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Evidence for the Higgs Boson Decay to a Z Boson and a Photon at the LHC

Aad G, Abbott B, Abeling K, Abicht NJ, Abidi SH, Aboulhorma A, et al.

Phys Rev Lett, 2024 Jan 12;132(2):021803.
PMID: 38277607 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.021803

The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision datasets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140 fb^{-1} for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is 2.2±0.7 times the standard model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
Fulltext Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential

Mo L, Zohner CM, Reich PB, Liang J, de Miguel S, Nabuurs GJ, et al.

Nature, 2023 Dec;624(7990):92-101.
PMID: 37957399 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06723-z

Forests are a substantial terrestrial carbon sink, but anthropogenic changes in land use and climate have considerably reduced the scale of this system1. Remote-sensing estimates to quantify carbon losses from global forests2-5 are characterized by considerable uncertainty and we lack a comprehensive ground-sourced evaluation to benchmark these estimates. Here we combine several ground-sourced6 and satellite-derived approaches2,7,8 to evaluate the scale of the global forest carbon potential outside agricultural and urban lands. Despite regional variation, the predictions demonstrated remarkable consistency at a global scale, with only a 12% difference between the ground-sourced and satellite-derived estimates. At present, global forest carbon storage is markedly under the natural potential, with a total deficit of 226 Gt (model range = 151-363 Gt) in areas with low human footprint. Most (61%, 139 Gt C) of this potential is in areas with existing forests, in which ecosystem protection can allow forests to recover to maturity. The remaining 39% (87 Gt C) of potential lies in regions in which forests have been removed or fragmented. Although forests cannot be a substitute for emissions reductions, our results support the idea2,3,9 that the conservation, restoration and sustainable management of diverse forests offer valuable contributions to meeting global climate and biodiversity targets.
Fulltext Exosomes drive ferroptosis by stimulating iron accumulation to inhibit bacterial infection in crustaceans

Sun Q, Yang J, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Ma H, Tran NT, et al.

J Biol Chem, 2023 Dec;299(12):105463.
PMID: 37977221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105463

Ferroptosis, characterized by iron-dependent cell death, has recently emerged as a critical defense mechanism against microbial infections. The present study aims to investigate the involvement of exosomes in the induction of ferroptosis and the inhibition of bacterial infection in crustaceans. Our findings provide compelling evidence for the pivotal role of exosomes in the immune response of crustaceans, wherein they facilitate intracellular iron accumulation and activate the ferroptotic pathways. Using RNA-seq and bioinformatic analysis, we demonstrate that cytochrome P450 (CYP) can effectively trigger ferroptosis. Moreover, by conducting an analysis of exosome cargo proteins, we have identified the participation of six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 in the regulation of hemocyte ferroptotic sensitivity. Subsequent functional investigations unveil that six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 enhances cellular Fe2+ levels, thereby triggering Fenton reactions and accelerating CYP-mediated lipid peroxidation, ultimately culminating in ferroptotic cell death. Additionally, the Fe2+-dependent CYP catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid into 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, which activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. Consequently, the downstream target of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, cluster of differentiation 36, promotes intracellular fatty acid accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and ferroptosis. These significant findings shed light on the immune defense mechanisms employed by crustaceans and provide potential strategies for combating bacterial infections in this species.
Fulltext Butylparaben weakens female fertility via causing oocyte meiotic arrest and fertilization failure in mice

Zhang Y, Sun L, Zhang D, Gao Y, Ma H, Xue Y, et al.

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2023 Nov 01;266:115561.
PMID: 37837697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115561

Butylparaben is an ubiquitous environmental endocrine disruptor, that is commonly used in cosmetics and personal care product due to its anti-microbial properties. Butylparaben has been shown to cause developmental toxicity, endocrine and metabolic disorders and immune diseases. However, little is known about the impact on female fertility, especially oocyte quality. In the present study, we reported that butylparaben influenced female fertility by showing the disturbed oocyte meiotic capacity and fertilization potential. Specifically, butylparaben results in the oocyte maturation arrest by impairing spindle/chromosome structure and microtubule stability. Besides, butylparaben results in fertilization failure by impairing the dynamics of Juno and ovastacin and the sperm binding ability. Last, single-cell transcriptome analysis showed that butylparaben-induced oocyte deterioration was caused by mitochondrial dysfunction, which led to the accumulation of ROS and occurrence of apoptosis. Collectively, our study indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and redox perturbation is the major cause of the weakened female fertility expoesd to butylparaben.
Fulltext The global biogeography of tree leaf form and habit

Ma H, Crowther TW, Mo L, Maynard DS, Renner SS, van den Hoogen J, et al.

Nat Plants, 2023 Nov;9(11):1795-1809.
PMID: 37872262 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01543-5

Understanding what controls global leaf type variation in trees is crucial for comprehending their role in terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon, water and nutrient dynamics. Yet our understanding of the factors influencing forest leaf types remains incomplete, leaving us uncertain about the global proportions of needle-leaved, broadleaved, evergreen and deciduous trees. To address these gaps, we conducted a global, ground-sourced assessment of forest leaf-type variation by integrating forest inventory data with comprehensive leaf form (broadleaf vs needle-leaf) and habit (evergreen vs deciduous) records. We found that global variation in leaf habit is primarily driven by isothermality and soil characteristics, while leaf form is predominantly driven by temperature. Given these relationships, we estimate that 38% of global tree individuals are needle-leaved evergreen, 29% are broadleaved evergreen, 27% are broadleaved deciduous and 5% are needle-leaved deciduous. The aboveground biomass distribution among these tree types is approximately 21% (126.4 Gt), 54% (335.7 Gt), 22% (136.2 Gt) and 3% (18.7 Gt), respectively. We further project that, depending on future emissions pathways, 17-34% of forested areas will experience climate conditions by the end of the century that currently support a different forest type, highlighting the intensification of climatic stress on existing forests. By quantifying the distribution of tree leaf types and their corresponding biomass, and identifying regions where climate change will exert greatest pressure on current leaf types, our results can help improve predictions of future terrestrial ecosystem functioning and carbon cycling.
Validation of the Chinese version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale: evidence from a three-wave longitudinal study

Jiang C, Zhu Y, Luo Y, Tan CS, Mastrotheodoros S, Costa P, et al.

BMC Psychol, 2023 Oct 18;11(1):345.
PMID: 37853499 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01293-1

BACKGROUND: The 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is a widely used tool for individuals to self-report their self-esteem; however, the factorial structures of translated versions of the RSES vary across different languages. This study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the RSES in the Chinese mainland using a longitudinal design.
METHODS: A group of healthcare university students completed the RSES across three waves: baseline, 1-week follow-up, and 15-week follow-up. A total of 481 valid responses were collected through the three-wave data collection process. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the baseline data to explore the potential factorial structure, while confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed on the follow-up data to determine the best-fit model. Additionally, the cross-sectional and longitudinal measurement invariances were tested to assess the measurement properties of the RSES for different groups, such as gender and age, as well as across different time points. Convergent validity was assessed against the Self-Rated Health Questionnaire (SRHQ) using Spearman's correlation. Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients, while test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient.
RESULTS: The results of EFA revealed that Items 5, 8, and 9 had inadequate or cross-factor loadings, leading to their removal from further analysis. Analysis of the remaining seven items using EFA suggested a two-factor solution. A comparison of several potential models for the 10-item and 7-item RSES using CFA showed a preference for the 7-item form (RSES-7) with two factors. Furthermore, the RSES-7 exhibited strict invariance across different groups and time points, indicating its stability and consistency. The RSES-7 also demonstrated adequate convergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability, which further supported its robustness as a measure of self-esteem.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the RSES-7 is a psychometrically sound and brief self-report scale for measuring self-esteem in the Chinese context. More studies are warranted to further verify its usability.
Effects of high stocking density on growth performance and expression of MyD88, and its temporal expression under the challenge of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in the noble scallop Chlamys nobilis

Feng M, Tan K, Zhang H, Duan X, Li S, Ma H, et al.

Fish Shellfish Immunol, 2023 Oct;141:109059.
PMID: 37678479 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.109059

High stocking density has been regarded as an adverse factor in bivalve aquaculture. However, its subsequent molecular response to pathogenic bacteria has been little studied. In order to study the question, a novel MyD88 was first cloned using adult noble scallops Chlamys nobilis (CnMyD88), and its tissue distribution was investigated. Then, 1860 juvenile scallops were divided into two groups with two initial densities of high density (200 individuals/layer, HD) and normal density (110 individuals/layer, ND) and in-situ cultured for three months, in which their growth, survival, and the differential expression of CnMyD88 were examined, respectively. Finally, scallops were injected with the Vibrio parahaemolyticus to assess the temporal expression of CnMyD88. As the results show, CnMyD88 cDNA has a full length of 2241 bp and contains an 1107 bp ORF that encodes a 368-derived protein. It was widely expressed in examined tissues with a significantly higher level in hemolymph, intestine, mantle, and gonad than others. Besides, the HD group showed lower growth (0.39 ± 0.05 mm/day) and survival (37.00 ± 8.49%) than the ND group (0.55 ± 0.02 mm/day and 76.82 ± 5.78%). More importantly, the HD group exhibited significantly lower expression levels of CnMyD88 in their examined tissues than the ND group. After V. parahaemolyticus challenging, CnMyD88 had significantly lower expression levels in the scallops from the HD group than that of the scallops from the ND group at 6th, 24th, and 36th. The present results indicated that high stocking density not only made adverse impacts on growth and survival but also may induce immunosuppression in the noble scallop. Therefore, appropriate low stocking density may be worth considering to adopt in scallop aquaculture.
Product spectrum analysis and microbial insights of medium-chain fatty acids production from waste biomass during liquor fermentation process: Effects of substrate concentrations and fermentation modes

Zhao J, Ma H, Wu W, Ali Bacar M, Wang Q, Gao M, et al.

Bioresour Technol, 2023 Jan;368:128375.
PMID: 36414142 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128375

Substrate toxicity would limit the upgrading of waste biomass to medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs). In this work, two fermentation modes of electro-fermentation (EF) and traditional fermentation (TF) with different concentration of liquor fermentation waste (20%, 40%, 60%) were used for MCFAs production as well as mechanism investigation. The highest caproate (4.04 g/L) and butyrate (13.96 g/L) concentrations were obtained by EF at 40% substrate concentration. TF experiments showed that the substrate concentration above 40% severely inhibited ethanol oxidation and products formation. Compared with TF mode, the total substrates consumption and product yields under EF mode were significantly increased by 2.6%-43.5% and 54.0%-83.0%, respectively. Microbial analysis indicated that EF effectively alleviated substrate toxicity and enriched chain elongation bacteria, particularly Clostridium_sensu_stricto 12, thereby promoting ethanol oxidation and products formation. Caproiciproducens tolerated high-concentration substrates to ensure normal lactate metabolism. This study provides a new way to produce MCFAs from high concentration wastewater.
Fulltext Angiographic Systems for Classifying Distal Arterial Occlusions

Pillai P, Mitchell PJ, Phan TG, Ma H, Yan B

Cerebrovasc Dis, 2023;52(3):353-362.
PMID: 36423598 DOI: 10.1159/000526873

BACKGROUND: Extensive randomized controlled clinical trials for endovascular thrombectomy in anterior circulation large vessel occlusions (internal carotid arteries and M1 segment of middle cerebral arteries) have been published over the past decade, but there have not been randomized controlled trials for distal arterial occlusions to date. Distal arterial occlusion randomized controlled trials are essential to decide on patient selection, imaging criteria, and endovascular approach to improve the outcome and reduce complications.
SUMMARY: The definition of distal arterial occlusion is however unclear, and we believe that a uniform nomenclature of distal arterial occlusions is essential for the design of robust randomized controlled studies. We undertook a systematic literature review and comprehensive analysis of 70 articles looking at distal arterial occlusions and previous attempts at classifying them as well as comparing their similarities and differences with a more selective look at the middle cerebral artery. Thirty-two articles were finally deemed suitable and included for this review. In this review article, we present 3 disparate classifications of distal arterial occlusions, namely, classical/anatomical, functional/imaging, and structural/calibre, and compare the similarities and differences between them.
KEY MESSAGES: We propose the adoption of functional/imaging classification to guide the identification of distal arterial occlusions with the M2 segment starting at the point of bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery trunk/M1 segment. With regards to the anterior temporal artery, we propose that it will be considered a branch of the M1 and only be considered as the M2 segment if it is a holo-temporal artery. We believe that this is a practical method of classification in the time-critical decision-making period.
Hybrid transfer learning strategy for cross-subject EEG emotion recognition

Lu W, Liu H, Ma H, Tan TP, Xia L

Front Hum Neurosci, 2023;17:1280241.
PMID: 38034069 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1280241

Emotion recognition constitutes a pivotal research topic within affective computing, owing to its potential applications across various domains. Currently, emotion recognition methods based on deep learning frameworks utilizing electroencephalogram (EEG) signals have demonstrated effective application and achieved impressive performance. However, in EEG-based emotion recognition, there exists a significant performance drop in cross-subject EEG Emotion recognition due to inter-individual differences among subjects. In order to address this challenge, a hybrid transfer learning strategy is proposed, and the Domain Adaptation with a Few-shot Fine-tuning Network (DFF-Net) is designed for cross-subject EEG emotion recognition. The first step involves the design of a domain adaptive learning module specialized for EEG emotion recognition, known as the Emo-DA module. Following this, the Emo-DA module is utilized to pre-train a model on both the source and target domains. Subsequently, fine-tuning is performed on the target domain specifically for the purpose of cross-subject EEG emotion recognition testing. This comprehensive approach effectively harnesses the attributes of domain adaptation and fine-tuning, resulting in a noteworthy improvement in the accuracy of the model for the challenging task of cross-subject EEG emotion recognition. The proposed DFF-Net surpasses the state-of-the-art methods in the cross-subject EEG emotion recognition task, achieving an average recognition accuracy of 93.37% on the SEED dataset and 82.32% on the SEED-IV dataset.
Fulltext Deacetylation of K481 and K484 on Penaeid Shrimp Hemocyanin Is Critical for Antibacterial Activity

Nie J, Aweya JJ, Yu Z, Zhou H, Wang F, Yao D, et al.

J Immunol, 2022 Aug 01;209(3):476-487.
PMID: 35851542 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200078

Although invertebrates' innate immunity relies on several immune-like molecules, the diversity of these molecules and their immune response mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we show that Penaeus vannamei hemocyanin (PvHMC) undergoes specific deacetylation under Vibrio parahaemolyticus and LPS challenge. In vitro deacetylation of PvHMC increases its binding capacity with LPS and antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Lysine residues K481 and K484 on the Ig-like domain of PvHMC are the main acetylation sites modulated by the acetyltransferase TIP60 and deacetylase HDAC3. Deacetylation of PvHMC on K481 and K484 allows PvHMC to form a positively charged binding pocket that interacts directly with LPS, whereas acetylation abrogates the positive charge to decrease PvHMC-LPS attraction. Besides, V. parahaemolyticus and LPS challenge increases the expression of Pvhdac3 to induce PvHMC deacetylation. This work indicates that, during bacterial infections, deacetylation of hemocyanin is crucial for binding with LPS to clear Gram-negative bacteria in crustaceans.
The Microbial Composition of Penaeid Shrimps' Hepatopancreas Is Modulated by Hemocyanin

Zheng Z, Aweya JJ, Bao S, Yao D, Li S, Tran NT, et al.

J Immunol, 2021 12 01;207(11):2733-2743.
PMID: 34670821 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100746

Aquatic organisms have to produce proteins or factors that help maintain a stable relationship with microbiota and prevent colonization by pathogenic microorganisms. In crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates, relatively few of these host factors have been characterized. In this study, we show that the respiratory glycoprotein hemocyanin is a crucial host factor that modulates microbial composition and diversity in the hepatopancreas of penaeid shrimp. Diseased penaeid shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), had an empty gastrointestinal tract with atrophied hepatopancreas, expressed low hemocyanin, and high total bacterial abundance, with Vibrio as the dominant bacteria. Similarly, shrimp depleted of hemocyanin had mitochondrial depolarization, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and dysregulation of several energy metabolism-related genes. Hemocyanin silencing together with ROS scavenger (N-acetylcysteine) treatment improved microbial diversity and decreased Vibrio dominance in the hepatopancreas. However, fecal microbiota transplantation after hemocyanin knockdown could not restore the microbial composition in the hepatopancreas. Collectively, our data provide, to our knowledge, new insight into the pivotal role of hemocyanin in modulating microbial composition in penaeid shrimp hepatopancreas via its effect on mitochondrial integrity, energy metabolism, and ROS production.
Production of medium-chain fatty acid caproate from Chinese liquor distillers' grain using pit mud as the fermentation microbes

Gao M, Lin Y, Wang P, Jin Y, Wang Q, Ma H, et al.

J Hazard Mater, 2021 Sep 05;417:126037.
PMID: 33992013 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126037

Chinese liquor distillers' grain (CLDG) is an abundant industrial organic waste showing high potential as feedstock for biofuel conversion. In this study, CLDG was used as substrate by microbial community in pit mud to produce medium-chain fatty acids (especially caproate). Simulated and real fermentation were used to evaluate the effect of ethanol and lactic acid being the electronic donors (EDs) during the anaerobic chain elongation (CE). The caproate concentration was achieved at 449 mg COD/g VS, with the corresponding high carbon selectivity at 37.1%. Microbial analysis revealed that the domestication of pit mud increased the abundance of Caproiciproducens (converting lactic acid into caproate) and Lactobacillus (producing lactic acid), leading to enhanced caproate production. The lactic acid conversion facilitated in full utilization of ethanol through CE consumption. The coexistence of EDs benefited the CE system and that this green energy production can be a promising high-performance biofuel donor for sustainable industrial production development.
Fulltext Exosomal miR-224 contributes to hemolymph microbiota homeostasis during bacterial infection in crustacean

Gong Y, Wei X, Sun W, Ren X, Chen J, Aweya JJ, et al.

PLoS Pathog, 2021 08;17(8):e1009837.
PMID: 34379706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009837

It is well known that exosomes could serve as anti-microbial immune factors in animals. However, despite growing evidences have shown that the homeostasis of the hemolymph microbiota was vital for immune regulation in crustaceans, the relationship between exosomes and hemolymph microbiota homeostasis during pathogenic bacteria infection has not been addressed. Here, we reported that exosomes released from Vibrio parahaemolyticus-infected mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain) could help to maintain the homeostasis of hemolymph microbiota and have a protective effect on the mortality of the host during the infection process. We further confirmed that miR-224 was densely packaged in these exosomes, resulting in the suppression of HSP70 and disruption of the HSP70-TRAF6 complex, then the released TRAF6 further interacted with Ecsit to regulate the production of mitochondrial ROS (mROS) and the expression of Anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs) in recipient hemocytes, which eventually affected hemolymph microbiota homeostasis in response to the pathogenic bacteria infection in mud crab. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first document that reports the role of exosome in the hemolymph microbiota homeostasis modulation during pathogen infection, which reveals the crosstalk between exosomal miRNAs and innate immune response in crustaceans.
The significant sex-biased expression pattern of Sp-Wnt4 provides novel insights into the ovarian development of mud crab (Scylla Paramamosain)

Farhadi A, Fang S, Zhang Y, Cui W, Fang H, Ikhwanuddin M, et al.

Int J Biol Macromol, 2021 Jul 31;183:490-501.
PMID: 33957197 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.04.186

The wingless-type MMTV integration site family member-4 (Wnt4), a member of the wingless-related integration site (Wnt) family, is widely accepted as a key regulator of ovarian development in mammals. In this study, a full-length cDNA of Wnt4 (designated as Sp-Wnt4) was cloned, characterized, and functionally studied in mud crab (Scylla paramamosain). The full-length cDNA of Sp-Wnt4 consists of 2659 bp with an open reading frame (ORF) encoding 359 amino acids, a 907 bp 5'-UTR and a 672 bp 3'-UTR. Sp-Wnt4 contains 25 cysteine (Cys) residues and three potential N-glycosylation sites. Sp-Wnt4 protein shared the highest identity (98.9%) to the Wnt4 protein of Portunus trituberculatus. The phylogenetic tree showed that Sp-Wnt4 and Wnt4 protein of Malacostracan crustaceans clustered together, indicating that they had a close genetic distance. Sp-Wnt4 was expressed at a higher level in the ovary compared to other tissues, with the highest expression level at the third stage (O-III) of the ovarian development (P < 0.05). A downward trend was observed in the expression level of Sp-Wnt4 from the embryo stage to crablet stages (P < 0.05). After unilateral eyestalk ablation, the expression level of Sp-Wnt4 significantly increased in testis (14-fold) and downregulated (3.1-fold) in the gill (P < 0.05) of females. In situ hybridization (ISH) assay revealed that Sp-Wnt4 transcripts were mainly localized in the cytoplasm of oocyte cells. These findings showed that Sp-Wnt4 play crucial roles in the ovarian development of S. paramamosain. In conclusion, our study provides novel insights into the evolution and roles of the Wnt4 gene.
Fulltext A Review of the Nursery Culture of Mud Crabs, Genus Scylla: Current Progress and Future Directions

Syafaat MN, Azra MN, Waiho K, Fazhan H, Abol-Munafi AB, Ishak SD, et al.

Animals (Basel), 2021 Jul 08;11(7).
PMID: 34359163 DOI: 10.3390/ani11072034

The nursery stages of mud crab, genus Scylla, proceed from the megalopa stage to crablet instar stages. We review the definition and several of the key stages in mud crab nursery activities. The practice of the direct stocking of megalopa into ponds is not recommended due to their sensitivity. Instead, nursery rearing is needed to grow-out mud crabs of a larger size before pond stocking. Individual nursery rearing results in a higher survival rate at the expense of growth and a more complicated maintenance process compared with communal rearing. The nursery of mud crabs can be done both indoors or outdoors with adequate shelter and feed required to obtain a good survival percentage and growth performance. Artemia nauplii are still irreplaceable as nursery feed, particularly at the megalopa stage, while the survival rate may be improved if live feed is combined with artificial feed such as microbound diet formulations. Water quality parameters, identical to those proposed in tiger shrimp cultures, can be implemented in mud crab rearing. The transportation of crablets between different locations can be done with or without water. The provision of monosex seeds from mud crab hatcheries is expected to become commonplace, increasing seed price and thus improving the income of farmers. Numerous aspects of a mud crab nursery including nutrition; feeding strategies; understanding their behaviour, i.e., cannibalism; control of environmental factors and practical rearing techniques still need further improvement.
Identification of Sex-Related Genes from the Three-Spot Swimming Crab Portunus sanguinolentus and Comparative Analysis with the Crucifix Crab Charybdis feriatus

Zhang Y, Waiho K, Ikhwanuddin M, Ma H

Animals (Basel), 2021 Jun 29;11(7).
PMID: 34209957 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071946

Crabs within the family Portunidae are important marine species in both aquaculture and fishery sectors. The current aquaculture status of most portunids, however, still relies on wild-caught fisheries due to the lack of essential knowledge regarding their reproductive biology and underlying governing mechanism. With the advancement of sequencing technology, transcriptome sequencing has been progressively used to understand various physiological processes, especially on non-model organisms. In the present study, we compared the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sexes of Portunus sanguinolentus based on their gonadal transcriptome profiles and subsequently contrasted them with the gonadal DEGs of Charybdis feriatus, the other member of Family Portunidae. In total, 40,964 DEGs between ovaries and testes were uncovered, with 27,578 up- and 13,386 down-regulated in females. Among those, some sex-related DEGs were identified, including a dmrt-like (DMRT) gene which was specifically expressed in males. C. feriatus has approximately 63.5% of genes common with P. sanguinolentus, with 62.6% showing similar expression patterns. Interestingly, the DMRT gene was specifically expressed in male P. sanguinolentus while its homologous gene-doublesex (DSX)-was specifically expressed in male C. feriatus. The DEGs obtained from the gonadal transcriptome of P. sanguinolentus are a beneficial resource for future genetic and genomic research in P. sanguinolentus and its close species. The transcriptomic comparison analysis might provide references for better understanding the sex determination and differentiation mechanisms among portunids.
Fulltext Thermal Tolerance and Physiological Changes in Mud Crab, Scylla paramamosain Crablet at Different Water Temperatures

Syafaat MN, Azra MN, Mohamad F, Che-Ismail CZ, Amin-Safwan A, Asmat-Ullah M, et al.

Animals (Basel), 2021 Apr 16;11(4).
PMID: 33923853 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041146

This study was carried out to determine the physiological changes (survival, growth, molting cycle, sex differentiation, and gill condition) of mud crab, Scylla paramamosain crablet at different water temperatures of 24, 28 and 32 °C, and ambient temperature of 27 to 30 °C. Thermoregulatory behavior, represented by preferred temperature (29.83 ± SD 2.47 °C), critical thermal minimum (17.33 ± SD 0.58 °C), critical thermal maximum (40 ± SD 0.00 °C), and thermal tolerance interval (22.67 ± SD 0.58 °C), were checked for Crablet 1 stage only (with ambient temperature as acclimation temperature).Both low (24 °C) and high (32 °C) temperatures were associated with lower growth performance, and survival rate (p < 0.05), in comparison with both 28 °C and ambient temperature treatments.Male ratio at low temperaturetreatment (24 °C) was higher (80.09 ± SD 18.86%) than for other treatments (p < 0.05), observed as 44.81 ± D 10.50%, 41.94 ± SD 19.44%, and 76.30 ± SD 5.13% for 28 °C, 32 °C and ambient temperature treatments, respectively. However, there was no significant difference observed between 24 °C, 28 °C, and ambient temperature treatments. Anatomical alterations of gill lamellae of S. paramamosain crablet for both 32 °C, and 24 °C treatments, appeared thinner and paler than at both 28 °C, and ambient temperature treatments. Based on this study, temperature of 28 to 30 °C was recommended as the optimal temperature for the long-term nursery phase of S. paramamosain.
Hydrogen production and heavy metal immobilization using hyperaccumulators in supercritical water gasification

Su W, Liu P, Cai C, Ma H, Jiang B, Xing Y, et al.

J Hazard Mater, 2021 01 15;402:123541.
PMID: 32745873 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123541

The dispersion of hyperaccumulators used in the phytoremediation process has caused environmental concerns because of their heavy metal (HM) richness. It is important to reduce the environmental risks and prevent the HM to reenter the ecological cycle and thereby the human food web. In this work, supercritical water gasification (SCWG) technology was used to convert Sedum plumbizincicola into hydrogen (H2) gas and to immobilize HMs into biochar. The H2 production correlated with temperature ranging from 380 to 440 ℃ with the highest H2 yield of 2.74 mol/kg at 440 ℃. The free-radical reaction and steam reforming reaction at high temperatures were likely to be the mechanism behind the H2 production. The analyses of bio-oil by the Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS) and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) illustrated that the aromatic compounds, oxygenated compounds, and phenols were degraded into H2-rich gases. The increase of temperature enhanced the HM immobilization efficiency (>99.2 % immobilization), which was probably due to the quickly formed biochar that helped adsorb HMs. Then those HMs were chemically converted into stable forms through complexation with inorganic components on biochar, e.g., silicates, SiO2, and Al2O3. Consequently, the SCWG process was demonstrated as a promising approach for dispersing hyperaccumulators by immobilizing the hazardous HMs into biochar and simultaneously producing value-added H2-rich gases.
Fulltext Sexual dimorphism in mud crabs: a tale of three sympatric Scylla species

Fazhan H, Waiho K, Fujaya Y, Rukminasari N, Ma H, Ikhwanuddin M

PeerJ, 2021;9:e10936.
PMID: 33954025 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10936

Sexual dimorphism is a common phenomenon in the animal kingdom. To test the consistency of sexual dimorphism patterns among sympatric species of the same genus, ten morphometric characteristics of mud crabs Scylla olivacea, S. tranquebarica and S. paramamosain were measured and compared using Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA). The descriptive analysis revealed that in all three species, body size dimensions and cheliped dimensions were significantly larger in males whereas the abdomen width was female-biased. Also, we described a morphological variation (carapace width, CW ≤ CW at spine 8, 8CW) that is unique to S. olivacea. Discriminant function analysis revealed that all nine morphometric characteristics were sexually dimorphic in S. olivacea, S. tranquebarica (except right cheliped's merus length, ML) and S. paramamosain (except 8CW). The obtained discriminant functions based on the morphometric ratios (with CW as divisor) correctly classified 100% of adults of known sex of all three species. Further, based on the selected body traits, DFA was able to almost completely distinguish males (94%), but not females (74%), among the three Scylla species. This study highlights that congeneric species of portunids (e.g., Scylla spp.) show similar sexually dimorphic characteristics (body size and secondary sexual characteristics).

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