Sensitizer-Free Photochemical Regeneration of Benzimidazoline Organohydride.

Organohydrides are an important class of organic compounds that can provide hydride anions for chemical and biochemical reactions, as demonstrated by reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides serving as important natural redox cofactors. The coupling of hydride transfer from the organohydride to the substrate and subsequent regeneration of the organohydride from its oxidized form can realize organohydride-catalyzed reduction reactions. Depending on the structure of the organohydride, its hydridicity and ease of regeneration vary. Benzimidazoline (BIH) is one of the strongest synthetic C-H hydride donors; however, its reductive regeneration requires highly reducing conditions. In this study, we synthesized various oxidized and reduced forms of BIH derivatives with aryl groups at the 2-position and investigated their photophysical and electrochemical properties. 4-(Dimethylamino)phenyl-substituted BIH exhibited salient red-shifted absorption compared with other synthesized BIH derivatives, and visible-light-driven regeneration without using an external photosensitizer was achieved. This knowledge has significant implications for the future development of solar-energy-based catalytic photoreduction technologies that utilize organohydride regeneration strategies.

Photonic crystal sensor for melamine based on magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles self-assembled with an amphiphilic random copolymer.

Magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (MMINPs) were obtained with a one-step process through miniemulsion self-assembly using an amphiphilic random copolymer as both an emulsifier and MMINP coating, oleic acid-modified magnetite nanoparticles as magnetic cores, and melamine (MEL) as the template molecule. MMINPs were assembled under an external magnetic field to construct photonic crystal (PC) sensor for naked-eye detection of MEL. The MMINPs were characterized by FT-IR, TEM, TGA, and VSM. The analytical performances of the magnetic molecularly imprinted PC sensor for MEL (MEL-MMIPCs) were investigated with respect to sensitivity, response time, selectivity, and stability. As the MEL concentration increases from 1.0 to 1.0 × 106 µg/l, the reflection wavelength of MEL-MMIPCs shifted from 497 to 709 nm, and was linear with the logarithm of MEL concentration in this range. The detection limit was 0.21 µg/l (S/N = 3) and response time was within 30 s. The MEL-MMIPC sensor had an imprinting factor of 5.09, and selectivity factors for the analogs cyanuric acid and atrazine were 8.76 and 5.75, respectively, indicating the high sensitivity and selectivity. After 10 cycles of elution/response, MEL-MMIPCs still had a good ability to recognize MEL.

Using single-cell sequencing technology to detect circulating tumor cells in solid tumors.

Circulating tumor cells are tumor cells with high vitality and high metastatic potential that invade and shed into the peripheral blood from primary solid tumors or metastatic foci. Due to the heterogeneity of tumors, it is difficult for high-throughput sequencing analysis of tumor tissues to find the genomic characteristics of low-abundance tumor stem cells. Single-cell sequencing of circulating tumor cells avoids interference from tumor heterogeneity by comparing the differences between single-cell genomes, transcriptomes, and epigenetic groups among circulating tumor cells, primary and metastatic tumors, and metastatic lymph nodes in patients' peripheral blood, providing a new perspective for understanding the biological process of tumors. This article describes the identification, biological characteristics, and single-cell genome-wide variation in circulating tumor cells and summarizes the application of single-cell sequencing technology to tumor typing, metastasis analysis, progression detection, and adjuvant therapy.

Combining bioinformatics techniques to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in pancreatic cancer metastasis and prognosis.

This article aims to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms and prognosis-related genes in pancreatic cancer metastasis. Pancreatic cancer metastasis-related gene chip data were downloaded from GENE EXPRESSION OMNIBUS(GEO)database. Differentially expressed genes were screened after R-package pre-treatment. Functional annotations and related signalling pathways were analysed using DAVID software. GEPIA (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis) was used to perform prognostic analysis, and differential genes associated with prognosis were screened and validated using data from GEO. We screened 40 healthy patients, 40 primary pancreatic cancer and 40 metastatic pancreatic cancer patients, collected serum, designed primers and used qPCR to test the expression of prognosis-related genes in each group. 109 differentially expressed genes related with pancreatic cancer metastasis were screened, of which 49 were up-regulated and 60 were down-regulated. Functional annotation and pathway analysis revealed differentially expressed genes were mainly concentrated in protein activation cascade, extracellular matrix construction, decomposition, etc In the biological process, it is mainly involved in signalling pathways such as PPAR, PI3K-Akt and ECM receptor interaction. Prognostic analysis showed the expression levels of four genes were significantly correlated with the overall survival time of patients with pancreatic cancer, namely SCG5, CRYBA2, CPE and CHGB. qPCR experiments showed the expression of these four genes was decreased in both the primary pancreatic cancer group and the metastatic pancreatic cancer group, and the latter was more significantly reduced. Pancreatic cancer metastasis is closely related to the activation of PPAR pathway, PI3K-Akt pathway and ECM receptor interaction. SCG5, CRYBA2, CPE and CHGB genes are associated with the prognosis of pancreatic cancer, and their low expression suggests a poor prognosis.

Screening differentially expressed genes of pancreatic cancer between Mongolian and Han people using bioinformatics technology.

BACKGROUND: To screen and analyze differentially expressed genes in pancreatic carcinoma tissues taken from Mongolian and Han patients by Affymetrix Genechip. METHODS: Pancreatic ductal cell carcinoma tissues were collected from the Mongolian and Han patients undergoing resection in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from March 2015 to May 2018 and the total RNA was extracted. Differentially expressed genes were selected from the total RNA qualified by Nanodrop 2000 and Agilent 2100 using Affymetrix and a cartogram was drawn; The gene ontology (GO) analysis and Pathway analysis were used for the collection and analysis of biological information of these differentially expressed genes. Finally, some differentially expressed genes were verified by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Through the microarray analysis of gene expression, 970 differentially expressed genes were detected by comparing pancreatic cancer tissue samples between Mongolian and Han patients. A total of 257 genes were significantly up-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissue samples in Mongolian patients; while a total of 713 genes were down-regulated. In the Gene Ontology database, 815 differentially expressed genes were identified with clear GO classification, and CPB1 gene showed the highest increase in expression level (multiple difference: 31.76). The pathway analysis detected 28 signaling pathways that included these differentially expressed genes, involving a total of 178 genes. Among these pathways, the enrichment of differentially expressed genes in the FAK signaling pathway was the strongest and COL11A1 gene showed the highest multiple difference (multiple difference: 5.02). The expression of differentially expressed genes CPB1, COL11A1、ITGA4、BIRC3、PAK4、CPA1、CLPS、PIK3CG and HLA-DPA1 determined by real-time PCR were consistent with the results of gene microarray analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The results of microarray analysis of gene expression profiles showed that there are a large number of differentially expressed genes in pancreatic cancer tissue samples comparing Mongolian and Han population. These genes are closely related to the cell proliferation, differentiation, invasion, metastasis and multi-drug resistance in pancreatic cancer. They are also involved in the regulation of multiple important signaling pathways in organisms.

Effect of Remote Ischemic Preconditioning on Patients Undergoing Elective Major Vascular Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Whether remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC), through several cycles of ischemia-reperfusion, can generate endogenous protective substances to protect patients undergoing elective major vascular surgery remains unclear. The results derived from many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been discrepant. METHODS: PubMed (1966 to May 2018) and EMBASE (1966 to May 2018) databases were searched to identify all published RCTs that assessed the effect of RIPC in patients undergoing elective major vascular surgery. Then, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to merge the outcomes of RIPC procedures from each RCT, which included all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction (MI), acute kidney injury (AKI), and/or new-onset arrhythmia. RESULTS: A total of 909 patients were enrolled from 10 eligible studies that were conducted from 2007 through 2016. A fixed effect model was utilized in this study to pool each effect size. Pooled analyses of all RCTs showed that RIPC did not reduce the incidence of all-cause mortality (pooled risk ratio [RR] 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.63-2.92, P = 0.56), MI (pooled RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.48-1.22, P = 0.38), AKI (pooled RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.68-1.27, P = 0.10), or new-onset arrhythmia (pooled RR 1.47, 95% CI 0.83-2.60, P = 0.52) compared with the control treatment. The publication bias detected by Begg's test was low. CONCLUSIONS: There is no prominent evidence to support the hypothesis that RIPC can provide perioperative protection to patients undergoing elective major vascular surgery. Therefore, the routine use of RIPC to reduce the incidence of perioperative complications of these operations may not be recommended.

Engineering an in vivo EP-bifido pathway in Escherichia coli for high-yield acetyl-CoA generation with low CO2 emission.

The low carbon yield from native metabolic machinery produces unfavorable process economics during the biological conversion of substrates to desirable bioproducts. To obtain higher carbon yields, we constructed a carbon conservation pathway named EP-bifido pathway in Escherichia coli by combining Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas Pathway, Pentose Phosphate Pathway and "bifid shunt", to generate high yield acetyl-CoA from glucose. 13C-Metabolic flux analysis confirmed the successful and appropriate employment of the EP-bifido pathway. The CO2 release during fermentation significantly reduced compared with the control strains. Then we demonstrated the in vivo effectiveness of the EP-bifido pathway using poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), mevalonate and fatty acids as example products. The engineered EP-bifido strains showed greatly improved PHB yield (from 26.0 mol% to 63.7 mol%), fatty acid yield (from 9.17% to 14.36%), and the highest mevalonate yield yet reported (64.3 mol% without considering the substrates used for cell mass formation). The synthetic pathway can be employed in the production of chemicals that use acetyl-CoA as a precursor and can be extended to other microorganisms.

Engineering Escherichia coli for efficient coproduction of polyhydroxyalkanoates and 5-aminolevulinic acid.

Single-cell biorefineries are an interesting strategy for using different components of feedstock to produce multiple high-value biochemicals. In this study, a strategy was applied to refine glucose and fatty acid to produce 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). To express the ALA and PHAs dual-production system efficiently and stably, multiple copies of the poly-ß-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) synthesis operon were integrated into the chromosome of Escherichia coli DH5αΔpoxB. The above strain harboring the ALA C5 synthesis pathway genes hemA and hemL resulted in coproduction of 38.2% PHB (cell dry weight, CDW) and 3.2 g/L extracellular ALA. To explore coproduction of ALA and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), the PHBV synthetic pathway was also integrated into engineered E. coli and coexpressed with hemA and hemL; cells produced 38.9% PHBV (CDW) with 10.3 mol% 3HV fractions and 3.0 g/L ALA. The coproduction of ALA with PHB and PHBV can improve the utilization of carbon sources and maximize the value derived from the feedstock.

Effects of roads on Castanopsis carlesii seedlings and their leaf herbivory in a subtropical forest in China.

The effects of a forest road on Castanopsis carlesii (Hemsley) Hayata (Fagales: Fagaceae) seedlings and their leaf herbivory were investigated in a subtropical forest at Jiulianshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China. A total of 1124 seedlings, 33949 leaves, 468 leaf mines, and 205 leaf galls were found. Generally, individual numbers, tree heights, and leaf numbers of C. carlesii seedlings became lower with increasing distances from the road. These results might indicate that old seedlings were fewer and survival rate of seedlings was lower in forest interiors. Leaf miners preferred the seedlings close to the forest road, while leaf gallers preferred the seedlings about 2 m from the road. Species diversity of leaf miners was higher in the forest interior area, while species diversity of leaf gallers was higher near the road. However, both leaf miners and leaf gallers decreased in general from the road to the interior forest. There were interspecific differences in the effects of roads on leaf miner species and leaf galler species. The effects of the road on seedlings and insects could be explained by varying microhabitat conditions and different ecological strategies.

Host relationships and biological notes of Cassidinae beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in Qiannan Prefecture, Guizhou, China.

The faunal composition, host relationships and biological information of the subfamily Cassidinae (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) remain poorly known in many Chinese regions. Based on the seven-year field survey, faunal composition and host associations of Cassidinae beetles were systematically compiled for Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. In particular, through direct field observations, detailed biological information, such as life history and behavioural features and host plants were first recorded for 56 species of Cassidinae beetles. We have tripled the number of Cassidinae species in Qiannan. Sixty-nine species of Cassidinae beetles belonging to 17 genera and eight tribes were identified, of which 38 species are newly recorded in Guizhou and 56 are newly recorded in Qiannan. The tribes Leptispini and Notosacanthini were newly recorded in Guizhou. The genera Thlaspidosoma Spaeth, Downesia Baly, Klitispa Uhmann, Platypria Guérin-Méneville, Leptispa Baly and Notosacantha Chevrolat were recorded in Guizhou for the first time. A total of 61 species, 37 genera and 17 families of host plants were collected. Lardizabalaceae and Araliaceae were new host plant families for Cassidinae worldwide. Quantitative food web analysis indicated that Cassidinae species in Qiannan mainly feed on Poaceae, Rosaceae, Convolvulaceae and Lamiaceae. Callispini and Leptispini only feed on monocots, Aspidimorphini, Basiprionotini, Cassidini and Notosacanthini only feed on dicots, while Hispini feed on both monocots and dicots. The feeding patterns and corresponding damage marks of Cassidinae were quite diverse. In addition, the pupal mine-making behaviour of Dactylispaexcisa (Kraatz, 1879), D.similis Chen et T'an, 1985 and D.uhmanni Gressitt, 1950 are worth further study. Although preliminary, our field survey is an essential step in understanding Cassidinae behaviour and Cassidinae-plant interactions.

Circulation immune cell landscape in canonical pathogenesis of colorectal adenocarcinoma by CyTOF analysis.

Current studies on the immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) were mostly limited to the tissue level, lacking relevant studies in the peripheral blood, and failed to describe its alterations in the whole process of adenocarcinoma formation, especially of adenoma carcinogenesis. Here, we constructed a large-scale population cohort and used the CyTOF to explore the changes of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood of CRC. We found monocytes and basophils cells were significantly higher in adenocarcinoma patients. Compared with early-stage CRC, effector CD4+T cells and naive B cells were higher in patients with lymph node metastasis, whereas the basophils were lower. We also performed random forest algorithm and found monocytes play the key role in carcinogenesis. Our study draws a peripheral blood immune cell landscape of the occurrence and development of CRC at the single-cell level and provides a reference for other researchers.

Circular distribution pattern of plant modulars and endophagous herbivory within tree crowns: the impact of roadside light conditions.

The circular distributions of plant modulars (branches, leaves) and endophagous herbivory (mines, galls) were investigated within the crowns of four dominant Fagaceae trees in a subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest at Jiulianshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China. The hypothesis is that more plant modulars and more endophagous herbivory should occur in the crown area perpendicular to the roads. Circular statistical techniques were used to verify new patterns of the impact of roads on plants and insects. The results confirmed that the roadside light environments had larger impacts on the circular distribution patterns of plant modulars than those of leaf herbivores. For herbivores, the impact of light was larger on mine distribution than on gall distribution. The branches of all four tree species were concentrated in the direction perpendicular to the roads. In the preferred direction, branches were longer and higher. More leaves, more mines, and more galls were found surrounding the preferred branch direction. In general, leaf miners and leaf gallers preferred leaves in the sun over those in the shade; however, leaf gallers had a lower degree of preference for sun than leaf miners. Different endphagous insects also showed clear interspecific differences in sun/shade leaf selection.

The leaf-mining genus Lyonetia Hbner from China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Lyonetiidae).

So far, only five species of the genus Lyonetia Hbner, 1825 have been recorded in China. In this paper, we describe two new species: L. (Lyonetiola) blasta T. Liu, sp. n., and L. (Lyonetiola) duplistriata T. Liu, sp. n., and report a newly recorded species, L. (Lyonetia) ledi Wocke, 1859 from China. Autumnal forms, manifesting darker forewings, of L. (Lyonetia) clerkella (Linnaeus, 1758) were collected from Xizang at an altitude of 3650 m in summer. The distribution and host plants of L. (Lyonetia) clerkella (Linnaeus, 1758) and L. (Lyonetia) prunifoliella (Hbner, 1796) in China are summarized. Photos of adults, male and female genitalia are provided. Host plants, leaf mines and DNA barcodes are also provided when available.

Field survey of Cassidinae beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) and their host plants in southern Guangxi, China.

Few systematic studies have been conducted on the faunal composition and food web structure of Cassidinae of China. During 2013-2019, we systematically investigated Cassidinae beetles and their host plants in the southern Guangxi. A total of 2,255 Cassidinae individuals from 66 species, 23 genera and ten tribes were collected in southern Guangxi. Most species belonged to the tribe Hispini (23 species, 34.8%), followed by the tribe Gonophorini (13 species, 19.7%), Cassidini (eight species, 12.1%) and Aspidimorphini (six species, 9.1%). The others (16 species) belonged to the tribes Anisoderini, Botryonopini, Callispini, Oncocephalini, Notosacanthini and Leptispini. The tribe Notosacanthini was recorded from Guangxi for the first time. The genera Neownesia (Botryonopini), Gonophora (Gonophorini), Micrispa (Gonophorini), Notosacantha (Notosacanthini) and Prionispa (Oncocephalini) were firstly recorded in Guangxi. In total, we obtained 47 newly-recorded species in southern Guangxi and 33 newly-recorded species in the whole Guangxi, of which, Callispafrontalis Medvedev, 1992 was newly recorded in China. Dactylispafeae Gestro (625 individuals) and D.chinensis Weise (565 individuals) were the most common species. A total of 69 species, 53 genera and 19 families of host plants were identified for Cassidinae in southern Guangxi. Many host plant associations are new records for Cassidinae. Quantitative food web analysis indicated that Cassidinae species in southern Guangxi primarily fed on Poaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cyperaceae and Rosaceae. Generally, the plant-Cassidinae food webs were moderately complex and stable in southern Guangxi. This is the first large contribution to the knowledge of the species composition and host plant diversity of Cassidinae in southern Guangxi.

First biological report on the genus Cantonius (Buprestidae, Agrilinae, Aphanisticini), with descriptions of two new species from China.

Background: The genus Cantonius Théry, 1929 is a small group with two subgenera and 12 species. However, the biology of this genus is still unknown. New information: In this paper, three species of the genus Cantonius Théry, 1929 were found on bamboo leaves, revealing for the first time that Cantonius species are also leaf-miners. Two new species were recorded from Jiangxi Province and are described here: Cantonius (Cantonius) anjiensis sp. n. (host plant: Pleioblastusamarus) and Cantonius (Procantonius) qiyunensis sp. n. (host plant: Bambusablumeana) followed by C. (P.) austrisinicus Kalashian, 2021 (host plant: Oligostachyumpaniculatum) recorded from Guangxi Province. Including habitats, photos of three species together with C. (P.) qiyunensis sp. n. pupa, host plants, and leaf mines of the three species are presented. Moreover, the bionomics and habits of the genus are discussed for the first time, and a hypothesis for the distribution of Cantonius is provided.

Metal-free reduction of CO2 to formate using a photochemical organohydride-catalyst recycling strategy.

Increasing levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is a problem that must be urgently resolved if the rise in current global temperatures is to be slowed. Chemically reducing CO2 into compounds that are useful as energy sources and carbon-based materials could be helpful in this regard. However, for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to be operational on a global scale, the catalyst system must: use only renewable energy, be built from abundantly available elements and not require high-energy reactants. Although light is an attractive renewable energy source, most existing CO2RR methods use electricity and many of the catalysts used are based on rare heavy metals. Here we present a transition-metal-free catalyst system that uses an organohydride catalyst based on benzimidazoline for the CO2RR that can be regenerated using a carbazole photosensitizer and visible light. The system is capable of producing formate with a turnover number exceeding 8,000 and generates no other reduced products (such as H2 and CO).

Genera of Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera): a review of the global fauna, with descriptions of new taxa.

For the first time, genera of leaf mining Tischeriidae of the global fauna are reviewed and four new genera are described: Coptotrichoides Dikus & Stonis, gen. nov., trophically associated with Sapindaceae from Central and South America; Rytietia Dikus, Xu & Dai, gen. nov., trophically associated with Annonaceae from East and South East Asia; Pafazaria Dikus & Stonis, gen. nov., trophically associated with Fabaceae and Malvaceae from East and South East Asia; and Gnathitischeria Dikus, gen. nov., trophically associated with Malvaceae and Asteraceae from Central America. In addition to the descriptions of new genera, all previously described genera (Coptotriche Walsingham, 1890; Dishkeya Stonis, 2020; Tischeria Zeller, 1839; Manitischeria Dikus & Stonis, 2021; Neotischeria Dikus & Stonis, 2021; Paratischeria Dikus & Stonis, 2017; and Astrotischeria Puplesis & Dikus, 2003) are characterized and a pictorial identification key for all 11 genera is provided. Morphological and biological characteristics of all genera are supplemented with some molecular data. We described 12 new species: South East Asian Coptotriche sapaensis Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; Central American Coptotrichoides sapindoidum Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. and Tischeria neokristenseni Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; South East Asian Rytietia uncinata Dikus, Xu & Dai, sp. nov., East Asian R. chongyiensis Xu & Dai, sp. nov.; South East Asian Pafazaria capitata Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. and P. faboidica Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; Central American Neotischeria antigua Dikus & Remeikis, sp. nov. and N. subantigua Dikus & Remeikis, sp. nov.; South American Astrotischeria incae Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; and Central American Gnathitischeria atitlani Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. and G. arcana Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. The taxonomic rank of the East Asian subspecies Tischeria decidua siorkionla Kozlov, 1986 is elevated to species rank: T. siorkionla Kozlov (stat. nov.). The male genitalia of holotypes, paratypes, lectotypes or paralectotypes, or non-type specimens of some little-known species are examined for the first time. We provide the first morphological documentation for the following: Tischeria ceanothi lectotype and paralectotype; T. immaculata (stat. restored) paratype; Coptotrichoides deliquescens (Meyrick) lectotype and paralectotype; lectotypes of Coptotriche aenea (Frey & Boll), Astrotischeria plagifera (Meyrick), A. helianthi (Frey & Boll), and A. ephaptis (Meyrick); Coptotriche berberella (De Prins) paratype; and the first photographic documentation of Tischeria lvoskyi Kozlov holotype. Some non-type specimens deposited at NHMUK, including a few previously neglected species, are also examined and documented, including the American Astrotischeria solidagonifoliella (Clemens) and A. omissa (Braun). Nine new combinations are provided: Coptotrichoides deliquescens (Meyrick, 1915), comb. nov.; C. singularis (Stonis & Dikus) comb. nov.; C. suprafasciata (Dikus & Stonis) comb. nov., C. serjaniphaga (Remeikis & Stonis) comb. nov.; C. braziliensis (Dikus & Stonis) comb. nov.; Pafazaria jingdongensis (Xu & Dai), comb. nov.; Neotischeria explosa (Braun) comb. nov.; N. pallidipennella (Braun) comb. nov.; and Astrotischeria heteroterae (Frey & Boll) comb. nov. The synonymization of Tischeria longeciliata Frey & Boll, 1878 with Astrotischeria helianthi (Frey & Boll, 1878) is confirmed. One new species group, the Tischeria ceanothi group, is established. We also report a new distribution record of T. dodonaea Stainton from the Caucasus, Armenia. Three tables and 569 figures of adult external morphology, male and female genitalia, leaf mines, and cladograms based on molecular characters are provided.

Pathogenic role of microRNAs in atherosclerotic ischemic stroke: Implications for diagnosis and therapy.

Ischemic stroke resulting from atherosclerosis (particularly in the carotid artery) is one of the major subtypes of stroke and has a high incidence of death. Disordered lipid homeostasis, lipid deposition, local macrophage infiltration, smooth muscle cell proliferation, and plaque rupture are the main pathological processes of atherosclerotic ischemic stroke. Hepatocytes, macrophages, endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells are the main cell types participating in these processes. By inhibiting the expression of the target genes in these cells, microRNAs play a key role in regulating lipid disorders and atherosclerotic ischemic stroke. In this article, we listed the microRNAs implicated in the pathology of atherosclerotic ischemic stroke and aimed to explain their pro- or antiatherosclerotic roles. Our article provides an update on the potential diagnostic use of miRNAs for detecting growing plaques and impending clinical events. Finally, we provide a perspective on the therapeutic use of local microRNA delivery and discuss the challenges for this potential therapy.

Elevational Pattern of Leaf Mine Diversity on Quercus variabilis Blume at Baotianman, Henan, China.

The species composition and diversity pattern of leaf miners on dominant trees in China are poorly understood. Using Hill-based diversity metrics, the elevational patterns of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity for leaf miners on Quercus variabilis Blume at Baotianman were systematically analyzed. Leaf mine types belonged to ten genera and seven families. Different leaf miners had different elevational preferences. Most taxonomic and phylogenetic Hill diversity indices had typical hump-shaped elevational patterns, with a peak at the middle elevation of approximately 875 m. No functional Hill diversity indices presented significant linear or nonlinear trends with altitude. The driving factors behind the elevational distribution patterns of leaf miners require further work.