The effects of temperature and sulfamethoxazole on the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

The misuse of antibiotics has brought potential ecological risks to marine ecosystems, especially under a changing climate. Laboratory experiments were conducted to understand the impact of rising temperatures and antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) abuse on marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Temperatures of 21 and 24 °C were optimal for the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of P. tricornutum. When exposed to higher temperatures (≥27 °C), the growth and photosynthesis were inhibited. High concentrations of SMX (≥100 mg/L) caused rapid and acute toxicological effects on the phytoplankton. In contrast, low concentrations of SMX (1 mg/L) exhibited hormesis. When P. tricornutum was exposed to SMX at high temperatures, the stress on the phytoplankton was even more pronounced. This suggests that the combination of rising temperatures and antibiotic pollution may have a more significant negative impact on marine phytoplankton than either stressor alone. Neglecting the interaction between these stressors may lead to underestimating their combined effects on marine ecosystems.

Multienzyme-Like Nanozyme Encapsulated Ocular Microneedles for Keratitis Treatment.

Keratitis, an inflammation of the cornea caused by bacterial or fungal infections, is one of the leading causes of severe visual disability and blindness. Keratitis treatment requires both the prevention of infection and the reduction of inflammation. However, owing to their limited therapeutic functions, in addition to the ocular barrier, existing conventional medications are characterized by poor efficacy and low bioavailability, requiring high dosages or frequent topical treatment, which represents a burden on patients and increases the risk of side effects. In this study, manganese oxide nanocluster-decorated graphdiyne nanosheets (MnOx/GDY) are developed as multienzyme-like nanozymes for the treatment of infectious keratitis and loaded into hyaluronic acid and polymethyl methacrylate-based ocular microneedles (MGMN). MGMN not only exhibits antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects owing to its multienzyme-like activities, including oxidase, peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase mimics but also crosses the ocular barrier and shows increased bioavailability via the microneedle system. Moreover, MGMN is demonstrated to eliminate pathogens, prevent biofilm formation, reduce inflammation, alleviate ocular hypoxia, and promote the repair of corneal epithelial damage in in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo experiments, thus providing a better therapeutic effect than commercial ophthalmic voriconazole, with no obvious microbial resistance or cytotoxicity.

Life Cycle Assessment of a large commercial kelp farm in Shandong, China.

The environmental benefits of seaweed cultivation have gained a lot of attention, both in policy strategies and by private companies. Sustainability evaluations of seaweed farming have however focused on a very small part of global production of seaweed - on European cultivations at research and pilot-scales although Asia stands for 99 % of global production with China alone producing 60 %. In this study, we use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental performance of a 400-hectare Chinese kelp farm with a yearly harvest of 60,000 tons. Primary data from the farm was used to assess impacts up until harvest for the functional unit of 1 ton of fresh-weight kelp. Included in the LCA were impact on climate change, acidification terrestrial and marine eutrophication, and use of land water and energy. In addition, we calculated nutrient uptake. Further, we extracted inventory data of four published LCA studies of farmed kelp and recalculated environmental impacts, applying the same background data and method choices with the aim to compare the effects of scale and cultivation system. The results of the hotspot analysis showed that the plastic ropes and buoys dominated impacts on climate change, freshwater and marine eutrophication, and energy consumption. Consequently, the most effective improvement action was recycling after use. The yearly harvest of the Chinese farm was 1000-4000 times larger than previously evaluated farms compared. Results suggest that streamlined and mature production in the large-scale Chinese kelp farm led to lower electricity and fuel consumption compared to small-scale production, thus placing the Chinese farm with a climate impact of 57.5 kg CO2 eq. per ton fresh-weight kelp on the lower end when comparing the carbon footprint. There was a large variation in carbon footprints, which implies that the kelp cultivation sector has considerable room for optimization.

Rational Design Strategies for Nanozymes.

Nanozymes constitute an emerging class of nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics. Over the past 15 years, more than 1200 nanozymes have been developed, and they have demonstrated promising potentials in broad applications. With the diversification and complexity of its applications, traditional empirical and trial-and-error design strategies no longer meet the requirements for efficient nanozyme design. Thanks to the rapid development of computational chemistry and artificial intelligence technologies, first-principles methods and machine-learning algorithms are gradually being adopted as a more efficient and easier means to assist nanozyme design. This review focuses on the potential elementary reaction mechanisms in the rational design of nanozymes, including peroxidase (POD)-, oxidase (OXD)-, catalase (CAT)-, superoxide dismutase (SOD)-, and hydrolase (HYL)-like nanozymes. The activity descriptors are introduced, with the aim of providing further guidelines for nanozyme active material screening. The computing- and data-driven approaches are thoroughly reviewed to give a proposal on how to proceed with the next-generation paradigm rational design. At the end of this review, personal perspectives on the prospects and challenges of the rational design of nanozymes are put forward, hoping to promote the further development of nanozymes toward superior application performance in the future.

Aal-circRNA-407 regulates ovarian development of Aedes albopictus, a major arbovirus vector, via the miR-9a-5p/Foxl axis.

Aedes albopictus shows a rapid global expansion and dramatic vectorial capacity for various arboviruses, thus posing a severe threat to global health. Although many noncoding RNAs have been confirmed to play functional roles in various biological processes in Ae. albopictus, the roles of circRNA remain a mystery. In the present study, we first performed high-throughput circRNA sequencing in Ae. albopictus. Then, we identified a cysteine desulfurase (CsdA) superfamily gene-originated circRNA, named aal-circRNA-407, which was the third most abundant circRNA in adult females and displayed a fat body highly expressed manifestation and blood feeding-dependent onset. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of circRNA-407 resulted in a decrease in the number of developing follicles and a reduction in follicle size post blood meal. Furthermore, we demonstrated that circRNA-407 can act as a sponge of aal-miR-9a-5p to promote the expression of its target gene Foxl and eventually regulate ovarian development. Our study is the first to report a functional circRNA in mosquitoes, expanding our current understanding of important biological roles in mosquitoes and providing an alternative genetic strategy for mosquito control.

N-doped graphene aerogel cathode with internal aeration for enhanced degradation of p-nitrophenol by electro-Fenton process.

A columnar N-doped graphene aerogel (NGA) was successfully fabricated by one-step hydrothermal synthesis using L-hydroxyproline as reductant, N-doping, and swelling agent, and it was used as the cathode with internal aeration mode for the electro-Fenton degradation of p-nitrophenol. Owing to the stable solid-liquid-gas three-phase interface, more active defects, and modulated nitrogen dopants, the NGA cathode exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity. H2O2 could be continuously electro-generated via a two-electron oxygen reduction, and the yield of H2O2 was 153.3 mg·L-1·h-1 with the low electric energy consumption of 15.3 kWh kg-1. Simultaneously, the NGA cathode had better charge transfer capability with N-doping, which was conducive to the conversion of Fe3+/Fe2+. Under the optimal condition, nearly 100% removal of p-nitrophenol and 84% removal of TOC were obtained within 60 and 120 min, respectively. The NGA cathode also presented good stability and versatile applicability in different water matrices. Therefore, the NGA is a cost-effective cathode material in electro-Fenton system with adequate activity and reuse stabilization.

[Bibliometric analysis on the literature characteristics of animal experiment research with acupuncture and moxibustion].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diversities in the literature characteristics of animal experiments with acupuncture and moxibustion (acu-moxibustion) published in both Chinese and English, so as to summarize the similarities and differences in the reporting content for the animal experiment research with acu-moxibustion in the journals at home and abroad. METHODS: The articles of animal experiments with acu-moxibustion published from 2016 to 2018 were searched from CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed and Web of Science databases. The articles were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the database was established by importing the essential information, e.g. title, author, journal, impact factor, country, year of publication, citation frequency, funding, disease type, as well as the number of observation indicators and charts. The diversity was initially summarized among this type of articles between China and foreign countries. RESULTS: A total of 7 515 articles of animal experiments with acu-moxibustion were retrieved and 2 458 articles were eligible in compliance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of them, there were 1 827 articles in Chinese and 631 in English. (1) Among those of Chinese-version, 169 articles (9.25%) were published in Acupuncture Research, listed the first of the article publications. Regarding the impact factor of published journal, Acupuncture Research was ranked the highest (3.187). For those published in English, 78 articles (12.36%) were published in Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, listed the top of the article publications. Gastroenterology occupied the highest in terms of the impact factor (17.373) of published journal. (2) The first authors of Chinese-version articles were all from China, distributing in 461 institutions; of which, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine occupied the top for article publications (142 articles, 7.77%). For the English articles, 16 countries were involved regarding the first authors, and the most of them were from China (523 articles, 82.88%), followed by South Korea, Brazil, the United States and Japan. (3) The frequency of citations of Chinese articles was 7.50, which was significantly higher than that of English ones (4.61). (4) The funding supported Chinese and English articles were 1 680 (91.95%) and 569 (90.17%) respectively. (5) In the aspects of disease name and animal model, 135 and 220 diseases were included in Chinese and English articles respectively. The common top 10 diseases referred to 8 categories, i.e. stroke-related diseases, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, depression, diabetes, spinal cord injury, hypertension and obesity. (6) In terms of the number of indicators, the maximum number was 6 for Chinese-version articles, averagely 2.46, while, it was 12 for English-version ones, 4.02 in average. (7) Among the articles of Chinese-version, the maximum number of charts was 17, and 1 028 articles had 2 to 4 charts, accounting the largest proportion (56.27%). Among those of English-version, the top number of charts was 27, and 347 articles had 4 to 6 charts, occupying the largest proportion (54.99%). CONCLUSION: The number of Chinese-version articles for acu-moxibustion experiment research is much higher than that of the English ones, the authorship is led by Chinese and most of the researches are supported by funds. There is less difference in the disease types between Chinese and English articles, but the frequency citation of Chinese articles is obviously higher than that of English ones; while, the numbers of observation indicators and charts in English articles are much more than those of Chinese ones. It is suggested that the great attention has been drawn on the acu-moxibustion experiment researches published in Chinese journals, and the reports of the researches are more complete in English journals.

Electroacupuncture relieves hyperalgesia by regulating neuronal-glial interaction and glutamate transporters of spinal dorsal horns in rats with acute incisional neck pain.

Objective: Glial cells are involved in the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) in rats with chronic neurological pain. The objective of this study was to observe the role of neuronal-glial interaction and glutamate (Glu) transporters in EA-induced acute neck pain relief in rats. Materials and methods: Male rats were placed into the following five groups: control, model, EA Futu (LI18), EA Hegu (LI4)-Neiguan (PC6), and EA Zusanli (ST36)-Yanglingquan (GB34). The incisional neck pain model was established by making a longitudinal incision along the midline of the neck. The thermal pain threshold (TPT) was measured using a radiation heat detector. The immunoactivities of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), Glu aspartate transporter (GLAST), and Glu transporter-1 (GLT-1) in the dorsal horns (DHs) of the cervico-spinal cord (C2-C5) were detected using immunofluorescence histochemistry. The expression levels of GFAP, Iba-1, GLAST, and GLT-1 mRNAs were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: The TPT and levels of mRNAs expression and immunoactivity of GLT-1 and GLAST were significantly decreased, and those of Iba-1 and GFAP were significantly increased in the model group than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The activated microgliacytes were gathered around the NK-1R positive neurons, and co-expression of NK-1R and astrocytes was observed in the model group. EA LI18 significantly increased the TPT and expression of GLAST and GLT-1 mRNAs (P < 0.05) and notably decreased the number of Iba-1 positive cells and Iba-l mRNA expression (P < 0.05), whereas GLAST and GLT-1 antagonists inhibited the analgesic effect of EA LI18. However, these effects, except for the downregulation of Iba-1 mRNA, were not observed in the EA ST36-GB34 group. Fewer NK-1R-positive neurons were visible in the spinal DHs in the EA LI18 group, and the co-expression of NK-1R and astrocytes was also lower than that in the three EA groups. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture of LI18 had an analgesic effect in rats with neck incisions, which may be related to its functions in suppressing the neuronal-glial cell interaction through NK-1R and upregulating the expression of GLAST and GLT-1 in the spinal DHs.

[κ-opioid receptor is involved in electroacupuncture analgesia via inhibition of spinal microglial Toll-like receptor 4 in neuropathic pain rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of lumbar spinal κ-opioid receptor (KOR) and Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) in microglia in neuropathic pain rats, so as to explore the role of cross-talk between KOR and TLK4 in EA-induced alleviation of chronic neuropathic pain. METHODS: Wistar male rats were randomized into control, model, EA and EA plus KOR inhibitor (EA+inhibitor) groups (n=18 in each group). The neuropathic pain model was established in rats by ligature of the right sciatic nerve. EA was applied at bilateral "Zusanli"(ST36) and "Yanglingquan"(GB34) for 30 min, once daily for 5 days. JDTic dihydrochloride (a KOR inhibitor) was administrated by intraperitoneal injection before EA intervention. The difference value of paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWLD) of the bilateral hind-limbs was used as the thermal pain reaction level. At the end of experiments, the rat's lumbar spinal cord (L2-L4) was taken for detecting the expression of CD68 mRNA (a marker of the activated microglia) and Iba-1 (a marker for the activated and resting microglia) immunoactivity, and dynorphin content, and KOR mRNA and TLR4 protein (in immunomagnetic microbead method separated microglia) by using fluorescence quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, radioimmunoassay and Western blot, separately. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, a strong thermal hyperalgesia was induced, the expression levels of Iba-1 and CD68 mRNA in the spinal cord, TLR4 protein of the spinal microglia were significantly increased(P<0.01) in the model group. The microglia were characterized by somatic hypertrophy and thickened branches in the model group. After EA intervention, the PWLD, the expression of Iba-1, CD68 mRNA and TLR4 protein of the microglia were significantly decreased(P<0.05), while the content of spinal dynorphin and the expression of KOR mRNA of the microglia increased in the EA group relative to the model group(P<0.05). The hypertrophic microglia shrinked slightly in the EA group. After injection of KOR inhibitor, the PWLD and expression levels of Iba-1, CD68 mRNA and TLR4 protein were significantly increased(P<0.05), and the expression of KOR mRNA was significantly decreased(P<0.05) in the EA+inhibitor group in comparison with the EA group. CONCLUSION: The analgesia effect of EA may partly mediated by spinal microglial KOR and the activation of KOR of microglia may be a target for inhibition of microglial TLR4-induced pro-inflammatory signaling.

Electroacupuncture Alleviates Hyperalgesia by Regulating CB1 Receptor of Spinal Cord in Incisional Neck Pain Rats.

Acupuncture therapy is effective in relieving postoperative pain of neck surgery, but its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study, in the incisional neck pain rat model, was designed to explore whether the endocannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) in the cervical spinal cord is involved in the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) or not.The incisional neck pain model was established by making a longitudinal incision and applied EA treatment of Futu (LI18), Hegu-Neiguan (LI4-PC6), or Zusanli-Yanglingquan (ST36-GB34) for pain relief. The results showed that EA LI18 and EA LI4-PC6 effectively relieve allodynia caused by neck incision, which was obviously better than EA ST34-GB34 (P < 0.05). After EA, the expression levels of CB1 mRNA at 4h in the EALI18 group, and 24 and 48h in both EALI18 and EALI4-PC6 groups, and those of CB1 protein at 4, 24, and 48h in the EALI18 group, and the immunoactivity of CB1 in both EALI18 and EALI4-PC6 groups at 4h were significantly upregulated in contrast to those of the model group (P < 0.05). EA of either acupoint group had no effect on the expression of CB2 protein (P > 0.05). Moreover, the antinociceptive effect of EA was reversed by AM251 (CB1 antagonist). Immunofluorescence dual staining showed that CB1 expressed in astrocytes in the superficial layer (laminae I and II) of dorsal horns of the cervical spinal cord. Therefore, the findings of this study revealed that upregulation of CB1 expression in the cervical spinal cord contributes to the analgesic effect of EA in incisional neck pain rats. The CB1 receptor expresses on astrocytes.

Mitigation of CyanoHABs Using Phoslock® to Reduce Water Column Phosphorus and Nutrient Release from Sediment.

Cyanobacterial blooms can be stimulated by excessive phosphorus (P) input, especially when diazotrophs are the dominant species. A series of mesocosm experiments were conducted in a lake dominated by a cyanobacteria bloom to study the effects of Phoslock®, a phosphorus adsorbent. The results showed that the addition of Phoslock® lowered the soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) concentrations in water due to efficient adsorption and mitigated the blooms. Once settled on the sediments, Phoslock® serves as a barrier to reduce P diffusion from sediments into the overlying waters. In short-term (1 day) incubation experiments, Phoslock® diminished or reversed SRP effluxes from bottom sediments. At the same time, the upward movement of the oxic-anoxic interface through the sediment column slightly enhanced NH4+ release and depressed N2 release, suggesting the inhibition of nitrification and denitrification. In a long-term (28 days) experiment, Phoslock® hindered the P release, reduced the cyanobacterial abundance, and alleviated the bloom-driven enhancements in the pH and oxygen. These results suggest that, through suppression of internal nutrient effluxes, Phoslock® can be used as an effective control technology to reduce cyanobacteria blooms common to many freshwater systems.

[Spinal cord Toll like receptor 4 and its co-stimulatory molecule heat shock protein 90 may parti-cipate in electroacupuncture analgesia in rats with chronic neuropathic pain].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of Toll like receptor 4(TLR4)and heat shock protein 90(HSP90) in the spinal cord of rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve, so as to explore the mechanism of spinal cord TLR4 and HSP90 in alleviating chronic neuropathic pain by EA. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomized into control, model, EA, HSP90 inhibitor (inhibitor) and EA+ inhibitor groups (n=10 in each group). The neuropathic pain model was established by ligature of the right sciatic nerve to induce CCI. EA (1 mA，2 Hz/15 Hz)was applied at bilateral "Zusanli"(ST36) and "Yanglingquan"(GB34) for 30 min, once daily for 5 days. Rats of the inhibitor and EA+inhibitor groups were given a subcutaneous injection of HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin (50 µg/kg) at the neck before daily EA. The paw withdrawal latency (PWL) of the bilateral hind-limbs was detected by using an algesia-detector. The contents of interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in the lumbar spinal cord (L2-L4) tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relative expression levels of HSP90 and TLR4 proteins in the lumbar spinal cord (L2-L4) were detected using Western blot and immunofluorescence double labeling, respectively. RESULTS: Following CCI, a strong thermal hyperalgesia, an apparent up-regulation of expression of HSP90 and TLR4 proteins and TLR4 in microglia, and increasing levels of IL-1ß and TNF-α in the spinal cord were induced in the model group relevant to the control group (P<0.01，P<0.05). Five sessions of EA intervention or inhibitor injection significantly attenuated hyperalgesia, reversed the increase of IL-1ß and TNF-α, and down-regulated the expression of TLR4 in microglia (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of HSP90 was further increased (P<0.05), and those of TLR4 in microglia and neurons were significantly decreased and increased, respectively in the EA group (P<0.05). Compared with the EA group, the levels of PWLD,TLR4 and HSP90 expression, and the proportions of neuronal nuclei antigen（NeuN） and TLR4, and ionized calcium binding adapter molecule （Iba1） and TLR4 co-expressed cells were significantly decreased in the inhibitor group and EA+inhibitor group (P<0.05). The proportion of NeuN and TLR4 co-expression cells in the EA+inhibitor group was significantly higher than that of the inhibitor group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA stimulation of ST36 and GB34 can alleviate thermal hyperalgesia in CCI rats, which is closely associated with its effect in regulating the expression of TLR4 in the spinal cord neurons and microglia. HSP90 in the spinal cord may be a co-stimulatory molecule for EA induced relief of neuropathic pain by regulating TLR4.

Exosomal miR-23a and miR-192, Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a common chronic disease, which lacks a specific diagnostic method. A substantial body of literature has demonstrated that the molecular constituents of extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising as a novel biomarker for clinical diagnosis, especially exosomal miRNAs in biological fluids. METHODS: To find a diagnostic biomarker for T2D, we isolated exosomes from plasma and then quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect the miRNA expression in plasma and exosomes from control subjects and T2D subjects. The ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve and AUC (area under curve) were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of exosomal miRNAs. RESULTS: We found the exosomal levels of miR-23a and miR-192 were both significantly higher in T2D subjects. The AUC of miR-23a and miR-192 were 0.828 and 0.717, respectively. Further bioinformatics analysis was performed to speculate possible mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, exosomal miR-23a and miR-192 have good potential as diagnostic biomarkers for type 2 diabetes.

GABAergic Inhibition of Spinal Cord Dorsal Horns Contributes to Analgesic Effect of Electroacupuncture in Incisional Neck Pain Rats.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture has shown to be effective in relieving post-surgical pain. Nonetheless, its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of GABA, GABA-A receptor (R) and GABA-BR in the spinal cord dorsal horns (DHs), and the involved neural cells in rats with incisional neck pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male SD rats were randomly divided into control, model, Futu (LI18), Hegu-Neiguan (LI4-PC6), and Zusanli-Yanglingquan (ST36-GB34) groups. The incisional neck pain model was established by making a longitudinal incision and repeated mechanical separation along the thyroid gland region. EA (2Hz/100Hz, 1mA) was applied to LI18, LI4-PC6, ST36-GB34 separately for 30min, once at 4, 24 and 48h after incision. The local thermal pain threshold (TPT) of the focus was measured and the expression of GABA, and GABAR proteins and mRNAs detected by immunofluorescence stain and quantitative RT-PCR, respectively. RESULTS: The analgesic effect of LI18 and LI4-PC6 was superior to that of ST36-GB34 in incisional neck pain rats. Moreover, the EA stimulation of LI18 or LI4-PC6 increased the expression of GABA and GABA-Aα2 and GABA-Aß3, GABA-B1, and GABA-B2 mRNAs in spinal DHs 4h after surgery, while GABA-A and GABA-B antagonists inhibited the analgesic effect of LI18. Immunofluorescence double staining showed that GABA was expressed on astrocytes and neurons, and GABA-B expressed only on neurons. CONCLUSION: EA of both LI18 and LI4-PC6 has a good analgesic effect in incisional neck pain rats, which is closely related to their effects in upregulating the expression of GABA and its receptors in spinal DHs. The effects of LI18 and LI4-PC6 EA are obviously better that those of ST36-GB34 EA, and GABA is expressed on neurons and astrocytes.

Gender-Specific Association between Serum Uric Acid and Incident Fundus Arteriosclerosis in Chinese Population: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Elevated levels of serum uric acid (SUA) were considered to be risk factors for cardiovascular disease, it has been found to be associated with increased arteriosclerosis. The aim of this study was to explore the gender specific relationship between SUA and fundus arteriosclerosis in a healthy population. In a retrospective cross-sectional study, 23474 individuals without diabetes and hypertension were included in the present study. SUA levels were cut to four groups as Q1 to Q4, according to the quartiles. The odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of different SUA levels were estimated by a binomial logistic regression model. A restrictive cubic spline method was used to estimate the dose-response relationship between SUA and fundus arteriosclerosis. Subgroup analysis was performed to find the gender-specific association between SUA and incident fundus arteriosclerosis. In males, after adjusting for confounding factors, the highest SUA level was significantly associated with the risk of incident fundus arteriosclerosis. The OR with 95%CI for Q4 was 1.44(1.18, 1.76), Q1 as a reference. Specially, for females, SUA level was not associated with the incidence of fundus arteriosclerosis. In conclusion, elevated levels of SUA were associated with the incidence of fundus arteriosclerosis in males, but not in females.

Fabrication of a double-layer membrane cathode based on modified carbon nanotubes for the sequential electro-Fenton oxidation of p-nitrophenol.

To improve the electrocatalytic efficiency of the cathode and provide a wider pH range in the electro-Fenton process, N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) and ferrous ion complexed with carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNT-COOFe2+) were used to fabricate the diffusion layer and catalyst layer of a membrane cathode, respectively. The morphology, structure, and composition of CNT-COOFe2+ were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oxygen reduction performance of NCNT was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and the rotating disk electrode technique (RDE). In addition, a potential application of the cathode in sequential electro-Fenton degradation of p-nitrophenol (p-NP) was investigated. The results revealed that iron was successfully doped on the carboxylated carbon nanotubes in ionic complexation form and the content of iron atoms in CNT-COOFe2+ was 2.65%. Furthermore, the defects on the tube walls provided more reactive sites for the electro-Fenton process. A combination of CV and RDE data indicated that NCNT had better electrocatalytic H2O2 generation activity with a more positive onset potential and higher cathodic peak current response than CNT. A p-NP removal rate of 96.04% was achieved within 120 min, and a mineralization efficiency of 80.26% was obtained at 180 min in the sequential electro-Fenton process at a cathodic potential of - 0.7 V vs SCE and neutral pH. The activity of the used cathode was restored simply through electro-reduction at - 1.0 V vs SCE, and a p-NP removal rate of more than 70% was obtained at 60 min after six regeneration cycles.

Differentiation of Long Non-Coding RNA and mRNA Expression Profiles in Male and Female Aedes albopictus.

The Asia tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an important vector of arboviruses, and females can transmit pathogens such as the dengue, zika, and chikungunya viruses. Understanding sex-related differences in this mosquito is fundamental for vector control. However, there are no reports of systematic characterization of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in male and female Ae. albopictus. To investigate the roles of coding and non-coding RNAs in both sexes of Ae. albopictus, RNA sequencing was performed on male and female samples. The results showed 305 differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DEGs) between males and females, of which 198 were highly expressed in males and 125 were highly expressed in females. Sex-associated gene ontology terms were enriched. Analysis with the FEELnc software identified 2,623 novel lncRNAs, of which 26 showed male high expression and 11 showed female high expression. Quantitative real-time PCR of randomly selected DEGs and lncRNAs supported the validity of the RNA sequencing results. Knocking down male high-expressed gene AALF000433 in male adults reduced the egg hatching rate. This study provides valuable data on sex-specific expression of protein-coding genes and lncRNAs in adult Ae. albopictus, which will guide further studies aimed at understanding sex development and determination mechanisms in this species.

[Electroacupuncture alleviated incisional neck pain possibly by suppressing TNF-α expression and increasing IL-4/IL-4 receptor signaling in cervical dorsal part of spinal cord in incisio-nal neck pain rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on incisional pain and expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) of cervical dorsal part of spinal cord in rats with incisional neck pain, so as to explore its analgesic mechanisms. METHODS: Eighty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, model, EA-Futu(LI18) and EA-Zusanli(ST36)-Yanglingquan(GB34, EA-ST36-GB34) groups (n=21 in each group). The incisional neck pain model was established by making a longitudinal incision along the bilateral cervical thyroid regions and repeated mechanical separation stimulation. For rats of the EA groups, EA (2 Hz/100 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral LI18 or ST36-GB34 for 30 min/ time during the surgery, and 20 and 44 h after surgery, respectively. The thermal pain threshold (TPT) of the incisional region was detected. The immunoactivity of TNF-α and IL-10 of the dorsal portion of the cervical spinal cord (C2-C5) was detected by immunofluorescence, and the expression of TNF-α, IL-10, IL-4 and IL-4 receptor (IL-4R) mRNAs was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the TPT of the incisional area was significantly decreased at 4, 24 and 48 h after neck-incision (P<0.05), the levels of TNF-α mRNA, IL-10 mRNA and TNF-α IL-10 immunoactivity at 24 h were remarkably increased (P<0.05), and the expression of IL-4R mRNA was considerably decreased at 24 h in the model group (P<0.05). Following EA intervention, the TPT, and expression levels of IL-4 mRNA and IL-4R mRNA were significantly increased at 24 h after surgery in the EA-LI18 group relevant to the model group (P<0.05), while the expression level of TNF-α(coexpressed with microgliacytes) in the EA-LI18 group, and TNF-α mRNA expression at 24 h in both EA-LI18 and EA-ST36-GB34 groups, as well as the expression of IL-10 and IL-10 mRNA at 24 h in both EA-LI18 and EA-ST36-GB34 groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The effect of EA LI18 was significantly superior to that of EA ST36-GB34 in up-regulating TPT and expression of IL-4 mRNA and IL-4R mRNA at 24 h (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA of LI18 has an analgesic effect in incisional neck pain rats, which may be related to its effect in down-regulating the expression of TNF-α, IL-10 and promoting IL-4 /IL-4R signaling in dorsal portions of the cervical spinal cord. The analgesic effect of EA LI18 is better than that of EA ST36-GB34.

A Novel Densovirus Isolated From the Asian Tiger Mosquito Displays Varied Pathogenicity Depending on Its Host Species.

Mosquito-borne viral diseases (MBVDs) continue to pose a significant global public health burden. Mosquito control remains a core intervention strategy in integrated mosquito management (IMM) programs to reduce the transmission of MBVDs. Mosquito densoviruses (MDVs) are mosquito-specific entomopathogenic viruses, and their attractive biological and pathogenic characteristics make MDVs potential biological control agents as alternatives to traditional chemical pesticides. However, different viral strains vary greatly in their pathogenicity against different mosquito species, which poses an obstacle for the wide application of MDVs in vector control. In this study, a novel MDV, Aedes albopictus densovirus-7 (AalDV-7), was isolated from field-collected Aedes albopictus in the dengue-endemic area of Guangzhou, China. The complete 4,048 nt genome of AalDV-7 was cloned and sequenced, and the transcription and translation of three open reading frames (ORFs) were characterized. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that AalDV-7 clustered with MDVs mostly isolated from indigenous mosquitoes. The pathogenicity of AalDV-7 to A. albopictus, Aedes aegypti, and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae was completely different, and the median lethal dose (LD50) of AalDV-7 in A. albopictus which was 109.48 genome equivalents per ml (geq/ml) was 12 and 46 times lower than those in A. aegypti (1010.56 geq/ml) and C. quinquefasciatus (1011.15 geq/ml). Furthermore, the median lethal time (LT50) value in A. albopictus (7.72 days) was 25% and 26% shorter than those in A. aegypti (10.24 days) and C. quinquefasciatus (10.42 days) at a titer of 1011 geq/ml. Furthermore, the mortality of AalDV-7-infected mosquitoes increased in a dose-dependent manner, and the highest mortality was found in A. albopictus larvae exposed to 1011 geq/ml AalDV-7 (82.00%). Sublethal effects analysis also showed that AalDV-7 infection significantly decreased pupation and emergence rates. The 1st-2nd instar larvae of all three mosquito species showed a near 100% infection rate, and the highest relative vial titer (305.97 ± 67.57 geq/ng) was observed in the 1st-2nd instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus. These pathogenic characteristics make AalDV-7 a potential MBVDs control agent in China, whereas its negligible pathogenicity and high infection rate and viral dose in vivo make it a good candidate for gene delivery vectors in C. quinquefasciatus gene function analysis. In conclusion, the continuous discovery and isolation of new MDVs enrich the pool of mosquito entomopathogenic viruses and provide a variety of choices for optimal MDVs or combinations of MDVs to target certain mosquitoes.

[High Mobility Group Box 1/ CD 24 Receptor/ß-EP Signaling in "Zusanli" (ST 36) Region Contributes to Electroacupuncture Analgesia in Rats with Neuropathic Pain].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB 1) and its receptor CD 24 proteins and ß-endorphin (ß-EP) content in "Zusanli" (ST 36) region in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying pain relief. METHODS: Thirty male Wistar rats were rando-mized into control, CCI model and EA groups (n＝ 10 rats in each). The neuropathic pain model was established by ligature of the left sciatic nerve to induce CCI in the model and EA groups, and sham operation was performed in rats of the control group. Paw with drawal latency (PWL, thermal pain threshold) of the bilateral hind-limbs was detected by using an algesia-detector. Eight days after CCI operation, EA was applied to bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Yanglingquan" (GB 34) for 30 min, once daily for 5 days. The acetylated-HMGB 1 expression was determined by immunoprecipitation, and the expression of HMGB 1 and toll like receptor 4 (TLR 4) proteins and CD 24 mRNA were detected using Western blot and fluorescent quantitative real time-PCR, respectively, and the content of ß-EP in the acupoint region was assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Anti-CD 24 neutralizing antibody (200 µL, 100 µg/mL) was injected into ST 36 region once daily for 3 days for verifying the involvement of HMGB 1/CD 24 signaling in EA analgesia. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the bilateral PWL difference values in the other two groups were significantly increased (P<0.05), meaning an occurrence of hyperalgesia after CCI. In comparison with the CCI model group, the hyperalgesia in the EA group was obviously decreased (P<0.05). After CCI, the expression levels of HMGB 1 and TLR 4 proteins were considerably increased compared with those in the control group (P<0.05). After 5-times' EA, the acetylated-HMGB 1, the expression of CD 24 mRNA, and the content of ß-EP were notably up-regulated (P<0.05), and there were no obvious changes in the expression levels of HMGB 1 and TLR 4 proteins (P>0.05). After local injection of anti-CD 24 antibody, EA-induced increases of ß-EP content and reduction of thermal pain threshold were significantly suppressed (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: EA of ST 36 and GB 34 can alleviate neuropathic pain in CCI rats, which is associated with its effects in up-regulating ß-EP content, and HMGB 1 protein and CD 24 mRNA expression levels in ST 36 region. The activated HMGB 1/CD 24/ß-EP signaling contributes to EA-ST 36 induced analgesia.