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Zostera marina among seagrass suffering from global decline is a representative species in temperate regions in the Northern Hemisphere. Given our recent findings, the decline of seagrasses may be associated with the photosensitivity of the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC). Therefore, understanding the mechanism of OEC photosensitivity is key to understanding the continued decline in seagrasses. Herein, we explored the screening-based photoprotection function in Z. marina by examining the inactivation spectrum of OEC and the differences in photoresponse pathways following exposure to different spectrums. The OEC inactivation was spectral-dependent. High-energy light significantly reduced the PSII performance, OEC peripheral protein expression, and photosynthetic O release capacity. The increased synthesis of carotenoids under blue light with severe OEC damage implied its weak photoprotection property in Z. marina. However, anthocyanins key synthetic genes were lowly expressed with inefficient accumulation under high-energy light. Furthermore, the acylation modifications of anthocyanins, especially aromatic acylation modifications were insufficient, leading to poor stability and light absorption of anthocyanins. Based on the role of blue light receptors in regulating the synthesis of anthocyanins in vascular plant, we hypothesized that the absence of blue light receptor CRY2 in Z. marina causes the insufficient synthesis of anthocyanins and acyl modifications, reducing the shielding against high-energy light, subsequently causing OEC photoinactivation.

Zostera marina, a fully submerged marine angiosperm with a unique evolutionary history associated with its terrestrial origin, has distinct photochemical characteristics caused by its oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) being prone to deactivation in visible light. Based on the present phylogenetic analysis, the chloroplast NADPH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex was found to be completed in of Z. marina, unlike other marine plants, suggesting its crucial role. Thus, the responses of electron transport to irradiation were investigated through multiple chlorophyll fluorescence techniques and Western blot analysis. Moreover, the respective contribution of the two photosystem I cyclic electron flow (PSI-CEF) pathways to the generation of trans-thylakoid proton gradient (∆pH) was also examined using inhibitors. The contributions of the two PSI-CEF pathways to ∆pH were similar; furthermore, there was a trade-off between the two pathways under excess irradiation: the PGR5/L1-dependent PSI-CEF decreased gradually following its activation during the initial illumination, while NDH-dependent PSI-CEF was activated gradually with exposure duration. OEC inactivation was continuously under excess irradiation, which exhibits a positive linear correlation with the activation of NDH-dependent PSI-CEF. We suggest that PGR5/L1-dependent PSI-CEF was preferentially activated to handle the excess electron caused by the operation of OEC during the initial illumination. Subsequently, the increasing OEC inactivation with exposure duration resulted in a deficit of electrons. Limited electrons from PSI might preferentially synthesize NADPH, which could support the function of NDH-dependent PSI-CEF to generate ∆pH and ATP via reducing ferredoxin, thereby maintaining OEC stability.

Background This study investigated the effects of nutritional status at the time of admission on clinical outcomes in patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 54 patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Clinical data of admitted patients, albumin and pre-serum albumin levels, gastrointestinal intolerance, and general information were collected and analyzed. The primary clinical outcomes were length of hospital stay and hospitalization costs. Results The results showed that albumin and pre-serum albumin levels of patients at admission were negatively associated with the length of hospital stay and hospitalization costs (P

Background Imitative learning is highly effective from infancy to old age; however, little is known about the effects of observing errors during imitative learning. This study aimed to examine how observing errors affected imitative learning performance to maximize its effect. Methods In the pre-training session, participants were instructed to pinch at a target force (8 N) with auditory feedback regarding generated force while they watched videos of someone pinching a sponge at the target force. In the pre-test, participants pinched at the target force and did not view a model or receive auditory feedback. In Experiment 1, in the main training session, participants imitated models while they watched videos of pinching at either the incorrect force (error-mixed condition) or target force (correct condition). Then, the exact force generated was measured without receiving auditory feedback or viewing a model. In Experiment 2, using the same procedures, newly recruited participants watched videos of pinching at incorrect forces (4 and 24 N) as the error condition and the correct force as the correct condition. Results In Experiment 1, the average force was closer to the target force in the error-mixed condition than in the correct condition. In Experiment 2, the average force in the correct condition was closer to the target force than in the error condition. Conclusion Our findings indicated that observing error actions combined with correct actions affected imitation motor learning positively as error actions contained information on things to avoid in the target action. It provides further information to enhance imitative learning in mixed conditions compared to that with correct action alone.

Biological imaging and biosensing from subcellular/cellular level to whole body have enabled non-invasive visualisation of molecular events during various biological and pathological processes, giving great contributions to the rapid and impressive advances in chemical biology, drug discovery, disease diagnosis and prognosis. Optical imaging features a series of merits, including convenience, high resolution, good sensitivity, low cost and the absence of ionizing radiation. Among different luminescent probes, metal-based molecules offer unique promise in optical bioimaging and biosensing in vitro and in vivo, arising from their small sizes, strong luminescence, large Stokes shifts, long lifetimes, high photostability and tunable toxicity. In this review, we aim to highlight the design of metal-based molecular probes from the standpoint of synthetic chemistry in the last 2 years for optical imaging, covering d-block transition metal and lanthanide complexes and multimodal imaging agents.

Thirteen volatile compounds were identified from Flemingia macrophylla plants. Eight major components significantly attracted the tea green leafhoppers, Empoasca flavescens F. Based on their relative abundances, following synthetic blends were made for field experiments: 1) eight-component-attractant blend included Z-3-hexen-1-ol, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-ocimene, MeSA, Z-3-hexenyl butyrate, dodecane, hexadecane and nonanal at 10, 10, 1, 11, 2, 6, 2 and 4 mg mL−1 in n-hexane, respectively; 2) four-component-attractant blend #1 contained hexadecane, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-3-hexen-1-ol and nonanal at 2, 10, 10 and 4 mg mL−1 in n-hexane, respectively; 3) four-component-attractant blend #2 contained hexadecane, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-3-hexen-1-ol and MeSA at 2, 10, 10 and 11 mg mL−1 in n-hexane, respectively. Thymol and 1-methoxy-4-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-benzene, identified from Lavandula angustifolia aeration samples, significantly repelled the leafhopper as strong repellents when tested alone or in combination at 10 mg mL−1. For field bioassays, each attractant lure was attached to a bud green sticky board hung from a bamboo stick at above tea plant level for catching the leafhoppers, whereas the repellent dispenser was tied to a tea branch inside tea clump for pushing the leafhoppers away from tea clumps. The results showed that the eight-component-attractant blend caught similar numbers of the leafhopper as did the four-component-attractant blend #1 at about 53–79 leafhoppers/trap/day, which were significantly higher than those on the hexane-control bud green sticky boards. Average leafhopper catches from un-baited sticky boards were about 51–73 leafhoppers/trap/day when pushed by the repellents placed inside tea plants, with the two-component-repellent blend being more effective than their single components. When the two-component-repellent blend was further tested with the three attractant blends in a push-pull fashion, average trap catches ranged from 62 to 92 leafhoppers/trap/day. Control efficacy on the leafhoppers within the push-pull zones increased progressively from day 1 (43%) to day 5 (73%). This push-pull approach might have a great potential as a green control strategy for combating the tea green leafhoppers.

We firstly derive the stellar population properties: age and metallicity for $\sim$ 43,000 low redshift galaxies in the seventh data release (DR7) of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey, which have no spectroscopic observations in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS). We employ a fitting procedure based on the small-scale features of galaxy spectra so as to avoid possible biases from the uncertain flux calibration of the LAMOST spectroscopy. We show that our algorithm can successfully recover the average age and metallicity of the stellar populations of galaxies down to signal-to-noise$\geq$5 through testing on both mock galaxies and real galaxies comprising LAMOST and their SDSS counterparts. We provide a catalogue of the age and metallicity for $\sim$ 43,000 LAMOST galaxies online. As a demonstration of the scientific application of this catalogue, we present the Holmberg effect on both age and metallicity of a sample of galaxies in galaxy pairs., Comment: 15 pages, 9 Postscript figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of photosystem II (PSII) fluorescence is one of the most important protective mechanisms enabling the survival of phototropic organisms under high-light conditions. A low-efficiency NPQ, characterized by weak NPQ induction capacity and a low level of protective NPQ, was observed in the marine angiosperm Zostera marina, which inhabits the shallow water regions. Furthermore, chlorophyll fluorescence and Western blot analysis verified that the fast-inducted component of NPQ, i.e., the energy-dependent quenching (qE), was not present in this species. In contrast with the lack of PSII antenna quenching sites for qE induction in brown algae and the lack of functional XC in Ulvophyceae belonging to green algae, all the antenna proteins and the functional XC are present in Z. marina. A novel underlying mechanism was observed that the limited construction of the trans-thylakoid proton gradient (ΔpH) caused by photoinactivation of the oxygen evolving complex (OEC) did not induce protonation of PsbS, thus explaining the inability to form quenching sites for qE induction. Although the ΔpH established under light exposure activated violaxanthin (V) de-epoxidase enzyme to catalyze conversion of V via antheraxanthin (A) and then to zeaxanthin (Z), the quenching capacity of de-epoxidized pigment was weak in Z. marina. We suggest that the low-efficiency NPQ was conducive to efficiently utilize the limited electrons to perform photosynthesis, resisting the adverse effect of OEC photoinactivation on the photosynthetic rate.

Flowering is the adaptability of plants in response to the environment, which is regulated by the complex flowering control network formed by a variety of exogenous and endogenous signals. Plant hormones, the most important endogenous signal participants, play important roles in the process of plant flowering. Recent reports reveal the pivotal roles of hormones in the epigenetic regulation and flowering promotion pathway. In addition, synergistic or antagonistic interaction has been observed among many hormones. Numerous hormones have been found to be involved in the regulation of the multiple flowering development regulation and signaling pathways mediated by DELLA protein in the gibberellin (GA) pathway. In this review, we summarize the recent advances ofthe flowering mechanisms related to GA pathway and discuss the effects of abscisic acid (ABA), auxin (IAA), cytokinin (CTK), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and ethylene (ET) on flowering, including their cross-regulation with DELLA, miRNAs, and transcription factor (TFs). This review provides a reference for further comprehensive analysis of the hormone-regulated network of plant flower formation.开花是植物对环境的适应性表现,是在多种外源和内源信号形成的复杂成花调控网络下完成。植物激素作为最重要的内源信号参与者,在成花进程中扮演着重要角色。近年来,光周期等成花途径和表观遗传调控中激素的作用机理不断被解析。研究发现激素间存在协同和拮抗作用,并证实多种激素参与赤霉素(gibberellins, GA)途径中DELLA蛋白介导的多种成花调控途径。本文主要综述了GA在植物成花中的调控机理,同时探讨了脱落酸(abscisic acid, ABA)、生长素(auxin, IAA)、细胞分裂素(cytokinin, CTK)、水杨酸(salicylic acid, SA)、茉莉酸(jasmonic acid, JA)和乙烯(ethylene, ET)等其他内源激素在成花中的作用及其与DELLA、miRNAs和转录因子(transcription factor, TFs)等通路串联调控,为全面解析激素调控植物成花的网络提供参考。.

Qingfei Paidu Decoction is a traditional Chinese medicine compound recommended by National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China and National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine for clinical therapies of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19). Qingfei Paidu Decoction consists of 21 traditional Chinese medicines, such as Asari Radix et Rhizoma. However, the dosage of Asari Radix et Rhizoma has been questioned by some people, because of one ancient proverb. To explore the rationality of the dosage of Asari Radix et Rhizoma in Qingfei Paidu Decoction, this study systematically examined the ancient and modern physicians' understanding of the toxicity of Asari Radix et Rhizoma, and collated the application and dosage of Asari Radix et Rhizoma in ancient prescriptions and modern clinics based on literature analysis. As a result, we found that ancient and modern physicians have different understanding on the toxicity of Asari Radix et Rhizoma and that the theory about the dosage of Asari Radix et Rhizoma is flawed. We also found that the dose of Asari Radix et Rhizoma in ancient and modern clinical applications was not constrained by ancient experience. Physicians usually increase the dosage of Asari Radix et Rhizoma in clinical therapy according to the actual conditions, and there were no adverse reactions. Additionally, according to laws and regulations concerning medical affairs, physician could increase or decrease the dosage of the drug under special circumstances. Based on the analysis of safety and effectiveness of Asari Radix et Rhizoma in Qingfei Paidu Decoction, we conclude that the dose of Asari Radix et Rhizoma in Qingfei Paidu Decoction is safe, effective and reasonable.

Resveratrol (RSV) is known to possess anticancer properties in many types of cancers like breast cancer, in which POLD1 may serve as a potential target. However, the anticancer mechanism of RSV on triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains unclear. In the present study, the antitumor effects and mechanism of RSV on TNBC cells were analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), which was then verified via cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, Western Blot (WB), flow cytometry, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. According to the corresponding findings, the survival rate of MDA-MB-231 cells gradually decreased as RSV treatment concentration increased. The RNA-seq analysis results demonstrated that genes affected by RSV treatment were mainly involved in apoptosis and the p53 signaling pathway. Moreover, apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells induced by RSV was observed to be mainly mediated by POLD1. When treated with RSV, the expression levels of full length PARP1, PCNA, and BCL-2 were found to be significantly reduced, and the expression level of Cleaved-PARP1 as well as Cleaved-Caspase3 increased significantly. Additionally, the mRNA expression of POLD1 was significantly reduced after treatment with RSV, and the protein expression level was also inhibited by RSV in a concentration-dependent manner. The prediction of domain interaction suggested that RSV may bind to at least five functional domains of the POLD1 protein (6s1m, 6s1n, 6s1o, 6tny and 6tnz). Furthermore, after RSV treatment, the anti-apoptotic index (PCNA, BCL-2) of MDA-MB-231 cells was found to decrease while the apoptosis index (caspase3) increased. Moreover, the overexpression of POLD1 reduced the extent of apoptosis observed in MDA-MB-231 cells following RSV treatment. Moreover, animal experimental results showed that RSV had a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of live tumors, while POLD1 overexpression was shown to antagonize this inhibitory effect. Accordingly, this study’s findings reveal that RSV may promote the apoptosis of TNBC cells by reducing the expression of POLD1 to activate the apoptotic pathway, which may serve as a potential therapy for the treatment of TNBC.

As an alternative electron sink, chlororespiration, comprising the NAD(P)H dehydrogenase complex and plastid terminal plastoquinone oxidase, may play a significant role in sustaining the redox equilibrium between stroma and thylakoid membrane. This study identified a distinct role for chlororespiration in the marine angiosperm Zostera marina, whose oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) is prone to photo-inactivation as a result of its inherent susceptibility to excess irradiation. The strong connectivity between OEC peripheral proteins and key chlororespiratory enzymes, as demonstrated in the interaction network of differentially expressed genes, suggested that the recovery of photo-inactivated OEC was connected with chlororespiration. Chlorophyll fluorescence, transcriptome and Western blot data verified a new physiological role for chlororespiration to function as photoprotection and generate a proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane for the recovery of photo-inactivated OEC. Chlororespiration was only activated in darkness following excess irradiation exposure, which might be related to electron deficiency in the electron transport chain because of the continuous impairment of the OEC. The activation of chlororespiration in Z. marina was prone to proactivity, which was also supported by the further activation of the oxidative pentose-phosphate pathway synthesizing NADPH to meet the demand of chlororespiration during darkness. This phenomenon is distinct from the common assumption that chlororespiration is prone to consuming redundant reducing power during the short transition phase from light to dark.

The double revolving fiber positioning unit (FPU) is one of the key technologies of The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscope Telescope (LAMOST). The positioning accuracy of the computer controlled FPU depends on robot accuracy as well as the initial parameters of FPU. These initial parameters may deteriorate with time when FPU is running in non-supervision mode, which would lead to bad fiber position accuracy and further efficiency degradation in the subsequent surveys. In this paper, we present an algorithm based on deep learning to detect the FPU’s initial angle using the front illuminated image of LAMOST focal plane. Preliminary test results show that the detection accuracy of the FPU initial angle is better than 2.°5, which is good enough to distinguish those obvious bad FPUs. Our results are further well verified by direct measurement of fiber position from the back illuminated image and the correlation analysis of the spectral flux in LAMOST survey data.

Advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) is an autogenous biological material obtained from peripheral blood. A-PRF extract (A-PRFe) contains a high concentration of various cytokines that are increasingly appreciated for their roles in improving stem cell repairing function during tissue regeneration. However, the optimal A-PRFe concentration to stimulate stem cells is unknown. This study aimed to identify the optimal concentrations of A-PRFe to promote adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). We produced A-PRFe from A-PRF clots by centrifuging fresh peripheral blood samples and isolated and identified ASCs using surface CD markers and multilineage differentiation potential. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed the concentrations of several cytokines, including b-FGF, PDGF-BB, and others, increased gradually, peaked on day 7 and then decreased. Cell proliferation assays showed A-PRFe significantly stimulated ASC proliferation, and proliferation significantly increased at higher A-PRFe doses. The degree of adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation increased at higher A-PRFe concentrations in the culture medium, as determined by oil red O and alizarin red staining. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that expression levels of genes related to adipogenic/osteogenic differentiation (PPARγ2, C/EBPα, FABP4, Adiponectin, and ALP, OPN, OCN, RUNX2), paracrine (HIF-1α, VEGF, IGF-2) and immunoregulation (HSP70, IL-8) function were higher in groups with a higher concentration of A-PRFe than in lower concentration groups. This study demonstrates that A-PRFe is ideal for use in ASC applications in regenerative medicine because it improves biological functions, including proliferation, adipogenic/osteogenic differentiation, and paracrine function in a dose-dependent manner.

The visual communication between insect and plant is one of the key sensory signal channels for the survival, reproduction and defense of insects. The colored sticky boards, which are developed based on insects positive phototaxis and as one of the effective green pest control measures, have been widely applied for monitoring, forecasting and mass-trapping of many diurnal agricultural and forestry insect pests. In addition, they could be used to attract beneficial insects to the target areas to prey on or parasitize harmful insects, and to aid in pollination. Here, we discussed the insect phototaxis theory and the "attract and kill" mechanism of colored sticky boards and reviewed the effects of color, shape, size, height, density, facing direction, working duration of the sticky boards, as well as plant morphological characters and insect physiological status on trapping efficacy. We summarized various application techniques of the color sticky boards on different target pest insects in tea plantations, vegetable fields and greenhouses, etc. We analyzed various application technologies of combining colored sticky boards with synthetic sex pheromone attractants and/or botanical attractants and their efficacy; then evaluated the pros and cons of using the colored sticky boards for pest control or monitoring. Accordingly, we provided suggestions for improvements and discussed the trapping efficacy assessment and cost-benefit analysis. Finally, we proposed the RD directions of next generation colored sticky boards, especially its combination with synthetic pheromones/kairomones as an important integrated pest management (IPM) measure, and the future of the colored sticky board industry.昆虫与植物之间色彩通讯是彼此信息交流的渠道之一,基于害虫趋色性研发的诱虫板作为一种绿色防控手段,已广泛用于农林害虫的虫情监测、预测预报、大量诱杀以及天敌诱集和指引,效果良好.本文概述了昆虫趋光趋色机理、诱虫板诱杀害虫机制和诱虫板色彩、形状、大小、高度、密度、方向、诱虫时长、植株形态和害虫生理状态等对于诱捕效果的影响,总结了诱虫板在茶园、菜地和大棚等作物环境中的多种实用技术,解析了诱虫板与昆虫性诱剂、植物源引诱剂等配合使用方法及其功效,评价了诱虫板治虫的优缺点并提出改进措施,讨论了诱虫板诱效的评价方法和成本核算.展望了新一代诱虫板研发方向、诱虫板与信息素等产品在有害生物综合治理(IPM)中的集成应用和诱虫板产业前景.

Zostera marina, a fully submerged marine angiosperm with a unique evolutionary history associated with its terrestrial origin, has distinct photochemical characteristics caused by its oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) being prone to deactivation in visible light. Based on the present phylogenetic analysis, the chloroplast NADPH dehydrogenase-like (NDH) complex was found to be completed in of Z. marina, unlike other marine plants, suggesting its crucial role. Thus, the responses of electron transport to irradiation were investigated through multiple chlorophyll fluorescence techniques and Western blot analysis. Moreover, the respective contribution of the two photosystem I cyclic electron flow (PSI-CEF) pathways to the generation of trans-thylakoid proton gradient (∆pH) was also examined using inhibitors. The contributions of the two PSI-CEF pathways to ∆pH were similar; furthermore, there was a trade-off between the two pathways under excess irradiation: the PGR5/L1-dependent PSI-CEF decreased gradually following its activation during the initial illumination, while NDH-dependent PSI-CEF was activated gradually with exposure duration. OEC inactivation was continuously under excess irradiation, which exhibits a positive linear correlation with the activation of NDH-dependent PSI-CEF. We suggest that PGR5/L1-dependent PSI-CEF was preferentially activated to handle the excess electron caused by the operation of OEC during the initial illumination. Subsequently, the increasing OEC inactivation with exposure duration resulted in a deficit of electrons. Limited electrons from PSI might preferentially synthesize NADPH, which could support the function of NDH-dependent PSI-CEF to generate ∆pH and ATP via reducing ferredoxin, thereby maintaining OEC stability.

As a natural somatostatin analog, octreotide acetate (OCT) has been extensively used in cancer treatment and growth hormone related diseases. The clinical application of OCT, however, is greatly limited by its short half-life, rapid elimination and clearance in vivo. In the current study, a high content phospholipid-based phase separation gel platform (PPSG) was presented, which could be injected in the soluble state and underwent rapid phase-separation into a gel-like implant after a single subcutaneous injection. OCT was dispersed homogeneously in the PPSG pre-gel solution to afford OCT-loaded PPSG (OCT-PPSG) after a single subcutaneous injection, which displayed controlled and sustained release profiles for up to 30days in rats, rabbits and Beagle dogs. OCT-PPSG showed a less significant burst phase followed by a steady plasma concentration of OCT compared with Sandostatin(®) (LAR) in Beagle dogs. Moreover, OCT-PPSG was demonstrated to show remarkable antitumor efficacy in both a primary rat model and a xenograft mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). PPSG thus represented a promising and viable in situ forming gel platform material for the long-term sustained release of peptides and protein drugs.

As a family of signaling plant hormone, jasmonic acid plays an important role in coordinating plant defense responses to pests and pathogen attack through transcriptional and metabolic changes. In the jasmonate biosynthetic pathway of plants, allene oxide cyclase (AOC) is an essential enzyme. Here we cloned a cDNA from tea plant (Camellia sinensis), named as CsAOC (GenBank: HQ889679), which was 916 bp, containing an open reading frame (738 bp) encoding 245 amino acids. Comparative and bioinformatic analyses revealed that the deduced protein of CsAOC was highly homologous to AOC from other plant species. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CsAOC was clustered in a closely related subgroup with AOC of Ipomoea nil. The full-length coding region of CsAOC was ligated with pET-32a and successfully expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3), and purified. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment on its own potently enhanced its expression over the control (healthy leaves), suggesting feedback activation of CsAOC. The expression under salicylic acid (SA) and wounding treatments was up-regulated. The mRNA expression of CsAOC could be induced by tea geometrids and tea green leafhoppers.

We measure the bivariate luminosity function (BLF) of galaxy pairs and use it to probe and characterize the galaxy-galaxy interaction between pair members. The galaxy pair sample is selected from the main galaxy sample of Sloan Digital Sky Survey and supplied with a significant number of redshifts from the LAMOST spectral and GAMA surveys. We find the BLFs depend on the projected distance $d_{\text{p}}$ between pair members. At large separation $d_{\text{p}} > 150 h^{-1}\ \text{kpc}$, the BLF degenerates into a luminosity function (LF) of single galaxies, indicating few interactions between pair members. At $100 h^{-1}\ \text{kpc} \leq d_{\text{p}} \leq 150 h^{-1}\ \text{kpc}$, the BLF starts to show the correlation between pair members, in the sense that the shape of the conditional luminosity function (CLF) of one member galaxy starts to depend on the luminosity of the other member galaxy. Specifically, the CLF with a brighter companion has a steeper faint-end slope, which becomes even more significant at $50 h^{-1}\ \text{kpc} \leq d_{\text{p}} \leq 100 h^{-1}\ \text{kpc}$. This behavior is consistent with the scenario, \textit{and also is the observational evidence}, that dynamic friction drives massive major merger pairs to merge more quickly. At close distance $d_{\text{p}} \leq 50 h^{-1}\ \text{kpc}$, besides the merging time-scale effect, the BLF also shows an overall brightening of $\Delta M_r \geq 0.04$ mag, which reveals the enhanced star formation of the close-pair phase. By combining another statistical conclusion that the star formation rate of late-type galaxies in close pairs is enhanced at a level of about 40\%, we further conclude that the average starburst time-scale of close pairs is as long as 0.4 Gyr., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables, resubmitted to ApJ after two round of refereeing

Plants respond to herbivory through a series of physiological and biochemical defense mechanisms to counter the stress of herbivorous pests, including the dramatic changes in activities of various defense enzymes. Here, we reviewed the recent research progress on the response mechanisms of six common plant defense enzymes, SOD, CAT, POD, PPO, LOX and PAL, to insect stress, and compared their similarities and disparities. We sorted out their interactive sequences in response to the insect stress and analyzed the changes of defense enzyme activities and their associations with defense enzyme genes after being attacked by pests. Finally, we discussed the key problems/challenges in this area and proposed the prospects for studying the mechanisms of plant defense enzymes.植物防御体系应对虫害胁迫产生一系列防御性生理生化反应,其中防御酶活性呈现显著变化.本文综述了超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)、多酚氧化酶(PPO)、脂氧合酶(LOX)和苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL) 6种常见防御酶应对虫害胁迫的机制,解析了6种防御酶的作用机理及其异同.梳理了6种防御酶应对虫害胁迫而相互协调的程序,总结了植物体遭虫害胁迫之后防御酶活性的变化及其与防御酶基因的关联,提出了植物体防御酶机制研究中的重要问题并展望前景.

We spectroscopically identify 101 Galactic HII regions using spectra from the Large Sky Area Multi- Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) survey, cross-matched with an HII region catalog derived from the all-sky Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer(WISE) data. Among all HII regions in our sample, 47 sources are newly confirmed. Spatially, most of our identified HII regions are located in the anti-center area of the Galaxy. For each of the HII regions, we accurately extract and measure the nebular emission lines of the spectra, and estimate the oxygen abundances using the strong-line method. We focus on the abundance distribution of HII regions in the Galactic anti-center area. Accordingly, we derive the oxygen abundance gradient with a slope of -0.036 +/-0.004 dex/kpc, covering a range of RG from 8.1 to 19.3 kpc. In particular, we also fit the outer disk objects with a slope of -0.039 +/- 0.012 dex /kpc, which indicates that there is no flattening of the radial oxygen gradient in the outer Galactic disk., accepted by PASP, 13 pages, 5 figures

We present a spectroscopic catalog of 93 619 M dwarfs from the first data release of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) general survey. During sample selection, M giant contamination was eliminated using 2MASS photometry and CaH/TiO molecular indices. For each spectrum, the spectral subtype and values are provided including radial velocity, Hα equivalent width, a series of prominent molecular band indices, and the metal–sensitive parameter ζ, as well as distances and the space motions for high S/N objects. In addition, Hα emission lines are measured to examine the magnetic activity properties of M dwarfs and 7179 active ones are found. In particular, a subsample with significant variation in magnetic activity is revealed through observations from different epochs. Finally, statistical analysis for this sample is performed, including the metallicity classification, the distribution of molecular band indices and their errors.

The tea aphid, Toxoptera aurantii, also called the “black citrus aphid”, is one of the most destructive insect pests in commercial tea plantations and gardens in southern China. In autumn, declining day length triggers production of winged T. aurantii sexuparae, which produce both winged males and wingless oviparae. Oviparous females then release sex pheromone that attracts potential mates. GC–MS analysis of volatile headspace extracts of T. aurantii oviparae revealed that they emit (4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactone (I) and (1R,4aS,7S,7aR)-nepetalactol (II) in a ratio of 4.3–4.9:1. Field-trapping experiments with synthetic I and II singly or as two-component blends of different doses and ratios showed significant attraction of T. aurantii males, as well as weak attraction of sexuparae. Identification of the T. aurantii sex pheromone provides a new opportunity for developing a pheromone-based monitoring and management strategy for the sexual phase of tea aphids and, possibly, the alate sexparous generation in late summer and fall.

The double-peaked emission-line galaxies has long been perceived as objects related with merging galaxies or other phenomena of disturbed dynamical activities, such as outflows and disk rotation. In order to find the connection between the unique activities happening in these objects and their stellar population physics, we study the stellar populations of the stacked spectra drawn from double-peaked emission-line galaxies in the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) Data Release 4 (DR4) and Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) database. We group the selected double-peaked emission-line objects into 10 different types of pairs based on the Baldwin-Phillips-Terlevich (BPT) diagnosis for each pair of blue-shifted and red-shifted components, and then stack the spectra of each group for analysis. The software STARLIGHT is employed to fit each stacked spectra, and the contributions of stars at different ages and metallicities are quantified for subsequent comparative study and analysis. To highlight the commonness and uniqueness in these double-peaked emitting objects, we compare the population synthesis results of the stacked spectra of double-peaked emission-line galaxies with that of their counterpart reference samples appearing single-peaked emission features. The reference sample are also selected from LAMOST DR4 and SDSS DR7 databases, respectively. From the comparison results, we confirm the strong correlations between the stellar populations and its spectral classes, and find that the double-peaked emitting phenomena is more likely to occur in the `older' stellar environment and the subgroups hosting different BPT components will show obvious heterogeneous star formation history., Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures, accepted by RAA

In this work, we present a catalog of 2651 carbon stars from the fourth Data Release (DR4) of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopy Telescope (LAMOST). Using an efficient machine-learning algorithm, we find out these stars from more than seven million spectra. As a by-product, 17 carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) turnoff star candidates are also reported in this paper, and they are preliminarily identified by their atmospheric parameters. Except for 176 stars that could not be given spectral types, we classify the other 2475 carbon stars into five subtypes including 864 C-H, 226 C-R, 400 C-J, 266 C-N, and 719 barium stars based on a series of spectral features. Furthermore, we divide the C-J stars into three subtypes of CJ( H), C-J(R), C-J(N), and about 90% of them are cool N-type stars as expected from previous literature. Beside spectroscopic classification, we also match these carbon stars to multiple broadband photometries. Using ultraviolet photometry data, we find that 25 carbon stars have FUV detections and they are likely to be in binary systems with compact white dwarf companions., Comment: 72 pages, 23 figures. accepted by ApJS, lal@nao.cas.cn

International audience; We identify 108 M subdwarfs (sdMs) out of more than two hundred thousand M type spectra from the second data release (DR2) of the LAMOST regular survey. This sample, among which 58 members are identified for the first time, includes 33 extreme subdwarfs (esdMs) and 11 ultra subdwarfs (usdMs). The selection is based on the usual ratio of absorption depth of CaH2, CaH3 and TiO5 band systems. We also emphasize the use of the CaH1 band. We provide estimates of spectral subtype (SPT), Le pine metallicity index zeta, effective temperature and [Fe/H]. Both zeta-[Fe/H] and SPT-T-eff figures show reasonable consistency; compared to PHOENIX model spectra, average rounded values of [Fe/H] for sdMs, esdMs and usdMs are respectively -0.5, -1 and -1.5. The photometric distances are estimated, indicating that most sources are located within 500 pc of the Sun and 350 pc of the Galactic disk. Velocities and 3D Galactic motions are also briefly discussed. Among the 108 subdwarfs, seven stars appear to be active with a significant H-alpha emission line. The source LAMOST J104521.52+482823.3 is a white dwarf - M subdwarf binary, while LAMOST J123045.52+410943.8, also active, exhibits carbon features in red.

This paper describes the data release of the LAMOST pilot survey, which includes data reduction, calibration, spectral analysis, data products and data access. The accuracy of the released data and the information about the FITS headers of spectra are also introduced. The released data set includes 319 000 spectra and a catalog of these objects.

The tea green leafhopper, Empoasca vitis Gothe, is one of the most serious insect pests of tea plantations in mainland China. Over the past decades, this pest has been controlled mainly by spraying pesticides. Insecticide applications not only have become less effective in controlling damage, but even more seriously, have caused high levels of toxic residues in teas, which ultimately threatens human health. Therefore, we should seek a safer biological control approach. In the present study, key components of tea shoot volatiles were identified and behaviorally tested as potential leafhopper attractants. The following 13 volatile compounds were identified from aeration samples of tea shoots using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS): (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, (E)-ocimene, linalool, nonanol, (Z)-butanoic acid, 3-hexenyl ester, decanal, tetradecane, β-caryophyllene, geraniol and hexadecane. In Y-tube olfactometer tests, the following individual compounds were identified: (E)-2-hexenal, (E)-ocimene, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate and linalool, as well as two synthetic mixtures (called blend 1 and blend 2) elicited significant taxis, with blend 2 being the most attractive. Blend 1 included linalool, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol and (E)-2-hexenal at a 1 : 1 : 1 ratio, whereas blend 2 was a mixture of eight compounds at the same loading ratio: (E)-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, 2-penten-1-ol, (E)-2-pentenal, pentanol, hexanol and 1-penten-3-ol. In tea fields, the bud-green sticky board traps baited with blend 2, (E)-2-hexenal or hexane captured adults and nymphs of the leafhoppers, with blend 2 being the most attractive, followed by (E)-2-hexenal and hexane. Placing sticky traps baited with blend 2 or (E)-2-hexenal in the tea fields significantly reduced leafhopper populations. Our results indicate that the bud-green sticky traps baited with tea shoot volatiles can provide a new tool for monitoring and managing the tea leafhopper.

The extent of nucleosynthesis in models of type I X-ray bursts and the associated impact on the energy released in these explosive events are sensitive to nuclear masses and reaction rates around the $^{64}$Ge waiting point. Using the well known mass of $^{64}$Ge, the recently measured $^{65}$As mass, and large-scale shell model calculations, we have determined new thermonuclear rates of the $^{64}$Ge($p$,$\gamma$)$^{65}$As and $^{65}$As($p$,$\gamma$)$^{66}$Se reactions with reliable uncertainties. The new reaction rates differ significantly from previously published rates. Using the new data we analyze the impact of the new rates and the remaining nuclear physics uncertainties on the $^{64}$Ge waiting point in a number of representative one-zone X-ray burst models. We find that in contrast to previous work, when all relevant uncertainties are considered, a strong $^{64}$Ge $rp$-process waiting point cannot be ruled out. The nuclear physics uncertainties strongly affect X-ray burst model predictions of the synthesis of $^{64}$Zn, the synthesis of nuclei beyond $A=64$, energy generation, and burst light curve. We also identify key nuclear uncertainties that need to be addressed to determine the role of the $^{64}$Ge waiting point in X-ray bursts. These include the remaining uncertainty in the $^{65}$As mass, the uncertainty of the $^{66}$Se mass, and the remaining uncertainty in the $^{65}$As($p$,$\gamma$)$^{66}$Se reaction rate, which mainly originates from uncertain resonance energies., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted by ApJ

The complete mitochondrial genome of Tambocerus sp. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Zhejiang and Anhui provinces of China was sequenced. The total length of the mitogenome is 15 955 bp (GenBank accession no. KT827824) and consists of 22 transfer RNAs, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs and 1 control region. The base composition of the heavy strand for A, T, C, and G is 41.39, 35.02, 14.00, and 9.59%, respectively. All of the protein-coding genes (PCGs) start with ATN. Five protein-coding genes use TAA as stop codons, four use TAG as stop codons, and others use incomplete stop codons ''T--'' or ''TA-''. The control region has a length of 1581 bp which is between rrnS and trnI genes with the AT content high to 85.96%. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Tambocerus sp. was clustered in a closely related subgroup with Homalodisca vitripennis and Empoasca vitis. This is consistent with the result of the traditional taxonomy.

The Large sky Area Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) General Survey is a spectroscopic survey that will eventually cover approximately half of the celestial sphere and collect 10 million spectra of stars, galaxies and QSOs. Objects both in the pilot survey and the first year general survey are included in the LAMOST First Data Release (DR1). The pilot survey started in October 2011 and ended in June 2012, and the data have been released to the public as the LAMOST Pilot Data Release in August 2012. The general survey started in September 2012, and completed its first year of operation in June 2013. The LAMOST DR1 includes a total of 1202 plates containing 2,955,336 spectra, of which 1,790,879 spectra have observed signal-to-noise S/N >10. All data with S/N>2 are formally released as LAMOST DR1 under the LAMOST data policy. This data release contains a total of 2,204,696 spectra, of which 1,944,329 are stellar spectra, 12,082 are galaxy spectra and 5,017 are quasars. The DR1 includes not only spectra, but also three stellar catalogues with measured parameters: AFGK-type stars with high quality spectra (1,061,918 entries), A-type stars (100,073 entries), and M stars (121,522 entries). This paper introduces the survey design, the observational and instrumental limitations, data reduction and analysis, and some caveats. Description of the FITS structure of spectral files and parameter catalogues is also provided., 39 pages, 13 figures

Peptide and protein drugs are currently under rapid development attributed to their high potency and efficacy in therapy. Their successful delivery, however, is highly limited by their short half-life, fast degradation and rapid clearance. Here, we present a high content phospholipids-based phase separation gel (PPSG), which is readily injectable due to its low initial viscosity and can rapidly transform into an in situ implant after injection upon exposure to an aqueous environment. A selected model peptide, octreotide acetate, is loaded into PPSG and achieves sustained release profiles for one month in rats. In addition, the local irritation caused by ethanol contained in PPSG is ethanol content-dependent and the irritation of PPSG with 70% phospholipids content can be eliminated by partially replacing ethanol with medium chain triglyceride. The mechanisms underlying phase transition of PPSG are based on water-insolubility of phospholipids. Our findings demonstrate that PPSG is a readily injectable, highly safe and efficient in situ forming implant for sustained delivery of peptides.

The large sky area multi-object fiber spectroscopic telescope (LAMOST) is an innovative reflecting schmidt telescope, promising a very high spectrum acquiring rate of several ten-thousands of spectra per night. By using the parallel controllable fiber positioning technique, LAMOST makes reconfiguration of fibers accurately according to the positions of objects in minutes and fine adjusting the fibers. During telescope observation period, each optical fiber unit positional accuracy directly determines the quality of subsequent spectrum acqusition, yet for real-time optical fiber positional accuracy, there only exists an internal information feedback which focus on the corresponding stepper motor driving conditions, however, this available information is not comprehensive, it can not offer the actual positional information for each fiber unit. Considering the LAMOST on-site environment, a novel real-time optical fiber positional accuracy detection system which can be integrated in the existing observation and control system need to be developed to solve this problem. During the observation interval, this system can offer a comprehensive and effective information feedback about the focal optical fiber positional accuracy. Based on this feedback, the observation assistants can properly adjust the observation strategies to ensure the effectiveness and accuracy of acquired spectrum. Furthermore, this fiber positional accuracy feedback can provide prior spectral quality information to the spectral processing personnel and optimal the spectrum processing efficiency.

The study was designed to investigate the metabolic kinetics and elimination of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) in mouse’s tissues, basing on establishing a RP-HPLC method for determination of EGCG in mice plasma, liver, heart, spleen, kidney, pancreas, brain, testis, feces and urine. And the results showed that there was a good linearity over the range 0.1–200.0 mg/L (r > 0.999) for plasma and 0.5–200.0 mg/kg (r > 0.999) for other tissues. The recoveries were more than 85.0 % in all samples, and the intra-and inter-day coefficients of variation were less than 15.0 % in all cases. So the RP-HPLC method was readily applied for pharmacokinetics and elimination of EGCG in mice. EGCG was widely distributed in all the tissues of mice. But it was fast metabolized and eliminated from mice, and the main elimination way was metabolized by hydrolysis enzymes and excreted from urine.

This present paper describes the development of a gas chromatography(GC) coupled with a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) for simultaneous determination of five Phthalic Acid Esters (PAEs) chemicals in soil and air. Five PAEs chemicals were purchased from J&K Chemicals Ltd, Shanghai, China. From a variety of solvents tested, ethyl acetate was found to be the best solvent for simultaneously extracting five chemicals from soil and air samples. GC (Agilent 6890) analysis of the extracts was performed on an analytical column (HP-5 capillary column, 30 m and 0.25 × 250 μm). The results showed that there was a good linearity over the range 0.625–40.0 μg/mL (r > 0.99). The recoveries were more than 85.0 % in soil and air samples, and the intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation were less than 15.0 % in all cases. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.625 μg/mL. The GC-FID method was readily applied to simultaneously quantitate five PAEs chemicals in soil and air extract samples.

The task of flux calibration for LAMOST (Large sky Area Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope) spectra is difficult due to many factors. For example, the lack of standard stars, flat fielding for large field of view, and variation of reddening between different stars especially at low galactic latitudes etc. Poor selection, bad spectral quality, or extinction uncertainty of standard stars not only might induce errors to the calculated spectral response curve (SRC), but also might lead to failures in producing final 1D spectra. In this paper, we inspected spectra with Galactic latitude |b|>=60 degree and reliable stellar parameters, determined through the LAMOST Stellar Parameter Pipeline (LASP), to study the stability of the spectrograph. To guarantee the selected stars had been observed by each fiber, we selected 37,931 high quality exposures of 29,000 stars from LAMOST DR2, and more than 7 exposures for each fiber. We calculated the SRCs for each fiber for each exposure, and calculated the statistics of SRCs for spectrographs with both the fiber variations and time variations. The result shows that the average response curve of each spectrograph (henceforth ASPSRC) is relatively stable with statistical errors, 23 pages,22 figures, accepted by ApJS

The large sky area multi-object fiber spectroscopic telescope (LAMOST) is an innovative reflecting schmidt telescope, promising a very high spectrum acquiring rate of several ten-thousands of spectra per night. By using the parallel controllable fiber positioning technique, LAMOST makes reconfiguration of fibers accurately according to the positions of objects in minutes and fine adjusting the fibers. As a key problem, High precision positioning detection of LAMOST fiber positioning unit has always been highly regarded and some detection schemes have been proposed. Among these, active detection method, which determines the final accurate position of optical fiber end with the help of lighting the fiber, has been most widely researched, but this kind of method could not be applied in LAMOST real-time observation because it needs projecting light into fiber. A novel detection idea exploiting the technique of template matching is presented in this paper. As we know, final position of a specific fiber end can be easily inferred by its corresponding revolving angles of the central revolving axle and bias revolving axle in double revolving style, so the key point in this problem is converted to the accurate determination of these revolving angles. Template matching technique are explored to acquire the matching parameters for its real-time collected imagery, and thus determine the corresponding revolving angle of the central revolving axle and bias revolving axle respectively. Experiments results obtained with data acquired from LAMOST site are used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of this novel method.

The study was designed to investigate the characters of metabolism of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in mouse's tissues, basing on establishing a RP-HPLC method for determination of EGCG. And the results showed that there was a good linearity over the range 0.1–200.0 mg/L (r>0.999). The recoveries were more than 85.0% in all tissue samples, and the intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation were less than 10.0% in all cases. So the RPHPLC method was readily applied for quantitative analysis of EGCG in rats' tissue samples. And it was fastest for metabolism of EGCG in plasma. But the metabolism of EGCG in tissue homogenates varied a lot. It was metabolized slowly in liver homogenate, while it was metabolized comparatively fast in small intestine and large intestine homogenates. And the pH value in large intestine played an important role in the metabolism of EGCG. Therefore, basing on the establishment of method for determination of EGCG in rat's intestine and feces, the characters of metabolism of EGCG were clarified, so as to provide a basic theory for exploring the metabolic fate and develop an advanced preparation of EGCG.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Empoasca vitis was sequenced. The length of the mitogenome is 15,154 bp with 78.35% AT content (GenBank accession No. KJ815009). The genome encode 37 typical mitochondrial genes including 22 transfer RNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and an A+T-rich region. The gene arrangement is similar to that of Drosophila yakuba, the presumed ancestral insect mitochondrial gene arrangement. Except for cox2 using GTG as start codon, other protein-coding genes (PCGs) share the start codons ATN. Usual termination codon TAA and incomplete stop codon T are using by 13 protein-coding genes. The A+T-rich region has a length of 977 bp with the AT content high to 88.95%.