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Background: Stool DNA test has been emerged as an effective noninvasive method for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, but the real‐world performance of stool DNA test in Chinese population has rarely been reported. Methods: A total of 36,527 subjects were recruited in Haining City from January 2021 to December 2021. Participants underwent primary screening by taking both two‐samples fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) and high‐risk factor questionnaire (HRFQ), and those who tested either positive by FITs or evaluated to be high risk by HRFQ were recommended to undertake subsequent stool DNA test and colonoscopy. Results: Of 36,527 participants, 34,778 (95%) completed both HRFQ and FITs, 9947 (29%) showed positive results during primary screening, and the colonoscopy compliance rate was 49%. Of primary screening positives, 8733 (88%) completed stool sample collections, and colonoscopy results from 4293 eligible participants were used for analyzing the performance of stool DNA test. The sensitivities for detecting CRC and advanced adenomas (AA) were 100% (95% CI: 60–100%) and 40% (95% CI: 34–46%), and the area under curve (AUC) was 0.961 (95% CI:0.954–0.967) and 0.625 (95% CI: 0.609–0.641), respectively. The specificity of stool DNA test was 84% (95% CI: 82–85%). The false‐positive rate for stool DNA test is about 10% less than that of primary screening. Conclusion: Stool DNA test is a cost‐effective and promising alternative strategy for CRC screening in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, low and medium speed maglev (LMSM) transportation system has been greatly promoted in China to meet different social demands. Accordingly, a LMSM train using levitation frames with mid-set air springs has been developed, and it is necessary to investigate the dynamic characteristics of its train-track-bridge coupled system. First, environmental vibration tests were conducted on the bridge to study its self-vibration characteristics. Then, field tests were carried out on this coupled system within the 60 km/h speed range. Subsequently, a three-dimensional rigid-flexible coupled dynamics model of the system was developed to evaluate its dynamic behavior at higher speeds. Results show that the first-order vertical and lateral bending frequencies of the bridge are 7.32 Hz and 6.00 Hz, respectively; train speed has little effect on the vertical dynamic displacement of the track-bridge system, yet has a significant impact on the acceleration responses of the coupled system; key dynamic indicators of the bridge meet the relevant requirements; the vertical ride quality of car body is not so good as that in the lateral direction, but on the whole the train has "Good" ride quality. These results can provide a useful reference for the optimal design of LMSM transportation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The malvolio (mvl) gene plays an important role in the transition from nursing to foraging in honeybees (Apis mellifera). Apis cerana cerana (A. c. cerana) is a subspecies of the eastern honeybee, well-known for its pollinator role throughout China. Although A. c. cerana shares many characteristics with A. mellifera, it is unclear whether Acmvl plays a similar role to Ammvl in foraging behavior. In this study, Acmvl expression was quantified during the transition from nursing to foraging in A. c. cerana. Acmvl protein production was also characterized in different tissues in bees from three behavioral groups. Finally, in situ hybridization was used to describe Acmvl expression patterns in forager bee brains. Acmvl expression was low early in life but then showed a major peak, which suggests its role in labor division. Examination of tissue type revealed that Acmvl expression was highest in the thoraxes of nurse bees and the heads of forager bees. In bee brains, Acmvl was selectively expressed in the somata of Kenyon cells in the mushroom bodies, optic lobes and antennal lobes. Taken together, these findings suggest that Acmvl plays a role in the nurse–forager transition of A. c. cerana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic insect-resistant cotton (Bt cotton) has been extensively planted in China, but its effects on non-targeted insect species such as the economically important honey bee (Apis mellifera) and silkworm (Bombyx mori) currently are unknown. In this study, pollen from two Bt cotton cultivars, one expressing Cry1Ac/EPSPS and the other expressing Cry1Ac/Cry2Ab, were used to evaluate the effects of Bt cotton on adult honey bees and silkworm larvae. Laboratory feeding studies showed no adverse effects on the survival, cumulative consumption, and total hemocyte count (THC) of A. mellifera fed with Bt pollen for 7 days. No effects on the survival or development of B. mori larvae were observed either. A marginally significant difference between Cry1Ac/Cry2Ab cotton and the conventional cotton on the THC of the 3rd day of 5thB. mori instar larvae was observed only at the two highest pollen densities (approximately 900 and 8000 grains/cm2), which are much higher than the pollen deposition that occurs under normal field conditions. The results of this study show that pollen of the tested Bt cotton varieties carried no lethal or sublethal risk for A. mellifera, and the risk for B. mori was negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pollinators adjust their foraging preference based on the pollen cues of foraging plants. Honey bees, for example, prefer to collect one type of pollen from plants that bloom at the same time. In northern China, apricot and pear trees are the two main foraging plants in the early spring. However, honey bees tend to collect pollen from apricot trees. It is interesting to understand what affects the foraging decision of honey bees regarding these two pollen types. In this study, we observed the foraging preference of Apis mellifera workers with respect to apricot and pear pollen under laboratory conditions. The effect of pollen on the development of the hypopharyngeal gland (HG) and ovary was measured. The number of visits made to apricot pollen was significantly higher than that to pear pollen. Furthermore, the response of the HG and ovary to these two pollens was different. The development of the HG was significantly affected by pollen diet treatments. However, there was no significant difference in the ovarian development of caged workers supplied with the two different pollen diets. Overall, honey bees showed a significant preference for apricot pollen over pear pollen. Compared with the ovary, the HG of honey bee workers may be more sensitive to pollen nutrition. With the availability of various plants in bloom simultaneously, honey bees prefer to collect some pollen types over others. To better understand pollen's role as a reward for workers, we compared the digestibility and nutritional value of two pollen diets, namely, pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd.) and apricot (Armeniaca sibirica L.). We investigated the visits, pollen consumption, and pollen extraction efficiency of caged Apis mellifera workers. Newly emerged workers were reared, and the effects of two pollen diets on their physiological status (the development of hypopharyngeal glands and ovaries) were compared. The choice-test experiments indicated a significant preference of A. mellifera workers for apricot pollen diets over pear pollen diets (number of bees landing, 29.5 ± 8.11 and 9.25 ± 5.10, p < 0.001 and pollen consumption, 0.052 ± 0.026 g/day and 0.033 ± 0.013 g/day, p < 0.05). Both pollen diets had comparable extraction efficiencies (67.63% for pear pollen and 67.73% for apricot pollen). Caged workers fed different pollen diets also exhibited similar ovarian development (p > 0.05). However, workers fed apricot pollen had significantly larger hypopharyngeal glands than those fed pear pollen (p < 0.001). Our results indicated that the benefits conferred to honey bees by different pollen diets may influence their foraging preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common varieties of genetically modified (GM) cotton increasingly display insect-resistant properties via expression of bacterial-derived toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). This necessitates a deeper understanding of the possible effects of these crops on non-target insects. The mirid bug Apolygus lucorum is a major pest in cotton production in China, however, the effect of GM cotton on this non-target species is currently virtually unknown. This insect is exposed to these transgenic plants by consuming genetically modified (GM) leaves. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the toxicity of CCRI41 and CCRI45, (genetically modified cotton varieties which express the toxins Cry1Ac and CpTI (Cowpea Trypsin Inhibitor)) on nymphs and adults of A. lucorum. There was no detectable increase in mortality after A. lucorum fed on GM cotton leaves for 20 days. While we detected trace amounts of Cry1Ac proteins in both A. lucorum nymphs and adults (<10 ng/g fresh weight), the expression of genes related to detoxification did not detectably differ from those feeding on non-GM cotton. Our binding assays did not show Cry1Ac binding to receptors on the midgut brush border membrane from either A. lucorum nymphs or adults. Our findings collectively indicate that feeding on leaves of the GM cotton varieties CCRI41 and CCRI45 have few toxic effects on A. lucorum. Image 1 • Bioassay results showed no effect of Cry1Ac -expressing cotton on Apolygus lucorum survival rate. • Cry1Ac -expressing cotton did not alter the detoxification genes expression of A. lucorum. • No cry1Ac binding protein was detected in the midgut of A. lucorum. • Planting transgenic Cry1Ac cotton will pose a negligible risk to A. lucorum. Capsule: Our study indicated that the GM cotton varieties CCRI41 and CCRI45 have few adverse effects on non-target insect pest A. lucorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Quantitative faecal immunochemical tests (FITs) are widely used for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in the Western countries, whereas qualitative FITs are preferred in China. The present study aimed to compare the screening yield between one-sample quantitative FIT and two-sample qualitative FIT for CRC screening., Design: A cross-sectional study., Setting: A population-based CRC screening programme was conducted in 28 communities in Haining City, Zhejiang Province, China., Participants: Consecutive participants aged 40-74 years were invited to undergo the CRC screening programme. Two-sample qualitative FITs were offered between January 2019 and December 2019, and one-sample quantitative FIT was offered between August 2019 and February 2020., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Primary outcomes were detection rates of advanced neoplasms, including CRCs and advanced adenomas. Secondary outcomes were positivity rates and colonoscopy resource demand for the two FITs. The positivity thresholds were 20 µg and 1-5 µg haemoglobin per gram of faeces for the quantitative and qualitative FITs, respectively., Results: A total of 19 131 and 28 804 invitees were assigned to the two-sample qualitative and one-sample quantitative groups, respectively. Positivity rates were 14.2% for the two-sample qualitative FIT and 5.4% for the one-sample quantitative FIT. Detection rates of advanced colorectal neoplasms at colonoscopy using one-sample quantitative FIT and two-sample qualitative FIT were 17.6% (95% CI: 14.6% to 20.6%) and 10.5% (95% CI: 8.7% to 12.4%), respectively. Both detection rates of cancer and advanced adenoma were higher in the one-sample quantitative FIT group than those in the two-sample qualitative FIT group. Moreover, one-sample quantitative FIT significantly reduced the colonoscopy load for detection of one advanced neoplasm case (5, 95% CI: 5 to 7) than the two-sample qualitative FIT (10, 95% CI: 8 to 11)., Conclusions: The one-sample quantitative FIT for CRC screening increases the detection rate of advanced neoplasia and reduces the colonoscopy workload compared with the two-sample qualitative FIT., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The widespread cultivation of transgenic Bt cotton makes assessing the potential effects of this recombinant crop on non-target organisms a priority. However, the effect of Bt cotton on many insects is currently virtually unknown. The plant bug Adelphocoris suturalis is now a major pest of cotton in southern China and the beetle Haptoncus luteolus is one of the most ancient cotton pollinators. We conducted laboratory experiments to evaluate the toxicity of the Bt cotton varieties ZMSJ, which expresses the toxins Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab, and ZMKCKC, which expresses Cry1Ac and EPSPS, on adult A. suturalis and H. luteolus. No significant increase in the mortality of either species was detected after feeding on Bt cotton leaves or pollen for 7 days. Trace amounts of Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab proteins could be detected in both species but in vitro binding experiments found no evidence of Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab binding proteins. These results demonstrate that feeding on the leaves or pollen of these two Bt cotton varieties has no toxic effects on adult A. suturalis or H. luteolus., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)