Inhibition of a novel Dickkopf-1-LDL receptor-related proteins 5 and 6 axis prevents diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Anti-hypertensive agents are one of the most frequently used drugs worldwide. However, no blood pressure-lowering strategy is superior to placebo with respect to survival in diabetic hypertensive patients. Previous findings show that Wnt co-receptors LDL receptor-related proteins 5 and 6 (LRP5/6) can directly bind to several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Because angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) is the most important GPCR in regulating hypertension, this study examines the possible mechanistic association between LRP5/6 and their binding protein Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) and activation of the AT1R and further hypothesizes that the LRP5/6-GPCR interaction may affect hypertension and potentiate cardiac impairment in the setting of diabetes. METHODS: The roles of serum DKK1 and DKK1-LRP5/6 signalling in diabetic injuries were investigated in human and diabetic mice. RESULTS: Blood pressure up-regulation positively correlated with serum DKK1 elevations in humans. Notably, LRP5/6 physically and functionally interacted with AT1R. The loss of membrane LRP5/6 caused by injection of a recombinant DKK1 protein or conditional LRP5/6 deletions resulted in AT1R activation and hypertension, as well as ß-arrestin1 activation and cardiac impairment, possibly because of multiple GPCR alterations. Importantly, unlike commonly used anti-hypertensive agents, administration of the anti-DKK1 neutralizing antibody effectively prevented diabetic cardiac impairment in mice. CONCLUSIONS: These findings establish a novel DKK1-LRP5/6-GPCR pathway in inducing diabetic injuries and may resolve the long-standing conundrum as to why elevated blood DKK1 has deleterious effects. Thus, monitoring and therapeutic elimination of blood DKK1 may be a promising strategy to attenuate diabetic injuries.

Research on the mitigation of redeposition defects on the fused silica surface during wet etching process.

The laser-induced damage of ultraviolet fused silica optics is a critical factor that limits the performance enhancement of high-power laser facility. Currently, wet etching technology based on hydrofluoric acid (HF) can effectively eliminate absorbing impurities and subsurface defects, thereby significantly enhancing the damage resistance of fused silica optics. However, with an increase in the operating fluence, the redeposition defects generated during wet etching gradually become the primary bottleneck that restricts its performance improvement. The composition and morphology of redeposition defects were initially identified in this study, followed by an elucidation of their formation mechanism. A mitigation strategy was then proposed, which combines a reduction in the generation of precipitation with an acceleration of the precipitation dissolution process. Additionally, we systematically investigated the influence of various process parameters such as extrinsic impurity, etching depth, and megasonic excitation on the mitigation of deposition defects. Furthermore, a novel multiple-step dynamic etching method was developed. Through comprehensive characterization techniques, it has been confirmed that this new etching process not only effectively mitigate redeposition defects under low fluence conditions but also exhibits significant inhibition effects on high fluence precursors. Consequently, it significantly enhances the laser damage resistance performance of fused silica optics.

Direct Observation of Hollow Bimetallic Nanoparticle Formation through Galvanic Replacement and Etching Reactions.

Hollow bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) formed from metal oxide NP templates are widely used catalysts for hydrogen evolution and CO2 reduction reactions. Despite their importance in catalysis, the details of how these NPs form on the NP templates remain unclear. Here, using in situ liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging, we describe the conversion of Cu2O template NPs to hollow PdCu NPs. Our observations show that a polycrystalline PdCu shell forms on the surface of the template via a galvanic replacement reaction while the template undergoes anisotropic etching. This study provides important insights into the synthesis of hollow metallic nanostructures from metal oxide templates.

Factors associated with quality of life in Chinese people with psoriasis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The ultimate goal of medical care is to eradicate disease and restore normality to a person's life. Quality of life (QOL) is a concern as dermatologists and researchers strive to find better drug treatments. However, there have been few reports on the factors associated with QOL among Chinese people with psoriasis. METHODS: A total of 185 people with psoriasis were surveyed to assess their sociodemographic status, disease-related information, psychosocial status, and QOL. The questionnaires included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Psychosocial Adaptation Questionnaire of Chronic Skin Disease and the Dermatology Life Quality Index. Multiple stepwise regression and path analysis were used to study the factors associated with QOL among Chinese people with psoriasis and to analyse the relationship between them. RESULTS: The results showed that the presence of anxiety/depression, lesion area, sleep disorders, psychosocial adaptation, and sex could jointly predict 62.1% of the variance in QOL among Chinese people with psoriasis. According to previous theories and the literature, a path model was established for five variables. Four internal variables could be effectively explained. The values of the explanatory variables were 62.1% (F(1056) = 61.020, p = 0.000) for QOL, 71.8% (F(2433) = 117.370, p = 0.000) for anxiety/depression, 44.0% (F(660) = 36.935, p = 0.000) for sleep disorders, and 66.9% (F(6886) = 93.556, p = 0.000) for psychosocial adaptation. The path analysis confirmed that 9 paths were consistent with the predicted path, and 3 paths were not confirmed. CONCLUSION: To improve QOL among Chinese people with psoriasis, attention should be given to the presence of anxiety/depression, lesion area, sleep disorders, psychosocial adaptation and sex differences. Therefore, health care programs for psoriasis should include physical, psychological and social aspects.

Retinal development and the expression profiles of opsin genes during larval development in Takifugu rubripes.

The light-sensitive capacity of fish larvae is determined by the structure of the retina and the opsins expressed in the retinal and nonretinal photoreceptors. In this study, the retinal structure and expression of opsin genes during the early developmental stage of Takifugu rubripes larvae were investigated. Histological examination showed that at 1 days after hatching (dah), seven layers were observed in the retina of T. rubripes larva, including the pigment epithelial layer [retinal pigment epithelium layer (RPE)], photoreceptor layer (PRos/is), outer nuclear layer (ONL), outer plexiform layer (OPL), inner nuclear layer (INL), inner plexiform layer (IPL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL). At 2 dah, optic fibre layer (OFL) can be observed, and all eight layers were visible in the retina. By measuring the thickness of each layer, opposing developmental trends were found in the thickness of ONL, OPL, INL, IPL, GCL and OFL. The nuclear density of ONL, INL and GCL and the ratios of ONL/INL, ONL/GCL and INL/GCL were also measured and the ratio of ONL/GCL ranged from 1.9 at 2 dah to 3.4 at 8 dah and no significant difference was observed between the different developmental stages (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed for the INL/GCL ratio between the different developmental stages, which ranged from 1.2 at 2 dah to 2.0 at 18 dah (P > 0.05). The results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed that the expression of RH1, LWS, RH2-1, RH2-2, SWS2, rod opsin, opsin3 and opsin5 could be detected from 1 dah. These results suggest that the well-developed retina and early expression of the opsins of T. rubripes during the period of transition from endogenous to mixed feeding might be critical for vision-based survival skills during the early life stages after hatching.

Effect of local oxygen therapy combined with vacuum sealing drainage on the healing of stage IV sacrococcygeal pressure ulcers.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of local oxygen therapy combined with vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) on the healing of stage IV pressure ulcers sacrococcygeal. In this prospective study, we included a total of 98 patients with stage IV sacrococcygeal pressure ulcers in our hospital between February 2021 and June 2022. The patients enrolled were randomly and equally divided into two groups: the study group (undergoing local oxygen therapy combined with VSD treatment) and the control group (receiving conventional treatment). The wound healing time and hospital stay were compared between the two groups. Additionally, the wound area, tissue type, wound exudation and pain intensity were assessed before treatment, 10, 20, 30 and 40 days after treatment. The incidence of complications was also calculated. The study group demonstrated significantly shorter wound healing time and hospital stays compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Before treatment, there were no significant differences in terms of wound area, tissue type and wound exudation between the two groups (p > 0.05); after 10, 20, 30 and 40 days of treatment, however, evidently smaller wound areas, improved tissue types and reduced wound exudation were observed in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the study group exhibited increased microvascular count compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in pain intensity between the two groups (p > 0.05), whereas markedly lower pain intensity was seen in the study group than in the control group after 10, 20, 30 and 40 days of treatment (p < 0.05). The incidence of complications did not significantly differ between the two groups after 40 days of treatment (p > 0.05). Local oxygen therapy combined with VSD was found to effectively accelerate the healing process of stage IV sacrococcygeal pressure ulcers, leading to shorter hospital stays and improved patient prognosis. This combined therapy shows promise for widespread application in clinical practice.

The Growth Dynamics of Organic-Inorganic Metal Halide Perovskite Films.

Organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite films have emerged as potential candidate materials for photoelectric devices because of their superior optoelectronic properties. The performance of these devices depends on the quality of perovskite films defined by their grain size, crystallinity, and absence of pinholes. While solution-based processing is the most cost-effective and scalable approach to producing these films, the impact of the process parameters on the film quality and nanoscale details of these processes are unknown. Specifically, it is unclear how perovskites grow from a liquid precursor to form solid-phase nanocrystals and how these nanocrystals arrange to form a uniform film. Here, using liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we show how perovskite nanocrystals nucleate from a precursor solution and then grow and coalesce to form a polycrystalline film. Furthermore, we show how additives, such as urea, can improve the film crystallinity by increasing perovskite solubility, which induces the dissolution and subsequent redeposition of smaller crystals onto larger grains. Our approach to studying the growth of perovskite films provides an important insight into improving the synthesis of perovskites and other technologically relevant crystalline films.

Growth Dynamics of Vertical and Lateral Layered Double Hydroxide Nanosheets during Electrodeposition.

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a class of lamellar materials with a wide range of potential catalytic applications. LDHs form from positively charged 2D atomic layers separated by charge-balancing anions and solvent molecules. Typically, nanoscale LDH sheets can grow vertical or parallel to a substrate, exposing their different active facets. These two growth modes of LDH nanosheets have a significant impact on their electrocatalytic properties, yet the details of their growth remain unknown, hindering our ability to design and synthesize high-performance LDH-based electrocatalysts. Here, we investigate the growth pathways of LDH nanosheets using in situ electrochemical liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and show that the growth modes of LDH nanosheets can be controlled by tuning the precursor concentrations. Moreover, our observations reveal that LDH nanosheets grow via two pathways: (1) monomer addition, where the adatoms are heterogeneously deposited onto the LDH nanosheets, and (2) coalescence, where adjacent nanosheets merge together.

Prevalence, influencing factors and adverse consequences of workplace violence against nurses in China: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of workplace violence among nurses in China and its association with demographic characteristics, quality of work life and coping styles. The secondary objective was to explore how nurses deal with workplace violence and the emotional/psychological impact of workplace violence on nurses. BACKGROUND: Workplace violence is a common occupational hazard that causes physical and psychological harm to nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 2769 nurses from China. A demographic information questionnaire, hospital workplace violence questionnaire, Chinese version of the work-related quality of life scale and coping style scale were used in this study. The Chi-squared test, Mann-Whitney U test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the effects of demographic characteristics, quality of work life and coping styles on nurses' workplace violence. RESULTS: A total of 49.12% of the nurses (n = 1360) had experienced at least one type of workplace violence in the past 6 months. Night shifts, work department, chronic diseases (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53, p < .001), sleep disorders (OR = 1.54, p < .001), frequent overtime (OR = 1.78, p < .001), adverse nursing events (OR = 2.01, p < .001) and passive coping (OR = 1.47, p < .001) were risk factors for workplace violence. Working conditions (OR = 0.61, p < .001), general well-being (OR = 0.65, p < .001) and positive coping (OR = 0.76, p < .001) were identified as protective factors for workplace violence. Nurses exposed to workplace violence experience various negative emotional and psychological consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Workplace violence is common among nurses in China. Good working conditions, general well-being and positive coping may help prevent workplace violence injuries. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Efforts should be made to improve and optimize existing workplace violence prevention measures, create and maintain a good working environment for health care workers and develop various coping styles or strategies to manage stress to reduce workplace violence. The cross-sectional study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, with the registration number 2019-221-2. Written informed consent was obtained prior to the survey.

Profile of gene expression changes during estrodiol-17ß-induced feminization in the Takifugu rubripes brain.

BACKGROUND: As the critical tissue of the central nervous system, the brain has been found to be involved in gonad development. Previous studies have suggested that gonadal fate may be affected by the brain. Identifying brain-specific molecular changes that occur during estrodiol-17ß (E2) -induced feminization is crucial to our understanding of the molecular control of sex differentiation by the brains of fish. RESULTS: In this study, the differential transcriptomic responses of the Takifugu rubripes larvae brain were compared after E2 treatment for 55 days. Our results showed that 514 genes were differentially expressed between E2-treated-XX (E-XX) and Control-XX (C-XX) T. rubripes, while 362 genes were differentially expressed between E2-treated-XY (E-XY) and Control-XY (C-XY). For example, the expression of cyp19a1b, gnrh1 and pgr was significantly up-regulated, while st, sl, tshß, prl and pit-1, which belong to the growth hormone/prolactin family, were significantly down-regulated after E2 treatment, in both sexes. The arntl1, bhlbe, nr1d2, per1b, per3, cry1, cipc and ciart genes, which are involved in the circadian rhythm, were also found to be altered. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were identified between E-XX and C-XX, were significantly enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, arachidonic acid metabolism, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and the calcium signaling pathway. The DEGs that were identified between E-XY and C-XY were significantly enriched in tyrosine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism and linoleic acid metabolism. CONCLUSION: A number of genes and pathways were identified in the brain of E2-treated T. rubripes larvae by RNA-seq. It provided the opportunity for further study on the possible involvement of networks in the brain-pituitary-gonadal axis in sex differentiation in T. rubripes.

Visualizing the Conversion of Metal-Organic Framework Nanoparticles into Hollow Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocages.

Hollow layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanostructures derived from metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles (NPs) are candidate materials for applications in catalysis and energy storage. MOF NPs serve as a sacrificial template and are converted into LDH nanomaterials through two simultaneous processes: etching of the NPs and growth of LDHs on the NP surfaces. However, for these conversion processes, early reaction stages, intermediate products, and details of their reaction kinetics are still unknown. Using liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we show that cubic and rhombic dodecahedron (RD) ZIF-8 NPs convert into hollow LDH nanocages via the nucleation and growth of LDH nanosheets on their surface as the MOF NPs gradually etch. These direct in situ observations reveal that, in these reactions, maintaining comparable etching and growth rates is key to forming well-defined hollow nanostructures that retain the shape of the underlying MOF NP template. Our study provides a critical insight pivotal to the design and synthesis of complex MOF-derived hollow nanomaterials.

IGFBP-4 enhances VEGF-induced angiogenesis in a mouse model of myocardial infarction.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a well-known angiogenic factor, however its ability in promoting therapeutic angiogenesis following myocardial infarction (MI) is limited. Here, we aimed to investigate whether dual treatment with insulin-like growth factor binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4), an agent that protects against early oxidative damage, can be effective in enhancing the therapeutic effect of VEGF following MI. Combined treatment with IGFBP-4 enhanced VEGF-induced angiogenesis and prevented cell damage via enhancing the expression of a key angiogenic factor angiopoietin-1. Dual treatment with the two agents synergistically decreased cardiac fibrosis markers collagen-I and collagen-III following MI. Importantly, while the protective action of IGFBP-4 occurs at an early stage of ischemic injury, the action of VEGF occurs at a later stage, at the onset angiogenesis. Our findings demonstrate that VEGF treatment alone is often not enough to protect against oxidative stress and promote post-ischemic angiogenesis, whereas the combined treatment with IGFBP4 and VEGF can utilize the dual roles of these agents to effectively protect against ischemic and oxidative injury, and promote angiogenesis. These findings provide important insights into the roles of these agents in the clinical setting, and suggest new strategies in the treatment of ischemic heart disease.

Effects of different light conditions on the retinal microstructure and ultrastructure of Dicentrarchus labrax larvae.

Light is a key environmental parameter known to influence fish throughout various stages of their life, from embryonic development to sexually mature adults. In a recent study, the effects of different light conditions on the growth of Dicentrarchus labrax larvae were investigated using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as a light source. Here, pathological examinations were carried out to assess whether variations in light affected the visual system of the larvae, including any negative impacts on the retina or the growth rate. Although light did not affect the total thickness (TT) of the retina, the thickness of the retinal pigment epithelium layer (PRE), photoreceptor layer (PRos/is), outer nuclear layer (ONL), and inner nuclear layer (INL), and the PRE/TT and ONL/TT ratios were all significantly higher in larvae exposed to blue light than in larvae exposed to white light. Additionally, the thickness of PRE and the outer nuclear layer and the RPE/TT and ONL/TT ratios of larvae exposed to 2.0 W m-2 were significantly lower than in larvae exposed to 0.3 W m-2. By contrast, the INL/TT ratio in larvae exposed to 2.0 W m-2 was significantly higher than in larvae exposed to 0.3 W m-2. Additionally, the INL and ganglion cell layer nuclei density of larvae exposed to 2.0 W m-2 were significantly higher than in those exposed to 0.3 W m-2 (p < 0.05). Transmission electron microscopy revealed different levels of abnormalities in the photoreceptor layers in all treatment groups. Considering the growth of the larvae, the results of the study suggest that continuous LED exposure induced damage to photoreceptor cells but was not relevant to the growth performance of D. labrax larvae. Moreover, the results obtained here also support the high plasticity of retinal development in response to altered environmental light conditions.

S-Cluster++: a fast program for solving the cluster containment problem for phylogenetic networks.

Motivation: Comparative genomic studies indicate that extant genomes are more properly considered to be a fusion product of random mutations over generations (vertical evolution) and genomic material transfers between individuals of different lineages (reticulate transfer). This has motivated biologists to use phylogenetic networks and other general models to study genome evolution. Two fundamental algorithmic problems arising from verification of phylogenetic networks and from computing Robinson-Foulds distance in the space of phylogenetic networks are the tree and cluster containment problems. The former asks how to decide whether or not a phylogenetic tree is displayed in a phylogenetic network. The latter is to decide whether a subset of taxa appears as a cluster in some tree displayed in a phylogenetic network. The cluster containment problem (CCP) is also closely related to testing the infinite site model on a recombination network. Both the tree containment and CCP are NP-complete. Although the CCP was introduced a decade ago, there has been little progress in developing fast algorithms for it on arbitrary phylogenetic networks. Results: In this work, we present a fast computer program for the CCP. This program is developed on the basis of a linear-time transformation from the small version of the CCP to the SAT problem. Availability and implementation: The program package is available for download on http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/∼matzlx/ccp.

Hydrofluoric acid-based etching effect on surface pit, crack, and scratch and laser damage site of fused silica optics.

In a large-scale, high-power laser facility, fused silica optics plays an irreplaceable role to transmit extremely intense lasers. However, the surface fractures, such as surface pit, crack, and scratch and laser damage site, of fused silica optics will shorten the lifetime of the optics and thus limit the output performance of the laser facility. In this work, besides experimental study, finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation is performed to study hydrofluoric acid-based (HF-based) etching effect on the surface fractures. The effect of local surface curvature on etching rate is discussed and an explicit local-curvature-dependent etching model is proposed. Based on this model, the result from FDTD simulation qualitatively agrees very well with that of the experiment. It is demonstrated that the FDTD simulation is efficient to predict the morphological evolution of the surface fractures during etching. In addition, it is found that the surface fractures will be passivated and HF-based etching can greatly suppress the laser-damage growth of laser-induced damage to the surface site of fused silica optics.

Deletion of low-density lipoprotein-related receptor 5 inhibits liver Cancer cell proliferation via destabilizing Nucleoporin 37.

BACKGROUND: LRP5/6 are co-receptors in Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. Recently, we discovered multiple ß-catenin independent functions of LRP5/6 in tumor cells and in the diseased heart. Nucleoporin 37 (NUP37) is an important component of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), whose elevated expression is associated with worsened prognosis in liver cancer. Previous studies have shown that NUP37 interacted with YAP and activated YAP/TEAD signaling in liver cancer. Our preliminary findings showed a nuclear location of LRP5. We thus tested the hypothesis that LRP5 may act as a genuine regulator of YAP/TEAD signaling via modulating NUP37 in a ß-catenin-independent way. METHODS: We performed siRNA knockdown of LRP5, LRP6, or ß-catenin in liver cancer HepG2 cells to determine the effect on tumor cell proliferation. Protein expressions and interaction between LRP5 and NUP37 were determined using immunoprecipitation and western blot analyses. RESULTS: HepG2 cell proliferation was markedly inhibited by knockdown of LRP5 but not LRP6 or ß-catenin, suggesting that LRP5 has a specific, ß-catenin-independent role in inhibiting HepG2 cell proliferation. Knockdown of NUP37 by siRNA inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells, whereas overexpression of NUP37 reversed the decrease in cell proliferation induced by LRP5 knockdown. Immunoprecipitation assays confirmed that LRP5 bound to NUP37. Furthermore, LRP5 overexpression restored NUP37 knockdown-induced downregulation of YAP/TEAD pathway. CONCLUSIONS: LRP5 deletion attenuates cell proliferation via destabilization of NUP37, in a ß-catenin-independent manner. LRP5 therefore acts as a genuine regulator of YAP/TEAD signaling via maintaining the integrity of the NPC, and implicates a therapeutic strategy in targeting LRP5 for inhibiting liver cancer cell proliferation.

Growth and survival of Takifugu rubripes larvae cultured under different light conditions.

We assessed the effects of light intensity and spectrum on the growth and survival of Takifugu rubripes larvae from 30 to 69 days after hatching. Five lighting regimes were applied using 0.5, 1.5, and 3.0 W m-2 full spectrum white (W0.5, W1.5, W3.0), 0.5 W m-2 yellow (Y0.5), and 0.5 W m-2 blue light (B0.5). At the end of the experiment, body length, wet weight, and specific growth rate from day 0 to day 39 were significantly greater in larvae reared under W3.0 than under B0.5 (P Ë‚ 0.05). No significant differences were observed among W0.5, W1.5, and W3.0, or among W0.5, Y0.5, and B0.5 (P > 0.05). Survival rate was significantly higher in larvae reared under W1.5 than W0.5 (P Ë‚ 0.05), but no significant differences were observed among W0.5, Y0.5, and B0.5 (P > 0.05). Additionally, light conditioning did not affect the total thickness of the retina. Although the ratio of the thickness of the retinal pigment epithelium layer/total thickness (TT) was significantly higher in larvae exposed to W3.0 compared with those exposed to other light conditions, and the thickness of the outer nuclear layer/TT was significantly lower in larvae exposed to W3.0 compared with those exposed to W0.5 (P < 0.05), no relationship was confirmed between the structure of the retina and the growth performance of the T. rubripes larvae. Expression patterns of two stress-related and seven growth-related genes were also compared with the biometric parameters investigated in the experimental groups. No significant differences in the aanat1a, crh, ss1, igf1, or igf2 expression were observed among the five treatments. Pomc expression was significantly lower in larvae exposed to W1.5 than the larvae exposed to W0.5, and it was significantly lower in larvae exposed to Y0.5 than in larvae exposed to W0.5 or B0.5 (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also found in the expression of gh, with the highest levels being observed under W3.0, while the lowest levels were observed in B0.5 (P < 0.05). Ghrh expression was significantly higher in W3.0 (P < 0.05). These results should be considered when designing rearing protocols for fugu larvae in aquaculture systems.

Ultralow-refractive-index optical thin films built from shape-tunable hollow silica nanomaterials.

Shape-tunable hollow silica nanomaterials, including hollow silica nano-spheres and nano-tadpoles, were synthesized with a one-step soft-templating method. A possible particle growth mechanism was proposed. Films were built from these shape-tunable hollow silica nanomaterials with refractive indices as low as 1.045, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the third-lowest value ever reported so far. For the first time, the refractive indices of films were tuned by changing the morphology of building blocks. These films are intrinsically hydrophobic. Moreover, the process used to prepare these nanomaterials without the need for expensive equipment or any post-treatment is well suited for industrial production on large surfaces.

Identification of genes involved in gonadal sex differentiation and the dimorphic expression pattern in Takifugu rubripes gonad at the early stage of sex differentiation.

Quantifying the expression of mRNAs in the gonads at the critical stage of molecular sex differentiation stage might help to clarify the regulatory network during early sex differentiation and provide new information on the role of sex-related genes in gonadal function. In this study, transcriptomic analysis of sex-related genes expression profiles in fugu gonads at 60 and 90 days after hatching (dah) was conducted firstly, and a total of 112,504,991 clean reads, encompassing 28.35 Gb of sequences were retrieved. Twenty-three thousand eight hundred ten genes were found to be expressed in juvenile fugu gonads, and we mainly focused on the differentially expressed genes that have the potential to be involved in the gonadal sex differentiation. For 60-dah juveniles, we identified 1014 genes that were upregulated in the ovary and 1570 that were upregulated in the testis. For 90-dah juveniles, we identified 1287 genes that were upregulated in the ovary and 1500 that were upregulated in the testis. The dimorphic expression patterns of 15 genes in gonads at 30 and 40 dah were further investigate using qPCR. Cyp11b and star were expressed at higher levels in XY than in XX, while cyp11a1 and cyp19a1a were expressed at higher levels in XX than in XY at 30 dah. At 40 dah, the levels of gsdf, dmrt1, dmrt3, cyp11c1, star, and hsd3b expression were higher in XY, while the levels of foxl2, cyp19a1a, wnt9b, and foxD4 expression were higher in XX. Sox9, cyp11a1, cyp17a1, cyp17a2, and nr5a2 were expressed at similar levels in XX and XY at 40 dah. This is the first report of gonadal transcriptome of fugu at early sex differentiation stage, and our results provide an archive for further study on molecular mechanism underlying sex differentiation in this species.