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Background: Noninvasively and accurately predicting subcarinal lymph node metastasis (SLNM) for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains challenging. This study was designed to develop and validate a tumor and subcarinal lymph nodes (tumor-SLNs) dual-region computed tomography (CT) radiomics model for predicting SLNM in NSCLC. Methods: This retrospective study included NSCLC patients who underwent lung resection and SLNs dissection between January 2017 and December 2020. The radiomic features of the tumor and SLNs were extracted from preoperative CT, respectively. Ninety machine learning (ML) models were developed based on tumor region, SLNs region, and tumor-SLNs dual-region. The model performance was assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) and validated internally by fivefold cross-validation. Results: In total, 202 patients were included in this study. ML models based on dual-region radiomics showed good performance for SLNM prediction, with a median AUC of 0.794 (range, 0.686–0.880), which was superior to those of models based on tumor region (median AUC, 0.746; range, 0.630–0.811) and SLNs region (median AUC, 0.700; range, 0.610–0.842). The ML model, which is developed by using the naive Bayes algorithm and dual-region features, had the highest AUC of 0.880 (range of cross-validation, 0.825–0.937) among all ML models. The optimal logistic regression model was inferior to the optimal ML model for predicting SLNM, with an AUC of 0.727. Conclusions: The CT radiomics showed the potential for accurately predicting SLNM in NSCLC patients. The ML model with dual-region radiomic features has better performance than the logistic regression or single-region models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), is a key rice pest, causing major yield loss in Asia. Trichogramma japonicum Ashmead (egg parasitoid) and Beauveria bassiana Balsamo Vuillemin (entomopathogenic fungi) are two important organisms used in sequence or integrated for C. suppressalis management. However, few information is available on potential antagonism between the two biocontrol agents. Under laboratory conditions, we assessed whether the presence of B. bassiana had an impact on the oviposition preference of T. japonicum for C. suppressalis eggs. We characterized parasitic behavior of T. japonicum exposed or not to B. bassiana on C. suppressalis eggs (varying in age) by carrying out observation experiments and using a Y-tube olfactometer. We also evaluated the response of T. japonicum to B. bassiana-affected vs. -unaffected C. suppressalis eggs. Olfactometer tests showed that T. japonicum-vectored B. bassiana and/or C. suppressalis eggs immersed in B. bassiana did not have major effects on choices made by the parasitoid. T. japonicum attacked C. suppressalis eggs of 0-d, 2-d and 4-d old and had preference to fresh host eggs (0-d). However, the contaminated T. japonicum were not able to distinguish between eggs of 0-d old and 4-d old in contrast with the uncontaminated parasitoids. A reduction in insect locomotion (no-response number) of T. japonicum contaminated by B. bassiana preferring to 4-d-old host eggs was found, which was compared to the no-response number of uncontaminated T. japonicum preferring to 0-d-old host eggs. The parasitic behavior of host searching time, checking time, drilling and oviposition time and the parasitism rate (in 24 h) did not differ between the fresh eggs immersed with B. bassiana and control (eggs without B. bassiana). On the other hand, searching and checking times were slightly higher when parasitoids were contaminated by B. bassiana (drilling and oviposition times as well as the parasitism rate in 24 h were not impacted). Therefore, T. japonicum may be used together with B. bassiana in integrated program targeting C. suppressalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A beige-pigmented, Gram-strain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-flagellated and non-gliding bacterium, designated strain lm94T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Alhagi sparsifolia obtained from Alar city, located in Xinjiang province, China. Growth occurred at 20–45 °C (optimum, 37 °C), in the presence of 0–6% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 0–1%) and at pH 6.0–9.5 (optimum, pH 7.0–7.5). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain lm94T belonged to the genus Mesorhizobium, with highest sequence similarity to Mesorhizobium wenxiniae WYCCWR 10195T (96.6%). Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 5 256 375 bp and a G + C content of 63.6 mol%. The average nucleotide identity value and the digital DNA–DNA hybridization value between strain lm94T and M. wenxiniae LMG 30254T were 75.0% and 20.0%, respectively. The major respiratory quinone was Q-10. The major fatty acids were C19:0 cyclo ω8c and Summed Feature 8 (C18:1ω6c and/or C18:1ω7c) and its polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), unidentified phospholipid (PL), phosphatidylcholine (PC), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), unidentified aminolipid (AL), unknown glycolipid (GL), unidentified aminophospholipid (APL2) and unidentified polar lipid (L1 and L2). On the basis of these data, strain lm94T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Mesorhizobium, for which the name Mesorhizobium xinjiangense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is lm94T (=KCTC 72863T=CCTCC AB2019377T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski is one of the fast-growing malignant weeds in South China. It has severely influenced local biodiversity and native plant habitat. Photosynthesis is the material basis of plant growth and development. However, there are few reports on the photosynthetic transcriptome of S. trilobata. In this study, S. trilobata had a relatively large leaf area and biomass. The gas exchange parameters per unit area of leaves, including net photosynthetic capacity (Pn), intercellular CO2 (Ci), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration rate (Tr), water use efficiency (WUE), photosynthetic pigment and Rubisco protein content were higher than those of the native plant Sphagneticola calendulacea (L.) Pruski. On this basis, the differences in photosynthesis pathways between the two Sphagneticola species were analyzed by using the Illumina HiSeq platform. The sequencing results for S. trilobata and S. calendulacea revealed 159,366 and 177,069 unigenes, respectively. Functional annotation revealed 119,350 and 150,846 non-redundant protein database annotations (Nr), 96,637 and 115,711 Swiss-Prot annotations, 49,159 and 60,116 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes annotations (KEGG), and 83,712 and 97,957 Gene Ontology annotations (GO) in S. trilobata and S. calendulacea, respectively. Additionally, our analysis showed that the expression of key protease genes involved in the photosynthesis pathway, particularly CP43, CP47, PsbA and PetC, had high expression levels in leaves of S. trilobata in comparison to native species. Physiological and transcriptomic analyses suggest the high expression of photosynthetic genes ensures the high photosynthetic capacity of leaves, which is one of the inherent advantages underlying the successful invasion by S. trilobata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on the hydrodynamics of blades is mainly focused on sea areas with high-speed current. However, the average velocity in most territorial waters of China is smaller than 1 m/s, and the lift type of airfoil blades has limited application in most of these conditions. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the tidal current energy capture of blades in sub-low speed sea areas. The effect of flow impact resistance on the blade at sub-low current speed is considered and a new type of thin-walled blade based on the lift type of blade is proposed, and then the lift-impact combined hydrodynamic model of horizontal axis blade is established. Based on this model, and considering the characteristics of tidal current and velocity in the sea area of Yushan Islands, simulation and optimization of blade design are carried out. Additionally, the horizontal axis thin-walled blade and the NACA airfoil contrast blade under the same conditions are developed. By using a synthetical experimental test system, the power, torque, rotational speed and load characteristics of these two blades are tested. The performance of the thin-walled blade and the design theory are verified. It shows that this type of blade has much better energy capture efficiency in the sub-low speed sea area. This research will promote the study and development of turbines that can be used in low- speed current sea areas in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity influences the fitness of species and provides variation for adaptation. Garcinia paucinervis Chun et How (Clusiaceae) is an endangered species with important ecological, medicinal and ornamental values endemic to Southwest China and Northern Vietnam, whose populations were severely fragmented in island habitats and population sizes were influenced by human. The assessment of genetic variation of G. paucinervis is anticipated to provide essential information for efficient conservation strategies. In this study, a suite of population genetics tests and analyses were used to investigate genetic diversity and structure of the 11 natural populations (a total of 360 individuals) of G. paucinervis in Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces, China, based on genotypes at 14 loci. Our results revealed a low to moderate genetic diversity in G. paucinervis remnants (HE = 0.487, I = 0.924, AR = 3.420). The global inbreeding coefficient (FIS = 0.004) showed significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, implying that the risk of inbreeding depression accompanied by heterozygote deficiency was probably due to severe habitat fragmentation and decreasing population sizes. Significant bottlenecks were detected in two populations. There has been little recent exchange of genes between most of the population pairs. Mantel test revealed that the genetic distance was not related to the geographical distance, suggesting a limitation of gene flow. A population from Yunnan Province could be classified as an independent cluster separated from the other populations, which should be considered as a prior conservation unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guidance is not routinely performed in real-word clinical practice partly because the benefit of IVUS guidance is not well established. This updated meta-analysis aims to compare IVUS-guided and angiography-guided drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation, simultaneously stressing the value of an optimal IVUS-defined procedure. Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry were searched for the randomized trials comparing IVUS-guided and angiography-guided DES implantation. Nine eligible randomized trials including 4,724 patients were identified. At a mean follow-up of 16.7 months, IVUS guidance was associated with a significant lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) [5.4% vs. 9.0%; relative risks (RR): 0.61, 95% confident interval (CI) 0.49-0.74, p < 0.001], cardiac death (0.6% vs. 1.2%; RR: 0.49, 95% CI 0.26-0.92, p = 0.03), target vessel revascularization (3.5% vs .6.1%; RR: 0.58, 95% CI 0.42-0.80, p = 0.001), target lesion revascularization (3.1% vs. 5.2%; RR: 0.59, 95% CI 0.44-0.80, p = 0.001), and definite/probable stent thrombosis (0.5% vs .1.1%; RR: 0.45, 95% CI 0.23-0.87, p = 0.02) compared with angiography guidance. No significant differences in all cause death and myocardial infarction were noted between the two groups. Subgroup analysis showed that patients who met the optimal criteria had a lower rate of MACE than those with IVUS-defined suboptimal procedure (RR: 0.33, 95% CI 0.06-0.60, p = 0.02). The present meta-analysis with the largest sample size to date demonstrates that IVUS-guided DES implantation significantly reduces cardiac death, coronary revascularization and stent thrombosis, particularly for patients with IVUS-defined optimal procedures compared with angiography guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, microarc oxidation (MAO) technology was used to form oxide ceramic coating on the surface of aluminum alloy. The combined additives nano-TiO2 and nano-ZnO were added into the silicate electrolyte, and the effect of the compound nano-additive on microstructure and properties of MAO coating was investigated. The results show that compared with those of the nano-additive-free coating formed on aluminum alloy, the thickness, hardness, abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance of the nano-additive-containing coating are obviously improved. The surface of coating with nano-additive becomes smooth, dense, and there are less porosities and microcracks. Moreover, the content of crystal phase α-Al2O3 and γ-Al2O3 increases visibly on the nano-additive-containing MAO coatings, and new phases Al3Ti and Zn0.6Ti0.4 are detected in the coatings, which are mainly contributed to the excellent corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance of the film. When the contents of nano-TiO2 and nano-ZnO are, respectively, 4 and 2 g·L−1, the film has better comprehensive performance, the thickness and hardness of the film could reach 52 μm and HV 692, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stenting coronary artery bifurcation lesion is associated with suboptimal clinical results. Clinical improvement by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) guided bifurcation stenting is controversial because small-side-branch (SB), low-risk patients and false bifurcations were included in previous studies that had no exact IVUS criteria for optimal stent expansion. We sought determine whether IVUS guidance is superior to angiography guidance for patients with true and complex bifurcation lesions. Between July 2006 and July 2012, 1465 patients with unstable angina and Medina 1,1,1 or 0,1,1 coronary bifurcation lesions were prospectively studied. 310 patients in the IVUS guidance (defined as stent symmetry index > 0.7, stent expansion index > 0.9, well apposition, and no Type B/C dissection) group were paired with 620 patients in the angiography group by propensity score-matching. The primary endpoint was the rate of composite major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), or clinically-driven target vessel revascularization) at 1-year and at the end of study after indexed procedure. Use of IVUS guidance was mainly driven by stenting technique selection and identification of lesions' specificities. IVUS criteria for optimal stent expansion were achieved in 82.9% of patients which contribute to IVUS group data assessment and the rest did not meet optimal criteria. MACE occurred in 10.0% of patients at 1-year follow-up and 15.2% at the 7-year follow-up in the IVUS group, significantly different from 15.0% (p = 0.036) and 22.4% (p = 0.01) in the angiography group, respectively. Compared to angiography guidance, IVUS guidance also resulted in a lower 7-year cardiac death rate (6.5 versus 1.3%, p = 0.002) and MI (8.4 versus 2.3%, P < 0.001). Any revascularization was also statistically lower in the IVUS group through whole study period, compared to the angiography group. Lower MACE rates were observed in IVUS guidance group in a 7-year follow-up compared with angiography guidance alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method for the direct synthesis of Li2CO3 powders by membrane electrolysis from LiCl solution is demonstrated in this paper, where a novel electrolysis system combining ventilation, agitation and loop filtration functions was reported. The aim of this work is to explore the effect of the starting concentration of LiCl on the phase and micromorphology of Li2CO3 crystals and thereafter to explore the mechanism of crystallization and grain growth law. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicate that the particles become irregular polycrystalline from well-defined flower-like and the micro-crystals change from lamellar to needle-like and subsequently to smaller globular granules, and the surface of the crystals becomes smooth with LiCl concentration increasing from 50 to 400 g·L−3. The crystalline phases of the different samples were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the results prove that pure Li2CO3 crystals can be obtained in a single step by the electrolysis method. The particle size distributions show that both volume mean crystal sizes and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) decrease when the starting LiCl concentration increases from 50 to 300 g·L−3 and also decreases from 400 to 300 g·L−3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Process route planning bridges the gap between design stage and manufacturing stage, which transforms workblanks into parts or products. The decisions of processing methods, machines, cutting tools, and sequence of process stages during process route planning have a significant impact on carbon emissions in manufacturing process. To reduce carbon emissions of process routes of parts and simultaneously consider economic and high-efficiency factors, a low-carbon multi-objective process route optimization method is proposed. Firstly, a constructed PBOM (process bill of material) based on machining features of parts is used to quantify carbon emissions of every processing step. Secondly, a multi-objective optimization model of process routes with the objectives of minimum carbon emissions, minimum processing cost, and minimum processing time is built based on the PBOM. Thirdly, a multi-objective ant colony algorithm is designed to solve the proposed model. Finally, a practical applicable bearing seat is taken as a case study to verify the rationality of the proposed method. Comparison results show that the proposed method can obtain the low-carbon, economic, and high-efficiency process routes for parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 diabetes correlates with clinical events after the implantation of a second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES). The rate and prognostic value of stent fracture (SF) in patients with diabetes who underwent DES implantation remain unknown. A total of 1160 patients with- and 2251 without- diabetes, who underwent surveillance angiography at 1 year after DES implantation between June 2004 and August 2014, were prospectively studied. The primary endpoints included the incidence of SF and a composite major adverse cardiac event [MACE, including myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac death, and target-vessel revascularization (TVR)] at 1-year follow-up and at the end of follow-up for overall patients, and target lesion failure [TLF, including cardiac death, target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI) and target lesion revascularization (TLR)] at the end of study for SF patients. In general, diabetes was associated with a higher rate of MACE at 1-year (18.4 vs. 12.9%) and end of follow-up (24.0 vs. 18.6%, all p < 0.001), compared with those in patients who did not have diabetes. The 1-year SF rate was comparable among patients with diabetes (n = 153, 13.2%) and non-diabetic patients (n = 273, 12.1%, p > 0.05). Diabetic patients with SF had a 2.6-fold increase of SF-related cardiac death at the end of study and threefold increase of re-repeat TLR when compared with non-diabetic patients with SF (5.9 vs. 2.2%, p = 0.040; 6.5 vs. 2.2%, p = 0.032), respectively. Given the fact that diabetes is correlated with increased MACE rate, SF in diabetic patients translates into differences in mortality and re-repeat TLR compared with the non-diabetic group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A one-step sintering process of bauxite raw material from direct mining was completed, and the kinetics of this process was analyzed thoroughly. The results show that the sintering kinetics of bauxite raw material exhibits the liquid-phase sintering behavior. A small portion of impurities existed in the raw material act as a liquid phase. After X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy observations, and kinetics calculations, sintering temperature and heating duration were determined as the two major factors contributing to the sintering process and densification of bauxite ore. An elevated heating temperature and longer duration favor the densification process. The major obstacle for the densification of bauxite material is attributed to the formation of the enclosed blowhole during liquid-phase sintering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to optimize the in vitro induction and expression of the human tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and also study the processes of its denaturation, renaturation, and purification. The pGEX-6P-1/TRAIL plasmid was induced by isopropyl-β- d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and the expressed target protein was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The protein expressed in the form of inclusion body was first denaturalized and then renaturalized by dilution and dialysis technique. GST-rTRAIL fusion protein was purified by Glutathione-Superflow Resin affinity chromatography and confirmed by Western blot. The molecular weight of GST-rTRAIL expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) was approximately 40 kDa. GST-rTRAIL was mainly expressed in the form of inclusion bodies. An optimum expression was induced by IPTG at a concentration of 0.2 mM for 8 h at 37 °C. Glutathione-Superflow Resin affinity chromatography yielded the purified GST-rTRAIL protein which was confirmed by Western blot using anti-GST mouse monoclonal antibody. The optimum prokaryotic cell expression of the human GST-rTRAIL was obtained by 0.2 mM IPTG induction for 8 h at 37 °C. The denatured inclusion body protein can be refolded by dilution and dialysis and purified by Glutathione-Superflow Resin affinity chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mean activity coefficients of KCl in the KCl + KBO + HO ternary systems were determined at total ionic strength ranging from (0.0100 to 1.0000) mol·kg at 298.15 K by potential difference measurements from the electrochemical cell without liquid junction: $$ {\text{K-ISE}}\left| {{\text{KCl }}\left( {m_{ 1} } \right),{\text{K}}_{ 2} {\text{B}}_{ 4} {\text{O}}_{ 7} \left( {m_{ 2} } \right)} \right|{\text{ Cl-ISE}} $$ . The mean activity coefficients of KCl were measured at different ionic strength fractions, $$ y_{\text{B}} $$ , of KBO (with $$ y_{\text{B}} = 0. 8, \, 0. 6, \, 0. 4, \, 0. 2,{\text{ and }}0. 0 $$ ). The experimental results showed that K-ISE and Cl-ISE in this work had good Nernstian responses, and the mean activity coefficients of KCl in KCl + KBO + HO mixtures were calculated using the Nernst equation. Mixing interaction parameters of $$ \theta_{{{\text{Cl}}^{ - } {\cdot} {\text{B}}_{4} {\text{O}}_{5} ({\text{OH}})_{4}^{2 - } }} $$ and $$ \psi_{{{\text{K}}^{ + } {\cdot} {\text{Cl}}^{ - } {\cdot} {\text{B}}_{4} {\text{O}}_{5} ({\text{OH}})_{4}^{2 - } }} $$ in Pitzer's equation were evaluated from the present measurements of the mean activity coefficients of KCl. In addition, the osmotic coefficients, water activity, and the excess Gibbs energy of this system were calculated by Pitzer's equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a gfp-based novel markerless allelic exchange integration system was developed. By employing gfp gene and sacB gene as counter-selectable markers, an ortho-nitrophenol degradation operon ( onpABC gene cluster) was successfully inserted into the chromosome of meta-nitrophenol utilizer Cupriavidus necator JMP134. Through two rounds of recombination, the engineered strain (strain JMP134-ONP) was directly selected from the plate by fluorescence screening and has the ability to degrade both ortho-nitrophenol and meta-nitrophenol, simultaneously. This relatively simple and efficient method can be used as an alternative strategy of allelic exchange insertion for the application of metabolic engineering in various bacterial strains, complementary to existing gene knock-in procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), is one of the most economically important rice pests worldwide. However, biological control of this pest using natural-enemy insects has been rarely documented to date. With the objective of screening suitable candidate species for controlling the striped stem borer, we investigated the effect of the age of host eggs on the host selection and suitability by four indigenous Trichogramma species on their native host, C. suppressalis. The results indicated that the differently aged eggs of C. suppressalis were all accepted by T. japonicum, T. dendrolimi and T. chilonis, and there was a clear tendency to parasitize older eggs less under no-choice and choice conditions. The number of parasitized host eggs by T. ostriniae also decreased with the increasing host age in the no-choice test, but more 2-day-old host eggs were parasitized in the choice test. When 0-, 2-day-old eggs were offered, T. dendrolimi, T. japonicum and T. chilonis exhibited similar parasitism ability, whereas T. ostriniae appeared to have a stronger ability to attack the older host eggs (4-day-old). Trichogramma japonicum developed and emerged on parasitized C. suppressalis eggs of all ages tested, while showing a better adaptation to younger host eggs with significantly faster developmental time, higher survival and more female progeny on 0-day-old eggs. No adults for each of the other three Trichogramma species emerged from parasitized 4-day-old host eggs, and they had similar developmental time, survival and female progeny on parasitized 0-, 2-day-old host eggs with an exception of female progeny for T. chilonis. On 0-day-old host eggs, T. japonicum developed faster and T. ostriniae had lower progeny survival than the other three Trichogramma species evaluated, respectively. The current study provides useful information to select suitable Trichogramma species for controlling the striped stem borer, C. suppressalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we deal with the model with a very general growth law and an M-driven diffusion For the general case of time dependent functions M and µ, the existence and uniqueness for positive solution is obtained. If M and µ are T-periodic functions in t, then there is an attractive positive periodic solution. Furthermore, if M and µ are time-independent, then the non-constant stationary solution M( x) is globally stable. Thus, we can easily formulate the conditions deriving the above behaviors for specific population models with the logistic growth law, Gilpin-Ayala growth law and Gompertz growth law, respectively. We answer an open problem proposed by L. Korobenko and E. Braverman in [Can. Appl. Math. Quart. 17(2009) 85-104]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), is one of the most economically important rice pests worldwide. However, biological control of this pest using natural enemies has rarely been documented. Indigenous natural populations of four Trichogramma species (i.e., T. japonicum, T. chilonis, T. dendrolimi, and T. ostriniae) were collected from the eggs of C. suppressalis in paddy fields. With the objective of screening suitable candidate species for controlling the striped stem borer, parasitism by these four Trichogramma species of the eggs of their native host, C. suppressalis, was evaluated at five temperatures (18, 22, 26, 30, and 34 °C) and four relative humidity (RH) regimes (30, 50, 70, and 90 %). The temperature and the humidity significantly affected the ability of all of the Trichogramma species to parasitize the eggs of their host. T. chilonis parasitized more eggs at 26 °C than at the other temperatures. By contrast, T. dendrolimi, T. ostriniae, and T. japonicum performed best within a wider temperature range. The host number parasitized was highest at 70 % RH and differed significantly among the Trichogramma species at all of the temperatures and humidities tested, except at 30 °C and 50 % RH. Generally, T. dendrolimi and T. japonicum performed better than the other species at 18-26 and 30-34 °C, respectively, whereas T. ostriniae parasitized the fewest host eggs at 30-70 % RH. Both T. dendrolimi and T. japonicum appear to be promising candidates for augmentative release against C. suppressalis in northeastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pepsin is widely used for the extraction of pepsin-solubilized collagens (PSC) from many resources. PSC-A and PSC-P were prepared from carp skin using 0.1 mol L acetic acid and 0.02 mol L NaHPO (pH 7.2) as the dialysis solution, respectively. SDS-PAGE patterns showed PSC-A and PSC-P as type I collagens, as well as acid soluble collagen (ASC). When incubated at 40°C, no degradation was observed for ASC, but PSC-A and PSC-P were degraded into short peptides, showing lower stability than ASC. The results indicate that pepsin remaining in the PSCs resulted in their degradation, which was confirmed by the inhibition using pepstatin. This research revealed the behavior of the remaining pepsin in pepsin-solubilized collagens and an approach to the PSC stability improvement was proposed. Chromatography profiles showed that new PSC prepared by the improved method had almost the same stability as ASC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multicolored Asian ladybird beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is considered an important generalist predator that can be used as a biological control agent against Hemiptera Sternorrhyncha, Thysanoptera, and the eggs and larvae of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera. There are currently abundant natural resources of overwintering H. axyridis in Asia and North America. Given its potential as a biological control agent, methods can be developed to increase its effectiveness for pest control. The availability of an adequate cold storage method would enable the use of field-collected pre-wintering ladybirds for pest suppression in the following season. We studied the effect of cold storage (30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days stored at −3, 0, 3 and 6°C) on survival, fecundity and predation in field-collected populations. The survival of both female and male ladybirds decreased significantly as storage duration increased at −3°C and 0°C. The ladybirds showed more than 80% survival when they were stored for 150 days at 3°C and 6°C. Long-term cold storage had different effects on the fecundity of H. axyridis at different temperatures. Prolonged cold storage at both 3°C and 6°C shortened pre-oviposition duration and had no adverse effect on reproductive capacity as compared to that of unstored individuals. The adults that experienced 90-day storage at 0°C had the shortest pre-oviposition duration and the largest reproductive capacity. The individuals that were stored for 150 days at 3°C consumed significantly more aphids than the unstored ones. Generally, 3-6°C is a suitable temperature for cold storage of the ladybird without any reduction in fitness. This study will help the exploitation and application of pre-wintering H. axyridis for the biological control of insect pests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insertion loss of acoustic radiation of damped cylindrical shell described by 3-D elasticity Navier equations under radial harmonic applied load in fluid is presented. The classical integral transform technique, potential theory and Lamè resolution are used to derive the solutions of Navier equations. The higher precision inversion computation is introduced to solve the linear equations. Comparing with acoustic radiation of one-layer cylindrical shell, the influence of thickness, mass density, dilatational wave loss factor and Young's modulus of damping material and circumferential mode number of the cylindrical shell on the insertion loss is concluded. The theoretical model in the paper can be used to deal with the arbitrary thickness and any frequency of the coated layer in dynamic problem. The conclusions may be of theoretical reference to the application of damping material to noise and vibration control of submarines and underwater pipes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas sp. strain WBC-3 utilizes para-nitrophenol (PNP) as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. PnpA (PNP 4-monooxygenase) and PnpB ( para-benzoquinone reductase) were shown to be involved in the initial steps of PNP catabolism via hydroquinone. We demonstrated here that PnpA also catalyzed monooxygenation of 4-nitrocatechol (4-NC) to hydroxyquinol, probably via hydroxyquinone. It was the first time that a single-component PNP monooxygenase has been shown to catalyze this conversion. PnpG encoded by a gene located in the PNP degradation cluster was purified as a His-tagged protein and identified as a hydroxyquinol dioxygenase catalyzing a ring-cleavage reaction of hydroxyquinol. Although all the genes necessary for 4-NC metabolism seemed to be present in the PNP degradation cluster in strain WBC-3, it was unable to grow on 4-NC as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen and energy. This was apparently due to the substrate's inability to trigger the expression of genes involved in degradation. Nevertheless, strain WBC-3 could completely degrade both PNP and 4-NC when PNP was used as the inducer, demonstrating its potential in bioremediation of the environment polluted by both 4-NC and PNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas sp. strain NyZ402 was isolated for its ability to grow on para-nitrophenol (PNP) as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy, and was shown to degrade PNP via an oxidization pathway. This strain was also capable of growing on hydroquinone or catechol. A 15, 818 bp DNA fragment extending from a 800-bp DNA fragment of hydroxyquinol 1,2-dioxygenase gene ( pnpG) was obtained by genome walking. Sequence analysis indicated that the PNP catabolic gene cluster ( pnpABCDEFG) in this fragment shared significant similarities with a recently reported gene cluster responsible for PNP degradation from Pseudomonas sp. strain WBC-3. PnpA is PNP 4-monooxygenase converting PNP to hydroquinone via benzoquinone in the presence of NADPH, and genetic analysis indicated that pnpA plays a key role in PNP degradation. pnpA1 present in the upstream of the cluster (absent in the cluster from strain WBC-3) encodes a protein sharing as high as 55% identity with PnpA, but was not involved in PNP degradation by either in vitro or in vivo analyses. Furthermore, an engineered strain capable of growing on PNP and ortho-nitrophenol (ONP) was constructed by introducing onpAB (encoding ONP monooxygenase and ortho-benzoquinone reductase which catalyzed the transformation of ONP to catechol) from Alcaligenes sp. strain NyZ215 into strain NyZ402. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the vibration dispersion characteristics of fluid-shell coupled structures was studied. Both fluid-loaded cylindrical shells and fluid-filled cylindrical shells were considered. Numerical analysis was applied to solve the dispersion equations for shells filled with or loaded with fluid at various hydrostatic pressures. The results for external pressure showed that non-dimensional axial wave numbers are nearly independent when the pressure is below the critical level. The influence of internal pressure on wave numbers was found significant for the real branch s=1 and the complex branches of dispersion curves. The presence of internal pressure increased the cut on frequencies for the branch s=1 for high order wave modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop a transurethral endoscopy technique of the transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy to examine and treat seminal vesicle disease. A total of 61 patients with seminal vesicle disease were diagnosed and treated with the transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy through the distal seminal tracts and vesicles. 58 cases were successfully treated using transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy via the seminal vesicles. The operation took 25 ~ 85 min, with an average of (35.6) mins. In this group, seven cases were diagnosed as ejaculatory orifice cyst, 14 cases had blood clots in the seminal vesicles, and nine patients had stones in the seminal vesicles. All patients were treated properly. Follow-up occurred at 3 months, with two cases showing post-operative discomfort in perineal region. One patient had recurrence with seminal vesiculitis, which improved with treatment. Four infertile patients had a significant increase in sperm count and ejaculation volume and two of these patients were able to naturally inseminate within seven to 18 months post-surgery. This approach enables a new endoscopic technique with the transurethral seminal vesiculoscopy to diagnose and treat seminal vesicle disease through the normal anatomic pathway which can be easily performed with few post-operative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the effects of insufficient maternal energy on testicular development in offspring in a swine model. Thirty-six sows were divided into control (CON) and low-energy diet (LE) groups during gestation. We observed that the number of Sertoli, germ, and Leydig cells in the offspring of the CON group were significantly higher than those in the LE group at 28 and 120 d after birth. Furthermore, the percentage of apoptotic testis cells was significantly higher in the offspring of the LE group than in the CON group. Transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in offspring testes indicated that these RNAs were mainly involved in lipid metabolism, apoptosis, cell proliferation, and some pivotal regulatory pathways. Results revealed that AMPK–PI3K–mTOR, MAPK, and oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathways play an important role in mediating the programming effect of insufficient maternal energy on testicular development, and that this effect occurs mainly at an early stage in life. mRNA and protein expression analyses confirmed the importance of certain signaling pathways in the regulation of testicular development. This study provides insights into the influence and possible mechanism underlying the effect of inadequate maternal energy intake on testicular development in the offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]