Changes in tuberculosis burden and its associated risk factors in Guizhou Province of China during 2006-2020: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the trends of tuberculosis (TB) burden and its risk factors at the provincial level in the context of global End TB targets is crucial to identify the progress and challenges in TB control. We aimed to estimate the burden of TB and risk factors for death from 2006 to 2020 for the first time in Guizhou Province, China. METHODS: Data were collected from the national TB surveillance system. Four indicators of TB burden and their corresponding age-standardized rates (ASRs), including incidence (ASIR), prevalence (ASPR), mortality (ASMR) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) (ASDR), were estimated and stratified by year, age, gender and prefecture. Temporal trends of ASRs were presented by locally weighted regression, and the annual percentage change was calculated. The correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and ASRs was evaluated by Pearson correlation analysis. The associated risk factors for death in PTB patients were determined using logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 557,476 pulmonary TB (PTB) cases and 11,234 deaths were reported, including 2233 (19.9%) TB specific deaths and 9001 (80.1%) deaths from other causes. The 15-year average incidence, prevalence and mortality rates were 94.6, 102.6 and 2.1 per 100,000 population, respectively. The average DALY rate was 0.60 per 1000 population. The ASIR and ASPR have shown downward trends since 2012, with the largest percentage decrease in 2020 (ASIR: -29.8%; ASPR: -30.5%). The number in TB specific deaths consistently decreased during the study period (P<0.001), while the increase in deaths from other causes drove the overall upward trend in ASMR and ASDR. Four ASRs remained high in males and 5 prefectures. GDP per capita was negatively associated with the ASIR, ASPR and ASDR (P<0.05). Among PTB patients, men, patients with no fixed job, those with a low GDP level, patients with increasing age, those previously treated, those with severe symptoms, those transferred in and those receiving directly observed treatment were more likely to suffer death. CONCLUSION: Guizhou has made progress in reducing PTB cases and TB specific deaths over the last 15 years. Targeted interventions are needed to address these risk factors for death in PTB patients and high-risk areas.

Cardiovascular risk factors and breast cancer incidence in a large middle-aged cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that cardiovascular risk factors play a role in the etiology of breast cancer. However, the combined effect of cardiovascular risk factors on the risk of breast cancer is still uncertain. METHODS: Data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, a prospective cohort of middle-aged women, were used to investigate the association of individual and combined cardiovascular risk factors with breast cancer. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 7501 women were included. During a mean follow-up of 19.7 years, 576 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. White women and premenopausal status were independently associated with increased risk of breast cancer. Of the individual cardiovascular risk factors, only obesity was independently associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.04-1.61). Compared with women without cardiovascular risk factors, women having three or greater, but not those with fewer than three cardiovascular risk factors, had a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.06-1.53). Subgroup analyses indicated that women with three or greater cardiovascular risk factors had higher risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal Black women, but not among premenopausal Black and White women. CONCLUSIONS: Combinations of cardiovascular risk factors are associated with increased risk of breast cancer in middle-aged women, especially in postmenopausal Black women. Joint interventions to modify cardiovascular risk factors could be used to prevent breast cancer in these higher-risk individuals.

The safety of early administration of oral fluid following general anesthesia in children undergoing tonsillectomy: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The feasibility and safety of administrating a small amount of oral fluid to children in the early recovery period following tonsillectomy under general anesthesia to reduce the thirst and its associated restlessness remain unknown. METHODS: This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee and adhered to the CONSORT guidelines. Pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of our study were randomized into the study and control groups. In the study group, patients were given a small amount of water instantly after recovering from general anesthesia, which included the recovery of the cough and deglutition reflex, and attaining grade V of muscle strength. The control group was given a small amount of water at 4 to 6 h after the operation. The incidence of nausea and vomiting and the degree of thirst relief were measured and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Three hundred patients were randomized into each group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of nausea and vomiting at 20 min after drinking water between the two groups (P > 0.05). The thirst score of children over 5 years old in the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Early administration of a small amount of oral fluid to children following tonsillectomy and recovering from general anesthesia is not only safe but also effective in reducing postoperative thirst. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ChiCTR1800020058 , 12-12-2018.

Early versus delayed postoperative oral hydration in children following general anesthesia: a prospective randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Oral hydration has typically not been administered for between 4 and 6 h postoperative for children's safety in China. But children are more likely to suffer from apnea, crying and agitation, wound bleeding, and other complications during the post-anesthesia recovery period because of thirsty and fear. This Prospective, randomized study sought to assess the compare the early and late oral hydration (EOH and DOH, respectively) in children following general anesthesia, with the goal of assessing relative safety and tolerability and thereby improving patient comfort. METHODS: A total of 2000 children corresponding to the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) I-III were randomized into an EOH group (n = 1000) and a DOH group (n = 1000). For the former group, children were administered a small amount of drinking water following recovery of the swallowing reflex, and children's vital signs were monitored for 20 min in a postanesthesia care unit (PACU). DOH group patients received water at 4 h following general anesthesia). All patients underwent monitoring to assess their thirst, satisfaction, oropharyngeal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting. RESULTS: Complete data were collected from a total of 1770 patients (EOH = 832, DOH = 938) and was compared via chi-squared and t-tests as appropriate. There was no hypoxemia in either group, nor did the incidence of nausea and vomiting differ between the two groups (P > 0.05). The thirst score of the EOH group was significantly decreased relative to the DOH group in the children over 5 years old after drinking for 10 to 20 min (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: For children undergoing general anesthesia, a small amount of drinking water in the early stages of recovery will not increase the incidence of nausea, vomiting, or hypoxemia, but will decrease thirst and improve satisfaction. It is important, however, that medical staff carefully monitor the swallowing reflex and vital signs of all children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-IOR-16008197) (http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx. On April 2, 2016 the first patients was enrolled and on March 31, 2016 the trial was registered).

Safety and Feasibility of Early Oral Hydration in the Postanesthesia Care Unit After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Prospective, Randomized, and Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: To assess the safety and feasibility of early oral hydration (EOH) in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to the EOH group or the conventional oral hydration (COH) group. Outcomes were the incidence of nausea and vomiting, thirst scale, incidence of oropharyngeal discomfort, and patient satisfaction. FINDINGS: Compared with the COH group, the EOH group had lower incidence of nausea before and after the first drink in the ward (P < .05); lower incidence of vomiting before and after the first drink in the ward (P < .05); lower thirst scale when patients were transferred out of the PACU (P < .05) and at 6 hours postoperatively (P < .05); and greater patient satisfaction on postoperative day 1 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Early oral hydration in the PACU following laparoscopic cholecystectomy was safe and well-tolerated.

High Quality Plasmonic Sensors Based on Fano Resonances Created through Cascading Double Asymmetric Cavities.

In this paper, a type of compact nanosensor based on a metal-insulator-metal structure is proposed and investigated through cascading double asymmetric cavities, in which their metal cores shift along different axis directions. The cascaded asymmetric structure exhibits high transmission and sharp Fano resonance peaks via strengthening the mutual coupling of the cavities. The research results show that with the increase of the symmetry breaking in the structure, the number of Fano resonances increase accordingly. Furthermore, by modulating the geometrical parameters appropriately, Fano resonances with high sensitivities to the changes in refractive index can be realized. A maximum figure of merit (FoM) value of 74.3 is obtained. Considerable applications for this work can be found in bio/chemical sensors with excellent performance and other nanophotonic integrated circuit devices such as optical filters, switches and modulators.

Long noncoding RNA aberrant expression profiles after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy of AGC ascertained by microarray analysis.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the development and progression of advanced gastric cancer (AGC). However, the roles of lncRNAs in advanced gastric cancer during the process of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are not well understood. A high-throughput microarray analysis was performed to compare the expression profiles of lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in AGC serum samples during the process of CRS + HIPEC. Several potentially AGC-associated lncRNAs were verified by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Using abundant and varied probes, we were able to assess 33,045 lncRNAs and 30,215 mRNAs in our microarray. We found that 566 lncRNAs were differentially expressed (2-fold change) in AGC serum samples, indicating the significantly up- or downregulated lncRNAs play important roles in AGC during the process of CRS + HIPEC. Quantitative PCR results further verified that eight lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed in AGC serum samples after CRS + HIEC compared with matched serum sample before CRS + HIPEC. Among them, BC031243 and RP11-356I2.2 were the most aberrantly expressed lncRNAs, as estimated by quantitative PCR in six pairs of AGC serum samples. Our study demonstrated the expression patterns of lncRNAs in AGC serums before and after CRS + HIPEC by microarray. These results revealed that lncRNAs were differentially expressed during the process of CRS + HIPEC, suggesting that they might play key roles in tumor development.

Development and Testing of Species-Specific Primers for Detecting the Presence of the Northern Pacific Sea Star (Asterias amurensis) from Environmental DNA.

The starfish Asterias amurensis, a well-known predator of molluscan species in intertidal ecosystems, has caused substantial ecological and economic losses in North China such as offshore Qingdao. Effective monitoring and prevention measures are urged to minimize its negative impacts. Compared with traditional biomonitoring methods, environmental DNA technology has emerged as a powerful and cost-efficient tool for inferring species' presence and abundance. In this study, we developed a pair of species-specific primers (i.e., Ast-F and Ast-R) for the A. amurensis mitochondrial COI gene and tested its utility in amplifying and quantifying the DNA fragments from environmental samples under both laboratory and field conditions. The results of controlled water tank experiments demonstrated that the amount of eDNA released by A. amurensis was positively related to its biomass; after the removal of the starfish, the eDNA degraded significantly in 24 h and remained detectable for 8 days. The number of eDNA copies enriched tended to increase with smaller pore size of filter membrane and larger volume of filtered water. For field tests, we confirmed the validation of our approach in six locations in Qingdao by filtering 1000 ml water per sample with a 0.45-µm pore size filtration. All the amplification products generated a single and bright band via gel electrophoresis, and the quantitative PCR results unveiled significant differences in eDNA copies. This study provided an eDNA-based approach for investigating the distribution and biomass of A. amurensis, which may help to formulate early warning and management strategies in coastal Qingdao and other regions.

High-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of the Northern Pacific sea star Asterias amurensis.

Asterias amurensis, a starfish species that is native to countries such as China and Japan, as well as non-native regions like Australia, has raised serious concerns in terms of its impact on ecology and economy. To gain a better understanding of its population genomics and dynamics, we successfully assembled a high-quality chromosome-level genome of A. amurensis using PacBio and Hi-C sequencing technologies. A total of 87 scaffolds assembly with contig N50 length of 10.85 Mb and scaffold N50 length of 23.34 Mb were obtained, with over 98.80% (0.48 Gb) of them anchored to 22 pseudochromosomes. We predicted 16,673 protein-coding genes, 95.19% of which were functionally annotated. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed that A. amurensis and Asterias rubens formed a clade, and their divergence time was estimated ~ 28 million years ago (Mya). The significantly enriched pathways and Gene Ontology terms related to the amplified gene family were mainly associated with immune response and energy metabolism, suggesting that these factors might have contributed to the adaptability of A. amurensis to its environment. This study provides valuable genomic resources for comprehending the genetics, dynamics, and evolution of A. amurensis, especially when population outbreaks or invasions occur.

Population genetics and evolutionary history of the intertidal brittle star Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) exigua in the northern China Sea.

Ophiothrix (Ophiothrix) exigua is a common brittle star in the northwestern Pacific. As a dominant species, O. exigua inhabiting the intertidal rocky ecosystem are affected by multiple environmental stressors, but molecular insights into their genetic population structure remain poorly studied. In this study, we investigated the population genetics and evolutionary history of six O. exigua populations from the northern China Sea using mitochondrial (COI, NAD4) and nuclear (ITS2, 18S) gene markers. High haplotype diversity, low nucleotide diversity, and low rates of gene differentiation among the populations of O. exigua were detected. Pairwise genetic differentiation (ΦST) statistics between different localities were negative or low and insignificant, suggesting strong gene flow of this species over the study areas. The phylogenetic analyses showed that the populations exhibited high homogeneity between localities in our study area. Demographic analyses indicated that the populations experienced sustained expansion around 0.2 million years ago. This expansion was likely related to transgressions events in the Yellow Sea during the Pleistocene period. Additional samples of O. exigua from disparate geographical locations, especially the Japan Sea and the Korean Peninsula, will be needed to unravel the population genetic patterns and evolutionary history of this species.

FRAX486, a PAK inhibitor, overcomes ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance in breast cancer cells.

The overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp/ABCB1) is a leading cause of multidrug resistance (MDR). Hence, it is crucial to discover effective pharmaceuticals that counteract ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance. FRAX486 is a p21-activated kinase (PAK) inhibitor. The objective of this study was to investigate whether FRAX486 can reverse ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance, while also exploring its mechanism of action. The CCK8 assay demonstrated that FRAX486 significantly reversed ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance. Furthermore, western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments revealed that FRAX486 had no impact on expression level and intracellular localization of ABCB1. Notably, FRAX486 was found to enhance intracellular drug accumulation and reduce efflux, resulting in the reversal of multidrug resistance. Docking analysis also indicated a strong affinity between FRAX486 and ABCB1. This study highlights the ability of FRAX486 to reverse ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance and provides valuable insights for its clinical application.

Gilteritinib reverses ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance: Preclinical in vitro and animal investigations.

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) poses a significant challenge to cancer treatment. Targeting ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) is a viable strategy for overcoming MDR. This study examined the preclinical in vitro and animal studies that used gilteritinib, a FLT3 inhibitor that reverses ABCB1-mediated MDR. At nontoxic levels, gilteritinib significantly increased the susceptibility of cancer cells overexpressing ABCB1 to chemotherapeutic drugs. Furthermore, it impaired the development of drug-resistant cell colonies and 3D spheroids. Studies on the reversal mechanism have shown that gilteritinib can directly bind to the drug-binding site of ABCB1, inhibiting drug efflux activity. Consequently, the substrate's drug cytotoxicity increases in MDR cells. Furthermore, gilteritinib increased ATPase activity while leaving ABCB1 expression and subcellular distribution unchanged and inhibited AKT or ERK activation. Docking analysis indicated that Gilteritinib could interact with the drug-binding site of the ABCB1 transporter. In vivo studies have shown that gilteritinib improves the antitumor efficacy of paclitaxel in nude mice without obvious toxic effects. In conclusion, our preclinical investigations show that gilteritinib has the potential to successfully overcome ABCB1-mediated MDR in a clinical environment when combined with substrate medicines.

Gene sequencing and result analysis of balanced translocation carriers by third-generation gene sequencing technology.

Because the total gene copy number remains constant and all genes are normally expressed, carriers of balanced chromosomal translocations usually have a normal phenotype but are able to produce many different types of gametes during meiosis, and unbalanced gametes lead to increased risks of infertility, recurrent spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal death or malformations and intellectual abnormalities in offspring. The key to balanced translocations lies in finding the breakpoints, but current genetic testing techniques are all short-read sequencing, with the disadvantage of procedural complexity and imprecision for precisely identifying the breakpoints. The latest third-generation sequencing technology overcomes these drawbacks and uses robust long-read sequencing to accurately and rapidly detect genome-wide information and identify breakpoint locations. In this paper, we performed whole genome long-read sequencing using an Oxford Nanopore sequencer to detect the breakpoints of 4 balanced chromosomal translocation carriers. The results showed that employing about ~ 10× coverage confirmed 6 of the 8 breakpoints, of which, 2 had microdeletions/insertions identified near the breakpoints and 4 had breakpoints that disrupted the normal gene structure and were simultaneously tested for genome-wide structural variation (SV). The results show that whole genome long-read sequencing is an efficient method for pinpointing translocation breakpoints and providing genome-wide information, which is essential for medical genetics and preimplantation genetic testing.

The complete mitochondrial genome of sea slug phyllidia elegans bergh, 1869 (nudibranchia, phyllidiidae) from the South China sea.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequence of sea slug, Phyllidia elegans Bergh, 1869 (Nudibranchia, Phyllidiidae), was sequenced and characterized. The assembled mitogenome was 14618 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. The overall base composition of P. elegans mitogenome is 32.1% for A, 13.5% for C, 15.7% for G, and 38.7% for T. The gene order was identical to other Phyllidiid species. Phylogenetic analysis placed P. elegans and Phyllidia oecllata in one clade.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the starfish Coscinasterias acutispina Stimpson, 1862 (Echinodermata, Forcipulatida) from the East China Sea.

In this study, we determined the first complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Coscinasterias acutispina Stimpson, 1862. The mitogenome was 16,186 bp in length and contained 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. The gene order and direction were identical to those of other asteroid starfish species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. acutispina was located at the basal position of Forcipulatida, belonging to the genus Coscinasterias within the family of Asteriidae.

Nursing Practice Combined with Scene Simulation Teaching Mode in Standardized Training and Teaching for Newly Recruited Nurses in Post Anesthesia Care Unit.

Background: To explore the application of nursing practice combined with scene simulation teaching mode in standardized training and teaching for newly recruited nurses in Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and its impact on their emergency response ability and competence. Methods: From Jan 2019 to Jan 2020, a total of 120 PACU nurses with professional qualification certificates in West China Hospital Sichuan University, Chengdu, China were enrolled and randomized into group A (n=60) and group B (n=60). Conventional standardized PACU training and teaching was applied in group B, and nursing practice combined with scene simulation teaching mode was applied in group A. After training for 12 weeks, the examination scores, competence and emergency response ability in the two groups were compared. Results: After training, the scores of theoretical examination, comprehensive scene simulation and nursing document in group A were conspicuously higher than those in group B (P<0.001). After training, the competence and emergency response ability in group A were significantly higher than those in group B (P<0.001). Conclusion: With a better training effect, nursing practice combined with scene simulation teaching mode can enhance the emergency response ability and competence for nurses in PACU, which should be promoted in practice.

Efficacy of High-Quality Nursing Service for the Patients during the Anesthesia Recovery Period: A Meta-Analysis.

Background: To investigate the efficacy of high-quality nursing service for the patients during the anesthesia recovery period. Methods: We used the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Cochrane Library of Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and very important person (VIP) databases for conducting a systematic literature study. We employed the fixed-effects model for evaluating the standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The sensitivity and publication bias were estimated for determining the efficacy of high-quality nursing services during the recovery period of anesthesia. Results: In our study, the result showed that the efficiency of recovery time of spontaneous respiration was significantly improved in the experimental group (SMD = -1.48, 95%CI = [-1.62, -1.34]). In this analysis, the extubation time of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. In control group [WMD = -15.54, 95% CI (-21.24, -9.83), P < 0.00001], the improvement of extubation time was more obvious on high-quality nursing. Moreover, the incidence of agitation in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group, and the score of nursing satisfaction was higher than that in the control group (P = 0.01). The funnel plots identified no publication bias during the identification of efficacy. Conclusions: The high-quality nursing care for patients during the resuscitation period can shorten the recovery time of their self-consciousness and self-breathing, reduce the occurrence rate of restlessness, improve patients' anxiety and depression, reduce complications, and play a certain clinical application effect.

5D-QSAR studies of 1H-pyrazole derivatives as EGFR inhibitors.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is highlighted as a target for anticancer treatment. Several EGFR inhibitors were approved in cancer treatment. Comparatively, 5D-QSAR is a new methodology which considers an ensemble of different induced-fit models. Based on 1H-pyrazole derivatives as EGFR inhibitors, a 5D-QSAR was studied in which the method of quasi-atomistic receptor surface modeling was used. The presented QSAR model showed contributions of the hydrogen bond acceptor, and hydrophobic and salt bridge fields to the activity. The QSAR model was statistically validated and also externally validated applying 19 compounds (test set) which were not included in the model generation process. The scramble tests were performed to further verify the robustness. Apart from exploration of the binding of 1H-pyrazole derivatives to the EGFR, the 5D-QSAR model can be helpful to design of new EGFR inhibitors. The five-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (5D-QSAR) of 1H-pyrazole derivatives as EGFR inhibitors with quasi-atomistic receptor surface modeling approach is described.

Prevalence of breast fibroadenoma in healthy physical examination population in Guangdong province of China: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To provide an accurate assessment of the prevalence of breast fibroadenoma in a large population and to confirm the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for fibroadenoma. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional survey. SETTING: This research was conducted at Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 11 898 women aged 18-40 years who underwent breast screening between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2019 were included in the fibroadenoma prevalence study. From 1 June 2019 to 31 December 2019, 342 breast lesions with pathology reports and preoperative ultrasound images were collected for diagnostic fibroadenoma testing (vs histological diagnostic testing). PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Pearson's χ2 test was performed to compare the prevalence of different lesions between age groups, and descriptive statistics were used to report the clinical characteristics of fibroadenoma. For ultrasound diagnosis, fibroadenoma was defined as a well-circumscribed lesion with round or oval shape, consisting of a homogeneously hypoechoic or isoechoic solid mass, located parallel to the chest wall with a smooth margin and no posterior shadowing. Diagnostic test results for breast fibroadenoma were stratified by diagnostic type (histological vs ultrasound). RESULTS: Of the women aged 18-40 years, 27.6% (3285/11 898) had an ultrasound diagnosis offibroadenoma. Of these, the prevalence of fibroadenoma was stable across age groups (p=0.14) and did not differ between the left and right sides of the breast. Almost two-thirds of women presented with a single fibroadenoma, and most fibroadenomas did not exceed 1 cm in size. The sensitivity and specificity for fibroadenoma were 97.0% (95% CI for sensitivity: 93.7% to 98.8%) and 91.4% (95% CI for specificity: 85.4% to 95.5%) for ultrasonography, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of fibroadenoma in South China is as high as 27.6%, and ultrasound could be used as a tool to diagnose fibroadenoma.

Characterization and comparison of the mitochondrial genomes of the sea star Asterias amurensis (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) in East Asia.

The starfish Asterias amurensis is a marine pest native to the northwestern Pacific and has successfully invaded southern Australia. Asterias amurensis have caused substantial environmental and economic impacts in both native and non-native regions. However, little information is available about the genetic features of its native populations, especially for those in North China. Here we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of five individuals from different locations in China and compared their characteristics with three mitogenomes available from Japan. Multiple analyses and comparisons revealed little difference in the gene composition, gene order, codon usage, and nucleotide content among the eight mitogenomes. However, intraspecific phylogenetic reconstruction unveiled two divergent lineages between specimens from North China plus Ushimado (Seto Inland Sea, Japan) and northern Japan (Asamushi and Onagawa). This conclusion was backed by an analysis of pairwise genetic distances, which showed that individuals from different lineages had relatively higher values (all above 2%). Based on knowledge of paleoenvironmental and tectonic activity in the northwestern Pacific, the two lineages might have originated during the Early Pliocene due to the isolation of the East China Sea from the Japan Sea/East Sea during that time, while the present-day distribution of these lineages have likely been influenced by the ocean current system.