Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Xiao Yu, Qihui Wang
Summary: Old age identity refers to the perception of when one enters old age, reflecting the public's values and acceptance of aging. The Chinese culture of respect for the elderly and filial piety norms have a significant impact on the old age identity of the Chinese elderly population. Factors such as health status, psychological well-being, behavior, socioeconomic status, and demographic characteristics also play a role in shaping their old age identity.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Enming Zhang, Xin Ji, Fang Ouyang, Yang Lei, Shun Deng, Haibo Rong, Xuangen Deng, Hai Shen
Summary: Entomoceuticals are a subset of pharmaceuticals derived from insects. Their therapeutic effect has been validated through the use of folk medicines derived from insect secretions, body parts, and active ingredients. Insects have been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine and are also exploited for their health benefits and nutritional value in the food industry. This review focuses on 12 insect species used in traditional Chinese herbal formulae that have not been thoroughly studied for their biological properties, combining entomoceutical knowledge with recent advances in insect omics.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Economics
Weihong Sun, Ding Liu
Summary: This paper investigates the contribution of various monetary policy tools in explaining China's macroeconomic stability. The analysis shows that both quantity-based and interest rate-based instruments have been used effectively in moderating macroeconomic fluctuations. However, these instruments only account for a modest fraction of output and inflation variability. The study also finds that China's monetary policy has become more inflation-averse but still violates the Taylor principle, indicating the need for further improvement.
ECONOMIC MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Fei Chen, Cheng Cheng Yan, Lin Wang, Xiao Jing Lou
Summary: Early western research focuses on identity, while collectivist Chinese culture places more importance on group-level goals and situational factors. A primed identity may inhibit alternative identities in western culture, but not necessarily in Chinese culture.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Business
Liliana Bove, Danielle Chmielewski, Benjamin A. Neville, Jing Lei, Anish Nagpal
Summary: The study identifies four distinct donor identities - the Savior, Communitarian, Pragmatist, and Elitist, each underpinned by different theories. This typology serves as a mechanism for predicting the effects of marketing stimuli on donation behavior. Survey data suggests that alignment of marketing messages with intended donor identities can enhance action readiness for donation behavior.
PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vanessa C. Bieker, Paul Battlay, Bent Petersen, Xin Sun, Jonathan Wilson, Jaelle C. Brealey, Francois Bretagnolle, Kristin Nurkowski, Chris Lee, Fatima Sanchez Barreiro, Gregory L. Owens, Jacqueline Y. Lee, Fabian L. Kellner, Lotte van Boheeman, Shyam Gopalakrishnan, Myriam Gaudeul, Heinz Mueller-Schaerer, Suzanne Lommen, Gerhard Karrer, Bruno Chauvel, Yan Sun, Bojan Kostantinovic, Love Dalen, Peter Poczai, Loren H. Rieseberg, M. Thomas P. Gilbert, Kathryn A. Hodgins, Michael D. Martin
Summary: The study reveals selection signatures in defense genes and lower prevalence of plant pathogens in invasive European populations of Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed). It also suggests that changes in population structure associated with introgression from closely related species have contributed to the plant's success as an invasive species.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Jing Zhang
Summary: This paper examines the possibility of using Chinese folk music to improve the mental health and academic motivation of college students. The researchers developed a 30-week program and found that it effectively increased aspects of internal motivation and reduced negative emotional symptoms related to mental health.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Shang Liu, Dan Lai, Zhiyong Li
Summary: This research investigates the tourist identity construction of Chinese anime pilgrims and the role played by cultural context in it, revealing that their identity construction goes through the processes of compliance, identification, internalization, and individualization.
ANNALS OF TOURISM RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claus M. Zacho, Martina A. Bager, Ashot Margaryan, Peter Gravlund, Anders Galatius, Arne R. Rasmussen, Morten E. Allentoft
Summary: This study utilized ancient DNA protocols and shotgun sequencing to assess the molecular preservation of fish, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates in museum specimens dating back decades or even centuries. The results showed highly damaged DNA molecules with short sequence lengths and high C-T deamination, but surprisingly high endogenous DNA content. Bone tissue exhibited slightly better DNA quality and formalin exposure did not affect DNA concentration or quality. The specimens also displayed diverse microbial genetic profiles, highlighting the potential for metagenomic analysis from ethanol-preserved museum collections.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shuangling Yang, Hongzhi Yang, Yaxing Zhang
Summary: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, hyperuricemia and gout, and metabolic-related sexual dysfunction are metabolic diseases that affect human health. The findings from cell or animal models in previous research are challenging to apply clinically due to various differences. Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for over 2,200 years to maintain or improve cardiometabolic health, and our group has collected and studied the classic dietary treatments from ancient literature for metabolic diseases. The exact composition and active ingredients of these treatments are not standardized, and further research is needed.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shikun Li, Junjie Gavin Wu, Jing Bian, Zhishuo Ding, Yuliang Sun
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Spanish as a foreign language instruction has shifted to online teaching, leading to the development of digital identities among Spanish teachers. This research explores the digital identities formed by Spanish teachers during the school lockdown in 2022 through a case study. The results indicate that Spanish teachers have multiple digital identities shaped by their past experiences, agency, emotional vulnerability, and social context, and a contradictory belief in teaching is also identified.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Peng Wang, Haotian Liu, Xiao Wang, Xiqing Yuan, Yu Sun, Li Xiao, Wenxuan Li, Chong Ma
Summary: The study revised Carter's IT Identity Scale in the context of Chinese cultural background and confirmed that the Chinese version is congruent with the English version in terms of structure, validity, and reliability. The results showed that the Chinese version of the scale presented satisfactory psychometric properties and shared many similarities with the original version, indicating suitability for use in the Chinese cultural context.
PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jiaoyan Pang, Hanning Guo, Xiaochen Tang, Yu Fu, Zhengwu Yang, Yongchao Li, Na An, Jing Luo, Zhijun Yao, Bin Hu
Summary: Based on the notion of a global brain network, the study used beta-series correlation method to investigate interregional functional connectivity during chunk decomposition tasks with Chinese characters, revealing critical nodes such as the orbitofrontal cortex, superior/inferior parietal lobule, hippocampus, and thalamus. The results suggest that the thalamus acts as an integrative hub across modules, the orbitofrontal cortex tracks mental states, and the parietal lobule manipulates mental representation of chunk decomposition while the hippocampus associates relationships between elements. In addition, the tightness of chunks leads to increased intermodular connections in specific brain regions.
Article
Immunology
Fabiana Neves, Antonio Munoz-Merida, Andre M. Machado, Tereza Almeida, Arnaud Gaigher, Pedro J. Esteves, L. Filipe C. Castro, Ana Verissimo
Summary: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in pathogen recognition and host immune response. This study investigates the evolutionary history of the TLR15 gene, revealing its presence in early branching jawed vertebrates and ongoing pseudogenization in these ancient vertebrates. The unique phylogenetic distribution of TLR15 suggests its ancient origin and potential implications for the immune response in different lineages of vertebrates.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Business
Alex Yao
Summary: This paper examines the impact of price-related factors on consumer choices in the Chinese luxury watch market and investigates the positive prestige effect and negative substitution effect on consumer preferences. The study finds that there is heterogeneity in the prestige effect at both the consumer and brand levels, with a U-shaped relationship between family income and prestige sensitivity. Top-tier luxury watch brands demonstrate a stronger prestige effect compared to lower-tier brands. What-if simulations suggest that brand promotion and enhanced prestige are advantageous for top-tier brands. Income escalation benefits top-tier luxury watch brands, but its impact on lower-tier brands is intricate.
JOURNAL OF BUSINESS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zongkui Wang, Huiwen Xiao, Jiali Dong, Yuan Li, Bin Wang, Zhiyuan Chen, Xiaozhou Zeng, Jia Liu, Yanxi Dong, Li Ma, Jun Xu, Lu Cheng, Changqing Li, Xingzhong Liu, Ming Cui
Summary: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) has been investigated as a potential treatment for radiation injuries. The results showed that IVIg can protect against radiation-induced hematopoietic and gastrointestinal toxicity in female mice but not in males. In addition, IVIg can modulate gut microbiota configurations in both females and males. Overall, IVIg shows potential as a sex-specific therapeutic avenue to improve the prognosis of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Mycology
Peng Zhao, Yan Li, Yuanjie Li, Fang Liu, Junmin Liang, Xin Zhou, Lei Cai
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of 160 species belonging to 16 genera in Melampsorineae, revealing the monophyly of 13 genera and the polyphyly of Pucciniastrum. It also proposes the establishment of three new families and highlights the importance of considering morphological characteristics in higher rank taxonomy.
MYCOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON FUNGAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fang Wang, Ke Wang, Lei Cai, Mingjun Zhao, Paul M. Kirk, Guomei Fan, Qinglan Sun, Bo Li, Shuai Wang, Zhengfei Yu, Dong Han, Juncai Ma, Linhuan Wu, Yijian Yao
Summary: Fungal taxonomy is a complex and rapidly changing field, posing challenges for taxonomists in naming fungi. Fungal Names is a registration platform with a standardized and integrated database, providing powerful tools for research in fungal taxonomy. It encompasses a vast collection of taxon names and specimen records since 1596, along with other related information, serving as a summary of the history and recent advances in fungal taxonomy.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Paopit Siriarchawatana, Panyapon Pumkaeo, Piyanun Harnpicharnchai, Somsak Likhitrattanapisal, Sermsiri Mayteeworakoon, Worawongsin Boonsin, Xin Zhou, Junmin Liang, Lei Cai, Supawadee Ingsriswang
Summary: With increasing urban population, more and more people rely on subway systems for transportation. Analyzing the temporal distribution of air microbiomes in subway environments is important for assessing air quality and public health. This study used culture-independent metabarcode sequencing to analyze bacterial diversity in a Bangkok subway station, finding variations in bacterial compositions among different samples over a four-month period. The bacteria primarily came from outside environments and human body sources and showed correlations with air quality variables including ambient temperature and particulate matters quantity.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Peinan Fu, Yang Zhang, Chenyin Wang, Shuyi Si, Xingzhong Liu, Yongsheng Che
Summary: Four new 9,11-secosteroid-derived gamma-lactones, called Altersteroids A-D (1-4), were isolated from a culture of the ascomycete fungus Alternaria sp. Their structures were determined primarily by NMR experiments. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was established through X-ray crystallographic analysis, while the configurations of compounds 2-4 were assigned using quantum-chemical calculations. These compounds feature a gamma-lactone moiety fused to the steroid D ring at C13/C-14. Compound 3 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against four tumor cell lines and induced apoptosis in A549 cells. Notably, compound 3 showed equipotent activity against cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant MB49 cells, with an IC50 value of 12.7 μM.
JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Junmin Liang, Yuanjie Li, Peter N. Dodds, Melania Figueroa, Jana Sperschneider, Shiling Han, Clement K. M. Tsui, Keyu Zhang, Leifu Li, Zhanhong Ma, Lei Cai
Summary: This study presents a pipeline using HiFi reads and Hi-C data to assemble the genome of the fungal pathogen Puccinia polysora f.sp. zeae, achieving haplotype-phased and chromosome-level assembly. The high-quality assembly provides valuable genomic resources for future studies on disease management and the evolution of P. polysora.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2023)
Review
Mycology
Shunxian Wang, Xingzhong Liu
Summary: This paper summarizes the development and progress of gene manipulation tools in nematode-trapping fungi (NTF), including transformation methods and strategies, random gene mutagenesis methods, and target gene mutagenesis methods. It provides a clear reference and instruction for researchers working on NTF as well as other groups of fungi.
MYCOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON FUNGAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mycology
Jingzu Sun, Shuang Yu, Yongzhong Lu, Hongwei Liu, Xingzhong Liu
Summary: During a field survey, two causal agents of mushroom diseases - Diploospora longispora and Paecilomyces penicillatus - were identified, causing up to 80% of yield losses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these fungi belong to a distinct clade in Hypocreales. Two new genera, Pseudodiploospora and Zelopaecilomyces, were introduced based on their morphological characteristics and phylogenetic relationships. Five new combinations were proposed.
MYCOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON FUNGAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiaozhou Zhao, Yani Fan, Weiwei Zhang, Meichun Xiang, Seogchan Kang, Shunxian Wang, Xingzhong Liu
Summary: Calcium ion (Ca2+) serves as a universal second messenger in regulating various processes in animals, plants, and fungi. The low-affinity calcium uptake system (LACS) is responsible for acquiring Ca2+ from the extracellular environment under high extracellular Ca2+ concentration. Nematode-trapping fungi (NTF) encode two related proteins for LACS, and this study focused on characterizing the role of DhFIG_2, an ortholog of AoFIG_2, in growth and development of Dactylellina haptotyla. Knocking down the expression of DhFIG_2 via RNA interference (RNAi) significantly impacted conidiation, trap formation, vegetative growth, and stress responses, indicating the importance of this LACS component in NTF.
FUNGAL GENETICS AND BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mengmeng Wang, Paraskevi Mara, Gaetan Burgaud, Virginia Edgcomb, Xuedan Long, Haiping Yang, Lei Cai, Wei Li
Summary: ITS2 metabarcoding successfully described the abundance of Dikarya fungi, but underrepresented other fungal taxa that were abundant in the mycobiome. Metatranscriptomics revealed enriched expression of genes annotated to zoosporic fungi, suggesting their parasitic lifestyle. It also showed elevated expression of phagosome genes annotated to Rozellomycota, indicating their utilization of different feeding modes in the coastal setting.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Wenjia Li, Qinggui Lei, Wenqing Li, Guoying Tan, Xingzhong Liu, Zhengming Qian
Summary: A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method using one reference compound was developed for the determination of 4 nucleosides in Chinese cordyceps. The method involved ultrasonic extraction of the cordyceps sample with a 0.5% phosphoric acid solution, followed by separation on a CORTECS T3 column using acetonitrile and water as the mobile phase. The established HPLC method showed good accuracy, precision, reproducibility, and stability, making it suitable for the quantitative analysis of nucleosides in Chinese cordyceps. The method is a simple, cost-effective, and time-saving alternative for quality control of Chinese cordyceps.
NATURAL PRODUCT COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Mycology
Xin Li, Shi-Ling Han, Yin-Yin Zhang, Lei Cai, Peng Zhao
Summary: In December 2021, Dalian Customs in China inspected a postal parcel from Togo containing mature nuts of Phytelephas macrocarpa and isolated four strains of a new species from symptomatic tissues of the nuts. These strains were identified as a new genus Heteroverticillium, mainly characterized by verticillately branching conidiophores. This is the first interception of a new fungal genus by Chinese customs. Additionally, an updated backbone tree for the generic relationships in Nectriaceae was provided, which will greatly assist in identifying nectriaceous fungi in quarantine inspections.
MYCOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON FUNGAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mycology
L. W. Hou, A. Giraldo, J. Z. Groenewald, T. Raemae, R. C. Summerbell, G. Z. Huang, L. Cai, P. W. Crous
Summary: Acremonium is a widely distributed genus of fungi that produce bioactive secondary metabolites. Through systematic analysis, it was found that Acremonium belongs to three different orders of Sordariomycetes, including 63 genera, 14 families, and 65 new species. For the family Bionectriaceae, rpb2 and tef-1a are proposed as potential DNA barcodes for classification.
STUDIES IN MYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mycology
S. L. Han, M. M. Wang, Z. Y. Ma, M. Raza, P. Zhao, J. . M. Liang, M. Gao, Y. J. Li, J. W. Wang, D. M. Hu, L. Cai
Summary: This study used a citizen science initiative to investigate diseased cereal crops in China and identified 43 different species of Fusarium, including eight novel species. It also confirmed 18 species as pathogens of maize stalk rot and supported the narrow generic concept of Fusarium through phylogenetic analysis. Overall, this study provides important insights into the diversity and distribution of cereal-associated Fusarium species.
STUDIES IN MYCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Min Gao, Chao Xiong, Clement K. M. Tsui, Lei Cai
Summary: Soil and plant-associated protistan communities, as top-down predators, play an important role in shaping bacterial and fungal communities. However, little is known about how pathogen invasion affects these protistan communities and their interactions with bacteria and fungi. In this study, we investigated the protistan communities in healthy and Fusarium wilt disease (FWD)-affected chilli pepper plants, and integrated the bacterial and fungal community data. The results showed that FWD enrichmented phagotrophic protists in the roots, and increased the proportion and connectivity of these protists (particularly Cercozoa and Ciliophora) in intra- and inter-kingdom networks. The microbiome of diseased plants exhibited a higher abundance of functional genes related to bacterial anti-predator responses and contained more metagenome-assembled genomes involved in this response. These findings suggest that FWD can enhance the associations between protists and their microbial prey, highlighting the potential role of protists in shaping microbial assembly and functionality under pathogenic stress.
