The combined effects of ultrasound and plasma-activated water on silkworm pupae:Physicochemical properties, microbiological diversity and ultrastructure.

A novel technique was proposed for processing silkworm pupae by combining plasma- activated water (PAW) with ultrasound (US). The microbial diversity and quality characteristics of the silkworm pupae were also evaluated. The results of the microbial diversity analysis indicated that PAW combined with US treatment significantly reduced the relative abundance of Streptococcaceae, Leuconostocaceae, and Acetobacteraceae from 32%, 18% and 16% to 27%, 11% and 11%, respectively. Microstructural analysis demonstrated that the collapse of the internal structure of chitin in silkworm pupae facilitated the release of nutrients and flavour compounds including fatty acids, water-soluble proteins (WSP), amino acids, phenolics, and volatile compounds. Furthermore, the increase in antioxidant capacity and the decrease in catalase activity and malondialdehyde content confirmed the mechanism of quality change. These findings provide new insights into the possible mechanism of PAW combined with US to improve the quality of edible insects.

Efficient degradation of imidacloprid by surface discharge cold plasma: Mechanism of interaction between ROS and molecular structure and evaluation of residual toxicity.

Incorrect use of neonicotinoid pesticides poses a serious threat to human and pollinator health, as these substances are commonly present in bee products and even drinking water. To combat this threat, the study developed a new method of degrading the pesticide imidacloprid using surface discharge cold plasma oxidation technology. The study showed that this method achieved a very high efficiency of imidacloprid degradation of 91.4%. The main reactive oxygen species (H2O2, O3, ·OH, O2-, 1O2) effectively participated in the decomposition reaction of imidacloprid. Reactive oxygen species were more sensitive to the structure of the nitroimine group. Density functional theory (DFT) further explored the sites of reactive oxygen species attack on imidacloprid and revealed the process of energy change of attacking imidacloprid. In addition, a degradation pathway for imidacloprid was proposed, mainly involving reactive oxygen species chemisorption, a ring-opening intermediate, and complete cleavage of the nitroimine group structure. Model predictions indicated that acute oral and developmental toxicity were significantly reduced after cold plasma treatment, as confirmed by insect experiments. Animal experiments have shown that plasma treatment reduces imidacloprid damage to mice hippocampal tissue structure and inhibits the reduction of brain-derived neurotrophic factor content, thus revealing the detoxification mechanism of the body.

Effects of hot-air drying temperature on drying characteristics and color deterioration of rape bee pollen.

The effects of different hot-air drying (HAD) temperature (40, 50, 60, and 70 °C) on the drying characteristics, color changes, the contents of α-dicarbonyl compounds (α-DCs), 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (5-HMF) and carotenoids of rape bee pollen were investigated in the study. The results showed that increasing the drying temperature from 40 to 70 °C shortened the drying time by 65 %. HAD caused lower L* and b* values, as well as higher a* values. Browning index and 5-HMF content increased with increasing drying temperature. The relative content of antheraxanthin increased 230 % at 70 °C while lutein and zeaxanthin decreased by 74 and 81 % than that of fresh (non-heated) pollen. The contents of 3-deoxyglucosone, 1-deoxy-2,3-pentosulose, antheraxanthin, and lutein were related to the color deterioration in HAD process in rape bee pollen. This work is of great practical significance to provide scientific basis for quality optimization of bee pollen in the drying process.

Early Combination of Albumin With Crystalloid Administration Might Reduce Mortality in Patients With Cardiogenic Shock: An Over 10-Year Intensive Care Survey.

Background: In updated international guidelines, combined albumin resuscitation is recommended for septic shock patients who receive large volumes of crystalloids, but minimal data exist on albumin use and the optimal timing in those with cardiogenic shock (CS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between resuscitation with a combination of albumin within 24 h and 30-day mortality in CS patients. Methods: We screened patients with CS from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models and propensity score matching (PSM) were employed to explore associations between combined albumin resuscitation within 24 h and 30-day mortality in CS. Models adjusted for CS considered potential confounders. E-value analysis suggested for unmeasured confounding. Results: We categorized 1,332 and 254 patients into crystalloid-only and early albumin combination groups, respectively. Patients who received the albumin combination had decreased 30-day and 60-day mortality (21.7 vs. 32.4% and 25.2 vs. 34.2%, respectively, P < 0.001), and the results were robust after PSM (21.3 vs. 44.7% and 24.9 vs. 47.0%, respectively, P < 0.001) and following E-value. Stratified analysis showed that only ≥ 60 years old patients benefited from administration early albumin. In the early albumin combination group, the hazard ratios (HRs) of different adjusted covariates remained significant (HRs of 0.45-0.64, P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that resuscitation with combination albumin was significantly associated with reduced 30-day mortality in patients with maximum sequential organ failure assessment score≥10, with acute myocardial infarction, without an Impella or intra-aortic balloon pump, and with or without furosemide and mechanical ventilation (HRs of 0.49, 0.58, 0.65, 0.40, 0.65 and 0.48, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study found, compared with those given crystalloid-only, resuscitation with combination albumin within 24 h is associated with lower 30-day mortality of CS patients aged≥60. The results should be conducted to further assess in randomized controlled trials.

[Vulnerability assessment of agro-ecological environment in Karst mountain based on set pair analysis model of grey trigonometrically whitening weight]. / 基于灰色三角白化权集对分析模型的喀斯特山区农业生态环境脆弱性评价.

Ecological vulnerability is a hot issue in the study of global change and sustainable development. Understanding the vulnerability of agro-ecological environment is conducive to rational utilization of regional agricultural resources, which could put forward effective measures for prote-cting agro-ecological environment. Given that the evaluation of agricultural eco-environment vulnerability generally does not consider the relationships among different indicators in different evaluation levels, we used the grey trigonometrically whitening weight set pair analysis (SPA) model to evaluate the vulnerability of agricultural eco-environment in Karst mountain by selecting 11 indicators such as population density, per capita arable land area and per capita afforestation area from the external vulnerability of ecological environment. The results showed that the vulnerability degree of agro-ecological environment in the study area was very high, mainly at the extreme, high and medium vulnerability grades. The proportion of extremely, highly, moderately, mildly and slightly vulnerable areas was 32.4%, 14.1%, 17.7%, 23.6% and 12.2% respectively. This result was consistent with the status of agricultural ecological environment vulnerability in the study area. It was feasible to evaluate the vulnerability of agro-ecosystem with the SPA Model of grey trigonometrically whitening weight, which provided a new method for evaluating agricultural ecological environment vulnerability.

[Concept and connotation development of niche and its ecological orientation].

Proceeding from the niche concept; the article commented the main points of each concept's connotation basing on a systematic review of development on niche concepts, and divided the process into four phases including germination, standardization, quantification and perfection, with two main academic schools. Questions and challenges during niche's development and advancement were presented to extract the characteristics and components of niche concept. On these bases, we explored the orientation of niche concept in ecology, and suggested to position it as a macro concept and detail it in specific applications. Further research points and application perspectives were stated in the end.

Systemic spread and propagation of a plant-pathogenic virus in European honeybees, Apis mellifera.

UNLABELLED: Emerging and reemerging diseases that result from pathogen host shifts are a threat to the health of humans and their domesticates. RNA viruses have extremely high mutation rates and thus represent a significant source of these infectious diseases. In the present study, we showed that a plant-pathogenic RNA virus, tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV), could replicate and produce virions in honeybees, Apis mellifera, resulting in infections that were found throughout the entire body. Additionally, we showed that TRSV-infected individuals were continually present in some monitored colonies. While intracellular life cycle, species-level genetic variation, and pathogenesis of the virus in honeybee hosts remain to be determined, the increasing prevalence of TRSV in conjunction with other bee viruses from spring toward winter in infected colonies was associated with gradual decline of host populations and winter colony collapse, suggesting the negative impact of the virus on colony survival. Furthermore, we showed that TRSV was also found in ectoparasitic Varroa mites that feed on bee hemolymph, but in those instances the virus was restricted to the gastric cecum of Varroa mites, suggesting that Varroa mites may facilitate the spread of TRSV in bees but do not experience systemic invasion. Finally, our phylogenetic analysis revealed that TRSV isolates from bees, bee pollen, and Varroa mites clustered together, forming a monophyletic clade. The tree topology indicated that the TRSVs from arthropod hosts shared a common ancestor with those from plant hosts and subsequently evolved as a distinct lineage after transkingdom host alteration. This study represents a unique example of viruses with host ranges spanning both the plant and animal kingdoms. IMPORTANCE: Pathogen host shifts represent a major source of new infectious diseases. Here we provide evidence that a pollen-borne plant virus, tobacco ringspot virus (TRSV), also replicates in honeybees and that the virus systemically invades and replicates in different body parts. In addition, the virus was detected inside the body of parasitic Varroa mites, which consume bee hemolymph, suggesting that Varroa mites may play a role in facilitating the spread of the virus in bee colonies. This study represents the first evidence that honeybees exposed to virus-contaminated pollen could also be infected and raises awareness of potential risks of new viral disease emergence due to host shift events. About 5% of known plant viruses are pollen transmitted, and these are potential sources of future host-jumping viruses. The findings from this study showcase the need for increased surveillance for potential host-jumping events as an integrated part of insect pollinator management programs.

Cardiomyocyte progenitors in a canine pulmonary vein model of persistent atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to discover the pathogenesis of focal atrial fibrillation (AF) originating from pulmonary veins by observing the histological structure and special cells in the canine pulmonary vein model of persistent atrial fibrillation. METHODS: The pulmonary veins and the sinus node were obtained from 10 mongrel dogs (5 AF and 5 control group). Light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry were applied to transverse sections of each pulmonary vein and sinoatrial node. Morphological and distribution analyses were performed manually and automatically. RESULTS: Cardiomyocyte progenitor (CMPs) and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) showing typical features of either very immature or developing cells were found in the pulmonary vein sections of all animals subjected to experimental AF but not in the control group. The cells were mainly identified in sections with a thick muscular sleeve. A positive immunostaining of CMPs was also demonstrated; the staining characteristic was similar to that of P cells in the sinoatrial node, suggesting that these cells may function in a pacemaker capacity. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that pulmonary veins can host cardiac stem cell niches. Continuous rapid pacing can induce the differentiation of CMPs and ICCs, and CMPs may underlie the pacemaker activity of isolated pulmonary veins.

[Foraging behavior and pollination ecology of Bombus lucorum L. and Apis mellifera L. in greenhouse peach garden].

From 2004 to 2006, this paper studied the foraging behavior and pollination ecology of two Chinese bee species Bombus lucorum L. and Apis mellifera L. in greenhouse peach garden in Beijing. The results showed that both of the bee species were able to substitute manual work to provide effective pollination, but their foraging behavior and pollination effect differed significantly in terms of their working timing and visiting frequency, temperature, and the location of flowers on peach tree. B. lucorum L. preferred to collect pollen and release it mainly by vibrating their wings, while A. mellifera L. gathered and released pollen mainly through body touch on flowers. Moreover, B. lucorum L. could work at lower temperature and visit more flowers each day, while the activities of A. mellifera L. were easily affected by weather conditions including sunlight and temperature. It was often found that A. mellifera L. bumped itself on greenhouse ceiling because of its strong photokinesis.