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Background and Objective: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is the basis for preventing ischemic events after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and DAPT for 12 months has been the standard strategy recommended by the guidelines. However, patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have a higher risk of thrombosis, and the application of very short-term DAPT (1–3 months) in patients with ACS is consistently controversial. The purpose of this study is to explore the efficacy and safety of DAPT for 1–3 months in patients with ACS who were implanted with drug-eluting stents (DES).Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared the very short-term (3 months or less) with long-term (12 months or more) DAPT in patients with ACS after PCI. The randomized controlled trials were included by searching PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library database. The relative risk (RR) and 95% CIs for endpoint events were calculated by the fixed effects model, and trial sequential analysis was applied to calculate the anticipated sample size and assess the results.Result: A total of eight randomized controlled trials with 16,492 patients who met the inclusion criteria were conducted. There were no significant statistic differences in myocardial infarction (RR 1.05, 0.82–1.35, P = 0.68), stents thrombosis (RR 1.32, 0.85–2.07, P = 0.22), all-cause death (RR 0.87, 0.66–1.13, P = 0.29), and target vessel revascularization (RR 0.93, 0.76–1.13, P = 0.47). However, there were significant differences in major bleeding (RR 0.60, 0.50–0.73, P < 0.00001) and the net adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (RR 0.84, 0.74–0.95, P = 0.007).Conclusions: The strategy of DAPT for 1–3 months not only has a significant effect in patients with ACS who were implanted with DES but also reduces the risk of major bleeding. The scheme of short-term DAPT followed by P2Y12 receptor inhibitor monotherapy is especially beneficial for patients with ACS. The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis are based on the application of new generation DES and new oral antiplatelet drugs in patients with ACS, which are difficult to use in the general population (Registered by PROSPERO, CRD 42020210520).Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD 42020210520.

BACKGROUND Chickpea protein isolate (CPI) originating from chickpeas has the advantages of facilitating the stability of food emulsions. Stevioside (STE) exhibits a notable surface activity and can improve the water solubility of numerous hydrophobic nutrients. STE and protein mixtures show great potential as emulsions stabilizers. The present study aimed to prepare a novel nanoemulsion for encapsulating lutein (LUT) by ultrasonic homogenization using chickpea protein isolate-stevioside complex (CPI-STE) as a stabilizer and also to investigate the physicochemical characteristics. RESULTS The results obtained showed that different preparation conditions demonstrated significant influences on the physicochemical properties of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions. Under the optimal condition, the average particle size of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions was 195.1 nm, and the emulsifying and encapsulation efficiencies of lutein were 91.04% and 87.56%, respectively. CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions stabilized by CPI-STE could significantly increase the emulsifying and encapsulation efficiencies of lutein compared to that stabilized by CPI. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that hydrogen bond was the main binding force of CPI and lutein, and there was a covalent bond between the two molecules. Furthermore, the stability of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions in gastrointestinal phase was higher than that of CPI-LUT nanoemulsions, which could load lutein more effectively and be more resistant to digestive enzymes. CONCLUSION The present study reports the physicochemical characterization of CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions for the first time. CPI-STE-LUT nanoemulsions were characterized by a small average particle size lower than 200 nm, as well as high emulsifying and encapsulation efficiencies, and good stability. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

With the rapid development of new energy such as wind and solar energy, its connection to the grid brings many problems to the safe and stable operation of the power system. So it has great significance to develop seawater variable-speed pumped storage unit for regulation and energy storage. In order to meet the grid harmonic requirement, the common solution is to add the grid side filter for the high-power NPC (neutral point clamping) topology grid-connected converter. But the filter will increase the volume, weight and cost of the equipment, and reduce the system reliability. Therefore, to ensure that the grid current meets the requirement of the standard IEEE 519, this paper adopts a grid-connected optimal modulation algorithm without adding the filter. And the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by simulation and experiment.

BACKGROUND A seed blend, also called refuge in a bag (RIB), is used as a strategy to provide refuge for planting pyramided Bt corn in the U.S. Corn Belt. A major concern for the RIB strategy is cross-pollination between Bt and refuge plants, which may reduce susceptible populations of ear-feeding insects like Helicoverpa zea and affect the evolution of resistance. Previous studies showed a 5:95% (Non-Bt: Bt) RIB would be unlikely to provide sufficient refuge populations of H. zea for resistance management. In this study, we extended our research and conducted multiple trials to determine if three RIB plantings with greater refuge sizes (10, 20, and 30% refuge) could provide sufficient H. zea susceptible populations to delay resistance development. RESULTS Experimental results showed that cross-pollination in 10:90%, 20:80%, and 30:70% RIB plantings still significantly reduced larval survival, delayed larval development and decreased the pupal size of H. zea on refuge plants. Regression analysis showed that the percent reduction of neonate-to-adult survivorship, relative to the survivorship on pure non-Bt ears, was significantly negatively correlated with the refuge percentage. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that, approximately a 15% non-Bt refuge plants in RIB plantings could produce a similar number of susceptible adult moths as a 5% structured refuge planting, while an approximately 30% non-Bt refuge plant in RIB plantings could provide a similar number of susceptible moths as a 20% structured refuge planting. Information generated from this study should be useful in refining resistance management strategies for Bt crop technologies. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background Pair-rule genes were identified and named for their role in segmentation in animal embryos. Paired, a homolog of mammalian PAX3, acts as one of several pair-rule genes and is key in defining the boundaries of future parasegments and segments during insect embryogenesis. Results We cloned the paired gene from the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, and then applied CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to investigate its physiological function in the embryonic stage of this pest. We identified one transcript for a paired homolog in B. dorsalis, which encodes a protein containing a Paired Box domain and a Homeobox domain. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that the paired gene is highly conserved and the gene was highly expressed at the 12-14 h-old embryonic stage. Knock-out of Bdpaired led to lack of segment boundaries, cuticular deficiency, and embryonic lethality. Sequence analysis of the CRISPR/Cas9 mutants exhibited different insertion and deletions in the Bdpaired locus. In addition, the relative expression of Wingless (Wg) and Abdominal A (Abd-A) genes were significantly down-regulated in the Bdpaired mutant embryos. Conclusion These results indicate that Bdpaired gene is critical for the embryonic development of B. dorsalis, and could be a novel molecular target for genetic-based pest management practices to combat this serious invasive pest. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Copy-move (region duplication) is one of the most common types of image forgeries, in which at least one part of an image is copied and pasted onto another area of the same image. The main aims of the copy-move forgery are to overemphasize a concept or conceal objects by duplicating some regions. Keypoint-based copy-move forgery detection (CMFD) schemes extract image keypoints and employ local image features to identify duplicated regions, which exhibits remarkable detection performance with respect to memory requirement, computational cost, and robustness. To enhance the performance of keypoint-based CMFD approaches, here are three issues that need to be solved: the non-uniform distribution of image keypoints, the low discriminatory power of local image descriptor, and the high computational cost and low matching efficiency of feature matching strategy. In order to overcome these issues, we propose a new copy-move forgery detection method based on adaptive keypoints extraction and matching in this paper. First, we extract the image keypoints using the adaptive uniform distribution threshold. Second, the binary robust invariant scalable keypoints (BRISK) descriptor is introduced to represent the local image feature of image keypoints. Afterwards, local BRISK descriptors are employed to match image keypoints by using embedded random ferns approach, which formulates the required matching as a discriminative classification problem. Finally, the falsely matched keypoints pairs are eliminated by utilizing the random sample consensus (RANSAC), and the fast mean-residual normalized intensity correlation (NNPROD) is employed to locate the tampering area. We evaluate the performance of the proposed CMFD method in detail by conducting several simulation experiments, and the experimental results have shown that the detection and localization accuracy of the proposed method is superior to that of the state-of-the-art approaches recently proposed in the literature, even in adverse conditions.

Objective This study aimed to analyze the relationship between the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components with the occurrence of thyroid nodules. Methods A total of 2719 volunteers from some areas of Gansu Province, China, who participated in the national survey of thyroid diseases and iodine nutrition status (Tide) and diabetes prevalence, were selected. Their height, weight, waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure were recorded. The fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h plasma postprandial glucose (2hPG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels were measured. The prevalence of MetS and thyroid nodules was evaluated, and the correlation between each component of MetS and thyroid nodules was studied. Results The prevalence of MetS and thyroid nodules was 15.4% and 17.2%, respectively. WC, SBP, body mass index, FPG, 2hPG, TG, TC, and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were significantly higher in the thyroid nodule group. The prevalence of thyroid nodules was significantly higher in the MetS group. A positive correlation was found between the degree of metabolic disorder and the occurrence of thyroid nodules. WC was found to be a risk factor for the occurrence of thyroid nodules. For WC≥90 cm, an increase in the independent variables led to a significant rise in the incidence of thyroid nodules. Conclusion The prevalence of thyroid nodules was higher in the MetS group. The WC of the MetS components might be an independent risk factor for the occurrence of thyroid nodules.

In this study, historical surface solar radiation (1850–2005) and future photovoltaic power output (2006–2100) are analyzed to investigate the spatial distribution and long-term variation in global solar energy based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models and the Global Energy Balance Archive (GEBA) database. The results show that global mean surface solar radiation significantly decreased by 0.014 W m−2 year−1 in 1850–2005. According to the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate (MIROC5), surface solar radiation significantly decreased by 3.42 W m−2 year−1 in 1951–1992 and increased by 4.75 W m−2 year−1 in 1993–2005. Global dimming and brightening were observed before and after the 1990s, respectively. The transition of surface solar radiation from dimming to brightening in Europe and the southeastern United States was detected in the 1980s. Stations in Northeast China, Japan, Southeast Africa, the Middle East, and the west coast of India all showed renewed decreasing trends after the 1990s. The direct and indirect effects of anthropogenic aerosols and cloudiness in different periods and regions were the main causes of the changes. To better understand the utilization of global solar energy, global potential photovoltaic power outputs were estimated in future scenarios with an empirical model. Significant increases in potential photovoltaic power are expected in East Asia, Europe, Central Africa and Central America in 2006–2100. The largest increase is expected in central China, where increases are occurring at 3 kWh m−2 year−1. Significantly decreasing potential photovoltaic power is observed in North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Australia. The greatest decrease is observed in the Tibetan Plateau area (approximately −3.0 kWh m−2 year−1 in 2006–2100). With respect to the global distribution of potential photovoltaic power output, large quantities of photovoltaic power are distributed in the northern and southern parts of Africa, the Middle East, the Tibetan Plateau area, the west coasts of North and South America and most of Australia. The yearly mean sum photovoltaic power in these regions is larger than 2000 kW h m−2. Due to the long-term decreasing photovoltaic power (0.67 kWh m−2 year−1) expected worldwide in 2006–2100, effective and rational utilization of solar energy is of great importance.

Endogenous aldehydes (EAs) formed by the free-radical-mediated reaction are regarded as potential biological markers of several diseases. In this work, an automated and solvent-free analytical method was developed for quantitative analysis of seven EAs (C1-C7) in human blood by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with a headspace generator sampler (HS-GC-MS). A 1:4 (blood:water) dilution and the 1,2‑dibromopropane internal standard were introduced to reduce the influence of the matrix effect from complex biological fluids. The sample preparation steps were simplified. Various experimental parameters for derivatization and extraction conditions were studied such as HS extraction temperature and time, the amount of derivatization reagent, pH and the salt effect. Under these optimum conditions, seven low-mass aldehydes were separated and analyzed within 10 min. Additionally, this method achieved limits of detection in the range of 0.0692-0.864 μg/L, an excellent linearity with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9996 and appropriate repeatability and reproducibility values (RSD 12% at low, middle and high levels). The HS-GC-MS method was applied to measure the concentrations of the seven aldehydes in blood from bladder cancer patients (n = 15) and control subjects (n = 15). Compared with the control subjects, the levels of butanal (p 0.01), formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propanal, pentanal, hexanal and heptanal (all p 0.001) were increased significantly, indicating that EAs may be useful as biomarkers in the early diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Bacteria inhabiting the gut of insects provide many benefits to their hosts, such as aiding in food digestion, reproduction, and immunity, tissue homeostasis, adaptation to environment and resistance to pathogen and pesticides. The cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, is a serious cosmopolitan pest of pulses. This beetle has lent itself as a guinea pig for several ecological studies. It harbors a consortium of bacterial communities in its gut, but the evidence for their role in its physiology is fragmentary. In this work, we hypothesized that gut microbiota mediates C. maculatus resistance to dichlorvos (DDVP or O,O-dimethyl O-2,2-dichlorovinylphosphate) and represent the target of Lippia adoensis (Gambian Tea Bush) essential oil (EO). Symbiotic and aposymbiotic beetles were exposed to artificial cowpea seeds earlier treated with DDVP or EO. Adult mortality and changes in gut bacterial community composition and abundance were examined at F1 and F5 generations. The susceptibility of experimental beetles to DDVP was significantly affected by their symbiotic status. The adult mortality decreased across generations in DDVP treatments, and remained significantly higher in aposymbiotic groups. In EO treatments, the mortality was consistent irrespective of symbiotic status and experimental generations. When compared to DDVP and the Control, EO treatments had significantly lower bacterial richness and diversity, as well as lower abundance of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. These results support our hypothesis and describe the responses of gut microbial communities to pesticide treatments. This could be of interest for developing new management strategies of this pest.

A dual-phase Ni–Mn–Ga alloy, composed of an austenite matrix with stably existing martensite embryos, was designed for the experimental and theoretical investigation of the evolution of the crystallographic structure during step-wise stress-induced martensite detwinning and martensite transformation. This research provides an insight into the detwinning mechanisms of a hierarchical twinning structure and crystallographic characterization of a three-stage austenite–martensite transformation., Stress-induced martensitic detwinning and martensitic transformation during step-wise compression in an austenite Ni–Mn–Ga matrix with a martensite cluster under uniaxial loading have been investigated by electron backscatter diffraction, focusing on the crystallographic features of microstructure evolution. The results indicate that detwinning occurs on twins with a high Schmid factor for both intra-plate and inter-plate twins in the hierarchical structure, resulting in a nonmodulated (NM) martensite composed only of favourable variants with [001]NM orientation away from the compression axis. Moreover, the stress-induced martensitic transformation occurs at higher stress levels, undergoing a three-stage transformation from austenite to a twin variant pair and finally to a single variant with increasing compressive stress, and theoretical calculation shows that the corresponding crystallographic configuration is accommodated to the compression stress. The present research not only provides a comprehensive understanding of martensitic variant detwinning and martensitic transformation under compression stress, but also offers important guidelines for the mechanical training process of martensite.

The lower developmental threshold (LDT) and the number of developmental degree days (DDs) are fundamental parameters used to build phenology models that can be used to predict the timing of biological events during insect development. The Chinese citrus fly, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the most destructive citrus pest in China and Bhutan. This species overwinters as diapausing pupae in the soil before emerging as adults in the spring. In this study, B. minax collected from three representative geographical populations in China (Guizhou, Hubei, and Shaanxi) was used to conduct LDT experiments under laboratory conditions. Emergence data collected from pupae exposed to 10 constant temperatures was used to estimate the LDT and DDs required to complete pupal development for the three populations. The results show that LDT and DDs values for the Hubei and Shaanxi population are 11.9°C, 447.3 DDs and 11.5°C, 511.3 DDs, respectively. However, the geographic variation in pupal developmental rates was not statistically significant between the two populations. In addition, the Guizhou population was identified as a mixture of B. minax and B. tsuneonis (Miyake). The LDT and DDs values for the Hubei and Shaanxi populations obtained in this study can be used to predict adult emergence of naturally occurring field populations of B. minax within the majority of the citrus-growing production areas of China. These data can also be used in models to predict the risk of establishment of this species in the United States or other citrus-growing regions.

Ectropisgrisescens Warren (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is one of the most severe defoliating pests of tea plants. Synthetic pesticides have been widely applied to control this pest in tea plantations, but pesticide residues may decrease the quality and safety of tea products. In the present study, we hypothesized that soil treatment with the two commercial biopesticides (Shuiguxin®) based on Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin and Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) could reduce the survivorship and fitness of E. grisescens. Wandering larvae of E. grisescens were allowed to pupate in soil treated with each biopesticide, and the concentrations of M. anisopliae (Shuiguxin®) and B. bassiana (Shuiguxin®) that produced the 50% mortality values (LC50) were 2.9 × 106 and 1.6 × 107 conidia/g soil, respectively. Artificial burying the pupae using soil treated with M. anisopliae (Shuiguxin®) and B. bassiana (Shuiguxin®) (1 × 108 or 1 × 109 conidia/g soil for both biopesticides) also significantly reduced emergence success of E. grisescens. In addition, choice tests showed that soil treated with the high concentration of M. anisopliae (Shuiguxin®) or B. bassiana (Shuiguxin®) had repellent effects on pupating E. grisescens. However, sublethal concentrations (LC25 and LC50) of both biopesticides did not significantly affect fecundity, fertility and longevity of post-emerged adults. Our study showed that soil treatment with the two commercial biopesticides caused direct mortality of pupating E. grisescens, but may not effectively suppress E. grisescens populations at sublethal concentrations. The realistic application of the fungal dosage in fields should be determined in future studies

BACKGROUND The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is the first target pest that has developed resistance to Bt crops across several countries. Leaf tissue and whole plant assays were employed to determine the survival, development, progeny production, and net reproductive rate of all nine possible genotypes of Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2-dual gene resistant S. frugiperda on non-Bt and MON 89034 maize expressing the Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 proteins. RESULTS The homozygous resistant genotype was highly resistant to Bt plants. Genotypes possessing only Cry2Ab2 resistance alleles (RAs) or two Cry1A.105 RAs only were susceptible to MON 89034 with a functional dominance level (DML ) of 0.0-0.07 on MON 89034 plants. In contrast, genotypes containing two Cry1A.105 plus one Cry2Ab2 RA performed well on Bt plants, with a DML of 0.11-0.78. Significant numbers of survivors on Bt plants were also observed for genotypes containing a single Cry1A.105 RA, or a Cry1A.105 plus one or two Cry2Ab2 RAs, with a DML of 0.0-0.47. CONCLUSIONS The fitness of individual resistant genes on pyramided Bt plants varied in the dual-gene resistance system. Genotypes containing more Cry1A.105 RAs performed better than those possessing more Cry2Ab2 RAs. The functional dominance level of an individual resistant gene in this system is related to the DML level in its corresponding single-gene system. Data generated from this study should fill gaps in understanding dual-/multiple-gene Bt resistance, as well as providing useful information for refining resistance modeling, improving resistance risk assessment, and developing management strategies for the sustainable use of pyramided Bt maize technology. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Objectives This study depicts the dose-response relationship between blood pressure (BP) during pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes in different trimesters. Study design We used restricted cubic spline to quantify the dose-response relationship between maternal BP in different trimesters and risk of adverse birth outcomes (small for gestational age, SGA; and pre-term birth, PTB). The data were from the Ma’anshan birth cohort study in China (N = 3273). Main outcome measures Risk of SGA and PTB. Results There were dose-response associations of both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) with risk of SGA in the third trimester and with PTB in both second and third trimesters. In the third trimester, compared with SBP of 120 mmHg, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of SGA were 1.12 (1.01–1.19), 1.32 (1.10–1.60), 1.65 (1.20–2.27) and 2.05 (1.30–3.24) for SBP of 125, 130, 135 and 140 mmHg, respectively. The corresponding ORs and 95% CIs of PTB were 1.15 (1.00–1.32), 1.59 (1.28–1.98), 2.35 (1.66–3.33) and 3.47 (2.10–5.73), respectively. Compared with DBP of 70 mmHg, the ORs and 95% CIs of SGA were 1.44 (1.16–1.78) and 3.04 (2.06–4.50) for DBP of 80 and 90 mmHg, respectively. The corresponding ORs and 95% CIs of PTB were 1.32 (0.93–1.90) and 3.58 (2.21–5.78), respectively. Conclusions A consistent set of dose-response relationships between maternal BP and adverse birth outcomes were observed. Most importantly, we found that moderately elevated maternal BP, even within a normal range, increased the risk of adverse birth outcomes.

Intermolecular asymmetric dearomative 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 2-nitrobenzofurans with azomethine ylides was enabled by using a chiral Cu(i)/(S,Sp)-iPr-Phosferrox catalyst. As a result, a series of highly stereoselective chiral [2,3]-fused hydrobenzofurans possessing four contiguous stereogenic centers were obtained with good to high yields, diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. The reaction has broad substrate scope tolerating various functional groups.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E.Smith.), is an important pest that has developed resistance to Bt corn in several countries. In this study, leaf-tissue bioassays and whole-plant tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of a Bt-susceptible (aabb), a Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2 dual-gene resistant (AABB), and a heterozygous (AaBa) genotypes of S. frugiperda on two non-Bt and five pyramided Bt corn traits. The five Bt corn traits were Genuity® VT Double Pro® (VT-2P) containing Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 genes, Optimum®Intrasect® (Intrasect) containing Cry1F and Cry1Ab, Genuity® SmartStax® (SMT) containing Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2, and Cry1F against lepidopteran pests, Optimum® Leptra® (Leptra) containing Cry1Ab, Cry1F, and Vip3A, and Trecepta ™ (Trecepta) containing Cry1A.105, Cry2Ab2, and Vip3A. Larvae of the three genotypes survived well on non-Bt corn, while few aabb survived on Bt corn plants. Survivorship of AABB on Bt leaf tissue was 43.7% for VT-2P, 29.7% for Intrasect, and 47.7% for SMT, and live larvae were recovered from 46.9% of VT-2P, 12.5% of Intrasect, and 21.9% of SMT whole plants. Some AaBb larvae also survived on these three Bt corn traits. In contrast, leaf tissue of Leptra and Trecepta killed all three genotypes, and few larvae survived on whole plants of the two Bt corn traits. The results demonstrated that AABB was highly resistant to VT-2P, and somewhat cross-resistant to Intrasect and SMT. The dual-gene resistance in AABB was non-recessive on VT-2P. Pyramided corn traits containing Vip3A were effective against the three genotypes. However, Vip3A in the current pyramided Bt corn traits apparently is the only fully active Bt protein against the Cry1/Cry2-resistant S. frugiperda. More effective resistance management plans are necessary to suppress resistance to Bt crops and sustain the value of these technologies.

The cowpea beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a field-to-store pest, which can cause up to 80% damage of cowpea grains within 3 months of storage. The control approach consisting of application of synthetic pesticides has become challenging following the increased resistance and toxicity to non-target organisms and the environment. Here, we hypothesized that Lippia adoensis essential oil (EO) (plant-based insecticide) can repress cytochrome P450-dependent mono-oxygenase and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) genes and suppress C. maculatus resistance to dichlorvos (O,O-dimethyl-O-2,2-dichlorovinylphosphate or DDVP). The methods consisted of separately exposing C. maculatus adults to cowpea seeds treated with DDVP and L. adoensis EO. Their physiological and molecular responses were monitored for five generations. Adult mortality of DDVP-treated beetles significantly decreased across generations and negatively correlated with the reproduction parameters (increase in fecundity and adult emergence) and seed damage. Similarly, the decrease in adult susceptibility corresponded with the increase in the expression levels of cytochrome P450 and GST genes (overexpression of genes). However, the adult susceptibility to EO treatments remained consistent across generations and correlated with the down-regulation of targeted genes from the third generation (F3). These results support our hypotheses and provide a probable molecular basis of resistance to DDVP and susceptibility to L. adoensis EO in C. maculatus. Therefore, L. adoensis EO represents an alternative insecticide that could be employed to enhance the vulnerability of this pest.

Wavelet denoising and the separability index of state feature class are proposed to evaluate the denoising effect. While introducing the Fisher standard discriminant rate F to measure class separability, the Fisher standard discrimination rate of each characteristic parameter after noise detection by using the rigrsure-sln soft threshold for airflow pulsation and fan noise signal are improved obviously. In this paper, the G-P algorithm is used to calculate the relationship among airflow pulsation, fan noise and vibration signal. It is found that rigrsure-sln soft-threshold method is better than other threshold method for denoising the airflow pulsation and the fan noise signal. The phase diagram of the airflow pulsation and the noise collection signal of the ventilator are disordered due to the influence of noise, and the signal after wavelet denoising shows a clear and regular chaotic attractor.

To explore the prognostic factors of young and middle-aged patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the predictive value of minimal residual disease (MRD) before consolidation therapy.The clinical data of 262 middle-risk young and middle-aged patients with AML treated in our hospital from January 2010 to December 2018 were selected retrospectively. All the patients were reached morphological leukemia-free state (MLFS) after induction chemotherapy, the overall and subgroup clinical data of the selected patients were analyzed. Cox regression model was used to evaluate the independent prognostic factors of middle-risk newly diagnosed young and middle-aged patients.Among the patients less than 40 years old treated by consolidation therapy with PR-CT and allo-HSCT regimens, the 5-year cumulative leukemia-free survival(LFS) rates were 40.92% and 63.51%（P=0.01）respectively, while those over 40 years old were 23.61% and 49.14%（P=0.00）, respectively. The 5-year cumulative LFS rates of the patients treated by chemotherapy and achieved early remission and late remission were 63.51% and 41.33% （P=0.01）, respectively. The 5-year cumulative overall survival(OS) rates of the patients treated by PR-CT and allo-HSCT regimens were 23.65% and 69.32% (P=0.00), respectively, and the 5-year cumulative LFS rates were 26.44% and 52.30% (P=0.01). Among the patients treated by PR-CT consolidation treatment, the MRD-negative and MRD-positive cases were 74 and 60 cases, respectively. The 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse rate in the MRD-negative subgroup was significantly lower than those in the MRD-positive subgroup (P0.05), the 5-year LFS rate and OS rate of the patients in MRD-negative subgroup were significantly higher than those in MRD-positive subgroup (P0.05). For the patients treated by allo-HSCT consolidation treatment, the MRD-negative and MRD-positive cases were 66 and 62 cases, respectively. The 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse rate of the patients in MRD-negative subgroup was significantly lower than those in MRD-positive subgroup（P0.05）, and the 5-year LFS and OS rates of the patients in MRD-negative subgroup were significantly higher than those in MRD-positive subgroup (P0.05). The univariate analysis results showed that age, chromosome karyotype, MRD status after reaching MLFS, and consolidation treatment regime were all related to the prognosis of patients (P0.05). The multivariate analysis results showed that age, MRD status after reaching MLFS, and consolidation therapy were the independent factors affecting the cumulative OS rate of the patients (P0.05). Chromosome karyotype was an independent factor affecting the cumulative LFS rate of the patients (P0.05). MRD status and consolidation treatment plan after reaching MLFS were the independent factors affecting the cumulative recurrence rate of the patients (P0.05).The OS rate of middle-risk young and middle-aged patients with newly diagnosed AML is independently related to age, MRD status after MLFS and consolidation therapy, while chromosome karyotype is independently related to cumulative LFS, and allo-HSCT consolidation therapy is recommended for middle-risk young and middle-aged AML patients after induction chemotherapy for MLFS, especially for those less than 40 years old and MRD positive before consolidation therapy.中危初诊中青年AML患者预后的影响因素及巩固治疗前MRD预测价值研究.探讨中危初诊中青年急性髓系白血病（AML）患者预后的影响因素及巩固治疗前微小残留病变（MRD）预测价值.回顾性选取本院2010年1月-2018年12月收治中危初诊中青年AML共262例，所有患者均在诱导化疗后达形态学无白血病状态（MLFS），对患者的总体和亚组临床数据进行分析。采用Cox回归模型评价中危初诊中青年AML患者的预后独立影响因素.40岁的患者中，巩固治疗接受PR-CT和allo-HSCT方案5年累积无白血病生存（LFS）率分别为40.92%、63.51%（P=0.01）；而≥40岁的患者则分别为23.61%、49.14%（P=0.00）；诱导化疗早期缓解和晚期缓解5年累积LFS率分别为63.51%、41.33%（P=0.01）；接受PR-CT和allo-HSCT方案治疗5年累积总生存（OS）率分别为23.65%、69.32%（P=0.00），5年累积LFS率分别为26.44%、52.30%（P=0.01）。接受PR-CT巩固治疗的患者中，MRD阴性和阳性分别为74和60例；MRD阴性亚组5年累积复发率显著低于MRD阳性亚组（P0.05）；接受PR-CT患者中，MRD阴性亚组5年LFS率和OS率均显著高于MRD阳性亚组（P0.05）。接受allo-HSCT巩固治疗的患者中，MRD阴性和阳性分别为66和62例；MRD阴性亚组5年累积复发率显著低于MRD阳性亚组（P0.05）；allo-HSCT患者中，MRD阴性亚组5年LFS率和OS率均显著高于MRD阳性亚组（P0.05）。单因素分析结果显示，年龄、染色体核型、达MLFS后MRD状态及巩固治疗方案均与患者预后有关（P0.05）。多因素分析结果显示，年龄、达MLFS后MRD状态及巩固治疗方案是患者累积OS率的独立影响因素（P0.05）；染色体核型是患者累积LFS率的独立影响因素（P0.05）；达MLFS后MRD状态和巩固治疗方案是影响患者累积复发率的独立影响因素（P0.05）.中危初诊中青年AML患者总生存与年龄、达MLFS后MRD状态及巩固治疗方案独立相关，而染色体核型则与患者累积LFS独立相关；对于中危中青年AML患者诱导化疗达MLFS后推荐接受allo-HSCT进行巩固治疗，尤其适用于＜40岁且巩固治疗前MRD阳性人群.

To establish the method for determining non-volatile ingredients of neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, rosmarinic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, luteoloside, isoquercitrin, hesperidin, diosmin, diosmetin, luteolin, acacetin and linarin in Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules and traditional herbal pieces by UPLC-MS/MS, and analyze the correlation of non-volatile ingredients in Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules and traditional herbal pieces. Shim-pack GIST C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 2 μm) was adopted with acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as the mobile phase for gradient elution at the flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1). The column temperature was set at 35 ℃. The quantitative analysis was performed using the electrospray ionization source and the multiple reaction monitoring. The linear relationship, resolution, repeatability and recovery of the 16 chemical components all met the requirements. The 16 non-volatile ingredients in traditional herbal pieces of Menthae Haplocalycis Herba could be tracked in formula granules. There were certain differences of the 16 chemical components among Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules of different manufacturers and traditional herbal pieces of different producing areas. The UPLC-MS/MS method was simple, rapid and accurate, and could be used for the quality control of non-volatile ingredients in Menthae Haplocalycis Herba formula granules and traditional herbal pieces.

The corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is a major pest targeted by pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn and cotton in the U.S. Cry1Ab is one of the first insecticidal toxins used in Bt crops, while Vip3A is a relatively new toxin that has recently been incorporated into Cry corn with event MIR 162 and Cry cotton varieties to generate pyramided Bt traits targeting lepidopteran pests including H. zea. The objectives of this study were to determine the current status and distribution of the Cry1Ab resistance, and evaluate the susceptibility to Vip3Aa20 expressed in MIR 162 corn in H. zea in the southeastern U.S. During 2018 and 2019, 32 H. zea populations were collected from non-Bt corn (19 populations), Cry corn (12), and Cry/Vip3A cotton (1) across major corn areas in seven southeastern states of the U.S. Susceptibility of these populations to Cry1Ab and Vip3Aa20 was determined using diet-overlay bioassays. Compared to a known susceptible insect strain, 80% of the field populations were 13- to &gt, 150-fold resistant to Cry1Ab, while their response to Vip3Aa20 ranged from &gt, 11-fold more susceptible to 9-fold more tolerant. Mean susceptibility to each Bt toxin was not significantly different between the two groups of the populations collected from non-Bt and Bt crops, as well as between the two groups of the populations collected during 2018 and 2019. The results show that resistance to Cry1Ab in H. zea is widely distributed across the region. However, the Cry1Ab-resistant populations are not cross-resistant to Vip3Aa20, and H. zea in the region is still susceptible to the Vip3Aa20 toxin. Vip3Aa20 concentrations between 5 and 10 &micro, g/cm2 may be used as diagnostic concentrations for susceptibility monitoring in future. Additional studies are necessary to elucidate the impact of the selection with Bt corn on resistance evolution in H. zea to Vip3A cotton in the U.S.

To realize the safe transmission of images, a chaotic image encryption algorithm based on Latin square and random shift is proposed. The algorithm consists of four parts: key generation, pixel scrambling, pixel replacement, and bit scrambling. Firstly, the key is generated from the plain image to improve the sensitivity of the encryption method. Secondly, each pixel in each row of the image matrix is moved cyclically to the right, in turn, to change the position of the image pixel and realize pixel position scrambling. Then, a 256-order Latin square matrix composed of a chaotic sequence is used as a lookup table, and the replacement coordinates are calculated based on the image pixel value and the chaotic sequence value, replacing the corresponding coordinate elements in the image matrix. Finally, decompose the bitplane of the image matrix and combine it into two-bit matrices, scramble the two bit matrices, respectively, with the Latin square matrix, recombine the scrambled two-bit matrices, and convert them into decimal to obtain the ciphertext image. In the proposed encryption method, all the Latin square matrices used are generated by chaotic sequences, further enhancing the complexity of the generated Latin square matrix and improving the algorithm’s security. Experimental results and security analysis show that the proposed algorithm has good security performance and is suitable for image encryption.

Previous studies have reported that the corn earworm/bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), has developed field resistance to pyramided Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1A/Cry2A maize and cotton in certain areas of the southeastern United States. The objective of the current study was to determine the current status and distribution of the resistance to Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 in H. zea. In the study, 31 H. zea populations were collected from major maize planting areas across seven southeastern states of the United States during 2018 and 2019 and assayed against the two Bt proteins. Diet over-lay bioassays showed that most of the populations collected during the two years were significantly resistant to the Cry1A.105 protein. Most of the populations collected during 2019 were also resistant to Cry2Ab2, while significant variances were observed in the susceptibility of the populations collected during 2018 to Cry2Ab2. The results showed that Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 resistance in H. zea is widely distributed in the regions sampled. The resistance to Cry1A.105 appeared to have plateaued, while selection for Cry2Ab2 resistance is likely still occurring. Thus, effective measures for mitigating the Cry1A/Cry2A resistance need to be developed and implemented to ensure the sustainable use of Bt crop biotechnology.

The classical Sonogashira reaction of aryl electrophiles in the presence of Pd catalysts has been well established as a potent method for arylalkyne synthesis. However, the site-selective C(sp

The evidence of long-term clinical dynamic on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA re-positive case are less. We performed a 108 days follow-up on dynamic clinical presentations in a case, who hospitalized three times due to the positive recurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA after discharge, to understand the prognosis of the 2019-Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In this case, positive SARS-CoV-2 recurred even after apparent recovery (normal CT imaging, no clinical symptoms, negative SARS-CoV-2 on stool sample and negative serum IgM test) from COVID-19, viral shedding duration lasted for 65 days, the time from symptom onset to disappearance was up to 95 days. Erythrocyte-associated indicators, liver function and serum lipid metabolism presented abnormal throughout during the observation period. Awareness of atypical presentations such as this one is important to prompt the improvement of the management of COVID-19.

The parasites and eggs of helminths, including schistosomes, are associated with factors that can modulate the nature and outcomes of host immune responses, particularly enhancing type 2 immunity and impairing the effects of type 1 and type 17 immunity. The main species of schistosomes that cause infection in humans are capable of generating a microenvironment that allows survival of the parasite by evasion of the immune response. Schistosome infections are associated with beneficial effects on chronic immune disorders, including allergies, autoimmune diseases, and alloimmune responses. Recently, there has been increasing research interest in the role of schistosomes in immunoregulation during human infection, and the mechanisms underlying these roles continue to be investigated. Further studies may identify potential opportunities to develop new treatments for immune disease. In this review, we provide an update on the advances in our understanding of schistosome-associated modulation of the cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems as well as the potential role of schistosome-associated factors as therapeutic modulators of immune disorders, including allergies, autoimmune diseases, and transplant immunopathology. We also discuss potential opportunities for targeting schistosome-induced immunoregulation for future translation to the clinical setting.

To investigate the influence of subchronic exposure to low-dose subchronic nano-nickel oxide (NNO) on the reproductive function of male rats and embryonic development of the pregnant rats.Fifty normal healthy male SD rats weighing 180－220 g were randomly divided into five groups of equal number, negative control, 4 mg/ml micro-nickel oxide (MNO), and 0.16, 0.8 and 4 mg/ml NNO, those of the latter four groups exposed to MNO or NNO by non-contact intratracheal instillation once every 3 days for 60 days, and then all mated with normal adult female rats in the ratio of 1∶2. After the female animals were confirmed to be pregnant, the males were sacrificed and the weights of the body, testis and epididymis obtained, followed by calculation of the visceral coefficients, determination of epididymal sperm concentration and viability and the nickel contents in the blood and semen by atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The female rats were killed on the 20th day of gestation for counting of the implanted fertilized eggs and live, dead and resorbed fetuses.After 60 days of exposure, the rats of the NNO groups showed no statistically significant differences from those of the negative control and MNO groups in the weights of the body, testis and epididymis or visceral coefficients. Compared with the negative control group, the animals of the 0.8 and 4 mg/ml NNO groups exhibited markedly decreased sperm concentration (［9.36 ± 0.98］ vs ［7.49 ± 1.46］ and ［6.30 ± 1.36］ ×10⁶/ml, P0.05) and viable sperm (［85.35 ± 9.16］% vs ［68.26 ± 16.63］% and ［65.88 ± 14.68］ %, P0.05), increased morphologically abnormal sperm (［8.30 ± 2.47］% vs ［13.99 ± 4.87］% and ［15.38 ± 8.86］ %, P0.05), and elevated rate of dead and resorbed fetuses (1.18% vs 6.89% and 7.37%, P0.05), blood nickel content (［0.13 ± 0.16］ vs ［0.52 ± 0.34］ and ［0.82 ± 0.44］ mg/L, P0.05) and semen nickel content (［0.08 ± 0.13］ vs ［0.35 ± 0.23］ and ［0.63 ± 0.61］ mg/L, P0.05). The nickel level in the semen was correlated significantly with that in the blood (r = 0.912, P0.01), negatively with the rate of viable sperm (r = －0.879, P0.01) and positively with the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm (r = －0.898, P0.01).Sixty-day exposure to nano-nickel oxide at 0.8 and 4 mg/ml can produce reproductive toxicity in male rats and result in fetal abnormality in the females, while that at 0.16 mg/ml has no significant toxic effect on the reproductive function of the males.

Background Since the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first identified in Wuhan, China, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogen, the disease has been found in many countries. Considering the lack of effective drugs and rapid spread of COVID-19, we did a clinical detailed retrospective analysis of 70 discharged patients which can help us to better determine the clinical features of the disease.Method We collected demographic, epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and chest computed tomographic (CT) data from patients’ hospital records, the time period were from hospitalization day1 to day7 and hospitalization last day. The retrospective study totally included 70 COVID-19 patients.Results The median age was 43 (IQR: 34-56) years. 41 (58.6%) patients were female, and there were 33 (47.1%) patients who were hospitalized more than 14 days. 18 (25.7%) patients were residents of Wuhan or recently travelled to Wuhan, 38 (54.3%) patients were having a close contact with the COVID-19 patients. The most common pre-existing diseases were liver disease (15.7%), hypertension (12.9%), renal disease (8.6), lung disease (5.7%). The time from illness onset to hospitalization was 4 (IQR: 2-7) days. The most common treatment regimen was Lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV) + Interferon alpha inhalation (IAI) + Arbidol. Compared with hospitalization day1, White blood cell count, C-reacting protein, Potassium, Aspartate aminotransferase, Lactate dehydrogenase, and Lactic acid were significantly different than hospitalization day-last. The median number of times a patients receiving chest computed tomography (CT) from day1 to day7 was 3 (IQR: 3-4). The typical chest computed tomographic images were patchy shadows and ground glass opacity.Conclusion Currently, there are no specific antiviral therapies for COVID-19. 70 COVID-19 patients in our study responded positively to treatment during the two-week period. For those discharged patients with abnormal results, more attention is needed in the future studies to control the transmission.

Background: Photosynthesis is the primary energy for biosphere, and is the foundation for life on earth. Leaf color mutations are widely used to study chloroplast structure and development, biosynthesis and metabolism of chlorophyll and plant photosynthesis, such as in rice and maize, with many genes be mapped and cloned. By comparison, there is few researches on the leaf color mutants in wheat. More and more studies have demonstrated that photosynthesis is involved in plant-pathogen interaction, whether leaf color mutations affect plant-pathogen interactions are rarely reported.Results: In this study, a leaf color mutant, NAU31, which has fewer tillers, dwarfed plant and improved powdery mildew resistance was identified from regenerated plant of common wheat cv. Yangmai158. Inheritance analysis of NAU31 showed that the above mutant traits were significantly correlated and controlled by a dominant gene, named Tatyd. Linkage analysis of a mapping population between NAU31 and a synthesized wheat W7984 using SSR markers, the Tatyd was preliminary mapped to 2DS. By BSA and linkage analysis using a 55K wheat SNP array, the Tatyd was fine mapped to the terminal region of 2DS, flanked by markers ZH47 and gwm296 and corresponding to a physical interval of 0.76 Mb. Genome-wide gene expression analysis indicated that the impairing of photosynthesis may be responsible for plant yellowing in NAU31. Photosynthetic physiological analysis showed varied chloroplast inner structure in the mesophyll cells of the mutant, and this may lead to reduced chlorophyll content (chlorophyll “a”, Chlorophyll “b”, total chlorophyll and carotenoid), as well as decreased maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and Net photosynthetic rate.Conclusions: A mutant with few-tiller, plant yellowish, dwarfness and improved powdery mildew resistance was identified, and the mutated locus Tatyd was fine mapped to a 0.76 Mb genome region of wheat chromosome 2D. The yellowing trait of NAU31 may be attributed to its reduced photosynthesis ability due to changes of the chloroplast inner structure. The cloning of Tatyd will facilitate dissection of the mechanism involved in chloroplast development of wheat and the regulation of plant development and disease resistance.

Schisantherin A is an active ingredient originating from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) which has hepatoprotective and anti-oxidation activities. In this study, in vitro metabolisms investigated on rat liver microsomes (RLMs) and in vivo metabolisms explored on male Sprague Dawley rats of Schisantherin A were tested, respectively. The metabolites of Schisantherin A were identified using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). Based on the method, 60 metabolites were successfully identified and structurally characterized including 48 phase-I and 12 phase-II metabolites. Among the metabolites, 45 metabolites were reported for the first time. Moreover, 56 and eight metabolites were detected in urine and bile and 19 metabolites were identified in rats&rsquo, plasma. It demonstrated that hepatic and extra-hepatic metabolic pathways were both involved in Schisantherin A biotransformation in rats. Five in vitro metabolites were structurally characterized for the first time. The results indicated that the metabolic pathways mainly include oxidation, reduction, methylation, and conjugation with glucuronide, taurine, glucose, and glutathione groups. This study provides a practical strategy for rapidly screening and identifying metabolites, and the results provide basic data for future pharmacological and toxicology studies of Schisantherin A and other lignin ingredients.

Sterile insect technology (SIT) is an environmentally friendly method for pest control. As part of our efforts to develop a strategy that results in engineered male-sterile strains with minimum effects on viability and mating competition, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to disrupt Ser2, which encodes a seminal fluid protein, in the model lepidopteran insect, Bombyx mori, and an important agricultural pest, Plutella xylostella. Disruption of Ser2 resulted in dominant heritable male sterility. Wild-type females mated with Ser2-deficient males laid eggs normally, but the eggs did not hatch. We detected no differences in other reproductive behaviors in the mutant males. These results support the conclusion that Ser2 gene is necessary for male reproductive success in diverse lepidopterans. Targeting Ser2 gene has the potential to form the basis for a new strategy for pest control.

As a new encryption method, the DNA cryptography takes DNA as the information carrier, and makes full use of the advantages of DNA molecules, such as ultra-high storage density, ultra-low energy consumption, and the potential of ultra-large-scale parallel computing to realize the cryptographic functions of information encryption, authentication, and signature. In this paper, the current research status of DNA cryptography is reviewed, the encryption and authentication based on the DNA molecule and the analysis of traditional cryptography based on the DNA computing are introduced, and the DNA encryption algorithm based on the DNA origami is discussed. The future development of the DNA cryptography is also prospected.

Vision plays a critical role in host location and oviposition behavior for herbivorous insects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying visual regulation in host recognition and oviposition site selection in insects remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the key visual genes that are linked to the host plant location of the fruit fly, Bactrocera minax.Using a host specialist fruit fly, B. minax, which lays eggs only into immature green citrus fruit, we undertook behavioral, transcriptomic, and RNAi research to identify the molecular basis for host fruit color recognition. In laboratory and field assays we found that adults prefer green over other colors, and this preference is significantly increased in sexually mature over immature flies. Furthermore, we identified that the Rh6 gene, responsible for green spectral sensitivity, has elevated expression in mature flies over immature flies. RNAi suppression of Rh6 eliminated the preference for green, resulting in a significant decrease in the number of eggs laid by B. minax in green unripe citrus.These results show that the Rh6 gene modulates the visual mechanism of host utilization in B. minax, providing a genetic basis for visual host location in a non-model insect herbivore. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Daily measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and other meteorological parameters at 16 stations in China during 2005–2015 were used to develop the all-weather Adaptive-Network-based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) PAR models. The ANFIS models were compared with other semi-empirical and semi-physical methods, and the results showed that ANFIS models using global solar radiation (G) as input parameter provided more accurate estimates than other models. Daily PAR values during 1961–2016 were reconstructed using meteorological parameters at 908 meteorological stations, and the spatiotemporal characteristics of PAR in China were analyzed. The daily PAR ranged from 20.03 to 36.29 mol m−2 day−1 with annual mean value being about 29.03 mol m−2 day−1 in China during 1961–2016. The PAR values were generally higher in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and Inner Mongolian Plateau (IMP) and lower in Northeast and Southeast China, especially in the Sichuan Basin. PAR decreased in most part of China, especially in Northeast China, with the minimum value being about − 0.11 mol m−2 day−1 year−1 during 1961–2016. The increasing trend only appeared in Southwest China with the maximum value being about 0.02 mol m−2 day−1 year−1. Annual mean daily G, PAR fraction (Fp, the ratio of PAR and G), sunshine duration (SSD), relative humidity (RH), and water pressure (MP) were further analyzed to find the influencing parameters for PAR. The results showed that G, Fp, and SSD were the major factors for influencing PAR in most part of China, but in some areas, RH and MP influenced the PAR more effectively. Finally, the monthly variations of aerosol optical depth (AOD) in the Yangtze River Basin gathered from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level 3 Atmosphere Product during 2002–2016 were analyzed, which was one important factors influencing the PAR values in summer and winter months.

Laser heating assisted cutting is a lucrative technique for machining difficult-to-machine materials such as tungsten carbide (YG20), which uses a high power laser to focally heat a workpiece before the material removal with traditional or innovative cutting tool. In the latter case, the application of ultrasonic vibration to the cutting edge was found to replace the continuous cutting mode to the interrupted one, it reduces the adhesion and entanglement of chips, improves the tool wear and surface roughness of the workpiece. The combination of laser heating assisted cutting and two-dimensional ultrasonic vibration cutting methods has been successfully applied by the authors of this paper for cutting of tungsten carbide (YG20). In this follow-up study, the proposed composite method is experimentally and theoretically verified. Through the mathematical model and simulation analysis, its advantages, including small cutting force, softening the effect and improved machining properties of the processed material (YG20) are corroborated. The dependencies between the laser power, cutting speed, depth of cut, and feed rate on the surface roughness are established via the response surface methodology. The genetic algorithm is applied to the optimization of machining parameters by setting the material removal rate as the object variable and surface roughness as a constraint variable. The results obtained strongly suggest that the optimized parameters improve the processing efficiency and furnish the required processing quality.

Sex determination has been studied in the model lepidopteran species Bombyx mori, but it remains poorly understood in lepidopteran pests. In the present study, we identified and characterized the Masculinizer (Masc) gene in a Noctuidae pest species, Agrotis ipsilon. Sequence analysis revealed that AiMasc encodes a protein of 658 amino acids that has two CCCH-type zinc finger domains and two conserved cysteine residues (Cys-277 and Cys-280). We assessed the masculinizing activity of AiMasc in BmN cells and found that AiMasc induced expression of the male-specific doublesex isoform. Disruption of Masc via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) in A. ipsilon caused abnormalities in abdominal segments and external genitalia, resulting in male-specific sterility. These results suggest that Masc participates in the process of sex determination in A. ipsilon. Successful identification of sex-determination gene in a pest species may enable the development of novel genetic approaches for pest control.

A direct route to chiral six-membered carbocyclic purine nucleoside analogues with three chiral stereocenters, including a chiral tetrasubstituted carbon center, via a highly enantioselective [3 + 3] annulation has been established. With the application of Takemoto's catalyst, various chiral six-membered carbocyclic purine nucleoside analogues were obtained in high yields (up to 89%) with moderate to good diastereoselectivities (up to 90:10 dr) and excellent enantioselectivities (92-98% ee). Furthermore, diverse chiral six-membered carbocyclic purine nucleoside analogues were generated by simple transformations.