Population Projection and Development of the Mythimna loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as Affected by Temperature: Application of an Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Table

The Mythimna (=Leucania) loreyi (Duponchel) has recently emerged as a major pest of grain crops in China. Little is known about its basic biology and ecology, making it difficult to predict its population dynamics. An age-stage, two-sex life table was constructed for this insect when reared on maize in the laboratory at five constant temperatures (18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 °C). Both the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate increase (λ) increased as temperature significantly increased and mean generation time (T) decreased significantly with increasing temperature. The highest values for net reproductive rate (R0) and fecundity were observed at 24 °C. However, M. loreyi was able to develop, survive, and lay eggs at all temperatures tested (18–30 °C). Development rates at different temperatures for the egg, larval, pupal, as well as for a total preoviposition period, fit a linear equation. The lower threshold temperatures of egg, larval, pupal, preoviposition, and total preoviposition period were 8.83, 10.95, 11.67, 9.30, and 9.65 °C, respectively. And their effective accumulated temperatures were 87.64, 298.51, 208.33, 66.47, and 729.93 degree-days, respectively. This study provides insight into the temperature-based phenology and population ecology in M. loreyi. The results will benefit population dynamics monitoring, prediction, and management of this insect pest in the field

Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein Downregulates Fractalkine through Activation of p38 MAPK and NF- κ

Background. LBP and fractalkine are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of ARDS. This study investigated the relationship between LBP and fractalkine in LPS-induced A549 cells and rat lung tissue in an ARDS rat model. Methods. A549 cells were transfected with LBP or LBP shRNA plasmid DNA or pretreated with SB203580 or SC-514 following LPS treatment. An ARDS rat model was established using LPS with or without LBPK95A, SB203580, or SC-514 treatment. RT-PCR, western blotting, ELISA, immunofluorescence, coimmunoprecipitation, and immunohistochemical staining were used to study the expression of fractalkine and LBP and p38 MAPK and p65 NF-κB activities. Results. LPS increased LBP and reduced fractalkine. LBP overexpression further decreased LPS-induced downregulation of fractalkine and p38 MAPK and p65 NF-κB activation; LBP gene silencing, SB203580, and SC-514 suppressed LPS-induced downregulation of fractalkine and p38 MAPK and p65 NF-κB activation in A549 cells. LBP and fractalkine in lung tissue were increased and decreased, respectively, following LPS injection. LBPK95A, SB203580, and SC-514 ameliorated LPS-induced rat lung injury and suppressed LPS-induced downregulation of fractalkine by decreasing phospho-p38 MAPK and p65 NF-κB. Conclusions. The results indicate that LBP downregulates fractalkine expression in LPS-induced A549 cells and in an ARDS rat model through activation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB

Transcriptome-wide Investigation of mRNA/circRNA in miR-184 and Its r.57c > u Mutant Type Treatment of Human Lens Epithelial Cells

m-miR-184 (mutant miR-184, r.57c > u) appears in familial hereditary ocular diseases, including keratoconus, cataracts, EDICT (endothelial dystrophy, iris hypoplasia, congenital cataract, and stromal thinning) syndrome, severe keratoconus, and non-ectatic corneal thinning. The biological function of m-miR-184 in these ocular diseases remains unclear. With the emergence of high-throughput sequencing, it is now possible to discover many different biological components simultaneously. Using two different RNA libraries, we sequenced the complete transcriptome of HLE cells treated with miR-184, m-miR-184, and a negative control. Data were integrated in an effort to identify any novel gene affected by m-miR-184. Notably, we concluded that ALDH5A1 and GABRA3 were disordered by m-miR-184, which might lead to ocular disease. Moreover, circRNA (circular RNA) expression was highy random across miR-184, m-miR-184, and negative control treatment groups. The sequences of the circRNAs did reveal a particularly high level of ALU sequences. In summary, we provide a new avenue for understanding the role of m-miR-184 in ocular diseases

Clostridium butyricum Combined with Bifidobacterium infantis Probiotic Mixture Restores Fecal Microbiota and Attenuates Systemic Inflammation in Mice with Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhea

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is one of the most common complications of most types of antibiotics. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of Clostridium butyricum, Bifidobacterium infantis, and their mixture for AAD treatment in mice. AAD models were administered with single probiotic strain and probiotic mixture for short term and long term to evaluate the changes of the composition and diversity of intestinal microbiota, histopathology of the colon, and the systemic inflammation. Our data indicated that long-term probiotic therapy, but not short-term course, exerted beneficial effects on the restoration of the intestinal microbiota, the recovery of the tissue architecture, and attenuation of systemic inflammation. All predominant fecal bacteria reached normal level after the long-term probiotic mixture treatment, while IL-10, IFN-γ, and TNF-α also returned to normal level. However, the efficacy for AAD was time dependent and probiotic strain specific. Short-term administration of probiotic strains or mixture showed no apparent positive effects for AAD. In addition, the beneficial effects of C. butyricum combined with B. infantis probiotic mixture were superior to their single strain. This research showed that supplementation with C. butyricum combined with B. infantis probiotic mixture may be a simple and effective method for AAD treatment

Population Projection and Development of the Mythimna loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as Affected by Temperature: Application of an Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Table

The Mythimna (=Leucania) loreyi (Duponchel) has recently emerged as a major pest of grain crops in China. Little is known about its basic biology and ecology, making it difficult to predict its population dynamics. An age-stage, two-sex life table was constructed for this insect when reared on maize in the laboratory at five constant temperatures (18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 °C). Both the intrinsic rate of increase (r) and finite rate increase (λ) increased as temperature significantly increased and mean generation time (T) decreased significantly with increasing temperature. The highest values for net reproductive rate (R0) and fecundity were observed at 24 °C. However, M. loreyi was able to develop, survive, and lay eggs at all temperatures tested (18–30 °C). Development rates at different temperatures for the egg, larval, pupal, as well as for a total preoviposition period, fit a linear equation. The lower threshold temperatures of egg, larval, pupal, preoviposition, and total preoviposition period were 8.83, 10.95, 11.67, 9.30, and 9.65 °C, respectively. And their effective accumulated temperatures were 87.64, 298.51, 208.33, 66.47, and 729.93 degree-days, respectively. This study provides insight into the temperature-based phenology and population ecology in M. loreyi. The results will benefit population dynamics monitoring, prediction, and management of this insect pest in the field.This is an article from Qin, Jianyang, Lei Zhang, Yueqiu Liu, Thomas W. Sappington, Yunxia Cheng, Lizhi Luo, and Xingfu Jiang. "Population Projection and Development of the Mythimna loreyi (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as Affected by Temperature: Application of an Age-Stage, Two-Sex Life Table." Journal of economic entomology 110, no. 4 (2017): 1583-1591. doi: 10.1093/jee/tox138. Posted with permission.</p

Associations between vaginal pathogenic community and bacterial vaginosis in Chinese reproductive-age women.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common urogenital infections among women of reproductive age that represents shifts in microbiota from Lactobacillus spp. to diverse anaerobes. The aim of our study was to evalute the diagnostic values of Gardnerella, Atopobium, Eggerthella, Megasphaera typeI, Leptotrichia/Sneathia and Prevotella, defined as a vaginal pathogenic community for BV and their associations with vaginal pH and Nugent scores. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We investigated the vaginal pathogenic bacteria and Lactobacillus spp. with species-specific real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in 50 BV-positive and 50 BV-negative Chinese women of reproductive age. Relative to BV-negative subjects, a siginificant decline in Lactobacillus and an obvious increase in bacteria in the vaginal pathogenic community were observed in BV-postive subjects (P<0.05). With the exception of Megasphaera typeI, other vaginal pathogenic bacteria were highly predictable for BV with a better sensitivity and specificity. The vaginal pathogenic community was positively associated with vaginal pH and Nugent scores, while Lactobacillus spp., such as L. iners and L. crispatus was negatively associated with them (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data implied that the prevalance of vaginal pathogenic bacteria as well as the depletion of Lactobacillus was highly accurate for BV diagnosis. Vaginal microbiota shifts, especially the overgrowth of the vaginal pathogenic community, showed well diagnostic values in predicting BV. Postive correlations between those vaginal pathogenic bacteria and vaginal pH, Nugent score indicated the vaginal pathogenic community rather than a single vaginal microorganism, was participated in the onset of BV directly

Correlations between <i>Lactobacillus</i> spp., the vaginal pathogenic bacteria and Nugent scores.

<p>(A) <i>Lactobacillus</i>. (B) <i>L. crispatus</i>. (C) <i>L. iners</i>. (D) <i>L. jensenii</i>. (E) <i>Atopobium vaginae</i>. (F) <i>Garnerella vaginalis</i>. (G) <i>Leptotrichia</i>/<i>Sneathia</i>. (H) <i>Megasphaera</i> typeI. (I) <i>Eggerthella</i>. (J) <i>Prevotella</i>. The Pearson correlation (R) and probability (P) were used to evaluate statistical importance.</p