With an assumption that the larvae of cabbage looper,
Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), a secondary pest of cotton,
Gossypium hirsutum (L.), could move between cotton plants in the field, we conducted a ...series of laboratory experiments to determine the larval movement, food choice, consumption, survival, and development on Bt (Bollgard II expressing Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab) and non-Bt cotton. On non-Bt cotton, all
T. ni larvae fed and stayed on the leaves. In choice tests between a non-Bt and Bt cotton leaves, 73.3%, 86.7% and 93.3% of first instar larvae moved to non-Bt cotton leaves after 1, 8 and 48
h, respectively, indicating that larvae were able to detect and avoid Bt cotton leaves. On the non-Bt cotton leaves, 90% of larvae initiated detectable feeding damage, compared with only 16.7% on the Bt cotton leaves. The larvae feeding on non-Bt cotton leaves consumed an average of 0.226
cm
2 leaf per larva in 48
h, whereas the larvae feeding on Bt cotton leaves consumed an average of 0.018
cm
2 leaf per larva. The developmental times of each of the five larval stages or pupal stage were generally not significantly different with a few exceptions when they fed either on non-Bt leaves or a mixture of non-Bt and Bt leaves. The pupae that developed from the larvae that fed on non-Bt were 21.6–24.7% heavier than those that developed from the larvae that fed on a mixture of non-Bt and Bt cotton leaves. The total developmental time of larvae in the mixed-leaf treatment was significantly longer than that of larvae on non-Bt leaves. No
T. ni larvae survived when they fed exclusively on Bt cotton leaves. Starved larvae died significantly sooner than those on Bt leaves. High percentages of larvae survived when they fed either on non-Bt leaves (92.7%) or on the mixture of non-Bt and Bt cotton leaves (91.7%) for 5
days. The recognition and migration of the first instar
T. ni larvae from Bt cotton leaves to non-Bt cotton leaves imply that the merit of Bt and non Bt cotton seed mixture at planting should be further evaluated as a strategy for Bt cotton resistance management of lepidopteran pests.
This study analyses the intake tower of a pumped storage power station in a dynamic way. The pseudo-static and response spectrum methods are used to obtain the stress-displacement distribution of the ...intake tower structure under normal water storage conditions. The extreme values of stress and displacement in the X, Y and Z directions and the differences of their locations are comparatively analysed. The path of the maximum principal stress of the protruding part is finally obtained. Results show that under seismic conditions, the pseudo-static and response spectrum methods can reflect changes in stress. The pseudo-static method is relatively safe, but using the response spectrum method out of reach of an anti-seismic location is more reasonable. The research results can serve as a reference for the structure design of intake towers.
The preparation and crystal structure of a novel nonlinear optical organometallic crystal, benzyltriethylamine bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato)nickel(III) (BTEANDT), are described. The ...crystal was characterized by elemental analyses, infrared and X-ray powder diffraction spectroscopy, thermal analysis and optical absorption. The third order nonlinear optical properties of crystal were investigated by using the Z-scan technique at 1064
nm with 20
ps. A self-focusing effect and a saturable absorption were observed. The nonlinear refraction coefficient (
n
2) and the nonlinear absorption coefficient (
β) have been found to be 7.311×10
−18
m
2/W and −6.064×10
−11
m/W when the on-axis irradiance at focus (
I
0) is 3.025
GW/cm
2. The relationship between
β and
I
0 was studied, which has revealed that the former is proportional to the latter. The result has been explained with the theory of absorption cross-section.
In recent years large areas of conventional cereal production in China have been transferred to greenhouse production with huge excessive nitrogen (N) fertilizer application and massive irrigation. ...However, the effects of this change in land use on soil carbon and nitrogen pools remain to be explored. Here we report a comparative study in which paired soil samples were taken from four greenhouses and from adjacent conventional cereal fields. Soil organic carbon (SOC), carbonate carbon (IC), total nitrogen (TN) and mineral nitrogen (N
min) to 100
cm depth and the soil active organic pools, including particulate organic matter (POM), soil microbial biomass (SMB) and dissolved organic matter (DOM), to 0–40
cm depth were determined. The natural isotopic signatures of SOC, TN and POM were also analyzed. In both production systems all of the carbon and nitrogen pools in the surface soil (0–10
cm) were greater than deeper in the soil profile except for dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and NH
4-N. SOC and TN and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were higher in the greenhouse system than in conventional cereal soils (
P
>
0.05). A similar trend was found for POM (
P
<
0.05) and NO
3-N (
P
<
0.05, below 20
cm depth) pools but the opposite trend was found for soil IC, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and nitrogen (SMBN) (
P
>
0.05) and IC in the greenhouse system showed a dramatic decline. The SOC/TN ratios of different pools in the greenhouse soils were lower than in the conventional cereal system (
P
>
0.05). The SOC/TN ratio ranged from 8.4 to 10.0 in greenhouse soils and 8.5 to 11.7 in the cereal soils. At each depth POM content in the greenhouses (1.5–7.1
g
kg
−1) was significantly greater than that in the field soils (0.8–2.9
g
kg
−1) (
P
<
0.05). Application of large amounts of manure increased SOC stocks, but the total carbon stock (SOC plus IC) was lower in the greenhouse system by tradeoff effect on declining IC in this calcareous soil due to soil acidification induced by excessive N fertilization plus massive irrigation. The higher nitrate concentrations found due to massive N fertilization combined with large amounts of irrigation water represent a considerable threat to groundwater quality and may be harmful to local residents.
The present studies were undertaken to investigate the potential effect of a hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (statin) to enhance the inhibitory effect of an angiotensin (Ang) II ...type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker (ARB) on vascular neointimal formation and to explore the cellular mechanism of cross-talk of the AT1 receptor and statin in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).
Neointimal formation and the proliferation of VSMCs induced by cuff placement around the femoral artery were significantly inhibited by treatment with an ARB, valsartan, at a dose of 0.1 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) and with fluvastatin at a dose of 1 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1), which did not influence mean arterial blood pressure or plasma cholesterol level, whereas valsartan or fluvastatin alone at these doses did not affect neointimal formation or the proliferation of VSMCs. Pretreatment with fluvastatin (approximately 5 micromol/L) for 24 hours significantly inhibited Ang II (1 micromol/L)-mediated DNA synthesis and c-fos promoter activity in cultured VSMCs. Moreover, pretreatment of VSMCs with fluvastatin significantly inhibited Ang II-mediated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and tyrosine- and serine-phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1 and STAT3. AT1 receptor-mediated recruitment of Rac-1 to Janus kinase (Jak) family/STATs was also inhibited by fluvastatin. Consistent with these in vitro results, phosphorylation of ERK, STAT1, and STAT3 was attenuated by the coadministration of valsartan and fluvastatin even at low doses in vivo.
These results suggest that the cholesterol-independent inhibition of AT1 receptor-mediated VSMC proliferation by statins may contribute to the beneficial effects of statins combined with an ARB on vascular diseases.
Lilium
‘Siberia’ flowers produce a strong scent, with monoterpenes serving as the main volatile component. Using a homology-based PCR strategy, we cloned a monoterpene synthase gene (
LiTPS
) from
...Lilium
‘Siberia’ petals. The gene consisted of a 1761-bp open reading frame, and encoded a 587-amino acid protein. The deduced amino acid sequence contained a highly conserved DDxxD domain at the C-terminus and RRx
8
W motifs at the N-terminus, which are both characteristic features of terpene synthase genes. Additionally,
LiTPS
was 40–50% similar to already known monoterpene synthases from other plants. Phylogenetic analysis of
LiTPS
revealed that it belonged to the TPS-b terpene synthase subfamily.
LiTPS
was predicted to contain an organelle-targeting peptide and function as a monoterpene synthase in plastids. Analyses of the structure of
LiTPS
suggested that it is a Class III terpene synthase gene. Furthermore,
LiTPS
was highly expressed in petals, but almost undetectable in stamens, styles, and leaves. During floral development in
Lilium
‘Siberia’ plants,
LiTPS
was expressed in mature flower buds, with the highest expression levels registered on day 4 after anthesis (i.e., with fully open flowers), followed by a gradual decrease in expression levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing cloning a
Lilium
terpene synthase gene. We report a positive correlation between the
LiTPS
expression level and floral scent component emission rate. This study provides potentially useful information for future research into the possible roles of
LiTPS
in the monoterpene metabolic pathway.
To investigate the effect and mechanism of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) on Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) inflammatory signal pathway in the lung tissues of rats with mechanical ventilator-induced lung ...injury.
Thirty-two healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (
=8 each): group A, normal control group, no mechanical ventilation, spontaneous breathing; group B, mechanical ventilation injury; group C, mechanical ventilation injury plus no-load virus transfection; group D, mechanical ventilation injury plus virus transfection; in group B, C, and D, mechanical ventilation were performed, respiratory rate was controlled at 80 beats/min, tidal volume was 40 ml/kg, inhaled oxygen concentration (FiO
) was 21%, inhalation/expiration ratio was 1∶2, positive end expiratory pressure ventilation (PEEP) was 0, each group were ventilated 4 hours daily, 7 days continuously to establish ventilator induced lung injury (VILI) rat model. Paraffin-embedded sections of lung tissue were stained with HE, the mo
Summary
Background
A higher risk of allergic diseases such as rhinitis, asthma and atopic eczema (atopic dermatitis) has been reported for patients with alopecia areata (AA) compared with the general ...population, but the significance of this is still largely unclear.
Aim
To determine whether serum total or specific IgE play a role in the onset and severity of AA.
Methods
We tested 461 serum samples from 351 patients with AA and 110 healthy controls (HC) for total IgE (tIgE) and specific IgE (sIgE) by ImmunoCAP‐100 or in vitro test (IVT).
Results
The absolute value of tIgE was higher in patients with AA than in normal controls (P < 0.001), although the prevalence of raised tIgE (> 120 IU/mL) detected in patients with AA (29.3%) was similar to that of HC (21.8%). Prevalences of raised sIgE against various allergens detected by ImmunoCAP‐100 showed that Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p; 31.1%) and Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f; 29.0%) were the most common allergens. Similar results were found by IVT, with the most common response being against Der p/Der f (29.0%). However, the prevalences of tIgE and sIgE against dust mites (Der p and Der f) in patients with early‐onset AA and severe AA were significantly higher than those with late‐onset AA and mild AA (P = 0.02, P = 0.02 vs. P = 0.03 and P = 0.001, respectively). Notably, the increases in tIgE and sIgE were independent of atopy history.
Conclusions
Allergy to dust mites may have an effect on the immune response in AA, and may contribute to its early onset and severity in patients of Chinese origin.
Athyrium wardii
(Hook.) is a promising herbaceous plant species for phytostabilization of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated sites with large biomass and fast growth rate. However, little information is ...available on its tolerance mechanisms toward Cd. To further understand the mechanisms involved in Cd migration, accumulation and detoxification, the present study investigated subcellular distribution and chemical forms of Cd in the mining ecotypes and corresponding non-mining ecotypes of
A. wardii
via greenhouse pot experiment. Subcellular fractionation of Cd-containing tissues demonstrated that the majority of the element was mainly located in soluble fraction in cell walls. This indicated that both the vacuoles and cell walls might be evolved the Cd tolerance mechanisms to protect metabolically active cellular compartments from toxic Cd concentrations. Meanwhile, Cd taken up by the plant existed in different chemical forms. Results showed that the majority of Cd in plant was in undissolved Cd–phosphate complexes (extracted by 2 % CH
3
COOH), followed by water-soluble Cd–organic acid complexes, Cd(H
2
PO
4
)
2
, pectates and protein form (extracted by deionized water and 1 M NaCl), whereas only small amount of Cd in roots was in inorganic form (extracted by 80 % ethanol), which suggests low capacity to be transported to aboveground tissues. It could be suggested that Cd integrated with undissolved Cd–phosphate complexes in cell wall or compartmentalization in vacuole might be responsible for the adaptation of the mining ecotypes of
A. wardii
to Cd stress.
In one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of a plasma irradiated by linearly polarized lasers from both sides of boundaries, it is found that there is an appreciable growth of the ...electromagnetic field in cavitons in the transverse direction perpendicular to the direction of polarization, which indicates the polarization conversion of the electromagnetic field in cavitons. This paper demonstrates the mechanism of this phenomenon based on parametric resonance induced by ponderomotive force with twice the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation in the caviton. We develop a theoretical model and verify it with simulation results. This phenomenon contributes to the heating and acceleration of particles and traps more EM energy in cavitons.
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