Cold Air Plasma Inhibiting Tumor-Like Biological Behavior of Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synovial Cells via G2/M Cell Cycle Arrest.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells (RA-FLS) have become the core effector cells for the progression of rheumatoid arthritis due to their "tumor-like cell" characteristics, such as being able to break free from growth restrictions caused by contact inhibition, promoting angiogenesis, invading surrounding tissues, and leading to uncontrolled synovial growth. In recent years, cold air plasma (CAP) has been widely recognized for its clear anticancer effect. Inspired by this, this study investigated the inhibitory effect of CAP on the tumor-like biological behavior of RA-FLS through in vitro experiments. Methods: Treatment of RA-FLS with CAP at different time doses (0s, 30s, 60s, 120s). 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) proliferation assay was used to determine the cell viability. Analysis of cell migration and invasion was performed by wound-healing assay, transwell assay and immunofluorescent staining for f-actin, respectively. Flow cytometry technique was used for analysis of cell cycle and determination of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hoechst staining was used for analysis of cell apoptosis. Protein expression was analyzed by Western blot analysis. Results: Molecular and cellular level mechanisms have revealed that CAP blocks RA-FLS in the G2/M phase by increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to increased apoptosis and significantly reduced migration and invasion ability of RA-FLS. Conclusion: Overall, CAP has significant anti proliferative, migratory, and invasive effects on RA-FLS. This study reveals a new targeted treatment strategy for RA.

Occurrence of Cassava (Manihot esculenta) Leaf Spot Disease Caused by Diaporthe ueckeri in China.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a perennial crop of the family Euphorbiaceae, widely cultivated due to its phytopharmacological and economic values in China. In November 2022, a leaf spot disease on cassava was observed in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China (21.17° N, 110.18° E), with 100% disease incidence. About 80 % of leaves were covered with spots on the infected plants. Typical symptoms initially appeared as irregular water-soaked lesions that became brown and whitish with the progress of the disease, lesions gradually expanded and coalesced, causing leaf withering, drying and final fall. Tissues (4 to 5 mm) were excised from the margin of lesions, sterilized in 3% H2O2 solution for 3 min, rinsed three times with sterile water, placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium (containing 50mg/L penicillin), and incubated at 25-28 °C. Ten single hypha isolates with similar morphology were obtained and further purified as single conidium subcultures. The colony was grey whitish with sparse aerial mycelium and colony diameter reached 70.4 mm after four days incubation at 25-28℃ in the dark. Black pycnidia occurring as clusters were spherical or irregular, erumpent at maturity, often with a creamy whitish, conidial cirrus extruding from ostiole after 30-days incubation. Conidiophores were hyaline, smooth, unbranched. Alpha conidia were bi-guttulate, hyaline, ellipsoidal, aseptate, with dimensions of 5.1~7.5×1.9~3.4µm (mean 6.2×2.8 µm, n>50). Beta conidia were abundant, filiform, hyaline, smooth, curved in a hooked shape, with a truncate base and dimensions of 18.5-26.4 × 0.6-1.2µm (mean 23.4 × 1.0 µm, n= 40) . Gamma conidia were not observed. The morphological characteristics were similar to those of Diaporthe ueckeri (Udayanga et al. 2015). The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, large subunit (LSU) rRNA sequence, actin (ACT), calmodulin (CAL), histone H3 (HIS), translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1-α), and ß-tubulin (TUB) genes of a representative isolate CCAS-MS-6 (ACCC 35497) were amplified and sequenced using primer pairs: ITS5/ITS4, LR0R/LR5, ACT-512F/ACT-783R, CAL228F/CAL737R, CYLH3F/ H3-1b, EF1-728F/ EF1-986R and Bt2a/Bt2b (Gao et al 2017；Udayanga et al 2014). All sequences were deposited in GenBank (OR361671, OR361672, and OR365605-9). BLAST search showed high similarities with sequences of Diaporthe ueckeri (Tab 1). Maximum likelihood analyses of the concatenated data of CAL, HIS, ITS, TEF and TUB using Mega 11 placed CCAS-MS-6 in the D. ueckeri clade. Thus, the fungus was identified as D. ueckeri. Three one-year old healthy plants were used for pathogenicity tests in pots. Two 15-day old leaves of each plant were cleaned with 75% alcohol, three sites on each leaf were wounded, and sites on one of the leaf were covered with fungal plugs from 15-day-old cultures on PDA, and sites on the other leaf with PDA plugs as a control. All plants were kept at ambient temperature (about 28℃) and covered with plastic bags containing sterile wet cotton to maintain the humidity. Seven days after inoculation, all inoculated sites showed symptoms of necrosis, while control sites showed no symptoms. The same fungus identified on the basis of morphological and molecular criteria was reisolated from symptomatic inoculated leaves. In China, D. ueckeri had been reported to cause diseases on Eucalyptus citriodora, Camellia sinensis, and Michelia shiluensis (Gao et al 2016; Liao et al 2023; Yi et al 2018), this is the first report on M. esculenta. The definition of the disease etiology is a prerequisite to develop effective management strategies.

Visible-Light-Induced Tandem Radical Brominative Addition/Cyclization of Activated Alkynes with CBr4 for the Synthesis of 3-Bromocoumarins.

A visible-light-induced tandem radical brominative addition/spiro-cyclization/1,2-ester migration of activated alkynes with CBr4 is developed. This protocol features good functional group tolerance, operational simplicity, and mild reaction conditions without the use of catalysts and external additives, providing easy access to valuable 3-bromocoumarins in generally high yields.

Finite element simulation of lower limb injuries to the driver in minibus frontal collisions.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the biomechanical mechanism of lower limb injuries to the driver by establishing a finite element (FE) simulation model of collisions. METHODS: First a minibus FE model was integrated with a seat belt system. Then it was used to rebuild two collisions together with the total human model for safety (THUMS) provided by Toyota Motor Corporation: a rear-end collision between a minibus and a truck and a head-on collision of a minibus to a rigid wall. The impact velocities of both collisions were set at 56 km/h. The vehicle dynamic response, vehicle deceleration, and dashboard intrusion in the two collisions were compared. RESULTS: In the minibus rear-end truck collision, the peak values of the von Mises equivalent stress at the tibia and the femur were 133 MPa and 126 MPa respectively; while in the minibus head-on rigid wall collision, the data were 139 MPa and 99 MPa. Compared with the minibus head-on rigid wall collision, the vehicle deceleration was smaller and the dashboard intrusion was larger in the minibus rear-end truck collision. CONCLUSION: The results illustrate that a longer dashboard incursion distance corresponds to a higher von Mises equivalent stress at the femur. The simulation results are consistent with the driver's autopsy report on lower limbs injuries. These findings verify that FE simulation method is reliable and useful to analyze the mechanisms of lower limb injuries to the driver in minibus frontal collisions.

Toxicity of Six Insecticides on Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Effect on Expression of Detoxification Genes.

The codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), is a key worldwide fruit pest that has evolved high levels of resistance to almost all classes of conventional insecticides. Neonicotinoids, a new reduced-risk biorational insecticide class, have remained an effective control approach. In this study, the toxicity and sublethal effect of conventional and reduced-risk biorational insecticides on transcripts abundance of three detoxification genes in codling moth were determined. Bioassays on a codling moth laboratory strain suggested that acetamiprid had the highest oral toxicity against the third-instar larvae compared with the other five pesticides. Results also indicated that acetamiprid exhibits long-term efficacy against codling moth even at 120 h post feeding. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the detoxification genes CYP9A61, CpGST1, and CpCE-1 were differentially induced or suppressed by deltamethrin, cypermethrin, methomyl, carbaryl, and imidacloprid, depending on the type of insecticides; in contrast, no significant difference in CYP9A61, CpGST1, and CpCE-1 expressions were observed after acetamiprid exposure, when compared with the control. These results suggest that the reduced-risk biorational insecticide acetamiprid is an effective insecticide with no induction of detoxification genes and can be integrated into the management of codling moth.

The Toxicology and Biochemical Characterization of Cantharidin on Cydia pomonella.

Cantharidin, a natural toxin produced by beetles in the families Meloidae and Oedemeridae, reported to be toxic to some pests, is being developed as a biopesticide in China. This study evaluates the toxicity and biochemical characterization of cantharidin on the codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), an economically important fruit pest, under both laboratory and field conditions. Laboratory dose response bioassays showed that the LC50 value of cantharidin against neonate larvae was 0.057 mg ml(-1). Exposure of the larvae to 0.024 and 0.057 mg ml(-1) of cantharidin resulted in significant reduction in larval body weight. Neonate larvae exposed to LC10 of cantharidin showed increased glutathione S-transferase activity and significantly reduced the carboxylesterase and cytochrome P450-dependent mixed-function oxidase activities. Results also showed 16 and 25% ovicidal activity at concentrations of 0.057 and 0.14 mg ml(-1) of cantharidin, respectively. Field trials demonstrated cantharidin has a significant effect on both the first and second generations of C. pomonella larvae, but it exhibits a lower control efficiency than the chemical reference emamectin benzoate. Cantharidin may be considered a valuable tool for the control of codling moth.

Effectiveness of 12 Insecticides to a Laboratory Population of Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Newly Established in China.

The codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) is an economically important fruit pest that has spread rapidly from its original site in Xinjiang to other northwestern regions of China. Insecticides are widely used to control this pest but its invasion has never been completely stopped. The aim of this study was to establish a laboratory population of the codling moth occurring in China, to investigate the effectiveness of 12 conventional insecticides to this laboratory population, and to recommend the discriminating doses for use in resistance monitoring. The laboratory population was generally similar to other laboratory strains although parameters such as survival rate and larval duration were low when compared with field populations. Toxicity varied among the insecticides tested with LC50 values ranging from 0.016 mg/l for emamectin benzoate to 55.77 mg/l for chlorbenzuron. Discriminating dose levels were determined from dose-mortality reference curves for the detection of resistance in field populations. Effectiveness of 12 insecticides to a laboratory population of codling moth in China was evaluated for the first time. This can be integrated into resistance management strategies, especially in orchards with a history of frequent insecticides applications, in order to monitor or decrease insecticide resistance in the future.

The influence of surface oxide on the growth of metal/semiconductor nanowires.

We report the critical effects of oxide on the growth of nanostructures through silicide formation. Under an in situ ultrahigh vacuum transmission electron microscope, it is observed from the conversion of Si nanowires into the metallic PtSi grains epitaxially through controlled reactions between lithographically defined Pt pads and Si nanowires. With oxide, instead of contact area, single crystal PtSi grains start forming either near the center between two adjacent pads or from the ends of Si nanowires, resulting in the heterostructure formation of Si/PtSi/Si. Without oxide, transformation from Si into PtSi begins at the contact area between them, resulting in the heterostructure formation of PtSi/Si/PtSi. The nanowire heterostructures have an atomically sharp interface with epitaxial relationships of Si(20-2)//PtSi(10-1) and Si[111]//PtSi[111]. Additionally, it has been observed that the existence of oxide significantly affects not only the growth position but also the growth behavior and the growth rate by two orders of magnitude. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to support our experimental results and the proposed growth mechanisms. In addition to fundamental science, the significance of the study matters for future processing techniques in nanotechnology and related applications as well.