Spatio-temporal dynamics and sensitive distance of nighttime light environment in Pearl River Delta Protected Areas, China.

Protected areas (PAs) are important barriers to ensure the ecological security of territory. Light pollution is a threat to PAs, which is particularly obvious in the urban agglomeration environment. We used multi-source big data (satellite remote sensing light data, land cover types and points of interest) to quantitatively analyze the temporal and spatial dynamics of nighttime light in the PAs of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2018, the correlation between the night light environment within the PAs and human activity intensity outside, as well as the sensitive distance of the PAs to artificial light interference. The results showed that the total value of nighttime light data of PAs in the PRD increased from 71107 nanoW·cm-2·sr-1 to 127682 nanoW·cm-2·sr-1 from 2000 to 2018, the mean value per pixel increased from 15.3 nanoW·cm-2·sr-1 to 23.7 nanoW·cm-2·sr-1, and the lighted ratio increased from 73.3% to 86.4%, indicating that the nighttime light environment of PAs in the region were facing cumulative deterioration risks and serious challenges. The nighttime light intensity of the PAs in the core area of the PRD was much higher than that in the peripheral areas such as Zhaoqing and Huizhou, whereas the expansion degree of the PAs in the peripheral areas was higher than that in the core area. The nighttime light environment inside the PAs was positively correlated with the intensity of human activities around it. The most sensitive distance of the PAs to the artificial light interference around it was 10 km, and the interference degree tended to be stable after 30 km. We proposed that 0-10 km area outside the boundary of the PAs should be the light control core zone and 10-20 km area as the control buffer zone.

Mitochondrial Genome Architecture and Evolutionary Origin of the Yao Silkworm, a Living Fossil of the Domestic Silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae).

The Yao silkworm is a unique silkworm resource producing yellow flat plate silk that has only been reared by the Baiku Yao ethnic group in Nandan County, Guangxi Province, China for a thousand years. Here, we report the mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of five Yao silkworm strains and 10 local Guangxi strains of the domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori) L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae), and use the resulting mitogenomes and the available Bombyx mitogenomes to characterize their genome architecture and trace the evolutionary origin of the Yao silkworm. The five Yao silkworm mitogenomes exhibited genome architectures identical to typical set of 37 mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNAs, and two ribosomal RNAs) and a high level of genome sequence similarity with the domestic silkworm. Mitogenome-based phylogenetic reconstruction provided solid evidence that the Yao silkworm shares a common ancestor with the domestic silkworm. Sliding window analysis uncovered a distinct variation pattern in the mitogenome between the Yao silkworm and the other domestic silkworm strains. The phylogenetic analyses revealed a basal placement of the Yao silkworm among all available domestic silkworm strains, indicating that the Yao silkworm is an ancient population of the domestic silkworm. Our data indicated that the Yao silkworm (B. mori) is a lineage of the domestic silkworm, which for the first time provides insights into the origin of the Yao silkworm.

Very Early Corona Treatment-Mediated Artificial Incubation of Silkworm Eggs and Germline Transformation of Diapause Silkworm Strains.

Diapause is an important biological characteristic for many insect species to adapt to adverse environmental conditions and maintain the continuity of the race. Compared with the traditional hydrochloric acid or/and cold storage treatment methods, the artificial corona incubation technology of silkworm (Bombyx mori) eggs has many advantages including, the absence of pollution, easy operation and safety. However, this technology has not yet been applied in sericulture. In this study, we developed a novel artificial corona instrument to successfully disrupt the diapause of newly laid and refrigerated eggs from various Chinese and Japanese lineage silkworm strains. Subsequently, we invented a very early corona treatment (VECT) strategy to prevent the diapause of newly laid silkworm eggs within 4 h of oviposition. The hatching rates of the larvae were more than 95% in all diapause silkworm strains, which was comparable to the effect of the traditional HCl treatment strategy. In addition, we developed a combination strategy of VECT and pre-blastoderm microinjection and successfully created transgenic silkworms in various diapause strains. The results of the current study can aid in improving the corona artificial incubation technology and promote its application in sericulture.

Heat Shock Protein 70 Family in Response to Multiple Abiotic Stresses in the Silkworm.

The 70 kDa heat shock proteins play important roles in protecting organisms against environmental stresses, which are divided into stress-inducible forms (HSP70s) and heat shock cognates (HSC70s). In this study, heat shock protein 70 family was identified in the whole genome of the silkworm. Based on the known nomenclature and phylogenetic analysis, four HSP70s and five HSC70s were classified. Relatively, heat shock cognates were more conservative and were constitutively expressed in various tissues of the silkworm larvae. Under thermal (37 °C and 42 °C) and cold (2 °C) stresses, the expressions of HSP70-1, HSP70-2, and HSP70-3 were up-regulated, and the highest induction reached 4147.3, 607.1, and 1987.3 times, respectively. Interestingly, HSC70-1, HSC70-4, and HSC70-5 also showed slight induced expressions in the fat body and/or midgut under thermal stresses. In addition, the expression of HSP70-1 was induced by dichlorvos and phoxim insecticides, while most HSC70 genes were inhibited. The results suggested that stress-inducible forms play more important roles in adaptation to various stresses than HSC70s.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Yao silkworm (Bombyx mori).

Here, we describe the first complete mitochondrial genome of Yao silkworm, a unique silkworm resource native at Guangxi, China. This circular molecule is 15,656 bp long and contains the typical set of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes) and one non-coding A + T-rich region of 494 bp long. The genome organization and gene arrangement are identical to those observed in all available Bombyx mori strains. The phylogenetic tree inferred from Bayesian inference provides a molecular evidence that Yao silkworm belongs to the domestic silkworm (B. mori), rather than a novel silkworm species.

An unexpected Schiff base-type Ni(II) complex: synthesis, crystal structures, fluorescence, electrochemical property and SOD-like activities.

An unexpected Schiff base-type Ni(II) complex, [Ni(L(2))2]⋅CH3OH (HL(2) = 1-(2-{[(E)-3, 5-dibromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene]amino}phenyl)ethanone oxime), has been synthesized via complexation of Ni(II) acetate tetrahydrate with HL(1) (2-(3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methyl-1,2-dihydroquinazoline 3-oxide) originally. HL(1) and its corresponding Ni(II) complex were characterized by IR, (1)H NMR spectra, as well as by elemental analysis, UV-Vis and emission spectroscopy, respectively. Crystal structures of the ligand and complex have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Each complex links two other molecules into an infinite 1-D chain via intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. Moreover, the electrochemical property of the nickle complex was studied by cyclic voltammetry. In addition, SOD-like activities of HL(1) and Ni(II) complex were also investigated.

Diagnostic Value of Combining Permeability with T1 Perfusion Parameters in Quantitative Dynamic Contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Glioma Grading / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>UNLABELLED</b>OBJECTIVE To investigate the diagnostic value of combining permeability with T1 perfusion parameters in quantitative dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in glioma grading.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 16 patients with high grade gliomas (HGG) and 12 patients with low grade gliomas(LGG) confirmed by pathology. The permeability was quantitatively analyzed and the T1 perfusion parameters of the tumor were calculated by the pharmacokinetic model,including volume transfer constant (K(trans)),volume fraction of extravascular extracellular space (ve),reflux constant (kep),fractional plasma volume (vp),cerebral blood flow (CBF),cerebral blood volume (CBV),and mean transit time (MTT). A t-test was used to calculate the statistical significance of quantitative analysis parameters between HGG and LGG. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also performed for evaluating the sensitivity,specificity,and area under curve (AUC) of the permeability parameters and perfusion parameters and the combination of these parameters.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The differences of the K(trans),ve,CBF,and CBV values [(0.276<0.164)/min vs. (0.084<0.044)/min;0.486<0.191 vs. 0.274<0.132;(1.755<1.164)ml/(g·min) vs. (0.761<0.625) ml/(g·min);(0.204<0.101) ml/g vs. (0.115<0.097)ml/g] were statistically significant (t=3.934,3.293,2.672,2.338,P<0.05) between HGG and LGG. The differences of the kep,vp, and MTT value [(1.632<1.204)/min vs. (1.537<1.194)/min;0.114<0.107 vs. 0.055<0.039;(0.128<0.070)min vs. (0.145<0.066)min] were not statistically significant (t=0.208,1.823,0.688,P>0.05). When the K(trans) value was 0.105/min,the AUC was the largest (0.919) by the single parameter in glioma grading,and meanwhile the sensitivity and specificity were 87.5% and 83.3%,respectively. When the ve-CBF value was 0.631,the AUC was the largest (0.974) by the multiple parameter,and meanwhile the sensitivity and specificity were 93.7% and 100.0%,respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combining permeability with perfusion parameters in quantitative DCE-MRI can improve the accuracy of the glioma grading.</p>

An unexpected cobalt(III) complex containing a Schiff base ligand: Synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic behavior, electrochemical property and SOD-like activity.

An unexpected mononuclear Co(III) complex, [Co(L2)2·(CH3COO)]·CH3OH (HL2=1-(2-{[(E)-3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene]amino}phenyl)ethanone oxime), has been synthesized via complexation of Co(II) acetate tetrahydrate with HL1 originally. The plausible reaction mechanism for the formation of quinazoline-type ligand was proposed. HL1 and its corresponding Co(III) complex were characterized by IR, as well as by elemental analysis and UV-vis spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the complex has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Each complex links two other molecules into an infinite 1-D chain via intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. Moreover, the electrochemical properties of the cobalt(III) complex were studied by cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). In addition, superoxide dismutase-like activities of HL1 and Co(III) complex were also investigated.

[Classification study of Coptis chinensis based on quantitative physical property characteristics of appearance and internal quality evaluation].

OBJECTIVE: Combining the quantitative physical property characteristics of the appearance with the internal quality evaluation index, its aims to provide experimental basis for the classification and quality evaluation of Coptis chinensis. METHOD: Fourteen batches of C. chinensis from different areas were respectively measured in size (total length, total width, root length, taproot diameter, branch number, branch length, branch diameter, length of the bridge, weight), color (external color, internal color), content (epiberberine, coptisine, palmatine, berberine). Then the determination data were evaluated by spss principal component analysis and cluster analysis. RESULT: Three principal components were extracted from the original data. The principal component analysis results showed that the characteristic elements might be the total length, main root length, taproot diameter, branch length, weight, the total color value of the appearance and content of epiberberine and berberine. The results of cluster analysis showed that 14 batches of samples could be clustered reasonably into two groups. In terms of the appearance and quality, there were some differences between in the geo-authentic and non-authentic producing areas of C. chinensis. CONCLUSION: The method which was combining the quantitative physical property characteristics of the appearance with the internal quality evaluation index, and through the processing of mathematical statistics, could be used for the the classification of C. chinensis.

[Intrauterine hyperglycemia and leptin resistance of offsprings.].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of intrauterine hyperglycemia on leptin level and offspring development in rats. METHODS: Female and male adult Wistar rats were mated, streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally on 5th day of gestation to induce diabetic model, diabetic pups (DP) were exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia; control pups (CP) were exposed to controls, which was injected with citrate buffer, 8 pups were choosed from each group. Weight gain between 3 - 10 weeks were recorded. Plasma leptin was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) when the rats were 11 weeks old, and the expression of leptin receptor in hypothalamus was measured at protein level by histomorphology and mRNA level measured by realtime PCR [expressed with integral absorbance (IA)] in 11 weeks in order to discuss the relation of leptin and offspring development. RESULTS: The fasting blood glucose level was significantly higher in diabetic mother compared with the controls [(28.3 +/- 5.1) mmol/L vs. (6.3 +/- 1.4) mmol/L, P < 0.05]. However, there was no difference between the fasting blood glucose level in DP group and CP group [(5.1 +/- 0.8) mmol/L vs. (5.3 +/- 0.6) mmol/L, P > 0.05]. The growth rate between 3-10 weeks was significantly higher in DP group 649.7% than CP group 479.2%, P < 0.05. The base insulin level was lower in DP group [(0.76 +/- 0.37) microg/L vs. (1.06 +/- 0.14) microg/L, P < 0.05]; while there was no difference in plasma leptin and the expression of leptin receptor in hypothalamus [(113 +/- 37) microg/L vs. (128 +/- 40) microg/L, P > 0.05]. The growth rate was not associated with plasma leptin in DP group (r = -0.501, P = 0.311) but associated in CP group (r = -0.553, P = 0.001). The protein level of DP group (4125 +/- 414) did not significantly differ from that of CP group (4244 +/- 511). The median of mRNA of leptin receptor in hypothalamus in DP group did not altered significantly compared with that of CP group (1.25 vs 1.80, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Intrauterine hyperglycemia accelerated growth rate of offsprings between 3 and 10 weeks, however, plasma leptin was not discreased, which indicated leptin resistance. Intrauterine hyperglycemia did not influence the expression of leptin receptor in hypopthalamus in offsprings, this suggested the leptin resistance may be not caused by the quantity of leptin receptors.

Identification and analysis of Toll-related genes in the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Silkworm (Bombyx mori), a model system for Lepidoptera, has contributed enormously to the study of insect immunology especially in humoral immunity. But little is known about the molecular mechanism of immune response in the silkworm. Toll receptors are a group of evolutionarily ancient proteins, which play a crucial role in the innate immunity of both insects and vertebrates. In human, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the typical pattern recognition receptors for different kinds of pathogen molecules. Toll-related receptors in Drosophila, however, were thought to function as cytokine receptors in immune response and embryogenesis. We have identified 11 putative Toll-related receptors and two Toll analogs in the silkworm genome. Phylogenetic analysis of insect Toll family and human TLRs showed that BmTolls is grouped with Drosophila Tolls and Anopheles Tolls. These putative proteins are typical transmembrane receptors flanked by the extracellular leucine-rich repeat (LRR) domain and the cytoplasmic TIR domain. Structural prediction of the TIR domain alignment found five stranded sheets and five helices, which are alternatingly joined. Microarray data indicated that BmToll and BmToll-2 were expressed with remarkable enrichment in the ovary, suggesting that they might play a role in the embryogenesis. However, the enriched expression of BmToll-2 and -4 in the midgut suggested that the proteins they encode may be involved in immune defense. Testis-specific expression of BmToll-10 and -11 and BmToLK-2 implies that these may be involved in sex-specific biological functions. The RT-PCR results indicated that 10 genes were induced or suppressed with different degrees after their immune system was challenged by different invaders. Expression profiles of BmTolls and BmToLKs reported here provide insight into their role in innate immunity and development.