The Phylogenetic Relationship of Lamiinae (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Using Mitochondrial Genomes.

Lamiinae is the largest subfamily of the Cerambycidae (longhorn beetles), with approximately 21,863 described species. Previous phylogenetic studies of Lamiinae showed that this subfamily was monophyletic, but the relationship between the tribes of Lamiinae is still controversial. Partial molecular data and species morphological characteristics are not sufficient to resolve species phylogenetic studies perfectly. At the same time, the full mitochondrial genome contains more comprehensive genetic data. Benefiting from the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS), mitochondrial genomes can be easily acquired and used as reliable molecular markers to investigate phylogenetic relationships within Cerambycidae. Using NGS technology, we obtained 11 mitochondrial genome sequences of Lamiinae species. Based on this newly generated mitochondrial genome dataset matrix, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Lamiinae. The Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses strongly support the monophyly of four tribes (Lamiini, Batocerini, Mesosini, and Saperdini), whereas the tribe Acanthocinini was identified as paraphyletic. Other mitochondrial structural features were also observed: the start codon in the nad1 gene of all 11 mitochondrial genomes is TTG; 17-22 bp intergenic spacers (IGS) with a 'TACTA' motif were found between trnS2 and nad1. Moreover, two long IGS were found in Mesosa myops and Batocera sp. Tandem repeats were found in the IGS of Batocera sp.

A combined diagnostic approach based on serum biomarkers for sarcopenia in older patients with hip fracture.

OBJECTIVE: To develop prediction models for sarcopenia in older patients with hip fracture based on a specific set of serum biomarkers aimed at estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass and diagnosing sarcopenia. METHODS: Older patients with hip fracture admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2020 to June 2021 were recruited, screened for sarcopenia and tested for peripheral blood levels of specific serum biomarkers preoperatively. Participants were randomly divided into a training set and test set. Common factors were extracted from selected biomarkers through factor analysis, and regression models were established in the training set and verified in the test set. RESULTS: A total of 212 patients were enrolled, and the prevalence of sarcopenia was 22.8% in men and 19.5% in women. Significant differences in cystatin C, estimated glomerular filtration rate based on cystatin C, sarcopenia index, new sarcopenia index, haemoglobin and albumin were observed between patients with and without sarcopenia. Two regression models were developed in the training set. The validation of the test set confirmed that the linear regression model showed good consistency in predicting appendicular skeletal muscle mass index, while the logistic regression model showed high accuracy in predicting sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: Both prediction models exhibited potential clinical application value for estimating appendicular skeletal muscle mass and predicting sarcopenia in older patients with hip fracture, providing new insights into the serological diagnosis of sarcopenia.

The Role of Nitric Oxide in Regulating Intestinal Redox Status and Intestinal Epithelial Cell Functionality.

Important functions of intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) include enabling nutrient absorption to occur passively and acting as a defense barrier against potential xenobiotic components and pathogens. A compromise to IEC function can result in the translocation of bacteria, toxins, and allergens that lead to the onset of disease. Thus, the maintenance and optimal function of IECs are critically important to ensure health. Endogenous biosynthesis of nitric oxide (NO) regulates IEC functionality both directly, through free radical activity, and indirectly through cell signaling mechanisms that impact tight junction protein expression. In this paper, we review the current knowledge on factors that regulate inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the subsequent roles that NO has on maintaining IECs' intestinal epithelial barrier structure, functions, and associated mechanisms of action. We also summarize important findings on the effects of bioactive dietary food components that interact with NO production and affect downstream intestinal epithelium integrity.