Two new species of Ismarus Haliday (Hymenoptera, Ismaridae) from Yunnan, China

The genus Ismarus Haliday are rarely collected parasitoids in the small family Ismaridae. In this study, two new species are described from China’s Yunnan Province: Ismarus robustus Chen & Yan, sp. nov. and Ismarus unisulcus Chen & Yan, sp. nov. An updated key to the Chinese species of the genus is provided

Smoking Exposure and Survival of Patients with Esophagus Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Smoking is a well-known major risk factor in development of esophageal cancer, but few studies have reported the association between smoking status and prognosis of these patients. We conduct the present study to summarize current evidence. A computerized search of the PubMed and EMBASE was performed up to April 30, 2015. Eight studies, containing 4,286 patients, were analyzed. In the grouping analysis, among esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma patients, current and former smokers, compared to those who have never smoked, seemed to have a poorer prognosis (HR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.22–1.64, and HR = 1.35, 95% CI 0.92–1.97, resp.). In the subgroup analysis, adverse effects on current smoker compared with never smoker were also observed in China and the other countries (HR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.18–1.92, and HR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.12–1.65, resp.). In the group that ever smoked, we could not get a similar result. No significantly increased risk was found in esophageal adenocarcinoma patients compared to the squamous-cell histology ones. In the smoking intensity analysis, heavy smoking was associated with poor survival in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma. Our pooled results supported the existence of harmful effects of smoking on survival after esophagus cancer diagnosis

Mitochondrial Ferritin Deletion Exacerbates β

Mitochondrial ferritin (FtMt) is a mitochondrial iron storage protein which protects mitochondria from iron-induced oxidative damage. Our previous studies indicate that FtMt attenuates β-amyloid- and 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. To explore the protective effects of FtMt on β-amyloid-induced memory impairment and neuronal apoptosis and the mechanisms involved, 10-month-old wild-type and Ftmt knockout mice were infused intracerebroventricularly (ICV) with Aβ25–35 to establish an Alzheimer’s disease model. Knockout of Ftmt significantly exacerbated Aβ25–35-induced learning and memory impairment. The Bcl-2/Bax ratio in mouse hippocampi was decreased and the levels of cleaved caspase-3 and PARP were increased. The number of neuronal cells undergoing apoptosis in the hippocampus was also increased in Ftmt knockout mice. In addition, the levels of L-ferritin and FPN1 in the hippocampus were raised, and the expression of TfR1 was decreased. Increased MDA levels were also detected in Ftmt knockout mice treated with Aβ25–35. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the neurological impairment induced by Aβ25–35 was exacerbated in Ftmt knockout mice and that this may relate to increased levels of oxidative stress

Effect of long-term fertilization on phosphorus fractions in different soil layers and their quantitative relationships with soil properties

editorial reviewedInvestigating the dynamics and distribution of soil phosphorus (P) fractions can provide a basis for enhancing P utilization by crops. Four treatments from a 29-year long-term experiment in black soil with maize cropping were involved in this study: no fertilizer (CK), inorganic nitrogen and potassium (NK), inorganic nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), and NPK plus manure (NPKM). We analyzed soil P fractions in different soil layers using a modified Hedley sequential method. The long-term NPKM treatment significantly increased total P by 0.6–1.6 times in the different soil layers. The Olsen-P concentration far exceeded the environmental threshold for soil Olsen-P (50.6 mg kg−1) in the NPKM treatment in the 0–60 cm soil profile. Moreover, the concentrations and proportion of labile and partially labile inorganic P (Pi) fractions (i.e., NaHCO3-extracted Pi, NaOH-extracted Pi, and dilute HCl-extracted Pi) to the sum of all P fractions (Pt) in the 0–60 cm soil profile were higher in the NPKM treatment than in the NPK treatment, indicating that manure could promote the transformation of non-labile into more labile forms of P in soil, possibly by manure reducing P fixation by soil particles. Soil organic matter, Mehlich-3 extractable iron (Fe), and organic-bound aluminum were increased by fertilization, and were the main factors influencing the differences in the P fractions in the 0–20 cm soil layer. Soil mineral components, i.e., free Fe oxide and CaCO3, were the main factors influencing the P fractions in the subsoil. The soil P transformation process varied with soil layer and fertilization. Application of manure fertilizer can increase the labile (Olsen) P concentrations of the various soil layers, and thus should reduce the mineral P fertilizer requirement for crop growth and reduce potential environmental damage

长期施磷黑土中磷的吸附-解吸特征及其影响因素

editorial reviewed【方法】供试黑土长期定位试验位于吉林省公主岭市，始于1990年。2018年选择其中不施肥(CK)，施氮钾肥 (NK)，施氮磷钾肥(NPK)和氮磷钾+有机肥(NPK+M) 4个处理小区，采集0-20、20-40和40-60 cm土层的 土壤样品，分析了土壤理化性质，采用恒温平衡法测定了土壤磷的吸附-解吸特征，并由此计算得到磷最大吸附 量(Q m)、吸附亲和力常数(K Q)、最大缓冲容量(MBC)、磷吸附饱和度(DPS)、最大解吸量(D m)和解吸率(D r)。 【结果】随着平衡溶液中磷浓度的增加，磷的吸附量与解吸量均呈先快速增加后逐渐趋于平衡的过程。与不施 磷处理(CK和NK)土壤相比，施磷处理(NPK、NPK+M)减少了磷的吸附量，增加了磷的解吸量。与不施磷处 理相比，施磷处理在0-60 cm剖面上的Q m 和MBC值分别降低了4.94%～63.46%和15.90%～75.18%，D r 值增 加了8.52%～474.0%，以NPK+M处理变化量最大。施磷处理比不施磷处理在0-60 cm土壤剖面上全磷和有机 质含量分别增加了34.40%～145.5%和12.77%～50.07%，游离态铁铝氧化物(Fe d +Al d)含量降低了 5.14%～11.35%。冗余分析表明，不施磷处理土壤的有机质、Fe d +Al d 和全磷，以及施磷处理中的Fe d +Al d 、络合 态铁铝氧化物(Fe p +Al p)、pH和有机质是影响磷吸附解吸特征参数的主要土壤因子，分别解释了不施磷和施磷处 理全部变异的77.59%和90.62%。土壤有效磷(Olsen-P)与磷吸附饱和度(DPS)相关关系表明，所研究的黑

The comparison of grey-scale ultrasonic and clinical features of hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma in children: a retrospective study for ten years

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatoblastoma (HBL) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are respectively the first and the second most common pediatric malignant liver tumors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the combined use of the ultrasound examination and the assessment of the patients' clinical features for differentiating HBL from HCC in children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty cases of the confirmed HBL and 12 cases of the confirmed HCC in children under the age of 15 years were enrolled into our study. They were divided into the HBL group and the HCC group according to the histological types of the tumors. The ultrasonic features and the clinical manifestations of the two groups were retrospectively analyzed, with an emphasis on the following parameters: onset age, gender (male/female) ratio, positive epatitis-B-surface-antigen (HBV), alpha-fetoprotein increase, and echo features including septa, calcification and liquefaction within the tumors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared with the children with HCC, the children with HBL had a significantly younger onset age (8.2 years vs. 3.9 years, P < 0.001) and a significantly smaller frequency of positive HBV (66.7% vs. 13.3%, P < 0.001). The septa and liquefaction were more frequently found in HBL than in HCC (25/30, 83.3% vs. 2/12, 16.7%, P < 0.001; 17/30, 56.7% vs. 3/12, 25%, P = 0.02). When a combination of the liquefaction, septa, negative HBV and onset age smaller than 5 years was used in the evaluation, the sensitivity was raised to 90%, the accuracy was raised to 88%, and the negative predictive value was raised to 73%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Ultrasonic features combined with clinical manifestations are valuable for differentiating HBL from HCC in children.</p

Integral imaging-based tabletop light field 3D display with large viewing angle

Light field 3D display technology is considered a revolutionary technology to address the critical visual fatigue issues in the existing 3D displays. Tabletop light field 3D display provides a brand-new display form that satisfies multi-user shared viewing and collaborative works, and it is poised to become a potential alternative to the traditional wall and portable display forms. However, a large radial viewing angle and correct radial perspective and parallax are still out of reach for most current tabletop light field 3D displays due to the limited amount of spatial information. To address the viewing angle and perspective issues, a novel integral imaging-based tabletop light field 3D display with a simple flat-panel structure is proposed and developed by applying a compound lens array, two spliced 8K liquid crystal display panels, and a light shaping diffuser screen. The compound lens array is designed to be composed of multiple three-piece compound lens units by employing a reverse design scheme, which greatly extends the radial viewing angle in the case of a limited amount of spatial information and balances other important 3D display parameters. The proposed display has a radial viewing angle of 68.7° in a large display size of 43.5 inches, which is larger than the conventional tabletop light field 3D displays. The radial perspective and parallax are correct, and high-resolution 3D images can be reproduced in large radial viewing positions. We envision that this proposed display opens up possibility for redefining the display forms of consumer electronics

Suppression of microRNA-222-3p ameliorates ulcerative colitis and colitis-associated colorectal cancer to protect against oxidative stress via targeting BRG1 to activate Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

Oxidative stress is an important pathogenic factor in ulcerative colitis (UC) and colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), further impairing the entire colon. Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) are crucial components of innate immunity and play an important role in maintaining intestinal barrier function. Recent studies have indicated that microRNA-222-3p (miR-222-3p) is increased in colon of UC and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and miR-222-3p is a crucial regulator of oxidative stress. However, whether miR-222-3p influences IEC oxidative stress in UC and CAC remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of miR-222-3p on the regulation of IEC oxidative stress in UC and CAC. An in vitro inflammation model was established in NCM460 colonic cells, mouse UC and CAC models were established in vivo, and IECs were isolated. The biological role and mechanism of miR-222-3p-mediated oxidative stress in UC and CAC were determined. We demonstrated that miR-222-3p expression was notably increased in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced NCM460 cells and IECs from UC and CAC mice. In vitro, these results showed that the downregulation of miR-222-3p reduced oxidative stress, caspase-3 activity, IL-1β and TNF-α in DSS-induced NCM460 cells. We further identified BRG1 as the target gene of miR-222-3p, and downregulating miR-222-3p alleviated DSS-induced oxidative injury via promoting BRG1-mediated activation Nrf2/HO-1 signaling in NCM460 cells. The in vivo results demonstrated that inhibiting miR-222-3p in IECs significantly relieved oxidative stress and inflammation in the damaged colons of UC and CAC mice, as evidenced by decreases in ROS, MDA, IL-1β and TNF-α levels and increases in GSH-Px levels. Our study further demonstrated that inhibiting miR-222-3p in IECs attenuated oxidative damage by targeting BRG1 to activate the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling. In summary, inhibiting miR-222-3p in IECs attenuates oxidative stress by targeting BRG1 to activate the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling, thereby reducing colonic inflammation and tumorigenesis

Non-pollinator fig wasp impact on the reproductive success of an invasive fig tree: why so little?

Classical biological control agents fail to achieve an impact on their hosts for a variety of reasons and an understanding of why they fail can help shape decisions on subsequent releases. Ornamental Ficus microcarpa is a widely planted avenue fig tree that is invasive in countries where its pollinator (Eupristina verticillata) is also introduced. This tree also supports more than 20 species of non-pollinating fig wasps (NPFW) that feed in the figs and have the potential to reduce the plant’s reproduction. Odontofroggatia galili, one of the most widely introduced NPFW, has larvae that develop in galled ovules that might otherwise develop into seeds or support pollinator larvae. We examined the distribution and relative abundance of the pollinator and O. galili on F. microcarpa in China, towards the northern limit of the tree’s natural range, and in Italy where the two species have been introduced. Where they co-existed, we also recorded the impact of varying densities of O. galili on F. microcarpa seed and pollinator production. O. galili and E. verticillata displayed contrasting habitat preferences in China, with O. galili almost absent from warmer sites. O. galili abundance and sex ratios varied between the natural and introduced ranges. Figs with more O. galili contained fewer seeds and pollinator offspring, but reproduction was rarely inhibited totally. Additional species with a greater impact in the figs they occupy are needed if biocontrol of F. microcarpa is to be effective

characterization of pm1 bound metallic elements in the ambient air at a high mountain site in northern china

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