Checklist and key to species of the leafhopper genus Japanagallia Ishihara, 1955 with description of a new species from China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, Megophthalminae)

A new leafhopper species, Japanagallia turriformis sp. n. of the tribe Agalliini of the subfamily Megophthalminae is described and illustrated from Yunnan Province  and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. Achecklist and key to the species of the genus are given, along with a map showing the geographical distributions of the 22 Chinese species

Acousto-optic cavity coupling in 2D phoxonic crystal with combined convex and concave holes

International audienceA two-dimensional cross-like phoxonic crystal (PxC) model is proposed, which exhibits simultaneously large complete photonic crystal (PtC) and phononic crystal (PnC) bandgaps. The most salient trait of the structure is the wide range of geometrical parameters compatible with large complete bandgaps. After geometrical optimization, photonic and phononic bandgaps with gap-to-midgap ratios of 11.5% and 90.7% are obtained, respectively. These values are close to the best topology-optimized reported values but are obtained with simple shapes compatible with nanoscale fabrication technology. These characteristics make the convex–concave topology a promising candidate for PxC devices. A cavity is then introduced by filling up one cross-like hole in the 7 x 7 super-cell. PtC and PnC bands with defects appear in the respective large complete bandgaps, confining phonons and photons in the same cavity. Acousto-optic (AO) coupling between photonic and phononic defect modes is further investigated by the finite element method, taking both photoelastic and moving interface mechanisms into consideration. The symmetries of both photonic and phononic modes play a dominant role in the coupling strength. Results show that the strongest linear coupling between a photonic transverse magnetic mode and phononic breathing mode is obtained due to the in-phase superposition in the x and y directions. A quadratic nonlinear coupling is observed when photonic modes are coupled with the phononic stretching mode due to the inverse superposition of x and y directions. Finally, the optomechanical coupling rates relative to zero-point motion are estimated

LncR-133a Suppresses Myoblast Differentiation by Sponging miR-133a-3p to Activate the FGFR1/ERK1/2 Signaling Pathway in Goats

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in a variety of biological processes and illnesses. While a considerable number of lncRNAs have been discovered in skeletal muscle to far, their role and underlying processes during myogenesis remain mostly unclear. In this study, we described a new functional lncRNA named lncR-133a. Gene overexpression and interference studies in goat skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) were used to establish its function. The molecular mechanism by which lncR-133a governs muscle differentiation was elucidated primarily using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, dual-luciferase activity assays, RNA immunoprecipitation, biotin-labeled probe, and RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses. LncR-133a was found to be substantially expressed in longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle, and its expression levels changed during MuSC differentiation in goats. We validated that lncR-133a suppresses MuSC differentiation in vitro. Dual-luciferase reporter screening, Argonaute 2 (AGO2) RNA immunoprecipitation assays, biotin-labeled lncR-133a capture, and fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that lncR-133a interacted with miR-133a-3p. Additionally, miR-133a-3p facilitated MuSC differentiation, but lncR-133a reversed this effect. The luciferase reporter assay and functional analyses established that miR-133a-3p directly targets fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). Moreover, lncR-133a directly reduced miR-133a-3p’s capacity to suppress FGFR1 expression, and positively regulated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). In summary, our results suggested that lncR-133a suppresses goat muscle differentiation by targeting miR-133a-3p and activating FGFR1/ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Design and Testing of an Impact Sensor Using Two Crossed Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) Films

Impact sensors are widely used to detect grain losses in harvesters. Using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films as sensing elements is a promising way to improve sensor performance due to their high sensitivity, stability, and flexibility. However, the overlap of collision signals significantly reduces the accuracy of a sensor. To solve this problem, a novel impact sensor with two crossed PVDF films was designed and investigated. This sensor has two orthogonal layers of sensing elements that both respond to impacts, which creates positioning information for the impacts. Because of the sensor's structure, a signal processing method was designed based on multisensor fusion theory. Tests were performed to verify the performance of the proposed impact sensor. The average signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for impacted PVDF films were 34.79 and 20.23 dB, respectively, for the upper and lower layers, while the average signal-to-clutter ratios (SCRs) for nonimpacted films were 21.90 and 10.05 dB, respectively. The sensor also has an extremely high detection efficiency of at least 1528 collisions per second and can identify particles that impact at the same time

CircRNA profiling of skeletal muscle satellite cells in goats reveals circTGFβ2 promotes myoblast differentiation

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) function as essential regulatory elements with pivotal roles in various biological processes. However, their expression profiles and functional regulation during the differentiation of goat myoblasts have not been thoroughly explored. This study conducts an analysis of circRNA expression profiles during the proliferation phase (cultured in growth medium, GM) and differentiation phase (cultured in differentiation medium, DM1/DM5) of skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs) in goats. Results A total of 2,094 circRNAs were identified, among which 84 were differentially expressed as determined by pairwise comparisons across three distinct groups. Validation of the expression levels of six randomly selected circRNAs was performed using reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), with confirmation of their back-splicing junction sites. Enrichment analysis of the host genes associated with differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcircRNAs) indicated significant involvement in biological processes such as muscle contraction, muscle hypertrophy, and muscle tissue development. Additionally, these host genes were implicated in key signaling pathways, including Hippo, TGF-beta, and MAPK pathways. Subsequently, employing Cytoscape, we developed a circRNA-miRNA interaction network to elucidate the complex regulatory mechanisms underlying goat muscle development, encompassing 21 circRNAs and 47 miRNAs. Functional assays demonstrated that circTGFβ2 enhances myogenic differentiation in goats, potentially through a miRNA sponge mechanism. Conclusion In conclusion, we identified the genome-wide expression profiles of circRNAs in goat MuSCs during both proliferation and differentiation phases, and established that circTGFβ2 plays a role in the regulation of myogenesis. This study offers a significant resource for the advanced exploration of the biological functions and mechanisms of circRNAs in the myogenesis of goats

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Long Noncoding RNAs of Brown to White Adipose Tissue Transformation in Goats

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the thermogenesis and energy storage of brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, knowledge of the cellular transition from BAT to white adipose tissue (WAT) and the potential role of lncRNAs in goat adipose tissue remains largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the transformation from BAT to WAT using histological and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene analyses. Brown adipose tissue mainly existed within the goat perirenal fat at 1 day and there was obviously a transition from BAT to WAT from 1 day to 1 year. The RNA libraries constructed from the perirenal adipose tissues of 1 day, 30 days, and 1 year goats were sequenced. A total number of 21,232 lncRNAs from perirenal fat were identified, including 5393 intronic-lncRNAs and 3546 antisense-lncRNAs. Furthermore, a total of 548 differentially expressed lncRNAs were detected across three stages (fold change ≥ 2.0, false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05), and six lncRNAs were validated by qPCR. Furthermore, trans analysis found lncRNAs that were transcribed close to 890 protein-coding genes. Additionally, a coexpression network suggested that 4519 lncRNAs and 5212 mRNAs were potentially in trans-regulatory relationships (r > 0.95 or r < −0.95). In addition, Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses showed that the targeted genes were involved in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, fatty acid elongation and metabolism, the citrate cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathways. The present study provides a comprehensive catalog of lncRNAs involved in the transformation from BAT to WAT and provides insight into understanding the role of lncRNAs in goat brown adipogenesis