Feasibility study of lncRNA DHRS4-AS1 sponge miR-222-3p in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid cancer is a commonly occurring malignant tumour within the endocrine system, the incidence of which has been increasing steadily in our country. It has been the focus and direction of research in recent decades to continuously explore the diagnostic markers and molecular mechanisms of thyroid cancer and provide new possibilities for the healing of patients. In this study, lncRNA DHRS4-AS1 was identified as the research target, and the regulatory function of abnormal expression of DHRS4-AS1 on thyroid cancer was discussed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thyroid cancer (116) and non-cancer normal (82) tissue samples were collected in this paper, and the expression of DHRS4-AS1 and miR-222-3p in tissues and cells were evaluated by RT-qPCR. CCK-8 and flow cytometry were used to detect cell survival status. The mechanism of DHRS4-AS1 sponge miR-222-3p was analysed by dual-luciferase reporter gene detection. RESULTS: In the present study, DHRS4-AS1 was down-regulated in both thyroid tissue and cell samples, while miR-222-3p expression was elevated. The ROC curve reflected the diagnostic value of DHRS4-AS1 in thyroid cancer [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.887, sensitivity = 76.7%, specificity = 95.1%]. DHRS4-AS1 regulates the development of thyroid cancer by targeting miR-222-3p. In addition, in vitro experiments demonstrated that overexpression of DHRS4-AS1 (pcDNA3.1-DHRS4-AS1) inhibited the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells and promoted cell apoptosis, while down-regulating the level of miR-222-3p. CONCLUSIONS: DHRS4-AS1 acts as a miR-222-3p sponge in thyroid cancer, and overexpression of DHRS4 AS1 down-regulates cell proliferation and promotes cell apoptosis. These findings demonstrate the potential of DHRS4-AS1 as a diagnostic factor for thyroid cancer.

Effect of expressway exit deceleration markings on distracted drivers in China.

Expressway exit areas experience traffic diversion and complex road conditions, making them accident-prone areas. In this study, transverse and fishbone visual illusion deceleration markings were selected to optimize the induction facilities at expressway exits. The research aims to investigate the impact of these markings on the driving behavior, cognitive load, and physiological characteristics of drivers in various distracted scenarios at expressway exit areas. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation of each experimental scheme is conducted using the Matter-Element Extension Model. The study found that the implementation of deceleration markings can effectively enhance driver alertness and lane change awareness, enabling drivers to reduce their speed to near the speed limit in exit areas without compromising driving comfort. Compared to the situation without markings, drivers begin to decelerate approximately 600 m earlier and exit the ramp when markings are present. Fishbone deceleration markings, in contrast to transverse markings, result in lower vehicle speeds, smoother deceleration, and more effectively stimulate drivers' intention to change lanes, guiding them to make the final lane change earlier. Based on the comprehensive evaluation results, it is recommended that transverse or fishbone deceleration markings be considered in engineering practice. These markings have not produced significant effects on driver visual fatigue and driving load, with fishbone markings demonstrating superior comprehensive evaluation outcomes. These research findings can provide valuable insights for future expressway exit area marking design schemes, further enhancing driver safety.

Advanced Synthesis of Hierarchically Porous Zeolite Catalysts Utilizing Biomass Templates for the Catalytic Pyrolysis of Stearic Acid into Short-Chain Olefins.

In this study, hierarchically porous ZSM-5 catalysts were fabricated by one-pot assembling ZSM-5 particles onto diverse biomass templates (e.g., rice husk, tea seed husk, tung shell, and coconut shell), wherein the biomass template was transformed into bio-SiO2 or biochar depending on the calcination conditions. The biotemplated ZSM-5 variants, including ZSM-5(RH), ZSM-5(TSH), ZSM-5(TS), and ZSM-5(CS), exhibited significantly improved deoxygenation performance, achieving ∼100.0% deoxygenation efficiency as compared to the untemplated ZSM-5 catalyst (85.3%). Among them, the ZSM-5(TSH) catalyst exhibited the best performance, accompanied by 100% conversion, 99.6% deoxygenation rate, and 82.3% olefin selectivity. Interestingly, the product distribution over biotemplated ZSM-5 was dominant C4=-C8= (selectivity of ∼100% in total olefins), while long-chain olefins (C9=-C17=) was the major product (selectivity of 57.3%) over the untemplated ZSM-5. Moreover, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that biotemplated ZSM-5 exhibited superior diffusion coefficients of stearic acid (reaction substrate) and anthracene (coke precursor) compared to the untemplated ZSM-5, indicating higher self-diffusion rates and consequently superior activity and stability in the catalytic pyrolysis reactions. Furthermore, in situ DRIFTS results showed stearic acid over ZSM-5(TSH) primarily was converted to the C17H36 intermediate mainly via the decarboxylation route, followed by dehydrogenation pyrolysis and C-C breaking reactions into C4=-C8= products. Overall, this work developed an effective strategy for manufacturing hierarchically porous zeolite catalysts using biomass-derived bio-SiO2 or biochar as the platform.

Genetic associations between ULK3 and epilepsy: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background and objectives: Observational studies have suggested that a multitude of pathological processes and biomolecules are involved in the initiation and development of epilepsy, and ULK3 is linked to the nervous system. However, it remains uncertain whether this association between ULK3 and epilepsy is causal and the direction of any causal relationship. This study employs a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to investigate the relationship between ULK3 and the risk of epilepsy. Methods: We analyzed genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics for ULK3 (sample size = 3,301), focal epilepsy (sample size = 39,348), and generalized epilepsy (sample size = 33,446). Bidirectional MR analyses were conducted to explore these relationships. We selected a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with an association threshold of less than 1 × 10-5 as instrumental variables for further analysis. Various MR methods, including Inverse Variance Weighted, Weighted Median, MR-Egger Regression, Simple Model, Weighted Model, and Robust Adjustment Profile Score were used. Sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the robustness of the results. Results: Our MR analyses revealed a causal relationship where an increased level of ULK3 was associated with a decreased risk of focal epilepsy (odds ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval: 0.86-1.00, p = 0.041). No significant heterogeneity (Q = 7.85, p = 0.165) or horizontal pleiotropy (Egger regression intercept = 0.0191, p = 0.415) was detected. However, in the reverse analysis, we found no significant causal effect of focal epilepsy on ULK3 (p > 0.05). Furthermore, no significant causation was identified between ULK3 and generalized epilepsy (p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests a causal relationship between ULK3 and the risk of focal epilepsy from a genetic perspective. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to understand the role of ULK3 in epilepsy fully.

Mechanisms of how exogenous CO2 affects methane production in an optimized high-solid anaerobic digester treating co-substrates of sewage sludge and food waste.

The CO2 addition could promote anaerobic digestion, but the exploration on bioconversion mechanisms of exogenous CO2 in high-solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD) system is still insufficient. This study investigated the performance of a CO2-added HSAD treating co-substrates of sewage sludge and food waste (FW). The maximum methane yield of 623.4 mL CH4/g-VSremoved was obtained with FW proportion of 75 %, organic loading of 3.7 g-VS/L/d and intermittent stirring. The CO2 addition could improve the methane yield by 11.8 % under the optimized conditions. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the most energetically favorable reaction for CH4 production was acetoclastic methanogenesis (AM), and the main bioconversion pathway of exogenous CO2 was homoacetogenesis (HA). Significantly higher methanogenic activity was achieved with CO2 addition during acetate decomposition testing, suggesting enhanced AM pathway. The AM methanogens Methanosaeta were also enriched. Therefore, the main mechanism of the enhanced methane production by CO2 addition was the facilitation of coupled HA-AM pathway.

Comprehensive analysis of MAPK genes in the prognosis, immune characteristics, and drug treatment of renal clear cell carcinoma using bioinformatic analysis and Mendelian randomization.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling is vitally important in tumour development and progression. This study is the first to comprehensively analyse the role of MAPK-family genes in the progression, prognosis, immune-cell infiltration, methylation, and potential therapeutic value drug candidates in ccRCC. We identified a novel prognostic panel of six MAPK-signature genes (MAP3K12, MAP3K1, MAP3K5, MAPK1, MAPK8, MAPK9), and introduced a robust MAPK-signature risk model for predicting ccRCC prognosis. Model construction, evaluation, and external validation using datasets from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database demonstrated its stability, as well as high sensitivity and specificity. Enrichment analysis suggested the participation of immune-mediated mechanism in MAPK dysregulation in ccRCC. Immune-infiltration analysis confirmed the relationship and revealed that the MAPK-signature risk model might stratify immunotherapy response in ccRCC, which was verified in drug sensitivity analysis and validated in external ccRCC immunotherapy dataset (GSE67501). Potential therapeutic drug predictions for key MAPKs using DSigDB, Network Analyst, CTD, and DGIdb were subsequently verified by molecular docking with AutoDock Vina and PyMol. Mendelian randomization further demonstrated the possibilities of the MAPK-signature genes as targets for therapeutic drugs in ccRCC. Methylation analysis using UALCAN and MethSurv revealed the participation of epigenetic modifications in dysregulation and survival difference of MAPK pathway in ccRCC. Among the key MAPKs, MAP3K12 exhibited the highest significance, indicating its independent prognostic value as single gene in ccRCC. Knockout and overexpression validation experiments in vitro and in vivo found that MAP3K12 acted as a promoter of tumour progression in RCC, suggesting a pivotal role for MAP3K12 in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of RCC cells. Our findings proposed the potential of MAPK-signature genes as biomarkers for prognosis and therapy response, as well as targets for therapeutic drugs in ccRCC.

Characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genome of Carpesium lipskyi (Asteraceae, Inuleae).

The species of Carpesium lipskyi C.Winkl. 1998 is an important traditional Chinese medicine in China. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of C. lipskyi was determined and analyzed. The result showed that the complete cp genome of C. lipskyi was 151,244 bp in length, consisting of a large single-copy (LSC) region of 82,908 bp, a small single-copy (SSC) region of 18,430 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,953 bp. The overall GC content of the C. lipskyi is 37.68%. The species of C. lipskyi possessed 127 genes, including 83 protein-coding genes, 36 transfer RNA genes, and eight ribosomal RNA genes. The present study found that Inula is sister groups with the closest genetic relationship. The obtained knowledge could provide useful information for future phylogenetic, taxonomic, and evolutionary studies on Inuleae.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the SAUR Gene Family and Its Expression Profiles in Response to Salt Stress in Santalum album.

The SAUR (small auxin-up RNA) family constitutes a category of genes that promptly respond to the hormone auxin and play a pivotal role in diverse biological processes encompassing plant growth and the response to abiotic stress. Santalum album L., a semi-parasitic evergreen tree, is renowned for its economically valuable essential oils, positioning it among the most prized tree species. In this study, a meticulous identification and comprehensive analysis of 43 SAUR genes was conducted within S. album. Based on phylogenetic relationships, the SaSAUR genes were systematically categorized into five groups. A collinearity analysis revealed intriguing insights, disclosing 14 segmental duplications and 9 tandem duplications within the SaSAUR genes, emphasizing the pivotal role of duplication in the expansion of this gene family. Noteworthy variations in the expression levels of SaSAUR genes were observed by delving into the SaSAUR transcriptome data from various tissues, including leaves, roots, and heartwood, as well as under salt-stress conditions. Notably, SaSAUR08 and SaSAUR13 were significantly upregulated in heartwood compared with roots and leaves, while SaSAUR18 was markedly more expressed in roots compared with heartwood and leaves. Furthermore, SaSAUR27 and SaSAUR28 were found to respond closely to salt stress, hinting at their potential involvement in the salt-stress response mechanism. This research offers a comprehensive investigation of SAUR genes in S. album and establishes a foundation for future exploration of the SAUR gene family, particularly its relation to growth and salt-stress responses.

Insights into comparative genomics, structural features, and phylogenetic relationship of species from Eurasian Aster and its related genera (Asteraceae: Astereae) based on complete chloroplast genome.

Aster L. is an economically and phylogenetically important genus in the tribe Astereae. Here, the complete plastomes of the eight Aster species were assembled and characterized using next-generation sequencing datasets. The results indicated the complete plastomes of Aster had a quadripartite structure. These genomes were 152,045-152,729 bp in length and contained 132-133 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37-38 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Expansion or contraction of inverted repeat regions and forward, palindromic, complement, and reverse repeats were detected in the eight Aster species. Additionally, our analyses showed the richest type of simple sequence repeats was A/T mononucleotides, and 14 highly variable regions were discovered by analyzing the border regions, sequence divergence, and hotspots. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that 27 species in Astereae were clustered into six clades, i.e., A to D, North American, and outgroup clades, and supported that the genera Heteropappus, Kalimeris, and Heteroplexis are nested within Aster. The results indicated the clades B to D might be considered as genera. Divergence time estimate showed the clades A, B, C, and D diverged at 23.15 Mya, 15.13 Mya, 24.29 Mya, and 21.66 Mya, respectively. These results shed light on the phylogenetic relationships of Aster and provided new information on species identification of Aster and its related genera.

Data mining algorithm in the identification of accounting fraud by smart city information technology.

The identification of accounting fraud is an important measure to safeguard the interests of stakeholders and ensure the long-term development of the company. The current traditional methods for identifying accounting fraud rely on manual review and judgment, lacking objectivity and accuracy. In order to improve the accuracy of accounting fraud identification, improve identification efficiency and objectivity, this article combines smart city information technology to conduct in-depth research on data mining algorithms for accounting fraud identification. This article first provides a brief overview of smart cities and information technology, then introduces the basic theory of accounting fraud identification, and finally implements accounting fraud identification through k-means clustering mining algorithm. The data is divided into k clusters, and abnormal clusters are identified by checking the characteristics and attributes of each cluster. Compared with traditional rule-based and pattern based methods, this approach can more flexibly adapt to different types and forms of fraud, and can discover unknown patterns of fraud. In the experiment, this article used electronic data collection, analysis, and retrieval systems on the websites of the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange to collect 641 annual reports and financial characteristics from 62 listed companies that engaged in financial statement fraud and 84 companies that were not reported to have financial statement fraud from 2012 to 2021 as test samples. The results were tested and analyzed from several aspects, including the number of misjudgments, misjudgment rate, and ROC curve. The final test results show that compared to traditional accounting fraud identification methods, the comprehensive misjudgment rate of data mining algorithms based on smart cities has decreased by 3 %. The conclusion indicates that data mining algorithms used in smart city information technology to identify accounting fraud can help improve the accuracy of accounting fraud, improve audit objectivity and effectiveness.

Transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into muscle cells to constitute cultured meat with tunable intramuscular fat deposition.

Current studies on cultured meat mainly focus on the muscle tissue reconstruction in vitro, but lack the formation of intramuscular fat, which is a crucial factor in determining taste, texture, and nutritional contents. Therefore, incorporating fat into cultured meat is of superior value. In this study, we employed the myogenic/lipogenic transdifferentiation of chicken fibroblasts in 3D to produce muscle mass and deposit fat into the same cells without the co-culture or mixture of different cells or fat substances. The immortalized chicken embryonic fibroblasts were implanted into the hydrogel scaffold, and the cell proliferation and myogenic transdifferentiation were conducted in 3D to produce the whole-cut meat mimics. Compared to 2D, cells grown in 3D matrix showed elevated myogenesis and collagen production. We further induced fat deposition in the transdifferentiated muscle cells and the triglyceride content could be manipulated to match and exceed the levels of chicken meat. The gene expression analysis indicated that both lineage-specific and multifunctional signalings could contribute to the generation of muscle/fat matrix. Overall, we were able to precisely modulate muscle, fat, and extracellular matrix contents according to balanced or specialized meat preferences. These findings provide new avenues for customized cultured meat production with desired intramuscular fat contents that can be tailored to meet the diverse demands of consumers.

Buffering or boosting? The dynamic curvilinear relationship between work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours and wok procrastination.

Work-related use of information and communication technologies after-hours (W_ICTs) blurs the boundaries between work and non-work domains, representing a typical boundary-crossing behavior that affects employees' lives and organizational development. Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources theory, this study develops a dynamic curvilinear model of the impact of W_ICTs on work procrastination, considering intrinsic motivation (self-efficacy and enjoyment) and regulatory focus (prevention focus). Empirical testing of the research hypotheses is conducted through a survey involving 817 employees with standard working hours (e.g. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). The results indicate that W_ICTs can be regarded as both inhibitors and promoters, with a U-shaped impact on work procrastination and an inverted U-shaped effect on self-efficacy and enjoyment. The mediating roles of self-efficacy and enjoyment are significant. Moreover, prevention focus moderates the relationship between W_ICTs and enjoyment, whereas the moderating effect between W_ICTs and self-efficacy is insignificant. This dynamic curvilinear relationship may explain the inconsistent results of prior studies regarding the relationship between W_ICTs and employees' negative behaviors. It contributes to expanding research on the outcomes of W_ICTs and the antecedents of work procrastination. Moreover, the proposed influence mechanism between W_ICTs and work procrastination has not been established from the perspective of intrinsic motivation and prevention focus. Hence, this study responds to scholars' calls and adds to the existing research on how W_ICTs affect work procrastination. These research findings enhance the current understanding of the effects of W_ICTs and offer valuable insights for organizations to effectively manage W_ICTs and address work procrastination behavior in practice.

Risk factors of transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism after thyroidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT) is a common complication following thyroid surgery. However, current research findings on the risk factors for post-thyroid surgery hypoPT are not entirely consistent, and the same risk factors may have different impacts on transient and permanent hypoPT. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive study to summarize and explore the risk factors for both transient and permanent hypoPT after thyroid surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two databases (PubMed and Embase) were searched from inception to 2024. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to rate study quality. Pooled odds ratios were used to calculate the relationship of each risk factor with transient and permanent hypoPT. Subgroup analyses were conducted for hypoPT with different definition-time (6 or 12 months). Publication bias was assessed using Begg's test and Egger's test. RESULTS: A total of 19 risk factors from the 93 studies were included in the analysis. Among them, sex and parathyroid autotransplantation were the most frequently reported risk factors. Meta-analysis demonstrated that sex (female vs. male), cN stage, central neck dissection, lateral neck dissection, extent of central neck dissection (bilateral vs. unilateral), surgery [total thyroidectomy (TT) vs. lobectomy], surgery type (TT vs. sub-TT), incidental parathyroidectomy, and pathology (cancer vs. benign) were significantly associated with transient and permanent hypoPT. Preoperative calcium and parathyroid autotransplantation were only identified as risk factors for transient hypoPT, while preoperative PTH was a protective factor. Additionally, node metastasis and parathyroid in specimen were associated with permanent hypoPT. CONCLUSION: The highest risk of hypoPT occurs in female thyroid cancer patients with lymph node metastasis undergoing TT combined with neck dissection. The key to preventing postoperative hypoPT lies in the selection of surgical approach and intraoperative protection.

A new species, Aster yaoshanensis (Asteracae, Astereae), from Guangxi (China), based on morphology and molecular phylogenetic data.

Aster yaoshanensis sp. nov., a new species of the family Asteraceae is here described and illustrated. The species is presently known only from rock crevices of mountain valleys in Dayaoshan National Nature Reserve, Guangxi autonomous region, China. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS sequences and complete plastome data have shown that this new species is a member of genus Aster with high support. Morphologically, it mostly resembles A. jishouensis, but it can be easily distinguished from the latter by bract indumentum (glabrous except margin ciliate vs. villous especially on veins abaxially, glabrous adaxially) and color (green vs. purple), shorter corolla (3.2-3.5 mm vs. 4.5-5.3 mm), bract stalk (obvious, ca.1.2 mm vs. sessile), and different distribution (Guangxi vs. Hunan). The detailed description, distribution map, and photos are provided. This study further elucidates the species identification, phylogeny and characteristic evolution of Aster.

A new species of Paraputo Laing (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) on Fagaceae from southern China.

A new species of mealybug (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), Paraputo nanlingensis Li & Wu, sp. n., is recorded on Fagaceae from Guangdong Province, China. The adult female is described and illustrated, and an identification key is provided to separate the adult females of Paraputo species known from China.

A review of the genus Neogreenia MacGillivray (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Qinococcidae) with descriptions of two new species.

The species of Neogreenia MacGillivray (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Qinococcidae) are reviewed. The genus is distributed in the Oriental and Palaearctic Regions and now contains seven species. The present study provides updated generic descriptions of all the developmental stages and a brief account of the biology and life cycle of Neogreenia. The genotype, Neogreenia zeylanica (Green, 1896), is redescribed. The following are described and illustrated for the first time: the second-instar nymph, third-instar female, and male third-instar nymph and pupa of N. zizyphi Tang; the second-instar nymph of N. lonicera Wu & Nan; and the second-instar nymph of N. sophorica Wu. Two new species are described and illustrated: Neogreenia ficus Zheng & Wu, sp. n. based on the adult female and Neogreenia tangi Zheng & Wu, sp. n. based on all female instars. These new species bring the total number of described species of Neogreenia to seven. An identification key to all the developmental stages of Neogreenia, and identification keys to species based on adult females and available nymphal instars are provided.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio on admission predicts early perihematomal edema growth after intracerebral hemorrhage.

Poor functional outcome is associated with perihematomal edema (PHE) expansion after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The inflammatory response is crucial for the onset and progression of PHE. This study aimed to determine the connection between admission neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and early PHE development. We retrospectively analyzed patients with ICH admitted to the Chaohu Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2021 to December 2022. The primary outcome measure was absolute PHE, defined as the volume of the follow-up PHE minus admission PHE. A semiautomated measurement tool (3D Slicer) was used to calculate the volumes of cerebral hematoma and cerebral edema. Spearman's correlation analysis determined the relationship between NLR and absolute PHE. The multiple linear regression model was constructed to analyze the predictive relation of admission NLR on early PHE expansion. A total of 117 patients were included. The median hematoma and PHE volumes on admission were 9.38 mL (interquartile range [IQR], 4.53-19.54) and 3.54 mL (IQR, 1.33-7.1), respectively. The median absolute PHE was 2.26 mL (IQR, 1.25-4.23), and the median NLR was 3.10 (IQR, 2.26-3.86). Spearman's correlation test showed a positive correlation between admission NLR and absolute PHE (r = .548, P < .001). Multiple linear regression analyses suggested that for every 1-unit increase in admission NLR (B = .176, SE = .043, Beta = .275, P < .001), there was a 0.176 mL increase in absolute PHE. Admission neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) significantly and positively predicted early perihematomal edema (PHE) expansion.

Micromonas, a small pigmented flagellate, predominates the nanoflagellate and photosynthetic picoeukaryote communities in the northern South China Sea.

A small pigmented flagellate, Micromonas, is prevalently distributed in coastal and pelagic waters. However, there have been few studies conducted to quantify their abundance in the marginal seas of the Northwest Pacific Ocean. In this study, we used fluorescent in situ hybridization with tyramide signal amplification (TSA-FISH) to reveal the spatial distribution of Micromonas in the northern South China Sea (SCS). On average, the abundance of Micromonas was 317 cells mL-1, with the average proportions in the nanoflagellates (NF) and photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPE) communities being 10.94% and 15.39%, respectively. This indicates a wide distribution and dominance of this genus in the studied area. The relationships between Micromonas abundance and various environmental factors suggested that biotic correlations play more important roles than physicochemical filtering on Micromonas assemblage. This may indicate a broad environmental adaptation spectrum of this genus through its flexibility in terms of resource acquisition strategies. In summary, this study provides insight into the spatial distribution pattern of Micromonas and highlights its crucial contribution to the composition of NFs and PPE communities, which rely on biological interaction to respond to the changing environmental conditions in the northern SCS.

A chromosome-level genome assembly of the forestry pest Coronaproctus castanopsis.

As an important forestry pest, Coronaproctus castanopsis (Monophlebidae) has caused serious damage to the globally valuable Gutianshan ecosystem, China. In this study, we assembled the first chromosome-level genome of the female specimen of C. castanopsis by merging BGI reads, HiFi long reads and Hi-C data. The assembled genome size is 700.81 Mb, with a scaffold N50 size of 273.84 Mb and a contig N50 size of 12.37 Mb. Hi-C scaffolding assigned 98.32% (689.03 Mb) of C. Castanopsis genome to three chromosomes. The BUSCO analysis (n = 1,367) showed a completeness of 91.2%, comprising 89.2% of single-copy BUSCOs and 2.0% of multicopy BUSCOs. The mapping ratio of BGI, second-generation RNA, third-generation RNA and HiFi reads are 97.84%, 96.15%, 97.96%, and 99.33%, respectively. We also identified 64.97% (455.3 Mb) repetitive elements, 1,373 non-coding RNAs and 10,542 protein-coding genes. This study assembled a high-quality genome of C. castanopsis, which accumulated valuable molecular data for scale insects.

Astaxanthin Inhibits H2O2-Induced Excessive Mitophagy and Apoptosis in SH-SY5Y Cells by Regulation of Akt/mTOR Activation.

Oxidative stress, which damages cellular components and causes mitochondrial dysfunction, occurs in a variety of human diseases, including neurological disorders. The clearance of damaged mitochondria via mitophagy maintains the normal function of mitochondria and facilitates cell survival. Astaxanthin is an antioxidant known to have neuroprotective effects, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study demonstrated that astaxanthin inhibited H2O2-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells by ameliorating mitochondrial damage and enhancing cell survival. H2O2 treatment significantly reduced the levels of activated Akt and mTOR and induced mitophagy, while pretreatment with astaxanthin prevented H2O2-induced inhibition of Akt and mTOR and attenuated H2O2-induced mitophagy. Moreover, the inhibition of Akt attenuated the protective effect of astaxanthin against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. Taken together, astaxanthin might inhibit H2O2-induced apoptosis by protecting mitochondrial function and reducing mitophagy. The results also indicate that the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was critical for the protection of astaxanthin against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity. The results from the present study suggest that astaxanthin can reduce neuronal oxidative injury and may have the potential to be used for preventing neurotoxicity associated with neurodegenerative diseases.