Natural sex change in mature protogynous orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides): gonadal restructuring, sex hormone shifts and gene profiles.

Sexual patterns of teleosts are extremely diverse and include both gonochorism and hermaphroditism. As a protogynous hermaphroditic fish, all orange-spotted groupers (Epinephelus coioides) develop directly into females, and some individuals change sex to become functional males later in life. This study investigated gonadal restructuring, shifts in sex hormone levels and gene profiles of cultured mature female groupers during the first (main) breeding season of 2019 in Huizhou, China (22° 42' 02.6″ N, 114° 32' 10.1″ E). Analysis of gonadal restructuring revealed that females with pre-vitellogenic ovaries underwent vitellogenesis, spawning and regression and then returned to the pre-vitellogenic stage in the late breeding season, at which point some changed sex to become males via the intersex gonad stage. A significant decrease in the level of serum 17ß-estradiol (E2) was observed during ovary regression but not during sex change, whereas serum 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) concentrations increased significantly during sex change with the highest concentration in newly developed males. Consistent with serum hormone changes, a significant decrease in cyp19a1a expression was observed during ovary regression but not during sex change, whereas the expression of cyp11c1 and hsd11b2 increased significantly during sex change. Interestingly, hsd11b2 but not cyp11c1 was significantly upregulated from the pre-vitellogenic ovary stage to the early intersex gonad stage. These results suggest that a decrease in serum E2 concentration and downregulation of cyp19a1a expression are not necessary to trigger the female-to-male transformation, whereas increased 11-KT concentration and upregulation of hsd11b2 expression may be key events for the initiation of sex change in the orange-spotted grouper.

High-sensitivity photonic crystal fiber long-period grating methane sensor with cryptophane-A-6Me absorbed on a PAA-CNTs/PAH nanofilm.

A high-sensitivity photonic crystal fiber long-period grating (PCF-LPG) methane sensor with cryptophane-A-6Me absorbed on a poly(acrylic acid)-carbon nanotubes/ polypropylene amine hydrochloride (PAA-CNTs/PAH) nanofilm was investigated. The sensing film was coated onto the internal surface of a photonic crystal fiber cladding air holes by an electrostatic self-assembly technique. Based on a finite element method and the coupled local-mode theory, the effects of the sensing film's refractive index (RI) and thickness on the resonant wavelength were theoretically and numerically analyzed. When the sensing film RI decreases from 1.55 to 1.53, and the thickness increases from 100 nm to 200 nm, the resonant wavelength has a blue shift. A higher RI sensitivity with 1.075 × 103 nm RIU-1 is observed for the film thickness of 200 nm. The PCF-LPG methane sensor was fabricated by a pressurized injection method. The sensing experimental result shows that the resonant wavelength of the transmission spectra has a blue shift when the methane concentration increases from 0.0% to 3.5% by volume. The sensor has a good sensitivity of 1.078 nm%-1 and a low detection limit of 0.18% for a film thickness of 210 nm.

NCDN is a Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target for Glioblastoma.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a type of central nervous system malignancy. In our study, we determined the effect of NCDN in GBM patients through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis, and studied the effects of NCDN on GBM cell function to estimate its potential as a therapeutic target. Methods: Gene expression profiles of glioblastoma cohort were acquired from TCGA database and analyzed to look for central genes that may serve as GBM therapeutic targets. Then the cell function of NCDN in glioblastoma cell was explored through in vitro cell experiments. Results: Through gene ontology (GO) analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and survival analysis, we identified three key genes (NCDN, PAK1 and SPRYD3) associated with poor prognosis in glioblastoma. In vitro experiments showed impaired cell migration, apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in NCDN knockdown cells. Conclusion: NCDN affects the progress and prognosis of glioblastoma by promoting cell migration and inhibiting apoptosis.

Characteristics of the multiple replicon plasmid IncX1-X1 in multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli from Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica).

Potential zoonotic pathogens may be transmitted from wildlife to humans through the illegal wild meat trade, which has become a pressing issue. However, research on the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) of Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) intestinal bacteria is limited. Here, multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli M172-1 (ST354) isolated from Malayan pangolin feces in 2019 was found to be resistant to 13 antibiotics. BGWAS analysis revealed 4 plasmids, namely, pM172-1.1, pM172-1.2, pM172-1.3, and pM172-1.4, in the isolate. The pM172-1.2, pM172-1.3, and pM172-1.4 plasmids carried ARGs, namely, IncHI2-HI2A, IncX1-X1, and IncX1, respectively. pM172-1.3 and pM172-1.4 contained intact IntI1 integrons (Is26/IntI1/arr2/cmlA5/blaOXA-10 /ant(3″)-IIA/dfrA14/Is26). Notably, pM172-1.3 resulted from the fusion of 2 pM172-1.4 copies and carried many more ARGs. In addition to pM172-1.3 from the same host, other drug-resistant bacteria (E. coli M159-1 (ST48), E. coli S171-1 (ST206), and Klebsiella pneumoniae S174-1 (ST2354)) in the same Malayan pangolin fecal samples also carried 3 plasmids with 100% gene coverage of pM172-1.4 and 99.98% identity. Therefore, ARGs in IncX1 might spread in the intestinal flora of Malayan pangolin and between species via the illegal food chain, posing a potential threat to public health and safety.

Long-period fiber grating sensor with a styrene-acrylonitrile nano-film incorporating cryptophane A for methane detection.

This paper presents a novel sensor design and application of long period fiber grating (LPFG) for detection of methane. A styrene-acrylonitrile nano-film incorporating cryptophane A, which is sensitive to methane in close vicinity to the surface, is constructed onto the cladding of long-period grating. For optimal design of the LPFG sensor, the relationship between the resonant wavelength shift and the complex refractive index of sensing film is analyzed based on the coupled-mode theory. The change in refractive index of the sensing film, induced by methane, can easily be obtained as a shift in resonance wavelength. The prepared LPFG sensor with time response of 50 s and good sensitivity (~0.375 nm %(-1)) suitable for the detection of methane below 3.5 vol. % is demonstrated. The response of the sensor (wavelength shift) is linear with methane concentration within our tested range and a detection limit of about 0.2% is estimated for the new sensor.

Efficient encapsulation of chloroform with cryptophane-M and the formation of exciplex studied by fluorescence spectroscopy.

Efficient encapsulation of small molecules with supermolecules is one of significantly important subjects due to strong application potentials. This article presents the interaction between cryptophane-M and chloroform by fluorescence spectroscopy. The sonicated cryptophane-M solution exhibits light green color in chloroform, and the solid obtained from the evaporation of chloroform also has different color from that of cryptophane-M. In contrast, the sonicated cryptophane-M solutions in other solvents are colorless, and the solid obtained from the evaporation of these solvents has the same color as that of cryptophane-M. Furthermore, the freshly prepared cryptophane-M solution in different solvents is almost colorless, and the solid obtained from the evaporation of these solvents displays the same color as that of cryptophane-M. Although the sonicated cryptophane-M solutions in different solvents have very similar absorption spectra, they exhibit quite different emission spectra in chloroform. In contrast, the freshly-prepared cryptophane-M solutions show similar absorption and emission spectroscopy in various solvents. The variation of the fluorescence spectroscopy in binary solvents with the increasing chloroform ratio suggests that cryptophane-M and chloroform form a 1:1 exciplex, and the binding constant is estimated to be 292.95 M(-1). Although all solvents are able to enter into the cavity of cryptophane-M, only chloroform can stay in the cavity of cryptophane-M for a while, which is mostly due to the strong intermolecular interaction between cryptophane-M and chloroform, and this results in the formation of the exciplex between them.

Influence of Self-Sacrificial Leadership on the Pro-Organizational Unethical Behavior of Employees: A Moderated Mediating Model.

PURPOSE: Based on the theory of social identity, this study focuses on the influence mechanism of self-sacrificing leadership on employees' pro-organization unethical behaviors, as well as the moderating effect of power distance and the mediating effect of organizational identity between self-sacrificing leadership and employees' pro-organization unethical behaviors. METHODS: This work surveyed 286 employees in 12 companies in Guizhou province to test the research hypothesis model. Statistical analysis methods were used for data analysis. RESULTS: The results reveal that self-sacrificial leadership has an indirect positive influence on unethical pro-organizational behavior of employees by positively influencing organizational identification. The higher the power distance of employees, the weaker the positive correlation between self-sacrificing leaders and organizational identity, and the lower the power distance of employees, the stronger the positive correlation between self-sacrificing leaders and organizational identity. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the influence mechanism of self-sacrificing leadership on employees' pro-organization non-ethical behaviors from a new perspective and confirms the effects of power distance and organizational identity on creative performance. Unethical behavior under the cloak of "pro-organization" has a potential destructive effect on stakeholders, organizations and even the whole society. It is of great practical significance to identify its influencing factors and effectively avoid them.

A Study on the Efficiency of Tourism Poverty Alleviation in Ethnic Regions Based on the Staged DEA Model.

Poverty alleviation through tourism is an important way for China to achieve targeted poverty alleviation and win the battle of poverty alleviation. As a region with deep poverty and great difficulty in poverty alleviation, whether tourism development has injected key impetus into ethnic minority areas needs to be tested by both qualitative analysis and quantitative measurement. This paper takes eight ethnic provinces (regions) in China as an example to conduct an empirical study. Based on the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)-BCC model and Malmquist index, it evaluates the tourism investment and tourism poverty alleviation efficiency of the ethnic regions in the two stages of tourism poverty alleviation, and analyzes them by classification. The results of the study show: (1) The pure technical efficiency in the first stage is relatively high, but the total factor productivity of each region is declining; (2) The pure technical efficiency in the second stage is also relatively high, but the scale efficiency is low, and the change rate of total factor productivity of the provinces in China has increased significantly; (3) The "double high" type includes Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, and Guizhou, and the "double low" type includes Qinghai, Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Ningxia. The results of the study generally show that tourism poverty alleviation has brought about the improvement of the living standards of residents and the development of local economy, but the efficiency of tourism poverty alleviation needs to be improved. On this basis, the article puts forward corresponding improvement measures, in order to further help the ethnic minority areas get rid of poverty in a comprehensive way by promoting the efficient and sustainable development of tourism.

Polysaccharides from dandelion (Taraxacum mongolicum) leaves: Insights into innovative drying techniques on their structural characteristics and biological activities.

The aim of this study was to well understand the impacts of innovative drying techniques (radio frequency drying and microwave drying) and traditional drying techniques (vacuum drying, freezing drying, and hot air drying) on the structural characteristics and bioactivities of polysaccharides from dandelion leaves (DLPs). Five different DLPs were obtained from dandelion leaves dried by abovementioned drying techniques. Results showed that the structural characteristics and bioactivities of DLPs varied with different drying techniques. The molecular weights, apparent viscosities, molar ratios of constituent monosaccharide, contents of uronic acids, and contents of bonded polyphenolics in DLPs obtained by different drying techniques had noticeable variations, while the types of constituent monosaccharides and the major glycosidic linkages in DLPs were similar. In addition, results showed that DLPs, especially DLP-RF obtained by the radio frequency drying, exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities (ABTS, DPPH, and NO radical scavenging activities), excellent in vitro antiglycation activity, and obvious in vitro inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase. Results from this study suggest that the radio frequency drying can be used as a potential drying technique before extracting DLPs for applications in the functional food and medicine industries.

Multiple-Replicon Resistance Plasmids of Klebsiella Mediate Extensive Dissemination of Antimicrobial Genes.

Multiple-replicon resistance plasmids have become important carriers of resistance genes in Gram-negative bacteria, and the evolution of multiple-replicon plasmids is still not clear. Here, 56 isolates of Klebsiella isolated from different wild animals and environments between 2018 and 2020 were identified by phenotyping via the micro-broth dilution method and were sequenced and analyzed for bacterial genome-wide association study. Our results revealed that the isolates from non-human sources showed more extensive drug resistance and especially strong resistance to ampicillin (up to 80.36%). The isolates from Malayan pangolin were particularly highly resistant to cephalosporins, chloramphenicol, levofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole. Genomic analysis showed that the resistance plasmids in these isolates carried many antibiotic resistance genes. Further analysis of 69 plasmids demonstrated that 28 plasmids were multiple-replicon plasmids, mainly carrying beta-lactamase genes such as bla CTX-M- 15, bla CTX-M- 14, bla CTX-M- 55, bla OXA- 1, and bla TEM- 1. The analysis of plasmids carried by different isolates showed that Klebsiella pneumoniae might be an important multiple-replicon plasmid host. Plasmid skeleton and structure analyses showed that a multiple-replicon plasmid was formed by the fusion of two or more single plasmids, conferring strong adaptability to the antibiotic environment and continuously increasing the ability of drug-resistant isolates to spread around the world. In conclusion, multiple-replicon plasmids are better able to carry resistance genes than non-multiple-replicon plasmids, which may be an important mechanism underlying bacterial responses to environments with high-antibiotic pressure. This phenomenon will be highly significant for exploring bacterial resistance gene transmission and diffusion mechanisms in the future.

Multidrug-resistant Proteus mirabilis isolates carrying blaOXA-1 and blaNDM-1 from wildlife in China: increasing public health risk.

The emergence of multidrug resistance (MDR) in Proteus mirabilis clinical isolates is a growing public health concern and has serious implications for wildlife. What is the role of wildlife has been become one of the hot issues in disseminating antimicrobial resistance. Here, 54 P. mirabilis isolates from 12 different species were identified. Among them, 25 isolates were determined to be MDR by profile of antimicrobial susceptibility; 10 MDR P. mirabilis isolates were subjected to comparative genomic analysis by whole genome sequencing. Comprehensive analysis showed that chromosome of P. mirabilis isolates mainly carries multidrug-resistance complex elements harboring resistance to carbapenem genes blaOXA-1 , blaNDM-1 , and blaTEM-1 . Class I integron is the insertion hotspot of IS26; it can be inserted into type I integron at different sites, thus forming a variety of multiple drug resistance decision sites. At the same time, Tn21, Tn7, and SXT/R391 mobile elements cause widespread spread of these drug resistance genes. In conclusion, P. mirabilis isolates from wildlife showed higher resistance to commonly used clinic drugs comparing to those from human. Therefore, wild animals carrying MDR clinical isolates should be paid attention to by the public health.

How to Promote Ethnic Village Residents' Behavior Participating in Tourism Poverty Alleviation: A Tourism Empowerment Perspective.

Local villagers are regarded as the main part of tourism development in the ethnic village, their participation in tourism poverty alleviation has a vital impact on sustainable tourism development and poverty reduction. Based on the planned behavior theory and capacity approach theory, we investigated the influence of tourism empowerment on ethnic village residents' behavior participating in tourism poverty alleviation, especially focusing on the mediating effect of participation willingness and the moderating effect of participation ability. We took Zenlei Village in Sandu County of Guizhou Province in China as research subjects and analyzed 239 valid samples through the structural equation model and hierarchical regression. The results indicate that: (a) Tourism empowerment has a remarkable positive effect on participation behavior. (b) Participation willingness plays a partial mediating role between tourism empowerment and participation behavior. (c) Participation ability positively moderates the positive relationships between tourism economic empowerment, tourism psychological empowerment, and participation willingness. That is, the positive relationships between tourism economic empowerment, tourism psychological empowerment, and participation willingness would be stronger when villagers have higher participation ability. Whereas, participation ability has not yet played a moderating role between tourism social empowerment, tourism political empowerment, and participation willingness.

The complete mitochondrial genome of large odorous frog, Odorrana graminea (Amphibia: Ranidae) and phylogenetic analysis.

The mitochondrial genome of Odorrana graminea was sequenced and analyzed. The complete mitochondrial genome is 18,106 bp in length, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 21 transfer RNA genes, and a control region (D-loop). All PCGs are initiated by ATN codons, except for GTG for COI and ND5. Five PCGs use a common stop codon of TAA or TAG, whereas COI terminats with AGG as stop codon; ND6 with AGA; the other six ends with an incomplete stop codon (a single stop nucleotide T). The analysis results based on Bayesian inference method provide a useful resource for the phylogenetic studies of superfamily Ranoidea.

Characteristics and Epidemiology of Extended-Spectrum ß-Lactamase-Producing Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae From Red Kangaroo, China.

Due to its drug resistant nature, ß-lactamase represents a serious challenge for public health. Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) producing Klebsiella pneumoniae clones are increasingly reported worldwide. Little is known about the prevalence and biological characteristics of drug-resistant strains in zoos. During routine surveillance at the Zhengzhou Zoo of China, we found Klebsiella pneumoniae isolate in healthy Red Kangaroos (Macropus Rufus) with severe MDR. The Klebsiella pneumoniae were especially resistant to Cefuroxime Sodium (MIC, > 64 µg/mL), Ceftriaxone (MIC, >8 µg/mL) and Cefepime (MIC, >64 µg/mL), and belonged to ST290. Subsequently, whole genome sequencing (WGS) showed that the Chrome Chr-M297-1 harbored bla DHA-3, bla SHV-1, bla CTX-M-14, fosA5, dfrA3, sul3, etc., and pM297-1.1 [222,864 bp, IncFIB(K)], which carried nine antimicrobial genes including bla CTX-M-14, bla TEM-191, aph(3″)-Ib, aph(6)-Id and qnrS1, etc., and pM297-1.2 [225,763 bp, IncFII(K)] carried 22 antimicrobial genes including bla TEM-1, bla CTX-M-3, aph(3')-Ia, aac(3)-IIa, aac(6')-Ib-cr, aadA16, qnrB2, qnrS1, qacEΔ1, mphA, sul1, and dfrA27, etc. A traceability analysis then revealed that these two plasmids were highly similar to those recovered from human clinical samples in some southern cities in Sichuan Province, China (>99%), suggesting that these plasmids are spreading in China. Furthermore, two plasmids harboring conjugal transfer genes facilitated the transmission of antimicrobial genes by conjugation with E. coli J53. Our research shows that the transmission and adaptation of Klebsiella pneumoniae producing ESBLs is occurring in zoo environments, suggesting that zoos may be becoming important potential reservoirs for clinically important drug-resistant genes. It is therefore necessary to monitor the emergence and spread of drug-resistant gene strains in captive wild animals held in zoo environments.

Why Do Leaders Express Humility and How Does This Matter: A Rational Choice Perspective.

The utility of leader humility expressing behavior has been examined by several studies across multiple levels. However, our knowledge about why leaders express humility continues to be sparse. Drawing on rational choice theory, this paper proposes a model examining whether followers' capability triggers leader's humility expressing behavior and how followers' interpretations of it influence its effectiveness. Results from 278 leader-follower dyads from a time-lagged research design showed that followers' capability as perceived by the leader is positively related to leader-expressed humility and, in turn, this behavior would conditionally enhance follower trust, that is, followers will trust the humble leader less when they attribute leader's expressed humility more to serving impression management motives. Several theoretical and practical implications of this observation are discussed in this study.

An in-line Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Using Thin-core Fiber for Ammonia Gas Sensing With High Sensitivity.

Ammonia is an important indicator among environmental monitoring parameters. In this work, thin-core fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer deposited with poly (acrylic acid) (PAA), poly (allyamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs-COOH) sensing film for the detection of ammonia gas has been presented. The thin-core fiber modal interferometer was made by fusion splicing a small section of thin-core fiber (TCF) between two standard single mode fibers (SMF). A beam propagation method (BPM) is employed for the design of proposed interferometer and numerical simulation. Based on the simulation results, interferometer with a length of 2 cm of thin-core fiber is fabricated and experimentally studied. (PAH/PAA)2 + [PAH/(PAA + SWCNTs-COOH)]8 film is deposited on the outer surface of thin-core fiber via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique. The gas sensor coated with (PAH/PAA)2 + [PAH/(PAA + SWCNTs-COOH)]8 film towards NH3 gas exposure at concentrations range from 1 to 960 ppm are analyzed and the sensing capability is demonstrated by optical spectrum analyzer (OSA). Experimental results show that the characteristic wavelength shift has an approximately linear relationship in the range 1-20 ppm, which is in accordance with the numerical simulation. Thus, this paper reveals the potential application of this sensor in monitoring low concentration NH3 gas.

Description of three new species of Arescon Walker (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae) from China.

Three new species of Arescon Walker, 1846, Arescon gaoligongensis Jin & Li, sp. n., Arescon sparsiciliatus Jin & Li, sp. n. and Arescon stenopterus Jin & Li, sp. n. are described. A key to the Chinese species is given and photomicrographs are provided to illustrate morphological characters. All the specimens are deposited in the insect collections of Northeast Forestry University, China.

[Specific molecular markers of the rust resistance gene M4 in flax].

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important fiber and oil-producing crop. Flax rust, caused by Melampsora lini Ehrenb. Lev., occurs worldwide and can cause severe losses in seed yield and fiber quality. In order to identify molecular markers linked to the flax rust resistant gene M4, RAPD analysis of NM4, a near-isogenic line containing the M4 gene, and the recurrent parent Bison was carried out with 540 decamer primers. The primer OPA18 could stably amplify a specific fragment, OPA18(432), in the NM4 line. The OPA18(432) marker was testified to be closely linked to the M4 gene with a genetic distance of 2.1 cM through the analysis of the F2 mapping population derived from a cross of Bison x NM4. Based on the sequence of OPA18(432), the specific PCR primers were designed, and a SCAR marker for the M4 gene was produced. Amplification of different resistant materials proved that the maker is specific for the M4 gene. This marker has been used successfully in marker-assisted selection in the flax breeding program.