Sericulture was developed in China in ancient times. Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Méneville was domesticated at least 2,000 yr ago, and Chinese farmers developed artificial rearing of A. pernyi before the 17th century. Today, >60,000 tons of cocoons are produced in China each year, which accounts for 90% of the world production. Despite the widespread utilization of A. pernyi in China and a long history of domestic research, the knowledge of A. pernyi outside China is limited. Therefore, we have in this paper summarized the production, usage, and breeding of A. pernyi. The foremost usage of A. pernyi is as silk producers; however, about 55-70% is used for other purposes. In this paper, we give examples of how the different developmental stages are used as a food source for human consumption and in traditional Chinese medicine, both directly in different preparations and also as a nutrient source for rearing medicinal fungi.

Leaf senescence is a complex biological process and defense responses play vital role for rice development, their molecular mechanisms, however, remain elusive in rice. We herein reported a rice mutant spotted leaf 32 (spl32) derived from a rice cultivar 9311 by radiation. The spl32 plants displayed early leaf senescence, identified by disintegration of chloroplasts as cellular evidence, dramatically decreased contents of chlorophyll, up-regulation of superoxide dismutase enzyme activity and malondialdehyde, as physiological characteristic, and both up-regulation of senescence-induced STAY GREEN gene and senescence-associated transcription factors, and down-regulation of photosynthesis-associated genes, as molecular indicators. Positional cloning revealed that SPL32 encodes a ferredoxin-dependent glutamate synthase (Fd-GOGAT). Compared to wild type, enzyme activity of GOGAT was significantly decreased, and free amino acid contents, particularly for glutamate and glutamine, were altered in spl32 leaves. Moreover, the mutant was subjected to uncontrolled oxidative stress due to over-produced reactive oxygen species and damaged scavenging pathways, in accordance with decreased photorespiration rate. Besides, the mutant showed higher resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. Oryzae than its wild type, coupled with up-regulation of four pathogenesis-related marker genes. Taken together, our results highlight Fd-GOGAT is associated with the regulation of leaf senescence and defense responses in rice.

To study the effects of velvet antler polypeptides (VAPs) on osteoarthritic chondrocytes (OCs) in rabbits. An osteoarthritic rabbit model was established according to Hulth's method. OCs were isolated and cultured for observation of the cell cycle. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay and the cell cycle was monitored by flow cytometry. The phenotype was determined by toluidine blue staining as well as immunohistochemical staining for collagen type II. The expression of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, TIMP-1, and collagen I and X mRNA by chondrocytes was assayed by RT-PCR. The VAPs had no obvious proliferative effect on OCs and did not affect the cell cycle. However, they significantly reduced the proportion of early apoptotic cells in a dose-dependent manner. Further, VAPs inhibited the expression of collagen I and X mRNA and induced abnormal expression of MMP-1 and MMP-13 mRNA. VAPs had no significant effect on MMP-3 and TIMP-1 mRNA levels. The toluidine blue and collagen type II immunohistochemical staining intensities of VAP-treated chondrocytes were positively correlated with the concentration of VAPs used. VAPs had no significant effect on OC proliferation and the cell cycle, but did increase the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and collagen type II expression levels in the extracellular matrix, and down-regulated collagen I and X mRNA expression. Treatment of cartilage cells with VAPs maintained their normal phenotype, inhibited matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) secretion, kept the balance of cartilage matrix metabolism, and sustained an external environment where the cartilage cells could survive. Moreover, VAPs reduced the proportion of early apoptotic cells, suggesting that they may block the apoptotic pathway in OCs.

Bladder cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men, and it is becoming a prevalent malignancy. Most of the regular clinical examinations are prompt evaluations with cystoscopy, renal function testing, which require high‐precision instrument, well‐trained operators, and high cost. In this study, a microfluidic paper‐based analytical device (μPAD) was fabricated to detect nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) and bladder cancer antigen (BTA) from the urine samples. Urine samples were collected from 11 bladder cancer patients and 10 well‐beings as experiment and control groups, respectively, to verify the working efficiency of μPAD. A remarkable checkout efficiency of up to 90.91% was found from the results. Meanwhile, this method is feasible for home‐based self‐detection from urine samples within 10 min for the total process, which provides a new way for quick, economical, and convenient tumor diagnosis, prognosis evaluation, and drug response.