Sex Differences in Cochlear Transcriptomes in Horseshoe Bats.

Sexual dimorphism of calls is common in animals, whereas studies on the molecular basis underlying this phenotypic variation are still scarce. In this study, we used comparative transcriptomics of cochlea to investigate the sex-related difference in gene expression and alternative splicing in four Rhinolophus taxa. Based on 31 cochlear transcriptomes, we performed differential gene expression (DGE) and alternative splicing (AS) analyses between the sexes in each taxon. Consistent with the degree of difference in the echolocation pulse frequency between the sexes across the four taxa, we identified the largest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and alternatively spliced genes (ASGs) in R. sinicus. However, we also detected multiple DEGs and ASGs in taxa without sexual differences in echolocation pulse frequency, suggesting that these genes might be related to other parameters of echolocation pulse rather than the frequency component. Some DEGs and ASGs are related to hearing loss or deafness genes in human or mice and they can be considered to be candidates associated with the sexual differences of echolocation pulse in bats. We also detected more than the expected overlap of DEGs and ASGs in two taxa. Overall, our current study supports the important roles of both DGE and AS in generating or maintaining sexual differences in animals.

The PAPSS1 gene is a modulator of response to cisplatin by regulating estrogen receptor alpha signaling activity in ovarian cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cells may develop resistance to cisplatin by various mechanisms. Yet, the exact mechanism of cisplatin in ovarian cancer remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that 3'-phospoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthase 1 (PAPSS1) inhibition combined with low-dose cisplatin increases DNA damage. The aim of this study was to determine the value of targeting PAPSS1 as a cisplatin modulator in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). RESULTS: Increased expression of PAPSS1 was observed in both EOC cells and tissues. Also, its higher nuclear expression was distinctly associated with FIGO (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage, histological subtype, metastasis, and recurrence. Down-regulation of the PAPSS1 gene increased the cisplatin sensitivity of EOC in vitro and in vivo. Expression of PAPSS1 was negatively correlated with estrogen receptor α (ERα) in EOC. Also, low nuclear PAPSS1 and high nuclear ERα expression in EOC were associated with longer overall survival and progression-free survival in all ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy. PAPSS1 silencing increased the activity of ERα-signaling in EOC cells, thus sensitizing tumors to cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS: These findings characterize a novel interplay between PAPSS1-mediated sulfation and ERα-signaling in EOC cisplatin resistance. PAPSS1 may be exploited as a cisplatin-sensitizing therapeutic target.

Effective Material Basis and Mechanism Analysis of Compound Banmao Capsule against Tumors Using Integrative Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking.

PURPOSE: Compound banmao capsule (CBC), a well-known traditional Chinese medical material, is known to inhibit various tumors. However, its material basis and pharmacological mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effective material basis and mechanisms of action of CBC against tumors. METHODS: Active compounds of CBC were identified using public database and reports to build a network. The corresponding targets of active compounds were retrieved from online databases, and the antitumor targets were identified by GeneCards database. The antitumor hub targets were generated via protein-protein interaction analysis using String, and key compounds and targets from the integrative network were detected by molecular docking and ADMET. Top targets in hepatocellular carcinoma were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Finally, the multivariate biological network was built to identify the integrating mechanisms of action of CBC against tumor cells. RESULTS: A total of 128 compounds and 436 targets of CBC were identified successfully. Based on the generated multivariate biological network analysis, 25 key compounds, nine hub targets, and two pathways were further explored. Effective material bases of cantharidin, baicalein, scutellarin, sesamin, and quercetin were verified by integrative network analysis. PTGS2, ESR1, and TP53 were identified as hub targets via multivariate biological network analysis and confirmed using qPCR. Furthermore, VEGF and estrogen signaling pathways seem to play a role in the antitumor activity of CBC. Thus, breast cancer may be a potential clinical indication of CBC. CONCLUSION: This study successfully identified the material basis of CBC and its synergistic mechanisms of action against tumor cells.

[Bushen Tiaodu Yizhi acupuncture combined with computer-assisted cognitive training for post stroke cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Bushen Tiaodu Yizhi acupuncture combined with computer-assisted cognitive training on the recovery of cognitive function and activities of daily living in patients with post stroke cognitive impairment. METHODS: A total of 98 patients with post stroke cognitive impairment were randomized into an observation group (50 cases, 6 cases dropped off) and a control group (48 cases, 5 cases dropped off). Both groups were treated with conventional treatment, such as computer-assisted cognitive training. On the basis of the conventional treatment, Bushen Tiaodu Yizhi acupuncture at Taixi (KI 3), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Shuigou (GV 26), Baihui (GV 20), ect. was given in the observation group. In the control group, acupuncture at acupoints of limbs was given. The treatment was given once a day, 5 times a week for 8 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) scale, modified Barthel index (MBI) and stroke syndrome of TCM scale were used to evaluate the cognitive function, activities of daily living and syndrome of TCM in the two groups. The latency and amplitude of P300 were detected by electromyographs and evoked response instrument. And the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the MoCA and MBI scores were increased (P<0.01), and the scores of stroke syndrome of TCM scale were decreased (P<0.01) after treatment in the two groups. After treatment，the MoCA and MBI scores in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the score of stroke syndrome of TCM scale was lower than the control group (P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the latency of P300 was shortened and amplitude was prolonged after treatment in the two groups (P<0.01). After treatment, in the observation group, the latency of P300 was shorter, and amplitude was longer than the control group (P<0.01). The effective rate was 86.4% (38/44) in the observation group, which was higher than 67.4% (29/43) in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Bushen Tiaodu Yizhi acupuncture combined with computer-assisted cognitive training could improve the cognitive function of patients with post stroke cognitive impairment.

[Risk factors for hypoglycemia in preterm infants with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for hypoglycemia after birth in preterm infants with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 86 neonates with hypoglycemia and a gestational age of ≤32 weeks who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit from January 2017 to June 2020 (hypoglycemia group). A total of 172 preterm infants with normal blood glucose who were hospitalized during the same period were randomly enrolled as the control group. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen out the risk factors for hypoglycemia in preterm infants. RESULTS: There were 515 preterm infants during the study, among whom 86 (16.7%) had hypoglycemia. Compared with the control group, the hypoglycemia group had significantly higher percentages of small for gestational age (SGA), cesarean section, maternal hypertension, and antenatal steroid administration (P<0.05), but significantly lower birth weight and rate of intravenous glucose use before blood glucose test (P<0.05). SGA (OR=4.311, 95%CI: 1.285-14.462, P<0.05), maternal hypertension (OR=2.469, 95%CI: 1.310-4.652, P<0.05), and antenatal steroid administration (OR=6.337, 95%CI: 1.430-28.095, P<0.05) were risk factors for hypoglycemia in preterm infants, while intravenous glucose use (OR=0.318, 95%CI: 0.171-0.591, P<0.05) was a protective factor against hypoglycemia in preterm infants. CONCLUSIONS: SGA, maternal hypertension, and antenatal steroid administration may increase the risk of early hypoglycemia in preterm infants with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks, and intravenous glucose use is recommended as soon as possible after birth for preterm infants with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks to reduce the incidence rate of hypoglycemia.

Rehabilitation needs of the first cohort of post-acute COVID-19 patients in Hubei, China.

BACKGROUND: Corona Virus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease. Despite being clinically cured, some patients still find it difficult to return to their normal life and work due to the varying degree of dysfunctions that they have, as part of the disease's aftereffect. Through this study, we aim to learn more about the dysfunctions and rehabilitation needs of COVID-19 patients. METHODS: In this survey, the basic information, dysfunctions, and rehabilitation needs of the hospitalized COVID-19 patients, who were selected by convenience sampling in Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, were obtained using a self-designed questionnaire. The research was conducted from February 29, 2020 to March 2, 2020. RESULTS: A total of 280 patients were finally included, who were mainly over 51 years of age (64.2%). The main physical dysfunctions that the patients had were sleep disorders (63.6%), decreased activity endurance (61.4%), and respiratory dysfunction (57.9%), while the main psychological dysfunctions included anxiety (62.1%) and fear (50.0%). Rehabilitation that mainly requested by the patients included exercise guidance, dietary instruction, traditional Chinese medicine therapy, physical therapy, and Chinese traditional health exercises. CONCLUSIONS: The demand for rehabilitation is high among COVID-19 patients, which requires the quick establishment of a comprehensive and individualized rehabilitation program, to be fulfilled.

Integrated Circuit Angular Displacement Sensor with On-chip Pinhole Aperture.

Sensors that remotely track the displacement of a moving object have a wide range of applications from robotic control to motion capture. In this paper, we introduce a simple, small silicon integrated circuit sensor that tracks the angular displacement of an object tagged with a small light source, such as a light-emitting diode (LED). This sensor uses a new angular transduction mechanism, differential diffusion of photoelectrons generated from the light spot cast by the light tag onto a Si anode, that is described by a simple physics model using pinhole optics and carrier diffusion. Because the light spot is formed by a pinhole aperture integrated on the sensor chip, no external focusing optics are needed, reducing system complexity, size, and weight. Prototype sensors based on this model were fabricated and their basic characteristics are presented. These sensors transduce angular displacement of an LED across orthogonal latitudinal and longitudinal arcs into normalized differential photocathode currents with signal linearly proportional to LED angular position across a ± 40° field-of-view. These sensors offer potential performance and ease-of-use benefits compared to existing displacement sensor technologies.

Circumferential-scanning endoscopic optical coherence tomography probe based on a circular array of six 2-axis MEMS mirrors.

We present a novel circumferential-scan endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) probe by using a circular array of six electrothermal microelectromechanical (MEMS) mirrors and six C-lenses. The MEMS mirrors have a 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm mirror plate and a chip size of 1.5 mm × 1.3 mm. Each MEMS mirror can scan up to 45° at a voltage of less than 12 V. Six of those mirrors have been successfully packaged to a probe head; full circumferential scans have been demonstrated. Furthermore, each scan unit is composed of a MEMS mirror and a C-lens and the six scan units can be designed with different focal lengths to adapt for lesions with uneven surfaces. Configured with a swept source OCT system, this MEMS array-based circumferential scanning probe has been applied to image a swine's small intestine wrapped on a 20 mm-diameter glass tube. The OCT imaging result shows that this new MEMS endoscopic OCT has promising applications in large tubular organs.

Optical coherence tomography endoscopic probe based on a tilted MEMS mirror.

This paper reports a compact microendoscopic OCT probe with an outer diameter of only 2.7 mm. The small diameter is enabled by a novel 2-axis scanning MEMS mirror with a preset 45° tilted angle. The tilted MEMS mirror is directly integrated on a silicon optical bench (SiOB). The SiOB provides mechanical support and electrical wiring to the mirror plate via a set of bimorph flexure, enabling a compact probe mount design without the requirement of a 45° slope, which is capable to dramatically reduce the probe size and ease the assembly process. Additionally, the SiOB also provides trenches with properly-designed opening widths for automatic alignment of the MEMS mirror, GRIN lens and optical fiber. The 45°-tilted MEMS mirror plate is actuated by four electrothermal bimorph actuators. The packaged 2.7 mm-diameter probe offers 2-axis side-view optical scanning with a large optical scan range of 40° at a low drive voltage of 5.5 Vdc in both axes, allowing a lateral scan area of 2.2 mm × 2.2 mm at a 3 mm working distance. High-resolution 2D and 3D OCT images of the IR card, ex vivo imaging of meniscus specimens and rat brain slices, in vivo imaging of the human finger and nail have been obtained with a TDOCT system.

Common-path optical coherence tomography using a microelectromechanical-system-based endoscopic probe.

This paper presents a common-path (CP) swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) system based on a special endoscopic probe design with an in-line internal reflection as the reference and a two-axis electrothermal microelectromechanical system mirror for image scanning. The rear surface of a gradient reflective index (GRIN) lens inside the probe is set as the reference reflection plane. The length of the GRIN lens is optimized to eliminate the artifacts in SSOCT images successfully. Doppler OCT is also demonstrated based on the CP endoscopic probe. The diameter of the probe is only 2.5 mm, so it can be easily inserted into the biopsy channel of traditional endoscopes to access human internal organs for in vivo diagnoses.

A non-resonant fiber scanner based on an electrothermally-actuated MEMS stage.

Scanning fiber tips provides the most convenient way for forward-viewing fiber-optic microendoscopy. In this paper, a distal fiber scanning method based on a large-displacement MEMS actuator is presented. A single-mode fiber is glued on the micro-platform of an electrothermal MEMS stage to realize large range non-resonantscanning. The micro-platform has a large piston scan range of up to 800 µm at only 6V. The tip deflection of the fiber can be further amplified by placing the MEMS stage at a proper location along the fiber. A quasi-static model of the fiber-MEMS assembly has been developed and validated experimentally. The frequency response has also been studied and measured. A fiber tip deflection of up to 1650 µm for the 45 mm-long movable fiber portion has been achieved when the MEMS electrothermal stage was placed 25 mm away from the free end. The electrothermally-actuated MEMS stage shows a great potential for forward viewing fiber scanning and optical applications.

Miniature probe integrating optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and ultrasound imaging: proof-of-concept.

In this Letter, we present a novel tri-modal miniature side-view probe, through which optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy (OR-PAM), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and pulse-echo ultrasound (US) images can be coaxially acquired and displayed simultaneously. The probe consists of a common optical path for OR-PAM (light delivery) and OCT (light delivery/detection), and a 40-MHz unfocused ultrasound transducer for OR-PAM (photoacoustic detection) and US (ultrasound transmission/receiving) with an overall diameter of 2 mm. Combining OR-PAM, OCT, and US would provide complementary information including optical absorption (OR-PAM), optical back-scattering (OCT), and deep tissue structures (US) about biological tissue. Based on an integrated imaging system consisting of OR-PAM, time-domain OCT, and US, phantom images and in vivo images of rat ear were acquired to demonstrate the capabilities of the integrated tri-modality imaging probe. The probe yields a lateral resolution of 13.6 µm for OR-PAM and OCT, and an axial resolution of 43 µm for OR-PAM and US. Currently, for a scanning area of 1 ×1 mm, it took ∼25 min to acquire data for tri-modal volumetric imaging.

Two genes conferring resistance to Pythium stalk rot in maize inbred line Qi319.

Stalk rots are destructive diseases in maize around the world, and are most often caused by the pathogen Pythium, Fusarium and other fungi. The most efficient management for controlling stalk rots is to breed resistant cultivars. Pythium stalk rot can cause serious yield loss on maize, and to find the resistance genes from the existing germplasm is the basis to develop Pythium-resistance hybrid lines. In this study, we investigated the genetic resistance to Pythium stalk rot in inbred line Qi319 using F2 and F2:3 population, and found that the resistance to Pythium inflatum in Qi319 was conferred by two independently inherited dominant genes, RpiQI319-1 and RpiQI319-2. Linkage analysis uncovered that the RpiQI319-1 co-segregated with markers bnlg1203, and bnlg2057 on chromosome 1, and that the RpiQI319-2 locus co-segregated with markers umc2069 and bnlg1716 on chromosome 10. The RpiQI319-1 locus was further mapped into a ~500-kb interval flanked by markers SSRZ33 and SSRZ47. These results will facilitate marker-assisted selection of Pythium stalk rot-resistant cultivars in maize breeding. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the resistance to P. inflatum in the inbred line Qi319, and is also the first description of two independently inherited dominant genes conferring the resistance of Pythium stalk rot in maize.

Rapid development of microsatellite markers for Callosobruchus chinensis using Illumina paired-end sequencing.

BACKGROUND: The adzuki bean weevil, Callosobruchus chinensis L., is one of the most destructive pests of stored legume seeds such as mungbean, cowpea, and adzuki bean, which usually cause considerable loss in the quantity and quality of stored seeds during transportation and storage. However, a lack of genetic information of this pest results in a series of genetic questions remain largely unknown, including population genetic structure, kinship, biotype abundance, and so on. Co-dominant microsatellite markers offer a great resolving power to determine these events. Here, we report rapid microsatellite isolation from C. chinensis via high-throughput sequencing. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, 94,560,852 quality-filtered and trimmed reads were obtained for the assembly of genome using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. In total, the genome with total length of 497,124,785 bp, comprising 403,113 high quality contigs was generated with de novo assembly. More than 6800 SSR loci were detected and a suit of 6303 primer pair sequences were designed and 500 of them were randomly selected for validation. Of these, 196 pair of primers, i.e. 39.2%, produced reproducible amplicons that were polymorphic among 8 C. chinensis genotypes collected from different geographical regions. Twenty out of 196 polymorphic SSR markers were used to analyze the genetic diversity of 18 C. chinensis populations. The results showed the twenty SSR loci were highly polymorphic among these populations. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a first report of genome sequencing and de novo assembly for C. chinensis and demonstrates the feasibility of generating a large scale of sequence information and SSR loci isolation by Illumina paired-end sequencing. Our results provide a valuable resource for C. chinensis research. These novel markers are valuable for future genetic mapping, trait association, genetic structure and kinship among C. chinensis.

Resistance of Faba Bean and Pea Germplasm to Callosobruchus chinensis (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) and Its Relationship With Quality Components.

In total, 339 faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and 100 pea (Pisum sativum L.) accessions were screened for their ability to resist Callosobruchus chinensis L. in free choice laboratory tests. Four, 15, and 43 faba bean varieties were highly resistant, resistant, and moderately resistant to C. chinensis, respectively. Three immune, three highly resistant, and six resistant accessions were discovered among the pea germplasm. The faba bean and pea varieties presented a hundred-kernel weight reduction varied from 0.18 to 35.36% for faba bean varieties and 0 to 56.53% for pea varieties. Varieties with brown and black seed color had significantly fewer wormholes and higher C. chinensis resistance than varieties with light-color seeds. Resistance to C. chinensis showed a significant, positive correlation with catechin, total polyphenol, and γ-aminobutyric acid contents, but a significant, negative correlation with oligosaccharide content. Correlation coefficients (r) between infestation rate of faba bean and total phenol, catechin, and oligosaccharide contents were -0.9723, -0.8071, and 0.7631, respectively. The values of r for pea resistance and total phenol, catechin, and oligosaccharide content were -0.8846, -0.7666, and 0.8308, respectively. The results suggest that quality components in faba bean and pea have a great role in resistance against C. chinensis.

Probe alignment and design issues of microelectromechanical system based optical coherence tomography endoscopic imaging.

Endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging has been demonstrated using microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology by several research groups. The focus of this work is to study how the OCT imaging performance is affected by the radius of curvature of MEMS mirrors as well as the optical alignment accuracy inside small imaging probes. The goal of this study is to provide guidance for assembly tolerance and design optimization of OCT endoscopic probes. Gaussian beam propagation is used for theoretical analysis which is confirmed by optical simulation and verified experimentally with a time-domain OCT system as well. It has been found that the OCT imaging is very sensitive to the distance from the fiber end to the gradient-index (GRIN) lens, which needs to be controlled within 0.1 mm to achieve working distance (WD) longer than 3.5 mm and lateral resolution around 25 µm. The impact on image quality of the MEMS mirror is negligible if the radius of curvature of the mirror surface is greater than 200 mm. In addition, we studied the astigmatism introduced by cylindrical plastic tubing; the maximum astigmatism ratio is 1.1 when the WD is around 2.5 mm.

Endoscopic swept-source optical coherence tomography based on a two-axis microelectromechanical system mirror.

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror based endoscopic swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) system that can perform three-dimensional (3-D) imaging at high speed is reported. The key component enabling 3-D endoscopic imaging is a two-axis MEMS scanning mirror which has a 0.8×0.8 mm2 mirror plate and a 1.6×1.4 mm2 device footprint. The diameter of the endoscopic probe is only 3.5 mm. The imaging rate of the SS-OCT system is 50 frames/s. OCT images of both human suspicious oral leukoplakia tissue and normal buccal mucosa were taken in vivo and compared. The OCT imaging result agrees well with the histopathological analysis.

Miniature probe combining optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy and optical coherence tomography for in vivo microcirculation study.

Photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) is sensitive to optical absorption, while optical coherence tomography (OCT) is based on optical backscattering. Combining PAM and OCT can provide complementary information about biological tissue. Here we present a combined optical-resolution PAM (ORPAM) and OCT system that is integrated through a miniature probe with an overall diameter of 2.3 mm, suitable for insertion through a standard endoscopic or laparoscopic port during minimally invasive surgery or endoscopic exam. The hybrid probe consists of a common optical path for OCT (light delivery/detection) and ORPAM (light excitation) and a 10 MHz unfocused ultrasound transducer for photoacoustic detection. The combined system yields a lateral resolution of 15 µm for both ORPAM and OCT.

Quantitative trait loci mapping of resistance to Laodelphax striatellus (Homoptera: Delphacidae) in rice using recombinant inbred lines.

Laodelphax striatellus Fallén (Homoptera: Delphacidae), is a serious pest in rice, Oryza sativa L., production. A mapping population consisting of 81 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from a cross between japonica' Kinmaze' and indica' DV85' rice, was used to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the resistance to L. striatellus. Seedbox screening test (SST), antixenosis test, and antibiosis test were used to evaluate the resistance response of the two parents and 81 RILs to L. striatellus at the seedling stage, and composite interval mapping was used for QTL analysis. When the resistance was measured by SST method, two QTLs conferring resistance to L. striatellus were mapped on chromosome 11, namely, Qsbph11a and Qsbph11b, with log of odds scores 2.51 and 4.38, respectively. The two QTLs explained 16.62 and 27.78% of the phenotypic variance in this population, respectively. In total, three QTLs controlling antixenosis against L. striatellus were detected on chromosomes 3, 4, and 11, respectively, accounting for 37.5% of the total phenotypic variance. Two QTLs expressing antibiosis to L. striatellus were mapped on chromosomes 3 and 11, respectively, explaining 25.9% of the total phenotypic variance. The identified QTL located between markers XNpb202 and C1172 on chromosome 11 was detected repeatedly by three different screening methods; therefore, it may be important to confer the resistance to L. striatellus. Once confirmed in other mapping populations, these QTLs should be useful in breeding for resistance to L. striatellus by marker-assisted selection of different resistance genes in rice varieties.