Incidence trend and prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a study based on the SEER database.

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary liver cancer after hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). ICC and HCC have different cellular origins; therefore, ICC is significantly different from HCC in terms of aetiology, mechanism, tumour biological behaviour, treatment methods, and prognosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the current incidence trend and prognosis of ICC and deepen the understanding of ICC. Methods: A large sample of ICC and HCC patient data was obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA. The incidence trend, prognosis, and the effect of surgery and lymph node dissection on the prognosis of ICC patients were analysed. Results: In recent years, the incidence of ICC has increased. The treatment effect of ICC patients has been significantly improved. But the prognosis of ICC patients is significantly worse than that of HCC patients. Surgery can benefit all stages of ICC, and lymph node dissection is beneficial for the prognosis of patients with positive lymph nodes (N1). Conclusions: In recent years, the incidence of ICC has been increasing, and its prognosis remains poor, which is a cause for concern. We need to understand the epidemiological and pathophysiological characteristics of ICC and explore more effective treatment methods to improve the efficacy of treatment for ICC patients and prolong their survival.

Simulation and prediction of changes in maximum freeze depth in the source region of the Yellow River under climate change.

The source region of the Yellow River (SRYR) is located at the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), which is completely covered by frozen ground. Due to relatively higher temperatures, the frozen ground in the SRYR is particularly fragile and susceptible to the impacts of global climate change. This study discusses the maximum freeze depth (MFD) of frozen ground in the SRYR, including analysis of measured data at the stations, comparison of simulation models, and projection of future changes. The MFD of frozen ground recorded at nine meteorological stations within the SRYR ranged from a few tens of centimeters to more than two meters. The decreasing trend of MFD was recorded except for a few stations from 1997 to 2017, with a maximum rate of -22.8 cm/10a. The decreasing rate of MFD for the whole SRYR from 1997 to 2017 is -10.8 cm/10a. Furthermore, we assessed the performance of three simulation methods: Stefan equation, multiple linear regression, and BP neural network predicting the MFD using the measured data. The Stefan equation exhibited limited accuracy in simulating the MFD, while the BP neural network demonstrated remarkable performance, with a correlation coefficient R of 0.949. In addition, we evaluated the applicability of different global climate models (GCMs) in the SRYR, identified the optimal model, and combined it with the BP neural network model to predict future MFD change. Among the five climate models, the BCC-CSM2-MR model and ensemble model fit the measured precipitation and air temperature well. The projected results based on the BCC-CSM2-MR model and ensemble model indicate that the MFD of different stations in the SRYR and the whole region will still tend to decrease in the future. Our results contribute to understanding the response of cold region frozen ground to climate change and provide available data.

Changes in permafrost spatial distribution and active layer thickness from 1980 to 2020 on the Tibet Plateau.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is experiencing extensive permafrost degradation due to climate change, which seriously threatens sustainable water and ecosystem management in the TP and its downstream areas. Understanding the evolution of permafrost is critical for studying changes in the water cycle, carbon flux, and ecology of the TP. In this study, we mapped the spatial distribution of permafrost and active layer thickness (ALT) at 1 km resolution for each decade using empirical models and machine learning methods validated with borehole data. A comprehensive comparison of model results and validation accuracy shows that the machine learning method is more advantageous in simulating the permafrost distribution, while the ALT simulated by the empirical model (i.e., Stefan model) better reflects the actual ALT distribution. We further evaluated the dynamics of permafrost distribution and ALT from 1980 to 2020 based on the results of the better-performing models, and analyzed the patterns and influencing factors of the changes in permafrost distribution and ALT. The results show that the permafrost area on the TP has decreased by 15.5 %, and the regionally average ALT has increased by 18.94 cm in the 2010s compared to the 1980s. The average decreasing rate of permafrost area is 6.33 × 104 km2 decade-1, and the average increasing rate of ALT is 6.31 cm decade-1. Permafrost degradation includes the decreasing permafrost area and the thickening active layer mainly related to the warming of the TP. Spatially, permafrost area decrease is more susceptible to occur at lower latitudes and lower altitudes, while ALT increases more dramatically at lower latitudes and higher altitudes. In addition, permafrost is more likely to degrade to seasonally frozen ground in areas with deeper ALT.

Vegetation Changing Patterns and Its Sensitivity to Climate Variability across Seven Major Watersheds in China.

Climate changes have profound impacts on vegetation and further alter hydrological processes through transpiration, interception, and evaporation. This study investigated vegetation's changing patterns and its sensitivity to climate variability across seven major watersheds in China based on a hybrid regionalization approach and a novel, empirical index-Vegetation Sensitivity Index (VSI). Vegetation showed linearly increasing trends in most of the seven watersheds, while decreases in vegetation were mostly found in the source regions of the Yangtze River Basin (YZRB) and Yellow River Basin (YRB), the forest and grassland areas of the Songhua River Basin (SHRB) and Liao River Basin (LRB), the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta during the growing season. The selected watersheds can be categorized into 11 sub-regions, and the regionalization result was consistent with the topography and vegetation types; the characteristics of vegetation dynamics were more homogeneous among sub-regions. Vegetation types such as forests and shrubland in the central parts of the YZRB were relatively more vulnerable to climate variations than the grasslands and alpine meadows and tundra (AMT) in the source regions of the YZRB and YRB and the Loess Plateau of the YRB. In arid and semi-arid regions, precipitation had a profound impact on vegetation, while, at low latitudes, solar radiation was the main controlling factor. Such comprehensive investigations of the vegetation-climate relationship patterns across various watersheds are expected to provide a foundation for the exploration of future climate change impacts on ecosystems at the watershed scale.

[Research on function of Feilike Mixture in stopping cough, eliminating phlegm and relieving asthma based on animal experiments and network pharmacology].

This study observed the pharmacological effects of Feilike Mixture(FLKM) in stopping cough, eliminating phlegm, and relieving asthma through animal experiments, and explored its mechanism using network pharmacology. The antitussive effect was detected by citric acid-induced guinea pig cough model, the expectorant effect by mouse phenol red excretion experiment and lipopolysaccharide-induced mucus hypersecretion rat model, and the antiasthmatic effect by histamine phosphate-induced guinea pig asthma model. The chemical components of FLKM were collected by TCMSP, TCMID, TCMIP, and BATMAN-TCM databases and literature search, and the potential active components were screened through ADMETlab 2.0. The targets of FLKM were obtained by STITCH, SwissTargetPrediction, and TCMSP, and the symptom targets of cough, phlegm, and asthma were acquired through SymMap database. After taking the intersection of FLKM targets and symptom targets, this study used the OECloud tool to perform Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analysis. RESULTS:: demonstrated that FLKM 0.43-1.74 g·kg~(-1) reduced the number of coughs in guinea pigs within 3 min(P<0.05, P<0.01), and FLKM 6-12 g·kg~(-1) increased the tracheal phenol red excretion in mice(P<0.01). Moreover, FLKM 2-8 g·kg~(-1) inhibited the number of goblet cells(P<0.05, P<0.01), and FLKM 7-11.2 g·kg~(-1) prolonged the incubation period of asthma(P<0.05). A total of 115 potential active components and 910 targets of FLKM were obtained through network pharmacological analysis. FLKM had 27, 12, and 7 targets for stopping cough, eliminating phlegm, and relieving asthma, respectively. The GO and KEGG enrichment analysis found that there were commonalities and characteristics, among which cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and infectious disease-related signaling pathway were shared. FLKM has a good effect of stopping cough, eliminating phlegm, and relieving asthma through animal experiments and network pharmacology.

Application of Single-cell RNA Sequencing Technology to Exploring Cardioprotective Mechanism of Chinese Medicine After Myocardial Infarction： A Rewiew / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The pathological changes of the heart after myocardial infarction （MI） are complex， involving multiple molecular mechanisms and various cells， such as myocardial cells， endothelial cells， fibroblasts， and macrophages. With multiple targets， Chinese medicine demonstrates ideal cardioprotective effect. However， the complex mechanism of multi-component Chinese medicine formulas has not been elucidated， thus limiting the further application. The high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing （scRNA-seq） technology offers single-cell transcriptome analysis of hundreds of drugs under different processing conditions in a single experiment and identifies the differences in the response of different cells and cell subtypes to drug treatment. scRNA-seq technology helps us to understand the exact cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac remodeling from acute ischemic events to chronic cardiac scarring. The application of scRNA-seq to studying the cardioprotective mechanism of Chinese medicine after MI can boost the development of Chinese medicine， help obtain richer， more accurate and comprehensive information. It can give us a clear insight into the mechanism of Chinese medicine based on complex network. In this study， we summarized the research on cardioprotective mechanism of Chinese medicine and introduced the development of scRNA-seq technology and the application to MI research. Finally， we explored the possible application prospects of scRNA-seq in the research on cardioprotective mechanism of Chinese medicine after MI， hoping to provide ideas for the modernization of Chinese medicine.

[Application prospects of single-cell transcriptome sequencing in traditional Chinese medicine research].

Single-cell transcriptome sequencing(scRNA-seq) can be used to analyze the expression characteristics of the transcriptome at the level of individual cell, and discover the heterogeneity of gene expression in individual cell that is "diluted" or averaged in study of group organization. The scRNA-seq, with the characteristics of standardization, high-throughput, and high integration, can greatly simplify the experimental operation and significantly reduce the consumption of reagents. At the same time, a variety of cells are screened and the gene expression patterns are analyzed at the single-cell level to provide a more efficient detection technique and more rich and accurate information for drug research. In the field of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), the scRNA-seq is still a new technology, but the individual and precision concepts embodied by scRNA-seq and the theory of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment have reached the same effect between the micro and macro aspects. This study tried to broaden the thinking for the modernization of TCM by introducing the development of scRNA-seq technology and its application in modern drug research and discussing the application prospects of scRNA-seq in TCM research.

Molecular Mechanism Analysis of Jiangtang Xiaozhi Tablets in Treatment of NAFLD / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the molecular mechanism of Jiangtang Xiaozhi tablets （JTXZT） in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking. Method:With the help of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）， TCMs Integrated Database （TCMID）， Encyclopedia of TCM （ETCM） and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of TCM （BATMAN-TCM）， the chemical compositions of medicinal materials in JTXZT were obtained， the compound targets were predicted in SwissTargetPrediction database and STITCH database. The targets of NAFLD were searched by The Human Gene Database （GeneCards）， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， Therapeutic Target Database （TTD） and DisGeNET， and intersection analysis was performed with the targets of the active ingredients to obtain the targets of JTXZT for treatment of NAFLD. Based on STRING 11.0 database， the protein-protein interaction （PPI） network of therapeutic targets was constructed， and the enrichment analysis of therapeutic targets was carried out by DAVID 6.8. Finally， the interaction characteristics of key components and core therapeutic targets of JTXZT for treatment of NAFLD were verified based on molecular docking. Result:The key components of JTXZT for treatment of NAFLD were quercetin， luteolin， kaempferol， berberine， isorhamnetin， betulinic acid， oleanolic acid， ursolic acid. formononetin and hexitol， and the core targets of JTXZT for treatment of NAFLD were mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 （MAPK1）， Jun proto-oncogene， activator protein-1 （AP-1） transcription factor subunit （JUN）， MAPK3， protein kinase B1 （AKT1 or Akt1）， tumor protein p53 （TP53）， E1A binding protein p300 （EP300）， Fos proto-oncogene， AP-1 transcription factor subunit （FOS）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF），amyloid beta precursor protein （APP） and cytochrome P450 family 2 subfamily E member 1 （CYP2E1）. Biological function and pathway enrichment analysis showed that JTXZT mainly through xenobiotic metabolic process， oxidation-reduction process， cholesterol metabolic process and other biological processes， regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） signaling pathway， MAPK signaling pathway， NAFLD and insulin signaling pathway to play a role in the treatment of NAFLD. The results of molecular docking showed that the active components of JTXZT had a good affinity with the core targets of JTXZT for the treatment of NAFLD. Conclusion:JTXZT treats NAFLD through multiple active components， multiple key targets and multiple action pathways.

Application prospects of single-cell transcriptome sequencing in traditional Chinese medicine research / 中国中药杂志

Single-cell transcriptome sequencing(scRNA-seq) can be used to analyze the expression characteristics of the transcriptome at the level of individual cell, and discover the heterogeneity of gene expression in individual cell that is "diluted" or averaged in study of group organization. The scRNA-seq, with the characteristics of standardization, high-throughput, and high integration, can greatly simplify the experimental operation and significantly reduce the consumption of reagents. At the same time, a variety of cells are screened and the gene expression patterns are analyzed at the single-cell level to provide a more efficient detection technique and more rich and accurate information for drug research. In the field of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), the scRNA-seq is still a new technology, but the individual and precision concepts embodied by scRNA-seq and the theory of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment have reached the same effect between the micro and macro aspects. This study tried to broaden the thinking for the modernization of TCM by introducing the development of scRNA-seq technology and its application in modern drug research and discussing the application prospects of scRNA-seq in TCM research.

Comparative analysis on bioactivity against three stored insects of Ligusticum pteridophyllum Franch. rhizomes essential oil and supercritical fluid (SFE-CO2) extract.

In order to develop more environmentally benignant insecticides, the Ligusticum pteridophyllum Franch. rhizomes essential oil and supercritical fluid (SFE-CO2) extract were obtained by two published techniques, hydrodistillation and SFE-CO2. The chemical components of this two tested samples were identified by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Repellent activity and contact toxicity of the obtained samples and myristicin against the adults of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Lasioderma serricorne (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), and Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) were compared. Nineteen components were identified in the SFE-CO2 extract. Twelve components were identified in the L. pteridophyllum rhizomes essential oil. SFE-CO2 extract exhibited higher contact toxicity against T. castaneum, L. serricorne, and L. bostrychophila (LD50 = 69.60 µg/adult, 14.58 µg/adult, and 1.69 µg/cm2, respectively) than that of L. pteridophyllum rhizomes essential oil (LD50 = 87.99 µg/adult, 89.82 µg/adult, and 7.87 µg/cm2, respectively). Besides, myristicin (LD50 = 36.46 µg/adult) showed superior contact toxicity against T. castaneum than that of the L. pteridophyllum rhizomes essential oil and SFE-CO2 extract. It possessed potentially practical significance to develop L. pteridophyllum rhizomes into plant pesticide or repellent agent for these stored insect controls. Graphical abstract .

Chemical constituents isolated from stems of Schisandra chinensis and their antifeedant activity against Tribolium castaneum.

One new sesquiterpene (α-iso-cubebenol acetate, 8), together with 9 known compounds (1-7, 9, 10) were isolated from the stems of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. by repeated silica gel column chromatography. Based on the results of MS, NMR spectra and comparing with literature data, the six dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans were identified as schizandrin A to C (1-3), schizandrin (4), schisantherin A (5) and gomisin J (6), the two sesquiterpenes were identified as α-iso-cubebenol (7) and α-iso-cubebenol acetate (8), while the two triterpenic acids were identified as ganwuweizic acid (9) and kadsuric acid (10). The antifeedant activity of the 10 compounds against Tribolium castaneum adults was tested. Gomisin J (6) exhibited activity at 1500 ppm concentration with 40.3% antifeeding index percentages. As for the dibenzocyclooctene lignans (compounds 1-3, 6), the number of methylenedioxies and the position of hydroxyl groups were the main factors to affect their antifeedant activities.

Quantified hydrological responses to permafrost degradation in the headwaters of the Yellow River (HWYR) in High Asia.

The impact on the hydrologic cycle of permafrost degradation under the influence of climate change has caused an inestimable threat to sustainable regulation of the ecosystem. This study quantified the responses of main hydrological elements, including soil moisture, groundwater, runoff components and discharge to totally degraded permafrost in eastern High Asia by establishing cases with and without thermodynamics using a cold region model combining hydrological processes and thermodynamics. The results showed that the model successfully simulated discharge in cold region basins. Totally degraded permafrost decreased soil moisture in the vadose zone (SMV) and increased the absolute depth to ground water (ADGW). In the daily scale, total permafrost degradation decreased the direct flow in autumn, slightly increased direct flow in spring and decreased interflow in summer. Total permafrost degradation also increased daily baseflow all year round and by >50% in spring, decreased daily discharge during autumn and increased daily discharge during spring. In the annual scale, total permafrost degradation increased direct flow, baseflow, and discharge, and decreased interflow. The magnitudes of these changes were positively related to the ratios of permafrost to the subbasin area. The responses of daily runoff components and discharge to totally degraded permafrost were significantly larger than the annual value. The groundwater level, direct flow and baseflow were far more sensitive to permafrost degradation than SMV, interflow and discharge. The responses of annual individual hydrological elements were more obvious than the annual discharge. These quantified results can be extensively used in lumped hydrology simulations, water resource assessments and eco-system management for partial permafrost degradation.

Epidemiological characteristics of injury caused by fall in the elderly aged ≥60 years in Guang- zhou in 2014-2018 / 中华疾病控制杂志

@#Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of fall of elderly aged ≥ 60 years in Guangzhou from 2014 to 2018 ，so as to provide evidence for effective prevention and control measures． Methods Data on fall of the elderly was collected from the first diagno- sis in injury surveillance hospitals in Guangzhou from 2014 to 2018，and distribution description and epi- demiological analysis were adopted． Ｒesults 9 503 cases of fall of the elderly were reported in 5 injury surveillance hospitals，accounting for 49．41% of injuries in the elderly，and had occupied the first place in the cause of injury in 5 consecutive years． The sex ratio of men to women was 1 ∶ 1．67． Most of the patients had a primary or junior school degree，high rate in October-December，mainly occurred at home when doing leisure activities or life activities． The fall mainly led to injuries of head or lower extremities， contributed to contusion /bruise or fracture． And most of them were mild and moderate injury． Logistic re- gression showed that female，old age，high educational level，December to February，at home，walking， leisure activities and life activities were risk factors for falling among the elderly in Guangzhou ( all P ＜ 0．001) ． Conclusions Fall is the primary cause of injuries to the elderly in Guangzhou，especially the elderly female population． The targeted prevention and intervention measures should be developed ac- cording to their distribution characteristics．

A threefold interpenetrating two-dimensional zinc(II) coordination polymer: synthesis, crystal structure and selective luminescence sensing properties.

The Fe3+ ion is the most important element in environmental systems and plays a fundamental role in biological processes. Iron deficiency can result in diseases and highly selective and sensitive detection of trace Fe3+ has become a hot topic. A novel two-dimensional ZnII coordination framework, poly[[µ-4,4'-bis(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)diphenyl ether-κ2N3:N3'](µ-4,4'-sulfonyldibenzoato-κ2O:O')zinc(II)], [Zn(C14H8O6S)(C20H18N4O)]n or [Zn(SDBA)(BMIOPE)]n, (I), where H2SDBA is 4,4'-sulfonyldibenzoic acid and BMIOPE is 4,4'-bis(2-methylimidazol-1-yl)diphenyl ether, has been prepared and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis, the latter showing that the coordination polymer exhibits a threefold interpenetrating two-dimensional 44-sql network. In addition, it displays a highly selective and sensitive sensing for Fe3+ ions in aqueous solution.

Seven herbs against the stored product insect: Toxicity evidence and the active sesquiterpenes from Atractylodes lancea.

In this work, the essential oils (EO) were extracted from seven typical Chinese herbs, and their repellent and contact toxicities against Tribolium castaneum adults (red flour beetles) were evaluated. The experimental results showed that the above EOs presented the various levels of repellent and contact toxicities. The EOs extracted from A. lancea and A argyi of the Compositae (Asteraceae) family presented obvious repellent effects (Repellency Percentage > 90% at 3.15 nL/cm2 after 4 h exposure) and strong contact toxicity with LD50 values of 5.78 and 3.09 µg/adult respectively. Based on literature researches and screening results, the EO from A. lancea was analyzed by GC-MS and chosen for further identification of bioactive components. Altogether 59 chemical components were identified and 17 of them were recognized as sesquiterpene compounds, accounting for 57.8% of the total weight of the EO. From the identified sesquiterpenes, three individual compounds (ß-eudesmol, hinesol, valencene) were selected for the laboratory bioassays of the toxicity against red flour beetles. It was found that all the three compounds expressed some repellent effects. Although ß-eudesmol (31.2%) and hinesol (5.1%) were identified as main constituents and had been considered to be symbolic characteristics of high medicinal value, valencene (0.3%) showed strong repellent property which could be comparable to that of DEET (N, N­diethyl­3­methylbenzamide), a powerful commercial pesticides, and it had best toxicity with LD50 values of 3.25 (µg/adult) in the contact test. This work may provide toxicity evidence of seven common herbs against red flour beetles, add the information for the development and comprehensive utilization of A. lancea, and will contribute to the application of grain preservation.

[ERα36 is involved in the proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects of icaritin on MG63 cells].

The mechanism for icaritin to improve postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of estrogen receptor α36 (ERα36) in the proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects of icaritin on osteoblasts and the underlying mechanism of downstream signal transduction. The ERα36 knockdown human osteosarcoma MG63 cell model was constructed by transfection of shRNA vector. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8, the apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the activation of ERK and AKT signaling pathways was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the effects of icaritin on the proliferation and apoptosis of MG63 cells were significantly decreased after ERα36 knockdown, and icaritin could up-regulate the levels of ERK and AKT phosphorylation in MG63 cells, which could be reduced by ERα36 knockdown. The effect of icaritin on the proliferation of MG63 cells was significantly decreased by pretreating the cells with U0126 (an ERK signaling pathway blocker) and LY294002 (an AKT signaling pathway blocker), respectively. Furthermore, anti-apoptotic effect of icaritin on MG63 cells was significantly decreased after the cells were pretreated with U0126, but not with LY294002. These results suggest that icaritin exerts proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects on osteoblasts through ERα36 and its downstream ERK and AKT signaling pathways.

Contact Toxicity and Repellency of the Essential Oils of Evodia lenticellata Huang and Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. Leaves against Three Stored Product Insects.

The essential oils (EOs) extracted from Evodia lenticellata Huang and Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. leaves are screened to evaluate their contact toxicity and repellency towards Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Lasioderma serricorne (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) and Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) adults. The EOs are obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The principal components in the E. lenticellata EO are identified to be caryophyllene oxide (28.5%), ß-caryophyllene (23.1%), ß-elemene (14.5%), and ß-cubebene (4.7%), while the main components of the E. rutaecarpa EO are α-pinene (39.4%), ß-elemene (13.5%), α-ocimene (7.6%), and α-selinene (4.0%). These two kinds of EOs and their individual compounds all showed different levels of contact toxicity and repellent activity against three stored-product insects.

Toxicity and repellency of essential oil from Evodia lenticellata Huang fruits and its major monoterpenes against three stored-product insects.

In this work, the essential oil (EO) was extracted from the fruits of Evodia lenticellata, and the fumigant toxicity, contact toxicity and repellency against three stored-product insect species were evaluated for the obtained EO and several of its chemical components. The target insects were the adults of Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Lasioderma serricorne (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) and Liposcelis bostrychophila (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae). The EO was obtained with hydrodistillation and its chemical components were analyzed with the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twenty-seven compounds, accounting for 83.1% of the total amount of the oil, were identified from the EO sample. The main compounds included linalool (12.0%), ß-pinene (11.5%), 3-carene (9.6%), caryophyllene oxide (8.7%) and ß-caryophyllene (7.9%). Among them, the amounts of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were as high as 52.7% and 22.7% to the total amount of EO respectively. The results of bioactivity test showed that the EO and its testing compounds had interspecific toxicity and repellent activity. So that, it might be expected that the EO extracted from the fruits of E. lenticellata could be developed to a new type of eco-friendly natural insecticide or repellent for the control of stored-product insects.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extract of Cinnamomum cassia bark: toxicity and repellency against two stored-product beetle species.

The extract from Cinnamomum cassia Presl bark was obtained with supercritical CO2 fluid extraction (SFE). Chemical components of the SFE extract were characterized by GC-MS spectrometry. The repellency and contact toxicity of the SFE extract were evaluated against the adults of Tribolium castaneum and Lasioderma serricorne along with those of its two main compounds. The results of GC-MS analysis indicated that 33 volatile constituents were identified from the extract. The main components included trans-cinnamaldehyde (32.1%), 3,3-dimethylhexane (10.6%) and 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (7.9%). Testing results showed that the SFE extract had potent contact toxicity against T. castaneum and L. serricorne with LD50 values of 3.96 and 23.89 µg/adult, respectively. LD50 values of trans-cinnamaldehyde against T. castaneum and L. serricorne were 5.78 and 3.24 µg/adult, respectively. Additionally, percentage repellency values of the SFE extract and trans-cinnamaldehyde against T. castaneum and L. serricorne were rather high (PR = 100% and PR > 90%, respectively) at 78.63 and 15.73 nL/cm2 at 2 h post-exposure. 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol showed some repellency against both beetle species. Considering its insecticidal and repellent effects, the SFE extract from C. cassia bark might be used in integrated pest management programs for T. castaneum and L. serricorne.

ERα36 is involved in the proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects of icaritin on MG63 cells / 生理学报

The mechanism for icaritin to improve postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) has not been clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of estrogen receptor α36 (ERα36) in the proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects of icaritin on osteoblasts and the underlying mechanism of downstream signal transduction. The ERα36 knockdown human osteosarcoma MG63 cell model was constructed by transfection of shRNA vector. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8, the apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the activation of ERK and AKT signaling pathways was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the effects of icaritin on the proliferation and apoptosis of MG63 cells were significantly decreased after ERα36 knockdown, and icaritin could up-regulate the levels of ERK and AKT phosphorylation in MG63 cells, which could be reduced by ERα36 knockdown. The effect of icaritin on the proliferation of MG63 cells was significantly decreased by pretreating the cells with U0126 (an ERK signaling pathway blocker) and LY294002 (an AKT signaling pathway blocker), respectively. Furthermore, anti-apoptotic effect of icaritin on MG63 cells was significantly decreased after the cells were pretreated with U0126, but not with LY294002. These results suggest that icaritin exerts proliferation promotion and anti-apoptosis effects on osteoblasts through ERα36 and its downstream ERK and AKT signaling pathways.