Integrative taxonomy, phylogenetics and historical biogeography of subgenus Aeschyntelus Stål, 1872 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhopalidae).

The subgenus Aeschyntelus includes six species that show variations in body color and shape, thus making it difficult to identify them based on morphological identification alone. To date, no genetic study has evaluated species within this genus. Herein, we collected 171 individuals from 90 localities of Rhopalus and employed an integrative taxonomic approach that incorporated morphological data, mitochondrial genomic data (COI, whole mitochondrial data) and nuclear genomic data (18S + 28S rRNAs, nuclear genome-wide SNPs) to delineate species boundaries. Our analyses confirmed the status of nine described species of Rhopalus and proposed the recognition of one new species known as Rhopalus qinlinganus sp. nov., which is classified within the subgenus Aeschyntelus. Discrepancies arising from nuclear and mitochondrial data suggest the presence of mito-nuclear discordance. Specifically, mitochondrial data indicated admixture within Clade A, comprising R. kerzhneri and R. latus, whereas genome-wide SNPs unambiguously identified two separate species, aligning with morphological classification. Conversely, mitochondrial data clearly distinguished Clade B- consisting of R. sapporensis into two lineages, whereas genome-wide SNPs unequivocally identified a single species. Our study also provides insights into the evolutionary history of Aeschyntelus, thus indicating that it likely originated in East Asia during the middle Miocene. The development of Aeschyntelus biodiversity in the southwestern mountains of China occurred via an uplift-driven diversification process. Our findings highlight the necessity of integrating both morphological and multiple molecular datasets for precise species identification, particularly when delineating closely related species. Additionally, it reveals the important role of mountain orogenesis on speciation within the southwestern mountains of China.

Self-management in patients with adult spinal deformity: a best practice implementation project.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of adult spinal deformity (ASD) has increased in recent years. Patients often have to live for a prolonged period from the onset of the condition, up until the need for surgical treatment. Self-management plays a crucial role in disease progression and prognosis. OBJECTIVES: This project aimed to promote evidence-based practices for the self-management of patients with ASD. METHODS: This project was guided by the JBI Evidence Implementation Framework project and was conducted in the orthopedic department of a tertiary care hospital in China. A baseline audit was conducted to evaluate current practice against best practice recommendations. Barriers were identified and, after the implementation of improvement strategies, a follow-up audit was conducted to assess project effectiveness. RESULTS: A comparison between the baseline and follow-up audits revealed a significant increase in nurses' compliance with best practices (rising from 0%-64% to 97.7%-100%) in the following areas: improved health promotion behaviors by nurses in self-management of ASD patients; acquisition and application of communication skills with patients; increased availability of educational materials in the ward; and establishment of conservative treatment follow-up instructions for patients. For patients, the Visual Analog Scale of pain decreased from (2.72 ± 1.67) to (1.90 ± 1.14), the Oswestry Disability Index decreased from (49.96 ± 16.49) to (39.83 ± 18.97), self-management behaviors improved from (10.84 ± 4.31) to (19.52 ± 6.31), and maximum isometric muscle strength in the standing position increased from (179.48 ± 91.18)N to (250.03 ± 91.50)N, all with statistically significant improvements ( p <0.05). For nurses, the knowledge questionnaire score improved from (34.83 ± 24.16) to (82.00 ± 11.11) ( p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This project helped ASD patients improve self-management, alleviated their clinical symptoms, and improved nurses' knowledge of best practices. Future audits will be conducted to review long-term project outcomes. SPANISH ABSTRACT: http://links.lww.com/IJEBH/A193.

Limits of mitochondrial genes in delimiting species within a Carbula species complex (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Molecular data has become a powerful tool for species delimitation, particularly among those that present limited morphological differences; while the mitochondrial genome, with its moderate length, low cost of sequencing and fast lineage sorting, has emerged as a practical data set. Due to the limited morphological differences among the closely related species of Carbula Stål 1865, the species boundaries between Carbula abbreviata (Motschulsky, 1866), Carbula humerigera (Uhler, 1860), and Carbula putoni (Jakovlev, 1876) have remained particularly unclear. In this study, we applied two phylogenetic reconstruction methods to two data sets (mitogenome and COI) to assess the phylogeny of Carbula distributed in Asia, and five species delimitation methods to determine the boundaries between East Asian Carbula species. Our phylogenetic analyses showed Carbula to be paraphyletic; the seven known species distributed within East Asia to form a single monophyletic group, and within this, C. abbreviata, C. humerigera, C. putoni and middle-type to comprise a C. humerigera species complex. Our results show that mitogenome data alone, while effective in the differentiation of more distantly related Carbula species, is not sufficient to accurately delimit the species within this newly described complex.

The mechanism of Shenbing Decoction II against IgA nephropathy renal fibrosis revealed by UPLC-MS/MS, network pharmacology and experimental verification.

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a major and growing public health problem. Renal fibrosis plays a vital role in the progression of IgAN. This study is to investigate the mechanisms of action underlying the therapeutic effects of Shenbing Decoction II (SBDII) in IgAN renal fibrosis treatment based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), network pharmacology and experimental verification. Method: We first used UPLC-MS/MS to explore the main compounds of SBDII, and then used network pharmacology to predict the targets and key pathways of SBDII in the treatment of IgAN renal fibrosis. Next, bovine serum albumin (BSA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) were used to induce IgAN in rats, and then biochemical indicators, renal tissue pathology, and renal fibrosis-related indicators were examined. At the same time, part of the results predicted by network pharmacology were also verified. Result: A total of 105 compounds were identified in SBDII by UPLC-MS/MS. Network pharmacology results showed that the active compounds such as acacetin, eupatilin, and galangin may mediate the therapeutic effects of SBDII in treating IgAN by targeting tumor protein p53 (TP53) and regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt kinase (Akt) signaling pathway. Animal experiments showed that SBDII not only significantly improved renal function and fibrosis in IgAN rats, but also significantly downregulated the expressions of p53, p-PI3K and p-Akt. Conclusion: This UPLC-MS/MS, network pharmacological and experimental study highlights that the TP53 as a target, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway are the potential mechanism by which SBDII is involved in IgAN renal fibrosis treatment. Acacetin, eupatilin, and galangin are probable active compounds in SBDII, these results might provide valuable guidance for further studies of IgAN renal fibrosis treatment.

Taxonomic review of Manocoreini with description of a new species from China (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Coreidae).

In the present paper, all seven species of Manocoreini are reviewed, and a new species Manocoreushsiaoisp. nov. is described from Guangxi, China. Photographs of habitus of all species, and detailed structures of the new species and type species of Manocoreus Hsiao, 1964 are provided. All species of Manocoreini of the world are keyed. A distribution map of all species is also provided.

Monitoring insect biodiversity and comparison of sampling strategies using metabarcoding: A case study in the Yanshan Mountains, China.

Insects are the richest and most diverse group of animals and yet there remains a lack, not only of systematic research into their distribution across some key regions of the planet, but of standardized sampling strategies for their study. The Yanshan Mountains, being the boundary range between the Inner Mongolian Plateau and the North China Plain, present an indispensable piece of the insect biodiversity puzzle: both requiring systematic study and offering opportunities for the development of standardized methodologies. This is the first use of DNA metabarcoding to survey the insect biodiversity of the Yanshan Mountains. The study focuses on differences of community composition among samples collected via different methods and from different habitat types. In total, 74 bulk samples were collected from five habitat types (scrubland, woodland, wetland, farmland and grassland) using three collection methods (sweep netting, Malaise traps and light traps). After DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing and diversity analysis were performed, a total of 7427 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) at ≥97% sequence similarity level were delimited, of which 7083 OTUs were identified as belonging to Insecta. Orthoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Hemiptera were found to be the dominant orders according to community composition analysis. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis based on Bray-Curtis distances revealed highly divergent estimates of insect community composition among samples differentiated by the collection method (R = .524802, p = .001), but nonsignificant difference among samples differentiated according to habitat (R = .051102, p = .078). The study therefore appears to indicate that the concurrent use of varied collection methods is essential to the accurate monitoring of insect biodiversity.

Xihuang Pill-destabilized CD133/EGFR/Akt/mTOR cascade reduces stemness enrichment of glioblastoma via the down-regulation of SOX2.

BACKGROUND: Our previous study found that XHP could induce GBM cells to undergo apoptosis. A lot of evidence suggests that glioma stem-like cells (GSCs) are key factors that contribute to disease progression and poor prognosis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Traditional Chinese medicine has been applied in clinical practice as a complementary and alternative therapy for glioma. PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect and the potential molecular mechanism of Xihuang pill (XHP) on GSCs. METHODS: UPLC-QTOF-MS analysis was used for constituent analysis of XHP. Using network pharmacology and bioinformatics methods, a molecular network targeting GSCs by the active ingredients in XHP was constructed. Cell viability, self-renewal ability, apoptosis, and GSC markers were detected by CCK-8 assay, tumor sphere formation assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The interrelationship between GSC markers (CD133 and SOX2) and key proteins of the EGFR/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was evaluated using GEPIA and verified by western blot. A GBM cell line stably overexpressing Akt was constructed using lentivirus to evaluate the role of Akt signaling in the regulation of glioma stemness. The effect of XHP on glioma growth was analyzed by a subcutaneously transplanted glioma cell model in nude mice, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to examine pathological changes, TUNEL staining was used to detect apoptosis in tumor tissues, and the expression of GSC markers in tumor tissues was identified by western blot and immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis showed that 55 matched targets were related to XHP targets and glioma stem cell targets. In addition to causing apoptosis, XHP could diminish the number of GBM 3D spheroids, the proportion of CD133-positive cells and the expression level of GSC markers (CD133 and SOX2) in vitro. Furthermore, XHP could attenuate the expression of CD133, EGFR, p-Akt, p-mTOR and SOX2 in GBM spheres. Overexpression of Akt significantly increased the expression level of SOX2, which was prohibited in the presence of XHP. XHP reduced GSC markers including CD133 and SOX2, and impeded the development of glioma growth in xenograft mouse models in vivo. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate for the first time that XHP down-regulates stemness, restrains self-renewal and induces apoptosis in GSCs and impedes glioma growth by down-regulating SOX2 through destabilizing the CD133/EGFR/Akt/mTOR cascade.

Association of chemotherapy with survival in stage II colon cancer patients who received radical surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: It remains controversial whether patients with Stage II colon cancer would benefit from chemotherapy after radical surgery. This study aims to assess the real effectiveness of chemotherapy in patients with stage II colon cancer undergoing radical surgery and to construct survival prediction models to predict the survival benefits of chemotherapy. METHODS: Data for stage II colon cancer patients with radical surgery were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed according to receive or not receive chemotherapy. Competitive risk regression models were used to assess colon cancer cause-specific death (CSD) and non-colon cancer cause-specific death (NCSD). Survival prediction nomograms were constructed to predict overall survival (OS) and colon cancer cause-specific survival (CSS). The predictive abilities of the constructed models were evaluated by the concordance indexes (C-indexes) and calibration curves. RESULTS: A total of 25,110 patients were identified, 21.7% received chemotherapy, and 78.3% were without chemotherapy. A total of 10,916 patients were extracted after propensity score matching. The estimated 3-year overall survival rates of chemotherapy were 0.7% higher than non- chemotherapy. The estimated 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates of non-chemotherapy were 1.3 and 2.1% higher than chemotherapy, respectively. Survival prediction models showed good discrimination (the C-indexes between 0.582 and 0.757) and excellent calibration. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy improves the short-term (43 months) survival benefit of stage II colon cancer patients who received radical surgery. Survival prediction models can be used to predict OS and CSS of patients receiving chemotherapy as well as OS and CSS of patients not receiving chemotherapy and to make individualized treatment recommendations for stage II colon cancer patients who received radical surgery.

Transcriptome-wide identification and characterization of toll-like receptors response to Vibrio anguillarum infection in Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum).

The Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum), one of the major marine aquaculture species in China, is susceptible to infection with the pathogen Vibrio, which results in massive mortality and economic losses. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are significant pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of innate immunity that are involved in immune regulation against pathogenic invasion. Molecular characterization of Manila clam TLRs and investigations of their immune functions are essential to prevent and control Vibrio infection. In the present research, eight cDNA sequences of R. philippinarum TLRs (RpTLRs) were identified from previous transcriptome libraries and then classified into four groups, namely, P-TLR (one sequence), V-TLR (one sequence), Ls-TLR (two sequences) and sP-TLR (four sequences), based on the corresponding LRR domain arrangement of their protein structures within the typical TLR motifs. A selective pressure test firstly suggested that the molluscan P-TLR, V-TLR, Ls-TLR and sP-TLR families underwent positive selection, and different numbers of positive selection sites (PSSs) were identified in different domains of the four types of RpTLRs, as determined by PAML and analysis of website data. These findings indicated that the evolution of RpTLRs may be associated with their immune recognition and function. Furthermore, tissue-specific expression analysis showed that all RpTLRs were ubiquitously expressed in all test tissues and were dominant in hemocytes. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that the cDNA expression of all eight RpTLRs was upregulated after injection with Vibrio anguillarum (P < 0.01) in R. philippinarum hemocytes, revealing that these RpTLRs play important roles in responding to pathogenic stimulation. In summary, these findings provide a foundation for future investigations of the molecular classification and evolutionary patterns of Toll-like receptors in invertebrates, and the innate immune responses of TLR signaling pathways in Mollusca.

Silibinin Promotes Cell Proliferation Through Facilitating G1/S Transitions by Activating Drp1-Mediated Mitochondrial Fission in Cells.

Heart, liver, and kidney, which are known as the essential organs for metabolism, possess the unique ability to regulate the proliferation function of the body against injury. Silibinin (SB), a natural polyphenolic flavonoid extracted from traditional herb Silybum marianum L., has been used to protect hepatocytes. Whether SB can regulate mitochondrial fission in normal cells and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we showed that SB markedly promoted cell proliferation by facilitating G1/S transition via activating dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), which in turn mediated mitochondrial fission in these normal cells. SB dose-dependently increased the mitochondrial mass, mtDNA copy number, cellular adenosine triphosphate production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and reactive oxygen species in normal cells. Furthermore, SB dose-dependently increased the expression of Drp1. Blocking Drp1 abolished SB-induced mitochondrial fission. In conclusion, we demonstrate that SB promotes cell proliferation through facilitating G1/S transition by activating Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission. This study suggests that SB is a potentially useful herbal derivative for the daily prevention of various diseases caused by impaired mitochondrial fission.

Morphological diversity of the metathoracic spiracle in the Lygaeoidea (Hemiptera: Heteroptera).

Spiracles are the openings in the exoskeleton of insects through which air enters into the respiratory system that is formed by a series of tubes called tracheae. They are primarily located on the abdomen, but can also occur on the thorax, including the metathorax. An insect metathoracic spiracle is usually composed of an external opening and a more internal filter apparatus. We propose new terminology for these structures, and we explore the value in their use in taxonomic and phylogenetic studies within the true bug infraorder Pentatomomorpha, with emphasis on the superfamily Lygaeoidea (Insecta: Hemiptera: Heteroptera). These structures were studied using scanning electron microscopy. Two types of metathoracic spiracle external openings were recognized: a narrow opening (type N), which is slit-like; and a wide opening (type W), with internal fine structures located between the mesothoracic and metathoracic margins of the interpleural suture clearly visible. The filter apparatus in the Pentatomomorpha consists of modified mushroom bodies of the metathoracic scent gland evaporatorium, for which the term mycoid filter processes is proposed. Eight different types of mycoid filter processes, and an unmodified microsculpture type (a type with usual cuticular microsculpture) and filter setae can be found on the anterior or posterior margins of the metathoracic spiracle. We believe the wide opening (type W) to be the plesiomorphic character state in the Pentatomomorpha, with multiple, independent transformations leading to the narrow opening in Lygaeoidea. Considerable variability in the structure of the spiracle opening (in Lygaeoidea), and in the structure of the mycoid filter processes (in Pentatomomorpha) was detected. Overall, we found the morphology of these structures to be of limited value concerning the taxonomy or for determining phylogenetic relationships of the higher taxa (families) of Pentatomomorpha, but they may be useful as additional evidence for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies at the generic and perhaps the tribal levels.

Silibinin Induces G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest by Activating Drp1-Dependent Mitochondrial Fission in Cervical Cancer.

Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cancer type and the second most common gynecological malignancy among women worldwide. Silibinin (SB), a chief bioactive natural polyphenolic flavonoid of Silybum marianum L., has been used clinically for its hepatocyte protective effects. It also has anticancer effects via the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. However, the effects of SB on cervical cancer cells through mitochondrial fission have not been studied. Here, we showed that SB markedly suppressed cervical cell proliferation by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest via the activation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), which in turn mediated the mitochondrial fission dysfunction both in vitro and in vivo. SB decreased the ATP content, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mtDNA copy number, as well as reduced the reactive oxygen species levels in cervical cells. Furthermore, SB induced excessive mitochondrial fragmentation and reduced tubule formation. Further study showed that knockdown of Drp1 abolished the SB-induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in cervical cancer cells by inhibiting the mitochondrial fission pathway. More importantly, SB inhibited Hela cell growth in vivo model. In conclusion, we are the first to demonstrate that SB induces cervical cancer cell G2/M cell cycle arrest by activating Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission dysfunction. This study suggests the strategy of inducing Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission for cervical cancer prevention and treatment.

[Mechanism of Shenbing decoction â ¢ in the treatment of proteinuria in chronic kidney disease: a network pharmacology-based study].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the main active components in Shenbing decoction Ⅲ and their targets and explore the mechanism by which Shenbing decoction Ⅲ alleviates proteinuria in chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on network pharmacology. METHODS: The active components of Shenbing decoction Ⅲ and their potential targets, along with the oral bioavailability and drug-like properties of each component were searched in the TCMSP database. The proteinuria-related targets were searched in the GeneCards database. The active component-target network was constructed using Cytoscape software, and the acquired information of the targets from ClueGO was used for enrichment analysis of the gene pathways. RESULTS: A total of 102 active components were identified from Shenbing decoction Ⅲ. These active components acted on 126 targets, among which 69 were related to proteinuria. Enrichment analysis revealed fluid shear stress- and atherosclerosisrelated pathways as the highly significant pathways in proteinuria associated with CKD. CONCLUSIONS: We preliminarily validated the prescription of Shenbing decoction Ⅲ and obtained scientific evidence that supported its use for treatment of proteinuria in CKD. The findings in this study provide a theoretical basis for further study of the mechanism of Shenbing decoction Ⅲ in the treatment of proteinuria in CKD.

When did the ancestor of true bugs become stinky? Disentangling the phylogenomics of Hemiptera-Heteroptera.

The phylogeny of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), one of the most diverse insect groups in terms of morphology and ecology, has been the focus of attention for decades with respect to several deep nodes between the suborders of Hemiptera and the infraorders of Heteroptera. Here, we assembled a phylogenomic data set of 53 taxa and 3102 orthologous genes to investigate the phylogeny of Hemiptera-Heteroptera, and both concatenation and coalescent methods were used. A binode-control approach for data filtering was introduced to reduce the incongruence between different genes, which can improve the performance of phylogenetic reconstruction. Both hypotheses (Coleorrhyncha + Heteroptera) and (Coleorrhyncha + Auchenorrhyncha) received support from various analyses, in which the former is more consistent with the morphological evidence. Based on a divergence time estimation performed on genes with a strong phylogenetic signal, the origin of true bugs was dated to 290-268 Ma in the Permian, the time in Earth's history with the highest concentration of atmospheric oxygen. During this time interval, at least 1007 apomorphic amino acids were retained in the common ancestor of the extant true bugs. These molecular apomorphies are located in 553 orthologous genes, which suggests the common ancestor of the extant true bugs may have experienced large-scale evolution at the genome level.

Optimal α-lipoic acid strengthen immunity of young grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) by enhancing immune function of head kidney, spleen and skin.

This study was for the first time to investigate the effects of α-lipoic acid (LA) on growth and immune function of head kidney, spleen and skin in young grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). A total of 540 healthy grass carp (with initial body weight at 216.59 ±â€¯0.33 g) were randomly divided into six groups and fed six separate diets with graded dietary levels of LA for 70 days. Un-supplemented group did not find LA and its concentrations in the other five diets were 203.25, 403.82, 591.42, 781.25 and 953.18 mg kg-1, respectively. After the growth trial, fish were challenged with A. hydrophila for 14 days. The results showed that, compared with the un-supplemented group, optimal LA improved lysozyme (LZ) and acid phosphatase (ACP) activities, enhanced complement 3 (C3), C4 and immunoglobulin (Ig) M contents and up-regulated hepcidin, liver expressed antimicrobial peptide (LEAP)-2A, LEAP-2B and ß-defensin-1 mRNA levels in the head kidney, spleen and skin of young grass carp; meanwhile, optimal LA up-regulated anti-inflammatory cytokines transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, TGF-ß2, interleukin (IL)-4/13A (not IL-4/13B), IL-10 and IL-11 mRNA levels partly related to target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling and down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ2, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p40 (not IL-12p35), IL-15 (not in the skin) and IL-17D mRNA levels partially associated with nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling in the head kidney, spleen and skin of young grass carp. Above results indicated that optimal LA enhanced the immune function of head kidney, spleen and skin in fish. Interestingly, excessive LA decreased the growth and impaired the immune function of head kidney, spleen and skin in fish. Finally, on the basis of the percent weight gain (PWG), the ability against skin hemorrhage and lesion, the IgM content in the head kidney and the LZ activity in the spleen, the optimal dietary LA levels were estimated to be 315.37, 382.33, 353.19 and 318.26 mg kg-1 diet, respectively.