The ncRNA-mediated regulatory networks of defensins and lysozymes in Riptortus pedestris: involvement in response to gut bacterial disturbances.

Insects depend on humoral immunity against intruders through the secretion of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and immune effectors via NF-κB transcription factors, and their fitness is improved by gut bacterial microbiota. Although there are growing numbers of reports on noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) involving in immune responses against pathogens, comprehensive studies of ncRNA-AMP regulatory networks in Riptortus pedestris, which is one of the widely distributed pests in East Asia, are still not well understood under feeding environmental changes. The objective of this study employed the whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS) to systematically identify the lncRNAs (long noncoding RNA) and circRNAs (circular RNA) and to obtain their differential expression from the R. pedestris gut under different feeding conditions. Functional annotation indicated that they were mainly enriched in various biological processes with the GO and KEGG databases, especially in immune signaling pathways. Five defensin (four novel members) and eleven lysozyme (nine novel members) family genes were identified and characterized from WTS data, and meanwhile, phylogenetic analysis confirmed their classification. Subsequently, the miRNA-mRNA interaction network of above two AMPs and lncRNA-involved ceRNA (competing endogenous RNA) regulatory network of one lysozyme were predicted and built based on bioinformatic prediction and calculation, and the expression patterns of differentially expressed (DE) defensins, and DE lysozymes and related DE ncRNAs were estimated and selected among all the comparison groups. Finally, to integrate the analyses of WTS and previous 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we conducted the Pearson correlation analysis to reveal the significantly positive or negative correlation between above DE AMPs and ncRNAs, as well as most changes in the gut bacterial microbiota at the genus level of R. pedestris. Taken together, the present observations provide great insights into the ncRNA regulatory networks of AMPs in response to rearing environmental changes in insects and uncover new potential strategies for pest control in the future.

Fabrication and application of carrier-free and carrier-based nanopesticides in pest management.

Pesticides are widely used for pest control to promote sustained and stable growth of agricultural production. However, indiscriminate pesticide usage poses a great threat to environmental and human health. In recent years, nanotechnology has shown the ability to increase the performance of conventional pesticides and has great potential for improving adhesion to crop foliage, solubility, stability, targeted delivery, and so forth. This review discusses two types of nanopesticides, namely, carrier-free nanopesticides and carrier-based nanopesticides, that can precisely release necessary and sufficient amounts of active ingredients. At first, the basic characterization and preparation methods of these two distinct types of nanopesticides are briefly summarized. Subsequently, current applications and future perspectives on scientific examples and strategies for promoting the usage efficacy and reducing the environmental risks of these nanopesticides were also described. Overall, nanopesticides can promote higher crop yields and lay the foundation for sustainable agriculture and global food security.

Static and Temporal Dynamic in Functional Connectivity of Large-scale Brain Networks During Acute Stress Regulate Stress Resilience Differently: The Promotion Role of Trait Resilience.

Stress resilience has been largely regarded as a process in which individuals actively cope with and recover from stress. Over the past decade, the emergence of large-scale brain networks has provided a new perspective for the study of the neural mechanisms of stress. However, the role of inter-network functional-connectivity (FC) and its temporal fluctuations in stress resilience is still unclear. To bridge this knowledge gap, seventy-seven participants (age, 17-22 years, 37 women) were recruited for a ScanSTRESS brain imaging study. A static perspective was initially adopted, using changes in FC that obtained from stress vs. control condition during the entire stress induction phase as a static indicator. Further, changes in FC between different stress runs were analyzed as an index of temporal dynamics. Stress resilience was gauged using salivary cortisol levels, while trait resilience was measured via behavioral-activation-system (BAS) sensitivity. Results found that, for the static index, enhanced FC between the salience-network (SN), default-mode-network (DMN) and limbic-network (LBN) during acute stress could negatively signal stress resilience. For the temporal dynamics index, FC among the dorsal-attention-network (DAN), central-executive-network (CEN) and visual-network (VN) decreased significantly during repeated stress induction. Moreover, the decline of FC positively signaled stress resilience, and this relationship only exist in people with high BAS. The current research elucidates the intricate neural underpinnings of stress resilience, offering insights into the adaptive mechanisms underlying effective stress responses.

Identification and expression patterns of somatic piRNAs and PIWI genes in Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae).

RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene silencing is a feasible and sustainable technology for the management of hemipteran pests by double-stranded RNA involvement, including small-interfering RNA, microRNA, and Piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathways, that may help to decrease the usage of chemical insecticides. However, only a few data are available on the somatic piRNAs and their biogenesis genes in Riptortus pedestris, which serves as a significant pest of soybean (Glycine max). In this study, two family members of the PIWI gene were identified and characterized in R. pedestris, containing Argonaute3 (RpAgo3) and Aubergine (RpAub) genes with conserved protein domains, and their clusters were validated by phylogenetic analysis. In addition, they were widely expressed in all developmental stages of the whole body of R. pedestris and had lower expression levels in R. pedestris guts under different rearing conditions based on previous transcriptome sequencing. Furthermore, abundant clean reads were filtered to a total number of 45,998 piRNAs with uridine bias at the first nucleotide (nt) position and 26-32 nt in length by mapping onto the reference genome of R. pedestris according to our previous whole-transcriptome sequencing. Finally, our data revealed that gut bacterial changes were significantly positively or negatively associated with differentially expressed piRNAs among the five comparison groups with Pearson correlation analysis. In conclusion, these findings paved new avenues for the application of RNAi-based biopesticides for broad-spectrum hemipteran pest control.

The role of personal, relational, and collective self-esteem in predicting acute salivary cortisol response and perceived stress.

Personal self-esteem (PSE) has been well recognized as a buffer against stress; however, the effects of other types of self-esteem, such as relational self-esteem (RSE) and collective self-esteem (CSE), on stress have not been adequately explored. This study investigated the roles of PSE, RSE, and CSE in reducing stress response. The Rosenberg, Relational, and Collective Self-Esteem Scales were adopted to assess PSE, RSE, and CSE, respectively. Participants underwent an acute social stress paradigm, and their acute stress response was assessed using subjective stress reports and salivary cortisol levels. Chronic stress level was estimated using the Perceived Stress Scale and hair cortisol concentration. The results showed that PSE was negatively correlated with salivary cortisol response during acute social stress; however, no significant associations were found between any type of self-esteem and subjective stress reports. For chronic stress, all types of self-esteem were negatively associated with perceived stress level, but not with hair cortisol concentration. Further hierarchical regression analyses suggested that only PSE negatively predicted acute salivary cortisol response and perceived stress level. Overall, the findings suggest the essential role of PSE in predicting acute salivary cortisol responses and perceived stress.

Relationship of sleep with diurnal cortisol rhythm considering sleep measurement and cortisol sampling schemes.

Information on the relationships between the previous night's sleep and the next-day diurnal cortisol rhythm is inconsistent due to confounding factors such as sleep measurements (trait/state sleep and objective/subjective sleep) and cortisol sampling schemes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate these relationships, considering the confounding factors. College students (n = 79) wore actigraphy for 3 days to undergo an evaluation of previous night-time sleep objectively and reported their subjective sleep parameters in a sleep diary. In addition, participants provided six salivary cortisol samples daily. Furthermore, six cortisol sampling schemes were created to reflect diurnal cortisol rhythms, and two different methods were used to calculate the index of diurnal cortisol slope (DCS). A multilevel model was created to examine the impact of both trait and state sleep on next-day diurnal cortisol rhythm. The results revealed that higher objective state sleep efficiency and longer objective state total sleep time were associated with a higher cortisol awakening response (CAR). Moreover, higher objective trait sleep efficiency and longer objective trait total sleep time were associated with higher waking cortisol levels and steeper DCS. In addition, a minimum of four saliva samples were required at different time points, including upon waking, 30 min after waking, 1 h after waking, and at bedtime, to explore the relationship of sleep efficiency/total sleep time with waking cortisol, CAR, and DCS. Furthermore, the index of the peak-to-bed slope was appropriately employed to examine the relationship between sleep efficiency and DCS, whereas the wake-to-bed slope was effective for examining the relationship between total sleep time and DCS. In summary, this study clarified the relationship between sleep and next-day diurnal cortisol rhythm and suggested a cost-effective cortisol sampling schedule and calculation methods.

Integrated analysis of miRNA profiles and gut bacterial changes in Altica viridicyanea following antibiotic treatment.

The gut bacteria involves in insect homeostasis by playing essential roles in host physiology, metabolism, innate immunity, and so forth. microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression to affect immune or metabolic processes in insects. For several non-model insects, the available knowledge on the relationship between changes in the gut bacteria and miRNA profiles is limited. In this study, we investigated the gut bacterial diversity, composition, and function from Altica viridicyanea feeding on normal- and antibiotic-treated host plants using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing; antibiotics have been shown to affect the body weight and development time in A. viridicyanea, suggesting that the gut bacteria of the normal sample were more diverse and abundant than those of the antibiotic-fed group, and most of them were involved in various physical functions by enrichment analysis. Furthermore, we executed small RNA transcriptome sequencing using the two experimental groups to obtain numerous sRNAs, such as piRNAs, siRNAs, and known and novel miRNAs, by data mapping and quality control, and furthermore, a total of 224 miRNAs were identified as significantly differentially expressed miRNAs, of which some DEMs and their target genes participated in immune- and metabolism-related pathways based on GO and KEGG annotation. Besides, regarding the regulatory roles of miRNA and target genes, a interaction network of DEM-target gene pairs from eight immune- or metabolism-related signaling pathways were constructed. Finally, we discovered that DEMs from above pathways were significantly positively or negatively correlated with gut bacterial alterations following antibiotic treatment. Collectively, the observations of this study expand our understanding of how the disturbance of gut bacteria affects miRNA profiles in A. viridicyanea and provide new valuable resources from extreme ranges for future studies on the adaptive evolution in insects.

Changes in the gut bacterial community affect miRNA profiles in Riptortus pedestris under different rearing conditions.

Insects possess complex and dynamic gut microbial system, which contributes to host nutrient absorption, reproduction, energy metabolism, and protection against stress. However, there are limited data on interactions of host-gut bacterial microbiota through miRNA (microRNA) regulation in a significant pest, Riptortus pedestris. Here, we performed the 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and small RNA sequencing from the R. pedestris gut under three environmental conditions and antibiotic treatment, suggesting that we obtained a large amount of reads by assembly, filtration and quality control. The 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing results showed that the abundance and diversity of gut bacterial microbiota were significantly changed between antibiotic treatment and other groups, and they are involved in metabolism and biosynthesis-related function based on functional prediction. Furthermore, we identified different numbers of differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) based on high-quality mappable reads, which were enriched in various immune-related pathways, including Toll-like receptor, RIG-I-like receptor, NOD-like receptor, JAK/STAT, PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, MAPK signaling pathways, and so forth, using GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Later on, the identified miRNAs and their target genes in the R. pedestris gut were predicted and randomly selected to construct an interaction network. Finally, our study indicated that alterations in the gut bacterial microbiota are significantly positively or negatively associated with DEMs of the Toll/Imd signaling pathway with Pearson correlation analysis. Taken together, the results of our study lay the foundation for further deeply understanding the interactions between the gut microbiota and immune responses in R. pedestris through miRNA regulation, and provide the new basis for pest management in hemipteran pests.

The lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network of Altica viridicyanea is involved in the regulation of the Toll/Imd signaling pathway under antibiotic treatment.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play significant roles in the regulation of mRNA expression or in shaping the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network by targeting miRNA. The insect gut is one of the most important tissues due to direct contact with external pathogens and functions in the immune defense against pathogen infection through the innate immune system and symbionts, but there are limited observations on the role of the lncRNA-involved ceRNA network of the Toll/Imd pathway and correlation analysis between this network and bacterial microbiota in the Altica viridicyanea gut. In this research, we constructed and sequenced six RNA sequencing libraries using normal and antibiotic-reared samples, generating a total of 17,193 lncRNAs and 26,361 mRNAs from massive clean data by quality control and bioinformatic analysis. Furthermore, a set of 8,539 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and 13,263 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs), of which related to various immune signaling pathways, such as the Toll/Imd, JAK/STAT, NF-κB, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways, were obtained between the two experimental groups in A. viridicyanea. In addition, numerous GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were used to annotate the DELs and their target genes. Moreover, six Toll family members and nineteen signal genes from the Toll/Imd signaling pathway were identified and characterized using online tools, and phylogenetic analyses of the above genes proved their classification. Next, a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network of the Toll/Imd pathway was built, and it contained different numbers of DEMs in this pathway and related DELs based on prediction and annotation. In addition, qRT-PCR validation and sequencing data were conducted to show the expression patterns of the above DELs and DEMs related to the Toll/Imd signaling pathway. Finally, the correlated investigations between DELs or DEMs of the Toll/Imd signaling pathway and most changes in the gut bacterial microbiota revealed significantly positive or negative relationships between them. The present findings provide essential evidence for innate immune ceRNAs in the beetle gut and uncover new potential relationships between innate immune pathways and the gut bacterial microbiota in insects.

Neural habituation during acute stress signals a blunted endocrine response and poor resilience.

BACKGROUND: A blunted hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to acute stress is associated with psychiatric symptoms. Although the prefrontal cortex and limbic areas are important regulators of the HPA axis, whether the neural habituation of these regions during stress signals both blunted HPA axis responses and psychiatric symptoms remains unclear. In this study, neural habituation during acute stress and its associations with the stress cortisol response, resilience, and depression were evaluated. METHODS: Seventy-seven participants (17-22 years old, 37 women) were recruited for a ScanSTRESS brain imaging study, and the activation changes between the first and last stress blocks were used as the neural habituation index. Meanwhile, participants' salivary cortisol during test was collected. Individual-level resilience and depression were measured using questionnaires. Correlation and moderation analyses were conducted to investigate the association between neural habituation and endocrine data and mental symptoms. Validated analyses were conducted using a Montreal Image Stress Test dataset in another independent sample (48 participants; 17-22 years old, 24 women). RESULTS: Neural habituation of the prefrontal cortex and limbic area was negatively correlated with cortisol responses in both datasets. In the ScanSTRESS paradigm, neural habituation was both positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with resilience. Moreover, resilience moderated the relationship between neural habituation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and cortisol response. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that neural habituation of the prefrontal cortex and limbic area could reflect motivation dysregulation during repeated failures and negative feedback, which might further lead to maladaptive mental states.

Role of hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex in the association of interdependent self-construal with an acute stress response.

Empirical evidence indicates that high interdependent self-construal (InterSC) is correlated with exaggerated acute stress responses; however, the underlying neural correlates remain unclear. Considering the regulatory effect of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system on the acute stress response, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and hippocampus (HIP) in the relationship between InterSC and acute stress responses. Forty-eight healthy college students underwent a modified version of the Montreal imaging stress task (MIST), while brain activity was recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants' saliva samples and subjective stress feelings were collected before, during, and after the MIST. Additionally, participants' self-construal was measured using questionnaires. Results revealed that InterSC was positively correlated with the activation of OFC, which, in turn, was associated with higher subjective stress feelings. A higher InterSC was also significantly associated with an enhanced salivary cortisol response in those with lower HIP activity. Furthermore, the HIP moderated the indirect effect of InterSC on subjective stress feelings by moderating the effect of InterSC on neural activity in the OFC. This indicated the mediation of the OFC was stronger in those with higher neural activity in the HIP than in those with lower activity in the HIP. In summary, the current study proposed an important role of the OFC-HIP regions in the relationship between InterSC and acute stress responses, making contribution to broadening the field of personality and stress and deepening our understanding of individual differences in acute stress responses.

Hair Cortisone Predicts Lower Stress-induced Salivary Cortisol Response: Resting-state Functional Connectivity Between Salience and Limbic Networks.

Previous studies revealed that high long-term hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis activity measured by the hair cortisol concentrations predicts lower acute stress cortisol response and reported the influences of hair cortisol on brain activity during acute stress exposure. However, considering that long-term HPA axis activity has a close relationship with the brain's resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC), the current study aimed to explore the role of RSFC between limbic and salience network in this relationship. Seventy-seven healthy participants underwent resting-state imaging scans before performing the acute ScanSTRESS task. Saliva samples were collected to assess the levels of acute stress salivary cortisol. Hair samples were also collected, and the corticosteroid concentration extracted from these samples were used as a biomarker of long-term HPA axis activity. High hair cortisone (HairE) levels predicted lower acute stress cortisol response. Moreover, high HairE levels were significantly correlated with enhanced RSFC between limbic and salience networks, while RSFC was negatively associated with acute stress cortisol response. Importantly, the RSFC between left insula and left parahippocampus mediated the association between HairE and acute cortisol stress response. Taken together, this study uncovers the important role of RSFC between salience and limbic networks in the long-term relationship between HairE and acute cortisol response and contributes to a deeper understanding of the individual differences in acute stress response.

Application of computer-aided design and 3D-printed template for accurate bone augmentation in the aesthetic region of anterior teeth.

PURPOSE: To explore the outcomes of bone augmentation in the aesthetic zone of the anterior teeth using computer-aided design and a 3D-printed template. METHODS: Ten patients with severe bone defects in the aesthetic zone of anterior teeth were included in the study; CT data were collected before surgery. The design of the osteotomy line in the bone defect area was determined under computer simulation. The position parameters and osteotomy line of the free bone were determined via virtual surgery. A 3D-printed template was prepared to guide the accurate placement of the bone graft. Reexamination was conducted to evaluate the position of the bone graft immediately after the operation and the resorbed capacity of the bone graft before implant restoration. RESULTS: The position of the bone graft was consistent with the preoperative design. The amount of bone graft resorbed was within the acceptable range three months after the operation, and the effect of implant restoration was satisfactory. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Use of computer-aided design and a 3D-printed template can be an effective approach for accurate bone augmentation in the aesthetic zone of the anterior teeth.

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of the tumor ecosystem of adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a malignant tumor that originates from exocrine gland epithelial cells. We profiled the transcriptomes of 49,948 cells from paracarcinoma and carcinoma tissues of three patients using single-cell RNA sequencing. Three main types of the epithelial cells were identified into myoepithelial-like cells, intercalated duct-like cells, and duct-like cells by marker genes. And part of intercalated duct-like cells with special copy number variations which altered with MYB family gene and EN1 transcriptomes were identified as premalignant cells. Developmental pseudo-time analysis showed that the premalignant cells eventually transformed into malignant cells. Furthermore, MYB and MYBL1 were found to belong to two different gene modules and were expressed in a mutually exclusive manner. The two gene modules drove ACC progression into different directions. Our findings provide novel evidence to explain the high recurrence rate of ACC and its characteristic biological behavior.

Reward sensitivity modulates the brain reward pathway in stress resilience via the inherent neuroendocrine system.

In the previous 10 years, researchers have suggested a critical role for the brain reward system in stress resilience. However, no study has provided an empirical link between activity in the mesostriatal reward regions during stress and the recovery of cortisol stress response. Moreover, although reward sensitivity as a trait has been demonstrated to promote stress resilience, it remains unclear whether it modulates the brain reward system in stress resilience and how this effect is achieved by the inherent neuroendocrine system. To investigate these uncertainties, 70 young adults were recruited to participate in a ScanSTRESS task, and their brain imaging data and saliva samples (for cortisol assay) were collected during the task. In addition, we assessed reward sensitivity, cortisol awakening response, and intrinsic functional connectivity of the brain in all the participants. We found that left putamen activation during stress exposure positively predicted cortisol recovery. In addition, reward sensitivity was positively linked with activation of the left putamen, and this relationship was serially mediated by the cortisol awakening response and right hippocampus-left inferior frontal gyrus intrinsic connectivity. These findings suggest that reward sensitivity modulates reward pathways in stress resilience through the interplay of the diurnal stress response system and network of the hippocampus-prefrontal circuitry. Summarily, the current study built a model to highlight the dynamic and multifaceted interaction between pertinent allostatic factors in the reward-resilience pathway and uncovered new insight into the resilience function of the mesostriatal reward system during stress.

Case Report: Application of Mixed Reality Combined With A Surgical Template for Precise Periapical Surgery.

Objective: The etiology of apical diseases is diverse, and most are due to incomplete root canal therapy. The common clinical manifestations include gingival abscess, fistula and bone destruction. The currently existing limitation of procedures is that surgeons cannot visually evaluate the surgical areas. We sought to combine mixed reality (MR) technology with a 3-dimensional (3D) printed surgical template to achieve visualization in apical surgery. Notably, no reports have described this application. Methods: We created visual 3D (V3D) files and transferred them into the HoloLens system. We explained the surgical therapy plan to the patient using a mixed reality head-mounted display (MR-HMD). Then, the 3D information was preliminarily matched with the operative area, and the optimal surgical approach was determined by combining this information with 3D surgical guide plate technology. Results: We successfully developed a suitable surgical workflow and confirmed the optimal surgical approach from the buccal side. We completely exposed the apical lesion and removed the inflammatory granulation tissue. Conclusion: We are the first group to use the MR technique in apical surgery. We integrated the MR technique with a 3D surgical template to successfully accomplish the surgery. Desirable outcomes using minimally invasive therapy could be achieved with the MR technique.

Predictive value of systemic inflammatory response-related indices for survival in tongue cancer.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the potential prognostic significance of the preoperative systemic inflammation index, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients who underwent surgical resection. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 224 patients with clinicopathologically confirmed squamous carcinoma of the tongue who underwent surgery between August 2009 and December 2017. The optimal cut-off values for the indices were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves. Correlations between the indices and clinicopathological variables were determined by Pearson chi-square or Fisher exact tests. The Kaplan-Meier test was used to compare overall survival between groups (high and low values); the log-rank or Breslow test was used to assess differences in survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to analyze predictive values of the indices as independent indicators of overall survival. Bilateral p values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Significant association was found between the indices and sex, tissue grade, tumor location, and lymph nodes metastases (p < 0.05). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with lower values of the indices had longer overall survival (p < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models identified age, lymph node metastases, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as independent predictors of overall survival. CONCLUSION: The studied indices have potential prognostic significance in patients with squamous tongue cancer.

Corrigendum to "miR-195-5p Suppresses the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Targeting TRIM14".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2017/7378148.].

The Hippocampal-Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex Neurocircuitry Involvement in the Association of Daily Life Stress With Acute Perceived Stress and Cortisol Responses.

OBJECTIVE: Daily life stressors include everyday irritants, hassles, and inconveniences, such as problems in traffic and unexpected work deadlines. A growing body of research has suggested higher daily stress is associated with blunted cortisol response to acute psychosocial stressors. However, so far, the neural mechanism underlying this association has not been elucidated. The current study aimed to examine the role of stress neurocircuitry between the hippocampus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex in this relationship. METHODS: To this end, as an index of daily stress in 44 young healthy individuals (23 females; mean [standard deviation] age = 19.07 [1.11] years), the total stressful rating score of daily life stress events that occurred in a 24-hour period was quantified. Individuals were then administered a modified version of the Montreal Imaging Stress Task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, and their saliva samples were collected for assessment of the stress hormone cortisol. RESULTS: Results revealed that a higher level of daily stress was associated with lower salivary cortisol secretion (r = -0.39, p = .008) and lower activation of the left hippocampus (tpeak = -5.51) in response to the Montreal Imaging Stress Task. Furthermore, a higher level of daily stress was associated with stronger functional connectivity between the left hippocampus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex/subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (tpeak = 4.91, R2= 0.365). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the current study suggested a possible neurocircuitry of the hippocampus and ventral medial prefrontal cortex in the relationship between daily life stress and acute psychosocial stress.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) to Characterize Wing Formation across All Developmental Stages.

Riptortus pedestris (Hemiptera: Alydidae) is a major agricultural pest in East Asia that causes considerable economic losses to the soybean crop each year. However, the molecular mechanisms governing the growth and development of R. pedestris have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the Illumina HiSeq6000 platform was employed to perform de novo transcriptome assembly and determine the gene expression profiles of this species across all developmental stages, including eggs, first-, second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-instar nymphs, and adults. In this study, a total of 60,058 unigenes were assembled from numerous raw reads, exhibiting an N50 length of 2126 bp and an average length of 1199 bp, and the unigenes were annotated and classified with various databases, such as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG), and Gene Ontology (GO). Furthermore, various numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were calculated through pairwise comparisons of all life stages, and some of these DEGs were associated with immunity, metabolism, and development by GO and KEGG enrichment. In addition, 35,158 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 715,604 potential single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified from the seven transcriptome libraries of R. pedestris. Finally, we identified and summarized ten wing formation-related signaling pathways, and the molecular properties and expression levels of five wing development-related genes were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR for all developmental stages of R. pedestris. Taken together, the results of this study may establish a foundation for future research investigating developmental processes and wing formation in hemimetabolous insects and may provide valuable data for pest control efforts attempting to reduce the economic damage caused by this pest.