IIS/TOR network plays an essential role in ovarian development in the pupal stage of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda.

The ovary plays a crucial role in the female reproductive system of insects and is vital for the perpetuation of insect populations. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) and target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling network play a key role in controlling ovarian development and maturation during the adult stage. However, the pupal stage is a critical developmental phase in the reproductive system of holometabolous insects, and the regulatory role of the IIS/TOR network during this stage remains to be elucidated.

A novel lncRNA PDG1 targets NADP-ME to modulate TCA cycle and JH in Aspongopus chinensis diapause.

Diapause is essential for insect survival under adverse environmental conditions and plays a crucial role in regulating reproduction. However, the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in this process remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the function of lncRNAs in the diapause of Aspongopus chinensis.

Retraction of "Effect of C-phycocyanin on HDAC3 and miRNA-335 in Alzheimer's disease".

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2020-0101.].

Differential expression of microRNAs in diapause and non-diapause gonads of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae): implications for reproductive control.

Aspongopus chinensis Dallas, 1851 (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae), an edible and medicinal insect, usually found in China and Southeast Asia, offers substantial potential for various applications. The reproductive cycle of this particular insect occurs annually because of reproductive diapause, leading to inadequate utilization of available natural resources. Despite its considerable ecological importance, the precise mechanisms underlying diapause in A.

Combining Bone Collagen Material with hUC-MSCs for Applicationto Spina Bifida in a Rabbit Model.

Spina bifida is one of the neural tube defects, with a high incidence in human birth defects, which seriously affects the health and quality of life of patients. In the treatment of bone defects, the source of autologous bone is limited and will cause secondary damage to the patient. At the same time, since the bone tissue in animals needs to play a variety of biological functions, its complex structure cannot be replaced by a single material.

Active bone material containing modified recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 induces bone regeneration in rabbit spina bifida.

This study focuses on spina bifida, which is a high incidence among the current clinical manifestations of human birth defects. Because in the treatment of bone defects, the source of autologous bone is limited and it is easy to cause secondary injury to the patient. At the same time, since the bone tissue in animals needs to perform a variety of biological functions, its complex structure cannot be replaced by a single material.

Smurf participates in Helicoverpa armigera diapause by regulating the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway.

Diapause, an important strategy used by insects to avoid adverse environments, is regulated by various cell signaling pathways. The results of our previous studies demonstrated that the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway regulated pupal diapause in Helicoverpa armigera, which was accompanied by downregulation of proteins in TGF-β signaling. However, to date the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unknown.

Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 Protects Dopaminergic Neurons by Promoting Autophagy in the Inflammatory Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with an inflammatory response as the core pathogenic mechanism. Previous human genetics findings support the view that the loss of TREM2 function will aggravate neurodegeneration, and TREM2 is one of the most highly expressed receptors in microglia. However, the role of TREM2 in the inflammatory mechanism of PD is not clear.

Chromosomal-Level Genome Assembly of a True Bug, Aspongopus chinensis Dallas, 1851 (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae).

The true bug, Aspongopus chinensis Dallas, 1851 (Hemiptera: Dinidoridae), is a fascinating insect with prolonged diapause and medicinal properties but also a notorious pest. However, because of the lack of genomic resources, an in-depth understanding of its biological characteristics is lacking. Here, we report the first genome assembly of A.

Repair of alveolar cleft bone defects in rabbits by active bone particles containing modified rhBMP-2.

A model of alveolar cleft phenotype was established in rabbits to evaluate the effect of active bone particles containing modified rhecombinant human BMP-2 on the repair of the alveolar cleft.  2-month-old Japanese white rabbits were selected and randomly divided into four groups: normal, control, material and BMP groups. Blood biochemical analysis, skull tomography (microfocus computerized tomography), and histological and immunohistochemical staining analysis of paraffin sections were performed 3  and 6 months after operation.

Combining Bone Collagen Matrix with hUC-MSCs for Application to Alveolar Process Cleft in a Rabbit Model.

Background: Most materials used clinically for filling severe bone defects either cannot induce bone re-generation or exhibit low bone conversion, therefore, their therapeutic effects are limited. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) exhibit good osteoinduction. However, the mechanism by which combining a heterogeneous bone collagen matrix with hUC-MSCs to repair the bone defects of alveolar process clefts remains unclear.

MicroRNA-3473b regulates the expression of TREM2/ULK1 and inhibits autophagy in inflammatory pathogenesis of Parkinson disease.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the midbrain. The regulatory role of a variety of microRNAs in PD has been confirmed, and our study is the first to demonstrate that miR-3473b is involved in the regulation of PD. In vitro, an miR-3473b inhibitor can inhibit the secretion of inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL-1β) in moues microglia cell line (BV2) cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and promote autophagy in BV2 cells.

Active bone material containing modified recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 induces bone regeneration in the alveolar process cleft in rabbits.

The clinical application of most materials used to fill severe bone defects is limited owing to the insufficient ability of such materials to induce bone regeneration over a long repair period. The purpose of this study was to establish a model for the alveolar process cleft in rabbits to evaluate the effect of active bone material in bone defect repair. The active bone material used in this study is a new bone repair material composed of a heterogeneous collagen membrane implanted with modified recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2.

Effect of C-phycocyanin on HDAC3 and miRNA-335 in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque deposits and neurofibrillary tangles containing tau proteins are the key pathognomonic manifestations of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Lack of holistic drugs for AD has reinvigorated enthusiasm in the natural product-based therapies. In this study, our idea to decipher the beneficial effects of C-phycocyanin (CPC) in the management of AD is buoyed by its multifaceted and holistic therapeutic effects.

Repair of alveolar cleft bone defects by bone collagen particles combined with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in rabbit.

Background: Alveolar cleft is a type of cleft lip and palate that seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. In this study, a model of the alveolar cleft phenotype was established in rabbits to evaluate the effect of bone collagen particles combined with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on the repair of alveolar cleft bone defects.

Methods: A model of alveolar clefts in rabbits was established by removing the incisors on the left side of the upper jaw bone collagen particles combined with HUC-MSCs that were then implanted in the defect area.

Stimuli responsive elastin-like polypeptides and applications in medicine and biotechnology.

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) are artificial biopolymers composed of the pentapeptide repeat Val-Pro-Gly-Xaa-Gly. They are a class of stimuli responsive biopolymers exhibiting an inverse temperature transition, which are particularly attractive in biological applications. In this paper, the methods of synthesizing ELPs and the applications in medicine and biotechnology such as purification of fusion proteins, drug delivery, and tissue engineering are reviewed.

Intracerebral transplantation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells alternatively activates microglia and ameliorates neuropathological deficits in Alzheimer's disease mice.

Recent studies suggest that transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells might have therapeutic effects in preventing pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative disorders. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) are a promising new cell source for regenerative therapy. However, whether transplantation of ADSCs could actually ameliorate the neuropathological deficits in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the mechanisms involved has not yet been established.

Huperzine A promotes hippocampal neurogenesis in vitro and in vivo.

Huperzine A (Hup A) is a lycopodium alkaloid from Huperzia serrata, which has been used as a therapeutic agent in several neurological disorders. Despite the diverse pharmacological activities Hup A has, its role in hippocampal neurogenesis remains to be established. This study showed that Hup A not only promoted the proliferation of cultured mouse embryonic hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs), but also increased the newly generated cells in the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus in adult mice.

Protective effect of edaravone against Alzheimer's disease-relevant insults in neuroblastoma N2a cells.

Oxidative stress has been demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Thus, antioxidant therapy may represent a promising avenue for the treatment of AD. Edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one) is a potent free radical scavenger and has been shown to provide neuroprotection in both animal models of cerebral ischemia and stroke patients.

Mitochondrial modulation of store-operated Ca(2+) entry in model cells of Alzheimer's disease.

Mitochondrial malfunction and calcium dyshomeostasis are early pathological events considered as important features of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Recent studies have suggested mitochondrion as an active regulator of Ca(2+) signaling based on its calcium buffering capacity. Herein, we investigated the mitochondrial involvement in the modulation of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in neural 2a (N2a) transgenic AD model cells.

Positive charge of chitosan retards blood coagulation on chitosan films.

In this study, a series of chitosan films with different protonation degrees were prepared by deacidification with NaOH aqueous or ethanol solutions. The films were then used as a model to investigate the effects of the positive charge of chitosan on blood coagulation. The results showed that the positive charge of chitosan acted as a double-edged sword, in that it promoted erythrocyte adhesion, fibrinogen adsorption, and platelet adhesion and activation, but inhibited activation of the contact system.

Inhibition of gamma-secretase activity reduces Abeta production, reduces oxidative stress, increases mitochondrial activity and leads to reduced vulnerability to apoptosis: Implications for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

It has been argued that gamma-secretase should be considered as a pharmacological target, as there are few mechanism-based experimental and clinical studies on gamma-secretase treatment. In this study, we found that N2a cells bearing APP695 or its Swedish mutant exhibited increased basal levels of ROS, nitric oxide (NO), protein carbonyls, MDA and intracellular calcium, as well as reduced level of the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP. When the activity of gamma-secretase was inhibited by expression of the D385A PS1 variant, cells (N2a/Swe.