Geomorphic impacts within Red River Fault and island shifting as witnessed by the phylogeography of the largest water strider.

Palaeogeological events and climate oscillations profoundly impact the demographics and distributions of small-range species, increasing the extinction risk. The largest water strider worldwide, Gigantometra gigas (Hemiptera: Gerridae), exhibits restricted distributions in Vietnam and southern China. Herein, we generated three genomic datasets (mitogenomes, 146 nuclear protein-coding genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms) with ecological niche modelling (ENM) to explicitly test whether the present-day distribution of G. gigas actually resulted from geographical and climatic effects. We found that the origin of this largest water strider reached the divergence time of the genus within Gerridae, providing a greater opportunity to explore its response to geographic movements. The right-lateral motion of the Red River Fault facilitated the divergence of two phylogeographic lineages, resulting in the "north-south component" genetic pattern in G. gigas. The Hainan and southeast Vietnam populations of the southern linage were completely separated by the Beibu Gulf but exhibited similar genetic compositions, confirming that Hainan had a continental origin and that Hainan Island joined with the Indo-China Peninsula to promote gene exchange among populations. Additionally, we noticed the low genetic diversity but long demographic history of the northern lineage, which displayed population dynamics opposite to those of other organisms. Integrating the demographic changes and ENM findings revealed that suitable habitat contraction and rapid demographic decline during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) triggered the low genetic diversity of the northern lineage. Overall, the demographic history of the largest water strider was mainly shaped by geographical features, and first provided evidence from the phylogeographic perspective of aquatic insects to support the hypothesis of Hainan Island shifting.

Effects of Florfenicol on Intestinal Histology, Apoptosis and Gut Microbiota of Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis).

Excessive use of antibiotics in aquaculture causes residues in aquatic animal products and harms human health. However, knowledge of florfenicol (FF) toxicology on gut health and microbiota and their resulting relationships in economic freshwater crustaceans is scarce. Here, we first investigated the influence of FF on the intestinal health of Chinese mitten crabs, and then explored the role of bacterial community in FF-induced intestinal antioxidation system and intestinal homeostasis dysbiosis. A total of 120 male crabs (48.5 ± 4.5 g) were experimentally treated in four different concentrations of FF (0, 0.5, 5 and 50 µg/L) for 14 days. Responses of antioxidant defenses and changes of gut microbiota were assessed in the intestine. Results revealed that FF exposure induced significant histological morphology variation. FF exposure also enhanced immune and apoptosis characteristics in the intestine after 7 days. Moreover, antioxidant enzyme catalase activities showed a similar pattern. The intestinal microbiota community was analyzed based on full-length 16S rRNA sequencing. Only the high concentration group showed a marked decrease in microbial diversity and change in its composition after 14 days of exposure. Relative abundance of beneficial genera increased on day 14. These findings illustrate that exposure to FF could cause intestinal dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis in Chinese mitten crabs, which provides new insights into the relationship between gut health and gut microbiota in invertebrates following exposure to persistent antibiotics pollutants.

Wnt7b/ß-catenin signaling pathway mediated by retinoid acid involved in the transdifferentiation of primary fetal alveolar epithelial type II cells.

This study was designed to investigate the roles of retinoic acid (RA) in transdifferentiation of primary fetal alveolar epithelial type II cells (AECIIs) into alveolar epithelial type I cells (AECIs). Primary fetal AECIIs isolated from rats at a gestational of 19 days were divided into: (i) DMSO group treated using 0.1% DMSO; (ii) RA group, treated with 1 µM RA; and (iii) RA+BMS493 group treated with 1 µM RA and 10-8 M BMS493 (served as a pan-RA receptor antagonist). Then we determined the roles of AQP5 (a specific marker of AECIs), SP-C (a specific marker for AECIIs) and Wnt7b/ß- catenin signaling pathway in the transdifferentiation of AECIIs to AECIs. SP-C mRNA and protein expression was significantly down-regulated in AECIIs exposure to RA for 24 h and 48 h, however, significant up-regulation was noticed after exposure for 72 h. AQP5 mRNA and protein expression showed significant increase in RA group, but showed significant decline in the RA+BMS493 group. Wnt7b mRNA, nucleus ß-catenin and cyclin D1 were significantly up-regulated in RA group compared with DMSO group. RA may promote fetal AECIIs transdifferentiation into AECIs through activating Wnt7b/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Our study contributed to the understanding on the pulmonary regeneration in cases of pulmonary injuries, together with the prevention and treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

Metagenomic analysis reveals the influences of milk containing antibiotics on the rumen microbes of calves.

Milk containing antibiotics is used as cost-effective feed for calves, which may lead to antibiotic residues-associated food safety problems. This study aims to investigate the influence of antibiotics on rumen microbes. Through metagenomic sequencing, the rumen microbial communities of calves fed with pasteurized milk containing antibiotics (B1), milk containing antibiotics (B2) and fresh milk (B3) were explored. Each milk group included calves in 2 (T1), 3 (T2) and 6 (T3) months of age. Using FastQC software and SOAPdenovo 2, the filtered data, respectively, were performed with quality control and sequence splicing. Following KEGG annotation was conducted for the uploaded sequences using KAAS software. Using R software, both species abundance analysis and differential abundance analysis were performed. In the B1 samples, the species abundance of Bacteroidetes gradually decreased along with the extension of feeding time, while that of Fibrobacteres gradually increased. The species abundances of Proteobacteria (p value = 0.01) and Spirochaetes (p value = 0.03) had significant differences among T1, T2 and T3 samples. Meanwhile, only the species abundance of Spirochaetes (p value = 0.04) had significant difference among B1, B2 and B3 samples. Cell cycle involving GSK3ß, CDK2 and CDK7 was significantly enriched for the differentially expressed genes in the T1 versus T2 and T1 versus T3 comparison groups. Milk containing antibiotics might have a great influence on these rumen microbes and lead to antibiotic residues-associated food safety problems. Furthermore, GSK3ß, CDK2 and CDK7 in rumen bacteria might affect milk fat metabolism in early growth stages of calves.

Deep Sequencing and Screening of Differentially Expressed MicroRNAs Related to Milk Fat Metabolism in Bovine Primary Mammary Epithelial Cells.

Milk fat is a key factor affecting milk quality and is also a major trait targeted in dairy cow breeding. To determine how the synthesis and the metabolism of lipids in bovine milk is regulated at the miRNA level, primary mammary epithelial cells (pMEC) derived from two Chinese Holstein dairy cows that produced extreme differences in milk fat percentage were cultured by the method of tissue nubbles culture. Small RNA libraries were constructed from each of the two pMEC groups, and Solexa sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were then used to determine the abundance of miRNAs and their differential expression pattern between pMECs. Target genes and functional prediction of differentially expressed miRNAs by Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis illustrated their roles in milk fat metabolism. Results show that a total of 292 known miRNAs and 116 novel miRNAs were detected in both pMECs. Identification of known and novel miRNA candidates demonstrated the feasibility and sensitivity of sequencing at the cellular level. Additionally, 97 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between the pMECs. Finally, three miRNAs including bta-miR-33a, bta-miR-152 and bta-miR-224 whose predicted target genes were annotated to the pathway of lipid metabolism were screened and verified by real-time qPCR and Western-blotting experiments. This study is the first comparative profiling of the miRNA transcriptome in pMECs that produce different milk fat content.

An agile monopedal hopping quadcopter with synergistic hybrid locomotion.

Nature abounds with examples of superior mobility through the fusion of aerial and ground movement. Drawing inspiration from such multimodal locomotion, we introduce a high-performance hybrid hopping and flying robot. The proposed robot seamlessly integrates a nano quadcopter with a passive telescopic leg, overcoming limitations of previous jumping mechanisms that rely on stance phase leg actuation. Based on the identified dynamics, a thrust-based control method and detachable active aerodynamic surfaces were devised for the robot to perform continuous jumps with and without position feedback. This unique design and actuation strategy enable tuning of jump height and reduced stance phase duration, leading to agile hopping locomotion. The robot recorded an average vertical hopping speed of 2.38 meters per second at a jump height of 1.63 meters. By harnessing multimodal locomotion, the robot is capable of intermittent midflight jumps that result in substantial instantaneous accelerations and rapid changes in flight direction, offering enhanced agility and versatility in complex environments. The passive leg design holds potential for direct integration with conventional rotorcraft, unlocking seamless hybrid hopping and flying locomotion.

One-wire reconfigurable and damage-tolerant sensor matrix inspired by the auditory tonotopy.

Sensor matrices are essential in various fields including robotics, aviation, health care, and industrial machinery. However, conventional sensor matrix systems often face challenges such as limited reconfigurability, complex wiring, and poor robustness. To address these issues, we introduce a one-wire reconfigurable sensor matrix that is capable of conforming to three-dimensional curved surfaces and resistant to cross-talk and fractures. Our frequency-located technology, inspired by the auditory tonotopy, reduces the number of output wires from row × column to a single wire by superimposing the signals of all sensor units with unique frequency identities. The sensor units are connected through a shared redundant network, giving great freedom for reconfiguration and facilitating quick repairs. The one-wire frequency-located technology is demonstrated in two applications-a pressure sensor matrix and a pressure-temperature multimodal sensor matrix. In addition, we also show its potential in monitoring strain distribution in an airplane wing, emphasizing its advantages in simplified wiring and improved robustness.

Van der Waals Exfoliation Processed Biopiezoelectric Submucosa Ultrathin Films.

Piezoelectric biomaterials have attracted significant attention due to the potential effect of piezoelectricity on biological tissues and their versatile applications. However, the high cost and complexity of assembling and domain aligning biomolecules at a large scale, and the disordered arrangement of piezoelectric domains as well as the lack of ferroelectricity in natural biological tissues remain a roadblock toward practical applications. Here, utilizing the weak van der Waals interaction in the layered structure of small intestinal submucosa (SIS), a van der Waals exfoliation (vdWE) process is reported to fabricate ultrathin films down to the thickness of the effective piezoelectric domain. Based on that, the piezoelectric property is revealed of SIS stemming from the collagen fibril, with piezoelectric coefficients up to 4.1 pm V-1 and in-plane polarization orientation parallel to the fibril axis. Furthermore, a biosensor based on the vdWE-processed SIS film with an in-plane electrode is demonstrated that produces open-circuit voltages of ≈250 mV under the cantilever vibration condition. The vdWE method shows great potential in facilely fabricating ultrathin films of soft tissues and biosensors.

Super-resolution wearable electrotactile rendering system.

The human somatosensory system is capable of extracting features with millimeter-scale spatial resolution and submillisecond temporal precision. Current technologies that can render tactile stimuli with such high definition are neither portable nor easily accessible. Here, we present a wearable electrotactile rendering system that elicits tactile stimuli with both high spatial resolution (76 dots/cm2) and rapid refresh rates (4 kHz), because of a previously unexplored current-steering super-resolution stimulation technique. For user safety, we present a high-frequency modulation method to reduce the stimulation voltage to as low as 13 V. The utility of our high spatiotemporal tactile rendering system is highlighted in applications such as braille display, virtual reality shopping, and digital virtual experiences. Furthermore, we integrate our setup with tactile sensors to transmit fine tactile features through thick gloves used by firefighters, allowing tiny objects to be localized based on tactile sensing alone.

Wide-Bandwidth Nanocomposite-Sensor Integrated Smart Mask for Tracking Multiphase Respiratory Activities.

Wearing masks has been a recommended protective measure due to the risks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) even in its coming endemic phase. Therefore, deploying a "smart mask" to monitor human physiological signals is highly beneficial for personal and public health. This work presents a smart mask integrating an ultrathin nanocomposite sponge structure-based soundwave sensor (≈400 µm), which allows the high sensitivity in a wide-bandwidth dynamic pressure range, i.e., capable of detecting various respiratory sounds of breathing, speaking, and coughing. Thirty-one subjects test the smart mask in recording their respiratory activities. Machine/deep learning methods, i.e., support vector machine and convolutional neural networks, are used to recognize these activities, which show average macro-recalls of ≈95% in both individual and generalized models. With rich high-frequency (≈4000 Hz) information recorded, the two-/tri-phase coughs can be mapped while speaking words can be identified, demonstrating that the smart mask can be applicable as a daily wearable Internet of Things (IoT) device for respiratory disease identification, voice interaction tool, etc. in the future. This work bridges the technological gap between ultra-lightweight but high-frequency response sensor material fabrication, signal transduction and processing, and machining/deep learning to demonstrate a wearable device for potential applications in continual health monitoring in daily life.

Comparative Genomic Analysis Determines the Functional Genes Related to Bile Salt Resistance in Lactobacillus salivarius.

Lactobacillus salivarius has drawn attention because of its promising probiotic functions. Tolerance to the gastrointestinal tract condition is crucial for orally administrated probiotics to exert their functions. However, previous studies of L. salivarius have only focused on the bile salt resistance of particular strains, without uncovering the common molecular mechanisms of this species. Therefore, in this study, we expanded our research to 90 L. salivarius strains to explore their common functional genes for bile salt resistance. First, the survival rates of the 90 L. salivarius strains in 0.3% bile salt solutions were determined. Comparative genomics analysis was then performed to screen for the potential functional genes related to bile salt tolerance. Next, real-time polymerase chain reaction and gene knockout experiments were conducted to further verify the tolerance-related functional genes. The results indicated that the strain-dependent bile salt tolerance of L. salivarius was mainly associated with four peptidoglycan synthesis-related genes, seven phosphotransferase system-related genes, and one chaperone-encoding gene involved in the stress response. Among them, the GATase1-encoding gene showed the most significant association with bile salt tolerance. In addition, four genes related to DNA damage repair and substance transport were redundant in the strains with high bile salt tolerance. Besides, cluster analysis showed that bile salt hydrolases did not contribute to the bile salt tolerance of L. salivarius. In this study, we determined the global regulatory genes, including LSL_1568, LSL_1716 and LSL_1709, for bile salt tolerance in L. salivarius and provided a potential method for the rapid screening of bile salt-tolerant L. salivarius strains, based on PCR amplification of functional genes.

Niche-Specific Adaptive Evolution of Lactobacillus plantarum Strains Isolated From Human Feces and Paocai.

Lactobacillus plantarum, a widely used probiotic in the food industry, exists in diverse habitats, which has led to its niche-specific genetic evolution. However, the relationship between this type of genetic evolution and the bacterial phenotype remains unclear. Here, six L. plantarum strains derived from paocai and human feces were analyzed at the genomic and phenotypic levels to investigate the features of adaptive evolution in different habitats. A comparative genomic analysis showed that 93 metabolism-related genes underwent structural variations (SVs) during adaptive evolution, including genes responsible for carbohydrate, lipid, amino acid, inorganic ion and coenzyme transport and metabolism, and energy production and conversion. Notably, seven virulence factor-related genes in strains from both habitats showed SVs - similar to the pattern found in the orthologous virulence genes of pathogenic bacteria shared similar niches, suggesting the possibility of horizontal gene transfer. These genomic variations further influenced the metabolic abilities of strains and their interactions with the commensal microbiota in the host intestine. Compared with the strains from feces, those from paocai exhibited a shorter stagnation period and a higher growth rate in a diluted paocai solution because of variations in functional genes. In addition, opposite correlations were identified between the relative abundances of L. plantarum strains and the genus Bifidobacterium in two media inoculated with strains from the two habitats. Overall, our findings revealed that the niche-specific genetic evolution of L. plantarum strains is associated with their fermentation abilities and physiological functions in host gut health. This knowledge can help guiding the exploration and application of probiotics from the specific niches-based probiotic exploitation.

Identification of the key physiological characteristics of Lactobacillus plantarum strains for ulcerative colitis alleviation.

Lactobacillus plantarum is a probiotic that is widely used to prevent ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the effects of this species are strain-specific. We believe that the physiological characteristics of L. plantarum strains may affect their UC-alleviating function. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between the alleviating effect of L. plantarum strains on UC and their physiological characteristics in vitro. The physiological characteristics of 14 L. plantarum strains were assayed in vitro, including gastrointestinal transit tolerance, oligosaccharide fermentation, HT-29 cell adhesion, generation time, exopolysaccharide production, acetic acid production, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) synthesis. To create animal models, colitis was established in C57BL/6 mice by adding 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium to drinking water for 7 days. L. plantarum strains with significantly different physiological characteristics were orally administered to the mice at a dose of 3 × 109 CFU. The results indicated that among the tested L. plantarum strains, L. plantarum N13 and L. plantarum CCFM8610 significantly alleviated colitis in the mice, as observed from the restoration of the body weight and disease activity index (DAI) score, recovery of the gut microbiota composition, reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and significantly inhibited expression of p65. Correlation analysis indicated that four of the measured physiological characteristics (gastrointestinal transit tolerance, HT-29 cell adhesion, generation time, and CLA synthesis) were related to the UC-alleviating effects to different degrees. The strongest correlation was observed between the CLA synthesis ability and UC-alleviating effects (with Pearson correlation coefficients for IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-17F, TNF-α, myeloperoxidase, and the DAI all below -0.95). The ability to synthesize CLA may be the key physiological characteristic of L. plantarum in UC alleviation. Our findings may contribute to the rapid screening of lactic acid bacterial strains with UC-alleviating effects.

Assessment of contamination source and quality control approach for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in wood-pressed rapeseed oil.

Contamination sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the raw material, oil production and storage processes of wood-pressed rapeseed oil were investigated in this study. The results showed that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and PAH4 (sum of BaP, benzo[a]fluoranthene, benzo[b]fluoranthene and chrysene) were unevenly distributed in the kernel (0.56-0.98 and 2.84-8.64 µg/kg, respectively) and hull (1.53-3.17 and 13.49-22.31 µg/kg, respectively) of the rapeseed raw materials. The contents of BaP and PAH4 continuously increased during the process of wood-pressed rapeseed oil, ranging from 2.21 to 10.93 and 9.36 to 40.03 µg/kg, thus demonstrating that a wide range of pollution sources of PAHs existed for the test wood-pressed rapeseed oils. The initial temperature and time of roasting should be controlled at <210°C and <60 min, due to the generation of PAHs in rapeseed by over-roasting. In addition, contact tools and substance such as lubricating oil (from the mill), heat-transfer oil (from roasting machine), rubber gaskets and straws should be properly screened. The BaP and PAH4 of rapeseed placed in the roasting area increased from 0.5 to 2.24 and from 2.08 to 9.03 µg/kg, respectively. Therefore, roasting fume control and treatment systems are necessary and the roasting section should be strictly isolated from the other stages. Storage can slightly lower the PAHs amounts in the rapeseed oil, which made the contents of BaP and PAH4 decrease from 27.00 to 24.70 and from 138.63 to 117.58 µg/kg, respectively. Quality control measures of PAHs in wood-pressed rapeseed oil were proposed and implemented, and the final oil products' BaP and PAH4 were kept below 2 and 10 µg/kg, respectively, which meets the European Commission Regulation No. 835/2011.

miR-224 Affects Mammary Epithelial Cell Apoptosis and Triglyceride Production by Downregulating ACADM and ALDH2 Genes.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNA molecules that involve in various biological functions by regulating the expressions of target genes. In recent years, many researchers have demonstrated that miR-224 played an important role in regulating lipid metabolism. Therefore, in this study, the target genes of miR-224 were verified and the regulatory role of miR-224 was confirmed in lipid metabolism. In this study, bioinformatics methods were used for primarily predicting the target gene of miR-224 and dual-luciferase reporter system was used for further verify the relationship between miR-224 and its target gene. Then, the miR-224 mimics, miR-224 inhibitor, and miRNA-ShNC were transfected into mammary epithelial cells (MECs), respectively, and the expression of miR-224 and its target genes was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Furthermore, the triglyceride production and cell apoptosis were detected by triglyceride mensuration reagent kit using flow cytometry. The results showed that ACADM and ALDH2 were predicted to be the target genes of miR-224, primarily by bioinformatics analysis. We founded that miR-224 could recognize with ACADM-3'UTR and ALDH2-3'UTR, indicating that the target sites existed in 3'UTR of ACADM and ALDH2. And then, the expressions of miR-224 had negative trend with the levels of ACADM and ALDH2, suggesting that miR-224 could downregulate the expressions of ACADM and ALDH2. Finally, the triglyceride production decreased and apoptosis rate increased after the overexpression of miR-224 in MECs. The above results indicated that miR-224 regulating target genes in lipid metabolism might be used as a new pathway for better breeding.

miR-29b Targets LPL and TDG Genes and Regulates Apoptosis and Triglyceride Production in MECs.

microRNAs are involved in various biological processes by regulating the degradation or repressing the translation of target genes. In this study, the target genes of miR-29b were analyzed and predicted by bioinformatics. And lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) were selected for further validation by dual luciferase reporter assay. In addition, we investigated the effects of miR-29b on triglyceride synthesis and mammary epithelial cell (MEC) apoptosis. The result showed that luciferase activity was significantly lower in cells that miR-29b cotransfected with LPL and TDG gene reporter vectors (pmiR-RB-REPORT-LPL-WT, pmiR-RB-REPORT-TDG-WT) than in cells of miR-29b cotransfected with gene reporter vectors (pmiR-RB-REPORT-LPL-mut and pmiR-RB-REPORT-LPL-si; pmiR-RB-REPORT-TDG-mut and pmiR-RB-REPORT-TDG-si) (p < 0.05), indicating that target sites existed in 3'UTR of LPL and TDG. Furthermore, the expressions of miR-29b were negatively correlated with levels of mRNA and protein of LPL and TDG gene using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, suggesting that miR-29b might play an important role in regulation of LPL and TDG gene expression. Finally, miR-29b promoted triglyceride production and suppressed apoptosis in MECs, which might be attributed to the expressions of target genes LPL and TDG.

Genetic inactivation of the adenosine A2A receptor attenuates pathologic but not developmental angiogenesis in the mouse retina.

PURPOSE: The adenosine A(2A) receptor (A(2A)R) modulates normal vascularization and pathologic angiogenesis in many tissues and may contribute to the pathogenesis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) characterized by abnormal retinal vascularization in surviving premature infants. Here, the authors studied the effects of the genetic inactivation of A(2A)R on normal retinal vascularization and the development of pathologic angiogenesis in oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), an animal model of ROP. METHODS: After exposure to 75% oxygen for 5 days (postnatal day [P] 7-P12) and subsequently to room air for the next 9 days (P13-P21), we evaluated retinal vascular morphology by ADPase staining in retinal whole mounts, retinal neovascularization response by histochemistry in serial retinal sections, and retinal VEGF gene expression by real-time PCR analysis in A(2A)R knockout (KO) mice and their wild-type (WT) littermates. RESULTS: At P17, A(2A)R KO mice displayed attenuated OIR compared with WT littermates, as evidenced by reduced vaso-obliteration and areas of nonperfusion in the center of the retina, reduced pathologic angiogenesis as evident by decreased non-ganglion cells and neovascular nuclei, and inhibited hypoxia-induced retinal VEGF gene expression. Notably, the attenuation of pathologic angiogenesis by A(2A)R inactivation was selective for OIR because it did not affect normal retinal vascularization during postnatal development. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide the first evidence that A(2A)R is critical for the development of OIR and suggest a novel therapeutic approach of A(2A)R inactivation for ROP by selectively targeting pathologic but not developmental angiogenesis in the retina.