Inocellia (Amurinocellia) calida (Raphidioptera, Inocelliidae) was first observed as a predator of Monochamus saltuarius (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) in China, the vector of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Aphelenchida, Aphelenchoididae)

Monochamus saltuarius Gebler (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) serves as the primary carrier of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) (Aphelenchida, Aphelenchoididae) in the middle-temperate zone of China. Pine wilt disease caused by B. xylophilus leads to serious losses to pine forestry around the world. It is necessary to study the biological control of M. saltuarius to effectively prevent the further spread of B. xylophilus. To explore the insect resources that act as natural enemies of M. saltuarius, investigations were conducted on natural enemy insects by splitting Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc (Pinales, Pinaceae) damaged by M. saltuarius and dissecting their trunks in Yingpan Village, Fushun County, Fushun City, Liaoning Province, China, in 2023. A larva of Inocellia (Amurinocellia) calida (H. Aspöck & U. Aspöck) (Raphidioptera, Inocelliidae) was discovered in the trunk of an infested P. koraiensis. Additionally, the feeding habits of I. calida were preliminarily examined under indoor conditions and a description of its morphological characteristics was provided. When placed in an indoor environment, the I. calida larva began pupating after a period of 21 days, during which time it consumed and attacked a total of 23 M. saltuarius larvae. Ultimately, after a pupal period of ten days, the I. calida larva emerged successfully as an adult. This discovery marks the first recorded presence of I. calida in Liaoning Province and the first documentation of I. calida in China, serving as a natural predatory enemy of M. saltuarius

Folate-receptor-targeted co-self-assembly carrier-free gemcitabine nanoparticles loading indocyanine green for chemo-photothermal therapy

The carrier-free chemo-photothermal therapy has become a promising strategy to improve anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy owing to the combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, with improved chemotherapy drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, high drug loading, and reduced toxicity. We designed a novel carrier-free targeting nanoparticles, co-self-assembled amphiphilic prodrugs 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine (DOG), and tumor-targeted γ-octadecyl folate (MOFA), with encapsulated US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy. The DOG linking oleic acid to the sugar moiety of gemcitabine (GEM) showed better self-assembly ability among GEM amphiphilic prodrugs linking different fatty acids. The readily available and highly reproducible 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine/γ-octadecyl folate/indocyanine green (DOG/MOFA/ICG) nanoparticles were prepared by reprecipitation and showed nano-scale structure with mono-dispersity, great encapsulation efficiency of ICG (approximately 74%), acid- and laser irradiation-triggered GEM release in vitro and sustained GEM release in vivo after intravenous administration as well as excellent temperature conversion (57.0°C) with near-infrared laser irradiation. The combinational DOG/MOFA/ICG nanoparticles with near-infrared laser irradiation showed better anti-tumor efficacy than individual chemotherapy or photothermal therapy, with very low hemolysis and inappreciable toxicity for L929 cells. This co-self-assembly of the ICG and the chemotherapy drug (GEM) provides a novel tactic for the rational design of multifunctional nanosystems for targeting drug delivery and theranostics

Waterways to Greenways: A Case Study in Shangjie, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

This case study introduces how we used a water sensitive approach to plan a storm water and sponge city project, which expanded into a holistic green infrastructure project. The project is in the Shangjie district in city of Zhengzhou, Henan China. The whole site is 61.16 km² including several waterways. The city is expanding into areas that were previously agricultural. Developers and city both desire to improve the ecological value of the city to boost the economic growth of the Shangjie district. The main goal for the client is to transform the existing industrial city into a more resilient and livable ecological region. Our approach is to holistically solve the region\u27s increasing demand for flood control and storm water management, and to improve ecological and recreational values along these riparian corridors. We propose additional waterways and water bodies to act as green infrastructure, then link the greenways to existing or proposed parks to form a comprehensive greenway network. Our multidisciplinary team conducted detailed investigations and collaborated extensively. The team consists of hydraulic engineers, civil engineers, environmental planners, landscape planners, urban planners, economic planners, and others. We used a variety of technologies, including GIS, Infoworks, remote sensing technology, MIKE model, and lab tests

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Exploring the effects of subsoiling tillage under various irrigation regimes on the evapotranspiration and crop water productivity of winter wheat using RZWQM2

Food security is an important pre-requisite for human well-being; however, water shortages and poor quality of arable land threaten food security in the North China Plain (NCP). Subsoiling and proper irrigation can improve soil structure and increase crop yield. This study investigated the effects of two tillage methods (rotary tillage at 15 cm depth, R15; subsoiling at 35 cm depth, S35) combined with three irrigation treatments (no irrigation during the winter wheat growing season, I0; 60 mm irrigation at the jointing stage, I1; 60 mm irrigation at both the jointing and heading stages, I2) on soil moisture dynamics, evapotranspiration, and winter wheat yield. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) was adopted after calibration and validation base on a field experiment. The results showed that the normalized root mean square errors (calibration and test) between the actual and simulated values of soil water storage (SWS), evapotranspiration (ET), and yield were 7.45–10.87%, 3.80–7.21%, and 5.38–14.15%, respectively. Subsoiling improved winter wheat soil moisture conditions, yield, and crop water productivity (CWP), and irrigation during the winter wheat growing seasons increased crop yield (I2 > I1 > I0) and CWP (I1 > I2 > I0). The best yield treatment during the 2020–2022 winter wheat growing seasons was S35-I2. However, the CWP of S35-I1 was 2.67% higher than that of S35-I2. Tillage methods change the ET structure of winter wheat fields. Compared to rotary tillage, subsoiling reduced actual ET by 16.11% and increased actual transpiration by 10.44%. The results of this study indicate that subsoiling at a depth of 35 cm and 60 mm irrigation at the jointing stage could improve the CWP of winter wheat in the NCP

sj-doc-1-cpc-10.1177_10556656241228903 - Supplemental material for Three-dimensional Analysis of Maxillary Morphology in Infants with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Supplemental material, sj-doc-1-cpc-10.1177_10556656241228903 for Three-dimensional Analysis of Maxillary Morphology in Infants with Unilateral Cleft Lip and Palate by Jie Zheng, PhD, Wenying Kuang, PhD, Shiyu Yuan, BS, Hong He, PhD, and Wenjun Yuan, MD in The Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal</p

DataSheet1_Folate-receptor-targeted co-self-assembly carrier-free gemcitabine nanoparticles loading indocyanine green for chemo-photothermal therapy.docx

The carrier-free chemo-photothermal therapy has become a promising strategy to improve anti-cancer therapeutic efficacy owing to the combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy, with improved chemotherapy drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, high drug loading, and reduced toxicity. We designed a novel carrier-free targeting nanoparticles, co-self-assembled amphiphilic prodrugs 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine (DOG), and tumor-targeted γ-octadecyl folate (MOFA), with encapsulated US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved photosensitizer indocyanine green (ICG) for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy. The DOG linking oleic acid to the sugar moiety of gemcitabine (GEM) showed better self-assembly ability among GEM amphiphilic prodrugs linking different fatty acids. The readily available and highly reproducible 3′,5′-dioleoyl gemcitabine/γ-octadecyl folate/indocyanine green (DOG/MOFA/ICG) nanoparticles were prepared by reprecipitation and showed nano-scale structure with mono-dispersity, great encapsulation efficiency of ICG (approximately 74%), acid- and laser irradiation-triggered GEM release in vitro and sustained GEM release in vivo after intravenous administration as well as excellent temperature conversion (57.0°C) with near-infrared laser irradiation. The combinational DOG/MOFA/ICG nanoparticles with near-infrared laser irradiation showed better anti-tumor efficacy than individual chemotherapy or photothermal therapy, with very low hemolysis and inappreciable toxicity for L929 cells. This co-self-assembly of the ICG and the chemotherapy drug (GEM) provides a novel tactic for the rational design of multifunctional nanosystems for targeting drug delivery and theranostics.</p

One-Step Co-Electrodeposition of Copper Nanoparticles-Chitosan Film-Carbon Nanoparticles-Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Composite for Electroanalysis of Indole-3-Acetic Acid and Salicylic Acid

A sensitive simultaneous electroanalysis of phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and salicylic acid (SA) based on a novel copper nanoparticles-chitosan film-carbon nanoparticles-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CuNPs-CSF-CNPs-MWCNTs) composite was reported. CNPs were prepared by hydrothermal reaction of chitosan. Then the CuNPs-CSF-CNPs-MWCNTs composite was facilely prepared by one-step co-electrodeposition of CuNPs and CNPs fixed chitosan residues on modified electrode. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were used to characterize the properties of the composite. Under optimal conditions, the composite modified electrode had a good linear relationship with IAA in the range of 0.01&ndash;50 &mu;M, and a good linear relationship with SA in the range of 4&ndash;30 &mu;M. The detection limits were 0.0086 &mu;M and 0.7 &mu;M (S/N = 3), respectively. In addition, the sensor could also be used for the simultaneous detection of IAA and SA in real leaf samples with satisfactory recovery

Simultaneous Electrochemical Sensing of Indole-3-Acetic Acid and Salicylic Acid on Poly(L-Proline) Nanoparticles&ndash;Carbon Dots&ndash;Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Composite-Modified Electrode

Sensitive simultaneous electrochemical sensing of phytohormones indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid based on a novel poly(L-Proline) nanoparticles&ndash;carbon dots composite consisting of multiwalled carbon nanotubes was reported in this study. The poly(L-Proline) nanoparticles&ndash;carbon dots composite was facilely prepared by the hydrothermal method, and L-Proline was used as a monomer and carbon source for the preparation of poly(L-Proline) nanoparticles and carbon dots, respectively. Then, the poly(L-Proline) nanoparticles&ndash;carbon dots&ndash;multiwalled carbon nanotubes composite was prepared by ultrasonic mixing of poly(L-Proline) nanoparticles&ndash;carbon dots composite dispersion and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and linear sweep voltammetry were used to characterize the properties of the composite. poly(L-Proline) nanoparticles were found to significantly enhance the conductivity and sensing performance of the composite. Under optimal conditions, the composite-modified electrode exhibited a wide linear range from 0.05 to 25 &mu;M for indole-3-acetic acid and from 0.2 to 60 &mu;M for salicylic acid with detection limits of 0.007 &mu;M and 0.1 &mu;M (S/N = 3), respectively. In addition, the proposed sensor was also applied to simultaneously test indole-3-acetic acid and salicylic acid in real leaf samples with satisfactory recovery

Mesenchymal stem cells and extracellular matrix scaffold promote muscle regeneration by synergistically regulating macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype

Abstract Background Skeletal muscle plays an important role in the body’s physiology but there are still no effective treatments for volumetric muscle loss (VML) resulting from severe traumatic injury or tumor excision. Recent studies show that a tissue engineering strategy using a compound containing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold generates significant regenerative effects on VML injury, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Methods The characteristics of human umbilical cord MSCs, including multiplication capacity and multidifferentiation ability, were determined. We constructed a compound containing MSCs and decellularized ECM scaffold which was used for tissue regeneration in a VML model. Results We found that MSCs and decellularized ECM scaffold generated synergistic effects on promoting skeletal muscle tissue regeneration. Interestingly, both MSCs and decellularized ECM scaffold could promote macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype and suppress macrophage polarization toward the M1 phenotype, which is widely regarded as an important promoting factor in tissue regeneration. More importantly, MSCs and decellularized ECM scaffold generate synergistic promoting effects on macrophage polarization toward the M2 phenotype, not just an additive effect. Conclusions Our findings uncover a previously unknown mechanism that MSCs and decellularized ECM scaffold promote tissue regeneration via collaboratively regulating macrophage polarization