Measuring protected-area effectiveness using vertebrate distributions from leech iDNA.

Protected areas are key to meeting biodiversity conservation goals, but direct measures of effectiveness have proven difficult to obtain. We address this challenge by using environmental DNA from leech-ingested bloodmeals to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across the 677 km2 Ailaoshan reserve in Yunnan, China. From 30,468 leeches collected by 163 park rangers across 172 patrol areas, we identify 86 vertebrate species, including amphibians, mammals, birds and squamates. Multi-species occupancy modelling shows that species richness increases with elevation and distance to reserve edge. Most large mammals (e.g. sambar, black bear, serow, tufted deer) follow this pattern; the exceptions are the three domestic mammal species (cows, sheep, goats) and muntjak deer, which are more common at lower elevations. Vertebrate occupancies are a direct measure of conservation outcomes that can help guide protected-area management and improve the contributions that protected areas make towards global biodiversity goals. Here, we show the feasibility of using invertebrate-derived DNA to estimate spatially-resolved vertebrate occupancies across entire protected areas.

Recent advances in peptide-based nanomaterials for targeting hypoxia.

Hypoxia is a prominent feature of many severe diseases such as malignant tumors, ischemic strokes, and rheumatoid arthritis. The lack of oxygen has a paramount impact on angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and chemotherapy resistance. The potential of hypoxia as a therapeutic target has been increasingly recognized over the last decade. In order to treat these disease states, peptides have been extensively investigated due to their advantages in safety, target specificity, and tumor penetrability. Peptides can overcome difficulties such as low drug/energy delivery efficiency, hypoxia-induced drug resistance, and tumor nonspecificity. There are three main strategies for targeting hypoxia through peptide-based nanomaterials: (i) using peptide ligands to target cellular environments unique to hypoxic conditions, such as cell surface receptors that are upregulated in cells under hypoxic conditions, (ii) utilizing peptide linkers sensitive to the hypoxic microenvironment that can be cleaved to release therapeutic or diagnostic payloads, and (iii) a combination of the above where targeting peptides will localize the system to a hypoxic environment for it to be selectively cleaved to release its payload, forming a dual-targeting system. This review focuses on recent developments in the design and construction of novel peptide-based hypoxia-targeting nanomaterials, followed by their mechanisms and potential applications in diagnosis and treatment of hypoxic diseases. In addition, we address challenges and prospects of how peptide-based hypoxia-targeting nanomaterials can achieve a wider range of clinical applications.

[Case-control study on Pi needle for the treatment of the cutaneous nerve entrapment low back pain].

OBJECTIVE: To explore a safe and effective method for the treatment of low back pain in the cutaneous nerve, and to clarify the indication of Pi needle to treat it. METHODS: From January 2003 to December 2004, 278 patients with cutaneous nerve entrapment low back pain were divided into two groups: Pi needle group and electrical stimulation group. In the Pi needle group, there were 68 males and 70 females, ranging in age from 20 to 60 years old, with an average of(41.92±10.88)years old. In the electrical stimulation group, there were 68 males and 72 females, ranging in age from 18 to 60 years old, with an average of(41.44±10.47) years old. The pain, tenderness and soft tissue tension of the two groups were measured and compared before and after treatment. RESULTS: All of the selected cases were qualified. No suspension, culling and shedding cases occurred in either group. In Pi needle group, visual analog scale(VAS) of pain decreased from 8.78±1.52 before treatment to 1.33±1.33 after treatment;and in electrical stimulation group, VASof pain decreased from 8.59±1.76 before treatment to 5.20±2.64 after treatment;and the VAS of pain of the Pi needle group was lower than that of the electrical stimulation group. In Pi needle group, VAS of tenderness decreased from 9.12±1.24 before treatment to 1.60±1.36 after treatment;and in electrical stimulation group, VAS of pain decreased from 8.79±1.60 before treatment to 5.34±2.60 after treatment;and the VAS of pain of the Pi needle group was lower than that of the electrical stimulation group. CONCLUSIONS: Once tissue texture changes to pain point, cord, nodules, Pi needle is the first line treatment for the cutaneous nerve entrapment low back pain.