Transformable nanoparticles to bypass biological barriers in cancer treatment.

Nanomedicine based drug delivery platforms provide an interesting avenue to explore for the future of cancer treatment. Here we discuss the barriers for drug delivery in cancer therapeutics and how nanomaterials have been designed to bypass these blockades through stimuli responsive transformation in the most recent update. Nanomaterials that address the challenges of each step provide a promising solution for new cancer therapeutics.

A method for tracking the Brownian motion to estimate the size distribution of submicron particles in seawater.

Because the diffusivity of particles undergoing the Brownian motion is inversely proportional to their sizes, the size distribution of submicron particles can be estimated by tracking their movement. This particle tracking analysis (PTA) has been applied in various fields, but mainly focused on resolving monodispersed particle populations and is rarely used for measuring oceanic particles that are naturally polydispersed. We demonstrated using Monte Carlo simulation that, in principle, PTA can be used to size natural, oceanic particles.

Developing a new treatment for superficial fungal infection using antifungal Collagen-HSAF dressing.

Fungal pathogens are common causes of superficial clinical infection. Their increasing drug resistance gradually makes existing antifungal drugs ineffective. Heat stable antifungal factor (HSAF) is a novel antifungal natural product with a unique structure.

Low-head dams induce biotic homogenization/differentiation of fish assemblages in subtropical streams.

Extensive distribution of widespread species and the loss of native species driven by anthropogenic disturbances modify community similarity, resulting in a decrease or increase in community distinctiveness. Data from four basins in the Wannan Mountains, China, were used to evaluate the effects of low-head dams on patterns of fish faunal homogenization and differentiation based on abundance data. We aimed to examine the spatial changes in taxonomic and functional similarities of fish assemblages driven by low-head dams and to examine whether the changes in the similarity of fish assemblages differed between taxonomic and functional components.

Effects of spatial fragmentation on the elevational distribution of bird diversity in a mountain adjacent to urban areas.

The biodiversity in mountainous ecosystems is high but is threatened by rapid environmental change. Urbanization and other anthropogenic factors in the mountains can affect land use and spatial fragmentation. Moreover, patterns of habitat are closely related to elevation and have a major effect on montane biodiversity.

Description of Xu, Qi & Kong, sp. nov. (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Littorinimorpha, Rissoidae) from the East China Sea.

Xu, Qi & Kong, (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Littorinimorpha, Rissoidae) was discovered within the intertidal zone in the Nanji Islands and Zhoushan Islands, Zhejiang Province, China. It has a radula characteristic of Risso, 1826, a protoconch sculptured with micro pits and lamellae between spiral lirae, and a teleoconch with growth lines and subobsolete cords. Specimens were examined using an integrative taxonomic approach incorporating morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses of concatenated mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear 28S rRNA gene sequences.

Mechanistic insights into the key marine dimethylsulfoniopropionate synthesis enzyme DsyB/DSYB.

Marine algae and bacteria produce approximately eight billion tonnes of the organosulfur molecule dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in Earth's surface oceans annually. DMSP is an antistress compound and, once released into the environment, a major nutrient, signaling molecule, and source of climate-active gases. The methionine transamination pathway for DMSP synthesis is used by most known DMSP-producing algae and bacteria.

Genomic signatures of artificial selection in the Pacific oyster, .

The Pacific oyster, , is an important aquaculture shellfish around the world with great economic and ecological value. Selective breeding programs have been carried out globally to improve production and performance traits, while genomic signatures of artificial selection remain largely unexplored. In China, we performed selective breeding of .

A genetic assessment of the population structure and demographic history of (Perciformes, Amblyopinae) from the northwestern Pacific.

Coupled with geological and geographical history, climatic oscillations during the Pleistocene period had remarkable effects on species biodiversity and distribution along the northwestern Pacific. To detect the population structure and demographic history of , 547-bp fragments of the mitochondrial DNA control region were sequenced. A low level of nucleotide diversity (0.

Rapid, automated, and reliable antimicrobial susceptibility test from positive blood culture by CAST-R.

Antimicrobial susceptibility tests (ASTs) are pivotal in combating multidrug resistant pathogens, yet they can be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unstable. Using the AST of tigecycline for sepsis as the main model, here we establish an automated system of Clinical Antimicrobials Susceptibility Test Ramanometry (CAST-R), based on DO-probed Raman microspectroscopy. Featuring a liquid robot for sample pretreatment and a machine learning-based control scheme for data acquisition and quality control, the 3-h, automated CAST-R process accelerates AST by >10-fold, processes 96 paralleled antibiotic-exposure reactions, and produces high-quality Raman spectra.

MomL inhibits bacterial antibiotic resistance through the starvation stringent response pathway.

Antibiotic resistance in gram-negative pathogens has become one of the most serious global public health threats. The role of the -acyl homoserine lactone (AHL)-mediated signaling pathway, which is widespread in gram-negative bacteria, in the bacterial resistance process should be studied in depth. Here, we report a degrading enzyme of AHLs, MomL, that inhibits the antibiotic resistance of through a novel mechanism.

Physiological functional traits explain morphological variation of during the drifting of green tides.

green tides, one of the greatest marine ecological disasters, originate in the southern Yellow Sea of China and obtain the highest biomass in Haizhou Bay (latitude around 35° N) during northward drift. .  shows different morphologies from southern Haizhou Bay (SH) to northern Haizhou Bay (NH).

The mechanism exploration of the non-colonic toxicity and obesity inhibition of food-grade κ-carrageenan by transcriptome.

Previous study has suggested the colonic nontoxicity and obesity inhibition of food-grade κ-carrageenan in obese mice. Further study using transcriptome is important to provide further understanding on the gene expressions of inflammation and obesity. Here, the obese mice without any treatment (HFD) or with 5% food-grade κ-carrageenan diet intervention (H5%) were used to perform colonic transcriptome sequencing.

Fish taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity and their vulnerabilities in the largest river in southeastern China.

Freshwater biodiversity is currently under multiple threats. Conservation of freshwater fish biodiversity needs to be prioritized because natural conservation resources are always limited.Samples were collected at 24 sites in the Min River, the largest basin in southeastern China.

Description of a new species, sp. nov. (Perciformes, Sillaginidae) from the southern coast of China.

A new species, the black-banded sillago, , is described based on 302 specimens sampled from the southern coast of China. Morphological comparisons have been conducted between the new species and ten other species. The results show that the new species is characterized by a black mid-lateral band below the lateral line when fresh; other characteristics are similar to those of but subtle differences exist on the swim bladder between sp.

Redescription of A. Adam, 1861 (Truncatelloidea, Stenothyridae), with the first complete mitochondrial genome in the family Stenothyridae.

In this study, belonging to the truncatelloid family Stenothyridae is redescribed using morphological characters from the shell, operculum, and radula. The species is distinguished from other species in the group by its shell without spotted spiral lines and by its dome-shaped, mostly smooth, protoconch with some pits. Together with the morphological description, the complete mitogenome for the species is provided, which fill a knowledge gap in Stenothyridae.

An overview on the nomenclatural and phylogenetic problems of native Asian brine shrimps of the genus Leach, 1819 (Crustacea, Anostraca).

The genus Leach, 1819 is a cosmopolitan halophilic crustacean, consisting of bisexual species and obligate parthenogenetic populations. Asia is rich in biodiversity. More than 530 sites have been recorded from this area and more than 20 species/subspecies/variety names have been used for them.

Methodology and application of PCR-RFLP for species identification in tuna sashimi.

The Thunnini, or tuna, comprise many species with very different commercial values. The principal raw tuna product on the market is sashimi, for which the species used is difficult to identify through conventional morphological analysis. The present study amplified the cytochrome gene () of 4 major tuna species used for preparing sashimi-yellowfin tuna (), southern bluefin tuna (), bigeye tuna (), and Atlantic bluefin tuna ()-and 4 species commonly mislabeled as components of tuna sashimi-albacore tuna (), skipjack tuna (), striped marlin (), and swordfish ().

Effect of different cooking methods on sensory quality assessment and in vitro digestibility of sturgeon steak.

Sous vide can keep the nutritional properties and improve taste of food compared with other conventional methods. In addition, this method may reduce the risk of recontamination after cooking and during storage. The purpose of this paper was to study the effects of four cooking methods (steaming, microwaving, baking, and frying) on the sensory and digestibility on sturgeon steak pretreated by sous vide during the cold storage (0-25 days).

Identification and population genetic comparison of three ascidian species based on mtDNA sequences.

Ascidians are sessile marine chordate invertebrates found along seashores worldwide and are typically regarded as invasive organisms. Knowledge concerning their global genetic structure and subsequent invasive potential is limited. Here, we identified three ascidians-, , and from the northeast region of China using morphological characteristics and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I () as genetic marker.

Study on molecular mechanisms of nattokinase in pharmacological action based on label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of premature death and disability in people around the world. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of CVDs has become an important subject. In this study, we verified the thrombolytic activities of a nattokinase-like protease named NK-01 in vivo.

Population structure of : phylogeography and systematics.

(Teleostei: Cyprinidae) is an endemic species in South China, but little is known about its genetic structure. This study examined the population structure of using sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region and cytochrome gene (2,086 bp). In total, 107 specimens were collected from nine populations.

Effects of three products from Antarctic krill on the nitrogen balance, growth, and antioxidation status of rats.

A few studies conducted over the past few decades have demonstrated the health benefits of a diet rich in marine products, but limited studies have investigated the effects of different krill products on the nitrogen balance and their potential health benefits. In our study, after a 14-day acclimation period, 50 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups, each of which was fed a different diet, for 28 days. We then evaluated the effect of krill protein complex (KPC), krill powder, and defatted krill powder on the nitrogen balance, growth, and antioxidant activity through analyses of MDA, CAT, GSH-Px, and T-SOD.

Fine-scale genetic structure and flowering output of the seagrass undergoing disturbance.

Seagrass are under great stress in the tropical coast of Asia, where is frequently the dominant species with a large food web. Here, we investigate the question of the fine-scale genetic structure of this ecologically important foundation species, subject to severe anthropogenic disturbance in China. The genetic structure will illuminate potential mechanisms for population dynamics and sustainability, which are critical for preservation of biodiversity and for decision-making in management and restoration.

Analysis of chromosome karyotype and genome size in echiuran Drasche, 1880 (Polychaeta, Urechidae).

Karyotype and genome size are two primary cytogenetic characteristics of species, which are of great significance to the study of cytogenetics, taxonomy, phylogenesis, evolution as well as molecular biology. However, this basic cytogenetic information in echiurans is lacking. Therefore, we analyzed characteristics of karyotype and genome size in the echiuran worm Drasche, 1880.