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Long- distance migrations of insects contribute to ecosystem functioning but also have important economic impacts when the migrants are pests or provide ecosystem services. We combined radar monitoring, aerial sampling, and searchlight trapping, to quantify the annual pattern of nocturnal insect migration above the densely populated agricultural lands of East China. A total of -9.3 trillion nocturnal insect migrants (15,000 t of biomass), predominantly Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Diptera, including many crop pests and disease vectors, fly at heights up to 1 km above this 600 km- wide region every year. Larger migrants (>10 mg) exhibited seasonal reversal of movement directions, comprising northward expansion during spring and summer, followed by southward movements during fall. This north-south transfer was not balanced, however, with southward movement in fall 0.66- that of northward movement in spring and summer. Spring and summer migrations were strongest when the wind had a northward component, while in fall, stronger movements occurred on winds that allowed movement with a southward component; heading directions of larger insects were generally close to the track direction. These findings indicate adaptations leading to movement in seasonally favorable directions. We compare our results from China with similar studies in Europe and North America and conclude that ecological patterns and behavioral adaptations are similar across the Northern Hemisphere. The predominance of pests among these nocturnal migrants has severe implications for food security and grower prosperity throughout this heavily populated region, and knowledge of their migrations is potentially valuable for forecasting pest impacts and planning timely management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The original drilling data collected cannot be deeply excavated and utilized by traditional modeling methods. Therefore, an improved K-nearest neighbor(KNN) algorithm is improved. This is a spatial adaptive interpolation fitting algorithm that is developed based on the original KNN algorithm. It incorporates automatic selection of k-values based on different geological layers and utilizes the original geological data for further analysis. The data from a railway investigation project is selected as a data source to put into the improved KNN algorithm model, successfully obtaining the characteristic k-values of each stratum in the site and accomplishing the geological modeling. By comparing the actual borehole and the borehole predicted by original KNN and improved KNN, it is found that the improved KNN algorithm is more accurate in predicting the thin layers, and the overall accuracy is higher. Compared with the original KNN algorithm and other common classification algorithms, the improved algorithm can obtain better stratum prediction results, especially for the thin stratum, and obtain higher precision and accuracy, which can better guide the prediction of underground 3D space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To suppress the agglomeration of bare CoNi2S4 during the charging and discharging process, herein, Baoqing lignite has been utilized as the raw material, extracted with KOH and melamine solution, and annealed to nitrogen-doped lignite-based porous carbon (NPC), which was subsequently composited with CoNi2S4 by a facile and efficient hydrothermal method. In the CoNi2S4/nitrogen-doped lignite-based porous carbon composites (CoNi2S4/NPC), CoNi2S4 particles are uniformly dispersed on NPC. The as-prepared CoNi2S4/NPC have displayed excellent electrochemical properties with high specific capacitance and good cycle performance. The composites possess a high specific capacitance of 1534.24 F g−1 at a current density of 4 A g−1. The hybrid supercapacitor assembled by the CoNi2S4/NPC cathode and the activated carbon anode has demonstrated a high energy density of 48.58 Wh kg−1 at 400 W kg−1. Moreover, the capacitance retention of the hybrid supercapacitor is 82.42% after 5000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells must rewire cellular metabolism to satisfy the unbridled proliferation, and metabolic reprogramming provides not only the advantage for cancer cell proliferation but also new targets for cancer treatment. However, the plasticity of the metabolic pathways makes them very difficult to target. Deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) are proteases that cleave ubiquitin from the substrate proteins and process ubiquitin precursors. While the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood, many DUBs have been shown to be involved in tumorigenesis and progression via controlling the dysregulated cancer metabolism, and consequently recognized as potential drug targets for cancer treatment. In this article, we summarized the significant progress in understanding the key roles of DUBs in cancer cell metabolic rewiring and the opportunities for the application of DUBs inhibitors in cancer treatment, intending to provide potential implications for both research purpose and clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodoptera frugiperda is a major agricultural pest that has invaded China since January 2019. Given that most of the individuals present in China carried the diagnostic rice-strain mtDNA (COI -RS), there was no efficient method to distinguish populations of S. frugiperda. In this study, we identified and characterized two variant microsatellite alleles in the mitochondrial NAD6 gene of S. frugiperda retrieved from the National Center for Biotechnology Center GenBank. We then sequenced partial NAD6 genes containing the microsatellite region and the diagnostic COI barcoding gene (used to distinguish the corn-strain and the rice-strain) of 429 invasive S. frugiperda individuals that were collected from the main infested regions in China during 2019–2020. Our data indicates that two kinds of interrupted repeat sequences, (ATA)4T(ATA)3 and (ATA)5T(ATA)3, exist in the microsatellite region which we defined as the deletion type (NAD6 -D), and the insertion type (NAD6 -I) based on the repeat units' differentiation, respectively. The presence of these two microsatellite types in the mtDNA genome of S. frugiperda was further confirmed with the sequencing results in 429 samples. Moreover, NAD6 -I and NAD6 -D types were both present in individuals with COI -RS, while only NAD6 -D type was detected in the COI -CS individuals. Interestingly, the two microsatellite types suggested a possible geographic distribution: the western migratory route (Yunan and Chongqing) was comprised exclusively of NAD6 -I type, while both NAD6 -I and NAD6 -D types were identified in the predicted eastern migration trajectories (Hainan, Guangxi, Shandong, etc.). These results suggested that NAD6 -D and NAD6 -I types may be useful in distinguishing between populations, analyzing the evolutionary mechanism of mtDNA microsatellite polymorphism, inferring the migratory route of S. frugiperda in China, and developing precise and integrated control strategies for S. frugiperda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic identification and location of farmland pests are an important direction of target detection research. The wide variety of pests and the similarity between pest categories make the automatic identification of farmland pests have some problems, such as high error rate and difficult identification. In order to achieve a better target for automatic identification and location of farmland pests, this paper proposes a lightweight pest detection model, and the network is the EfficientNet proposed by Google, which achieves the detection of 26 pests, the idea based on the classical Yolo target detection algorithm. First of all, features were extracted through the lightweight backbone, and then multiscale feature fusion is performed by PANet; finally, three feature matrices with different sizes were output to predict pests of different sizes. Using CIOU as the loss function of regression prediction better reflects the relative position of the prior box and the real box. The experimental results are compared with other lightweight algorithms, and the results show that the accuracy rate of the algorithm for identification and localization of agricultural pest in this paper is the highest and could reach 93.73%. Moreover, the model is lightweight and can be deployed on low-cost equipment, which reduces the cost of equipment and accurately predicts the status of pests and diseases in farmland. In practice, it is shown that the algorithm can effectively solve the problems of large number of pests, pest accumulation, background interference, and has strong robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CoS x /RGO nanocomposite has been prepared with solid Co/RGO as the precursor. • The introduction of RGO prevents the agglomeration of CoS x and RGO. • The reversible capacity of CoS x /RGO is 796 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles. • The enhanced electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the synergistic effect. Cobalt sulfide is regarded as a candidate for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries. However, it suffers from large volumetric variation during the charge/discharge cycling. Herein, cobalt sulfide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite has been fabricated via an unique synthetic methodology with solid cobalt/reduced graphene oxide as the precursor, which can inhibit the agglomeration of cobalt sulfide effectively. In the composite, cobalt sulfide nanoparticles are uniformly embedded in reduced graphene oxide. When utilized in lithium–ion batteries, the nanocomposite demonstrates a high discharge capacity of 796 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles. The superior lithium-ion storage performance can be ascribed to the hybrid nanostructure and the synergistic effect originated from the unique synthetic methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel core-shell structured CoNi2S4@polydopamine nanocomposites have been successfully developed as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors. The CoNi2S4 nanoparticles are tightly wrapped by polydopamine, forming a hierarchical core/shell network, which benefits the improvement of the electrochemical properties. The electrochemical performance of the as-prepared materials had been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. Specific capacitances of CoNi2S4 and CoNi2S4@polydopamine are 425 and 725 F g−1 at 10 A g−1 respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results suggest that the coating of polydopamine can reduce the charge transfer resistance and increase the diffusion rate of the electrolytic ion efficiently. The superior pseudocapacitive performance of CoNi2S4@polydopamine can be ascribed to the unique core-shell heterostructure and the combined contribution of the electrochemical active CoNi2S4 and the conductive polydopamine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn/graphene/polydopamine ternary nanocomposites have been synthesized through a facile precipitation method. Sn nanoparticles are closely wrapped by graphene in the nanocomposites as compared to Sn/graphene, which is beneficial not only to reduce the volumetric change but also to boost the conductivity of the nanocomposites. The lithium storage properties of the materials have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry measurements and charge/discharge cycling. The obtained Sn/graphene/polydopamine nanocomposites deliver a high capacity of 626 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at the current density of 500 mA g−1, which is superior to Sn/graphene. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements suggest that the introduction of polydopamine decreases the interface resistance of the composites and increases the conductivity of electrons efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical disinfectants effectively kill pathogenic microorganisms, eliminating routes of transmission for infectious diseases. Accurate quantification of the active ingredients can help make a more effective use of disinfectants. In this study, the active ingredients in six different types of chemical disinfectants were systematically quantified with great precision and accuracy using potentiometric titration. The coefficient of variations fell in the range of 0.04%-0.46%. The recovery rates of samples were all above 95% and the extended uncertainty was 0.32g/L. This method can be broadly applied to the analysis of disinfectants in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnS in situ hybridized with carbon nanotubes has been achieved via a facile homogeneous precipitation process. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared SnS/carbon nanotube composites have been characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Results indicate that SnS nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed on the surface of carbon nanotubes. The lithium-ion storage properties of the materials are investigated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. It demonstrates that SnS/carbon nanotube composites exhibit better electrochemical performance as compared to single SnS and carbon nanotubes. The enhanced reversible lithium storage could be ascribed to the synergistic effect of SnS and carbon nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnS/graphene nanocomposites have been prepared through a facile solvothermal reaction with Sn/graphene as the precursor. SnS particles are homogeneously sandwiched between graphene nanosheets. The electrochemical performances of the materials have been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic discharge/charge cycling. Results show that the nanocomposites exhibit superior reversible lithium storage performance. The strategy presented in this work may provide an easy way for the fabrication of other metal sulfide/graphene nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sn/RGO/CNF are newly designed to broaden the variety of the Sn/C composites. • The introduction of RGO and CNF prevents the agglomeration of nanosized Sn. • Sn/RGO/CNF have displayed a reversible capacity of 643 mAh g−1 after 90 cycles. • The integration of nanosized Sn, RGO and CNF results in synergetic effect. Novel Sn/reduced graphene oxide/carbon nanofibers ternary hybrids have been designed via a facile one-step synthesis process. In the hybrids, Sn nanoparticles, uniformly sandwiched in the layers of reduced graphene oxide, are in good contact with carbon nanofibers. The ternary hybrids have demonstrated superior lithium storage performance to the Sn/reduced graphene oxide and Sn/carbon nanofibers binary hybrids. The reversible capacity of the ternary hybrids is 643 mAh g−1 after 90 cycles. Importantly, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements confirm that the integration of Sn, reduced graphene oxide and carbon nanofibers can reduce the charge transfer resistance effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal-derived activated carbon/CoO nanocomposites have been prepared via a facile two-step synthetic strategy. Results indicate that CoO nanoparticles possess a uniform distribution on the surface of coal-derived activated carbon. The electrochemical performance of the as-prepared samples had been investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurement. Results suggest that the nanocomposites exhibit higher specific capacitance than bare CoO and coal-derived activated carbon. The superior capacitive performance is further illustrated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement, which demonstrates that the introduction of coal-derived activated carbon in the nanocomposites can not only improve the electron transfer but also promote the electrolyte penetration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UbcH5c belongs to the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family and plays an important role in catalyzing ubiquitination during TNF- α --triggered NF- κ B activation. Therefore, UbcH5c is a potent therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases induced by aberrant activation of NF- κ B. In this study, we established a stable expression system for recombinant UbcH5c and solved the crystal structure of UbcH5c belonging to space group P22 1 2 1 with one molecule in the asymmetric unit. This study provides the basis for further study of UbcH5c including the design of UbcH5c inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile precipitation method has been put forward to prepare Sn-Cu-graphene composites. Sn-Cu nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed on the surface of graphene. As an anode of lithium-ion batteries, the composite material exhibits an impressive discharge capacity of 643 mAh g −1 after 100 cycles at 500 mA g −1 . Even at a high current density of 1000 mA g −1 , a reversible capacity of 464 mAh g −1 is delivered. The superior reversible lithium ion storage can be attributed to the positive synergistic effect of Sn, Cu and graphene, which can inhibit the volumetric change, prevent the agglomeration, and facilitate the electron transfer of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional porous Ni 3 S 2 electrode directly grown on nickel foam has been synthesized via a novel one-step solvothermal approach. Electrochemical tests show that the porous electrode exhibits enhanced lithium ion storage capacity and good rate performance. After 70 cycles at various rates, the reversible capacity could be recovered to 540 mAh g −1 . The superior performance could be assigned to the unique three-dimensional structures, which limits the volume variation and improves the transport of electron and electrolyte effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase(HsDHODH) isa flavin-dependent mitochondrial enzyme that has been certified asa potential therapeutic target for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritisand other autoimmune diseases. On the basis of lead compound 4, which was previously identified as potential HsDHODH inhibitor, a novel series of thiazole derivatives were designedand synthesized. The X-ray complex structures of the promising analogues 12and 33confirmed that these inhibitors bindat the putative ubiquinone binding tunnel and guided us to exploremore potent inhibitors, such as compounds 44, 46, and 47which showed double digit nanomolar activitiesof 26, 18, and 29 nM, respectively. Moreover, 44presentedconsiderable anti-inflammation effect in vivo and significantly alleviatedfoot swelling in a dose-dependent manner, which disclosed that thiazole-scaffoldanalogues can be developed into the drug candidates for the treatmentof rheumatoid arthritis by suppressing the bioactivity of HsDHODH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional porous Sn-graphene composites have been prepared on Ni foam by an easy, binder-free, low-cost and ultrafast electrophoretic deposition method. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared composite material are characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis. The lithium storage performance of the three-dimensional porous Sn-graphene anode is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge cycling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Results show that the composite material with a graphene content of 6.1 wt% delivers a reversible capacity of 552 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at a current density of 500 mA g-1. The synthetic approach presented in this work may provide a facile strategy for the preparation of three-dimensional porous metal-graphene composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]