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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.

Cry1A.105 is a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein expressed in many Bt corn hybrids for controlling moth pests including the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). The objective of this study was to compare the inheritance and fitness costs of two Cry1A.105-resistant FAW strains (RR32 and RR67) from Florida, U.S. To assess inheritance of the resistance, larval mortality of one susceptible strain (SS), RR32, RR67, and eight FAW strains generated from various genetic crosses was assayed on Cry1A.105-treated diet and Cry1A.105 corn leaf tissues. In the fitness cost study, survival, growth, development, and fecundity of SS, RR32, RR67, and two F 1 heterozygous-resistant FAW strains were evaluated on non-Bt corn leaf tissue. The Cry1A.105 resistance in both RR32 and RR67 was likely inherited as a single autosomal gene with no fitness costs. The dominance levels differed between the two strains and varied from incompletely recessive to incompletely dominant, depending on Cry1A.105 concentrations and assay materials. The results of this study indicate a relatively high risk of resistance development to single-gene Cry1A.105 corn in FAW. Together with published data, the results also show that non-recessive resistance and lack of fitness costs in resistance to Bt crops are not uncommon, which provides a cautionary evidence against the assumption that resistance is recessive in an resistance management plan for Bt crops.

Single-phase Co/Mn-MOF-74 solid materials were synthesized successfully via the hydrothermal method. The effect of Co/Mn atom ratio on the structure of Co/Mn-MOF-74 solids and their catalytic activity for low-temperature NH3-SCR of NOx were investigated. Very high NO conversion values (>96.0%) at 180–240 °C were obtained using the Mn0.66Co0.34-MOF-74 chemical composition (optimal content of Co). Furthermore, Mn0.66Co0.34-MOF-74 showed outstanding resistance to SO2 poisoning and the incorporation of Co was shown to cause the weakening of the SO2 adsorption strength on the catalyst surface, thus to enhance catalyst's SO2 resistance to poisoning. These features were probed by in situ DRIFTS and catalytic performance studies. The present work suggests that Mn0.66Co0.34-MOF-74 could be likely considered as a prospective industrial NH3-SCR NOx control catalyst.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphomas worldwide. Previous studies indicated that hyperfibrinogenemia was a poor predictor in various tumors. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the prognostic effect of hyperfibrinogenemia in DLBCL. Data of 228 patients, who were diagnosed with DLBCL in our hospital between May 2009 and February 2016, were analyzed retrospectively. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression were performed to find prognostic factors associated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and the areas under the curve were used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of predictors. Comparison of characters between groups indicated that patients with high National Comprehensive Cancer Network-International Prognostic Index (NCCN-IPI) score (4-8) and advanced stage (III-IV) were more likely to suffer from hyperfibrinogenemia. The Kaplan-Meier method revealed that patients with hyperfibrinogenemia showed inferior PFS (P

Few studies have examined the influence of different data and method on estimating the SUHIs. This study aims at analyzing the impact of different method (to define rural area) and different data (MODIS Terra and Aqua satellite data) on estimating the SUHI intensity (SUHII, LST in urban minus rural reference) in 31 cities of China. The major findings include: (1) For SUHII, ignoring the influence of elevation and water body will overestimate the SUHII by 1.68 °C (averaged for 31 cities, hereafter) and 0.28 °C, respectively, in summer days (SDs). Using nearby suburban area as reference will underestimate the SUHII by 1.48 °C in SDs. Different data and method have smaller impact on estimating the SUHII in summer nights (SNs) than in SDs. (2) For spatial variation of SUHII, ignoring the influence of elevation will influence the spatial variation of SUHII in SDs (r = 0.3, p > .05), but other methods have little impact on estimating the spatial variation of SUHII. (3) For interannual variation of SUHII, using nearby suburban area will underestimate the increasing rate of SUHII (SD: 0.106 °C/year, SN: 0.012 °C/year), whereas ignoring the influence of elevation and water body have little influence on the changing rate of SUHII. The changing rates of SUHII in SDs monitored by Terra satellite were 0.025 °C/year lower than Aqua satellite. In all, the present study can enhance our understanding of the influence of different data and method on estimating the SUHII, and provide a useful reference to study the SUHII.

Dimension precision plays an important role in precision machining. The two-dimensional ultrasonic vibration cutting (TDUVC) method reduces cutting force and alleviates tool wear, meanwhile, laser assisted cutting (LAC) improves the material workability under high temperature. In this paper, laser heating and two-dimensional ultrasonic vibration were combined in cutting of tungsten carbide (YG10) to improve machining dimension precision. According to the experimental results, a prediction model of machining dimension was built based on time series model. The results show that the machining dimension precision is improved significantly in laser and ultrasonic composite assisted cutting (LUAC), and AR (2) and AR (12) of time series model predicts machining dimension with high precision (the relative error is less than 10%), and reflects tool wear state. Moreover, comparison with artificial neural network (ANN) also proves that the time series model is more suitable for the prediction of machining dimensional in LUAC.

A likely symbiotic association between tephritid fruit flies and gut bacteria has been recognized since the beginning of the last century. However, direct evidence for a link between gut bacteria and fruit fly fitness is still limited or absent for many species. Similar to other tephritids, the gut of Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is known to contain bacteria throughout the life stage, but what, if any, impact these bacteria have on B. minax fitness is entirely unknown. In order to elucidate the effects of bacteria on the fitness of B. minax, resident bacteria were isolated from the adult gut using culture-dependent techniques. Adult fly diets were subsequently supplemented with three bacterial isolates (Klebsiella pneumonia, Citrobacter braakii and Pantoea dispersa), or bacteria were removed from flies by antibiotics treatment: untreated adults provided a control. Adult fitness parameters (male and female longevity, female fecundity, male copulation number) were measured for the two treatments and one control group. Results were complex depending on the fitness parameter measured and the bacterial species. Compared to the controls, antibiotic treated B. minax had significantly decreased fecundity, but male and female longevity was increased. When flies were fed diets supplemented with any of the three bacterial isolates, female fecundity was significantly enhanced. However, only Citrobacter braakii significantly increased male mating frequency than control males. The results show that gut bacteria directly influence fitness of B. minax, but impacts are dependent on the bacterial species and the fitness parameters measured.

Based on the Feistel network and dynamic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) encoding technology, an image encryption method is proposed using the “permutation-diffusion-scrambling” structure. First, the SHA-3 algorithm is used to calculate the hash value of the plaintext image as the initial value of the hyperchaotic system, and the chaos-generated sequence is used to generate the Hill cipher matrix to replace the image pixel. Second, the DNA sequence operation is used as the F function of the Feistel network. The DNA sequence database is used as the key K of Feistel network, and the image pixel value diffusion is realized by the Feistel network. Finally, further diffusion is carried out through the ciphertext feedback and through the ciphertext confusion and diffusion of three rounds of “chaotic scrambling-DNA encoding-Feistel transformation-DNA decoding,” making the ciphertext more random and resistant to attacks and ensuring that the encrypted ciphertext is more secure. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively encrypt the image and has prominent characteristics, such as strong plaintext sensitivity, a large key space, and excellent ciphertext statistical properties.

An atom-economic addition of pyrimidines to allenes has been developed for the diverse synthesis of branched or linear N-allylpyrimidine analogues. With [Rh(COD)Cl]2/chiral MeOBIPHEP as the catalyst, the asymmetric allylation reaction proceeded well and afforded the branch selective adducts in good yields, with high regio- and enantioselectivities. Meanwhile, when [Pd(η3-allyl)Cl]2/DPPF was used as the catalyst, the linear-selective allylation of pyrimidines could be carried out in good yields. Here, the configuration of the CC bond in the side chain of the products was mainly found to be the E-form.

Effects of four different drying methods on the colour, texture, sensory quality, microstructure, bacterial viability and storage stability of probiotic-enriched apple snacks were assessed. The drying methods were air drying (AD), freeze drying (FD), freeze drying followed by microwave vacuum drying (FD+MVD) and air drying followed by explosion puffing drying (AD+EPD). Overall, FD+MVD can be used as a suitable drying method for the development of probiotic enriched apple snacks in consideration of colour, texture, sensory quality, bacterial viability and storage stability. Probiotic bacteria in FD+MVD-dried samples remained above 1×106 CFU g−1 for 120 days at 25°C. Interestingly, bacterial viability in FD+MVD-dried samples turned out to be significantly higher than FD-dried samples during storage for 120 days.

Resilience is crucial for adolescent survivors' recovery from natural disasters. The holistic empirical studies on multiple influencing factors of resilience among adolescent survivors after natural disasters are rarely reported, especially for those from culturally diverse groups. This study aimed to examine the resilience level and its influencing factors among Tibetan adolescent survivors ten years after the 2010 Yushu earthquake. Tibetan adolescent survivors were recruited from four Yushu middle schools from April to July 2020. They filled in the questionnaires about resilience, academic achievement attribution, academic procrastination, self-esteem, coping style, interpersonal competence, and earthquake preparedness. Independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation, and hierarchical regression analysis were used to analyze the data. A total of 559 questionnaires were included for analysis. Adolescents’ resilience was positively predicted by grade (senior two), gender (male), academic performance, effort attribution of academic achievement, self-esteem, problem-focused coping, interpersonal competence, and earthquake preparedness, while negatively predicted by academic procrastination. The investigated factors had an explanatory power of 34.6 %. The resilience of Tibetan adolescents is at the middle level, which is involved with Tibetan culture and psychosocial factors. To design a resilience intervention for this population, trainings on learning competence, self-esteem, coping, interpersonal competence, and earthquake preparedness may be beneficial.

International audience; BACKGROUND: Bottom-up and top-down forces are major components of biological control against pests in an agro-ecosystem. Understanding the multi-trophic interactions between plants and secondary consumers would help optimize pest control strategies. We manipulated nitrogen and/or water inputs to tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) to test whether these manipulations could trigger bottom-up effects on the parasitoid Necremnus tutae via host (Tuta absoluta) and/or non-host (Bemisia tabaci) exposures, and compared the control efficacy of N. tutae on T. absoluta in the presence and absence of B. tabaci. RESULTS: The results showed no cascading effects of plant nitrogen and/or water inputs on N. tutae via either host or non-host exposure. The bottom-up force was mitigated by chewing or sap-feeding insect consumers at the second energy level. By contrast, the top-down force on T. absoluta from parasitoids was enhanced by an additionally provided non-host, which could produce alternative food sources extending N. tutae longevity and enhancing the fitness of its offspring. CONCLUSION: Our results provided evidence for the combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches in tomato integrated pest management programs.

By introducing mixed-ligands en and ox, $$\hbox {Cu}^{2+}$$ and different polyoxotungstates as synthons, two new polyoxotungstate-based inorganic-organic hybrid compounds $$\{[\hbox {Cu}_{2}\hbox {(en)}_{2}\hbox {(ox)}]\hbox {[HPW}_{12}\hbox {O}_{40}]\}\cdot \hbox {(en)}_{2}\cdot \hbox {2H}_{2}\hbox {O}$$ (1) and $$\{[\hbox {Cu}_{2}\hbox {(en)}_{2}\hbox {(ox)}]$$ [ $$\hbox {H}_{3}\hbox {BW}_{12}\hbox {O}_{40}]\}\cdot \hbox {(en)}_{2}\cdot \hbox {2H}_{2}\hbox {O}$$ (2) (en = ethylenediamine and ox = oxalate), were obtained in identical hydrothermal conditions and further characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural analyses revealed that both compounds are isostructural, and show one-dimensional (1D) chain constructed by $$\hbox {[XW}_{12}\hbox {O}_{40}]^{\mathrm{n}-}$$ (X = P 1, B 2) Keggin-type polyoxoanions and $$[\hbox {Cu}_{2}\hbox {(en)}_{2}\hbox {(ox)}]^{2+}$$ dinuclear copper subunits. The electrochemical experiments indicated that 1-based carbon paste electrode possesses high catalytic efficiency and selectivity towards reduction of $$\hbox {H}_{2}\hbox {O}_{2}$$ , and thus 1 has potential to detect $$\hbox {H}_{2}\hbox {O}_{2}$$ . SYNOPSIS Two new hybrids based on polyoxoanions and dinuclear copper complexes have been synthesized and characterized. The results of electrocatalytic experiments indicate that the hybrid-based electrode possesses high catalytic efficiency and selectivity towards reduction of $$\hbox {H}_{2}\hbox {O}_{2}$$ .

In order to solve the problems of high cost and low efficiency in milling of titanium alloy, multiobjective optimizations are proposed to optimize machining and ultrasonic parameters by nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). In the present work, longitudinal-torsion ultrasonic vibration has been superimposed to the milling of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). Orthogonal experiment of milling has been carried out to evaluate influence of the parameters on machining results. Then, to meet the different engineering demands, three multiobjective optimization models are established to obtain optimization parameters. According to the optimization results, a group of milling verified experiments was developed for optimized models. The results show that the three optimization models balance the different objective well, and the optimization results are close to experiment results. It provides choices for engineering application.

In this paper, we propose a new multi-granularity superpixels matching based algorithm for the accurate detection and localization of copy-move forgeries, which integrated the advantages of keypoint-based and block-based forgery detection approaches. Firstly, we divide the original tempted image into non-overlapping and irregular coarse-granularity superpixels, and the stable image keypoints are extracted from each coarse-granularity superpixel. Secondly, the superpixel features, which is quaternion exponent moments magnitudes, are extracted from each coarse-granularity superpixel, and we find the matching coarse-granularity superpixels (suspected forgery region pairs) rapidly using the Exact Euclidean Locality Sensitive Hashing (E2LSH). Thirdly, the suspected forgery region pairs are further segmented into fine-granularity superpixels, and the matching keypoints within the suspected forgery region pairs are replaced with the fine-granularity superpixels. Finally, the neighboring fine-granularity superpixels are merged, and we obtain the detected forgery regions through morphological operation. Compared with the state-of-the-art approaches, extensive experimental results, conducted on the public databases available online, demonstrate the good performance of our proposed algorithm even under a variety of challenging conditions.