Effect of Variable Temperature on the Development of Eucryptorrhynchus brandti (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Temperature is one of the most important abiotic factors that influences the development and growth of insects. We investigated the effect of temperature on the development of the weevil Eucryptorrhynchus brandti (Harold). The developmental zeros and effective accumulated temperatures for different developmental stages of E. brandti were estimated under variable temperatures in the laboratory. We observed that the developmental zeros of eggs, larvae, and pupae were 15.27 °C, 20.86 °C, and 14.04 °C, respectively, and the effective accumulated temperatures were 81.46 °C·d, 293.76 °C·d, and 127.76 °C·d, respectively. The rate of development increased as the temperature increased within a particular temperature range, and temperatures from 30 °C to 31 °C were particularly suitable for E. brandti rearing. Based on these results, we may be able to predict the occurrence of E. brandti, providing a reference for physical control measures targeting adults to effectively reduce oviposition and minimize population expansion.

[Effect of menopausal status on onset of impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes mellitus].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between menopausal status at different FPG levels and the risk of new onset of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Female subjects were selected from the females who joined in the epidemiological survey between May and September in 2009 in six counties of Guanlin Village and Xushe Village in Yixing City in Jiangsu Province by cluster sampling method. Subjects with diabetes at baseline or pre-menopause with age above 65 years old or surgical menopause were excluded. Finally there were 2 084 eligible subjects included in this study. According to FPG at baseline, subjects were categorized into two groups as normal FPG group (FPG<5.6 mmol/L) and IFG group (5.6≤FPG≤6.9 mmol/L). Follow-up study was conducted from May in 2014 to January in 2016. Cox regression model was used to investigate the association between menopausal factors and IFG and T2DM among groups based on FPG. Results: The average age of subjects at baseline was 58.08 (51.74-65.82) years old, and the number of post-menopausal women was 1 631 (78.3%). The number of subjects in normal FPG group was 1 569 (75.3%), and in IFG group was 515 (24.7%). There were 104 subjects with new onset T2DM among which 34 subjects from normal FPG group and 70 subjects from IFG group. And there were 199 subjects with new onset IFG in normal FPG group. Among subjects with normal FPG, the incidence density of IFG in post-menopausal women (2 752/100 000 person-years) was statistically higher than that in premenopausal women (1 670/100 000 person-years) (P<0.001). After age and BMI adjusted, post-menopausal women had a higher risk of having IFG in normal FPG subjects with hazard ratio (HR) at 2.60 (P<0.001). Among subjects with normal FPG, the risk of new onset IFG decreased in post-menopausal women with menopause age increasing after age and BMI adjusted, with HR at 0.96 (P=0.046). No statistical association was found between menopausal factors and risk of T2DM either in the overall subjects or in the subgroups(P>0.05). Conclusion: Menopause can increase the risk of IFG incidence in subjects with normal FPG. The incidence of IFG decreases with the menopause age increasing.

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for Predicting and Monitoring Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma Treatment Response.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Whether ADC value predicts the therapy response and outcomes of primary central system lymphoma remains controversial. This study assessed the minimum ADC correlated with treatment response in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma undergoing methotrexate-based chemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma underwent conventional MR imaging and DWI before chemotherapy and after 1 and 5 cycles of chemotherapy. Treatment response was determined according to the International PCNSL Collaborative Group criteria and was classified as a complete response, partial response, or progressive disease. Pretreatment minimum ADC, minimum ADC after 1 cycle, minimum ADC after 5 cycles, and change in minimum ADC were compared among the different response groups. The Pearson correlation test was calculated between these ADC parameters and tumor response. RESULTS: The pretreatment minimum ADC of the progressive disease group was lower than that of the complete response and partial response groups, but there was no significant difference among them. The minimum ADC after 1 cycle and minimum ADC after 5 cycles were statistically significantly higher than the pretreatment minimum ADC. A comparison among groups showed that minimum ADC after 1 cycle, minimum ADC after 5 cycles, minimum ADC change, and the percentage of minimum ADC change were all significantly different among the 3 groups. A significant positive correlation was observed between the percentage of minimum ADC after 1 cycle of chemotherapy and the size reduction percentage after 5 cycles of chemotherapy. The minimum ADC change and the percentage of minimum ADC change performed better in the differentiation of the final treatment response, specifically in complete response and partial response from progressive disease. CONCLUSIONS: The minimum ADC after 1 cycle and minimum ADC changes were better correlated with the treatment response than the pretreatment minimum ADC. Minimum ADC after early therapy may potentially to be used to predict and monitor the response of primary central nervous system lymphoma to chemotherapy.

Cost-effectiveness of Lamivudine, Telbivudine, Adefovir Dipivoxil and Entecavir on decompensated hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of lamivudine (LMV), telbivudine (LdT), adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) and entecavir (ETV) on decompensated hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 1332 patients with decompensated hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis were randomly assigned into 5 groups with different clinical treatment including LMV treatment, LdT treatment, ADV treatment, LMV+ADV treatment and ETV treatment. And then the liver function, Child-Pugh scores, sero-conversion of HBeAg/HBeAb, polymerase gene mutations, cost-effectiveness, incremental cost-effectiveness and side effects were investigated and further analyzed. RESULTS: LMV, ADV, LdT, LMV+ADV and ETV were all effective on decreasing Child-Pugh scores and conversing negatively hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA and HBeAg, whereas LMV+ADV and ETV more effective than LMV, ADV and LdT. HBV DNA polymerase genotypic mutations were rare in the 5 groups. The less mutation rate was found in the LMV+ADV and ETV group than in the LMV, ADV and LdT group. Compared to the cost-effectiveness and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, ETV was the optimal selection, LMV+ADV was the alternative selection and LMV was the cheapest option. The side effects of the 5 plans were all rare and could be controlled. CONCLUSIONS: LMV, ADV, LdT, LMV+ADV and ETV were all effective on treatment of decompensated hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis whereas ETV and LMV+ADV were recommended.

Areas of potential suitability and survival of Dendroctonus valens in China under extreme climate warming scenario.

The areas in China with climates suitable for the potential distribution of the pest species red turpentine beetle (RTB) Dendroctonus valens LeConte (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) were predicted by CLIMEX based on historical climate data and future climate data with warming estimated. The model used a historical climate data set (1971-2000) and a simulated climate data set (2010-2039) provided by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change (TYN SC 2.0). Based on the historical climate data, a wide area was available in China with a suitable climate for the beetle in which every province might contain suitable habitats for this pest, particularly all of the southern provinces. The northern limit of the distribution of the beetle was predicted to reach Yakeshi and Elunchun in Inner Mongolia, and the western boundary would reach to Keerkezi in Xinjiang Province. Based on a global-warming scenario, the area with a potential climate suited to RTB in the next 30 years (2010-2039) may extend further to the northeast. The northern limit of the distribution could reach most parts of south Heilongjiang Province, whereas the western limit would remain unchanged. Combined with the tendency for RTB to spread, the variation in suitable habitats within the scenario of extreme climate warming and the multiple geographical elements of China led us to assume that, within the next 30 years, RTB would spread towards the northeast, northwest, and central regions of China and could be a potentially serious problem for the forests of China.

Characterization of novel microsatellite markers for Hyphantria cunea and implications for other Lepidoptera.

This is the first report of microsatellite markers (simple sequence repeats, SSR) for fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), an important quarantine pest in some European and Asian countries. Here, we developed 48 microsatellite markers for H. cunea from SSR enrichment libraries. Sequences isolated from libraries were sorted into four categories and analyzed. Our results suggest that sequences classified as Grouped should not be used for microsatellite primer design. The genetic diversity of microsatellite loci was assessed in 72 individuals from three populations. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 5 with an average of 3. The observed and expected heterozygosities of loci ranged from 0 to 0.958 and 0 to 0.773, respectively. A total of 18 out of 153 locus/population combinations deviated significantly from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Moreover, significant linkage disequilibrium was detected in one pair of loci (1275 pairs in total). In the neutral test, two loci were grouped into the candidate category for positive selection and the remainder into the neutral category. In addition, a complex mutation pattern was observed for these loci, and F ST performed better than did R ST for the estimation of population differentiation in different mutation patterns. The results of the present study can be used for population genetic studies of H. cunea.