the three OBP subgroups. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that most of these chemosensory genes were expressed in chemosensory organs, suggesting these genes have chemoreceptive functions. An overall comparison of the Ka/Ks values of orthologous genes in E. balteatus and another predatory hoverfly species to analyze the evolution of these olfactory genes showed that OBPs and CSPs are under strong purifying selection. Overall, our results provide a molecular basis for further exploring the chemosensory mechanisms of E. balteatus, and consequently, may help us to understand the tritrophic interactions among plants, herbivorous insects, and natural enemies.

Loss of alanine-glyoxylate and serine-pyruvate aminotransferase expression accelerated the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and predicted poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Accumulated studies reported abnormal gene expression profiles of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by cDNA microarray. We tried to merge cDNA microarray data from different studies to search for stably changed genes, and to find out better diagnostic and prognostic markers for HCC. METHODS: A systematic review was performed by searching publications indexed in Pubmed from March 1, 2001 to July 1, 2016. Studies that reporting cDNA microarray profiles in HCC, containing both tumor and nontumor data and published in English-language were retrieved. The differentially expressed genes from eligible studies were summarized and ranked according to the frequency. High frequency genes were subjected to survival analyses. The expression and prognostic value of alanine-glyoxylate and serine-pyruvate aminotransferase (AGXT) was further evaluated in HCC datasets in Oncomine and an independent HCC tissue array cohort. The role of AGXT in HCC progression was evaluated by proliferation and migration assays in a human HCC cell line. RESULTS: A total of 43 eligible studies that containing 1917 HCC patients were included, a list of 2022 non redundant abnormally expressed genes in HCC were extracted. The frequencies of reported genes were ranked. We finally obtained a list of only five genes (AGXT; ALDOB; CYP2E1; IGFBP3; TOP2A) that were differentially expressed in tumor and nontumor tissues across studies and were significantly correlated to HCC prognosis. Only AGXT had not been reported in HCC. Reduced expression of AGXT reflected poor differentiation of HCC and predicts poor survival. Knocking down of AGXT enhanced cell proliferation and migration of HCC cell line. CONCLUSIONS: The present study supported the feasibility and necessity of systematic review on discovering new and reliable biomarkers for HCC. We also identified a list of high frequency prognostic genes and emphasized a critical role of AGXT deletion during HCC progression.