BmNPV p35 regulates apoptosis in Bombyx mori via a novel target of interaction with the BmVDAC2-BmRACK1 complex.

Voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2) is an important channel protein that plays a crucial role in the host response to viral infection. The receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) is also a key host factor involved in viral replication. Our previous research revealed that Bombyx mori VDAC2 (BmVDAC2) and B. mori RACK1 (BmRACK1) may interact with Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), though the specific molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the interaction between BmVDAC2 and BmRACK1 in the mitochondria was determined by various methods. We found that BmNPV p35 interacts directly with BmVDAC2 rather than BmRACK1. BmNPV infection significantly reduced the expression of BmVDAC2, and activated the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Overexpression of BmVDAC2 in BmN cells inhibited BmNPV-induced cytochrome c (cyto c) release, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential as well as apoptosis. Additionally, the inhibition of cyto c release by BmVDAC2 requires the involvement of BmRACK1 and protein kinase C. Interestingly, overexpression of p35 inhibited cyto c release during mitochondrial apoptosis in a RACK1 and VDAC2-dependent manner. Even the mutant p35, which loses Caspase inhibitory activity, could still bind to VDAC2 and inhibit cyto c release. In summary, our results indicated that BmNPV p35 interacts with the VDAC2-RACK1 complex to regulate apoptosis by inhibiting cyto c release. These findings confirm the interaction between BmVDAC2 and BmRACK1, the interaction between p35 and the VDAC2-RACK1 complex, and a novel target that BmNPV p35 regulates apoptosis in Bombyx mori via interaction with the BmVDAC2-BmRACK1 complex. The result provide an initial exploration of the function of this interaction in the BmNPV-induced mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.

Synthesis and characterization of azaborepin radicals in solid neon through boron-mediated C-N bond cleavage of pyridine.

The reactivity of pyridine is a complex topic due to its unique electronic structure. The reactions of atomic boron with pyridine molecules in solid neon have been investigated using matrix isolation infrared absorption spectroscopy. Three products (marked as A, B, and C) were observed and characterized through 10B, D and 15N isotopic substitution pyridine regents as well as quantum chemical calculations. In the reaction, the ground-state boron atom can attack the lone pair electrons of the nitrogen atom in the pyridine molecule, resulting in the formation of a 1-boropyridinyl radical (A). Alternatively, addition to the aromatic π-system of pyridine can occur in a [1,4] type, leading to the formation of a B[η2(1,4)-C5H5N] complex (B). Under UV-visible light (280 < λ < 580 nm) irradiation, these two compounds can further undergo photo-isomerization to form BN-embedded seven-membered azaborepin compounds (C). The observation of species A, B, and the subsequent photo-isomerization to species C is consistent with theoretical predictions, indicating that these reactions are kinetically favorable. This research provides valuable insights into the future design and synthesis of corresponding BN heterocyclic derivatives.

Heterogeneous Photodegradation Behavior of Liquid Crystal Monomers in Dust: Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship and Product Identification.

The heterogeneous photodegradation behavior of liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in standard dust (standard reference material, SRM 2583) and environmental dust was investigated. The measured photodegradation ratios for 23 LCMs in SRM and environmental dust in 12 h were 11.1 ± 1.8 to 23.2 ± 1.1% and 8.7 ± 0.5 to 24.0 ± 2.8%, respectively. The degradation behavior of different LCM compounds varied depending on their structural properties. A quantitative structure-activity relationship model for predicting the degradation ratio of LCMs in SRM dust was established, which revealed that the molecular descriptors related to molecular polarizability, electronegativity, and molecular mass were closely associated with LCMs' photodegradation. The photodegradation products of the LCM compound 4'-propoxy-4-biphenylcarbonitrile (PBIPHCN) in dust, including •OH oxidation, C-O bond cleavage, and ring-opening products, were identified by nontarget analysis, and the corresponding degradation pathways were suggested. Some of the identified products, such as 4'-hydroxyethoxy-4-biphenylcarbonitrile, showed predicted toxicity (with an oral rat lethal dose of 50%) comparable to that of PBIPHCN. The half-lives of the studied LCMs in SRM dust were estimated at 32.2-82.5 h by fitting an exponential decay curve to the observed photodegradation data. The photodegradation mechanisms of LCMs in dust were revealed for the first time, enhancing the understanding of LCMs' environmental behavior and risks.

Bmo-miR-6498-5p suppresses Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus infection by down-regulating BmPLPP2 to modulate pyridoxal phosphate content in B. mori.

The RNA interference pathway mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs) is one of the methods to defend against viruses in insects. Recent studies showed that miRNAs participate in viral infection by binding to target genes to regulate their expression. Here, we found that the Bombyx mori miRNA, miR-6498-5p was down-regulated, whereas its predicted target gene pyridoxal phosphate phosphatase PHOSPHO2 (BmPLPP2) was up-regulated upon Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) infection. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that miR-6498-5p targets BmPLPP2 and suppresses its expression. Furthermore, we found miR-6498-5p inhibits BmNPV genomic DNA (gDNA) replication, whereas BmPLPP2 promotes BmNPV gDNA replication. As a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) phosphatase (PLPP), the overexpression of BmPLPP2 results in a reduction of PLP content, whereas the knockdown of BmPLPP2 leads to an increase in PLP content. In addition, exogenous PLP suppresses the replication of BmNPV gDNA; in contrast, the PLP inhibitor 4-deoxypyridoxine facilitates BmNPV gDNA replication. Taken together, we concluded that miR-6498-5p has a potential anti-BmNPV role by down-regulating BmPLPP2 to modulate PLP content, but BmNPV induces miR-6498-5p down-regulation to promote its proliferation. Our findings provide valuable insights into the role of host miRNA in B. mori-BmNPV interaction. Furthermore, the identification of the antiviral molecule PLP offers a novel perspective on strategies for preventing and managing viral infection in sericulture.

Trajectory Groups of 72-Hour Heart Rate After Mechanical Thrombectomy and Outcomes.

Background and Purpose: Elevated heart rate (HR) after mechanical thrombectomy (MT) was associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. However, optimal HR management after MT remains unclear. This study aimed to identify patient subgroups with distinct HR trajectories after MT and explore their association with outcomes. Methods: Acute ischemic stroke patients undergoing MT therapy were prospectively recruited from July 2020 to December 2022. Their heart rate indicators were collected every hour for 72 hours after MT procedure. Latent variable mixture modeling was used to separate subjects into five groups with distinct HR trajectories. The primary outcome was poor functional outcome (mRS score >2) at 3 months. Additional outcome was all-cause mortality (mRS score = 6) at 3 months. Results: A total of 224 patients with large vessel occlusion were enrolled, with a mean age of 65.2+14.0 years. Eighty-seven patients had a good functional outcome, and 137 patients had a poor functional outcome. Five distinct HR trajectories were observed: low (19.2%), moderate (33.0%), rapidly stabilized HR group (20.5%), persistently high HR group (21.0%), and very high HR group (6.3%). After adjusting for potential confounders, the HR trajectory group was independently associated with poor functional outcome at 3 months (P for interaction = 0.022). The risk of having poor functional outcome was increased in the rapidly stabilized HR group (odds ratio, 3.18 [95% confidence interval, 1.10-9.19]), the persistently high HR group (odds ratio, 5.55 [95% confidence interval, 1.72-17.87]) and very high HR group (odds ratio, 18.32 [95% confidence interval, 2.20-95.52]) but not in the moderate group (odds ratio, 1.50 [95% confidence interval, 0.61-3.69]), when compared with the low HR group. No significant association was found between trajectory group and 3-month all-cause mortality. Conclusion: HR during the first 72 hours after MT may be categorized into distinct trajectory groups, which differ in relation to poor functional outcome event risks. The findings may help to recognize potential candidates for future HR control trials.

Bmo-miR-3351 modulates glutathione content and inhibits BmNPV proliferation by targeting BmGSTe6 in Bombyx mori.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play pivotal roles in the host response to invading pathogens. Among these pathogens, Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) is one of the main causes of substantial economic losses in sericulture, and there are relatively few studies on the specific functions of miRNAs in the B. mori-BmNPV interaction. Therefore, we conducted transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed (DE) messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and miRNAs in the midgut of 2 B. mori strains (BmNPV-susceptible strain P50 and BmNPV-resistant strain A35) after BmNPV infection. Through correlation analysis of the miRNA and mRNA data, we identified a comprehensive set of 21 miRNAs and 37 predicted target mRNAs. Notably, miR-3351, which has high expression in A35, exhibited remarkable efficacy in suppressing BmNPV proliferation. Additionally, we confirmed that miR-3351 binds to the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of B. mori glutathione S-transferase epsilon 6 (BmGSTe6), resulting in its downregulation. Conversely, BmGSTe6 displayed an opposite expression pattern to miR-3351, effectively promoting BmNPV proliferation. Notably, BmGSTe6 levels were positively correlated with glutathione S-transferase activity, consequently influencing intracellular glutathione content in the infected samples. Furthermore, our investigation revealed the protective role of glutathione against BmNPV infection in BmN cells. In summary, miR-3351 modulates glutathione content by downregulating BmGSTe6 to inhibit BmNPV proliferation in B. mori. Our findings enriched the research on the role of B. mori miRNAs in the defense against BmNPV infection, and suggests that the antiviral molecule, glutathione, offers a novel perspective on preventing viral infection in sericulture.

Connections between body composition and dysregulation of islet α- and ß-cells in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Accompanying islet α- and ß-cell dysregulation in type 2 diabetes (T2D) at the microscopic scale, alterations in body composition at the macroscopic scale may affect the pathogenesis of T2D. However, the connections between body composition and islet α-cell and ß-cell functions in T2D have not been thoroughly explored. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, we recruited a total of 729 Chinese Han patients with T2D in a consecutive manner. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure body composition, which included total bone-free mass, total fat and lean mass, trunk fat and lean mass and limb fat and lean mass. Every patient underwent an oral glucose tolerance test to simultaneously detect glucose, C-peptide and glucagon. The indices of islet α-cell function included fasting glucagon levels and the area under the curve of glucagon after a challenge (AUCglucagon), while the indices of ß-cell function included the insulin sensitivity index derived from C-peptide (ISIC-peptide) and the area under the curve of C-peptide after a challenge (AUCC-peptide). RESULTS: Among all patients, fat mass, especially trunk fat mass, was significantly correlated with ISIC-peptide and AUCC-peptide levels (r = - 0.330 and 0.317, respectively, p < 0.001), while lean mass, especially limb lean mass, was significantly correlated with fasting glucagon and AUCglucagon levels (r = - 0.196 and - 0.214, respectively, p < 0.001). Moreover, after adjusting for other relevant variables via multivariate linear regression analysis, increased trunk fat mass was independently associated with decreased ISIC-peptide (ß = - 0.247, t = - 3.628, p < 0.001, partial R2 = 10.9%) and increased AUCC-peptide (ß = 0.229, t = 3.581, p < 0.001, partial R2 = 8.2%), while decreased limb lean mass was independently associated with increased fasting glucagon (ß = - 0.226, t = - 2.127, p = 0.034, partial R2 = 3.8%) and increased AUCglucagon (ß = - 0.218, t = - 2.050, p = 0.041, partial R2 = 2.3%). Additionally, when separate analyses were performed with the same concept for both sexes, we found that increased trunk fat mass was still independently associated with decreased ISIC-peptide and increased AUCC-peptide, while decreased limb lean mass was still independently associated with increased fasting glucagon and AUCglucagon. CONCLUSIONS: Increased trunk fat mass may partly account for decreased insulin sensitivity and increased insulin secretion, while decreased limb lean mass may be connected to increased fasting glucagon and postprandial glucagon secretion.

Role of Lipocalin-2 in N1/N2 Neutrophil Polarization After Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophils and Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) play pivotal roles in cerebral ischemiareperfusion (I/R) injury. However, their contribution is not fully clarified. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the role of LCN2 and its association with neutrophil polarization in I/R injury. METHODS: A mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was used to induce cerebral ischemia. LCN2mAb was administered 1 h and Anti-Ly6G was administered for 3d before MCAO. The role of LCN2 in the polarity transition of neutrophils was explored using an in vitro HL-60 cell model. RESULTS: LCN2mAb pretreatment had neuroprotective effects in mice. The expression of Ly6G was not significantly different, but the expression of N2 neutrophils was increased. In the in vitro study, LCN2mAb-treated N1-HL-60 cells induced N2-HL-60 polarization. CONCLUSION: LCN2 may affect the prognosis of ischemic stroke by mediating neutrophil polarization.

Identification of Linear Epitopes in the C-Terminal Region of ASFV p72 Protein.

African swine fever, which is induced by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), poses a significant threat to the global pig industry due to its high lethality in domestic pigs and wild boars. Despite the severity of the disease, there is a lack of effective vaccines and drugs against the ASFV. The p72 protein, constituting 31 to 33% of the total virus particle mass, serves as the primary capsid protein of ASFV. It is a crucial antigen for the development of ASF subunit vaccines and serological diagnostic methods. In this investigation, 27 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were generated through mouse immunization with the truncated C-terminal p72 protein expressed by Escherichia coli. Among these, six mAbs exhibited binding to the p72 trimer, with their respective recognized epitopes identified as 542VTAHGINLIDKF553, 568GNAIKTP574, and 584FALKPREEY592. All three epitopes were situated within the interval sequences of functional units of the C-terminal jelly-roll barrel of p72. Notably, two epitopes, 568GNAIKTP574 and 584FALKPREEY592, were internal to the p72 trimer, while the epitope 542VTAHGINLIDKF553 was exposed on the surface of the trimer and consistently conserved across all ASFV genotypes. These findings enhance our comprehension of the antigenic function and structure of the p72 protein, facilitating the utilization of p72 in the development of diagnostic techniques for ASFV.

Glucose-regulated protein 94 facilitates the proliferation of the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus via inhibiting apoptosis.

Glucose regulatory protein 94 (GRP94) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident member of the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) family, that plays an important role in secreted protein folding. Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) is one of the main pathogens in sericulture, causing serious economic losses every year. Previous studies showed that HSP90 members promote BmNPV replication in silkworm, but the function of BmGRP94 in BmNPV infection and proliferation is still not understood. In this study, we investigated the interplay between BmGRP94 and BmNPV infection in silkworm. We first identified a single gene of BmGRP94 in the Bombyx mori genome, which encodes a polypeptide with 810 amino acids in length. Spatio-temporal expression profiles showed that BmGRP94 was highly expressed in hemocytes and midgut, and was significantly induced by BmNPV infection. Furthermore, overexpression of BmGRP94 facilitates viral proliferation, while BmGRP94 inhibition evidently decreased BmNPV proliferation in BmN cells and in silkworm midgut. Mechanistically, BmGRP94 inhibition triggers ER stress, as judged by increased expression of PERK/ATF4/ERO1, H2O2 production, and ER calcium efflux, which promotes cell apoptosis to restrict BmNPV replication in silkworm. These results suggest that BmGRP94 plays an important role in facilitating BmNPV proliferation, and provides a potential molecular target for BmNPV prevention.

Regulation of Bombyx mori ferritin heavy-chain homolog on ROS induces multiple effects on BmNPV replication.

Ferritin is an iron-binding protein composed of light-chain and heavy-chain homologs with a molecular weight of about 500 kDa. Free iron ions significantly affect reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Previous research has shown that Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) can increase ROS accumulation, activate autophagy, induce apoptosis, and upregulate the expression of B. mori ferritin heavy-chain homolog (BmFerHCH). However, the mechanism of mutual regulation between BmFerHCH and ROS-mediated autophagy and apoptosis induced by BmNPV remains unclear. In this study, we found that BmNPV induced the time-dependent accumulation of ROS in BmN cells, thereby promoting BmFerHCH expression. Interestingly, in BmFerHCH-overexpressed cells, BmNPV replication was inhibited in the first 18 h after infection but stimulated after 24 h. Further research on H2O2 or antioxidant-treated cells indicated that ROS-induced autophagy slightly increased in the early infection stage and increased BmNPV replication, while in the late stage, a large accumulation of ROS induced apoptosis and inhibited BmNPV replication. In this process, BmFerHCH inhibits BmNPV-induced ROS accumulation by chelating Fe2+. Taken together, BmFerHCH regulates ROS-mediated autophagy and apoptosis to achieve its various effects on BmNPV replication. These findings will help elucidate BmNPV-induced autophagy and apoptosis mediated by ROS and BmFerHCH, as well as the mutually fighting relationship between viruses and hosts.

Prognostic Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width and Hemoglobin in Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: The association between baseline red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and hemoglobin levels and outcomes after acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is not well studied. We aimed to investigate the association between baseline RDW and hemoglobin levels with early hematoma expansion (HE) and mortality at 3 months and 1 year in acute ICH patients. METHODS: A total of 393 ICH patients from January 2014 to February 2019 were included. Patients were divided into four groups based on quartiles of RDW and hemoglobin levels at admission, respectively. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the effect of the levels of RDW and hemoglobin on early HE (absolute hematoma growth >6 mL from baseline to follow-up) and allcaused mortality at 3 months and 1 year. RESULTS: There were no significant associations between baseline RDW and hemoglobin levels and early HE. The 3-month mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.88; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.96-8.64) and 1-year mortality (adjusted OR 3.16, 95% CI 1.08-9.21) was significantly higher in patients with the highest RDW level (Q4) compared to those with the lowest RDW level (Q1). Moreover, patients with the lowest hemoglobin level were significantly associated with increased odds of all-cause mortality at 3-month (adjusted OR 3.95, 95% CI 1.26-12.4) and 1-year (adjusted OR 4.42, 95% CI 1.56-12.5) compared to those with highest hemoglobin level. CONCLUSION: In patients with acute ICH, a higher level of RDW at admission significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality at 1 year. Moreover, a decreased hemoglobin level at admission was also associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality at 3 months and 1 year.

The prognostic value of deep earlobe creases in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background and purpose: Data on earlobe crease (ELC) among patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are limited. Here, we determined the frequency and characteristics of ELC and the prognostic effect of ELC among AIS patients. Methods: A total of 936 patients with acute AIS were enrolled during the period between December 2018 and December 2019. The patients were divided into those without and with ELC, unilateral and bilateral ELC, and shallow and deep ELC, according to the photographs taken of the bilateral ears. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the effect of ELC, bilateral ELC, and deep ELC on poor functional outcomes at 90 days (a modified Rankin Scale score ≥2) in AIS patients. Results: Among the 936 AIS patients, there were 746 (79.7%) patients with ELC. Among patients with ELC, there were 156 (20.9%) patients with unilateral ELC and 590 (79.1%) with bilateral ELC and 476 (63.8%) patients with shallow ELC and 270 (36.2%) with deep ELC. After adjusting for age, sex, baseline NIHSS score, and other potential covariates, patients with deep ELC were associated with a 1.87-fold [odds ratio (OR) 1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-3.09] and 1.63-fold (OR 1.63; 95%CI, 1.14-2.34) increase in the risk of poor functional outcome at 90 days in comparison with those without ELC or shallow ELC. Conclusion: ELC was a common phenomenon, and eight out of ten AIS patients had ELC. Most patients had bilateral ELC, and more than one-third had deep ELC. Deep ELC was independently associated with an increased risk of poor functional outcome at 90 days.

The potential of biochar as a microbial carrier for agricultural and environmental applications.

Biochar can be an effective carrier for microbial inoculants because of its favourable properties promoting microbial life. In this review, we assess the effectiveness of biochar as a microbial carrier for agricultural and environmental applications. Biochar is enriched with organic carbon, contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as nutrients, and has a high porosity and moisture-holding capacity. The large number of active hydroxyl, carboxyl, sulfonic acid group, amino, imino, and acylamino hydroxyl and carboxyl functional groups are effective for microbial cell adhesion and proliferation. The use of biochar as a carrier of microbial inoculum has been shown to enhance the persistence, survival and colonization of inoculated microbes in soil and plant roots, which play a crucial role in soil biochemical processes, nutrient and carbon cycling, and soil contamination remediation. Moreover, biochar-based microbial inoculants including probiotics effectively promote plant growth and remediate soil contaminated with organic pollutants. These findings suggest that biochar can serve as a promising substitute for non-renewable substrates, such as peat, to formulate and deliver microbial inoculants. The future research directions in relation to improving the carrier material performance and expanding the potential applications of this emerging biochar-based microbial immobilization technology have been proposed.

Effects of Different Etiologies of Anterior Circulation Tandem Lesions on Short-term Prognosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

INTRODUCTION: The prognosis of anterior circulation tandem lesions caused by carotid artery dissection (CAD) and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) after mechanical thrombectomy is controversial. By analyzing the clinical data of different etiologies, we explored the best treatment plan. METHODS: Clinical data of patients with anterior circulation tandem lesions admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from April 2018 to October 2021 were retrospectively collected. The Modified Rankin Scale was used as the standard to evaluate the functional prognosis of patients at 3 months. Safety assessment included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and mortality. The technical evaluation of interventional procedures included operation time, successful recanalization, and times of pass. RESULTS: 74 patients were enrolled, 59 in the LAA group and 15 in the CAD group. The two groups were similar regarding the proportion of successful recanalization, the bridge treatment and the choice of surgical instruments. The puncture to recanalization time and the onset of symptoms to successful recanalization time had no significant difference (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in hemorrhage transformation (p = 0.26), sICH (p > 0.999), good functional prognosis (p = 0.054), and mortality (p = 0.181) between the two groups. We found a trend toward a better functional outcome at 3 months in the CAD group (p = 0.054). CONCLUSION: The tandem lesions of anterior circulation caused by CAD tend to have a good functional prognosis in 3 months. The proportion of successful recanalization and surgical safety was similar between the two groups.

RNA methyltransferase BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 in silkworm (Bombyx mori) and the regulation of silkworm embryonic development.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a ubiquitous reversible epigenetic RNA modification that plays an important role in regulating many biological processes, especially embryonic development. However, regulation of m6A methylation during silkworm embryonic development and diapause remains to be investigated. In this study, we analyzed the phylogeny of subunits of methyltransferases BmMettl3 and BmMettl14, and detected the expression patterns of BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 in different tissues and at different developmental stages in silkworm. To investigate the function of m6A on the development of silkworm embryo, we analyzed the m6A/A ratio in diapause and diapause termination eggs. The results showed that BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 were highly expressed in gonads and eggs. Moreover, the expression of BmMettl3 and BmMettl14 and the m6A/A ratio were significantly increased in diapause termination eggs compared with diapause eggs in the early stage of silkworm embryonic development. Furthermore, in BmN cell cycle experiments, the percentage of cells in the S phase increased when lacking BmMettl3 or BmMettl14. This work contributes to understanding the role of m6A methylation during insect embryogenesis and gametogenesis. It also provides a research orientation to further analyze the role of m6A methylation in diapause initiation and termination during insect embryonic development.

Public Opinions on Stray Cats in China, Evidence from Social Media Data.

The management of stray cats is often contentious because public perceptions about these animals are different. Using user-generated content from Weibo, this study investigated Chinese citizens' opinions on stray cats on a large scale. Through the techniques of natural language processing, we obtained each Weibo post's topics and sentiment propensity. The results showed that: (1) there were some irresponsible feeding behaviors among citizens; (2) public perceptions of the ecological impacts caused by stray cats were unlike; (3) the trap-neuter-return (TNR) method served high support in public discussion; (4) knowledge about stray cats' ecological impacts was positively correlated with support for the lethal control methods in management. Based on these findings, we suggested that management policies should be dedicated to (1) communicating to the (potential) cat feeders about the negative aspects of irresponsible feeding behaviors; (2) raising "ecological awareness" campaigns for the public as well as highlighting the environmental impacts caused by stray cats; (3) understanding citizens' perceptions toward different management scenarios and making decisions accordingly. In addition, this study also suggested that social media data can provide useful information about people's opinions on wild animals and their management. Policies would benefit by taking this source of information into the decision-making process.

Mitigation Effect of Dense "Water Network" on Heavy PM2.5 Pollution: A Case Model of the Twain-Hu Basin, Central China.

The influence of the underlying surface on the atmospheric environment over rivers and lakes is not fully understood. To improve our understanding, this study targeted the Twain-Hu Basin (THB) in central China, with a unique underlying surface comprising a dense "water network" over rivers and lakes. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) was used to simulate the impact of this dense "water network" on a wintertime heavy PM2.5 pollution event in the THB. On this basis, the regulating effects of density and area of the lake groups, with centralized big lakes (CBLs) and discrete small lakes (DSLs), on PM2.5 concentrations over the underlying surface of the dense "water network" in the THB were clarified, and the relative contributions of thermal factors and water vapor factors in the atmospheric boundary layer to the variation of PM2.5 concentrations were evaluated. The results show that the underlying surface of dense "water networks" in the THB generally decreases the PM2.5 concentrations, but the influences of different lake-group types are not uniform in spatial distribution. The CBLs can reduce the PM2.5 concentrations over the lake and its surroundings by 4.90-17.68% during the day and night. The ability of DSLs in reducing PM2.5 pollution is relatively weak, with the reversed contribution between -5.63% and 1.56%. Thermal factors and water vapor-related factors are the key meteorological drivers affecting the variation of PM2.5 concentrations over the underlying surface of dense "water networks". The warming and humidification effects of such underlying surfaces contribute positively and negatively to the "purification" of air pollution, respectively. The relative contributions of thermal factors and water vapor-related factors are 52.48% and 43.91% for CBLs and 65.96% and 27.31% for DSLs, respectively. The "purification" effect of the underlying surface with a dense "water network" in the THB on regional air pollution highlights the importance of environmental protection of inland rivers and lakes in regional environmental governance. In further studies on the atmospheric environment, long-term studies are necessary, including fine measurements in terms of meteorology and the environment and more comprehensive simulations under different scenarios.

Reactive oxygen species-mediated phosphorylation of JNK is involved in the regulation of BmFerHCH on Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus proliferation.

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation is widely observed during virus infection, modulating various aspects of the virus-host interaction. In our previous research, we have proved that B. mori ferritin heavy-chain homolog (BmFerHCH), an inhibitor of reactive oxygen species (ROS), facilitates B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) proliferation. However, one question remains: Which downstream signaling pathways does BmFerHCH regulate by inhibiting ROS? Here, we first determined that silencing BmFerHCH inhibits BmNPV proliferation, and this inhibition depends on ROS. Then, we substantiated that BmNPV infection activates the JNK signaling pathway. Interestingly, the JNK phosphorylation during BmNPV infection is activated by ROS. Further, we found that the enhanced nuclear translocation of phospho-JNK induced by BmNPV infection was dramatically reduced by pretreatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC), whereas there was more detectable phospho-JNK in the cytoplasm. Next, we investigated how changes in BmFerHCH expression affect JNK phosphorylation. BmFerHCH overexpression suppressed the phosphorylation of JNK and nuclear translocation of phospho-JNK during BmNPV infection, whereas BmFerHCH knockdown facilitated phosphorylation of JNK and nuclear translocation of phospho-JNK. By measuring the viral load, we found the inhibitory effect of BmFerHCH knockdown on BmNPV infection depends on phosphorylated JNK. In addition, the JNK signaling pathway was involved in BmNPV-triggered apoptosis. Hence, we hypothesize that ROS-mediated JNK phosphorylation is involved in the regulation of BmFerHCH on BmNPV proliferation. These results elucidate the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways of BmFerHCH-mediated response to BmNPV infection.

[Vertical Distribution Characteristics of Boundary Layer Volatile Organic Compounds in Autumn in the Mixed Industrial and Rural Areas over the Northern Suburb of Nanjing].

Based on the sounding data of VOCs in the lower troposphere (0-1000 m) in the northern suburb of Nanjing in the autumn of 2020, the vertical profile distribution, diurnal variation, and photochemical reactivity of VOCs in this area were analyzed. The results showed that the volume fraction of VOCs decreased with the increase in height (72.1×10-9±28.1×10-9-56.4×10-9±24.8×10-9). Alkanes at all heights accounted for the largest proportion (68%-75%), followed by aromatics (10%-12%), halohydrocarbons (10%-11%), alkenes (3%-7%), and acetylene (2%). The diurnal variation of the boundary layer had a great influence on the VOCs profile. The lower boundary layer in the morning and evening caused the volume fraction of VOCs to accumulate near the ground and lower in the upper layer. The vertical distribution of VOCs was more uniform in the afternoon. In the morning, the volume fraction proportion of alkenes (alkanes) with strong (weak) photochemical reactivity decreased (increased) with the increase in height, indicating that the photochemical aging of VOCs in the upper layer was significant. In the afternoon, the vertical distribution of VOCs volume fraction and OFP in the lower troposphere were more uniform. Affected by the surrounding air masses with different sources, the volume fraction and component proportion of VOCs at each height were significantly different. The alkanes in rural air masses were vertically evenly distributed, and the proportion increased gradually with the height. The vertical negative gradient of VOCs volume fraction in the urban air mass was the largest, the volume fraction of VOCs near the ground was high, and it was rich in aromatics. The proportion of aromatics increased with the increase in VOCs volume fraction between 200-400 m height of industrial air mass. The near-surface VOCs volume fraction of the highway traffic air mass was high, and alkanes accounted for the largest proportion.