Hollow Superstructure In Situ Assembled by Single-Layer Janus Nanospheres toward Electromagnetic Shielding Flame-Retardant Polyurea Composites.

A dodecahedral superstructure consisting of a single layer of Janus spheres containing ZIF-67 nanodots is prepared by in situ polymerization, with ZIF-67 and bio-based phytic acid (PA) as templates and dopants. It is used to improve the flame retardant, electromagnetic (EMI) shielding, and thermal conductivity properties of polyurea (PUA). By adding 5 wt% polyaniline@cobalt phytate-2.0 (PANI@Co-PA-2.0), the peak of heat release rate and the peak of smoke production rate are reduced by 54.9 and 59.9%, respectively. The peak of CO and CO2 production also decreased by 46.2 and 53.1%, respectively. A decrease in the absorption intensity of aliphatic and aromatic volatiles is also observed. The fire safety of PUA is greatly improved. In addition, PUA/PANI@Co-PA-2.0 exhibits an EMI shielding capability of 22.4 dB with the help of reduced graphene oxide, which confirms the possibility of PUA material application in the field of electromagnetic shielding. The 5 wt% filler increases the tensile strength of the PUA matrix to 6.3 MPa, and the composite material obtains good thermal conductivity. This work provides a viable method for the preparation of a flame-retardant, conductive, and electromagnetic refractory PUA substrate.

Joint Exfoliation of MXene by Dimensional Mismatched SiC/ZIF-67 Toward Multifunctional Flame Retardant Thermoplastic Polyurethane.

The single-layer MXene fully demonstrates the advantages of 2D materials, especially catalytic, conductive, and mechanical properties. However, the high energy consumption and low efficiency faced by MXene in the divestiture process are still challenges that need to be solved urgently. In this article, dimension mismatch and collaborative stripping strategies are skillfully combined to easily realize the transformation from multi-layer MXene to single layer. In addition, the functionalized MXene@SiC@polyaniline (MXene@SiC@PANI) nano-hybrid materials are used as fillers to improve the thermal conductivity, flame retardant, and antibacterial properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The surface temperature of TPU/MXene@SiC@PANI composites increased from 33.4 °C to 59.8 °C within 10 s. In addition, the antibacterial efficiency of TPU composites against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus is 69.6% and 88.9%, respectively. Compared with pure TPU, the peak heat release rate and total heat release are reduced by 71.4% and 34.6%, respectively. The flame-retardant mechanism of MXene hybrid materials is systematically discussed. It is worth noting that the introduction of PANI enhances the compatibility between the filler and the polymer, effectively maintaining the mechanical properties of the TPU itself. This work provides a convenient method for the multi-functional practical application of TPU.

Rapid memory encoding in a recurrent network model with behavioral time scale synaptic plasticity.

Episodic memories are formed after a single exposure to novel stimuli. The plasticity mechanisms underlying such fast learning still remain largely unknown. Recently, it was shown that cells in area CA1 of the hippocampus of mice could form or shift their place fields after a single traversal of a virtual linear track. In-vivo intracellular recordings in CA1 cells revealed that previously silent inputs from CA3 could be switched on when they occurred within a few seconds of a dendritic plateau potential (PP) in the post-synaptic cell, a phenomenon dubbed Behavioral Time-scale Plasticity (BTSP). A recently developed computational framework for BTSP in which the dynamics of synaptic traces related to the pre-synaptic activity and post-synaptic PP are explicitly modelled, can account for experimental findings. Here we show that this model of plasticity can be further simplified to a 1D map which describes changes to the synaptic weights after a single trial. We use a temporally symmetric version of this map to study the storage of a large number of spatial memories in a recurrent network, such as CA3. Specifically, the simplicity of the map allows us to calculate the correlation of the synaptic weight matrix with any given past environment analytically. We show that the calculated memory trace can be used to predict the emergence and stability of bump attractors in a high dimensional neural network model endowed with BTSP.

Transcriptome analysis indicates the mechanisms of BmNPV resistance in Bombyx mori midgut.

Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) caused serious economic losses in sericulture. Analyzing the molecular mechanism of silkworms (B. mori) resistance to BmNPV is of great significance for the prevention and control of silkworm virus diseases and the biological control of agricultural lepidopteran pests. In order to clarify the defense mechanisms of silkworms against BmNPV, we constructed a near isogenic line BC8 with high resistance to BmNPV through the highly BmNPV-resistant strain NB and the highly BmNPV-susceptible strain 306. In this study, RNA-Seq technique was used to analyze the transcriptome level differences in the midgut of BC8 and 306 following BmNPV infection. A total of 1350 DEGs were identified. Clustering analysis showed that these genes could be divided into 8 clusters with different expression patterns. Functional annotations based on GO and KEGG analysis indicated that they were involved in various metabolism pathways. Finally, 32 BmNPV defense responsive genes were screened. They were involved in metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS), signal transduction and immune response, and insect hormones. The further verification shows that HSP70 should participate in resistance responses of anti-BmNPV. These findings have paved the way in further functional characterization of candidate genes and subsequently can be used in breeding of BmNPV resistance dominant silkworms.

Prospect of thioredoxin as a possibly effective tool to combat OSAHS.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by recurrent upper airway disturbances during sleep leading to episodes of hypopnea or apnea, followed by hypoxemia and subsequent reoxygenation. It is believed that this reoxygenation/reperfusion stage leads to oxidative stress, which then leads to inflammation and cardiovascular diseases. The treatments of patient with OSAHS include surgical and non-surgical therapies with various side effects and common complaints. Therefore, it is important to develop a new, safe, and effective therapeutic treatment. As a small-molecule multifunctional protein, thioredoxin (TRX) has antioxidant and redox regulatory functions at the active site Cys-Gly-Pro. TRX prevents inflammation by suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines rather than suppressing the immune response. METHODS: We review the papers on the pathophysiological process of OSAHS and the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of TRX. RESULTS: TRX may play a role in OSAHS by scavenging ROS, blocking the production of inflammatory cytokines, inhibiting the migration and activation of neutrophils, and controlling the activation of ROS-dependent inflammatory signals by regulating the redox state of intracellular target particles. Furthermore, TRX regulates the synthesis, stability, and activity of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1). TRX also has an inhibitory effect on endoplasmic reticulum- and mitochondria-induced apoptosis by regulating the expression of BAX, BCL2, p53, and ASK1. CONCLUSION: Understanding the function of TRX may be useful for the treatment of OSAHS.

The More, the Better? Social Capital Profiles and Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Past research suggests that offline and online social capital are empirically linked to adolescent psychological adjustment. However, little is known regarding the implications of distinctive combinations of social capital for adolescent internalizing symptoms. The present study aimed to examine adolescent social capital patterns and their associations with internalizing symptoms by using latent profile analysis. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among 1595 Chinese adolescents (mean age = 14.30 years, 50.7% male). All adolescents completed self-report questionnaires on their perceived offline and online social capital, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Latent profile analysis revealed four profiles of social capital: (1) Low Social Capital, (2) Moderate Social Capital, (3) High Social Capital, and (4) Only High Offline Social Capital. Further, analysis of covariance demonstrated that the Only High Offline Social Capital profile had significantly fewer internalizing symptoms than other three profiles. No statistical differences of internalizing symptoms were found between the other three profiles, except that the Moderate Social Capital profile showed fewer anxiety symptoms than the Low Social Capital profile. These findings suggest that more social capital does not equal to better mental health status. The social capital profiles and their associations with adolescent internalizing symptoms may provide practitioners with meaningful implications regarding the role of offline and online social capital in adolescent psychological adjustment.

Cu2-x Sx Capped AuCu Nanostars for Efficient Plasmonic Photothermal Tumor Treatment in the Second Near-Infrared Window.

Plasmonic nanohybrids are promising photo energy conversion materials in photoelectronics and biomedicine, due to their unique surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Au and Cu2-x Sx nanostructures with strong SPR in the near-infrared (NIR) spectral region are classic plasmonic systems used to convert NIR photons into heat for photothermal therapy (PTT). The rational design of the Au/Cu2-x Sx nanohybrids is expected to induce better photothermal conversion; however, the construction of such hybrids via wet-chemistry methods with a well-controlled interfacial structure is still challenging. Here, the synthesis of an AuCu Star/Cu2-x Sx nanohybrid is reported, where the Cu2-x Sx components are selectively grown on the AuCu nanostar tips to form "caps". The spatial formation of the Cu2-x Sx caps on star tips is mainly governed by surfactant concentration, tip curvature, and experimental manipulation. The nanohybrids show low cytotoxicity and superior photothermal conversion efficiency, enabling robust PTT to kill cancer cells in the second NIR window. Numerical simulation reveals that the coupling of Cu2-x Sx on nanostar tips generates strong interfacial electric field, improving photothermal conversion. Moreover, the spatial separation structure favors the continuous flow of hot charge carriers to produce active radicals, further promoting the tumor treatment effect.

Meta-analysis of whether influenza vaccination attenuates symptom severity in vaccinated influenza patients.

BACKGROUND: Influenza vaccination has been associated with decreased risk of influenza-related infections. However, associations between influenza vaccination and the severity of influenza cases have not been systematically summarized. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate whether influenza vaccination could attenuate symptom severity in vaccinated influenza patients. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. A quantitative synthesis of the data was conducted using a fixed/random effects model in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of seven studies, involving 6342 vaccinated and 7036 non-vaccinated patients were included. Compared with non-vaccinated, vaccinated patients were significantly less likely to develop a fever (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.43-0.89), be admitted to the ICU (OR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.64-0.97), suffer mortality (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34-0.89), stay in the ICU (WMD = -1.37, 95% CI: -2.15 to -0.60) or stay in the hospital (WMD = -0.32, 95% CI: -0.61 to -0.04). CONCLUSION: Those benefits that could be highlighted in the communication material to enhance the uptake of influenza vaccination among both the public health nurses and the community as a whole.

Protective effects of Clec11a in islets against lipotoxicity via modulation of proliferation and lipid metabolism in mice.

The lipotoxicity is considered as one of the risk for diabetes. Here we report C-type lectin domain family 11, member A (Clec11a) as a new regulator in islet playing a protective role in lipotoxicity induced dysfunction. Islet transcriptome sequencing was performed using the high-fat diet induced obesity (DIO) mice model. We found a significant decrease of Clec11a expression in islets of DIO mice compared to normal control mice, which was further confirmed by real-time PCR. Immunostaining demonstrated the localization of the Clec11a protein in mouse islets. Administration of recombinant human Clec11a (rClec11a) protein promoted the proliferation of islet cells and rescued the inhibition of fatty acid on cell proliferation, which involved the activation of Erk signaling pathway. We also found that the rClec11a altered the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism.

miR-21-3p regulates AGE/RAGE signalling and improves diabetic atherosclerosis.

To explore the effects of miR-21-3p on diabetic atherosclerosis. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we also detected the levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation endproducts RAGE (sRAGE) in the cellular supernatant of vascular endothelial cells after transfecting them with adenovirus vector having miR-21-3p mimic or inhibitor. We found decrease in the expression levels of miR-21-3p in vascular endothelial cells (VECs) induced by high-concentration glucose. We also observed that the introduction of miR-21-3p mimic significantly increased the expression of ADAM10 in the VECs. Similarly, significantly higher levels of sRAGE were found in the cultured supernatant after administration of miR-21-3p mimic in human vein endothelial cells. The production of reactive oxygen species and expression of inflammatory cytokines in VECs induced by LPS and high-concentration glucose were significantly decreased after administration of miR-21-3p. in vivo studies revealed that intravenous injection of miR-21-3p at regular intervals would reduce the area of atherosclerotic lesion and elevate the serum levels of sRAGE in atherosclerotic diabetic mice. miR-21-3p may be beneficial in diabetic atherosclerosis by promoting the cleaved form of sRAGE and inhibition of RAGE/NADPH oxidase signalling depending on the increased expression of ADAM10. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: We identified a novel microRNA, miR-21-3p, which is characteristically at elevated levels in serum derived from diabetic patients and responsible for target degradation of ADAM10 mRNA. Further, we show that miR-21-3p aggravates the atherosclerotic lesion via dysfunction of the ectodomain shedding of molecular binding RAGE in the diabetic atherosclerotic mice.

Early-Life Intervention Using Fecal Microbiota Combined with Probiotics Promotes Gut Microbiota Maturation, Regulates Immune System Development, and Alleviates Weaning Stress in Piglets.

Previous studies have suggested that immune system development and weaning stress are closely related to the maturation of gut microbiota. The early-life period is a "window of opportunity" for microbial colonization, which potentially has a critical impact on the development of the immune system. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and probiotics are often used to regulate gut microbial colonization. This study aims to test whether early intervention with FMT using fecal microbiota from gestation sows combined with Clostridium butyricum and Saccharomyces boulardii (FMT-CS) administration could promote the maturation of gut microbiota and development of immune system in piglets. Piglets were assigned to control (n = 84) and FMT-CS treatment (n = 106), which were treated with placebo and bacterial suspension during the first three days after birth, respectively. By 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found that FMT-CS increased the α-diversity and reduced the unweighted UniFrac distances of the OTU community. Besides, FMT-CS increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, while decreasing that of opportunistic pathogens. FMT-CS also enhanced the relative abundance of genes related to cofactors and vitamin, energy, and amino acid metabolisms during the early-life period. ELISA analysis revealed that FMT-CS gave rise to the plasma concentrations of IL-23, IL-17, and IL-22, as well as the plasma levels of anti-M.hyo and anti-PCV2 antibodies. Furthermore, the FMT-CS-treated piglets showed decreases in inflammation levels and oxidative stress injury, and improvement of intestinal barrier function after weaning as well. Taken together, our results suggest that early-life intervention with FMT-CS could promote the development of innate and adaptive immune system and vaccine efficacy, and subsequently alleviate weaning stress through promoting the maturation of gut microbiota in piglets.

Picroside II attenuates hyperhomocysteinemia-induced endothelial injury by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress and cell apoptosis.

Picroside II (P-II), one of the main active components of scrophularia extract, which have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory effects, but its effect on hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) induced endothelial injury remains to be determined. Here, we test whether P-II protects HHcy-induced endothelial dysfunction against oxidative stress, inflammation and cell apoptosis. In vitro study using HUVECs, and in hyperhomocysteinemia mouse models, we found that HHcy decreased endothelial SIRT1 expression and increased LOX-1 expression, subsequently causing reactive oxygen species generation, up-regulation of NADPH oxidase activity and NF-κB activation, thereby promoting pro-inflammatory response and cell apoptosis. Blockade of Sirt1 with Ex527 or siRNASIRT1 increased LOX-1 expression, whereas overexpression of SIRT1 decreased LOX-1 expression markedly. P-II treatment significantly increased SIRT1 expression and reduced LOX-1 expression, and protected against endothelial cells from Hcy-induced oxidative injury, inflammation and apoptosis. However, blockade of SIRT1 or overexpression of LOX-1 attenuated the therapeutic effects of P-II. In conclusion, our results suggest that P-II prevents the Hcy induced endothelial damage probably through regulating the SIRT1/LOX-1 signaling pathway.

The value of multidisciplinary team in syncope clinic for the effective diagnosis of complex syncope.

BACKGROUND: Syncope is a perplexing challenge that often receives thorough evaluation, yet the diagnosis remains unclear. Usually, the emergency department is the first point at which patients present with syncope. However, diverse medical factors, including low diagnostic rates and inconsistent management by doctors, add to healthcare costs and delay diagnosis for syncope patients. METHODS: Patients who had been to the emergency department at least once but were not given a clear diagnosis of syncope were recruited into our study at the time they visited syncope clinic staffed by a multidisciplinary team. Complete medical histories and clinical examinations were conducted by both experienced cardiologists and neurologists. If patients were not given a conclusive diagnosis at the syncope clinic on the basis of outpatient examinations, they were admitted for further evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 209 consecutive patients claiming "syncope" visited the syncope clinic, yet only 167 patients were formally diagnosed with syncope. For these 167 patients, the mean age was 55.93 ± 17.40 years old, and 41.3% were male. The proportions of cardiac syncope, reflex syncope, orthostatic hypotension (OH), and syncope of uncertain etiology were 19.8%, 64.1%, 7.8%, and 8.4%, respectively. The diagnostic rate was 91.6%, and the hospitalization rate was 23.4%. Patients with reflex syncope and OH were younger than patients with cardiac syncope. Cardiac syncope tends to occur more frequently in males, while reflex syncope is more likely in females. CONCLUSIONS: The cooperation of professional cardiologists and neurologists will play an important role in improving diagnostic rates, lowering admission rates, and reducing medical costs.

Investigation of the Incidence of Perioperative Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Below-Knee Deep Vein Thrombosis after Lower Extremity Fracture and Evaluation of Retrievable Inferior Vena Cava Filter Deployment in These Patients.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of the study were to investigate and compare the incidence of perioperative pulmonary embolism (PE) in trauma patients with below-knee deep vein thrombosis (BKDVT) and above-knee DVT (AKDVT) who need major orthopedic surgery and evaluate the usage of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters in these cases with BKDVT. METHODS: Between January 2003 and December 2017, patients with pelvic and/or lower extremity fracture diagnosed with DVT by duplex ultrasound were eligible for the study. A reduced-dose anticoagulation therapy was administered in patients without absolute contraindication to anticoagulation therapy during the perioperative period. Patients who did not undergo filter insertion with BKDVT were classified as the BKDVT group, and cases with thrombosis involving the popliteal or more proximal veins were classified as the AKDVT group; the incidence of PE was analyzed. Among patients with BKDVT, cases with or without filter deployment were placed in the filter group and control group, respectively, to evaluate the value of IVC filter in these patients. RESULTS: A total of 3295 patients with pelvic and/or lower extremity fracture were diagnosed as having DVT, among which, 2070 cases did not undergo filter insertion. The incidence of PE in the BKDVT group and AKDVT group was 2.08% (24/1154) and 3.17% (29/916), respectively. A total of 366 patients with BKDVT underwent filter placement and no PE occurred. The incidence of PE in the filter group was lower than the control group. In patients without filter placement, the cases received anticoagulation therapy and those who did not, the incidence of PE was 2.21% and 1.94%, respectively, and there was no difference between the two subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference in incidence of PE between the AKDVT and BKDVT groups. Reduced-dose anticoagulation therapy does not affect the rates of PE in trauma patients with BKDVT who require ongoing orthopedics operations. For these patients, placement of the retrievable filter may be considered.

Rapid detection of Bombyx mori bidensovirus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification based lateral flow dipstick assay for field applications.

Bombyx mori bidensovirus (BmBDV), is the only bipartite single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) insect virus reported to date. BmBDV causes fatal flacherie disease in silkworm, resulting in large economic losses to sericulture. We developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification with lateral flow dipstick (LAMP-LFD) method that can successfully and rapidly detect BmBDV DNA with a low limit of detection (5 fg, 400 copies of the BmBDV genome). The method was evaluated and improved for direct field diagnosis using silkworm faeces. In the field, the actual limit of detection was ∼50 fg (4000 copies of the BmBDV genome). The results demonstrated that, compared with traditional methods for BmBDV detection, our new LAMP-LFD method was much more rapid, sensitive and cost-effective, with less dependence on equipment, making it easier to use. The method has potential to be translated into a new diagnostic product for field applications in the sericulture industry.

Cardiac-Specific Overexpression of Silent Information Regulator 1 Protects Against Heart and Kidney Deterioration in Cardiorenal Syndrome via Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contributes to development of cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), and Silent Information Regulator 1 (SIRT1), a class III histone deacetylase, may have protective effects on heart and renal disease, by reducing ER stress. We aimed to determine if SIRT1 alleviates CRS through ER stress reduction. METHODS: Wild type mice (n=37), mice with cardiac-specific SIRT1 knockout (n=29), or overexpression (n=29), and corresponding controls, were randomized into four groups: sham MI (myocardial infarction) +sham STNx (subtotal nephrectomy); MI+sham STNx; sham MI+STNx; and MI+STNx. To establish the CRS model, subtotal nephrectomy (5/6 nephrectomy, SNTx) and myocardial infarction (MI) (induced by ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery) were performed successively to establish CRS model. At week 8, the mice were sacrificed after sequential echocardiographic and hemodynamic studies, and then pathology and Western-blot analysis were performed. RESULTS: Neither MI nor STNx alone significantly influenced the other healthy organ. However, in MI groups, STNx led to more severe cardiac structural and functional deterioration, with increased remodeling, increased BNP levels, and decreased EF, Max +dp/dt, and Max -dp/dt values than in sham MI +STNx groups. Conversely, in STNx groups, MI led to renal structural and functional deterioration, with more severe morphologic changes, augmented desmin and decreased nephrin expression, and increased BUN, SCr and UCAR levels. In MI+STNx groups, SIRT1 knockout led to more severe cardiac structural and functional deterioration, with higher Masson-staining score and BNP levels, and lower EF, FS, Max +dp/dt, and Max -dp/dt values; while SIRT1 overexpression had the opposite attenuating effects. In kidney, SIRT1 knockout resulted in greater structural and functional deterioration, as evidenced by more severe morphologic changes, higher levels of UACR, BUN and SCr, and increased desmin and TGF-ß expression, while SIRT1 overexpression resulted in less severe morphologic changes and increased nephrin expression without significant influence on BUN or SCr levels. The SIRT1 knockout but not overexpression resulted in increased myocardial expression of CHOP and GRP78. Cardiac-specific SIRT1 knockout or overexpression resulted in increased or decreased renal expression of CHOP, Bax, and p53 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial SIRT1 activation appears protective to both heart and kidney in CRS models, probably through modulation of ER stress.

Discovery of anti-viral molecules and their vital functions in Bombyx mori.

The silkworm Bombyx mori (B. mori), a lepidopteran model organism, has become an important model for molecular biology researches with its genome completely sequenced. Silkworms confront different types of virus diseases, mainly including those caused by Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), Bombyx mori densovirus type 1 (BmDNV-1), Bombyx mori bidesovirus (BmBDV) which was termed as Bombyx mori densovirus type 2 (BmDNV-2) or Bombyx mori parvo-like virus (BmPLV) before in sericulture. B. mori offers excellent models to study the molecular mechanisms of insect innate immune responses to viruses. A variety of molecules and pathways have been identified to be involved in the immune responses in the silkworm to viruses, such as the antimicrobial peptides, prophenoloxidase-activating system, apoptosis, ROS, small RNA and related molecules. Here in this review, we summarize the current research advances in molecules involved in silkworm anti-virus pathways. Moreover, taking BmNPV as an example, we proposed a schematic model of molecules and pathways involved in silkworm immune responses against virus infection. We hope this review can facilitate further study of antiviral mechanisms in silkworm, and provide a reference for virus diseases in other organisms.

Protein Hydrolysates' Absorption Characteristics in the Dynamic Small Intestine In Vivo.

Background: Dietary proteins are known for their wide range of nutritional, functional and biological properties. Although the total amount of proteins may be obtained from mixtures, its "availability" for absorption in the gut is in many cases quite uncertain or even varies for the same food depending on processing conditions, the presence of other components, and so on. Methods: To obtain accurate protein hydrolysate absorption data, we have developed a small intestine model (SIM) to test them. Results: The results indicated that the protein hydrolysates were absorbed rapidly during the first 15 min, and then decreased to 90 min, then they were absorbed again from 90 min to the endpoint. The protein absorption was also affected by the protein processing method used. The Enzyme + Ultrasound (EU) processing method group had a higher absorption rate than the Enzyme (E) processing method group, and the absorption of the Enzyme + Artificial gastric juice processing method (EH) and Enzyme + Ultrasound + Artificial gastric juice processing method (EUH) groups was reduced compared to the E group alone. The amino acid analysis results showed that the amino acids were reduced and absorbed by our SIM in almost all groups except for cysteine and methionine. In general, the Pearson relation value of the amino acid contents between before SIM and after SIM was 0.887, which indicated that single amino acid absorption was mainly related to its content in the whole amino acids. The single amino acid absorption ratio among different groups also displayed differences, which ranged from 31% to 46% (E group from 39% to 42%; EU group from 40% to 47%; EH group from 31% to 39%; EUH group from 35% to 41%). CONCLUSIONS: The protein hydrolysates' varied from startpoint to endpoint, and the protein absorption was affected by processing method.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of Bombyx mori fat body tissue following dietary restriction.

Dietary restriction (DR) refers to a reduction in food intake to induce undernutrition but not malnutrition, which extends the lifespan of multiple species. Although there are invertebrate aging models, such as the Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster, aging studies in Lepidoptera are few in number and the underlying life-extending molecular mechanisms are not clear. Research on a broader range of animals is necessary to support generalizations on mechanisms of aging and rates of aging. The aim of this study was to further investigate genes and pathways associated with DR in Bombyx mori. Here, we used mRNA deep sequencing (RNA-seq) to further investigate genes and pathways associated with DR. The transcriptome profiles showed that most of the differentially expressed genes were upregulated following DR, and genes involved in amino acid and protein metabolism, RNA metabolism and translation, energy metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, and juvenile hormone pathway-related proteins were particularly affected. DR also affects the metabolism of uric acid and urea, which accumulated in silkworm following DR. We speculate that this may not be due to activation of uric acid biosynthesis, but rather by downregulating the degradation of uric acid and urea. These results may help us to understand the mechanisms by which DR prolong lifespan in insects and other animals.

A characterization of structural proteins expressed by Bombyx mori bidensovirus.

Bombyx mori bidensiovirus (BmBDV) is a species of Bidensovirus that has been was placed into a new genus within the new family Bidnaviridae by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. BmBDV causes fatal flacherie disease in silkworms, which causes large losses to the sericulture industry. BmBDV contains two sets of complementary linear single-stranded DNAs of approximately 6.5kb (viral DNA 1, VD1) and 6.0kb (viral DNA 2, VD2). VD1 and VD2 are encapsidated in separate icosahedral non-enveloped capsids, which are similar in size and shape. However, the strategies used to express BmBDV structural proteins remains unclear. In this work, a total of six structural proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and shown to be encoded by the BmBDV VP gene via mass spectrometry. The transmission electron microscopy results showed that co-expression of the BmBDV VP and SP structural proteins in Spodoptera frugiperda sf9 cells resulted in the formation of 22-24nm virus-like particles. Furthermore, a mutation of the major structural protein-encoding VP gene, in which the second in-frame ATG codon was mutated to GCG, abrogated the production of several structural proteins, indicating that this strategy of expressing BmBDV VP is dependent on a leaky scanning translation mechanism.