Publications by authors named "Li-xi Sheng"

Calosoma maximoviczi, a predatory pest beetle, poses a significant threat to wild silk farm production due to its predation on wild silkworms. Given the coexistence of this species with beneficial silkworms in the farm orchards, chemical pesticides are not an ideal solution for controlling its population. In this study, we employed a comprehensive multi-target RNA interference (RNAi) approach to disrupt the olfactory perception of C.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Metal homeostasis is critical to normal neurophysiological activity. Metal ions are involved in the development, metabolism, redox and neurotransmitter transmission of the central nervous system (CNS). Thus, disturbance of homeostasis (such as metal deficiency or excess) can result in serious consequences, including neurooxidative stress, excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation, and nerve cell death.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The black carabid beetle Calosoma maximoviczi is a successful predator that serves as both a beneficial insect and a severe threat to economic herbivores. Its hunting technique relies heavily on olfaction, but the underlying mechanism has not been studied. Here, we report the electrophysiological, ecological and molecular traits of bioactive components identified from a comprehensive panel of natural odorants in the beetle-prey-plant system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Due to the intelligent survival strategy and self-preservation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), many antibiotics are ineffective in treating MRSA infections. Nano-drug delivery systems have emerged as a new method to overcome this barrier. The aim of this study was to construct a novel nano-drug delivery system for the treatment of MRSA infection, and to evaluate the therapeutic effect and biotoxicity of this system.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Here, we report the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of Qing_6, an improved strain serving silk production and edible insect resource for 50 years in Northeast China. The circular mt genome spans 15,572 bp in length and contains 37 typical coding genes (13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes). Its A + T-rich region is 552 bp in size exhibiting identical sequence with the first modern improved strain Qinghuang_1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on a specific gene, ApESR16, which encodes a 16 kDa protein in the Chinese oak silkworm, revealing its sequence, structure, and evolutionary relationships to other insect proteins.
  • ApESR16 is shown to have distinct cholesterol/lipid binding sites and possesses varying degrees of sequence identity with related proteins in both lepidopteran and non-lepidopteran insects, indicating significant evolutionary divergence.
  • Additionally, the expression of ApESR16 is influenced by the hormonal treatment of 20-hydroxyecdysone, suggesting its potential role in regulating diapause during the insect's developmental cycle.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are attractive targets for tumor immunotherapy because of their tumor-specific expression. Since more than half of confirmed CTAs are located on the X-chromosome, we asked whether there is a link between CTA expression and X-chromosomes. Recent reports have shown that reactivation of the inactive X-chromosome, known as X-chromosome reactivation (XCR), a unique phenomenon that exists in many high-risk tumors in women, can transform the expression of many X-linked genes from monoallelic to biallelic.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical importance of melanoma-associated antigen D4 (MAGE-D4) expression in glioma, and to identify it as a valuable prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. To achieve this, the expression of MAGE-D4 protein in 124 tumor tissues from patients with glioma was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and the associations between MAGE-D4expression and clinicopathological factors were evaluated. The survival analysis demonstrated the significant prognostic value of MAGE-D4 in glioma using follow-up data.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Nonmissile penetrating head injuries (NPHIs) in the civilian population are rare but potentially fatal. Although numerous cases have been reported in the literature, the surgical management of such injuries is still ambiguous, especially with development of surgical techniques. Here, we report 5 cases of NPHIs managed with different surgical techniques and review the literature on surgical treatment of these injuries to outline the appropriate management for these patients from a neurosurgical perspective.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Antheraea pernyi nucleopolyhedrovirus (ApNPV) is an exclusive pathogen of A. pernyi. The intense interactions between ApNPV and A.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Vein of Galen aneurysmal malformations (VGAMs) are congenital disorders that may require emergency treatment and some may cause sudden death before medical attention is provided. Some patients also have a spontaneous thrombosis.

Objective: To understand the natural progression of VGAMs through a systematic literature review.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A complete error calibration model with 12 independent parameters is established by analyzing the three-axis magnetometer error mechanism. The said model conforms to an ellipsoid restriction, the parameters of the ellipsoid equation are estimated, and the ellipsoid coefficient matrix is derived. However, the calibration matrix cannot be determined completely, as there are fewer ellipsoid parameters than calibration model parameters.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Ailanthus silkmoth, Samia cynthia cynthia (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) was determined. The circular genome is 15,345 bp long, and presents a typical gene organization and order for sequenced mitogenomes of Bombycidea species. The nucleotide composition of the genome is highly A+T biased, accounting for 79.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A water culture experiment with controlled dissolved oxygen concentration was conducted to explore the effects of exogenous NO3- on the root function and enzyme activities related to nitrogen metabolism of cherry (Prunun cerasus x P. canescens) seedlings under hypoxia stress. Comparing with the control (7.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The genetic diversity and genetic structure of three Chinese silkworm species Bombyx mori L., Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Meneville and Samia cynthia ricini Donovan were comparatively assessed based on RAPD markers. At the species level, A.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study we successfully constructed a full-length cDNA library from Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi, the most well-known wild silkworm used for silk production and insect food. Total RNA was extracted from a single fresh female pupa at the diapause stage. The titer of the library was 5 x 10(5) cfu/ml and the proportion of recombinant clones was approximately 95%.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF