Nonlocal Acoustic Moiré Hyperbolic Metasurfaces.

The discovery of the topological transition in twisted bilayer (tBL) materials has attracted considerable attention in nano-optics. In the analogue of acoustics, however, no such topological transition has been found due to the inherent nondirectional scalar property of acoustic pressure. In this work, by using a theory-based nonlocal anisotropic design, the in-plane acoustic pressure is transformed into a spatially distributed vector field using twisted multilayer metasurfaces. So-called "acoustic magic angle"-related acoustic phenomena occur, such as nonlocal polariton hybridization and the topological Lifshitz transition. The dispersion becomes flat at the acoustic magic angle, enabling polarized excitations to propagate in a single direction. Moreover, the acoustic topological transition (from hyperbolic to elliptic dispersion) is experimentally observed for the first time as the twist angle continuously changes. This unique characteristic facilitates low-loss tunable polariton hybridization at the subwavelength scale. A twisted trilayer acoustic metasurface is also experimentally demonstrated, and more possibilities for manipulating acoustic waves are found. These discoveries not only enrich the concepts of moiré physics and topological acoustics but also provide a complete framework of theory and methodologies for explaining the phenomena that are observed.

The Expression of P35 Plays a Key Role in the Difference in Apoptosis Induced by AcMNPV Infection in Different Spodoptera exigua Cell Lines.

Baculovirus infection induces apoptosis in host cells, and apoptosis significantly affects virus production. Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) can regulate apoptosis, but the regulatory mechanism is unclear. Here, we found that AcMNPV infection induced different apoptosis responses in different Spodoptera exigua cell lines. In the early stages of viral infection (1-6 h), Se-1 cells underwent severe apoptosis, while Se-3 cells underwent very slight apoptosis. In the late stages of viral infection (12-72 h), Se-1 cells continued to undergo apoptosis and formed a large number of apoptotic bodies, while the apoptosis of Se-3 cells was inhibited and no apoptotic bodies were formed. To determine the reasons for the apoptosis differences in the two cell lines, we measured the expression of the six S. exigua cysteine-dependent aspartate specific protease genes (SeCaspase-1 to -6) and the three AcMNPV antiapoptotic protein genes (iap1, iap2 and p35) during viral infection. We found that SeCaspase-1 to -6 were all activated in Se-1 cells and inhibited in Se-3 cells, whereas iap1, iap2 and p35 were all inhibited in Se-1 cells and normally expressed in Se-3 cells. And p35 was expressed earlier than iap1 and iap2 in Se-3 cells. Otherwise, Se-1 and Se-3 cells would all be apoptotic when infected with the recombinant p35 knockout AcMNPV, whereas only Se-1 cells were apoptotic, but Se-3 cells were not apoptotic when infected with the recombinant p35 repair AcMNPV. Combined with the fact that the expression of P35 protein is inhibited in Se-1 cells but normally expressed in Se-3 cells during the infection of recombinant p35 repair AcMNPV, we proposed that the different expression of P35 is an important reason for the apoptosis differences between the two cell lines. We also found that some genes associated with apoptosis can probably regulate the expression of P35. However, the major upstream regulators of P35 and their mechanisms are still unclear and will be studied in the future.

Delivery of Methoprene-Tolerant dsRNA to Improve RNAi Efficiency by Modified Liposomes for Pest Control.

The application of RNA interference (RNAi) technology for pest control is environmentally friendly and accurate. However, the efficiency of RNAi is often inconsistent and unreliable, and finding a suitable carrier element is considered critical to success in overcoming biotic and abiotic barriers to reach the target site. The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (FAW), which is one of most important global agricultural pests, has recently spread rapidly to other parts of the world. In this study, a method to improve the stability and RNAi efficiency of the dsRNA carrier complex was reported. Methoprene-tolerant gene (Met) was selected as a target, a gene which is critical to the growth and development of FAW. Biomaterials nanoliposomes (LNPs) were modified with polyethylenimine (PEI) to deliver the dsRNA of Met. The synthesized Met3@PEI@LNPs reached a size of 385 nm and were found to load dsRNA effectively. Through stability and protection assays, it was found that LNPs provided reliable protection. In addition, the release curve also demonstrated that LNPs were able to prevent premature release under alkaline condition of the insect midgut but accelerate the release after entering the acidic environment of the target cells. The cell transfection efficiency of the prepared LNPs reached 96.4%. Toxicity tests showed that the use of LNPs could significantly improve the interference efficiency, with 91.7% interference efficiency achieved when the concentration of dsRNA in LNPs was only 25% of that of the control. Successful interference of Met demonstrated it could significantly shorten the larval period and make the larvae pupate earlier, thus achieving the purpose of control. In this study, we have demonstrated the use of nanotechnology to provide a novel RNAi delivery method for pest control.

A chromosome-level genome assembly of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua.

BACKGROUND: The beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua is a polyphagous caterpillar that causes serious damage to many species of crops and vegetables. To gain insight into how this polyphagous insect differs from less harmful oligophagous species, we generated a chromosome-level assembly and compared it to closely related species with the same or different feeding habits. RESULTS: Based on Illumina and Pacific Biosciences data and Hi-C technology, 425.6 Mb of genome sequences were anchored and oriented into 31 linkage groups, with an N50 length of 14.8 Mb. A total of 24,649 gene models were predicted, of which 97.4% were identified in the genome assembly. Chemosensory genes are vital for locating food: of the four main families, odorant-binding proteins, chemosensory proteins and olfactory receptors showed little difference, whereas gustatory receptors are greatly expanded in S. exigua. Examination of other polyphagous insects confirmed this difference from oligophagous congeners and further identified the bitter receptor subfamily as being particularly affected. CONCLUSION: Our high-quality genome sequence for beet armyworm identified a key expansion of the bitter gustatory receptor subfamily in this and other pests that differs crucially from more benign relatives and offers insight into the biology and possible future means of control for these economically important insects.

Expression profile of CYP402C1 and its role in resistance to imidacloprid in the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.

Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a cosmopolitan insect pest causing serious damage to crop production. Cytochromes P450 (CYPs) of B. tabaci are widely known to be involved in the metabolic resistance to a variety of insecticides, continuously increasing the difficulty in controlling this pest. In this study, four P450 genes (CYP6CM1, CYP6CX1, CYP6CX3, and CYP402C1) in B. tabaci exhibited correlations with the resistance to imidacloprid. We have focused on trying to understand the function and metabolism capacity of CYP402C1. The expression profiles of CYP402C1 were examined by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridizations. Its role in resistance to imidacloprid was investigated by RNA interference, transgenic Drosophila melanogaster, and heterologous expression. The results showed that CYP402C1 was highly expressed in the active feeding stages of B. tabaci, such as nymphs and female adults. CYP402C1 was mainly expressed in midguts of nymphs and adults, especially in the filter chamber. Knockdown of CYP402C1 significantly decreased the resistance of B. tabaci to imidacloprid by 3.96-fold (50% lethal concentration: 186.46 versus 47.08 mg/L). Overexpression of CYP402C1 in a transgenic D. melanogaster line (Gal4 > UAS-CYP402C1) significantly increased the resistance to imidacloprid from 12.68- to 14.92-fold (129.01 and 151.80 mg/L versus 1925.14 mg/L). The heterologous expression of CYP402C1 showed a metabolism ability of imidacloprid (imidacloprid decreased by 12.51% within 2 h). This study provides new insights for CYP402C1 function in B. tabaci and will help develop new strategies in B. tabaci control and its insecticide resistance.

Antiviral function of peptidoglycan recognition protein in Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are a class of molecules that play a critical role in insect immunity. Understanding the function of PGRPs is important to improve the efficiency of microbial insecticides. In this study, we investigated the role of PGRP-LB (a long type PGRP) in insect immunity against viruses using Spodoptera exigua and Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV) as an insect-virus model. We cloned and identified a PGRP-LB gene from S. exigua; the gene consisted of 7 exons that encoded a polypeptide of 234 amino acids with a signal peptide and a typical amidase domain. Expression analysis revealed that the abundance of SePGRP-LB transcripts in the fat body was greater than in other tissues. Overexpression of SePGRP-LB resulted in a significant decrease of 49% in the rate of SeMNPV-infected cells. In addition, the multiplication of SeMNPV was significantly decreased: a decrease of 79% in the production of occlusion-derived virion (ODV), and a maximum decrease of 50% in the production of budded virion (BV). In contrast, silencing of SePGRP-LB expression by RNA interference resulted in a significant 1.65-fold increase in the rate of SeMNPV-infected cells, a significant 0.54-fold increase in ODV production, a maximum 1.57-fold increase in BV production, and the larval survival dropped to 21%. Our findings show that SePGRP-LB has an antiviral function against SeMNPV, and therefore this gene may provide a target for lepidopteran pest control using virus insecticides.

Deep-Learning-Based Model Predictive Control of an Industrial-Scale Multistate Counter-Flow Paddy Drying Process.

In practical industrial-scale paddy drying production, manual empirical operation is still widely used for process control. This often leads to poor uniformity in the moisture content distribution of discharged grains, affecting product quality. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is considered the most effective control method for paddy drying, but its implementation in industrial-scale drying is hindered by its high computational cost. This study aims to address this challenge by proposing a deep-learning-based model predictive control (DL-MPC) strategy for paddy drying. By establishing a mapping relation between the inlet and outlet paddy moisture content and paddy flow velocity, a DL-MPC strategy suitable for multistage counter-flow paddy drying systems is proposed. DL-MPC systems are developed using long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks and trained using datasets from single-drying-stage and multistage drying systems. Simulation and analysis are conducted, followed by verification experiments on a 5HNH-15 multistage counter-flow paddy dryer. The results show that the DL-MPC system significantly improves computational speed while achieving satisfactory control performance. The predicted paddy flow velocity exhibits a smooth variation and matches field data obtained from multiple transition points, confirming the effectiveness of the designed DL-MPC system. The mean absolute error between the predicted and actual paddy moisture content under the DL-MPC system is 0.190% d.b., further supporting the effectiveness of the control system.

Cytochrome P450 Gene, CYP6CX3, Is Involved in the Resistance to Cyantraniliprole in Bemisia tabaci.

Bemisia tabaci is an important agricultural sucking pest, and it develops serious resistance to various insecticides. Although cytochrome P450 was involved in the resistance to cyantraniliprole, limited studies have been conducted on B. tabaci. In the present study, piperonyl butoxide significantly increased the toxicity of cyantraniliprole. P450 activities in two resistant populations were 1.97- and 2.17-fold higher than that in the susceptible population. Among 79 P450 genes, CYP6CX3 expressions in two resistant populations were 3.08- and 3.67-fold higher than that in the susceptible population. When CYP6CX3 was knocked down, the toxicity of cyantraniliprole increased significantly. The LC50 value of cyantraniliprole to the Drosophila melanogaster line overexpressing B. tabaci CYP6CX3 increased 7.34-fold. The content of cyantraniliprole was decreased by 25.74 ± 4.27% after mixing with CYP6CX3 and CPR for 2 h. These results suggested that the overexpression of CYP6CX3 was likely involved in the resistance to cyantraniliprole in B. tabaci.

Computer-assisted design model to evaluate the outcome of combined osteotomies in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

Objective: The current study aims to conduct a quantitative dynamic analysis of hip morphology using a computer-assisted design (CAD) model to evaluate the combined pelvic and femoral osteotomies in the treatment of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). Materials and methods: CAD models of patients with unilateral LCPD treated by combined pelvic and proximal femoral osteotomies were established based on the data of CT scan, on which morphological parameters were measured. Shape difference analysis of normal hips was adopted to locate the most apparent displacement and the main strain on the surface of the proximal femur. Results: Fifteen patients were included, and the mean age of receiving operation was 6.63 years old. There were 10 hips rated as Herring type C, and the rest were type B. Compared with the normal side, the affected hip joints have a longer distance between femoral head and acetabular sphere. The difference of coverage area of the femoral head surface and femoral head volume between the affected and normal sides was bigger compared with the preoperative model, respectively. The changes in the acetabular radius and the area of the surface were not apparent, pre-, and post-operatively. The displacement was mainly on superior and lateral superior portions of the femoral head where the stresses were concentrated. Conclusion: Combined pelvic and femoral osteotomies could effectively improve the superior and superior-posterior area of acetabulum containment with increased femoral head volume. CAD model and shape difference analysis can provide a better understanding of deformations of LCPD and more information for surgical planning and evaluation of treatment outcomes.

Extensive secretion of phenolic acids and fatty acids facilitates rhizosphere pH regulation in halophyte Puccinellia tenuiflora under alkali stress.

Puccinellia tenuiflora is a forage grass with high nutritional value that is an extreme alkali-tolerant halophyte: it can survive at pH 10-11. Root secretion is perceived as a major plant alkali tolerance mechanism. In the present study, we applied a widely targeted metabolomic approach to identify and quantify the root exudates of P. tenuiflora under alkali stress. We also surveyed the transcriptional and metabolic profiling of P. tenuiflora roots under salt (96-mM Na+ , pH 6.8) and alkali (96-mM Na+ , pH 9.6) stresses to reveal the biological processes mediating root secretion. In P. tenuiflora plants, 493 root exudates were detected under control conditions, 544 root exudates under salt stress conditions, and 607 root exudates under alkali stress conditions. Salt-stressed plants and alkali-stressed plants shared 64 root exudates, and 60 root exudates were unique to alkali-stressed plants. The secretion rate of 56 phenolic acids, 43 fatty acids, and 9 organic acids was faster in alkali-stressed roots than in control and salt-stressed roots. In P. tenuiflora roots, alkali stress enhanced the accumulation of 23 phenolic acids, five organic acids, and only one fatty acid. In addition, transcriptomic analysis revealed that alkali stress upregulated glycolysis and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways in P. tenuiflora roots. Taken together, extensive secretion of phenolic acids and fatty acids promotes rhizosphere pH regulation of P. tenuiflora under alkali stress, which contributes to its strong alkali tolerance. The root secretion of P. tenuiflora upon alkali stress is highly organized. Enhanced glycolysis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and organic acid synthesis in the roots provide more reducing power and carbon source for the root secretion process of alkali-stressed P. tenuiflora.

Surface modification of nucleopolyhedrovirus with polydopamine to improve its properties.

BACKGROUND: Baculoviruses have been developed as promising biopesticides to control pests due to their high host specificity and virulence, and nontoxicity to humans and nontarget animals. However, their sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and instability in the natural environment are major constraints to its large-scale application. In this study, polydopamine-nucleopolyhedrovirus microcapsules were established to improve the instability of baculoviruses in sunlight. RESULTS: The optimal conditions for the preparation of polydopamine-nucleopolyhedrovirus microcapsules were as follows:  Spodoptera exigua nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV)concentration of 2 × 108 polyhedral inclusion body（PIB） mL-1 , reaction time of 6 h, and pH of 9.0. The particle size of the obtained microcapsules was about 1 µm. The microencapsulated baculovirus improved its thermal stability and wettability, and enhanced its insecticidal activity against Spodoptera exigua. Moreover, under the same UV treatment, the insecticidal effect against S. exigua larvae of microencapsulated baculovirus was only reduced by 8.89%, whereas that of the nonmicroencapsulated baculovirus was reduced by 27.27%. CONCLUSION: Polydopamine-nucleopolyhedrovirus microcapsules provided better UV resistance and preparation stability compared with unmodified SeMNPV, and demonstrate an idea for the development of a baculovirus-based stabilized product. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Interspecific Competitions between Frankliniella intonsa and Frankliniella occidentalis on Fresh Lentil Bean Pods and Pepper Plants.

BACKGROUND: Flower thrips (Frankliniella intonsa, IFT) and west flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis, WFT) are often found together on the host plant in China. WFT is an important invasive species that seems to outcompete the native IFT. In order to clarify the interspecific competitions between the two thrips, this study measured the population development of IFT and WFT under sexual and parthenogenetic reproductive modes on two hosts (fresh lentil bean pods with/without honey and pepper plants at seedling/flowering stages) in the laboratory. RESULTS: When reared on fresh lentil bean pods (with/without honey), WFT population size was lower in mixed species populations compared to single species populations but the presence of WFT had nor negative effect on IFT population size. These results were dependent of the reproductive mode. When honey was supplied, the ratio of female-to-male in the progeny of WFT produced under sexual reproductive mode increased significantly in the presence of IFT. On pepper seedlings, mixed populations were more favorable to the population development of IFT at the seedling stage, but more favorable to WFT at the flowering stage. CONCLUSIONS: In the early stage of WFT invasion and colonization, the emergence of flowering and honey (nectar) sources may have a positive effect on the population development of WFT.

Development of Spodoptera exigua Population: Does the Nutritional Status Matter?

Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) is a common agricultural pest that can harm hundreds of crops. Nutrition conditions can significantly affect the development of insects, especially carbohydrates (C) and proteins (P), which are the two most critical nutrients. To study the development of the S. exigua population under different carbohydrate and protein nutrition conditions, we constructed a life table of both sexes of an S. exigua population under three artificial diets: high nitrogen (P:C = 7:1), medium nitrogen, medium sugar (P:C = 1:1), and high sugar (P:C = 1:7). The results showed that the generation time of S. exigua was 26.38 ± 0.54 d under the medium nitrogen-medium sugar diet, which was the shortest among the three nutrition conditions. The intrinsic rate of increase (0.18 ± 0.01), finite rate of increase (1.20 ± 0.01), fecundity (605.42 ± 36.33 eggs/female), and predicted population at 100 days (8,840,000) were significantly higher under the medium nitrogen-medium sugar condition. There was no significant difference in the net reproductive rate among the three conditions. These results suggested that an appropriate protein:carbohydrate ratio is beneficial to the rapid development of S. exigua on farmland. These findings are important for scientifically predicting the population dynamics of S. exigua from the perspective of nutritional ecology, understanding its catastrophic mechanism, and constructing a prevention and control system.

Establishment and characterization of the Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) embryonic cell line QAU-Bd-E-2.

In this study, we successfully established a Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) embryonic cell line, i.e., QAU-Bd-E-2, from the insect eggs. The cells have been stably passaged for more than 60 times in TNM-FH medium with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). QAU-Bd-E-2 cells are adherent cells. Most of the cells were round, spindle-shaped, and rod-shaped. Round cells accounted for 82.3%, with a diameter of 13.9 ± 2.6 µm; spindle-shaped cells accounted for 9.8%, with the size of 51.2 ± 11.2 µm × 10.3 ± 3.1 µm; the rod-shaped cells accounted for 7.9%, with the size of 35.2 ± 9.4 µm × 12.0 ± 2.5 µm. The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I subunit (CoI) gene from QAU-Bd-E-2 cells was amplified, and the 657 bp fragment had a 100% similarity with the CoI gene of B. dorsalis, suggesting that the cell line was derived from B. dorsalis. The chromosome number of QAU-Bd-E-2 cells was mostly 12, which is the same as the B. dorsalis chromosome number. The cell density of QAU-Bd-E-2 cells reached the maximum (3.4 × 106 cells/mL) at 192 h, and the population doubling time was 31.9 h. Bactrocera dorsalis cripavirus (BdCV) could replicate in QAU-Bd-E-2 cells, suggesting that this cell line could be used for in-depth study of the relationship between virus and host.

A retrospective study of treatment of genu valgum/varum with guided growth: Risk factors for a lower rate of angular correction.

The rate of angular correction (ROAC) is very unpredictable and may be affected by various factors in the treatment of genu valgum and varum by means of guided growth. The purpose of this study was to assess the ROAC in cases from our institution and to identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of lower ROAC.We retrospectively reviewed the chart records of 68 patients undergoing guided growth with figure-eight plate for the correction of genu valgum and varum. Based on the data from these patients, the annual increment of physeal growth was calculated and compared with data from the Anderson chart. The associations between patient characteristics and ROAC were evaluated with the use of univariate logistic regression.The mean rate of femoral angular correction was 10.29 degrees/year, while the mean rate of tibial angular correction was 7.92 degrees/year. In a univariate logistic regression analysis, the variables associated with a higher risk of lower ROAC included non-idiopathic coronal deformity of the knee (odds ratio = 13.58, p < 0.001) and body weight at or above the 95th percentile for children (odds ratio = 2.69, p = 0.020).Obesity and non-idiopathic coronal deformity of the knee are risk factors for lower ROAC. It is still uncertain whether severity of deformity, race, and operative procedure have a substantial effect on the rate of correction.Level III evidence.

Up-regulation of calmodulin involved in the stress response to cyantraniliprole in the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

Cyantraniliprole is the first diamide insecticide to have cross-spectrum activity against a broad range of insect orders. The insecticide, like other diamides, selectively acts on ryanodine receptor, destroys Ca2+ homeostasis, and ultimately causes insect death. Although expression regulations of genes associated with calcium signaling pathways are known to be involved in the response to diamides, little is known regarding the function of calmodulin (CaM), a typical Ca2+ sensor central in regulating Ca2+ homeostasis, in the stress response of insects to the insecticide. In this study, we cloned and identified the full-length complementary DNA of CaM in the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), named BtCaM. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction-based analyses showed that the messenger RNA level of BtCaM was rapidly induced from 1.51- to 2.43-fold by cyantraniliprole during 24 h. Knockdown of BtCaM by RNA interference increased the toxicity of cyantraniliprole in whiteflies by 42.85%. In contrast, BtCaM expression in Sf9 cells significantly increased the cells' tolerance to cyantraniliprole as much as 2.91-fold. In addition, the expression of BtCaM in Sf9 cells suppressed the rapid increase of intracellular Ca2+ after exposure to cyantraniliprole, and the maximum amplitude in the Sf9-BtCaM cells was only 34.9% of that in control cells (Sf9-PIZ/V5). These results demonstrate that overexpression of BtCaM is involved in the stress response of B. tabaci to cyantraniliprole through regulation of Ca2+ concentration. As CaM is one of the most evolutionarily conserved Ca2+ sensors in insects, outcomes of this study may provide the first details of a universal insect response to diamide insecticides.

Exergoeconomic Analysis of Corn Drying in a Novel Industrial Drying System.

The improvement of the design and operation of energy conversion systems is a theme of global concern. As an energy intensive operation, industrial agricultural product drying has also attracted significant attention in recent years. Taking a novel industrial corn drying system with drying capacity of 5.5 t/h as a study case, based on existing exergoeconomic and exergetic analysis methodology, the present work investigated the exergetic and economic performance of the drying system and identified its energy use deficiencies. The results showed that the average drying rate for corn drying in the system is 1.98 gwater/gdry matter h. The average exergy rate for dehydrating the moisture from the corn kernel is 345.22 kW and the exergy efficiency of the drying chamber ranges from 14.81% to 40.10%. The average cost of producing 1 GJ exergy for removing water from wet corn kernels is USD 25.971, while the average cost of removing 1 kg water is USD 0.159. These results might help to further understand the drying process from the exergoeconomic perspective and aid formulation of a scientific index for agricultural product industrial drying. Additionally, the results also indicated that, from an energy perspective, the combustion chamber should be firstly optimized, while the drying chamber should be given priority from the exergoeconomics perspective. The main results would be helpful for further optimizing the drying process from both energetic and economic perspectives and provide new thinking about agricultural product industrial drying from the perspective of exergoeconomics.

Estimation of the Reliability of a Stress-Strength System from Poisson Half Logistic Distribution.

This paper discussed the estimation of stress-strength reliability parameter R=P(Y