New Insights into the Role of Mild Hypoxia in Regulating Neural Stem Cell Characteristics.

The proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) is precisely regulated by extracellular environmental factors. In situ hypoxia, one of the key factors involved in the regulation of NSC characteristics, has attracted increasing amounts of attention. Numerous studies have demonstrated that hypoxia can significantly promote the formation of neurospheres and the proliferation of NSCs in vitro and that intermittent hypoxia can promote the proliferation of endogenous NSCs in vivo. In this article, the effects of different concentrations of oxygen on NSC proliferation and differentiation both in vivo and in vitro are reviewed, and the potential applications of hypoxia-preconditioned NSCs, as well as research progress and challenges in the treatment of central nervous system diseases, are further summarized. Here, the critical role of oxygen in the neurogenesis of NSCs is emphasized, and insights into the use of hypoxia to regulate NSC characteristics are provided.

Potential of a winterschmidtiid prey mite for the production of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

Mass rearing of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) using natural (prey) methods is costly and laborious, limiting its application in the biological control of pests. A high-production, low-cost method using a prey substitute would help to relieve this problem. Oulenziella bakeri Hughes (Acari: Winterschmidtiidae) could be an alternative prey source, but studies on the reproductive parameters of N. californicus under rearing conditions are lacking. This study evaluated the potential of O. bakeri as an alternative prey in N. californicus rearing by comparing developmental parameters among N. californicus reared on three diets based on an age-stage two-sex life table. We found that the preoviposition period and developmental time of N. californicus did not vary based on diet. The fecundity of N. californicus adults reared on O. bakeri was 29.8 eggs per female, which was lower than that of adults reared on Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) (42.9 eggs per female); there was no significant difference between O. bakeri and apple pollen (30.2 eggs per female). The oviposition rate of mites fed on O. bakeri was 69% of that fed on T. urticae. Neoseiulus californicus reared on O. bakeri and apple pollen showed the same intrinsic rate of increase (0.25 per day), which was 86% of the rate of those fed on T. urticae. Compared with predatory mites reared on natural prey, N. californicus reared on O. bakeri had a high survival rate and good oviposition and population growth parameters, suggesting that O. bakeri is suitable for the rearing of N. californicus.

Role of the Hox Genes, Sex combs reduced, Fushi tarazu and Antennapedia, in Leg Development of the Spider Mite Tetranychus urticae.

Mites, the second largest arthropod group, exhibit rich phenotypic diversity in the development of appendages (legs). For example, the fourth pair of legs (L4) does not form until the second postembryonic developmental stage, namely the protonymph stage. These leg developmental diversities drive body plan diversity in mites. However, little is known about the mechanisms of leg development in mites. Hox genes, homeotic genes, can regulate the development of appendages in arthropods. Three Hox genes, Sex combs reduced (Scr), Fushi tarazu (Ftz) and Antennapedia (Antp), have previously been shown to be expressed in the leg segments of mites. Here, the quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR shows that three Hox genes are significantly increased in the first molt stage. RNA interference results in a set of abnormalities, including L3 curl and L4 loss. These results suggest that these Hox genes are required for normal leg development. Furthermore, the loss of single Hox genes results in downregulating the expression of the appendage marker Distal-less (Dll), suggesting that the three Hox genes can work together with Dll to maintain leg development in Tetranychus urticae. This study will be essential to understanding the diversity of leg development in mites and changes in Hox gene function.

Stability analysis of soft-hard-interbedded anti-inclined rock slope.

The instability of rock slope is still a very frequent geological disaster, which seriously affects people's life and production activities. Previous studies have mainly focused on deformation mechanism, prediction, and control of hard rock with single lithology, while there are limited studies on the theoretic computational method of the stability for soft-hard interbedded anti-inclined rock strata. In this study, a geomechanical model for the toppling failure of soft-hard-interbedded anti-inclined rock slope is established. The modes of failure for soft and hard rock strata are analyzed, the computational formula of the downward thrust for each anti-inclined rock stratum is derived, and the stability safety factor of each rock stratum is defined. A theoretical computational method for determining the potentially most dangerous failure surface of soft-hard-interbedded anti-inclined rock slope is proposed. By comparing with the existing research results, the theoretical solving method proposed in this study can well solve the location of the potentially most dangerous failure surface of soft-hard-interbedded anti-inclined rock slope. The potentially most dangerous failure surface of this kind of slope is approximately planar, and the angle between it and the normal plane of the rock strata is an acute angle within 30°. It provides theoretical support for the stability analysis of this kind of slope.

Four New Species of Larval Charletonia and Leptus (Acari: Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae), with a Checklist of the Two Genera and Their Hosts from China.

Four new species, Charletonia rectangia Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) bomiensis Xu and Jin sp. nov., Leptus (Leptus) longisolenidionus Xu and Jin sp. nov., and Leptus (Leptus) striatus Xu and Jin sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on larvae. All four new species are from biodiversity hotspots, L. (L.) bomiensissp. nov. from the Eastern Himalayas biodiversity hotspot, while the other three species from the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot.

The Effects of Alternative Foods on Life History and Cannibalism of Amblyseius herbicolus (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

The development, survivorship, fecundity, and cannibalism of the predatory phytoseiid mite, Amblyseius herbicolus (Chant), fed six different alternative foods (Oulenziella bakeri, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Aleuroglyphus ovatus, almond pollen (Prunus armeniaca), apple pollen (Malus pumila), maize pollen (Zea mays)), and natural prey (Tetranychus urticae) were determined in the laboratory. Our findings indicated that A. herbicolus that fed on all six alternative foods could normally complete its developmental and reproductive cycles. The shortest pre-adult developmental duration was observed when A. herbicolus fed on almond pollen (4.91 d) as well as T. urticae (4.90 d), and the longest when it fed on maize pollen (6.24 d). Pre-adult survival rates were higher when the predator fed on almond pollen (0.99), maize pollen (0.96), and O. bakeri (0.93). The highest fecundity was observed when A. herbicolus fed on apple pollen (28.55 eggs/female), almond pollen (26.06 eggs/female), and O. bakeri (26.02 eggs/female) in addition to T. urticae (48.95 eggs/female), and the lowest when it fed on maize pollen (7.84 eggs/female). The highest value of the intrinsic rate of increase (r) was obtained when A. herbicolus fed on O. bakeri (0.202 d-1) in addition to T. urticae (0.210 d-1), followed by almond pollen (0.163 d-1), and the lowest was when it fed on maize pollen (0.064 d-1). Cannibalism of conspecific eggs by adults of A. herbicolus did not occur when O. bakeri and T. urticae were provided. The cannibalism rate of the predatory mite was the lowest when fed on almond pollen, T. putrescentiae, and A. ovatus and the highest on apple pollen. Above all, when fed on O. bakeri and almond pollen, and with no or low cannibalism rate, A. herbicolus had the best development, survivorship, fecundity, and population parameters. Therefore, O. bakeri and almond pollen could be potential alternative foods for mass rearing programs of A. herbicolus or to support its population in the fields.

Isolation of Peptide Inhibiting SGC-7901 Cell Proliferation from Aspongopus chinensis Dallas.

Aspongopus chinensis Dallas is used as a traditional Chinese medicine as well as an edible insect. Although its anti-tumor effects have been observed, the anti-tumor active component(s) in the hemolymph of A. chinensis remains unknown. In this study, a combination usage of ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, FPLC and RP-HPLC to separate and purify active peptides was performed based on the proliferation of the human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cell line treated with candidates. One peptide (MW = 2853.3 Da) was isolated from the hemolymph of A. chinensis. A total of 24 amino acid residues were continuously determined for the active peptide: N'-ECGYCAEKGIRCDDIHCCTGLKKK-C'. In conclusion, a peptide that can inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in the hemolymph of A. chinensis was purified in this study, which is homologous to members of the spider toxin protein family. These results should facilitate further works for this peptide, such as the cloning of genes, expression in vitro by prokaryotic or eukaryotic systems, more specific tests of anti-tumor activity, and so on.

Two New Species and a New Combination of the Subfamily Erythraeinae Based on Larval Stage (Acari: Trombidiformes: Erythraeidae) from China.

The species Eatoniana yangshuonicus (Haitlinger) comb. nov. is transferred from the genus Erythraeus to Eatoniana based on the basifemoral setal formula 2-2-1. Two new species, Eatoniana nanlingensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. and Erythraeus (Erythraeus) kunyuensis Xu and Jin sp. nov. are described and illustrated based on larvae. Eatoniana nanlingensis sp. nov. from the Oriental region (Guangdong Province), Er. (Er.) kunyuensis sp. nov. from the Palaearctic region (Shandong Province). An updated key to larval species of the genus Eatoniana of the world is presented.

Juvenile Hormone Is an Important Factor in Regulating Aspongopus chinensis Dallas Diapause.

Aspongopus chinensis is a Chinese traditional edible and medicinal insect, which is in great demand in the society. This insect reproduces once a year which is caused by reproductive diapause resulting in insufficient production in wild resources. However, the mechanism of diapause in A. chinensis is still unclear. In this study, we focus on the relationship between juvenile hormones (JHs) and A. chinensis diapause. The results showed that JHIII concentration in diapause adult individuals was significantly lower than that in diapause termination adult individuals. When exogenous JHⅢ was injected into diapause adults, the rate of mating was increased significantly, development of the reproductive systems was accelerated, consumption of fat intensified, the expression of juvenile hormone acid o-methyl-transferase (JHAMT) was upregulated, and juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase (JHEH) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) gene expressions were downregulated. In addition, RNAi of JHAMT decreased JH concentration, delayed the development of reproductive systems, slowed down fat consumption, and delayed the mean mating occurrence time significantly. Conversely, RNAi of JHEH resulted in an increased concentration of JH, development of reproductive systems was accelerated, consumption of fat was intensified, and mean mating occurrence time advanced significantly. Taken together, these findings uncovered that JH plays an important role in regulating reproductive diapause in A. chinensis and, thus, could provide a theoretical basis for further research on the diapause of A. chinensis.

Morphological changes and ontogenetic development of Amblyseius eharai Amitai & Swirski (Acari: Phytoseiidae).

This paper describes the immature and mature characteristics of Amblyseius eharai Amitai & Swirski in detail to determine its morphological ontogeny based on laboratory-reared specimens. The main changes during ontogeny are as follows: the pronotal shield extends to j6 level and opisthosoma is unsclerotized in the larva; the dorsum has two shields in the protonymph, pronotal shield slightly expended comparing to that of the larva, and the opisthonotal shield smooth and weakly sclerotized. The podonotal and opisthonotal shields in the deutonymph are partially fused, and the dorsal shield is complete, covering almost the entire opisthonotum in adults in both sexes. There are nine pairs of dorsal setae in the larva, 14 pairs in the protonymph, and 19 pairs in both deutonymph and adult. In deutonymphs, gender could be distinguished by the number of setae in the area around the anal valves. In protonymphs, all dorsal, hypostomal setae, and the macrosetae of leg IV appear and are consistent with the subsequent stages. The development of morphological traits in the ontogeny of A. eharai may provide some basic knowledge to distinguish it from closely related species.

Redescription and new record of Odontoscirus nipponicus Shiba, 1985 (Bdellidae: Odontoscirinae) from China with a description of its ontogeny.

Odontoscirus nipponicus Shiba, 1985 is recorded from China and is redescribed; male, tritonymph, deutonymph, protonymph, and larva are described and illustrated for the first time. Morphological observations on the ontogeny of this species are also provided.

An Energy-Restricted Diet Including Yogurt, Fruit, and Vegetables Alleviates High-Fat Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Mice by Modulating the Gut Microbiota.

BACKGROUND: The importance of the composition of an energy-restricted diet in the treatment of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is unknown. OBJECTIVES: In this study we aimed to investigate the benefits of a novel dietary treatment (50% calorie restriction diet composed of yogurt, fruit, and vegetables [CR-YD]) in mice with MetS. METHODS: Forty 7-wk-old male C57BL/6 J mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n = 10/group) that were fed for 14 wk ad libitum with a normal diet (ND; 10%:70%:20% energy from fat: carbohydrate: protein) or for 12 wk with a high-fat diet (HFD; 60:20:20) or the HFD followed by 2 wk of feeding with a 50% calorie-restricted HFD (CR-HFD) or YD (CR-YD, 21.2%:65.4%:13.4% energy). Body weight, fat deposition, hepatic steatosis, serum concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers, and glucose homeostasis were assessed. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was used to validate the roles of gut microbiota in MetS. RESULTS: The HFD group had 50% greater body weight and 475% greater fat deposition than the ND group (P < 0.05). Compared with the HFD group, the CR-HFD and CR-YD groups had 22% and 31% lower body weight and 49% and 75% less fat deposition, respectively (P < 0.05). Compared with the CR-HFD group, the CR-YD group had 11% lower body weight, 96% less fat deposition, 500% less hepatic steatosis, 75% lower glucose, and 450% more hepatic Akkermansia bacteria (P < 0.05). The CR-YD group also had 50% lower histopathology scores and 1.35-fold higher levels of Claudin4 than the CR-HFD group (P < 0.05). The HFD + CR-YD fecal group had 10.6% lower body weight, 119% lower steatosis, and 17.9% lower glucose (P < 0.05) than the HFD + CR-HFD fecal group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with CR alone, the CR-YD diet has a better therapeutic effect in mice with HFD-induced MetS.

In vivo and in vitro antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects of hemolymph of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas on breast cancer cell.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Aspongopus（A.）chinensis hemolymph on the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells. METHODS: The in vitro effects of A. chinensis hemolymph were investigated in murine (4T1) and human (HCC1937) breast cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity, cell apoptosis, and cell migration were evaluated by using the cell counting kit-8 assay, Hoechst staining, and wound healing experiments, respectively. A syngeneic mouse model was established to evaluate the in vivo effects of the hemolymph extract on tumor growth and metastasis. Mouse body weight, tumor size, blood levels of function-related enzymes, and pathological features of the liver and kidney tissues were evaluated. RESULTS: The hemolymph of A. chinensis significantly inhibited in vitro tumor cell migration and viability while inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, it inhibited in vivo tumor growth and metastasis with a minimal effect on mouse body weight, and did not induce liver or kidney damage. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the A.chinensis hemolymph has antitumorigenic properties, suggesting it has potential as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Differential seeding and propagating efficiency of α-synuclein strains generated in different conditions.

BACKGROUND: Accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a main pathological hallmark of Parkinson's and related diseases, which are collectively known as synucleinopathies. Growing evidence has supported that the same protein can induce remarkably distinct pathological progresses and disease phenotypes, suggesting the existence of strain difference among α-syn fibrils. Previous studies have shown that α-syn pathology can propagate from the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the central nervous system (CNS) in a "prion-like" manner. However, the difference of the propagation potency from the periphery to CNS among different α-syn strains remains unknown and the effect of different generation processes of these strains on the potency of seeding and propagation remains to be revealed in more detail. METHODS: Three strains of preformed α-syn fibrils (PFFs) were generated in different buffer conditions which varied in pH and ionic concentrations. The α-syn PFFs were intramuscularly (IM) injected into a novel bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse line that expresses wild-type human α-syn, and the efficiency of seeding and propagation of these PFFs from the PNS to the CNS was evaluated. RESULTS: The three strains of α-syn PFFs triggered distinct propagation patterns. The fibrils generated in mildly acidic buffer led to the most severe α-syn pathology, degeneration of motor neurons and microgliosis in the spinal cord. CONCLUSIONS: The different α-syn conformers generated in different conditions exhibited strain-specific pathology and propagation patterns from the periphery to the CNS, which further supports the view that α-syn strains may be responsible for the heterogeneity of pathological features and disease progresses among synucleinopathies.

The first record of the water mite genus Ljania Thor, 1898 (Acari, Hydrachnidiae, Aturidae) from China, with description of two new species.

This is the first record of the genus Ljania Thor, 1898 (Axonopsinae, Aturidae, Hydrachnidiae, Acari) from China. Two new species, Ljania jini sp. nov. and Ljania guangxiensis sp. nov., are described from Guangxi Province, P. R. China. The new detections bring the total number of Chinese aturid mites to eleven species, representing seven genera.

Intranasal administration of α-synuclein preformed fibrils triggers microglial iron deposition in the substantia nigra of Macaca fascicularis.

Iron deposition is present in main lesion areas in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and an abnormal iron content may be associated with dopaminergic neuronal cytotoxicity and degeneration in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. However, the cause of iron deposition and its role in the pathological process of PD are unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the nasal mucosal delivery of synthetic human α-synuclein (α-syn) preformed fibrils (PFFs) on the pathogenesis of PD in Macaca fascicularis. We detected that iron deposition was clearly increased in a time-dependent manner from 1 to 17 months in the substantia nigra and globus pallidus, highly contrasting to other brain regions after treatments with α-syn PFFs. At the cellular level, the iron deposits were specifically localized in microglia but not in dopaminergic neurons, nor in other types of glial cells in the substantia nigra, whereas the expression of transferrin (TF), TF receptor 1 (TFR1), TF receptor 2 (TFR2), and ferroportin (FPn) was increased in dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, no clear dopaminergic neuron loss was observed in the substantia nigra, but with decreased immunoreactivity of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and appearance of axonal swelling in the putamen. The brain region-enriched and cell-type-dependent iron localizations indicate that the intranasal α-syn PFFs treatment-induced iron depositions in microglia in the substantia nigra may appear as an early cellular response that may initiate neuroinflammation in the dopaminergic system before cell death occurs. Our data suggest that the inhibition of iron deposition may be a potential approach for the early prevention and treatment of PD.

Description of Cornigamasus allotritosternus sp. nov. (Mesostigmata: Parasitidae) from China, with an emphasis on the ontogenetic development of setae.

A new species, Cornigamasus allotritosternus sp. nov., is described based on the larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adult female and male collected from cow dung in Guizhou Province, China. The ontogenetic development of the gnathotectum, dorsal shields, ventral shields, and the chaetotaxy of the gnathosoma, idiosoma and legs are discussed and illustrated.

Two new species of the genus Onchodellus (Acari: Pachylaelapidae) from China.

This paper describes two new species of the family Pachylaelapidae, Onchodellus menglaensis sp. nov. and O. quattuorspinous sp. nov., from the earth-boring dung beetles, Enoplotrupes sinensis Hope (Scarabaeoidea: Geotrupidae), collected from Mengla County, Yunnan Province, China. An identification key to the Chinese species of the genus Onchodellus (females) is provided.

Contributions to Chinese fauna of Torrenticolidae Piersig, 1902 (Acari, Hydrachnidia), with the description of three new species.

Five species of torrenticolid mites (Acari, Hydrachnidia), collected in the Anzihe and Qingliangfeng national nature reserves, R. P. China, are identified. Three species are described as new to science: Torrenticola pseudosiamis Gu & Guo, sp. nov., T. anziensis Gu & Guo, sp. nov., and Monatractides sichuanensis Gu & Guo, sp. nov. The other two species, M. macrocorpis Gu & Guo, 2019, M. xiaoxiensis Gu & Guo, 2019, are newly reported from Zhejiang Province. Descriptions and illustrations of these species are included.

First description of immature stages and redescription of female Bdella longicornis (Acari: Prostigmata: Bdellidae), with an ontogeny of chaetotaxy.

Bdella longicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) is a widespread species. There has been no description of its immature stages before. In this paper, we redescribe its female adult and describe its four immature stages for the first time based on the specimens from P. R. China. Meanwhile, the ontogeny of chaetotaxy in B. longicornis is discussed.