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Background. Soluble growth stimulator gene 2 protein (sST2) is associated with heart failure and myocardial infarction; however, the predictive value of plasma sST2 level for coronary slow flow/no-reflow (CSF/NRF) is unclear. This study aimed to explore the predictive value of plasma sST2 levels for CSF/NRF in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods. A total of 242 STEMI patients who underwent emergency PCI at our hospital between November 2020 and July 2021 were enrolled in this study. According to the postprocedural procedure, these patients were divided into the CSF/NRF and control groups. Clinical data were collected from both groups and were used to explore the predictive value of serum sST2 levels for CSF/NRF. Results. Of the total 242 patients, CSF/NRF was observed in 50 patients (20.7%). Statistically significant differences ( P < 0.05 ) were observed in age, diabetes mellitus, sST2 level, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), fasting blood sugar, preprocedural blood pressure, intraprocedural hypotension, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, MB isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CK-MB), and cardiac troponin I (cTNI). Multivariate analysis showed that the sST2 level, NLR, and intraoperative hypotension were independent risk factors for CSF/NRF. ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the sST2 level for predicting CSF/NRF were 68.0% and 75.5%, respectively, when the sST2 level was more than 64.6 ng/mL (AUC = 0.780, 95% CI: 1.003–1.020, P = 0.009 ). Conclusion. For STEMI patients, preprocedural sST2 levels significantly correlated with CSF/NRF occurring in PCI. sST2 level is a potential predictor for CSF/NRF occurrence.

Nutritional symbionts are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes in various insect orders. These symbionts can provide essential nutrients to the host. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the regulation of these insect-symbiont metabolic associations remain largely unclear. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 hosts “Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidarum” (here, “Ca. Portiera”) and “Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa” (here, “Ca. Hamiltonella”) bacteria in the same bacteriocyte. In this study, the induction of autophagy by chemical treatment and gene silencing decreased symbiont titers and essential amino acid (EAA) and B vitamin contents. In contrast, the repression of autophagy in bacteriocytes via Atg8 silencing increased symbiont titers, and amino acid and B vitamin contents. Furthermore, dietary supplementation with non-EAAs or B vitamins alleviated autophagy in whitefly bacteriocytes, elevated TOR (target of rapamycin) expression, and increased symbiont titers. TOR silencing restored symbiont titers in whiteflies after dietary supplementation with B vitamins. These data suggest that “Ca. Portiera” and “Ca. Hamiltonella” evade autophagy of the whitefly bacteriocytes by activating the TOR pathway via providing essential nutrients. Taken together, we demonstrate that autophagy plays a critical role in regulating the metabolic interactions between the whitefly and two intracellular symbionts. Therefore, this study reveals that autophagy is an important cellular basis for bacteriocyte evolution and symbiosis persistence in whiteflies. The whitefly symbiosis unravels the interactions between cellular and metabolic functions of bacteriocytes. IMPORTANCE Nutritional symbionts, which are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes, can provide essential nutrients for many hosts. However, the cellular mechanisms of regulation of animal-symbiont metabolic associations have been largely unexplored. Here, using the whitefly-“Ca. Portiera”/“Ca. Hamiltonella” endosymbiosis, we demonstrate autophagy regulates the symbiont titers and thereby alters the essential amino acid and B vitamin contents. For persistence in the whitefly bacteriocytes, “Ca. Portiera” and “Ca. Hamiltonella” alleviate autophagy by activating the TOR (target of rapamycin) pathway through providing essential nutrients. Therefore, we demonstrate that autophagy plays a critical role in regulating the metabolic interactions between the whitefly and two intracellular symbionts. This study also provides insight into the cellular basis of bacteriocyte evolution and symbiosis persistence in the whitefly. The mechanisms underlying the role of autophagy in whitefly symbiosis could be widespread in many insect nutritional symbioses. These findings provide a new avenue for whitefly control via regulating autophagy in the future.

Yong Wang, Hong-wei Zhao, Cheng-fu Wang, Xiao-jiao Zhang, Jie Tao, Chun-sheng Cui, Qing-kun Meng, Yu Zhu, De-feng Luo, Ai-jie Hou, Bo Luan Department of Cardiology, The People’s Hospital of China Medical University, The People’s Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, 110016, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ai-jie Hou; Bo LuanDepartment of Cardiology, The People’s Hospital of China Medical University, the People’s Hospital of Liaoning Province, No. 33, Wenyiroad, Shenhe District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province 110016, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-17702488970Email 1758624242@qq.com; luanbo2016@163.comBackground: The incidence and prognosis of coronary slow-flow (CSF) and no-reflow phenomenon (NRP) in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain unclear.Methods: This single-center prospective study aimed to investigate the incidence of CSF/NRP during CTO interventional therapy, determine predictors of CSF/NRP, and evaluate its effect on patient outcomes.Results: In this study, 552 patients with CTO who underwent PCI were included. CSF/NRP occurred in 16.1% of them. They had higher incidences of diabetes mellitus (53.9% vs 36.3%, p=0.002) and hypertension (50.6% vs 37.1%, p=0.018) and a lower incidence of retrograde filling grade > 2 (34.8% vs 47.1%, p=0.036). Patients with CSF/NRP had a higher neutrophil ratio (55.6± 19.4 vs 52.4± 18.3, p=0.038) and levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL; 3.0± 0.8 vs 2.8± 0.6, p=0.029), fasting glucose (FG; 8.3± 1.3 vs 6.8± 1.1, p=0.005), uric acid (332.6± 82.9 vs 308.2± 62.8, p=0.045), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP; 9.8± 4.8 vs 7.3± 3.9, p=0.036). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR], 1.962; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.198– 2.721; p=0.042), mean platelet volume (MPV; OR,1.284; 95% CI, 1.108– 1.895; p=0.046), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C; OR, 1.383; 95% CI, 1.105– 2.491; p=0.036), FG (OR, 2.095; 95% CI, 1.495– 2.899; p=0.018), Hs-CRP(OR, 2.218; 95% CI, 1.556– 3.519; p=0.029), and retrograde filling of grade > 2 (OR, 0.822; 95% CI, 0.622– 0.907; p=0.037) were independent predictors of CSF/NRP in CTO patients who underwent PCI. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the patients in the CSF/NRP group had a significantly lower cumulative major cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE)-free survival than those in the non-CSF/NRP group (p< 0.0001).Conclusion: Of the patients with CTO who underwent PCI, 16.1% developed CSF/NRP and had a significantly lower cumulative MACCE-free survival rate. Diabetes mellitus; higher levels of MPV, LDL-C, FG, and Hs-CRP; and a lower incidence of retrograde filling grade > 2 were independent predictors of CSF/NRP in CTO patients who underwent PCI. Thus, they can be used for risk stratification.Keywords: coronary slow-flow, no-reflow phenomenon, coronary chronic total occlusion, PCI, prognosis

Chronic heart failure (CHF) seriously affects the quality of patients' lives. Sacrubitril/valsartan is a combination angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, a new therapeutic drugs to treat CHF.This study aims to observe the impact of sacrubitril/valsartan on clinical treatment and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) serum levels, the improvement of the left atrial diameter (LAD) and left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD), and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with CHF.120 patients were randomly divided into a sacrubitil/valsartan group and a valsantan group, with 60 cases in each. Patients in the sacrubitil/valsartan group were administered sacrubitril/valsartan; while in the valsantan group, they were administered valsartan. The clinical effects, adverse reactions, and rehospitalization were observed eight weeks later, and hs-cTnT and NT-ProBNP serum levels and LAD, LVEDD, and LVEF were assayed.There were 53 cases of positive effect in the sacrubitil/valsartan group and 42 in the valsartan group (P0.05). Eight participants demonstrated adverse reactions in the sacrubitil/valsartan group, while 17 in the control group (P0.05). Hs-cTnT and NT-ProBNP serum levels, the measurements of LAD, LVEDD, and LVEF in the sacrubitil/valsartan group before the treatments were (24.47 ± 7.54) pg/mL, (10,356.94 ± 5,447.68) pg/mL, (49.41 ± 5.22) mm, (68.06 ± 6.20) mm and (31.12 ±6.65) %; in the valsartan group were (29.752 ± 10.03) pg/mL, (9,518.17 ± 5,905.17) pg/mL, (49.65 ± 4.91) mm, (67.06 ± 3.97) mm, and (30.41 ± 6.11) % (P0.05), while in the sacrubitil/valsartan group, the values decreased after the treatments to (17.92 ± 4.74) pg/mL, (3,881.59 ± 2,087.79) pg/mL, (42.18 ± 4.87) mm, (60.35 ± 7.12) mm and (45.35 ± 4.49) %; in the valsartan group to (25.81 ± 7.36) pg/mL, (6,278.35 ± 2,643.11) pg/mL, (46.53 ± 4.80) mm, (64.51 ± 4.34) mm, and (36.47 ± 5.21) % (P0.05). There were significant differences within the same group, before and after treatments (P0.05).Sacrubitril/valsartan treatment of patients with CHF improves their symptoms and is deserving of clinical application. This is also evident from significantly improved levels of serum hs-cTnT and NT-ProBNP and the left ventricular function.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to explore the influence of right-to-left shunt (RLS) presence on the clinical features of migraine and to follow-up on the post-operative curative effec...

The dramatic changes in Land-Use and Land-Cover (LULC) in urbanizing areas have led to problems such as urban flooding and water pollution. Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) has become a new approach to mitigate these problems. The comprehensive assessment of GSI strategies and their combinations is the foundation for decision making regarding GSI implementation. Using the rapidly developing Western New City of Zhuhai in China as an example, this study applies Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to evaluate Single and Combined GSI strategies. Four indicators—runoff volume control, peak flow reduction, pollutant removal, and economic cost—are selected to conduct a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis with the use of Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The performance evaluation of Single and Combined GSIs suggests that: (i) there may exist linear or nonlinear relation between the efficiency of a Single GSI and the size of its implementation. (ii) the optimal LULC-cost effective range may be identified for certain GSI, and (iii) Distributed-Centralized Combined GSIs are superior to other strategies in regard to reduction of runoff, TSS and peak flow. The TOPSIS assessment indicates that the cost weight ( w c ) has significant impact on the multi-criteria decision-making, and all strategies may be classified into three categories: effectiveness, cost, and stability. The results of TOPSIS show that the Distributed-Centralized Combined GSIs (scenarios S3, S5) are the best options if w c is not an important factor, while the Centralized Single GSI (S6) is the best option if w c becomes more important. Furthermore, this study can provide the well-informed alternative stormwater management plans and GSI decisions for local planners and water resource managers in the rapidly urbanizing sponge cities.

Horizontal gene transfer is widespread in insects bearing intracellular symbionts. Horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) are presumably involved in amino acid synthesis in sternorrhynchan insects. However, their role in insect-symbiont interactions remains largely unknown. We found symbionts Portiera, Hamiltonella and Rickettsia possess most genes involved in lysine synthesis in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 although their genomes are reduced. Hamiltonella maintains a nearly complete lysine synthesis pathway. In contrast, Portiera and Rickettsia require the complementation of whitefly HTGs for lysine synthesis and have lysE, encoding a lysine exporter. Furthermore, each horizontally transferred lysine gene of ten B. tabaci cryptic species shares an evolutionary origin. We demonstrated that Hamiltonella did not alter the titers of Portiera and Rickettsia or lysine gene expression of Portiera, Rickettsia and whiteflies. Hamiltonella also did not impact on lysine levels or protein localization in bacteriocytes harboring Portiera and ovaries infected with Rickettsia. Complementation with whitefly lysine synthesis HTGs rescued E. coli lysine gene knockout mutants. Silencing whitefly lysA in whiteflies harboring Hamiltonella reduced lysine levels, adult fecundity and titers of Portiera and Rickettsia without influencing the expression of Hamiltonella lysA. Furthermore, silencing whitefly lysA in whiteflies lacking Hamiltonella reduced lysine levels, adult fecundity and titers of Portiera and Rickettsia in ovarioles. Therefore, we, for the first time, demonstrated an essential amino acid lysine synthesized through HTGs is important for whitefly reproduction and fitness of both obligate and facultative symbionts, and it illustrates the mutual dependence between whitefly and its two symbionts. Collectively, this study reveals that acquisition of horizontally transferred lysine genes contributes to coadaptation and coevolution between B. tabaci and its symbionts., Author summary Revealing which molecules are exchanged between host and symbionts will illuminate how host and bacterial symbiont establish beneficial relationships. Horizontally transferred genes (HTGs) presumably complement the missing genes involved in synthesis of essential amino acids (EAAs) in symbionts of sternorrhynchan insects. We demonstrate that whitefly HTGs can cooperate with Portiera and Rickettsia for lysine synthesis. The lysine synthesized through HTGs impacts both whitefly reproduction and symbiont fitness. Taken together, we reveal that horizontally acquired lysine genes underlie the basis for the mutual dependence between whitefly and two intracellular symbionts. Therefore, our study demonstrates the critical role of HTGs in the synthesis of EAAs and their function in insect-symbiont interactions and coevolution.

Intracellular symbionts in insects often have reduced genomes. Host acquisition of genes from bacteria is an important adaptation that supports symbionts. However, the function of horizontally transferred genes in insect symbiosis remains largely unclear. The primary symbiont Portiera housed in bacteriocytes lacks pantothenate synthesis genes: panB and panC, which is presumably complemented by a fused gene panB-panC (hereafter panBC) horizontally transferred from bacteria in Bemisia tabaci MEAM1. We found panBC in many laboratory cultures, and species of B. tabaci shares a common evolutionary origin. We demonstrated that complementation with whitefly panBC rescued E. coli pantothenate gene knockout mutants. Portiera elimination decreased the pantothenate level and PanBC abundance in bacteriocytes, and reduced whitefly survival and fecundity. Silencing PanBC decreased the Portiera titer, reduced the pantothenate level, and decreased whitefly survival and fecundity. Supplementation with pantothenate restored the symbiont titer, PanBC level, and fitness of RNAi whiteflies. These data suggest that pantothenate synthesis requires cooperation and coordination of whitefly PanBC expression and Portiera. This host-symbiont co-regulation was mediated by the pantothenate level. Our findings demonstrated that pantothenate production, by the cooperation of a horizontally acquired, fused bacteria gene and Portiera, facilitates the coordination of whitefly and symbiont fitness. Thus, this study extends our understanding on the basis of complex host-symbiont interactions.

Deep learning system (DLS) always require a time-consuming process because of too many hyperparameters and complex structure. When we update some data in DLS, a complete retraining process was encountered which spending too much time. To get over these shortcomings, the Broad Learning System (BLS) is established by C.L.Philip Chen, which aims to make a different way of artificial intelligence. By the BLS, the origin inputs are transformed and the structure of the system expanded in the feature nodes (The following is expressed as fn) and enhancement nodes (The following is expressed as en) in the wide sense. In this paper, we apply the BLS to the recognition of fake faces. Differing from previous studies, we further validate the anti-interference ability of BLS by involving a perturbation matrix P, which does not change incremental learning processes of fn and en. According to the performance on the considered dataset, BLS is more effective than DLS in recognition of fake faces. Further validation on other datasets are still necessary.

The presented 24-bit 6.4MHz sample-rate digital-to-analog converter (DAC) achieves above 130dB dynamic range in the 25 KHz band, and consumes 26.5mW with a 5-V power supply for Micro-Nano satellite systems. The digital part of the DAC includes digital interpolation filter, multi-bit MASH2-1 sigma-delta modulator, and Incremental Data Weight Average (IDWA) algorithm. The analog part of the DAC is the low-noise switched-capacitor (SC) reconstruction filter which contains only one opamp. The 128 times up-sampling hardware-efficient multistage interpolation filter based on the desensitized half-band filter's structure attains above 100dB out of band attenuation while the passband ripple is less than 0.001dB. The whole chip area is about 2.43mm2 in a 0.35µm 4-metal CMOS process. The post mixed-signal layout simulation shows that the Effective Number Of Bits (ENOB) is 22bits.

Objective: Based on differences in populations and prevention and control measures, the spread of new coronary pneumonia in different countries and regions also differs. This study aimed to calculate the transmissibility of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and to evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures to control the disease in Jilin Province, China.Methods: The data of reported COVID-19 cases were collected, including imported and local cases from Jilin Province as of March 14, 2019. A Susceptible–Exposed–Infectious–Asymptomatic–Recovered (SEIAR) model was developed to fit the data, and the effective reproduction number (Reff) was calculated at different stages in the province. Finally, the effectiveness of the countermeasures was assessed. Results: A total of 97 COVID-19 infections were reported in Jilin Province, among which 45 were imported infections (including one asymptomatic infection) and 52 were local infections (including three asymptomatic infections). The model fit well with the reported data (R2 = 0.593, P < 0.001). The Reff of COVID-19 before and after February 1, 2020 was 1.64 and 0.05, respectively. Without the intervention taken on February 1, 2020, the predicted cases would reach a peak of 177,011 on October 22, 2020 (284 days from the first case). The projected number of cases until the end of the outbreak (on October 9, 2021) would be 17,129,367, with a total attack rate of 63.66%. Based on the comparison between the predicted incidence of the model and the actual incidence, the comprehensive intervention measures implemented in Jilin Province on February 1 reduced the incidence of cases by 99.99%. Therefore, according to the current measures and implementation efforts, Jilin Province can achieve good control of the virus’s spread. Conclusions: COVID-19 has a moderate transmissibility in Jilin Province, China. The interventions implemented in the province had proved effective, increasing social distancing and a rapid response by the prevention and control system will help control the spread of the disease.

Objectives. To assess the effectiveness and safety of ARW for vascular recanalization in CTO patients. Background. Chronic total occlusion (CTO) of coronary artery accompanied with large branch distal to the occluded segment (

Objectives To assess the efficacy and safety of bivalirudin during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) in high-bleeding-risk elderly patients. Background Bivalirudin reduces PCI-related bleeding; however, its efficacy and safety in patients with CTO, especially elderly patients with a high bleeding risk, remain unclear. Methods This single-center prospective randomized controlled trial assigned 123 high-bleeding-risk elderly patients with CTO to either the unfractionated heparin (UFH) group (n = 55) or the bivalirudin group (n = 68). The primary efficacy endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) during hospitalization and at the 6-month follow-up. The safety endpoint was bleeding or procedure (access)-related complications after PCI. Results MACE incidence was 17.6% and 20.0% in the bivalirudin and UFH groups, respectively (P = 0.82). Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 1-2 bleeding events during hospitalization were comparable between the groups (UFH: 10.9% vs. bivalirudin: 8.8%, P = 0.77). No BARC type 3-5 bleeding events or severe procedure (access)-related complications (subcutaneous hematoma >5 cm) occurred in either group. At the 6-month follow-up, MACE incidence was comparable between the groups (UFH: 3.6% vs. bivalirudin: 1.5%, P = 0.59). The Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that MACE-free survival rates were comparable between the groups (P = 0.43). One case of BARC type 3-5 bleeding (fatal intracranial hemorrhage) was observed in the UFH group at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Bivalirudin and UFH showed comparable efficacy and safety in elderly patients with a high bleeding risk, undergoing PCI for CTO lesions.

Some symbiotic microbes are restricted to specialized host cells called bacteriocytes. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the development of bacteriocytes are largely obscure. We find that maternally inherited bacteriocytes proliferate in adult females but degenerate in adult males of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. Single-cell transcriptomics and immunohistochemistry reveal that cell division only occurs in the bacteriocytes of adult females, whereas autophagy and apoptosis are induced in the bacteriocytes of adult males. A transcription factor, Adf-1, enriched in bacteriocytes, is highly expressed in female bacteriocytes relative to male bacteriocytes. Silencing Adf-1 reduces the bacteriocyte number and Portiera titer and activates autophagy and apoptosis in females. The differential dynamics of both cell division and death in bacteriocytes and distinct expression of Adf-1 in bacteriocytes between whitefly sexes underlie the sexual differentiation of bacteriocyte development. Our study reveals that insect sex affects the development of bacteriocytes by cellular and molecular remodeling.

Two new series of tricyclic heterocycles, namely 5,6-dihydro-4H-benzo[b][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-d][1,4]diazepinium salts 10 and the related neutral, free bases 13 were synthesized from 4-acetoxy-1-acetyl-4-phenylazo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines 8 and nitriles 9 in the presence of aluminium chloride by the [3+ + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of the in situ generated azocarbenium intermediates 14 followed by a ring-expansion rearrangement. In the rearrangement reaction, the phenyl substituent in the initially formed spiro-triazolium adducts 16 underwent a [1,2]-migration from C(3) to the electron-deficient N(2). This led to the ring expansion from 6-membered piperidine to 7-membered diazepine furnishing the tricyclic 1,2,4-triazole-fused 1,4-benzodiazepines.

The bicyclic 1-aza-2-azoniaallenium salt intermediates, generated from the azoester species upon treatment with a Lewis acid, have been demonstrated to participate in Huisgen-type cycloaddition with nitriles to result in the formation of fused 6,7,8,9-tetrahydro-5H-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-d][1,4]diazepinium salts. This transformation is interpreted as a regular [3++2] cycloaddition between intermediates as the reactive 1,3-monopole reactants and nitriles as the nucleophilic reagents followed by spontaneous [1,2]-cationic rearrangement. The azoester precursors were easily accessible via oxidation of the corresponding hydrazones using hypervalent iodine oxidant PhI(OAc)2 under mild conditions. The [1,2,4]triazolodiazepine compounds represent a class of N-containing biologically important heterocycles with a new type of scaffold.

Insect vectors play significant roles in geminivirus spread and evolution in nature. To date little is known about the population dynamics of begomoviruses in their insect vector Bemisia tabaci. In this study we analyzed the genetic variation of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) in its host plant, Solanum lycopersicum, in its transmission vector B. tabaci raised on TYLCV-infected S. lycopersicum plants, and in B. tabaci after being transferred from S. lycopersicum to Gossypium hirsutum. We found that the levels of variability of TYLCV remained stable in S. lycopersicum plants, but increased significantly in both invasive and indigenous species of B. tabaci. We also presented evidence that the elevated mutation frequencies in TYLCV populations from vector whiteflies were caused mainly by mutations that occurred at several distinct sites within the TYLCV genome. Simultaneous introduction of mutations in the hot spots did not affect the ability of TYLCV to be transmitted by B. tabaci, but reduced its pathogenicity in both S. lycopersicum and Nicotiana benthamiana. Our findings provide new information on population variability of TYLCV in its insect vector, extending the knowledge of the influence of insect vector on plant virus population dynamics.

Temperature affects the persistence of diverse symbionts of insects. Our previous study indicates that the whitefly symbionts confined within bacteriocytes or scattered throughout the body cavity outside bacteriocytes may have differential thermal sensitivity. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here, we report that following continuous heat stress, Portiera and Hamiltonella were almost completely depleted in two species of Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) of the Bemisia tabaci whitefly cryptic species complex. Meanwhile, proliferation of bacteriocytes was severely inhibited and approximately 50% of the nymphs had lost one of the two bacteriomes. While cell size of bacteriocytes was increased, cell number was severely decreased leading to reduction of total volume of bacteriocytes. Moreover, bacteriocyte organelles and associated symbionts were lysed, and huge amount of electron-dense inclusions accumulated. Eventually, Portiera and Hamiltonella failed to be transmitted to the next generation. In contrast, Rickettsia could be detected although at a reduced level, and successfully transmitted to eggs. The results suggest that the thermal sensitivity of bacteriocytes may limit thermal tolerance and vertical transmission of the associated symbionts, and consequently different patterns of distribution of symbionts may affect their capacity to tolerate unfavourable temperatures and persistence in the host.

In recent years, with the emergence of high-computing GPUs and the introduction of new convolutional neural network models, deep learning technology has ushered in a new round of development. At the same time, in the era of rapid development of the Internet, a large amount of high-quality medical image data is generated every day, which provides a new opportunity for the deep learning to develop in the field of automatic analysis and auxiliary diagnosis of medical images. In this paper, R-FCN (region-based fully convolutional networks) are introduced into the lesion detection of the larynx, and the classification result of the lesion can be given while confirming the lesion area. In view of the existing image-based classification, there can only be one organ in the image and the background must be simple. Through the target detection method, multi-organ target can be realized and detected under complex background. The experimental results show that the target in complex scenes can be effectively identified when the training data is sufficient.

In many intracellular symbioses, the microbial symbionts provide nutrients advantageous to the host. However, the function of Hamiltonella defensa , a symbiotic bacterium localized in specialized host cells (bacteriocytes) of a whitefly Bemisia tabaci , is uncertain. We eliminate this bacterium from its whitefly host by two alternative methods: heat treatment and antibiotics. The sex ratio of the host progeny and subsequent generations of Hamiltonella -free females was skewed from 1 : 1 (male : female) to an excess of males, often exceeding a ratio of 20 : 1. B. tabaci is haplodiploid, with diploid females derived from fertilized eggs and haploid males from unfertilized eggs. The Hamiltonella status of the insect did not affect copulation frequency or sperm reserve in the spermathecae, indicating that the male-biased sex ratio is unlikely due to the limitation of sperm but likely to be associated with events subsequent to sperm transfer to the female insects, such as failure in fertilization. The host reproductive response to Hamiltonella elimination is consistent with two alternative processes: adaptive shift in sex allocation by females and a constitutive compensatory response of the insect to Hamiltonella -mediated manipulation. Our findings suggest that a bacteriocyte symbiont influences the reproductive output of female progeny in a haplodiploid insect.

Background Patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) require effective antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Ticagrelor has more pronounced platelet inhibition than clopidogrel. However, the most appropriate dose of ticagrelor in East Asian populations remains unclear. Method We compared ticagrelor (180 mg loading dose, 90 mg twice daily thereafter and 120 mg loading dose, 60 mg twice daily thereafter) and clopidogrel (300 mg loading dose, 75 mg daily thereafter) for prevention of cardiovascular events in 525patients with CTO undergoing PCI. Results The rate of in-hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) was not different between the groups. At 1-year follow-up, target vessel revascularization (TVR) in both ticagrelor groups were significantly lower than that in the clopidogrel group (p = 0.047); TVR was significantly decreased in 60 mg ticagrelor compared to standard dose clopidogrel (p = 0.046). At 1-year follow-up, overall MACCE in both ticagrelor groups were significantly lower than that in the clopidogrel group (p = 0.023). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed MACCE-free survival was significantly higher in both ticagrelor groups than in the clopidogrel group (p = 0.024). During hospitalization, minor bleeding was significant increased in the 90 mg ticagrelor group (p = 0.021). At 1-year follow-up, risk of major and minor bleeding were significantly increased in the 90 mg ticagrelor group. Conclusion In East Asian patients with CTO undergoing PCI, 60 mg ticagrelor was as effective as 90 mg, at the same time significantly reduced risk of bleeding.

Whiteflies possess bacterial symbionts Candidatus Portiera aleyrodidium that are housed in specialized cells called bacteriocytes and are faithfully transmitted via the ovary to insect offspring. In one whitefly species studied previously, Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, transmission is mediated by somatic inheritance of bacteriocytes, with a single bacteriocyte transferred to each oocyte and persisting through embryogenesis to the next generation. Here, we investigate the mode of bacteriocyte transmission in two whitefly species, B. tabaci MED, the sister species of MEAM1, and the phylogenetically distant species Trialeurodes vaporariorum. Microsatellite analysis supported by microscopical studies demonstrates that B. tabaci MED bacteriocytes are genetically different from other somatic cells and persist through embryogenesis, as for MEAM1, but T. vaporariorum bacteriocytes are genetically identical to other somatic cells of the insect, likely mediated by the degradation of maternal bacteriocytes in the embryo. These two alternative modes of transmission provide a first demonstration among insect symbioses that the cellular processes underlying vertical transmission of bacterial symbionts can diversify among related host species associated with a single lineage of symbiotic bacteria.

Two new series of tricyclic heterocycles, namely 5,6-dihydro-4H-benzo[b][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-d][1,4]diazepinium salts 10 and the related neutral, free bases 13 were synthesized from 4-acetoxy-1-acetyl-4-phenylazo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolines 8 and nitriles 9 in the presence of aluminium chloride by the [3+ + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of the in situ generated azocarbenium intermediates 14 followed by a ring-expansion rearrangement. In the rearrangement reaction, the phenyl substituent in the initially formed spiro-triazolium adducts 16 underwent a [1,2]-migration from C(3) to the electron-deficient N(2). This led to the ring expansion from 6-membered piperidine to 7-membered diazepine furnishing the tricyclic 1,2,4-triazole-fused 1,4-benzodiazepines.

Fresh water is consumed during agricultural production. With the shortage of water resources, assessing the water use efficiency is crucial to effectively managing agricultural water resources. The water footprint is a new index for water use evaluation, and it can reflect the quantity and types of water usage during crop growth. This study aims to establish a method for calculating the region-scale water footprint of crop production based on hydrological processes. This method analyzes the water-use process during the growth of crops, which includes irrigation, precipitation, underground water, evapotranspiration, and drainage, and it ensures a more credible evaluation of water use. As illustrated by the case of the Hetao irrigation district (HID), China, the water footprints of wheat, corn and sunflower were calculated using this method. The results show that canal water loss and evapotranspiration were responsible for most of the water consumption and accounted for 47.9 % and 41.8 % of the total consumption, respectively. The total water footprints of wheat, sunflower and corn were 1380–2888 m3/t, 942–1774 m3/t, and 2095–4855 m3/t, respectively, and the blue footprint accounts for more than 86 %. The spatial distribution pattern of the green, blue and total water footprint for the three crops demonstrated that higher values occurred in the eastern part of the HID, which had more precipitation and was further from the irrigating gate. This study offers a vital reference for improving the method used to calculate the crop water footprint.

The high osmotic pressure generated by sugars in plant phloem sap is reduced in phloem-feeding aphids by sugar transformations and facilitated water flux in the gut. The genes mediating these osmoregulatory functions have been identified and validated empirically in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum: sucrase 1 (SUC1), a sucrase in glycoside hydrolase family 13 (GH13), and aquaporin 1 (AQP1), a member of the Drosophila integral protein (DRIP) family of aquaporins. Here, we describe molecular analysis of GH13 and AQP genes in phloem-feeding representatives of the four phloem-feeding groups: aphids (Myzus persicae), coccids (Planococcus citri), psyllids (Diaphorina citri, Bactericera cockerelli) and whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 and MED). A single candidate GH13-SUC gene and DRIP-AQP gene were identified in the genome/transcriptome of most insects tested by the criteria of sequence motif and gene expression in the gut. Exceptionally, the psyllid Ba. cockerelli transcriptome included a gut-expressed Pyrocoelia rufa integral protein (PRIP)-AQP, but has no DRIP-AQP transcripts, suggesting that PRIP-AQP is recruited for osmoregulatory function in this insect. This study indicates that phylogenetically related SUC and AQP genes may generally mediate osmoregulatory functions in these diverse phloem-feeding insects, and provides candidate genes for empirical validation and development as targets for osmotic disruption of pest species.

Global warming conditions and the impending energy crisis have gained attention of the research community worldwide. Urban researchers have been increasingly focused on energy-efficient cities from varying perspectives to gain insight and improve efficiency contributions in overall design components. Micro-level studies with families or individuals as research units have yielded abundant accomplishments, yet top urban macro-level factors with the highest energy consumption impact have not been identified. Direct CO 2 Emissions (DCE) of urban residents in 286 cities at the prefectural level and above in China are first estimated in this study. The relationship between DCE and urban macro-level factors including climatic, socio-economic and urban form with partial correlation analyses is then investigated. Findings and suggestions include: (1) Climatic metrics exert significant impact on residential Central Heating DCE and Electricity DCE with cities in different Building Climate Divisions exhibiting DCE variations. (2) Metrics measuring economic development levels exhibit the most significant positive impact on Electricity DCE, Gas DCE, Transportation DCE and total DCE per capita; however, total DCE per GDP decreases as economic development level rises. (3) Urban form metrics significantly impact Electricity DCE with greater effects on Transportation DCE, thus indicating the need for further research on urban form metrics.

Security and reliability are the main focus of annular metal seal assembly. It is concluded that the factors influence sealing performance of annular metal seal assembly most in view of working conditions of annular metal seal assembly. Taking major influencing factors with response surface method (RSM) analysis, and determining coefficient of regression analysis with finite element method (ANSYS) experiment. Second-order corresponding model is established and the best corresponding interval is concluded. Getting the reasonable values of bulge radius r and loading F on the premise of guarantee the y value and providing theoretical guidance for field operation combined with metal sealing seal principles and experimental research.

Genomic decay is a common feature of intracellular bacteria that have entered into symbiosis with plant sap-feeding insects. This study of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci and two bacteria (Portiera aleyrodidarum and Hamiltonella defensa) cohoused in each host cell investigated whether the decay of Portiera metabolism genes is complemented by host and Hamiltonella genes, and compared the metabolic traits of the whitefly symbiosis with other sap-feeding insects (aphids, psyllids, and mealybugs). Parallel genomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that the host genome contributes multiple metabolic reactions that complement or duplicate Portiera function, and that Hamiltonella may contribute multiple cofactors and one essential amino acid, lysine. Homologs of the Bemisia metabolism genes of insect origin have also been implicated in essential amino acid synthesis in other sap-feeding insect hosts, indicative of parallel coevolution of shared metabolic pathways across multiple symbioses. Further metabolism genes coded in the Bemisia genome are of bacterial origin, but phylogenetically distinct from Portiera, Hamiltonella and horizontally transferred genes identified in other sap-feeding insects. Overall, 75% of the metabolism genes of bacterial origin are functionally unique to one symbiosis, indicating that the evolutionary history of metabolic integration in these symbioses is strongly contingent on the pattern of horizontally acquired genes. Our analysis, further, shows that bacteria with genomic decay enable host acquisition of complex metabolic pathways by multiple independent horizontal gene transfers from exogenous bacteria. Specifically, each horizontally acquired gene can function with other genes in the pathway coded by the symbiont, while facilitating the decay of the symbiont gene coding the same reaction.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) largely augment human capabilities by translating brain wave signals into feasible commands to operate external devices. However, many issues face the development of BCIs such as the low classification accuracy of brain signals and the tedious human-learning procedures. To solve these problems, we propose to use signals associated with eye saccades and blinks to control a BCI interface. By extracting existing physiological eye signals, the user does not need to adapt his/her brain waves to the device. Furthermore, using saccade signals to control an external device frees the limbs to perform other tasks. In this research, we use two electrodes placed on top of the left and right ears of thirteen participants. Then we use Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to extract meaningful EEG signals associated with eye movements. A sliding-window technique was implemented to collect relevant features. Finally, we classified the features as horizontal or blink eye movements using KNN and SVM. We were able to achieve a mean classification accuracy of about 97%. The two electrodes were then integrated with off-the-shelf earbuds to control a wheelchair. The earbuds can generate voice cues to indicate when to rotate the eyeballs to certain locations (i.e., left or right) or blink, so that the user can select directional commands to drive the wheelchair. In addition, through properly designing the contents of voice menus, we can generate as many commands as possible, even though we only have limited numbers of states of the identified eye saccade movements.

EGFR blocking antibodies are approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Although ERBB3 signaling has been proposed to limit the effectiveness of EGFR inhibitors, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. To gain insight into these mechanisms, we generated potent blocking antibodies against ERBB3 (REGN1400) and EGFR (REGN955). We show that EGFR and ERBB3 are coactivated in multiple HNSCC cell lines and that combined blockade of EGFR and ERBB3 inhibits growth of these cell lines more effectively than blockade of either receptor alone. Blockade of EGFR with REGN955 strongly inhibited activation of ERK in HNSCC cell lines, whereas blockade of ERBB3 with REGN1400 strongly inhibited activation of Akt; only the combination of the 2 antibodies blocked both of these essential downstream pathways. We used a HER2 blocking antibody to show that ERBB3 phosphorylation in HNSCC and colorectal cancer cells is strictly dependent on association with HER2, but not EGFR, and that neuregulin 1 activates ERBB3/HER2 signaling to reverse the effect of EGFR blockade on colorectal cancer cell growth. Finally, although REGN1400 and REGN955 as single agents slowed the growth of HNSCC and colorectal cancer xenografts, the combination of REGN1400 plus REGN955 caused significant tumor regression. Our results indicate that activation of the Akt survival pathway by ERBB3/HER2 limits the effectiveness of EGFR inhibition, suggesting that REGN1400, which is currently in a phase I clinical trial, could provide benefit when combined with EGFR blocking antibodies. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(5); 1345–55. ©2014 AACR.

Trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) targets the well-characterized breast cancer oncogene HER2, and has shown success in the clinic, but tumors expressing intermediate levels of HER2 remain resistant to T-DM1 therapy, apparently due to insufficient lysosomal trafficking of T-DM1. Here, we engineered bispecific HER2-DM1 conjugates that bridge HER2 with the rapidly internalizing receptor APLP2. The high affinity arm of HER2xAPLP2 bispecific antibodies mediates surface binding to HER2+ tumor cells (but not to HER2- normal cells). After binding to HER2, the low affinity APLP2 arm promotes antibody internalization and lysosomal degradation. The strength of the APLP2 arm allows for modulation of the degree of internalization, degradation and killing. In in vitro killing assays, HER2xAPLP2-DM1 were significantly more potent than T-DM1 in cell lines expressing high (IHC3+) and intermediate (IHC 2+) levels of HER2, albeit induced little or no killing in cell lines expressing low HER2 levels (IHC 1+). Monovalent APLP2-ADCs induced little or no killing in all cell lines tested. Selected HER2xAPLP2-DM1 conjugates had acceptable PK profile in APLP2 humanized mice while significantly outperforming T-DM1 in inhibiting growth of IHC2+ tumor xenografts. These data pave the way to generate clinical candidate ADCs that will improve on T-DM1. In addition, our study opens up a possibility to exploit internalizing proteins such as APLP2 in combination with bispecific antibodies to enhance efficacy of ADCs. Citation Format: Andres Perez Bay, Anuj Kalsy, Shiwani Tiwari, Bo Luan, Art Kunz, Zhaoyuan Chen, Li Zhang, Terra Potocky, Thomas Nittoli, Gavin Thurston, Christopher Daly, Julian Andreev. Bispecific HER2 ADC: Making more potent HER2 ADC by improving target internalization [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 233.

Sap-sucking insects are important pests in agriculture and good models to study insect biology. The role of ecdysone pathway genes in the life history of this group of insects is largely unknown likely due to a lack of efficient gene silencing methods allowing functional genetic analyses. Here, we developed a new and high throughput method to silence whitefly genes using a leaf-mediated dsRNA feeding method. We have applied this method to explore the roles of genes within the molting hormone-ecdysone synthesis and signaling pathway for the survival, reproduction and development of whiteflies. Silencing of genes in the ecdysone pathway had a limited effect on the survival and fecundity of adult whiteflies. However, gene silencing reduced survival and delayed development of the whitefly during nymphal stages. These data suggest that the silencing method developed here provides a useful tool for functional gene discovery studies of sap-sucking insects, and further indicate the potential of regulating the ecdysone pathway in whitefly control.

The begomovirus Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) can benefit its vector, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, through suppressing the defences of their shared host plants. However, the mechanisms of this vector-virus mutualism remain largely unknown on the insect side of the interaction. Here, we compared the transcriptional profiles of female adult whiteflies of B. tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 feeding on TYLCCNV-free and TYLCCNV-infected tobacco plants using the next-generation sequencing technique and quantitative real-time PCR. Interestingly, the genes involved in the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway and detoxification enzyme were down-regulated in whiteflies feeding on virus-infected plants. Decreased detoxification activity costs less energy, which may reduce OXPHOS activity. Moreover, the genes involved in redox activity were also down-regulated, which may indicate that the reduced OXPHOS activity decreased reactive oxygen species production. Reduced detoxification activity is likely to attenuate energy costs, thereby enhancing the performance of whiteflies on virus-infected plants. These results provide further insight into the mechanisms of the plant-mediated whitefly-virus mutualism. Moreover, our study suggests that investigating the transcriptional profiles on the insect side of the interaction can advance our understanding of the tripartite interactions.

Objective To evaluate the safety and feasibility of percutaneous coronary intervention and antiplatelet therapy in patients who have undergone endovascular graft exclusion. Methods From January 2005 to July 2007, percutaneous transluminal intervention (PCI) was performed in 13 patients who had undergone endovascular graft exclusion for the treatment of either acute or chronic Stanford B aortic dissection. Anticoagulant and antiplatelet treatments were administered according to the standard protocol. Patients were followed up for a mean period of 11months. Clinical characteristics, false lumen thrombosis and angiographic data were collected. Results PCI was technically successful in all 13 patients and no severe complications, including death, paraplegia or renal failure occurred during hospitalization. Complete false lumen thrombosis was observed in all patients within 6months. There were no major complications such as death, dissection rupture, or aneurysm development during the follow-up period. Conclusion Our data suggested that PCI and standard antiplatelet therapy are feasible and safe in patients who have undergone endovascular stent graft exclusion for Stanford B aortic dissection.

Drawing annotations with 3D hand gestures in augmented reality is useful for creating visual and spatial references in the real world, especially when these gestures can be issued from a distance. Different techniques exist for highlighting physical objects with hand-drawn annotations from a distance, assuming an approximate 3D scene model (e.g., as provided by the Microsoft HoloLens). However, little is known about user preference and performance of such methods for annotating real-world 3D environments. To explore and evaluate different 3D hand-gesture-based annotation drawing methods, we have developed an annotation drawing application using the HoloLens augmented reality development platform. The application can be used for highlighting objects at a distance and multi-user collaboration by annotating in the real world.

Drawing annotations with 3D hand gestures in augmented reality are useful for creating visual and spatial references in the real world, especially when these gestures can be issued from a distance. Different techniques exist for highlighting physical objects with hand-drawn circle and arrow annotations from a distance, assuming an approximate 3D scene model (e.g., as provided by the Microsoft HoloLens). However, little is known about user preference and performance of such methods for annotating real-world 3D environments. In this paper, we compare different annotation methods using the HoloLens augmented reality development platform: Surface-Drawing and Air-Drawing, with either raw but smoothed or interpreted and beautified gesture input. For the Surface-Drawing method, users control a cursor that is projected onto the world model, allowing gesture input to occur directly on the surfaces of real-world objects. For the Air-Drawing method, gesture drawing occurs at the user's fingertip and is projected onto the world model on release. The methods have different characteristics regarding necessitated vergence switches and afforded cursor control. We performed an experiment in which users draw on two different real-world objects at different distances using the different methods. Results indicate that Surface-Drawing is more accurate than Air-Drawing and Beautified annotations are drawn faster than Non-Beautified; participants also preferred Surface-Drawing and Beautified.

In this paper, we base on the simulation analysis of the electro-hydraulic servo system about dual hydraulic cylinders parallel driving Multi-Stud Tensioning Machine, focus on the dynamic characteristics of a single hydraulic cylinder (asymmetric hydraulic cylinder), make use of Matlab Simulink module to carry on to imitate, and design a PID controller to correct the system. The results of simulation prove correctness of the system mathematic model, and the stability of the system is obviously improved.

Background The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is among the 100 worst invasive species in the world. As one of the most important crop pests and virus vectors, B. tabaci causes substantial crop losses and poses a serious threat to global food security. Results We report the 615-Mb high-quality genome sequence of B. tabaci Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), the first genome sequence in the Aleyrodidae family, which contains 15,664 protein-coding genes. The B. tabaci genome is highly divergent from other sequenced hemipteran genomes, sharing no detectable synteny. A number of known detoxification gene families, including cytochrome P450s and UDP-glucuronosyltransferases, are significantly expanded in B. tabaci. Other expanded gene families, including cathepsins, large clusters of tandemly duplicated B. tabaci-specific genes, and phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (PEBPs), were found to be associated with virus acquisition and transmission and/or insecticide resistance, likely contributing to the global invasiveness and efficient virus transmission capacity of B. tabaci. The presence of 142 horizontally transferred genes from bacteria or fungi in the B. tabaci genome, including genes encoding hopanoid/sterol synthesis and xenobiotic detoxification enzymes that are not present in other insects, offers novel insights into the unique biological adaptations of this insect such as polyphagy and insecticide resistance. Interestingly, two adjacent bacterial pantothenate biosynthesis genes, panB and panC, have been co-transferred into B. tabaci and fused into a single gene that has acquired introns during its evolution. Conclusions The B. tabaci genome contains numerous genetic novelties, including expansions in gene families associated with insecticide resistance, detoxification and virus transmission, as well as numerous horizontally transferred genes from bacteria and fungi. We believe these novelties likely have shaped B. tabaci as a highly invasive polyphagous crop pest and efficient vector of plant viruses. The genome serves as a reference for resolving the B. tabaci cryptic species complex, understanding fundamental biological novelties, and providing valuable genetic information to assist the development of novel strategies for controlling whiteflies and the viruses they transmit. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12915-016-0321-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To improve beer flavour stability by adding chitooligosaccharides that prevent formation of staling compounds and also scavenge radicals in stale beer. Chitooligosaccharides, at 0.001–0.01%, inhibited the formation of staling compounds in forced aged beer. The formation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, trans-2-nonenal and phenylacetaldehyde were decreased by 105, 360 and 27%, respectively, when compared with those in stale beer without chitooligosaccharide addition. The capability of chitooligosaccharides to prevent staling compound formation depended on their molecular size (2 or 3 kDa). The DPPH/hydroxyl radical scavenging activity in fresh beer significantly lower than that in forced aged beer in the presence of chitooligosaccharides. When compared with stale beer without added chitooligosaccharides, the radical scavenging activity could be increased by adding chitooligosaccharides to forced aged beer. Chitooligosaccharides play an active part in the prevention of beer flavour deterioration by inhibiting the formation of staling compounds and increasing radical scavenging activity.

CdSeTe nanoparticles (CdSeTe NPs)/TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) and CdSeTe nanosheets (CdSeTe NSs)/TiO2 NTs were fabricated by photoelectric deposition method and hydrothermal method, respectively. The band gap of the CdSeTe NPs/TiO2 NTs (1.24 eV) is narrower than that of the CdSeTe NSs/TiO2NTs (1.48 eV). The photoelectrochemical conversion efficiency of the CdSeTe NPs/TiO2 NTs is 2.72 times larger than that of the CdSeTe NSs/TiO2 NTs, manifesting that the CdSeTe NPs/TiO2 NTs possessed more excellent photocatalytic performance. Furthermore, the current density of electrocatalytic reduction CO2 on the CdSeTe NPs/TiO2 NTs was 2.47 times larger than that of the CdSeTe NSs/TiO2 NTs, showing the excellent electrocatalytic performance of the CdSeTe NPs/TiO2 NTs. The major product methanol was detected in the PEC reduction process on the two as-prepared materials. The yield reached 18.57 mmol L−1 after 300 min on CdSeTe NPs/TiO2NTs, which is 16 times larger than that of CdSeTe NSs/TiO2 NTs.

Vectors often perform better on plants infected with pathogens, and this promotes the spread of pathogens. However, few studies have examined how plant defensive compounds mediate such mutualistic relationships. Although tobacco plants are relatively poor host plants for the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, tobacco's suitability to the whitefly was substantially increased when infected by the begomovirus Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus. The change in suitability was associated with induced terpenoid synthesis in whitefly-infested plants and repressed terpenoid synthesis in virus-infected plants. Elevation of terpenoid levels via exogenous stem applications reduced the performance of whiteflies. In contrast, suppression of terpenoid synthesis via gene silencing improved whitefly fitness. By integrating genomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics, this study demonstrated that virus infection depleted the terpenoid-mediated plant defence against whiteflies, thereby favouring vector-virus mutualism. These data suggest that plant terpenoids play a key role in shaping vector-pathogen relationships.