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In order to meet the demand for low-absorption sapphire crystal materials in important national defense projects in China, a self-produced crystal growth apparatus is developed in this study and the successful growth of low-absorption sapphire crystal can be achieved. The as-obtained crystal exhibits excellent transparency in the ultraviolet, visible, and near to midinfrared wavelength ranges. The transmittance is above 83% as the wavelength in the range of 250 nm to 400 nm, while the transmittance is above 85% as the wavelength in the range of 400 nm to 4 200 nm. On the basis of the characterization tests conducted on different regions of the crystal, the average dislocation density of crystal can be determined as 253. 19 cm-2. The rocking curve shows symmetrical and sharp peaks with a full width at half maximum of 14". In addition, it is worth noting that the light absorption coefficient of crystal is (23.3 -30.4) x 10-6 cm-1 at the wavelength of 1 064 nm, indicating that the impurity elements inside the crystal can be effectively controlled. Accordingly, the outstanding optical properties crystal can be applied in high-energy laser systems, space camera lenses and other relevant fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is engaged with the transmission of Maoist memories in the Jianchuan Museum Complex (JMC) ½¨´¨²©Îï¹Ý¾ÛÂä, one of the country's largest and most high-profile non-state (minjian Ãñ¼ä) museum projects. Described as the "Red Age" (Hongse Niandai ºìÉ«Äê´ú), the Maoist period (1949–1976) is one of the four main themes that the Jianchuan Museum Complex commemorates, together with the War of Resistance against Japan (1931–1945), the Wenchuan earthquake (2008), and Chinese folk culture. Through a historicized account of the construction of these museums, this article examines the JMC's rendering of the Maoist period by analyzing the display methods and curatorial rationales in three of the Red Age museums. I show how Fan's curatorial approach changes, increasingly defined by his accommodation of the state's definition of what can be remembered and how. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhynocoris fuscipes (Fabricius 1787) is an important predator in China. In current study, the complete mitochondrial genome of R. fuscipes is determined. The mitogenome is 15,542 bp in size and comprises of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. Gene arrangement is identical to that of the putative ancestral arrangement of insects. All protein-coding genes initiate with ATN codons and terminate with TAA codons except for COII, ND4, and ND5 use TA or a single T residue as the termination codons. All tRNAs have the clover-leaf structure except for the tRNASer(AGN) and the length of them range from 62 to 70 bp. The phylogenetic result supports the monophyly of Harpactorinae and the sister relationship between R. fuscipes and Rhynocoris incertis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Telenomus remus (Nixon) is a promising natural enemy of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith). Successful implementation of a biocontrol program requires a mature rearing system to produce millions of beneficial insect products at lower costs. This parasitoid is successfully reared on Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) eggs in several countries, however that host species is unsuitable for Chinese strains of T. remus. Fewer studies have been done using Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) eggs, but it is increasingly seen as the promising alternative host in China. In order to identify optimal mass-rearing conditions when using S. litura eggs as an alternative host, this novel study thus sought to comprehensively evaluate the effects of photoperiod, exposure time, and host egg:parasitoid ratio on the reproductive potential and mass-rearing efficiency of T. remus on S. litura eggs. Our results suggest using more than 12 h of light, 24 h exposure time, and 14–20:1 host egg:parasitoid ratio for rearing T. remus on S. litura eggs. These findings will help promote successful, large-scale rearing of T. remus for use against S. frugiperda in China. Telenomus remus (Nixon) is a dominant egg parasitoid of the destructive agricultural pest Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and so is used in augmentative biocontrol programs in several countries. An optimized mass-rearing system is essential to produce biological control products in a timely and cost-effective manner. In this study, the photoperiod, host egg:parasitoid ratio, and exposure time were evaluated to identify the optimal rearing conditions for T. remus on the alternative host Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) eggs. Results showed that increasing photoperiod above 12L:12D remarkably improved parasitoid progeny yield and life table parameters. Overlong photoperiods shortened female longevity, but within acceptable limits. There was a significant negative correlation between parasitism rate and host egg:parasitoid ratio under exposure times of 12 and 36 h, but not 24 h. Percentage of female progeny increased significantly along with increasing the host egg:parasitoid ratio. A significant negative relationship between the number of emerged adults per egg and the host egg:parasitoid ratio was observed at an exposure time of 36 h. It was concluded that T. remus may be mass-reared most efficiently on S. litura eggs using a photoperiod of more than 12L:12D, a 14–20:1 host egg:parasitoid ratio, and an exposure time of 24 h. These findings can be used to produce T. remus more efficiently and at lower costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, Puguang gas field is the largest and most abundant oversize marine carbonate reservoir that has been exploited in China. The range of H2S and CO2 content in natural gas is 13% -- 18% (v) and 8% -- 10% (v) respectively, organic sulfur content is 340.6 mg/m³. The conventional acid gas removal process is not applicable. By research and analysis on high sulfur natural gas purification technology, the gas purification process of Puguang gas field is set up. MDEA is selected as main absorption solvent, and organic sulfur is removed by catalytic reaction. To control the CO2 absorption, an interstage cooler is et between the first main absorber and the second absorber. The rich MDEA from acid gas removal unit and tail gas treating unit is regenerated in the same stripper to reduce the cost and energy consumption. This technology has been applied in Puguang gas field for more than one year, and the technical specifications meet requirements, the content of H2S in product is tower than 6 mg/m³, CO2 is lower than 3%(v), and the total sulfur is lower than 200 mg/m³. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which gave a detailed description of rare earth elements (REE) geochemistry of the strata within the Jinding lead-zinc deposit, in Lanping, Yunnan, China. Geological settings; Analytical methods; REE studies of the Jinding lead-zinc deposit.

Simple Summary: Telenomus remus (Nixon) is an effective egg parasitoid for controlling Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), which is a major destructive agricultural pest. Currently, this parasitoid is reared on Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) eggs in several countries. However, previous studies carried out in China have reported that it cannot parasitize in C. cephalonica eggs. Meanwhile, those works have indicated that Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) can potentially be used as an alternative host. In order to evaluate this potential, our study compared the development and parasitism ability of T. remus on the eggs of S. frugiperda and S. litura at different temperatures in a laboratory. We found that S. litura eggs are more advantageous as an alternative host for the mass-rearing of parasitoid when compared with S. frugiperda eggs. Our results provide a more specific basis and reference for the large-scale production and low temperature storage of T. remus. Although Telenomus remus, a promising parasitoid of Spodoptera frugiperda, had been successfully reared on the eggs of Corcyra cephalonica in some countries, reports from China have argued that it is infeasible. Notably, studies from China have indicated that Spodoptera litura eggs could be a candidate host. Therefore, to further evaluate the potential of using S. litura eggs as hosts, we compared the development and parasitism of T. remus on the eggs of S. frugiperda and S. litura at temperatures between 20–32 °C. Our results showed that T. remus developed successfully on both host eggs at all of the tested temperatures, and the developmental duration and thermal requirements at each stage were similar between the two host species. The number of parasitized eggs was greater for S. litura than for S. frugiperda. Meanwhile, the emergence rate exceeded 86.6%, and it was significantly higher for S. litura than that for S. frugiperda, except at 29 °C. This study is the first time estimating the thermal requirements of T. remus at each stage. Moreover, we also recorded the morphological characteristics of T. remus at each stage. Our results demonstrate that S. litura eggs are more suitable than S. frugiperda eggs as an alternative host for the mass-rearing of T. remus in China. Understanding the thermal requirements and biological parameters contributes greatly to predicting the generation time and providing a reference for the mass-rearing and storage of the parasitoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are significant petroleum pollutants that have long-term impacts on human health and ecosystems. However, assessing their toxicity presents challenges due to factors such as cost, time, and the need for comprehensive multi-component analysis methods. In this study, we utilized network toxicity models, enrichment analysis, and molecular docking to analyze the toxicity mechanisms of PAHs at different levels: compounds, target genes, pathways, and species. Additionally, we used the maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) value and risk quotient (RQ) as an indicator for the potential ecological risk assessment of PAHs. The results showed that higher molecular weight PAHs had increased lipophilicity and higher toxicity. Benzo[a]pyrene and Fluoranthene were identified as core compounds, which increased the risk of cancer by affecting core target genes such as CCND1 in the human body, thereby influencing signal transduction and the immune system. In terms of biological species, PAHs had a greater toxic impact on aquatic organisms compared to terrestrial organisms. High molecular weight PAHs had lower effective concentrations on biological species, and the ecological risk was higher in the Yellow River Delta region. This research highlights the potential application of network toxicity models in understanding the toxicity mechanisms and species toxicity of PAHs and provides valuable insights for monitoring, prevention, and ecological risk assessment of these pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents one of the major health threats in China today. A better understanding of the molecular genetics underlying malignant transformation of hepatocytes is critical to success in the battle against this disease. The methylation state of C5 of the cytosine in the CpG di-nucleotide that is enriched within or near the promoter region of over 50 % of the polymerase II genes has a drastic effect on transcription of these genes. Changes in the methylation profile of the promoters represent an alternative to genetic lesions as causative factors for the tumor-specific aberrant expression of the genes., Methods: We have used the methylation specific PCR method in conjunction with DNA sequencing to assess the methylation state of the promoter CpG islands of twenty genes. Aberrant expression of these genes have been attributed to the abnormal methylation profile of the corresponding promoter CpG islands in human tumors., Results: While the following sixteen genes remained the unmethylated in all tumor and normal tissues: CDH1, APAF1, hMLH1, BRCA1, hTERC, VHL, RARbeta, TIMP3, DAPK1, SURVIVIN, p14ARF, RB1, p15INK4b, APC, RASSF1c and PTEN, varying degrees of tumor specific hypermethylation were associated with the p16INK4a, RASSF1a, CASP8 and CDH13 genes. For instance, the p16INK4a was highly methylated in HCC (17/29, 58.6%) and less significantly methylated in non-cancerous tissue (4/29. 13.79%). The RASSF1a was fully methylated in all tumor tissues (29/29, 100%), and less frequently methylated in corresponding non-cancerous tissue (24/29, 82.75%)., Conclusions: Furthermore, co-existence of methylated with unmethylated DNA in some cases suggested that both genetic and epigenetic (CpG methylation) mechanisms may act in concert to inactivate the p16INK4a and RASSF1a in HCC. Finally, we found a significant association of cirrhosis with hypermethylation of the p16INK4a and hypomethylation of the CDH13 genes. For the first time, the survey was carried out on such an extent that it would not only provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underscoring the aberrant expression of the genes in this study in HCC, but also offer essential information required for a good methylation-based diagnosis of HCC.