Nuclear translocation of ISG15 regulated by PPP2R2B inhibits cisplatin resistance of bladder cancer.

Cisplatin resistance is a major challenge for systemic therapy against advanced bladder cancer (BC). Little information is available on the regulation of cisplatin resistance and the underlying mechanisms require elucidation. Here, we detected that downregulation of the tumor suppressor, PPP2R2B (a serine/threonine protein phosphatase 2 A regulatory subunit), in BC promoted cell proliferation and migration. What's more, low PPP2R2B expression was correlated with cisplatin resistance. In vitro and in vivo experiments verified that PPP2R2B could promote BC sensitivity to cisplatin. In terms of mechanism, we identified a novel function of PPP2R2B as a nucleocytoplasmic transport molecule. PPP2R2B promoted ISG15 entry into the nucleus by mediating binding of IPO5 with ISG15. Nuclear translocation of ISG15 inhibited DNA repair, further increasing ISG15 expression through activation of the STING pathway. Besides, PPP2R2B was down-regulated by SUV39H1-mediated histone 3 lysine 9 trimethylation, which could be restored by the SUV39H1-specific inhibitor, chaetocin. Our data suggest that PPP2R2B expression level is a potential biomarker for chemotherapy response and that chemotherapy in combination with chaetocin may be a feasible treatment strategy for patients with BC.

Genome-wide identification of the MED25 BINDING RING-H2 PROTEIN gene family in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) and the role of SiMBR2 in resistance to abiotic stress in Arabidopsis.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The SiMBR genes in foxtail millet were identified and studied. Heterologous expression of SiMBR2 in Arabidopsis can improve plant tolerance to drought stress by decreasing the level of reactive oxygen species. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.), a C4 crop recognized for its exceptional resistance to drought stress, presents an opportunity to improve the genetic resilience of other crops by examining its unique stress response genes and understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance. In our previous study, we identified several genes linked to drought stress by transcriptome analysis, including SiMBR2 (Seita.7G226600), a member of the MED25 BINDING RING-H2 PROTEIN (MBR) gene family, which is related to protein ubiquitination. Here, we have identified ten SiMBR genes in foxtail millet and conducted analyses of their structural characteristics, chromosomal locations, cis-acting regulatory elements within their promoters, and predicted transcription patterns specific to various tissues or developmental stages using bioinformatic approaches. Further investigation of the stress response of SiMBR2 revealed that its transcription is induced by treatments with salicylic acid and gibberellic acid, as well as by salt and osmotic stresses, while exposure to high or low temperatures led to a decrease in its transcription levels. Heterologous expression of SiMBR2 in Arabidopsis thaliana enhanced the plant's tolerance to water deficit by reducing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species under drought stress. In summary, this study provides support for exploring the molecular mechanisms associated with drought resistance of SiMBR genes in foxtail millet and contributing to genetic improvement and molecular breeding in other crops.

Polymer-based cascaded waveguide Bragg grating for blood glucose sensing.

Waveguide Bragg grating (WBG) blood glucose sensing, as a biological sensing technology with broad application prospects, plays an important role in the fields of health management and medical treatment. In this work, a polymer-based cascaded WBG is applied to glucose detection. We investigated photonic devices with two different grating structures cascaded-a crossed grating and a bilateral grating-and analyzed the effects of the crossed grating period, bilateral grating period, and number of grating periods on the sensing performance of the glucose sensor. Finally, the spectral reflectance characteristics, response time, and sensing specificity of the cascaded WBG were evaluated. The experimental results showed that the glucose sensor has a sensitivity of 175 nm/RIU in a glucose concentration range of 0-2 mg/ml and has the advantages of high integration, a narrow bandwidth, and low cost.

Plant-based proteins: advances in their sources, digestive profiles in vitro and potential health benefits.

Plant-based proteins (PBPs), which are environmentally friendly and sustainable sources of nutrition, can address the emerging challenges facing the global food supply due to the rapidly increasing population. PBPs have received much attention in recent decades as a result of high nutritional values, good functional properties, and potential health effects. This review aims to summarize the nutritional, functional and digestive profiles of PBPs, the health effects of their hydrolysates, as well as processing methods to improve the digestibility of PBPs. The diversity of plant protein sources plays an important role in improving the PBPs quality. Several types of models such as in vitro (the static and semi-dynamic INFOGEST) and in silico models have been proposed and used in simulating the digestion of PBPs. Processing methods including germination, fermentation, thermal and non-thermal treatment can be applied to improve the digestibility of PBPs. PBPs and their hydrolysates show potential health effects including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and anti-cancer activities. Based on the literature, diverse PBPs are ideal protein sources, and exhibit favorable digestive properties and health benefits that could be further improved by different processing technologies. Future research should explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the bioactivity of PBPs and their hydrolysates.

Complete genome sequence of a novel totivirus isolated from the leaves of Myrica rubra.

Chinese bayberry is a fruit that is appreciated for its taste. A novel totivirus associated with rolling, disfiguring, chlorotic and vein-clearing symptoms on the leaf apices of Chinese bayberry was identified by transcriptome sequencing and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). The complete genome of the virus was determined to be 4959 nucleotides long, and it contains two open reading frames (ORFs). Its genomic organization is similar to that of previously reported totiviruses. ORF1 encodes a putative coat protein (CP) of 765 aa, and ORF2 encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of 815 aa. These two putative proteins share 55.1% and 62.6%, amino acid sequence identity, respectively, with the corresponding proteins of Panax notoginseng virus A, respectively. According to the demarcation criteria for totivirus species established by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), the new virus should be considered a member of a new species in the genus totivirus, family Orthototiviridae, which we have tentatively named ''Myrica rubra-associated totivirus'' (MRaTV).

Value of GPR, APPRI and FIB-4 in the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: There is an urgent need for novel biomarkers that are inexpensive, effective and easily accessible to complement the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between serum gamma-glutamate-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index, fibrosis index based on four factors and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, and to determine the optimal cut-offs for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Based on a prospective cohort study, 44 215 participants who were cancer-free at baseline (2011-13) were included in the study. Cox proportional hazard models and receiver operating characteristics curves were used to analyze the diagnostic value and optimal cut-off value of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma patients. RESULTS: Gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors can be used as early independent predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma risk. The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in the fourth quantile of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio and alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index was 4.04 times (hazard ratio = 4.04, 95% confidence interval: 2.09, 7.80) and 2.59 times (hazard ratio = 2.59, 95% confidence interval: 1.45, 4.61), respectively, compared with the first quantile. With fibrosis index based on four factors first quantile as a reference, fibrosis index based on four factors fourth quantile had the highest risk (hazard ratio = 18.58, 95% confidence interval: 7.55, 45.72). Receiver operating characteristic results showed that fibrosis index based on four factors had a stronger ability to predict the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (area under curve = 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.80, 0.81), and similar results were shown for gender stratification. In the total population, the optimal cut-off values of gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors were 0.208, 0.629 and 1.942, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio, alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index and fibrosis index based on four factors were independent predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma risk. Amongst them, fibrosis index based on four factors shows a stronger predictive ability for hepatocellular carcinoma risk, and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase to platelet ratio and alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet ratio index can be used as complementary indicators.

DRP1 knockdown and atorvastatin alleviate ox-LDL-induced vascular endothelial cells injury: DRP1 is a potential target for preventing atherosclerosis.

Vascular endothelial cells (VECs) injury is the first step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a significant role in VECs injury, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here, the human umbilical vein endothelial cells were exposed to 100 µg/mL oxidized low-density lipoprotein for 24 h to establish AS model in vitro. We reported that mitochondrial dynamics disorder is a prominent feature of VECs in AS models and associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, the knockdown of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) in AS model significantly alleviated the mitochondrial dynamics disorder and VECs injury. On the contrary, DRP1 overexpression significantly aggravated this injury. Interestingly, atorvastatin (ATV), a classical anti-atherosclerotic drug, prominently inhibited the expression of DRP1 in AS models and similarly alleviated the mitochondrial dynamics disorder and VECs injury in vitro and in vivo. At the same time, we found that ATV alleviated VECs damage but did not significantly reduce lipid concentration in vivo. Our findings provide a potential therapeutic target of AS and a new mechanism of the anti-atherosclerotic effect of ATV.

An underutilized bean: hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) sweet]: bioactive compounds, functional activity, and future food prospect and applications.

Hyacinth bean [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet], a plant belonging to the leguminous family and traditionally used for medicinal purposes in China, is a valuable resource with a wide range of health benefits. This review examines the bioactive compounds, health-promoting properties and functional food potential of hyacinth bean, highlighting its role in protecting against metabolic diseases and the underlying molecular mechanisms. According to existing research, hyacinth bean contains a diverse array of bioactive compounds, Consumption of hyacinth beans and hyacinth bean-related processed food products, as well as their use in medicines, is associated with a variety of health benefits that are increasingly favoured by the scientific community. In light of these findings, we posit that hyacinth bean holds great promise for further research and food application. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Screening of immune-related secretory proteins linking chronic kidney disease with calcific aortic valve disease based on comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and machine learning.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most significant cardiovascular risk factors, playing vital roles in various cardiovascular diseases such as calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). We aim to explore the CKD-associated genes potentially involving CAVD pathogenesis, and to discover candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis of CKD with CAVD. METHODS: Three CAVD, one CKD-PBMC and one CKD-Kidney datasets of expression profiles were obtained from the GEO database. Firstly, to detect CAVD key genes and CKD-associated secretory proteins, differentially expressed analysis and WGCNA were carried out. Protein-protein interaction (PPI), functional enrichment and cMAP analyses were employed to reveal CKD-related pathogenic genes and underlying mechanisms in CKD-related CAVD as well as the potential drugs for CAVD treatment. Then, machine learning algorithms including LASSO regression and random forest were adopted for screening candidate biomarkers and constructing diagnostic nomogram for predicting CKD-related CAVD. Moreover, ROC curve, calibration curve and decision curve analyses were applied to evaluate the diagnostic performance of nomogram. Finally, the CIBERSORT algorithm was used to explore immune cell infiltration in CAVD. RESULTS: The integrated CAVD dataset identified 124 CAVD key genes by intersecting differential expression and WGCNA analyses. Totally 983 CKD-associated secretory proteins were screened by differential expression analysis of CKD-PBMC/Kidney datasets. PPI analysis identified two key modules containing 76 nodes, regarded as CKD-related pathogenic genes in CAVD, which were mostly enriched in inflammatory and immune regulation by enrichment analysis. The cMAP analysis exposed metyrapone as a more potential drug for CAVD treatment. 17 genes were overlapped between CAVD key genes and CKD-associated secretory proteins, and two hub genes were chosen as candidate biomarkers for developing nomogram with ideal diagnostic performance through machine learning. Furthermore, SLPI/MMP9 expression patterns were confirmed in our external cohort and the nomogram could serve as novel diagnosis models for distinguishing CAVD. Finally, immune cell infiltration results uncovered immune dysregulation in CAVD, and SLPI/MMP9 were significantly associated with invasive immune cells. CONCLUSIONS: We revealed the inflammatory-immune pathways underlying CKD-related CAVD, and developed SLPI/MMP9-based CAVD diagnostic nomogram, which offered novel insights into future serum-based diagnosis and therapeutic intervention of CKD with CAVD.

Fatty acids metabolism affects the therapeutic effect of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 in tumor immune microenvironment in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly invasive and metastatic subtype of kidney malignancy and is correlated with metabolic reprogramming for adaptation to the tumor microenvironment comprising infiltrated immune cells and immunomodulatory molecules. The role of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and their association with abnormal fatty acids metabolism in ccRCC remains poorly understood. METHOD: RNA-seq and clinical data of KIRC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and E-MTAB-1980 from the ArrayExpress dataset. The Nivolumab group and Everolimus group of the CheckMate 025 study, the Atezolizumab arm of IMmotion150 and the Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab group of IMmotion151 cohort were obtained for subsequent analysis. After differential expression genes identification, the signature was constructed through univariate Cox proportional hazard regression and simultaneously the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) analysis and the predictive performance of our signature was assessed by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC), Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis, nomogram, drug sensitivity analysis, immunotherapeutic effect analysis and enrichment analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), qPCR and western blot were performed to measure related mRNA or protein expression. Biological features were evaluated by wound healing, cell migration and invasion assays and colony formation test and analyzed using coculture assay and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Twenty fatty acids metabolism-related mRNA signatures were constructed in TCGA and possessed a strong predictive performance demonstrated through time-dependent ROC and KM survival analysis. Notably, the high-risk group exhibited an impaired response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 (Programmed death-1 receptor/Programmed death-1 receptor-ligand) therapy compared to the low-risk group. The overall levels of the immune score were higher in the high-risk group. Additionally, drug sensitivity analysis observed that the model could effectively predict efficacy and sensitivity to chemotherapy. Enrichment analysis revealed that the IL6-JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway was a major pathway. IL4I1 could promote ccRCC cells' malignant features through JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway and M2-like macrophage polarization. CONCLUSION: The study elucidates that targeting fatty acids metabolism can affect the therapeutic effect of PD-1/PD-L1 in TME and related signal pathways. The model can effectively predict the response to several treatment options, underscoring its potential clinical utility.

Low half-wave voltage polymeric electro-optic modulator using CLD-1/PMMA for electrocardiogram (ECG) signal acquisition.

Electro-optic (EO) modulators are typically made of inorganic materials such as lithium niobate; the replacement of these modulators with organic EO materials is a promising alternative due to their lower half-wave voltage (Vπ), ease of handling, and relatively low cost. We propose the design and fabrication of a push-pull polymer electro-optic modulator with voltage-length parameters (VπL) of 1.28 V·cm. The device uses a Mach-Zehnder structure and is made of a second-order nonlinear optical host-guest polymer composed of a CLD-1 chromophore and PMMA polymer. The experimental results show that the loss is 1.7 dB, Vπ drops to 1.6 V, and the modulation depth is 0.637 dB at 1550 nm. The results of a preliminary study show that the device is capable of efficiently detecting electrocardiogram (ECG) signals with performance on par with that of commercial ECG devices.

Microring structure for flexible polymer waveguide-based optical pressure sensing.

Flexible pressure sensors provide a promising platform for artificial smart skins, and photonic devices provide a new technique to fabricate pressure sensors. Here, we present a flexible waveguide-based optical pressure sensor based on a microring structure. The waveguide-based optical pressure sensor is based on a five-cascade microring array structure with a size of 1500 µm × 500 µm and uses the change in output power to linearly characterize the change in pressure acting on the device. The results show that the device has a sensing range of 0-60 kPa with a sensitivity of 23.14 µW/kPa, as well as the ability to detect pulse signals, swallowing, hand gestures, etc. The waveguide-based pressure sensors offer the advantages of good output linearity, high integration density and easy-to-build arrays.

Fabrication and characterization of polymer optical waveguide Bragg grating for pulse signal sensing.

Polymer materials have the advantages of a low Young's modulus and low-cost preparation process. In this paper, a polymer-based optical waveguide pressure sensor based on a Bragg structure is proposed. The change in the Bragg wavelength in the output spectrum of the waveguide Bragg grating (WBG) is used to linearly characterize the change in pressure acting on the device. The polymer-based WBG was developed through a polymer film preparation process, and the experimental results show that the output signal of the device has a sensitivity of 1.275 nm/kPa with a measurement range of 0-12 kPa and an accuracy of 1 kPa. The experimental results indicate that the device already perfectly responds to a pulse signal. It has significant potential application value in medical diagnostics and health testing, such as blood pressure monitoring, sleep quality monitoring, and tactile sensing.

Fosaprepitant for postoperative nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery: a randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a major problem after surgery. Even with double prophylactic therapy including dexamethasone and a 5-hydroxytryptamine-3 receptor antagonist, the incidence is still high in many at-risk patients. Fosaprepitant, a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, is an effective antiemetic, but its efficacy and safety in combination antiemetic therapy for preventing PONV remain unclear. METHODS: In this randomised, controlled, double-blind trial, 1154 participants at high risk of PONV and undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery were randomly assigned to either a fosaprepitant group (n=577) receiving fosaprepitant 150 mg i.v. dissolved in 0.9% saline 150 ml, or a placebo group (n=577) receiving 0.9% saline 150 ml before anaesthesia induction. Dexamethasone 5 mg i.v. and palonosetron 0.075 i.v. mg were each administered in both groups. The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV (defined as nausea, retching, or vomiting) during the first 24 postoperative hours. RESULTS: The incidence of PONV during the first 24 postoperative hours was lower in the fosaprepitant group (32.4% vs 48.7%; adjusted risk difference -16.9% [95% confidence interval: -22.4 to -11.4%]; adjusted risk ratio 0.65 [95% CI: 0.57 to 0.76]; P<0.001). There were no differences in severe adverse events between groups, but the incidence of intraoperative hypotension was higher (38.0% vs 31.7%, P=0.026) and intraoperative hypertension (40.6% vs 49.2%, P=0.003) was lower in the fosaprepitant group. CONCLUSIONS: Fosaprepitant added to dexamethasone and palonosetron reduced the incidence of PONV in patients at high risk of PONV undergoing laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery. Notably, it increased the incidence of intraoperative hypotension. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04853147.

Thiocyanate-degrading microflora alleviates thiocyanate stress on tomato seedlings by improving plant and rhizosphere microenvironment.

Thiocyanate in irrigation water can adversely affect plant growth and development. A previously constructed microflora with effective thiocyanate-degrading ability was used to investigate the potential of bacterial degradation for thiocyanate bioremediation. The root and aboveground part dry weight of plants inoculated with the degrading microflora increased by 66.67% and 88.45%, respectively, compared to those plants without the microflora. The supplementation of thiocyanate-degrading microflora (TDM) significantly alleviated the interference of thiocyanate in mineral nutrition metabolism. Moreover, the supplementation of TDM significantly reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage and it protected plants from excessive thiocyanate, while the crucial antioxidant enzyme (peroxidase) decreased by 22.59%. Compared with the control without TDM supplementation, the soil sucrase content increased by 29.58%. The abundances of Methylophilus, Acinetobacter, unclassified Saccharimonadales, and Rhodanobacter changed from 19.92%, 6.63%, 0.79%, and 3.90%-13.19%, 0.27%, 3.06%, and 5.14%, respectively, with TDM supplementation. Caprolactam, 5,6-dimethyldecane, and pentadecanoic acid seem to have an effect on the structure of the microbial community in the rhizosphere soil. The above results indicated TDM supplementation can significantly reduce the toxic effects of thiocyanate on the tomato-soil microenvironment.

Structural Characterization and Immunobiological Activity of Polysaccharides from Astragalus Oyster Mushroom.

When added to mushroom growing substrates, edible and medicinal herbs affect the mushrooms' nutritional and medicinal value. In this study, polysaccharides (P0OP-I and P15OP-I) were extracted and purified from oyster mushrooms grown on substrates supplemented with 0% and 15% Astragalus roots (P0 and P15), respectively, and their chemical structure and immunobiological activities were compared. P15OP-I and P0OP-I were extracted using ultrasound-assisted hot water and deproteinized with the Sevage method, depigmented with 30% H2O2, desalted with dialysis, and purified using DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephadex G-100 dextran column chromatography. The molecular weight of P0OP-I and P15OP-I was 21,706.96 and 20,172.65 Da, respectively. Both were composed of monosaccharides D-mannose, galacturonic acid, D-glucose, D-galactose, and L-arabinose but in different molar ratios, and both were connected by a pyranoside linkage. P15OP-I consisted of higher contents of mannose, glucose, galactose and arabinose and lower content of galacturonic acid as compared to P0OP-I. Both P0OP-I and P15OP-I induced NO and TNF-α production but did not show cytotoxic effect or induce ROS generation in RAW264.7 cells. P15OP-I showed a stronger ability to promote NO and TNF-α production relative to P0OP-I. In vitro experiments showed that the immunomodulatory activity of P0OP-I and P15OP-I in RAW264.7 macrophages were mediated by the JNK/MAPK, Erk/MAPK, and NF-κB signaling pathways. The results would be helpful for elucidation of the health promoting mechanism of Astragalus oyster mushrooms as a source of neutraceuticals.

Triple-Wavelength Lasing with a Stabilized ß-LaBSiO5:Nd3+ Crystal.

Multi-wavelength lasers, especially the triple-wavelength laser around 1060 nm, could be produced by the 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 transition of Nd3+ and present numerous challenges and opportunities in the field of optoelectronics. The Nd3+-doped high-temperature phase of LaBSiO5 (ß-LBSO) is an ideal crystal to produce triple-wavelength lasers; however, the crystal growth is challenging because of the phase transition from ß-LBSO to low-temperature phase (α-LBSO) at 162 °C. This phase transition is successfully suppressed when the doping content of Nd3+ is larger than 6.3 at. %, and the Nd3+-doped ß-LBSO is stable at room temperature. The local disorder of BO4 tetrahedra due to Nd3+ doping is essential to the stabilization of ß-LBSO. For the first time, the ß-LBSO:8%Nd3+ crystal with a dimension of 1.8 × 1.8 × 1.8 cm3 is obtained through the top-seeded solution method. The crystal shows strong optical absorption in the range of 785-815 nm, matching well with the commercial laser diode pumping source. The optical emission of 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 splits into four peaks with the highest optical emission cross section of 2.14 × 10-20 cm2 at 1068 nm. The continuous-wave triple-wavelength generation of coherent light at 1047, 1071, and 1092 nm is achieved with the highest output power of 235 mW and efficiency of 12.1%.

Sublethal fluvalinate negatively affect the development and flight capacity of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) workers.

Fluvalinate has been heavily used to control the pest Varroa destructor and residues in honeybee colony causing long-term exposure threat for bees. But, little is known about the lifetime trips and homing ability of worker bees under fluvalinate stresses during the development period. In this study, honeybees from 2-day-old larvae to 7-day-old adults were continuously fed with different concentrations of fluvalinate (0, 0.5, 5 and 50 mg/kg) and the effects of fluvalinate on the development of larvae were examined. And then, all the treated bees were reintroduced into the original source colony and were monitored, and the homing ability of 20 days old bees at 1000 and 2000 m away from the beehive were tested using the radio frequency identification (RFID). We found that fluvalinate significantly activates the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of larvae and 5 mg/kg fluvalinate reduced the homing rate of workers at 2000 m away from colony. 50 mg/kg fluvalinate reduced proportion of capped worker cells, activated Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) activity of larvae, affected the foraging times, influenced the homing rate and homing time of one trip at 2000 m away from colony. Our results showed that the larvae can activate the activities of SOD and detoxification enzymes in detoxification of fluvalinate and reduce the influence on honeybees. But, when the concentration is higher than 5 mg/kg fluvalinate, it is difficult for bees to detoxify fluvalinate completely, which affect the homing rate. The results reflect the potential risk for honeybees in the development stage continuously exposed to fluvalinate.

First Report of Tobacco Mosaic Virus Infecting Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze in China.

Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze is a perennial erect herb that belongs to the genus Epimeredi, family Labiatae (Hsieh et al., 2008). This herb is distributed in several southern provinces such as Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou in China, and it is also exported to Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia (Li., 2010; Yao et al., 2019). Due to its market potential and broad development prospects, the herb has been cultivated in Yunnan. In August 2021, virus-like symptoms on leaves, including shrinking, mosaic, and yellow mottling(Fig S1. A) appeared on approximately 80% of A. indica in the experimental fields of the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, in Kunming, Yunnan. To unveil the possible viral agents associated with the disease symptoms, leaf samples were collected from 5 plants for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis using negative staining (Zhang et al., 2016). Rhabditiform-shaped particles around 300 × 18 nm (Fig S1. C) were observed, which resemble those of tobamoviruses. To identify the exact virus, total RNA was extracted from the 20 leaf samples using the RNA-easy Isolation Reagent (Vazyme, Nanjing, China), followed by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with a degenerate tobamovirus primer pair (Li et al., 2014). A 480-bp amplicon was obtained from each sample and cloned into the pMD18-T vector for Sanger sequencing (Takara, Dalian, China). BLASTn-analysis revealed that the 20 amplicons were identical and shared 100% nucleotide sequence identity with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) isolate Bei Cang Zhu from Atractylodes lancea (acc. no. KU198186) One sequence was deposited in the GenBank under the accession number OK489807. ELISA testing with TMV-specific antibody (Agdia, USA) produced positive results for all of the 20 leaf samples. In order to understand the difference between TMV isolates from A. indica and those form other host plants, the sequences of movement protein (MP, 807 bp) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, 3351 bp) of TMV were also obtained from one of the TMV infected samples using the target gene special primers (Tab. S1), and submitted to GenBank under the accession number OM3662406 (MP) and OM366242 (RdRp). BLASTn-analysis revealed that the amplicon of MP shared 97.75% nucleotide sequence identity with TMV isolate Henan 9-2-2017 from sweet potato (MN186255.1) and RdRp shared 97.43% nucleotide sequence identity with TMV isolate SXFQ from Solanum lycopersicum (JX993906.1). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolate of A. indica grouped with several TMV isolates (e.g., tomato, AF103779.1 and tobacco, HE818449.1) from Northern China. The virus was successfully transmitted onto healthy A.indica plants (n = 5) upon mechanical inoculation as the plants not only developed foliar distortion symptoms but also tested positive for TMV by RT-PCR with the CP-specific primers (Tab. S1). Taken together, our results demonstrated that the diseased A. indica plants were infected with TMV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TMV infected A. indica (L.) Kuntze in China. Symptomatic phenotype-based field surveys on some plantations in Yunnan Province indicated that the disease incidence ranged from 70% to 90%, resulting in significant loss of production of A. indica. It is necessary to monitor the viruses in the fields and find effective methods to protect TMV in the A. indica (L.) Kuntze industry.

Factors associated with prolonged postoperative length of hospital stay after laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The postoperative length of hospital stay (PLOS) is an important indicator of surgical quality. We identified perioperative factors that affect prolonged PLOS (PPLOS) after laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection, which is the preferred surgical approach for colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of a randomized trial (clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT03160144) that included 280 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection. The primary outcome was a PPLOS, defined as a PLOS that was longer than the median PLOS. Baseline, anesthetic, surgical, and postoperative management factors were included in the univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors influencing PPLOS. RESULTS: The median PLOS was 10 days, and 117 patients had a PPLOS. We identified six influencing factors for PPLOS: preoperative pulse oxygen saturation < 96% (odds ratio [OR], 3.09 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.38-6.92]; P = 0.006), distant tumor metastasis (OR, 0.34 [95% CI 0.13-0.91]; P = 0.031), the Miles procedure or left hemicolectomy (OR, 4.51 [95% CI 1.67-12.18]; P = 0.003), perioperative surgical events (OR, 2.44 [95% CI 1.25-4.76]; P = 0.009), postoperative albumin infusion (OR, 2.19 [95% CI 1.14-4.19]; P = 0.018), and postoperative early ambulation (OR, 0.35 [95% CI 0.18-0.68]; P = 0.002). Further stratified analysis showed that postoperative albumin infusion might be a risk factor for PPLOS, even in patients with a preoperative albumin level < 40 g/L (OR, 2.29 [95% CI 0.98-5.34]; P = 0.056) or duration of surgery ≥ 3 h (OR, 2.52 [95% CI 1.08-5.87]; P = 0.032). CONCLUSIONS: A low preoperative pulse oximetry reading, complex surgical procedures, perioperative surgical events, and postoperative albumin infusion may be risk factors for PPLOS after laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection, whereas distant tumor metastasis and postoperative early ambulation might be protective factors. The association between postoperative albumin infusion, a modifiable factor, and PLOS or clinical outcomes warrants further investigation.