Molecular phylogeny and species diversity of the genus Dichaetophora Duda and related taxa (Diptera: Drosophilidae).

Our intensive surveys of wild drosophilids in East and Southeast Asia discovered a great species diversity (more than 100 putatively new species) of the genus Dichaetophora, which is currently comprised of 67 formally described species assigned into five species groups, i.e., agbo, tenuicauda, acutissima, sinensis and trilobita.

Increase of PCSK9 expression in diabetes promotes VEGFR2 ubiquitination to inhibit endothelial function and skin wound healing.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious vascular disease. Currently, no effective methods are available for treating DFUs. Pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) regulates lipid levels to promote atherosclerosis.

Cinobufacini Inhibits Survival and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via c-Met Signaling Pathway.

Objective: To investigate the anti-tumor effects of cinobufacini (CINO) on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by des-gamma-carboxy-prothrombin (DCP) and to uncover the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: The inhibitory effect of CINO on HCC cell proliferation was evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 method, and the apoptosis rate was quantified using flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence and Western blot analyses were used to investigate the differential expression of proteins associated with cell growth, apoptosis, migration, and invasion pathways after CINO treatment.

The oxidized phospholipid PGPC impairs endothelial function by promoting endothelial cell ferroptosis via FABP3.

Ferroptosis is a novel cell death mechanism that is mediated by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. It may be involved in atherosclerosis development. Products of phospholipid oxidation play a key role in atherosclerosis.

Phylogenetic classification and palm-inflorescence anthophily of the Colocasiomyia zeylanica species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with descriptions of five new species.

The zeylanica group is one of the six species groups of the anthophilic genus Colocasiomyia de Meijere in the family Drosophilidae. In addition to two known species, five morphospecies have been recognized as members of this species group but left undescribed formally. In this study, species delimitation of these putatively new species was determined by barcoding of the mitochondrial COI (cytochrome c oxydase subunit I) gene and morphological comparison.

Interferon signaling promotes tolerance to chromosomal instability during metastatic evolution in renal cancer.

Molecular routes to metastatic dissemination are critical determinants of aggressive cancers. Through in vivo CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, we generated somatic mosaic genetically engineered models that faithfully recapitulate metastatic renal tumors. Disruption of 9p21 locus is an evolutionary driver to systemic disease through the rapid acquisition of complex karyotypes in cancer cells.

Endothelial extracellular vesicles induce acute lung injury via follistatin-like protein 1.

Cardiopulmonary bypass has been speculated to elicit systemic inflammation to initiate acute lung injury (ALI), including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), in patients after cardiac surgery. We previously found that post-operative patients showed an increase in endothelial cell-derived extracellular vesicles (eEVs) with components of coagulation and acute inflammatory responses. However, the mechanism underlying the onset of ALI owing to the release of eEVs after cardiopulmonary bypass, remains unclear.

Evolution of the Species Group (Diptera: Drosophilidae): Phylogeny, Biogeography and Shift of Host Use.

The species group of the genus de Meijere (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is among the four aroid-breeding species groups in this genus; however, it differs from the remaining three groups in the host use: all the flies in this group use plants from the subfamily Monsteroideae instead of from the subfamily Aroideae. So far, we have not resolved the phylogenetic relationship within this group, making it difficult to trace its geographical origin, pattern of species diversification and history of host plant use. In this study, we reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships within the group using DNA sequences of eight (two mitochondrial and six nuclear) gene markers, and we inferred the ancestral areas and host plants of the group based on the resulting phylogeny.

Secondary reversion to sexual monomorphism associated with tissue-specific loss of doublesex expression.

Animal evolution is characterized by frequent turnover of sexually dimorphic traits-new sex-specific characters are gained, and some ancestral sex-specific characters are lost, in many lineages. In insects, sexual differentiation is predominantly cell autonomous and depends on the expression of the doublesex (dsx) transcription factor. In most cases, cells that transcribe dsx have the potential to undergo sex-specific differentiation, while those that lack dsx expression do not.

A new species of the Colocasiomyia gigantea species group (Diptera, Drosophilidae) breeding on inflorescences of Scindapsus maclurei (Araceae).

The gigantea group is one of the six species groups of the genus Colocasiomyia Meijere, 1914 (Diptera, Drosophilidae). All the nine known species of this group breed on inflorescence/infructescence of host plants of the subfamily Monsteroideae (Araceae) and are geographically restricted to the Oriental region: seven species found exclusively from Rhaphidophora spp. in southern China, and the remaining two from Sabah (host plant: Scindapsus coriaceus) in Borneo or from West Java (host plant: Epipremnum pinnatum).

Phylogeny, taxonomy and flower-breeding ecology of the Colocasiomyia cristata species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with descriptions of ten new species.

The phylogeny of the Colocasiomyia cristata species group is reconstructed as a hypothesis, based on DNA sequences of two mitochondrial and six nuclear genes and 51 morphological characters. The resulting tree splits this species group into two clades, one of which corresponds to the colocasiae subgroup. Therefore, a new species subgroup named as the cristata subgroup is established for the other clade.

The genus Lamb, 1914 (Diptera, Drosophilidae) from southern China.

The genus was established by Lamb in 1914 for a single species, described therein. It contains 13 known species recorded from the Old World (the Oriental, Australasian, Palearctic and Afrotropical regions). In the present paper, five new species discovered from southern China are described as members of : Wang & Gao, , Wang & Gao, , Wang & Gao, , Wang, Li & Gao, and Wang, Li & Gao, The new species were delimitated, based on not only morphological characters but also molecular data.

Highly contiguous assemblies of 101 drosophilid genomes.

Over 100 years of studies in and related species in the genus have facilitated key discoveries in genetics, genomics, and evolution. While high-quality genome assemblies exist for several species in this group, they only encompass a small fraction of the genus. Recent advances in long-read sequencing allow high-quality genome assemblies for tens or even hundreds of species to be efficiently generated.

Descriptions of two new species of the genus (Diptera, Drosophilidae) breeding on host plants in Yunnan, China.

The genus de Meijere (Diptera, Drosophilidae) is known to include 30 described and nearly 60 undescribed species classified into six species groups. Among these, the group of seven known species (two Southeast Asian and five Chinese) proved to be peculiar for its specificity on monsteroid (subfamily Monsteroideae, family Araceae) host plants. In this paper, two new species, Jiao & Gao, and Jiao & Gao, , are described as members of the group with specimens collected from inflorescences of the monsteroid host species (Roxb.

Associations of coenzyme Q10 with endothelial function in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is common in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). However, little is known about the relationship between endothelial dysfunction and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels in HD patients.

Methods: Eligible HD patients were enrolled in this study according to prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Synergistic antitumor activity of sorafenib and artesunate in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Sorafenib is currently the standard chemotherapy drug for treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). But its efficacy requires improvement, it is imperative to seek therapeutic strategies that combine sorafenib with other anticancer agents. In this study we investigated the synergistic anticancer effect of combining sorafenib and artesunate, an anti-malaria drug derivative, against HCC in vitro and in vivo.

The Hirtodrosophila melanderi species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from the Huanglong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China.

The Hirtodrosophila melanderi species group is currently known for thirteen described species, most of which were thought to be fungivorous. More than half known species of this species group were recorded exclusively from high altitude zone to the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. In our recent field survey in the Huanglong National Nature Reserve (located to the east of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau) in Sichuan Province, China, we collected dozens of specimens of the H.

Downregulated miR-383-5p contributes to the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells and is associated with poor prognosis.

Aim: The study aims to identify differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) in gastric cancer (GC) and explore the expression, prognosis and downstream regulation role of miR-383-5p in GC.

Methods: The GC miRNA-Seq and clinical information were downloaded from Firebrowse which stores integrated data sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The DEMs were identified with limma package in R software at the cut-off criteria of < 0.

Taxonomy of the Hirtodrosophila melanderi species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae), with descriptions of four new species from southwestern China.

The Hirtodrosophila melanderi species group contains nine known species recorded from either the Old or the New World. All these species were thought to be strict fungivorous drosophilids. In the present study, we give supplementary descriptions for three of these known species, all recorded from Yunnan, southwestern China, H.

The Lordiphosa denticeps species group (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in China, with redescriptions of four known species and descriptions of nine new species.

Based on specimens collected from Yunnan, Xizang, and Taiwan in China, nine new species of the Lordiphosa denticeps species group, L. mikioides sp. nov.