Stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty with corneal crosslinking for corneal ectasia secondary to FS-LASIK: a case series.

AIM: To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty (SLAK) with corneal crosslinking (CXL) on patients with corneal ectasia secondary to femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK). METHODS: A series of 5 patients undertaking SLAK with CXL for the treatment of corneal ectasia secondary to FS-LASIK were followed for 4-9mo. The lenticules were collected from patients undertaking small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) for the correction of myopia. Adding a stromal lenticule was aimed at improving the corneal thickness for the safe application of crosslinking and compensating for the thin cornea to improve its mechanical strength. RESULTS: All surgeries were conducted successfully with no significant complications. Their best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ranged from 0.05 to 0.8-2 before surgery. The pre-operational total corneal thickness ranged from 345-404 µm and maximum keratometry (Kmax) ranged from 50.8 to 86.3. After the combination surgery, both the corneal keratometry (range 55.9 to 92.8) and total corneal thickness (range 413-482 µm) significantly increased. Four out of 5 patients had improvement of corneal biomechanical parameters (reflected by stiffness parameter A1 in Corvis ST). However, 3 patients showed decreased BCVA after surgery due to the development of irregular astigmatism and transient haze. Despite the onset of corneal edema right after SLAK, the corneal topography and thickness generally stabilized after 3mo. CONCLUSION: SLAK with CXL is a potentially beneficial and safe therapy for advanced corneal ectasia. Future work needs to address the poor predictability of corneal refractometry and compare the outcomes of different surgical modes.

Dual-Mode Separation and SERS Detection of Carbaryl with PA-6/AuNRs@ZIF-8 Films.

Appropriate separation and enrichment steps can enhance the performance of SERS assays. For rapid, in-situ detection of carbaryl, a novel PA-6/AuNRs@ZIF-8 film that can be applied to dual-mode separation and SERS detection, has been developed. In the film, PA-6 was used as a TLC substrate for the initial separation of the substance to be measured. ZIF-8 provides chemical enhancement in SERS as well as enrichment and secondary separation of the analytes. Utilizing this film, we have successfully implemented a TLC-SERS rapid detection scheme, resulting in a detection limit for carbaryl as low as 1 × 10-9 M in lake water in 15 min, which is significantly lower than existing standards. Additionally, the manufacturing cost of one PA-6/AuNRs@ZIF-8 film can be kept within the range of $0.20-$0.40 economically, presenting substantial financial advantages. The method is highly promising for pesticide detection as well as forensic in-situ testing.

A 3-month comparison study of subjective and objective visual quality of small incision lenticule extraction and transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy in patients with low and moderate myopia.

AIM: To compare the subjective and objective visual quality between small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (tPRK) in patients with low and moderate myopia. METHODS: Patients undertaking SMILE or tPRK for the correction of low and moderate myopia were consecutively recruited in this prospective cohort study with a 3-month follow-up period. Objective evaluation [visual acuity test, manifest refraction, wavefront aberrations, the total cut-off value of the total modulation transfer function (MTFcut-off), and Strehl ratio (SR)] and subjective evaluation of visual quality (quality-of-life questionnaire) were conducted before surgery and at days 1, 7, 30, and 90 after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 47 patients (94 eyes) with SMILE and 22 patients (22 eyes) with tPRK were enrolled. The uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was better in SMILE patients on day 7 after surgery (1.13±0.13 vs 0.99±0.17, t=4.85, P<0.001) but was comparable at days 30 and 90. At day 90, the SMILE group had a lower spherical equivalent (SE) than the tPRK group (0.04±0.31 vs 0.19±0.43, t=2.08, P=0.042). Total higher order aberrations (HOAs) were induced in both surgical types, which were more evident in the tPRK group with 3-mm pupil diameter (0.16±0.07 vs 0.11±0.05, t=4.27, P<0.001) and 5-mm pupil diameter (0.39±0.17 vs 0.36±0.11, t=2.33, P=0.022). The MTFcut-off and SR showed a trend of improvement in both SMILE and tPRK patients but were statistically better in the SMILE group with both pupil diameters. There was a significant improvement of contrast sensitivity (CS) over baseline levels at the spatial frequency of 18 cycles/degree (c/d) in the SMILE group (F=2.72, P=0.033) and at 3 c/d (F=3.03, P=0.031), 12 c/d (F=3.72, P=0.013), and 18 c/d (F=4.62, P=0.004) in the tPRK group. The subjective quality of life questionnaire showed a steady improvement in the SMILE group (F=8.31, P<0.001) but not the tPRK group. CONCLUSION: SMILE and tPRK are both safe and effective ways to correct low and moderate myopia. A generally better and quicker recovery of visual quality favors the application of SMILE in qualified patients.

[Micro-locking plate external fixation for the treatment of proximal phalanx comminuted fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical efficacy of external placement of micro-locking plate combined with small incision reduction in treating proximal phalanx comminuted fractures. METHODS: From January 2018 to December 2019, 17 patients with proximal phalanx comminuted fractures were treated with micro-locking plate combined with small incision open reduction, including 13 males and 4 females, aged from 16 to 64 years old with an average of (37.2±20.1) years old. Two patients were accompanied by soft tissue extrusion and opening injuries, which were treated with fixed treatment after the first-stage emergency debridement. Curative effect was evaluated according to total active flexion scale (TAFS) of American Hand Surgery Association at 6 months after operation;and fracture healing, nailing, local soft tissue healing, complications were observed. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an avaerge of(9.3±3.6) months. Two patients occurred delayed union, 1 occurred local skin necrosis and was treated with the second-stage skin grafting to repair wound surface. No external screw breakage or infection was reported, skin soft tissue healed favorably and reached bony union, the union time from 12 to 24 weeks with an average of (15.7±2.1) weeks. According to TAFS standard, 9 patients got excellent result, 5 good and 3 poor at 6 months after operation. CONCLUSION: External micro-locking plate combined with small incision reduction in treating proximal phalanx comminuted fracture, which has advantages of good condition of skin and soft tissue, simple operation, early functional exercise, good range of motion of interphalanx joint, and function score of recovery period is high.

[Kirschner wire combined with PEEK anchor for the treatment of Wagstaffeâ ¡fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of Kirschner wire combined with PEEK anchor with thread to fix fibula bone block in WagstaffeⅡfracture. METHODS: From January 2018 to December 2020, 29 patients with WagstaffeⅡfracture of ankle joint were treated with Kirschner wire fixation of avulsed fibular bone block, PEEK with thread anchor repair and reinforcement, and plaster external fixation, including 18 males and 11 females, aged from 27 to 69 years old with an average of (46.3±10.2) years old. All of them were unilateral operations, and the time from injury to operation ranged from 3 to 5 days with an average of(4.05±0.63) days. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by using American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot functional scoring system and visual analogue scaleat scoring system before and after operation at 6 months. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 6 to 12 months with an average of (9.7±2.1) months. Two patients occurred pain of ankle joint during walking, which was relieved after strengthening rehabilitation exercise and anti-nflammatory and analgesic drug treatment. AOFAS score was incrased from(62.16±19.73) preoperativyly to(91.35±6.37) at 6 months after operation (t=5.51, P<0.01);15 patients got excellent results, 12 moderate and 2 good. VAS was decreased (5.91±1.57) preoperativly to (0.41±0.37) at 6 months after operation(t=10.54, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Kirschner wire combined with PEEK anchor with thread to fix fibula bone block in WagstaffeⅡfracture strengthen repair of inferior tibiofibular syndesmosis ligament and anterior talofibular ligament, and effectively relieved ankle joint pain, obtain good function recovery, the avulsion fracture block was fixed securely, and receive good clinical effect.

Function of Transient Receptor Potential-Like Channel in Insect Egg Laying.

The transient receptor potential-like channel (TRPL) is a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel family involved in regulating many fundamental senses, such as vision, pain, taste, and touch, in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Yet, the function of TRPL in other important biological processes remains unclear. We discover that TRPL regulates egg laying in two insect species, the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, and the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. In both insects, trpl is expressed in the female reproductive organ. Loss of trpl leads to significantly defects in egg laying. In addition, TRPL is functionally interchangeable between the brown planthoppers and flies in egg laying. Altogether, our work uncovers a novel role played by TRPL in regulating egg laying and indicates TRPL as a potential pesticide target in brown planthoppers.

Monitoring, cross-resistance, inheritance, and fitness costs of brown planthoppers, Nilaparvata lugens, resistance to pymetrozine in China.

BACKGROUND: The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, is considered the most destructive pest of rice in many Asian countries including China. Use of pymetrozine in insect resistance management (IRM) has been one strategy to control this pest. In this study, we reported the status of pymetrozine resistance in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) collected from China over the period 2017-2021 and selected a strain of N. lugens resistant to pymetrozine and evaluated the cross-resistance, inheritance and fitness costs of the resistance. RESULTS: Monitoring data (2017-2021) showed that field populations of N. lugens in China developed moderate- to high-level pymetrozine resistance during these 5 years. By continuous selection with pymetrozine in the lab, the pymetrozine selected N. lugens strain (Pym-R98 ) developed a 225.2-fold resistance compared to a susceptible strain. The Pym-R98 strain showed high cross-resistance to dinotefuran (66.6-fold) and low cross-resistance to nitenpyram (5.2-fold) and sulfoxaflor (5.8-fold). Inheritance pattern analysis of Pym-R93 revealed that resistance to pymetrozine was polygenic, autosomal and incompletely dominant. Fitness costs of pymetrozine resistance were present in Pym-R90 and WA2020 strains with a relative fitness of 0.72 and 0.60, respectively. The developmental duration of Pym-R90 and WA2020 was significantly longer and hatchability was significantly lower compared to pymetrozine-susceptible strain (Pym-S). CONCLUSIONS: N. lugens has developed high level of resistance to pymetrozine. Pymetrozine-resistance brown planthopper had cross-resistance with some of neonicotinoids such as dinotefuran, nitenpyram and sulfoxaflor. The autosomal, incompletely dominant and polygenic resistance to pymetrozine in N. lugens and the fitness costs associated with this resistance can be exploited in IRM strategies to preserve the lifetime of pymetrozine for control of N. lugens in China. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit deletion mutants on insecticide susceptibility and fitness in Drosophila melanogaster.

BACKGROUND: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are major excitatory neurotransmitter receptors in insects and also the target site for many insecticides. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these insecticides is diminishing as a consequence of the evolution of insecticide resistance. Further exploration of insecticide targets is important to sustainable pest management. RESULTS: In order to validate the role of nAChR subunits in insecticide susceptibility and test whether the subunit's absence imposes the fitness cost on insects, we determined the susceptibility of eight nAChR subunit deletion mutants of Drosophila melanogaster to nine insecticides. These findings highlighted the specific resistance of the Dα6 deletion mutant to spinosyns. Although triflumezopyrim, dinotefuran and imidacloprid are competitive modulators of nAChRs, differences in susceptibility of the insect with different deletion mutants suggested that the target sites of these three insecticides do not overlap completely. Mutants showed decreased susceptibility to insecticides, accompanied by a reduction in fitness. The number of eggs produced by Dα1attP , Dα2attP , Dß2attP and Dß3attP females was significantly lesser than that of the vas-Cas9 strain as the control. In addition, adults of Dα2attP , Dα3attP and Dα7attP strains showed lower climbing performance. Meanwhile, males of Dα3attP , Dα5attP , Dß2attP and Dß3attP , and females of Dß2attP showed significantly shorter longevity than those of the vas-Cas9 strain. CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights into the interactions of different insecticides with different nAChRs subunit in D. melanogaster as a research model, it could help better understand such interaction in agricultural pests whose genetic manipulations for toxicological research are often challenging. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Transgenic dry eye mouse models: powerful tools to study dry eye disease.

Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most common chronic multifactorial ocular surface diseases with high prevalence and complex pathogenesis. DED results in several ocular discomforts, vision fluctuation, and even potential damage of the ocular surface, bringing heavy burdens both on individuals and the society. The pathology of DED consists of tear film hyperosmolarity and immune responses on the ocular surface. Mice are widely used for developing models that simulate human DED features for investigating its pathogenesis and treatment. DED can be classified into aqueous-deficiency dry eye (ADDE) and evaporative dry eye (EDE). ADDE can be further divided into Sjögren syndrome dry eye (SSDE) and non-Sjögren syndrome dry eye (NSSDE). SSDE mouse models include natural strains, typified by non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, and genetically engineered ones, like Aire-/- and Id3 knockout mice. Intrinsic EDE mainly refers to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Eda-/- Tabby, Sod1-/-, Elovl1-/- are the most common transgenic MGD mouse models. Transgenic mouse models provide useful tools for studying the pathogenesis of DED and evaluating its novel therapies. This review compares the major transgenic dry eye mouse models and discusses their applications in DED research.

[Clinical analysis of external micro-locking plate in the treatment of fifth metatarsal comminuted fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of external micro-locking plate combined with closed reduction in the treatment of fifth metatarsal comminuted fracture with severe soft tissue injury. METHODS: From January 2018 to December 2019, 13 patients received micro-locking plate combined with closed reduction treatment due to the fifth metatarsal comminuted fracture with severe soft tissue injury. There were 11 males and 2 females patients, ranging in age from 21 to 69 years. According to the fracture AO fracture classification, 9 cases belonged to type 87(S)-C2.2 and 4 cases belonged to type 87(S)-C2.1. The fifth metatarsal cuneiform articular surface was not involved, and all of them were comminuted fractures of the fifth metatarsal shaft. All soft tissues were damaged to varying degrees. Three patients got small defect of skin and soft tissue, and they were treated with debridement and suture after one-stage emergency surgery. The fracture healing and complications were observed, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated according to the midfoot function score of American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) at the latest follow-up. RESULTS: All patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 3 to 12 months. One patient had delayed union. One patient had local skin necrosis and was treated with second-stage skin grafting to repair the wound surface. No external screw breakage or infection was reported, the skin soft tissue healed satisfactorily and reached bony union, with the union time ranging from 8 to 19 weeks. The postoperative functional recovery was rated according to the midfoot score of AOFAS, the score ranged from 49 to 98, and 7 patients got an excellent result, 4 good, 1 fair and 1 poor. CONCLUSION: The external micro-locking plate combined with closed reduction in the treatment of fifth metatarsal comminuted fracture with severe soft tissue injury has the advantages of simple operation, good stability and low infection rate, which is helpful to the repair of soft issue injury, and the fixation can be removed early in outpatient clinic. To sum up, this surgical procedure is suitable for patients with severe soft tissue injury and comminuted fracture to avoid periosteum stripping. The space occupying is smaller than the micro-external fixator, which is convenient for patients with early functional exercise.

Overexpression of ATP-binding cassette transporter Mdr49-like confers resistance to imidacloprid in the field populations of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

BACKGROUND: The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is the most severe pest attacking rice crops using sucking mouthparts. It causes significant damages to rice growth and food production worldwide. With the long-term and wide use of insecticides, field populations of BPH have developed resistance to many insecticides. RESULTS: Here, we showed that upregulation of an ATP-binding cassette transporter gene NlMdr49-like contributes to imidacloprid resistance in field populations of BPH. A comparative transcriptome analysis was performed to evaluate the gene expression in two field populations (JXSG18 and YNTC18). Compared with a susceptible strain (Sus), 202 upregulated genes and 170 downregulated genes were identified in both field populations. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are mainly linked to metabolic process and transmembrane transport. Among the candidate DEGs, NlMdr49-like was significantly upregulated in both field populations. Based on the genome and transcriptome of BPH, the full-length complementary DNA of NlMdr49-like was sequenced and its molecular characteristics were analyzed. Expression pattern analysis of various tissues showed that NlMdr49-like was predominantly expressed in midgut and Malpighian tubules which are important excretion organs. Knocking down NlMdr49-like reduced BPH resistance to imidacloprid, but did not affect its resistance to the other nine insecticides (chlorpyrifos, thiamethoxam, nitenpyram, dinotefuran, sulfoxaflor, triflumezopyrim, ethiprole, buprofezin and pymetrozine). Furthermore, a transgenic strain of Drosophila melanogaster overexpressing NlMdr49-like was less susceptible to imidacloprid. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that upregulation of NlMdr49-like is another mechanism contributing to imidacloprid resistance in N. lugens. This result is helpful to further understand the resistance mechanism of N. lugens to imidacloprid. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Potential targets of Euodiae Fructus in treatment of insomnia based on network pharmacology].

The acupoint application of Euodiae Fructus at Yongquan(KI1) can significantly improve the sleep quality of patients with insomnia with berberine as the main effective component for the efficacy. Nineteen active compounds and 203 drug targets were screened out from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). After comparison with GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), 24 common genes of diseases and drugs were obtained. STRING 11.0 was used to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the overlapping genes, and Matthews correlation coefficient(MCC) was employed to screen the core genes, which were then subjected to enrichment analysis with gene ontology(GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG). The results revealed that the main compounds of Euodiae Fructus, such as berberine and rutaecarpine, participated in the biological processes(such as neurotransmitter receptor activity) by regulating C-reactive protein(CRP), estrogen receptor 1(ESR1), 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) receptor, and interleukin-6(IL-6) to exert sedative, anxiolytic, and antidepressant effects. Sixty 4-week-old SPF mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a positive drug(diazepam tablets) group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose berberine groups. Medication with corresponding drugs was performed for one week. The results demonstrated that berberine was potent in reducing the activities and standing times of mice, down-regulating the levels of CRP and IL-6 mRNA in the hypothalamus, and up-regulating the expression of 5-HT(P<0.01); however, no significant effect on ESR1 was observed. The network of Euodiae Fructus in treating insomnia was constructed by network pharmacology and verified by tests. The findings indicated that the therapeutic efficacy of Euodiae Fructus in treating insomnia was achieved by participating in multiple biological processes, such as neurotransmitter receptor activity, which provided a scientific basis for its clinical application.

Androgen and meibomian gland dysfunction: from basic molecular biology to clinical applications.

Meibomian gland, the largest sebaceous gland of the body, is responsible for the biosynthesis of lipid layer of the tear film to prevent excessive evaporation. The loss of normal functions of meibomian gland, known as meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), is a chronic disease and is the leading cause of dry eye symptoms in the clinics. Studies have found sex hormones, especially androgen, play vital roles in the regulation of the functions of meibomian gland. Recently, androgen has also been preliminarily applied in clinics for the treatment of MGD and showed promising results, especially in people with endogenous androgen deficiency. This review summarized the mechanisms of the function of androgen on meibomian gland based on molecular, animal, and clinical studies, and proposed evidence-based views about its potential applications for the treatment of MGD.

Correlations among Pulmonary DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Case-control Study.

Parkinson protein 7 (PARK7)/DJ-1 (DJ-1) is a redox sensitive molecular and stabilizer of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2). Nrf-2 regulates the downstream antioxidant defense system and exerts a significant function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is the nuclear receptor that regulates the downstream target genes. This study aimed to analyze the associations among pulmonary function, DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 in COPD patients. Serum was collected from 180 COPD patients and control subjects. Thirty-five lung tissues were obtained. DJ-1 was measured using ELISA and western blotting. Nrf-2 and VDR were detected by immunohistochemistry. Serum and pulmonary DJ-1 levels were lower in COPD patients than those in control subjects. Pulmonary VDR-positive nuclei were reduced in COPD patients. Nrf-2-positive nuclei were reduced in lung tissues of COPD patients. On the contrary, Nrf-2-related downstream target proteins were elevated in COPD patients. Further correlation analysis indicated that forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was positively associated with pulmonary DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 in patients with COPD. In addition, there were positive correlations among DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 in lung tissues of COPD patients. In conclusion, DJ-1, VDR and Nrf-2 were decreased in COPD patients compared with control subjects. The reduction of DJ-1 and VDR associating with Nrf-2 downregulation may be involved in the process of COPD.

Mechanism of metabolic resistance to pymetrozine in Nilaparvata lugens: over-expression of cytochrome P450 CYP6CS1 confers pymetrozine resistance.

BACKGROUND: Pymetrozine is commonly used for the control of Nilaparvata lugens, and resistance to pymetrozine has been frequently reported in the field populations in recent years. However, the mechanism of brown planthopper resistance to pymetrozine is still unknown. RESULTS: In this study, a pymetrozine-resistant strain (PMR) was established, and the potential biochemical resistance mechanism of N. lugens to pymetrozine was investigated. Pymetrozine was synergized by the inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (PBO) in the PMR with 2.83-fold relative synergistic ratios compared with the susceptible strain (Sus). Compared with the Sus, the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activity of PMR was increased by 1.7 times, and two P450 genes (NlCYP6CS1 and NlCYP301B1) were found to be significantly overexpressed more than 6.0-fold in the PMR. Pymetrozine exposure induced upregulation of NlCYP6CS1 expression in the Sus, but the expression of NlCYP301B1 did not change significantly. In addition, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated suppression of NlCYP6CS1 gene expression dramatically increased the toxicity of pymetrozine against N. lugens. Moreover, transgenic lines of Drosophila melanogaster expressing NlCYP6CS1 were less susceptible to pymetrozine, and had a stronger ability to metabolize pymetrozine. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings indicate that the overexpression of NlCYP6CS1 is one of the key factors contributing to pymetrozine resistance in N. lugens. And this result is helpful in proposing a management strategy for pymetrozine resistance.

Molecular characterizations and expression profiles of transient receptor potential channels in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) is a superfamily of important cation channels located on the cell membrane. It can regulate almost all sensory modality and control a series of behaviors, including hearing, locomotion, gentle touch, temperature sensation, dry air and food texture detection. The expression profiles of TRP channels have been well documented in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster. However, little is known about the TRP channels of agricultural pests. In this study, we cloned 9 TRP ion channel genes from brown planthopper. Their amino acid sequences are highly conserved with homologues of other insects and have typical TRP channel characteristics: six transmembrane domains (TM1 - TM6) and a pore region between TM5 and TM6. These TRP channels of N. lugens were expressed in all developmental stages and various body parts. The expression levels of almost all TRP channels were relatively higher in adults than nymph stages, and lowest in the eggs. Antenna and abdomen were the main body parts with high expression of these genes. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of these TRP genes were significantly decreased in the third-instar nymphs injected with double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). The survival rate of different TRP dsRNA injected nymphs all exceeded 81%, which was no significant difference compared with the control group. These results suggested that these 9 TRP channels are expressed throughout the body and all ages of the brown planthopper, and are involved in regulating multiple physiological and behavioral processes. The identification of TRP channel genes in this study not only provides a foundation for further exploring the potential roles of TRP channels, but also serves as targets to develop new insecticides for the control of agricultural pests.

Circulatory cadmium positively correlates with epithelial-mesenchymal transition in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Environmental cadmium (Cd) exposure can cause several pulmonary diseases. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) involved in the process of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the association between environmental Cd exposure and EMT was unclear in COPD patients. This study aimed to analyze the associations among circulatory Cd, EMT and COPD based on case-control study. Four hundred COPD patients and 400 control subjects were recruited. Circulatory Cd was detected using atomic adsorption spectrometer. MicroRNA-30 (miR-30) was measured by RT-PCR and the markers of pulmonary EMT were evaluated through western blotting. Circulatory Cd concentration was increased and serum miR-30 was decreased in COPD patients. Circulatory Cd was inversely associated with pulmonary function in COPD patients. Moreover, serum miR-30 was gradually decreased in parallel with FEV1 in COPD patients. Meanwhile, there was a negative association between serum miR-30 and circulatory Cd in COPD patients. Further analysis found that E-cadherin, one of epithelial biomarkers, was reduced in lung tissues of COPD patients with higher circulatory Cd. On the contrary, pulmonary N-cadherin, Vimentin and α-SMA, three of mesenchymal biomarkers, were increased in COPD patients with higher circulatory Cd. In vitro experiments revealed that Cd exposure repressed miR-30 levels and promoted EMT in BEAS-2B cells. Our results provide evidence that miR-30 reduction contributing to pulmonary EMT may involve in the process of Cd-induced COPD.

Pymetrozine inhibits reproductive behavior of brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens and fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.

Pymetrozine is a promising chemical used to control brown planthopper, which developed resistance to imidacloprid and buprofezin in the past decade. Field efficacy indicates that pymetrozine can reduce the number of offsprings of brown planthopper, but the specific physiological mechanism is unknown. In this study, we systematically described the mating process of brown planthopper including 8 steps (abdominal vibration, following, positioning, wing extension, attempted copulation, copulation, terminated copulation and leaving) and explored the optimal mating time after adult eclosion (3-5 days) and observation time (30 mins). Also, behavioral data showed that pymetrozine can affect the mating behavior and female fecundity of brown planthopper and fruit fly. As one of the target genes for pymetrozine, Nanchung (Nan), the nan36a mutant male courtship index, female receptivity and the number of offsprings were significantly decreased. Behavioral defects in nan36a mutant flies can be rescued by expressed NlNan. Our results indicated that Nan plays essential roles in the mating behavior and female fecundity. These findings provide useful information for demonstrating that pymetrozine effectively reduce the reproduction of brown planthopper and contribute to our understanding of reproductive strategies controlled by pymetrozine in insects.

[Three-step sequential method for limb skin and soft tissue defect combined with bone or tendon exposed wound].

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical effect of VSD technology, coverage of artificial dermis and autograft for the treatment of limb skin soft tissue defect combined with bone or tendon exposed wound. METHODS: Eighteen patients suffered from limb skin soft tissue defect combined with bone or tendon exposed wound treated by three-step sequential method from January 2013 to June 2015. Among them, including 13 males and 5 females aged from 23 to 72 years old with an average of 34.6 years old; the time from injury to operation ranged from 1.5 to 5.0 hours with an average of 2.5 h. The area of skin and soft tissue injury ranged from 4.2 cm×3.1 cm to 7.4 cm×5.2 cm. Wound recovery and taken skin wound recovery were observed to evaluate clinical results. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 5 to 16 months, with an average of 7.6 months. Deep bone tendon tissue of wounds were effectively recovered, artificial dermis survived, and quality of healed wound was tough and shape was good. Wound transplant flap was survived, no obvious scar tissue formation, appearance was flat, skin color was a little deeper than normal skin, the overall effect was satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: Three-step sequential method has good curative effect for patients suffered from limb skin soft tissue defect with bone or tendon exposed wound and refused to repair the flap, and has advantage of simple operation, operation risk, less invasive.