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Rationale: Agenesis of the dorsal pancreas (ADP) is a rare congenital anomaly of the pancreas. ADP is associated with some other medical problems such as diabetes mellitus, abdominal pain/bloating, pancreatitis, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor and so on. In this study, we present a case of ADP with chronic suppurative pancreatitis, summarize the clinical characteristics of the reported cases in China and review the correlative literature. Patient concerns: A 51-year-old Chinese man, with a history of impaired fasting glucose, presented with jaundice, pruritus and dark urine. Laboratory analysis showed abnormal liver function and elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9. Diagnoses: Contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated a mass located at the head of pancreas and complete absence of the body and tail of pancreas. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography demonstrated an eccentric malignant stricture about 1.6cm of distal common bile duct. Interventions: The patient underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy because of the suspicion of pancreatic tumor. The postoperative pathological result was chronic suppurative pancreatitis, with moderate hyperplasia in focal ductal epithelium. Outcomes: A long-term follow-up shows that the patient is asymptomatic with well-controlled diabetes mellitus and pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Lessons: ADP is a quite rare congenital malformation of the pancreas with poorly-understood pathogenesis. The diagnosis of ADP depends on the imaging examination. The therapeutic strategy varies from person to person due to the different accompanying conditions.

The study and accurate prediction of the movement of overburden rock mass and surface subsidence are crucial for a safe production in metal mines. This study investigates the relationship between the movement laws of overlaying strata and the time space of a mined-out volume using Rock Failure Process Analysis (RFPA) System. Furthermore, the movement, deformation, and failure laws of overlaying strata are examined in different positions when a goaf volume is certain and the failure behavior of the overlaying strata. This study analyzes the similarities and differences of the overlaying strata comparatively. Results show that, regardless of the movement range or subsidence value of the overlying rock mass, a power function relationship is observed between them and working face advancement. Setting the equation shows that the scope of the overlying rock mass is significant when the ratio of a certain position distance roof to the working face distance is small. The results provide a reference for controlling the displacement of the overlying rock mass and treating goaf.

Olfaction-based strategies have been successfully applied to monitor the emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae); however, roles of chemosensory-associated proteins in olfactory perception of A. planipennis are rarely reported. Here, we identified 11 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) from the A. planipennis transcriptome and genome. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed that A. planipennis OBPs (AplaOBPs) could be classified into four subfamilies. The reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) analysis showed that all three members of the ABPII, one plus-C OBP, and one minus-C OBP were specifically or predominantly expressed in the antennae of both sexes, indicating their possible involvement in chemoreception. Subsequently, an antenna-specific OBP, AplaOBP1, was investigated through in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, and fluorescent competitive binding assays. It was found that the AplaOBP1 gene was detected under the base of the antennal sensilla, and the AplaOBP1 protein was expressed in the lymph of multiparous sensilla basiconica types I and III. In vitro, recombinant AplaOBP1 exhibited high binding affinities (Ki = 3.38–9.25 μM) with nine volatiles including five host-tree terpenes (e.g., myrcene, limonene, nerolidol, α-farnesene, and ocimene), which indicated that AplaOBP1 might be involved in the detection of host volatiles. The electrophysiological activities of all AplaOBP1 ligands were further confirmed using electroantennography, whose results imply that these volatiles may act as putative semiochemicals for A. planipennis. In conclusion, our results provide valuable insights into the molecular basis of olfaction in A. planipennis and help us use OBPs as targets to design novel olfactory regulators for management of A. planipennis.

Backgroud Volatile terpenes can act as ecological signals to affect insect behavior. It has been proposed that the manipulation of terpenes in plants can help to control herbivore pests. In order to investigate the potential pest management function of (E)-β-caryophyllene in cotton plants, the (E)-β-caryophyllene synthase gene (GhTPS1) was inserted into Gossypium hirsutum variety R15 to generate overexpression lines. Results Four GhTPS1-transgenic lines were generated, and GhTPS1 expression in transgenic L18 and L46 lines was 3-5-fold higher than in R15 plants. The transgenic L18 and L46 lines also emitted significantly more (E)-β-caryophyllene than R15. In laboratory bioassays, L18 and L46 plants reduced pests Apolygus lucorum, Aphis gossypii and Helicoverpa armigera, and attracted parasitoids Peristenus spretus and Aphidius gifuensis, but not Microplitis mediator. In open-field trials, L18 and L46 plants reduced A. lucorum, Adelphocoris suturalis and H. armigera, but had no significant effects on predators. Conclusion Our findings suggest that L18 and L46 plants reduce several major hemipteran and lepidopteran cotton pests, whereas, two parasitoids P. spretus and A. gifuensis, were attracted by L18 and L46 plants. This study shows that overexpressing GhTPS1 in cotton may help to improve pest management in cotton fields. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND: The Apolygus lucorum is one of the most destructive insect pests in China with a wide range of host plants. Interaction of A. lucorum with surrounding environment heavily relies on chemical communication. Deorphanization of receptors involved in odors detection elevates our understanding of the olfactory system of this pest and may help to develop a chemical ecology‐based control strategy. RESULTS: AlucOR80, an odorant receptor (OR) in A. lucorum was newly cloned. Gene expression analysis showed that this receptor was mainly expressed in the antennae and head of both sexes but with a male bias. The Xenopus oocytes heterologous expression system coupled with the two‐electrode voltage‐clamp (TEVC) recording revealed that AlucOR80 was tuned to 21 selected compounds. Furthermore, electroantennogram (EAG) tests confirmed that all 21 ligands of AlucOR80 were electrophysiologically active in antennae of both sexes. Behavioral trials in a three‐cage olfactometer indicated that 16 compounds were behaviorally active, amongst which, 12 components were attractants and four components were repellents for adults of both sexes. Butyl butyrate and Dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) were the strongest attractive and repellant compounds, respectively. Importantly, we found the repellency of 1, 8‐Cineole, S‐(−)‐cis‐Verbenol and (1S)–(1)‐beta‐Pinene against adults of A. lucorum. CONCLUSION: Although AlucOR80 is a general OR, may play important role in the olfactory perception of A. lucorum. Screening of AlucOR80 ligands by behavioral assay provided valuable insights by which olfactory‐based management approaches could be developed by utilizing the behaviorally active components as attractants or repellents. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

In the present work, we report our recent efforts to improve the homogeneity of MgO buffer layers and superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ coated tapes prepared by ion-beam-assisted deposition and metalorganic solution deposition (MOD), respectively. Based on previous research results involving fluorine, a reduced atmospheric pressure is used for the MOD technique to improve the in-plane texture and suppress microcracks in the film, and then more than 500 m of MOD-coated superconducting tape is manufactured, exhibiting an excellent biaxial texture and superconducting performance. The full width at half maximum values for both in-plane and out-of-plane textured films are as low as 3° based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. The superconducting current-carrying capacities for 12-mm tapes are approximately 450-520 and 450-500 A for the 100-m level and 500-m level (77 K, self-field), respectively. The current-carrying capacities were measured by both reel-to-reel transport and an inductive system, and the results demonstrated that the cost-effective MOD technique is very promising for long-length high-quality coated conductors.

Background In this study, we compared the effect on diabetic retinopathy (DR) between oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) alone and in combination with basal insulin‐supported OADs therapy (BOT). [Correction added on 11 November 2019, after first online publication: In Abstract under Background section, “DR” has been corrected into “diabetic retinopathy (DR)”.] Methods Between January 2015 and January 2018, this study enrolled 290 patients (age 18‐65 years) with diabetes duration between 0 and 5 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive OADs or BOT after 14 days intensive insulin treatment. Examinations were performed at the beginning and end of the study. Results Fewer patients developed DR in the BOT than OADs group (8 [6.06%] vs 12 [8.3%], respectively), and all cases of DR were non‐proliferative. Blood glucose concentrations were higher in the BOT than OADs group at the 3rd month, but lower in the former at the 6th and 12th month. The rate of reaching target HbA1c ≤7% was lower in the BOT than OADs group at the 3rd month (63.6% vs 72.2%, respectively), similar between the two groups at the 6th month (60.6% vs 66.6%, respectively) and higher in the BOT group at the 12th month (75.0% vs 61.1%, respectively). The SD of fasting blood glucose (FBG), coefficient of variation of FBG, SD of blood glucose (SDBG), and mean amplitude of glycemic excursions were lower in the BOT than OADs group. Changes in the levels of three cytokines (interleukin [IL]‐1β, IL‐6, and IL‐17α) were significantly less in the BOT than OADs group. Conclusions Twelve months of BOT decreased the incidence of DR in short‐duration type 2 diabetes by reducing glycemia more effectively, stably, and completely than OADs alone., Highlights This study suggests that basal insulin‐supported oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) therapy is superior to OADs alone in preventing diabetic retinopathy.This will help clinicians to select a suitable subsequent therapy after initial intensive insulin therapy.

Neonatal asphyxia is a serious public health issue. This study aimed to determine the epidemiology and region-specific risk factors for low Apgar scores, an important proxy for neonatal asphyxia, in China from 2015 to 2016.The China Labor and Delivery Survey was a multicenter cross-sectional study including 96 hospitals distributed in 24 (out of 34) provinces. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the risk factors for a low Apgar score ( 7). Correspondence analyses were performed among neonates with low Apgar scores to explore the relationship between risk factors and geographical regions. The population attributable risk percentage (PAR%) was calculated for each region-specific risk factor.A total of 72,073 live births, including 320 births with low Apgar scores, were used for the analysis, giving a weighted rate of 3.9/1000 live births. There was a substantial difference in the incidence of low Apgar scores by geographic region, from 2.3/1000 live births in East China to 10.9/1000 live births in Northeast China. Maternal and obstetric factors are the major region-specific risk factors. In Southwest China, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy were more important contributors, with PAR% being 74.47%; in North and Northwest China, pre-pregnancy underweight was a more significant factor, with PAR% of 62.92%; in East China, infants born between 0:00 a.m. and 7:59 a.m. were a key factor, with PAR% of 80.44%.Strategies based on region-specific risk factors should be considered to reduce the burden of low Apgar scores in China.

The parasitoid wasp Microplitis mediator is an important natural enemy of the turnip moth Agrotis segetum and other Noctuidae pests. In our field observation, it was fortuitously discovered that sex pheromone traps used for A. segetum also attract female wasps, verified by a simulated field condition dual-choice laboratory assay. Therefore, it was hypothesized that olfactory recognition could be crucial in this process. In this regard, a female-biased odorant receptor of the wasp, MmedOR49, attracted our attention.To unravel the significance of the female-biased MmedOR49 regulating host pheromone recognition.Expression analysis (fluorescence in situ hybridization; quantitative realtime PCR), in vitro (two-electrode voltage-clamp recordings) and in vivo (RNAi combined with behavioral assessments) functional studies, and bioinformatics (structural modeling and molecular docking) were carried out to investigate the characteristics of MmedOR49.MmedOR49 expression was detected in the antennae of females by FISH. Quantification indicated that the expression level of MmedOR49 increased significantly after adult emergence. In vitro functional study revealed that MmedOR49 was specifically tuned to cis-5-decenyl acetate (Z5-10:Ac), the major sex pheromone component of A. segetum. Molecular docking showed that Z5-10:Ac strongly bound to the key amino acid residues His 80, Ile 81, and Arg 84 of MmedOR49 through hydrogen bonding. Behavioral assays indicated that female wasps were significantly attracted by Z5-10:Ac in a three-cage olfactometer. RNAi targeting further confirmed that MmedOR49 was necessary to recognize Z5-10:Ac, as female wasps lost their original behavioral responses to Z5-10:Ac after down-regulation of the MmedOR49 transcript.Although M. mediator is a larval endoparasitoid, female wasps have a behavioral preference for a sex pheromone component of lepidopteran hosts. In this behavior, for female M. mediator, MmedOR49 plays an important role in guiding the habitat of host insects. These data provide a potential target for enhancing natural enemy utilization and pest control.

Sex pheromones are deemed to play a significant role in sexual communication of most insects. Although many sex pheromone components in mirid bugs have been identified, the roles of odorant receptors in sex pheromone perception in

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) have been identified in the sensory tissues of various insect species and are believed to be involved in chemical communication in insects. However, the physiological roles of CSPs in Halyomorpha halys, a highly invasive insect species, are rarely reported. Here, we focused on one of the antennal CSPs (HhalCSP15) and determined whether it was involved in olfactory perception. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that HhalCSP15 was enriched in nymph and male and female adult antennae, indicating its possible involvement in the chemosensory process. Fluorescence competitive binding assays revealed that three of 43 natural compounds showed binding abilities with HhalCSP15, including β-ionone (Ki=11.9±0.6μM), cis-3-hexen-1-yl benzoate (Ki=10.5±0.4μM), and methyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate (EEZ-MDT; Ki=9.6±0.8μM). Docking analysis supported the experimental affinity for the three ligands. Additionally, the electrophysiological activities of the three ligands were further confirmed using electroantennography (EAG). EEZ-MDT is particularly interesting, as it serves as a kairomone when H. halys forages for host plants. We therefore conclude that HhalCSP15 might be involved in the detection of host-related volatiles. Our data provide a basis for further investigation of the physiological roles of CSPs in H. halys, and extend the olfactory function of CSPs in stink bugs.

Bee responses to floral scent are usually influenced by both innate biases and prior experience. Honeybees are less attracted than bumblebees to tomato flowers. However, little is known about how tomato floral scent regulates the foraging behaviors of honeybees and bumblebees. In this study, the foraging behaviors of the honeybee Apis mellifera and the bumblebee Bombus lantschouensis on tomato flowers in greenhouses were investigated. Whether the two bee species exhibit different responses to tomato floral scent and how innate biases and prior experience influence bee choice behavior were examined. In the greenhouses, honeybees failed to collect pollen from tomato flowers, and their foraging activities decreased significantly over days. Additionally, neither na&iuml, ve honeybees nor na&iuml, ve bumblebees showed a preference for tomato floral scent in a Y-tube olfactometer. However, foraging experience in the tomato greenhouses helped bumblebees develop a strong preference for the scent, whereas honeybees with foraging experience continued to show aversion to tomato floral scent. After learning to associate tomato floral scent with a sugar reward in proboscis extension response (PER) assays, both bee species exhibited a preference for tomato floral scent in Y-tube olfactometers. The findings indicated that prior experience with a food reward strongly influenced bee preference for tomato floral scent.

Plant volatiles such as floral scent compounds play a crucial role in mediating insect host locating, mate search, and oviposition sites selection. The alfalfa plant bug

Aiming at the demand of consumers for the quality and safety guarantee of agricultural products, a traceability system of agricultural products quality based on hybrid mode is designed and developed in this paper. The system connects the various links of crop planting, acquisition, processing, distribution and sales, and obtains the real-time information from crop seed cost to agricultural product sales. It can make farmland scientifically be managed according to the information of crop growth environment, improve the utilization rate of agricultural resources, and be beneficial to the sustainable development of agriculture. At the same time, the information of the processing, transportation, and sale of the crops from the seeding to the harvest to the agricultural products are recorded in real time in the database so that the consumers can understand the relevant information of the agricultural products in real time. If the unqualified agricultural products are checked out, the production of this kind of agricultural products can be controlled immediately from the source, and the circulation of unqualified agricultural products can be controlled more effectively. Therefore, the legitimate rights and interests of consumers can be effectively guaranteed.

Ingratiation is regarded as a powerful impression tactic that helps ingratiator achieve their intended goals. Although there is evidence that the consequences of ingratiation are not always positive, little research considers the dark effect of ingratiation on the ingratiator. Based on conservation of resources theory, we develop and test a model that links employees' ingratiation to their counterproductive work behaviors. Data were collected from 216 supervisor-employee dyads. The results of examination with Mplus showed that ingratiation had a positive effect on counterproductive work behaviors, and emotional exhaustion played a mediating role in this relationship. Power distance orientation negatively moderated the relationship between ingratiation and emotional exhaustion and the indirect effect of emotional exhaustion on the relationship between ingratiation and counterproductive work behaviors. Our findings raise attention on the consequences of ingratiation for employees and the dark side of ingratiation for organization.

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Sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs), homologs of the human fatty acid transport protein CD36 family, are observed to play a significant role in chemoreception, especially in detecting sex pheromone in Drosophila and some lepidopteran species. In the current study, two full‐length SNMP transcripts, MmedSNMP1 and MmedSNMP2, were identified in the parasitoid Microplitis mediator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that the expression of MmedSNMP1 was significantly higher in antennae than in other tissues of both sexes. In addition, the MmedSNMP1 transcript was increased dramatically in newly emerged adults and there were no significant differences between adults with or without mating and parasitic experiences. However, compared with MmedSNMP1, the expression of MmedSNMP2 was widely found in various tissues, significantly increased at half‐pigmented pupae stage and remained at a relatively constant level during the following developmental stages. It was found that MmedSNMP1 contained eight exons and seven introns, which was highly conserved compared with other insect species. In situ hybridization assay demonstrated that MmedSNMP1 transcript was distributed widely in antennal flagella. Among selected chemosensory genes (odorant binding protein, odorant receptor, and ionotropic receptor genes), MmedSNMP1 only partially overlapped with MmedORco in olfactory sensory neurons of antennae. Subsequent immunolocalization results further indicated that MmedSNMP1 was mainly expressed in sensilla placodea of antennae and possibly involved in perceiving plant volatiles and sex pheromones. These findings lay a foundation for further investigating the roles of SNMPs in the chemosensation of parasitoids.

Cyber physical fusion enhances the coupling effect and influence of primary and secondary equipment in distribution network. In order to reflect the overall operating state of pole-mounted switch, this paper proposes the secondary equipment state indexes and other indexes, based on the current on-line monitoring index system. Then with fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and bidirectional weighing method, the result of condition assessment can be obtained. When determining weight, the deterioration of data taken from a certain single equipment in a certain period of time is analyzed by the entropy weight method, which highlights the index with obvious deterioration of specific equipment at specific stages. Moreover, the data deterioration weights are combined with the index importance weights. Finally, the accuracy of the condition assessment method is verified in the calculation of a specific example

The alfalfa plant bug Adelphocoris lineolatus (Goeze) (Hemiptera: Miridae), a serious pest of several agricultural crops, is extremely attracted by flowering plants to perform season host switching. Generally, chemoreception of A. lineolatus plays a crucial role in detecting food sources, locating mates and oviposition sites. In addition, odorant carrier proteins are believed to participate in the initial chemical communication and perception in insects. In this work, we identified 31 putative odorant carrier protein genes from the antennal transcriptomes of A. lineolatus, including 17 new odorant binding proteins (OBPs), 10 new chemosensory proteins (CSPs) and four Niemann-Pick type C2 proteins (NPC2s). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the OBP and CSP genes from four mirid bug species (A. lineolatus, Adelphocoris suturalis, Apolygus lucorum and Lygus lineolaris) had a relatively close evolutionary relationship. Regular patterns and key conserved motifs of OBPs and CSPs in Hemiptera insects are also identified by using Multiple EM for Motif Elicitation (MEME) tool. Tissue expression profiles analysis showed that nine of the 17 OBPs, 10 CSPs and two of the four NPC2s were primarily or uniquely expressed in the adult antennae suggesting their putative roles in chemoreception. Our study provides the first insight into the roles of odorant carrier proteins in chemoreception of A. lineolatus, which will help to facilitate biological functions of odorant carrier proteins and develop novel insect behavioral regulation strategy in future.

Summary Rice blast disease, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is the most devastating disease of rice. In our ongoing characterization of the defence mechanisms of rice plants against M. oryzae, a terpene synthase gene OsTPS19 was identified as a candidate defence gene. Here, we report the functional characterization of OsTPS19, which is up‐regulated by M. oryzae infection. Overexpression of OsTPS19 in rice plants enhanced resistance against M. oryzae, while OsTPS19 RNAi lines were more susceptible to the pathogen. Metabolic analysis revealed that the production of a monoterpene (S)‐limonene was increased and decreased in OsTPS19 overexpression and RNAi lines, respectively, suggesting that OsTPS19 functions as a limonene synthase in planta. This notion was further supported by in vitro enzyme assays with recombinant OsTPS19, in which OsTPS19 had both sesquiterpene activity and monoterpene synthase activity, with limonene as a major product. Furthermore, in a subcellular localization experiment, OsTPS19 was localized in plastids. OsTPS19 has a highly homologous paralog, OsTPS20, which likely resulted from a recent gene duplication event. We found that the variation in OsTPS19 and OsTPS20 enzyme activities was determined by a single amino acid in the active site cavity. The expression of OsTPS20 was not affected by M. oryzae infection. This indicates functional divergence of OsTPS19 and OsTPS20. Lastly, (S)‐limonene inhibited the germination of M. oryzae spores in vitro. OsTPS19 was determined to function as an (S)‐limonene synthase in rice and plays a role in defence against M. oryzae, at least partly, by inhibiting spore germination.

Introduction Basal insulin is widely recommended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients who are unable to achieve glycemic control with oral antidiabetic drug(s) (OADs). However, some patients are still unable to control their blood glucose levels even when on basal insulin-supported OAD(s) therapy (BOT). The aim of this study was to investigate the factor(s) predicting patient response to BOT. Methods A total of 212 patients with T2DM, ranging in age from 18 to 65 years, admitted to the university hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, were enrolled in the study between January 2013 and July 2016. All patients had fasting blood glucose levels of ≥ 10.0 mmol/L despite receiving OAD(s) treatment. According to study design, these patients first received intensive insulin therapy for 2 weeks to attain and maintain their glycemic goals and then were switched to BOT. Responders were defined as subjects who maintained their glycemic targets with BOT for at least 3 months; all others were considered to be non-responders. The characteristics between responders and non-responders were compared. Results Compared with non-responders, responders had a shorter duration of diabetes (5.1 ± 5.0 vs. and 10.1 ± 3.2 years; P

Recommender systems use the records of users' activities and profiles of both users and products to predict users' preferences in the future. Considerable works towards recommendation algorithms have been published to solve the problems such as accuracy, diversity, congestion, cold-start, novelty, coverage and so on. However, most of these research did not consider the temporal effects of the information included in the users' historical data. For example, the segmentation of the training set and test set was completely random, which was entirely different from the real scenario in recommender systems. More seriously, all the objects are treated as the same, regardless of the new, the popular or obsoleted products, so do the users. These data processing methods always lose useful information and mislead the understanding of the system's state. In this paper, we detailed analyzed the difference of the network structure between the traditional random division method and the temporal division method on two benchmark data sets, Netflix and MovieLens. Then three classical recommendation algorithms, Global Ranking method, Collaborative Filtering and Mass Diffusion method, were employed. The results show that all these algorithms became worse in all four key indicators, ranking score, precision, popularity and diversity, in the temporal scenario. Finally, we design a new recommendation algorithm based on both users' and objects' first appearance time in the system. Experimental results showed that the new algorithm can greatly improve the accuracy and other metrics.

Herbivore-induced terpenes have been reported to function as ecological signals in plant-insect interactions. Here, we showed that insect-induced cotton volatile blends contained 16 terpenoid compounds with a relatively high level of linalool. The high diversity of terpene production is derived from a large terpene synthase (TPS) gene family. The TPS gene family of Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium raimondii consist of 46 and 41 members, respectively. Twelve TPS genes (GhTPS4-15) could be isolated, and protein expression in Escherichia coli revealed catalytic activity for eight GhTPS. The upregulation of the majority of these eight genes additionally supports the function of these genes in herbivore-induced volatile biosynthesis. Furthermore, transgenic Nicotiana tabacum plants overexpressing GhTPS12 were generated, which produced relatively large amounts of (3S)-linalool. In choice tests, female adults of Helicoverpa armigera laid fewer eggs on transgenic plants compared with non-transformed controls. Meanwhile, Myzus persicae preferred feeding on wild-type leaves over leaves of transgenic plants. Our findings demonstrate that transcript accumulation of multiple TPS genes is mainly responsible for the production and diversity of herbivore-induced volatile terpenes in cotton. Also, these genes might play roles in plant defence, in particular, direct defence responses against herbivores.

Three types of low-carbon TMCP steels with different strength of the same carbon equivalent were welded by the flux-cupper back for SAW(FCB) method in this work. The microstructure, hardness and tensile strength of the FCB welded joints were studied. Softening phenomenon occurs in the heat affected zone of low-carbon content and low carbon-equivalent TMCP EH36 steel after high heat input welding. The softened zone is mainly depended on the strength of the base metal (BM), which appears on the fine-grain zone and incomplete crystallize zone of BM with relative low strength, and on the coarse grain zone of BM with high strength. The ratio of the tensile strength between each FCB joint and BM is the same of 0.98 as the same carbon and carbon equivalent content of 0.5% and 0.315% of BM, which is almost independent of the strength of BM. The tensile strength of the incomplete crystallize zone depends on the strength of the BM, which results in the improved strength of the whole softened zone with the increasing strength of base metal.

Niemann-Pick type C2 (NPC2) is a type of small soluble protein involved in lipid metabolism and triglyceride accumulation in vertebrates and arthropods. Recent studies have determined that NPC2 also participates in chemical communication of arthropods. In this work, two novel NPC2 proteins (MmedNPC2a and MmedNPC2b) in Microplitis mediator were identified. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that MmedNPC2a was expressed higher in the antennae than in other tissues of adult wasps compared with MmedNPC2b. Subsequent immunolocalization results demonstrated that NPC2a was located in the lymph cavities of sensilla placodea. To further explore the binding characterization of recombinant MmedNPC2a to 54 candidate odor molecules, a fluorescence binding assay was performed. It was found MmedNPC2a could not bind with selected fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and octadecenoic acid. However, seven cotton volatiles, 4-ethylbenzaldehyde, 3,4-dimethylbenzaldehyde, β-ionone, linalool, m-xylene, benzaldehyde and trans-2-hexen-1-al showed certain binding abilities with MmedNPC2a. Moreover, the predicted 3D model of MmedNPC2a was composed of seven β-sheets and three pairs of disulfide bridges. In this model, the key binding residues for oleic acid in CjapNPC2 of Camponotus japonicus, Lue68, Lys69, Lys70, Phe97, Thr103 and Phe127, are replaced with Phe85, Ser86, His87, Leu113, Tyr119 and Ile143 in MmedNPC2a, respectively. We proposed that MmedNPC2a in M. mediator may play roles in perception of plant volatiles.

An alternative for the traditional free-cutting steels, i.e., a graphitized steel, is suggested with allowance for the tendencies in design of free-cutting steels connected with reduction of the sulfur content and transfer to unleaded steels. The graphitization process due to inoculation of the steel with boron nitride (BN) is studied by metallography. Electron microscopy is used to determine the interaction between the boron nitride substrate and the graphite. The statistical relation between the content of the graphite phase and the duration of the graphitization process is used to show that the degree of graphitization is describable by the Avrami equation.

To develop RT-nPCR assays for amplifying partial and complete VP1 genes of human enteroviruses (HEVs) from clinical samples and to contribute to etiological surveillance of HEV-related diseases.A panel of RT-nPCR assays, consisting of published combined primer pairs for VP1 genes of HEV A-C and in-house designed primers for HEV-D, was established in this study. The sensitivity of each RT-nPCR assay was evaluated with serially diluted virus stocks of five serotypes expressed as CCIDThe sensitivity of RT-nPCR assays for amplifying partial VP1 gene of HEVs was 0.1 CCIDThis RT-nPCR system is capable of amplifying the partial and complete VP1 gene of HEV A-D, providing rapid, sensitive, and reliable options for molecular typing and molecular epidemiology of HEVs in clinical specimens.

Aims. To investigate the distribution of diabetic retinopathy (DR) by sex in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a twelve-province cross-sectional study in China. Methods. Patients with T2DM, whose ages were ≥18 years, were recruited from 76 cities/counties in 12 provinces in mainland China between January 2015 and December 2018. All participants received a standardized interview, eye examinations, and digital fundus photography. The presence and severity of DR were diagnosed and classified by retina specialists according to the DR domestic typing method. Results. A total of 12,766 participants (5963 males and 6803 females) were eligible for this study. The total prevalence of DR was 30.1%. Females exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of DR than males (31.1% vs. 29.0%, P=0.011). A multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that female sex was an independent predictor for a higher prevalence of DR after adjusting for age, the duration of diabetes, economic status, and the presence of hypertension (OR: 1.096, 95% CI: 1.013-1.186, P=0.023). Even after stratification by the diabetic duration, age, and economic status, female sex was still independently associated with the presence of DR in patients whose T2DM history was more than 10 years, whose ages were over 60 years, or who were in a relatively intermediate economic area. Conclusion. Females had a higher prevalence of DR than males in T2DM patients with a diabetic history of more than 10 years, ages over 60 years, or a relatively intermediate economic status.

Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae), one of the main insect pests, causes severe damage in cotton and many other economic crops. As is well-known, legs play important roles in the chemoreception of insects. In this study, the putative chemosensory proteins in legs of A. lucorum involved in close or contact chemical communication of adult bugs were investigated using RNA transcriptome sequencing and qPCR methods. Transcriptome data of forelegs, middle legs and hind legs of adult bugs demonstrated that 20 odorant binding protein (OBP) genes, eight chemosensory protein (CSP) genes, one odorant receptor (OR) gene, one ionotropic receptor (IR) gene and one sensory neuron membrane protein (SNMP) gene were identified in legs of A. lucorum. Compared to the previous antennae transcriptome data, five CSPs, IR21a and SNMP2a were newly identified in legs. Results of qPCR analysis indicated that all these putative chemosensory genes were ubiquitously expressed in forelegs, middle legs and hind legs of bugs. Furthermore, four types of sensilla on legs of A. lucorum including sensilla trichodea (subtypes: long straight sensilla trichodea, Str1; long curved sensilla trichodea, Str2), sensilla chaetica (subtypes: sensilla chaetica 1, Sch1; sensilla chaetica 2, Sch2; and sensilla chaetica 3, Sch3), sensilla basiconca (subtypes: medium-long sensilla basiconca, Sba1; short sensilla basiconca, Sba2) and Bohm bristles (BB) were found using scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the largest number of sensilla was observed on hind legs, while the forelegs had the smallest number of sensilla. Our data provide valuable insights into understanding the chemoreception of legs in A. lucorum.

In recent years, with the rapid development of regional economy in the Pearl River Estuary, drastic change in the content and transport patterns of suspended sediment in water bodies, which mainly caused by variations in land use patterns and bank erosion, imposed a profound impact on the development and evolution of the estuary Delta as well as the coastal ecological environment. In this study, we used the measured spectral data to establish inversion algorithm and to inverse suspended sediment based on CASI hyperspectral data, the accuracy of the inversed CASI and MODIS suspended sediment were verified with in-situ measured data. The results show that: 1) Single-band exponential model (SSC=4.5e21.922*Rs(622.486)) can well retrieve the suspended sediment concentration in the experimental sea area, and the average relative error is approximately 11.15%; 2) The suspended sediment content lies between 0.45-12.15 mg/L over the study area, and the main input source is land-based input from the west coast of Huangmao Sea, the ecological impact on the dolphin reserve can be neglected; 3) Combined with MODIS-based remote sensing images of suspended sediment in the Pearl River Estuary, it is found that there is an obvious branching phenomena when the sediment is transported from the Huangmao Sea to the outside of the mouth. The main axis of runoff is transported along the northeast direction of Dajin Island to the southeast direction of Dajin Island in the estuary area, while the coastal current is transported along the northeast direction of Dajin Island to the southwest direction of Dajin Island. As a result, there are low suspended sediment and high transparency sea areas in the north of Dajin Island, which are suitable for aquaculture.

Aims Phenylketonuria (PKU), which is caused by mutations in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene, is one of the most common inherited diseases of amino acid metabolism. Phenylketonuria is characterized by an abnormal accumulation of phenylalanine and its metabolites in body fluids and brain tissues, subsequently leading to severe brain dysfunction. Various pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms underlying brain dysfunction in PKU have been described. However, the metabolic changes and their impacts on the function of cerebral cortices of patients with PKU remain largely unknown. Methods We measured the levels of small molecule metabolites in the cerebrocortical tissues of PKU mice and wild‐type control mice using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS)‐based metabolome analysis. Differential metabolites were further subjected to metabolic pathway and enrichment analysis. Results Metabolome analysis revealed 35 compounds among 143 detected metabolites were significantly changed in PKU mice as compared to those in their wild‐type littermates. Metabolic pathway and enrichment analysis of these differential metabolites showed that multiple metabolic pathways, including phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis; valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; purine metabolism; arginine and proline metabolism and methionine metabolism, were impacted in the cerebral cortices of PKU mice. Conclusions The data revealed that multiple metabolic pathways in cerebral cortices of PKU mice were disturbed, suggesting that the disturbances of the metabolic pathways might contribute to neurological or neurodevelopmental dysfunction in PKU, which could thus provide new insights into brain pathogenic mechanisms in PKU as well as mechanistic insights for better understanding the complexity of the metabolic mechanisms of the brain dysfunction in PKU.

Odorant binding proteins (OBPs) are considered to be highly expressed at antennae sensillum lymph and play crucial roles in detection of insect host plant volatiles. The polyphagous mirid bug Apolygus lucorum is one of a series of insect pests on many important agricultural crops that heavily rely on sophisticated olfaction to locate host plants. Previously, putative OBP genes and their tissue-related expression patterns in this pest species have been clarified. In this study, we characterized the ligand spectrum and the molecular binding mechanism of the antennae-biased AlucOBP22 to host plant volatiles of A. lucorum. Frist, the recombinant AlucOBP22 protein was constructed and purified, and its binding affinities to selected host plant volatiles were assessed. Two terpenoids, β-ionone and β-caryophyllene, could highly bind to AlucOBP22. Next, three-dimensional model prediction indicated that AlucOBP22 employed six α-helices to form a typical pocket for ligand accommodation. Molecular docking analysis suggested that both β-ionone and β-caryophyllene were located at the AlucOBP22 pocket with some hydrophobic amino acid residues close to the two chemicals, suggesting that hydrophobic interactions might be crucial for ligand-specific binding. Finally, site-directed mutagenesis combined with fluorescence binding assays revealed that mutants of five hydrophobic residues Leu5, Ile40, Met41, Val44, and Met45 displayed significantly decreased or completely abolished binding affinities to the two ligands. Our findings showed the specific binding characteristic of AlucOBP22 and suggested that hydrophobic residues and their hydrophobic interactions were involved in AlucOBP22 binding to terpenoids, which provided new insights into the molecular interaction mechanisms of hemipteran insect OBPs to host plant odors.

The alfalfa plant bug Adelphocoris lineolatus, an economically important pest, has representative behavioral characteristics with host plants transfer. Olfactory system is essential for insects to perceive ever-changing chemical signals in the external environment, and chemosensory genes play crucial roles in signals reception and transduction. In this work, we compared the differences in chemosensory genes expression before and after host plants transfer by constructing 12 antennal transcriptomes of male and female bugs, respectively. The results showed that the expression levels of most chemosensory genes in A. lineolatus changed to adapt to the transformation of the hosts plant. More remarkable, female bugs had more up-regulated chemosensory genes than males. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis revealed three odorant binding proteins (OBPs), three chemosensory proteins (CSPs), eight odorant receptors (ORs) and one ionotropic receptor (IR) showed significant differences when the host plant transferred. There were complex characteristics of up- and down- regulated genes in male and female adults, among which OBP19 showed higher expression in females exposing to the new host plant alfalfa, suggesting this OBP may be associated with the localization of the oviposition site. The OR54 and OR82 were up-regulated in both genders, indicating their possible roles in recognizing some alfalfa-specific volatiles. These findings will provide valuable insights in biological functions of chemosensory genes in A. lineolatus and facilitate the development of new targets for novel strategies to control the alfalfa plant bug and other herbivores.

OBPs play a crucial role in the recognition of ligands and are involved in the initial steps of semiochemical perception. The diverse expression of OBP genes allows them to participate in different physiological functions in insects. In contrast to classic OBPs with typical olfactory roles in A. lineolatus, the physiological functions of Plus-C OBPs remain largely unknown. In addition, detection of the expression of insect OBP genes by conventional methods is difficult in vitro. Here, we focused on AlinOBP14, a Plus-C OBP from A. lineolatus, and we developed a PNA-GO-based mRNA biosensor to detect the expression of AlinOBP14. The results demonstrated that AlinOBP14 plays dual roles in A. lineolatus. The AlinOBP14 is expressed beneath the epidermis of the vertex and gena in heads of A. lineolatus, and it functions as a carrier for three terpenoids, while AlinOBP14 is also expressed in the peripheral antennal lobe and functions as a carrier for endogenous compounds such as precursors for juvenile hormone (JH) and JHⅢ. Our investigation provides a new method to detect the expression of OBP genes in insects, and the technique will facilitate the use of these genes as potential targets for novel insect behavioral regulation strategies against the pest.

Objectives To analyze the clinical features, immediate and short-term outcome of percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (PBPV) of neonates with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) or critical pulmonary stenosis with intact ventricular septum (CPS/IVS) who underwent PBPV as initial intervention methods to evaluate the risk factors of reintervention. Method Thirty-eight neonates with PA/IVS or CPS/IVS admitted to Shanghai Xinhua Hospital between June 2009 and November 2014 who underwent PBPV as initial procedures were respectively studied. We analyzed their clinical features, the immediate and short-term outcome of PBPV, and evaluated the risk factors for reintervention. Results Thirty-eight neonates with PA/IVS and CPS/IVS who underwent PBPV as initial procedures were included in our study with a mean age of 13 ± 8 days. Among the 12 patients who underwent reintervention, 7 patients had PA/IVS (64%) and 5 had CPS/IVS (36%). Patients with PA/IVS ( p = 0.005), small pulmonary valve diameter ( p = 0.035), and bad pulmonary valve development were important risk factors. The immediate and short-term outcome of PBPV was better in patients who did not need reintervention, and the peak-to-peak pulmonary transvalvular gradient in the 1st month after PBPV had the best capability in predicting reintervention with help of receiver operating characteristic curve and the logistic regression analysis. Days of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) infusion after PBPV >5 days was also found to be a risk factor for reintervention. Conclusion The short- and mid-term outcome of pulmonary valve perforation and PBPV in neonates with PA/IVS and CPS/IVS was favorable. Risk factors include PA/IVS, small pulmonary valve, bad short-term pulmonary valve development, the peak-to-peak pulmonary transvalvular gradient in the 1st month after procedure >42 mmHg, and PGE1 infusion >5 days.