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The migratory brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is the most destructive pest affecting rice plants in Asia and feeds exclusively on rice. Studies have investigated the olfactory response of BPHs to the major rice volatile compounds in rice. The insect olfactory co-receptor (Orco) is a crucial component of the olfactory system and is essential for odorant detection. Functional analysis of the Orco gene in BPHs would aid in the identification of their host preference.We identified the BPH Orco homologue (NlOrco) by Blast searching the BPH transcriptome with the Drosophila Orco gene sequence. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated that NlOrco is first expressed in the later egg stage, and is expressed mainly in the antennae in adult females. A NlOrco-knockout line (NlOrcoOur findings indicated that BPHs exhibit strong olfactory responses to major rice volatile compounds and suggest that NlOrco is required for the maximal fitness of BPHs. Our results may facilitate the identification of potential target genes or chemical compounds for BPH control applications. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

A wheel-step driving system that can realise a wheel-step driving mode is proposed to improve the tractive performances of wheeled unmanned vehicles when driving on soft roads. Although the wheel-step driving system proposed in this paper adopts double wishbone suspension, it also can be applied for different suspension configurations after adjustment. In this paper, a typical sandy soil and a designated tyre are selected as hypotheses to verify the enhanced effect of wheel-step driving system on tractive performance. First, the wheel-soil interaction mechanism of the wheel-step driving mode is analysed based on terramechanics theory and the wheel-step driving strategy is optimised. The tractive performances of the wheel-step driving mode and the normal driving mode are compared and analysed through numerical calculations. Then, a soil model is established using discrete element software and a wheel model is established using dynamics software; the coupled simulation of the dynamic and discrete elements compares the drawbar pull, the driving torque and the sinkage in the normal driving mode, the wheel-step driving mode and the optimised wheel-step driving mode. The simulation data verify the effectiveness of the optimisation strategy used and the enhancement effect of the wheel-step driving mode on the traction performance. Finally, a soil-bin test system is built and a tractive performance experiment is performed. The experimental data and the simulation data show good agreement, thus verifying the correctness of the simulation model.

The nonbiting midges are tiny insects with a wide distribution around West Lake, China. In this study, the seasonal dynamics of the local dominant midge species was investigated. Phylogenetic trees of this species also were analyzed to discover its evolutionary history. Ultraviolet (UV) light traps were used for surveillance around West Lake in the period from April 2017 to November 2018. External morphological identification was performed using a stereomicroscope. Two genes of adult female midges that encoded the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) were sequenced and aligned online using GenBank nucleotide database and the Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software 10.1.7. According to the field surveillance in 2017–2018, Forcipomyia bikanni Chan and LeRoux (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is the representative dominant species of West Lake, with its activity peaking in August and October. The COI and ITS-1 gene sequences of F. bikanni (XH01-5) were 523 bp and 315 bp, respectively. The final phylogenetic tree of the COI implied that F. bikanni (XH01-5) has 97.9% significant similarity with conspecific F. bikanni (LC015045) from the adjacent Fujian Province, China (E-value ≤ 0.1%). Furthermore, the ITS-1 sequences with 98% likelihood showed the highest linkage between F. bikanni (XH01-5) and F. townsvillensis (Taylor) (HM775502-HM775504) with different branches. Thus, the final unrooted phylogenetic trees of COI and ITS-1 are essential tools for reconstructing the evolutionary histories of nonbiting midges.

The forkhead box O (FoxO) protein is the main transcriptional effector downstream of the insulin/insulin-like signaling pathway and regulates many developmental and physiological processes. Holometabolous insects with loss-of-function mutations in FoxO exhibit phenotypes distinct from those of hemimetabolous insects in which RNA interference was used. Despite the functional importance of FoxO, whether hemimetabolous insects share an evolutionally conserved function of FoxO with holometabolous insects remains to be clarified. We used the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) genome editing-system to establish a homozygous FoxO-null mutant (NlFoxO

To validate a response surface model for the inhibition of somatic motor response at corrected body weight (CBW) doses of remifentanil plus propofol in elderly patients and to analyze the dose-effect relationship and optimal dosing range for total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) induction in painless gastroscopy.We designed a prospective, open-ended, randomized, parallel group study. A total of 300 elderly patients undergoing painless gastroscopy were randomized to receive remifentanil (0-0.5 μg/kg) and propofol (0.8-2.2 mg/kg) dosing based on CBW. Gastroscopy was performed at the drug's peak effect time. The somatic motor response to gastroscopic stimulation and the adverse reactions at different points were recorded. The somatic motor response was used as the basic element in the subsequent RSM analysis. Model parameters and 95% confidence intervals were fitted by MATLAB software.The CBW doses of remifentanil and propofol showed synergistic inhibitory effects on motor response to noxious stimulation and attenuated adverse reactions. The 50% effective doses of remifentanil and propofol for inhibiting the motor response were 1.754 μg/kg and 2.048 mg/kg, respectively.Remifentanil or propofol alone could not inhibit the somatic motor response at weight-adjusted doses among elderly patients. A combination of remifentanil and propofol showed a synergistic interaction in suppressing the motor response and adverse reactions in elderly patients. Preinjection of remifentanil could reduce the needed dose of propofol.

Insect wing polyphenism is characterized by its ability to produce two or more distinct wing morphs from a single genotype in response to changing environments. However, the molecular basis of this phenomenon remains poorly understood. Here, we identified a zinc finger homeodomain transcription factor Zfh1 that acts as an upstream regulator for the development of long-winged (LW) or shorted-winged (SW) morphs in planthoppers. Knockdown of Zfh1 directs SW-destined nymphs to develop into LW morphs by down-regulating the transcriptional level of FoxO, a prominent downstream effector of the insulin/IGF signaling (IIS) pathway. The balance between transcriptional regulation via the Zfh1-FoxO cascade and post-translational regulation via the IIS-FoxO cascade provides a flexible regulatory mechanism for the development of alternative wing morphs. These findings help us understand how phenotypic diversity is generated by altering the activity of conserved proteins, and provide an extended framework for the evolution of wing morphological diversity in insects.

The homeotic complex gene Abdominal-B (Abd-B) is involved in regulating the development of posterior abdomens and has been extensively studied in holometabolous insects. However, the function of Abd-B in hemimetabolous insects is not fully understood. Here, we functionally characterize an Abd-B homologue in the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens. The full-length cDNA of the N. lugens Abd-B homologue (NlAbd-B) is 2334 nt, with an open reading frame of 1113 bp. NlAbd-B has the highest expression level at the egg stage relative to the nymphal and adult stages and is mainly expressed in the fourth to the ninth abdominal segment of embryos. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of NlAbd-B in nymphs disrupted the development of genitalia both in females and males and caused a genitalia-to-leg transformation. Parental RNAi of NlAbd-B in both female and male adults caused an extra abdominal segment in offspring nymphs, while parental RNAi of the N. lugens abdominal-A homologue in both female and males adults led to embryos with leg-like appendages on the second to the eighth abdominal segment. These findings suggest that NlAbd-B plays a pivotal role in genital development and posterior abdominal patterning and thus highlight the conservational role of Abd-B in holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects.

The homeobox family is a large and diverse superclass of genes, many of which act as transcription factors that play important roles in tissue differentiation and embryogenesis in animals. The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is the most destructive pest of rice in Asia, and high fecundity contributes significantly to its ecological success in natural and agricultural habits. Here, we identified 94 homeobox genes in BPH, which could be divided into 75 gene families and 9 classes. This number is comparable to the number of homeobox genes found in the honeybee Apis mellifera, but is slightly less than in Drosophila or the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. A spatio-temporal analysis indicated that most BPH homeobox genes were expressed in a development and tissue-specific manner, of which 21 genes were highly expressed in ovaries. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated functional assay showed that 22 homeobox genes were important for nymph development and the nymph to adult transition, whereas 67 genes were dispensable during this process. Fecundity assay showed that knockdown of 13 ovary-biased genes (zfh1, schlank, abd-A, Lim3_2, Lmxb, Prop, ap_1, Not, lab, Hmx, vis, Pknox, and C15) led to the reproductive defect. This is the first comprehensive investigation into homeobox genes in a hemipteran insect and thus helps us to understand the functional significance of homeobox genes in insect reproduction.

S-Adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent methyltransferases (SAMMTases) modulate important cellular and metabolic activities in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Here, we functionally characterized an SAMMTase gene (MTase15) in the migratory brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, which is the most notorious rice pest in Asia. The cDNA sequence of MTase15 is 2764 nt in length with an open reading frame of 1218 nt encoding 405 amino acid residues. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that MTase15 was readily detected from egg to adult stages and extensively distributed in various body parts of adult females and males, with slightly high levels in ovary and testis, respectively. In addition, MTase15 was transcriptionally regulated by the insulin signalling pathway in BPH. RNA-interference-mediated knockdown of MTase15 (dsMtase15) resulted in deficiencies in vitellogenin synthesis and oogenesis, and female infertility. Males with Mtase15 knockdown retained the capability of producing sperms with normal viability, but less sperm was transferred to wild-type (wt) females during copulation, and eggs laid by these wt females arrested embryogenesis. These findings not only assign a functional role to MTase15, but also provide a link between the insulin signalling pathway and epigenetic regulation in BPH reproduction.

A fluorescent probe based on isorhamnetin (Iso)-cyclodextrin (CD) inclusion for detecting Cu2+ was synthesized. A major fluorescence emission peak at 542 nm was observed for isorhamnetin (Iso) in buffer solution (pH 7.40) when the excitation wavelength was 390 nm. It was surprisingly found that (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) could enhance the fluorescence intensity of Iso, and the major fluorescence peak was shifted to 557 nm. UV-vis spectrum showed that the Iso-β-CD system was formed by hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction. And the fluorescence intensity of Iso-β-CD system was stronger and more stable compared with Iso. Further study indicated that Iso-β-CD system had good selectivity and sensitivity toward Cu2+. When Cu2+ was added, the fluorescent emission intensity of Iso-β-CD system was quenched, while other metal ions could not bring about obvious change, which meant that the Iso-β-CD system had good selectivity toward Cu2+. The fluorescence titration spectra indicated that the concentration of Cu2+ was inversely proportional to fluorescence intensity, and fluorescence emission intensity was linearly correlated with the concentration of Cu2+ in the range of 0.05–6.0 μM. The calibration equation was y = −11.66x + 781.13 (R2 = 0.996), with a limit of detection of 0.017 μM (S/N = 3). The possible reaction mechanism was studied by UV-vis spectroscopy and Job's plot method. The results indicated that Cu2+ could combine with Iso-β-CD system. The stoichiometric ratio for the complex of Iso and Cu2+ was 2:1. The formation of Iso-β-CD-Cu(II) complex led to the extension of the conjugated system and the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) took place. Therefore, fluorescence of Iso-β-CD system was quenched. At last, the probe was successfully applied to determination of Cu2+ in water samples, vegetables and fruits with good recoveries, and the results coincided with those obtained by ICP-AES or AAS methods.

Background A plethora of prognostic biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) that have hitherto been reported are challenged with low reproducibility due to high molecular heterogeneity of ESCC. The purpose of this study was to identify the optimal biomarkers for ESCC using machine learning algorithms. Methods Biomarkers related to clinical survival, recurrence or therapeutic response of patients with ESCC were determined through literature database searching. Forty-eight biomarkers linked to recurrence or prognosis of ESCC were used to construct a molecular interaction network based on NetBox and then to identify the functional modules. Publicably available mRNA transcriptome data of ESCC downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets included GSE53625 and TCGA-ESCC. Five machine learning algorithms, including logical regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF) and XGBoost, were used to develop classifiers for prognostic classification for feature selection. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of the prognostic classifiers. The importances of identified molecules were ranked by their occurrence frequencies in the prognostic classifiers. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test were performed to determine the statistical significance of overall survival. Results A total of 48 clinically proven molecules associated with ESCC progression were used to construct a molecular interaction network with 3 functional modules comprising 17 component molecules. The 131,071 prognostic classifiers using these 17 molecules were built for each machine learning algorithm. Using the occurrence frequencies in the prognostic classifiers with AUCs greater than the mean value of all 131,071 AUCs to rank importances of these 17 molecules, stratifin encoded by SFN was identified as the optimal prognostic biomarker for ESCC, whose performance was further validated in another 2 independent cohorts. Conclusion The occurrence frequencies across various feature selection approaches reflect the degree of clinical importance and stratifin is an optimal prognostic biomarker for ESCC.

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) is a heterotrimeric transcription factor with the ability to bind to a CCAAT box in nearly all eukaryotes. However, the function of NF-Y in the life-history traits of insects is unclear. Here, we identified three NF-Y subunits, NlNF-YA, NlNF-YB, and NlNF-YC, in the wing-dimorphic brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens. Spatio-temporal analysis indicated that NlNF-YA, NlNF-YB, and NlNF-YC distributed extensively in various body parts of fourth-instar nymphs, and were highly expressed at the egg stage. RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing showed that knockdown of NlNF-YA, NlNF-YB, or NlNF-YC in third-instar nymphs significantly extended the fifth-instar duration, and decreased nymph-adult molting rate. The addition of 20-hydroxyecdysone could specifically rescue the defect in adult molting caused by NlNF-YARNAi, indicating that NlNF-Y might modulate the ecdysone signaling pathway in the BPH. In addition, NlNF-YARNAi, NlNF-YBRNAi, or NlNF-YCRNAi led to small and moderately malformed forewings and hindwings, and impaired the normal assembly of indirect flight muscles. Adult BPHs treated with NlNF-YARNAi, NlNF-YBRNAi, or NlNF-YCRNAi produced fewer eggs, and eggs laid by these BPHs had arrested embryogenesis. These findings deepen our understanding of NF-Y function in hemipteran insects.

In insect eggs, the chorion has the essential function of protecting the embryo from external agents during development while allowing gas exchange for respiration. In this study, we found a novel gene, Nilaparvata lugens chorion protein (NlChP), that is involved in chorion formation in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens. NlChP was highly expressed in the follicular cells of female adult brown planthoppers. Knockdown of NlChP resulted in oocyte malformation and the inability to perform oviposition, and electron microscopy showed that the malformed oocytes had thin and rough endochorion layers compared to the control group. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis of the eggshell components revealed four unique peptides that were matched to NlChP. Our results demonstrate that NlChP is a novel chorion protein essential for egg maturation in N. lugens, a hemipteran insect with telotrophic meroistic ovaries. NlChP may be a potential target in RNA interference-based insect pest management.

The brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens is one of the most destructive insect pests in Asia, demonstrating high fertility and causing huge crop losses by sucking sap of rice as well as transmitting viruses. However, functional genomic studies on N. lugens are seriously constrained by lack of genetic tools. Here, we employed two eye pigmentation genes to generate germ-line mutations in N. lugens using the CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated) system. We showed that injection of single guide RNA of the cinnabar gene of N. lugens (Nl-cn ) into pre-blastoderm eggs induced insertion and deletion (indels) in the founder generation (G 0), which were heritably transmitted to the following G1 generation, leading to bright red compound eyes and ocelli. Mutations of N. lugens white (Nl-w ) generated a high mutant rate of up to 27.3%, resulting in mosaic eyes consisting of white and lightly pigmented ommatidia in both G 0 and G1 individuals. The specificity of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis was further bolstered by PCR and RNA interference-based knockdown analysis. These results show that CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing is achievable in a hemipteran insect, offering a valuable tool for the study of functional genomics and pest management in this planthopper species.

Highly emissive phenanthrene-fused boron–dipyrromethene (PBDP) dyes have been spectroscopically characterized in a series of solvents. The influence of different substituents (−H, −I, −CN, −DMA or a 15C5-crown ether) in the para-position of a phenyl ring attached to the meso-position of the BODIPY core is discussed. This family of dyes has an intense emission at λ ≥ 630 nm, with fluorescence quantum yields between 0.7 and 1.0 in all solvents studied, except in the case of the dimethylamino-substituted derivative, PBDP-DMA, which undergoes excited-state intramolecular charge transfer (CT), leading to broadband dual fluorescence in highly polar solvents. Introduction of a weaker electron donor such as a benzocrown to the meso-position is not able to trigger a second (charge or electron transfer) process and, interestingly, heavy atom (iodine, PBDP-I derivative) substitution at that moiety does also not have a relevant influence on the photophysics, i.e., enhanced intersystem crossing was not observed. Electrochemical studies of PBDP-DMA complement the data reported and stress the fact that the decrease in fluorescence of PBDP-DMA in highly polar solvents is due to an excited-state CT process rather than to a photoinduced electron transfer (PET).

In this paper, we develop quercetin-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (QMNPS) as a sensor for the detection and removal of Pb2+ and Cu2+ based on low-field NMR. QMNPS were characterized by TEM, FTIR and XRD. The NMR sensor showed high selectivity toward Pb2+ or Cu2+. The standard curves for ΔT2-ion concentration showed good correlations, i.e., R2 = 0.9912 for Pb2+ and 0.9983 for Cu2+; the linear ranges and the limits of detection were 4.8 × 10−6–1 × 10−4 mol L−1 and 1.6 × 10−6 mol L−1 for Pb2+, and 5.0 × 10−6–1 × 10−4 mol L−1 and 2.0 × 10−6 mol L−1 for Cu2+, respectively. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity was about 71 mg for Cu2+ and 68 mg for Pb2+ per gram of QMMP, which was superior to the results of some previous reports. The detection and removal of Pb2+ or Cu2+ was based on the coordination reaction between the NMR sensor of QMNPs and Pb2+ or Cu2+, which led to the aggregation of QMNPs. As a result, the proposed NMR sensor was successfully applied for the determination and removal of Pb2+ and Cu2+ in contaminated water and urine samples with excellent recoveries and high adsorbent capacities.

This paper presents a detailed case study of decorated dislocations of olivine with C-type fabric in the Luliangshan garnet peridotite from the North Qaidam ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic belt in NW China. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) measurements reveal a weak C-type fabric in olivine, i.e., the crystallographic [100] axes form a weak point maximum subnormal to the foliation while the [001] axes form a girdle in the foliation plane with a weak point maximum subparallel to the lineation. Oriented hydrous mineral of sodic amphibole and pyroxene were found in porphyroclastic garnet indicating considerable water content in the parental majoritic garnet at high pressure conditions. However, the water content of olivine and garnet is below the detection limit (less than a few ppm wt. H2O) of the instrument (a Nicolet 6700 FTIR with Continuum FTIR Microscope). Two distinctive deformation features of decorated olivine grains were recognized: (1) linear morphologies of many dislocations with long straight segments parallel to the [001] orientation, which are likely screw dislocations with b = [001]; (2) olivine grains with planar dislocation, subgrain boundaries or undulose extinction are scarce in thin sections under optical microscopy. The dislocation structures and densities in olivine are heterogeneous at multi-scales. The mean 3D dislocation density and the estimated differential stress based on the dislocation density piezometer are 0.4–0.8 × 10−12 m−2 and 65–108 MPa, respectively. Decorated dislocations and EBSD analyses suggest the most likely dominant activation slip systems with b = [001]. Considering that most C-type fabric of olivine are reported from UHP garnet peridotites, we emphasize the important effects of high pressure and relatively low temperature on the formation of the C-type fabric in olivine.

The Dayingezhuang gold deposit in the Jiaodong district, eastern margin of the North China Craton is hosted in Mesozoic granitic rocks and consists of quartz-sulfide veins/veinlets and sulfide disseminations in alteration envelopes. Previous studies mainly focused on the geochronology, sources of ore-forming fluids and metals to investigate the ore genesis. However, enrichment mechanism of Au and other associated trace metals remain unclear. In this study, we present detailed textures and in-situ LA-ICP-MS trace-element compositions of different generations of pyrite, as well as EMP analysis of Au-bearing minerals to discuss the occurrence and enrichment mechanism of Au at this deposit. Three generations of pyrite (Py1, Py2 and Py3) formed during three hydrothermal ore stages (I, II, and III) at Dayingezhuang. Py1 occurs as disseminations in sericitic alteration assemblages and is characterized by low Au (mean 0.15 ppm), Ag, As and Te contents. The time-resolved depth-concentration profiles indicate that Au in Py1 mainly occurs as nanoparticles and/or micron-sized inclusions. Py2 can be further divided into the early undeformed Py2a and later Py2b, which is the product of deformed Py2a with different degrees of brittle to plastic deformation and recrystallization. Py2a in pyrite-siderite-quartz veins is relatively enriched in invisible Au (mean 0.41 ppm), Ag, As, and Te compared to Py1, and contains numerous micron-sized Au inclusions. In contrast, Py2b contains lesser invisible Au (0.21 ppm) and host abundant gold minerals along the grain boundaries and microfractures. Py3 in polymetallic sulfide veins has little Au. As a whole, Au in pyrite is positively correlated with Ag and Te, which is consistent with the results of EMP analysis showing the occurrence of Au as electrum, native gold and minor petzite in pyrite. Such evidences show that the deformation and recrystallization of auriferous Py2a potentially caused local remobilization of Au (mainly as micron-sized inclusion Au) via solid-state ductile flow and subsequent reconcentration of Au in microfractures of Py2b. The pyrite deformation and Au remobilization events were suggested to be related to the continuous reactivation of the regional Zhaoping Fault contemporaneous with gold mineralization. Our study highlights the importance of remobilization and reconcentration of Au triggered by syn-ore tectonic activities at Dayingezhuang and possibly other Au deposits in the Jiaodong district.

To discuss the molecular mechanism of immunoenhancing activities of Hyriopsis cumingii polysaccharides (HCPS), influences of HCPS on mice immunosignaling molecules (IL-2, IL-10, IFN-γ, NO, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)) and T lymphocyte differentiation (to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) were evaluated by cell model in vitro and/or cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression animal model in vivo. Results showed that gastric gavage of crude HCPS could promote the production of IL-2, IFN-γ, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cGMP, CD4 and CD8 in a dose-dependent manner. While, crude HCPS by gastric gavage exhibited suppressive effects on the production of IL-10 and cAMP in a dose-dependent manner. Crude HCPS and its purified fractions (HCPS-1, HCPS-2 and HCPS-3) could strengthen peritoneal macrophage expressing iNOS in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. HCPS-stimulated immunostrengthening functions was mediated, at least in part, by immunosignaling molecul...

The target gene of rapamycin (TOR) is conserved from invertebrates to vertebrates, and plays critical roles in cell growth, nutrient sensing, lifespan and reproduction. In this paper, we employed RNA interference (RNAi) to study the function of TOR in male brown planthoppers (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens. Here we discovered that no offspring was produced when wildtype females BPH mated with NlTOR RNAi males. To understand the influence of NlTOR on male BPH infertility, we dissected the reproductive system of a NlTOR RNAi male, and found that the testes were normal and the seminal vesicles were full of sperm, while the accessory gland was poorly developed after knocking down NlTOR expression. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy data showed defective structure of epithelial cells of the accessory gland, and the deferent duct was collapsed. Also, behavioral data revealed that wildtype virgin females refused to mate with NlTOR RNAi males, and the acoustic signals of dsNlTOR males differed from controls. Our results indicate that NlTOR plays an essential role in the development of the male BPH reproductive system and regulates mating behavior.

A facile method for synthesizing Au nanoparticle-coated Fe

At present, most of the drugs have little effect on the pathological process of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Analgesia is an important measure in the treatment of RA and is also one of the criteria to determine the therapeutic effects of the disease. Some studies have found that crocin, a kind of Chinese medicine, can effectively alleviate pain sensitization in pain model rats, but the mechanism is not clear. Emerging evidence indicates that crocin may inhibit the metastasis of lung and liver cancer cells from the breast by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin and the Wnt signaling pathway is closely related to RA. Wnt5a belongs to the Wnt protein family and was previously thought to be involved only in nonclassical Wnt signaling pathways. Recent studies have shown that Wnt5a has both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the classical Wnt signaling pathway, and so, Wnt5a has attracted increasing attention. This study demonstrated that crocin significantly increased the mechanical thresholds of adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) rats, suggesting that crocin can alleviate neuropathic pain. Crocin significantly decreased the levels of pain-related factors and glial activation. Foxy5, activator of Wnt5a, inhibited the above effects of crocin in AIA rats. In addition, intrathecal injection of a Wnt5a inhibitor significantly decreased hyperalgesia in AIA rats. This research shows that crocin may alleviate neuropathic pain in AIA rats by inhibiting the expression of pain-related molecules through the Wnt5a/β-catenin pathway, elucidating the mechanism by which crocin relieves neuropathic pain and provides a new way of thinking for the treatment of AIA pain.

Wing polymorphism is an evolutionary feature found in a wide variety of insects, which offers a model system for studying the evolutionary significance of dispersal. In the wing-dimorphic planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway acts as a ‘master signal’ that directs the development of either long-winged (LW) or short-winged (SW) morphs via regulation of the activity of Forkhead transcription factor subgroup O (NlFoxO). However, downstream effectors of the IIS–FoxO signaling cascade that mediate alternative wing morphs are unclear. Here we found that vestigial (Nlvg), a key wing-patterning gene, is selectively and temporally regulated by the IIS–FoxO signaling cascade during the wing-morph decision stage (fifth-instar stage). RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of Nlfoxo increase Nlvg expression in the fifth-instar stage (the last nymphal stage), thereby inducing LW development. Conversely, silencing of Nlvg can antagonize the effects of IIS activity on LW development, redirecting wing commitment from LW to the morph with intermediate wing size. In vitro and in vivo binding assays indicated that NlFoxO protein may suppress Nlvg expression by directly binding to the first intron region of the Nlvg locus. Our findings provide a first glimpse of the link connecting the IIS pathway to the wing-patterning network on the developmental plasticity of wings in insects, and help us understanding how phenotypic diversity is generated by the modification of a common set of pattern elements., Author summary Many insects are capable of developing into either long-winged or short-winged adults, but the underlying molecular basis remains largely unknown. Pioneer studies showed that the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway acts as a ‘master signal’ that directs wing buds to develop into long or short wings in the wing-dimorphic planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens. However, downstream effectors mediating the IIS pathway effects are unknown. Our findings highlight that vestigial, a key wing-patterning gene, is a main downstream effector that mediates the IIS activity on the development of alternative wing morphs during the wing-morph decision stage. The molecular mechanism of wing formation, including the function of vestigial, has been studied in great depth in the model insect Drosophila melanogaster. Our data provide a first glimpse of the link connecting the IIS pathway to the wing-patterning network in regulating developmental plasticity of wings in insects.

Porous silicon pillar array (PSPA) samples which are ideal substantial materials with dominant electronic and luminescence properties were prepared by surface etching method. ZnO nanorods with or without Mn doping grown uniformly and aligned onto PSPA regardless of lattice matching show various photoluminescence (PL) properties. The doped Mn ions in ZnO nanorods were directly observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ZnO structures were detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). As the doping concentration increases, XRD peaks of ZnO nanorods shift to low angle. The influences of doping Mn ions on luminescence properties of ZnO nanorods were investigated. Except for the ultraviolet (UV) PL band, the broad PL band is observed at visible region. The band could be divided into three separate bands (orange, green and red) by Lorentzian deconvolution. The intensity of orange PL band firstly increases then decreases, and then gets the maximum at the doping Mn-to-Zn molar ratio of 2.0:100.0 which is the most effective doping concentration. The green PL band is attributed to zinc vacancy of ZnO, the orange PL band to Mn ions recombination of itself, and the red PL band to oxygen vacancy of ZnO, respectively. As the Mn-doped ZnO nanorods could emit yellow green luminescence excited by UV radiation, and doped Mn ions could improve the color rendering index of the luminescence, the nanorods could be used as promising white-light emitters in the future.

Ion transport peptide (ITP) and its alternatively spliced homologous ITP-like (ITPL) products play important roles in various insect developmental processes. We found for the first time that alternative 5' untranslated regions (5' UTRs) of ITPL (NilluITPLs-1, -2, -3 and -4) control spatiotemporal expression in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, as demonstrated by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. By using an alternative 5' UTR, NilluITPL-1 was expressed exclusively in the male reproductive system, resulting in the production of the NilluITPL seminal fluid protein. Interestingly, NilluITPLs-3 and -4 were expressed exclusively in the integument, indicating a specialized function for NilluITPL during ecdysis and eclosion. We investigated the functions of NilluITP and NilluITPL using RNA interference (RNAi). We did not observe apparent phenotypes when expression of NilluITPLs was suppressed. However, when NilluITP expression was suppressed, the insect exhibited melanism and failed wing expansion, indicating that NilluITP is a neuropeptide associated with wing expansion in addition to bursicon. Additionally, in contrast to bursicon, the insects showed increased melanism when NilluITP was eliminated by RNAi. Unlike previous studies of ITP/ITPL in other species, NilluITP was very important in the control of N. lugens postecdysial behaviours but was not critical during ecdysis. Thus, the functions of ITP and ITPL are more complex in insects than previously thought.

The training efficiency of the existing innovative thinking training methods are not high. In order to improve the ability of optimizing learning and searching for innovative entrepreneurial thinking, and to improve the efficiency of cultivation innovative entrepreneurial thinking, a method of optimizing and controlling the cultivation path of innovative entrepreneurial thinking based on cognitive learning theory was proposed. Used particle swarm optimization method to construct the virtual space of path learning of innovative entrepreneurial thinking cultivation, and to simulate and construct the optimized learning environment model of innovative entrepreneurial thinking cultivation. By abstracting the space coordinate of innovative entrepreneurial thinking cultivation entered the virtual world of particle swarm filter population, the map grid model of innovative entrepreneurial thinking cultivation path tracking was obtained. Through particle swarm filter evolution to found a new mode of innovative entrepreneurial thinking cultivation, combined with global stability control and particle swarm cognitive learning algorithm, to realized adaptive optimization and global optimization control of innovative entrepreneurial thinking cultivation path. Improve the learning performance of entrepreneurial thinking. The simulation results show that the learning efficiency of path optimization is higher and the cost of path evolution is lower by using this method, which improves the efficiency of innovative entrepreneurial thinking cultivation. The feasibility of the proposed method is verified.

The homeotic complex (Hox) gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) plays pivotal roles in modifying specific morphological differences among the second (T2), the third thoracic (T3), and the first abdomen (A1) segment in several insects. Whether Ubx regulates wing dimorphism and other morphological traits in the delphacid family (order Hemiptera) remains elusive. In this study, we cloned a full-length Ubx ortholog (NlUbx) from the wing-dimorphic planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, and identified two NlUbx isoforms. RNA-interference (RNAi)-mediated silencing of NlUbx in short-winged BPH nymphs significantly induced the development of wing-like appendages from T3 wingbuds, and this effect is likely mediated by the insulin/insulin-like signaling pathway. RNAi knockdown of NlUbx in long-winged BPH nymphs led to a transformation from hindwings to forewings. Additionally, silencing of NlUbx not only dramatically changed the T3 morphology, but also led to jumping defect of T3 legs. First-instar nymphs derived from parental RNAi had an additional leg-like appendages on A1. These results suggest that Ubx plays a role in determining some morphological traits in delphacid planthoppers, and thus help in understanding evolution of morphological characteristics in arthropods.

Many insects are capable of developing into either long-winged or short-winged (or wingless) morphs, which enables them to rapidly match heterogeneous environments. Thus, the wing polymorphism is an adaptation at the root of their ecological success. Wing polymorphism is orchestrated at various levels, starting with the insect's perception of environmental cues, then signal transduction and signal execution, and ultimately the transmitting of signals into physiological adaption in accordance with the particular morph produced. Juvenile hormone and ecdysteroid pathways have long been proposed to regulate wing polymorphism in insects, but rigorous experimental evidence is lacking. The breakthrough findings of ecdysone receptor regulation on transgenerational wing dimorphism in the aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum and of insulin signaling in the planthopper Nilaparvata lugens greatly broaden our understanding of wing polymorphism at the molecular level. Recently, the advent of high-throughput sequencing coupled with functional genomics provides powerful genetic tools for future insights into the molecular bases underlying wing polymorphism in insects.

Rotary drying process modeling is a complex procedure due to the difficulties in measurement and estimation of kinetic model parameters. To solve the problem, a hybrid modeling method with online compensation is proposed in the present study. A mathematical model is built to describe the axial characteristics of rotary drying process. The drying rate which is the key parameter in the model is estimated by using a SVR-based fuzzy modeling approach, which can automatically extract fuzzy IF-THEN rules from support vectors. Laboratory experiments are conducted to obtain the drying rate sample data for the modeling purpose. In order to reduce the modeling errors for an industrial rotary dryer and improve the hybrid model prediction accuracy, an online matching coefficient is introduced, and a method based on improved online SVR is then applied for modeling error compensation. The experiment dada based modeling results have verified the effectiveness and demonstrated the accuracy and adaptability of the proposed hybrid modeling method.

Using fumaropimaric acid (H3L) as the ligand, a coordination polymer {[Cd(H2L)2(H2O)2]·8H2O}n was synthesized under solvothermal conditions and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the complex, Cd(II) is eight-coordinate with a distorted dodecahedral CdO8 geometry. There is a Cd2L2 chelate ring, which forms an infinite 1-D chain structure along the b axis. The 1-D chains are further linked by strong O–H···O hydrogen bonding of a water cluster to form a 2-D structure. A dodecamer water cluster consisting of a five-membered ring with envelope conformation is the first reported. The complex is the first example showing three completely different coordination modes of carboxyl groups for Cd(II) complexes. The complex displayed medium fluorescence emission peaks at ca. 442 nm.

Porous silicon pillar array (PSPA) samples with broad photoluminescence (PL) from ~380 to ~800 nm were prepared by a hydrothermal etching method and found to be a hierarchical structure of silicon. The broad PL of PSPAs, which arises from four separate origins, could be tuned by varying annealing temperature and protective gas. In addition, the elemental compositions and their valence states change with annealing temperature and ventilation conditions. The results show that as the numbers of Si-H x and Si-Si-Si bonds in the PSPAs decreased, different change of the intensities of red and pink PL bands. Moreover, at high annealing temperature, the PSPA samples contained only Si–O–Si bonds and only green and blue PL bands were observed. We attribute the pink and red PL bands to quantum confinement and quantum confinement/luminescence center emissions caused by the Si nanodots, and the blue and green emissions to two different luminescence centers associated with oxygen vacancies.

Wing polyphenism is an evolutionarily successful feature found in a wide range of insects. Long-winged morphs can fly, which allows them to escape adverse habitats and track changing resources, whereas short-winged morphs are flightless, but usually possess higher fecundity than the winged morphs. Studies on aphids, crickets and planthoppers have revealed that alternative wing morphs develop in response to various environmental cues, and that the response to these cues may be mediated by developmental hormones, although research in this area has yielded equivocal and conflicting results about exactly which hormones are involved. As it stands, the molecular mechanism underlying wing morph determination in insects has remained elusive. Here we show that two insulin receptors in the migratory brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens, InR1 and InR2, have opposing roles in controlling long wing versus short wing development by regulating the activity of the forkhead transcription factor Foxo. InR1, acting via the phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase (PI(3)K)-protein kinase B (Akt) signalling cascade, leads to the long-winged morph if active and the short-winged morph if inactive. InR2, by contrast, functions as a negative regulator of the InR1-PI(3)K-Akt pathway: suppression of InR2 results in development of the long-winged morph. The brain-secreted ligand Ilp3 triggers development of long-winged morphs. Our findings provide the first evidence of a molecular basis for the regulation of wing polyphenism in insects, and they are also the first demonstration--to our knowledge--of binary control over alternative developmental outcomes, and thus deepen our understanding of the development and evolution of phenotypic plasticity.

A trichromophoric dyad composed of an octa-β-alkyl-palladium(II)porphyrin (donor) and two tri-meso-aryl-zinc(II)porphyrins (acceptors) held by a truxene spacer exhibits very fast rates for triplet energy transfers at 77 (kET(T1) = 1.63 × 108 s-1) and 298 K (kET(T1) = 3.44 × 108 s-1), whereas the corresponding singlet energy transfer rates, kET(S1) = 3.9 × 1010 s-1 (77 K) and kET(S1) = 6.0 × 1010 s-1 (298 K), are also considered fast. The interpretation for these results is that the energy transfer processes proceed via a through bond Dexter mechanism (i.e. double electron exchange) supported by comparison with literature data and evidence for a moderate MO coupling between the donor and acceptor chromophores in the frontier MOs.

The efficiency of stem cell therapy for myocardial infarction (MI) was very low due to the hostile microenvironment and poor blood perfusion. In this study, we designed a new self-assembling peptide through adding angiogenic polypeptide SVVYGLR to the carboxyl terminal of RADA16, and evaluated the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation carried in this designer self-assembling peptide (DSP) on MI. After the model of cell ischemia and hypoxia was established in vitro, cytoprotective effect of DSP on MSC was detected by AO/EB staining. MI was induced by ligating of the left anterior descending artery in female SD rats. MSC from male rats was labled by GFP with adenovirus transfection. MSC with DSP (MSC-DSP) or without DSP (MSC) were transplanted at the border of the infarcted area. The number of survival cell was more and necrotic cell was less in DSP group than that in control group after ischemia and hypoxia treatment in vitro. At 4 weeks after cell transplantation, compared with the MSC group, improvement of cardiac function was better, infarct size was reduced, collagen content and the number of apoptotic cells was decreased, and there were more GFP or SRY positive cells in MSC-DSP group. Moreover, the number of CD31 or α-smooth muscle actin positive blood vessels in MSC-DSP group was significantly higher than that in MSC group. DSP not only provided a microenvironment for the survival of MSC, but also promoted the angiogenesis after transplantation. This study provided novel strategy and experimental evidence for the clinical application of biomaterials in stem cell transplantation for treatment of ischemic heart disease such as MI.

The tick Ixodes persulcatus is the predominant tick species in Northeastern China, and it is a major vector in transmission of tick-borne diseases. By 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing, we investigated the microbiome of I. persulcatus and assessed the variation of the microbiome before and after blood feeding. The prolonged blood meal dramatically altered the composition of the microbiome but did not influence the bacterial diversity. Overall, 373 and 289 bacterial genera were assigned to unfed and fed ticks, respectively. To investigate microbes that were potentially transmitted to vertebrate hosts during a blood meal, we examined the microbiome in rat blood after tick bites. Our data showed that 237 bacterial genera were suspected to be pathogens of vertebrates because they were commonly detected in unfed ticks, fed ticks, and rat blood samples after tick bites. Additionally, the prevalence survey on Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Yersinia pestis was performed. We found that B. garinii and B. afzelii are the predominant genospecies of the Lyme disease spirochete in I. persulcatus ticks. This is the first time that the microbial composition in this tick species and in rat blood transmitted via tick bites has been reported. These data may ultimately assist in identification of novel pathogens transmitted by I. persulcatus ticks.

Chitinases are important enzymes required for chitin degradation and reconstruction in insects. Based on a bioinformatics investigation, we identified 12 genes encoding putative chitinase-like proteins, including 10 chitinases (Cht), one imaginal disc growth factor (IDGF) and one endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGase) in the genome of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). These 12 genes were clustered into nine different groups, with 11 in glycoside hydrolase family 18 groups (groups I-VIII) and one in the ENGase group. Developmental and tissue-specific expression pattern analysis revealed that the transcript levels of eight genes peaked periodically during moulting and were mainly expressed in the integument, except NlCht2, NlCht4, NlIDGF and NlENGase. NlCht2, NlIDGF and NlENGase were expressed at all stages with slight periodical changes and mainly expressed in the female reproductive organs in adults, whereas NlCht4 was highly expressed only at the adult stage in the male reproductive organs. Lethal phenotypes were observed in insects challenged by double-stranded RNAs for NlCht1, NlCht5, NlCht7, NlCht9 and NlCht10 during moulting, suggesting their significant roles in old cuticle degradation. NlCht1 was the most sensitive gene, inducing 50% mortality even at 0.01 ng per insect. Our results illustrate the structural and functional differences of chitinase-like family genes and provide potential targets for RNA interference-based rice planthopper management.

Dongbei waterway in the lower reach of Yangtze River includes three waterway: Hukou waterway, Heng waterway and Zhi waterway. The evolvement trend based on the measured data show that the right branch of Xiasanhaozhou is developed and the shallow shoal at the head of Xiasanhaozhou is scoured along with the right branch be rushed and ratio of diversion flow increase which have negative effect on transition shoals. In order to analysis the effect of evolvement trend on the channel conditions of transition shoals, this paper adopt cognitive calculation on water flow of Dongbei waterway using mathematic model. The results show that, the development of right branch of Xiasanhaozhou and the shallow shoal cutting at the head of Xiasanhaozhou decrease velocity of transition sections, decrease the diversion flow of the left branch of Xiasanhaozhou, and increase the diversion flow of the head of Xiasanhaozhou which have negative effect on transition shoals.

Dongbei waterway in the lower reach of Yangtze River includes three waterways: Hukou waterway, Heng waterway and Zhi waterway. For a long time the documents about the evolution of measured data in based mainly on topographic information and it is insufficient materials actually measured about the character of water flow. In order to make up the incomplete measured documents, it is intended herein to make calculation of character of water flow by means of mathematic model. The results show that, there are overflows to various extents for the side shoal at Sizhouwei under different discharge. It appears crossing troughs in the left to the side shoal at Sizhouwei. The bigger flow velocity of lower shoal and its left rim is possible for being washed out.

Raltitrexed is a specific inhibitor of thymidylate synthase (TS), which has been considered as a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. In the present study, the apoptosis mechanisms of raltitrexed in SGC7901 human gastric cancer cells were investigated. The cytotoxic activity of raltitrexed on SGC7901 cells was determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The CCK‑8 assay indicated that raltitrexed inhibits SGC7901 cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The morphological changes were observed by fluorescent microscopy, and characteristic morphological changes, including nuclear shrinkage and apoptotic bodies, were observed following Hoechst 33258 staining. The effects on apoptosis, cell cycle, mitochondrial transmembrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by flow cytometry. The analysis revealed that raltitrexed exerted a growth inhibitory effect by inducing time-dependent apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase. In addition, a compromised mitochondrial membrane potential and overproduction of ROS demonstrated the involvement of the mitochondrial signaling pathway. Raltitrexed‑induced caspase‑3‑dependent apoptosis was identified using a caspase-3 activity assay and pretreatment with the caspase-3 inhibitor, Ac‑DEVD‑CHO (sequence, Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-CHO). The activity of caspase-3 was analyzed with a spectrometer. The protein expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, cytochrome c, cleaved caspase-3 and TS were examined by western blot and the mRNA expression level of TS was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The analysis revealed that the protein levels of Bax, cytochrome c and cleaved caspase‑3 were significantly increased by raltitrexed, while Bcl-2 expression levels were reduced. Furthermore, raltitrexed increased the expression of the TS protein and mRNA in a time‑dependent manner. These results indicate that raltitrexed induces the apoptosis of SGC7901 cells through the caspase‑3‑dependent mitochondrial signaling pathway and upregulates the expression of the TS protein and mRNA.

GOCE satellite gravity data is often used to compute gravity anomaly and geoid height. In the paper, GOCE gravity data is used to inverse the crustal thickness of Chinese mainland (E70°~130°, N20°~50°) in this paper. In order to test the reliability of the result, the computing result is compared with previous studies. The comparative analysis shows that the inversion result by GOCE gravity data has higher resolution and has good consistence with the previous studies.

We report a truxene-based dyad built upon one donor (tri-meso-phenylzinc(II)porphyrin) and two acceptors (octa-β-alkylporphyrin free base) in which the donor exhibits free rotation around a Ctruxene-Cmeso single bond at 298 K in fluid solution but not at 77 K in a glass matrix, whereas the acceptors have very limited motion as they are blocked by β-methyl groups. This case is interesting because all the structural and spectroscopic parameters affecting the rate for singlet energy transfer according to a Förster Resonance Energy Transfer are only weakly temperature dependent, leaving only the Dexter mechanism explaining the larger variation in rate of energy transfers with the temperature hence providing a circumstantial evidence for a dual mechanism (Föster and Dexter) in truxene-based dyads (or polyads) in the S1 excited states.

The Dahu lodegold deposit is situated in the Xiaoqinling district, hosted in the east-west-trending shear zones, and characterized by auriferous quartz vein-type. Based on the morphology and paragenetic assemblage, three generations of pyrite (termed as first-generation pyrite (Py1), Py2, and Py3) can be classified. The Py2 can be further identified as brittle fractured pyrite (Py2-B) and ductile deformed pyrite (Py2-D). The different generations of pyrites feature distinct contents and distribution patterns of Au and other trace elements. The coarse-grained, euhedral Py1, disseminating in the early formed pyrite-poor quartz veins, contained negligible to extremely low levels of Au and associated trace elements, probably indicating a slow growth rate from a hydrothermal fluid unsaturated with respect to Fe, S, and Au and other trace elements, such as Cu, Pb, Bi, and Te, during the early orestage. Py2, occurring as laminations in the auriferous quartz veins, consistently contained significant amounts of Au, Bi, and Te, with a strong positive correlation between these elements, probably indicating a rapid growth rate and concentrated precipitation process of pyrite due to a hydrothermal fluid supersaturated with respect to Fe, S, Au, and other trace elements during the pyrite-rich auriferous quartz veining. Py3, which precipitated in the polymetallic sulfide orestage, contained a small amounts of Ag and a dramatically decreased content of Au, Bi, Te, and ratios of Bi/Ag. The results of electron back-scattered diffraction analysis on the Py2 revealed that Py2-B was characterized by predominantly brittle deformation with a limited local plastic deformation by dislocation glide on a simple slide system, whereas the Py2-D displayed a significant crystal plastic deformation through a lattice rotation on two separate 〈1 0 0〉 axes and local dislocation creep. Microscopic petrography and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the brittle fracturing-dominated Py2-B generally displayed homogenous distribution patterns of Au and other trace elements and scarce visible gold grains, whereas the plastically deformed Py2-D generally exhibited an inhomogeneous distribution pattern of trace element and commonly contained fine-grained irregular-shaped visible native gold and other sulfide inclusions in the low-angle boundaries and dislocation sites within Py2-D, possibly suggesting the significant influence of ductile deformation on remobilization and reprecipitation of Au and associated trace elements once locked in Py2. The corrosion of Au-Te-Bi-bearing Py2 by the late polymetallic sulfide assemblage led to a liberation of invisible Au and other trace elements and reprecipitation of visible native gold and other Bi–Pb minerals. The results indicate that brittle deformation exhibited no essential effects on the crystal structure and chemical component of pyrite, whereas the plastic deformation can cause the readjustment of crystal lattices and liberation of impurities (e.g., Au, Te, Bi, and Cu) from the crystal lattices of pyrite. The plastic deformation and dissolution–remobilization of pyrite are the important mechanisms responsible for the visible discrete gold grain formation in auriferous quartz veins. Macroscopically, a preferred constant E–W extending orientation and typical lamination structure of the auriferous quartz veins suggest a channeled fluid flowing along the closed and connected fractures under a syn-mineralization S–N oriented extensional tectonic regime related to the Xiaoqinling metamorphic core complex. Here, we report that the microstructures of ductile deformation and brittle fracturing of the auriferous quartz veins are probably indicative of the continuous shearing activation of the ore-hosting normal fault.

Quartz has various types of twin law and twinned quartz is more common than untwinned quartz. However, it is difficult to determine the twin laws of quartz by optical or diffraction methods, so the distribution of the different twin laws of quartz in rocks is still unknown. This paper introduces a method to determine quartz twin laws using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Based on this method, the relationships between quartz crystals in the granite of Tiantangzhai pluton, located at the centre of the Dabie Mountain area, China, are analysed. It is found that the Dauphiné twin is very abundant but the other twin laws (Japan, Esterel, Sardinian, Breithaupt and Cornish) are very rare in this granite. Besides twin laws, many kinds of intergrowths among the quartz crystals are also found. In the intergrowths the overlapping faces are {11\overline 22}, {10\overline 11}, {10\overline 12}, {11\overline 21} and {20\overline 21}, which are simply the twin planes of the Japan, Esterel, Sardinian, Breithaupt and Cornish twin laws, respectively. It is interesting that quartz crystals like to form intergrowths based on these faces but do not like to form twins with these faces as a twin plane. This research shows that the relationship between quartz crystals in the granite is controlled by the crystallographic orientation, resulting in the twins and intergrowths occurring at frequencies far exceeding random contact. It is also suggested that EBSD is the best method to determine the twin laws and intergrowths of quartz in a rock.

Most variable speed wind turbines have pitch angle control mechanisms and one of their objectives is to protect turbines when the wind speed is too high. Pitch angle control is the most common means for adjusting the aerodynamic torque of the wind turbine when wind speed is above rated speed. The paper deals with optimal tuning of a PID controller for pitch angle control in wind turbines using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The particle swarm optimization is used for achieving the correction coefficient values of deviation which are sent to the controller so that the control effect of chlorination system is improved. Simulation results prove the effectiveness of proposed control strategy. System can eliminate the wind speed disturbance and provide good transient and robust performance.

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, is a major rice pest in Asia, and accumulated evidence indicates that this species is susceptible to RNA interference (RNAi); however, the mechanism underlying RNAi and parental RNAi has not yet been determined. We comprehensively investigated the repertoire of core genes involved in small interfering RNA (siRNA) and micro-RNA (miRNA) pathways in the BPH by comparing its newly assembled transcriptome and genome with those of Drosophila melanogaster, Tribolium castaneum and Caenorhabditis elegans. Our analysis showed that the BPH possesses one drosha and two Dicer (dcr) genes, three dsRNA-binding motif protein genes, two Argonaute (ago) genes, two Eri-1-like genes (eri-1), and a Sid-1-like gene (sid-1). Additionally, we report for first time that parental RNAi might occur in this species, and siRNA pathway and Sid-1 were required for high efficiency of systemic RNAi triggered by exogenous dsRNA. Furthermore, our results also demonstrated that the miRNA pathway was involved in BPH metamorphosis as depletion of the ago1 or dcr1 gene severely impaired ecdysis. The BPH might be a good model system to study the molecular mechanism of systemic RNAi in hemimetabolous insects, and RNAi has potential to be developed to control this pest in agricultural settings.