Enzymatic activity and development of Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in response to exogenous calcium treatments of kidney bean plants.

Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an agricultural pest threatening various horticultural crops worldwide. Inducing plant resistance is an ecologically beneficial and potentially effective method for controlling F. occidentalis. As an essential nutrient element, exogenous calcium enhances plant-induced resistance. This study investigated the effects of CaCl2 on the secondary metabolites of kidney bean plants and detoxifying and digestive enzymes in F. occidentalis. We found that treatment of plants and treatment time and also the interactions of the 2 factors significantly affected secondary metabolites contents (tannin, flavonoids, total phenol, alkaloid, and lignin) of kidney bean leaves, which indicated that that the effect of treatment of plants on secondary metabolites varied with treatment time. Moreover, when thrips fed on CaCl2-treated plants, the activities of detoxifying enzymes, enzymes glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome P450 substantially increased compared to those in which thrips fed on control plants. However, the activity of carboxylesterase significantly decreased. The detoxifying enzyme genes CL992.contig6, CYP4PN1, and CYP4PJ2 were significantly upregulated at 24 and 48 h. The activities of digestive enzymes (α-amylase, chymotrypsin, and lipase) increased substantially in F. occidentalis. The digestive enzyme gene, FoAMY-1, was significantly upregulated at 24 and 48 h after treatment. The pupation rate and pupal weight of F. occidentalis were significantly reduced. The results indicated that exogenous CaCl2-induced metabolic changes in kidney bean plants and altered the enzymatic activity and development of F. occidentalis that fed upon them.

[Effect of Zhenwu Decoction on electrical remodeling of cardiomyocytes in heart failure via I_(to)/Kv channels].

This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of Zhenwu Decoction in the treatment of heart failure by regulating electrical remodeling through the transient outward potassium current(I_(to))/voltage-gated potassium(Kv) channels. Five normal SD rats were intragastrically administered with Zhenwu Decoction granules to prepare drug-containing serum, and another seven normal SD rats received an equal amount of distilled water to prepare blank serum. H9c2 cardiomyocytes underwent conventional passage and were treated with angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ) for 24 h. Subsequently, 2%, 4%, and 8% drug-containing serum, simvastatin(SIM), and BaCl_2 were used to interfere in H9c2 cardiomyocytes for 24 h. The cells were divided into a control group [N, 10% blank serum + 90% high-glucose DMEM(DMEM-H)], a model group(M, AngⅡ + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a low-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z1, AngⅡ + 2% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoction + 8% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a medium-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z2, AngⅡ + 4% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoc-tion + 6% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a high-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z3, AngⅡ + 8% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoction + 2% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), an inducer group(YD, AngⅡ + SIM + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), and an inhibitor group(YZ, AngⅡ + BaCl_2 + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H). The content of ANP in cell extracts of each group was detected by ELISA. The relative mRNA expression levels of ANP, Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The protein expression of Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2 was detected by Western blot. I_(to) was detected by the whole cell patch-clamp technique. The results showed that Zhenwu Decoction at low, medium, and high doses could effectively reduce the surface area of cardiomyocytes. Compared with the M group, the Z1, Z2, Z3, and YD groups showed decreased ANP content and mRNA level, increased protein and mRNA expression of Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2, and decreased protein and mRNA expression of Kv1.4, and the aforementioned changes were the most notable in the Z3 group. Compared with the N group, the Z1, Z2, and Z3 groups showed significantly increased peak current and current density of I_(to). The results indicate that Zhenwu Decoction can regulate myocardial remodeling and electrical remodeling by improving the expression trend of Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, KChIP2, and DPP6 proteins and inducing I_(to) to regulate Kv channels, which may be one of the mechanisms of Zhenwu Decoction in treating heart failure and related arrhythmias.

Exogenous Calcium Suppresses the Oviposition Choices of Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and Promotes the Attraction of Orius similis (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) by Altering Volatile Blend Emissions in Kidney Bean Plants.

Frankliniella occidentalis is a destructive pest of horticultural plants, while Orius similis is a natural enemy of thrips. It has been demonstrated that exogenous calcium could induce plant defenses against herbivore attack. We examined whether CaCl2 supplementation altered the volatile emissions of kidney bean plants, which influence the oviposition preference of F. occidentalis. We also assessed the influence of volatile cues on O. similis. Using Y-tube olfactometer tests, we found that exogenous CaCl2 treatment inhibited the selectivity of F. occidentalis but attracted O. similis. In addition, CaCl2 treatment reduced the oviposition preference of F. occidentalis. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses revealed that CaCl2 treatment altered the number and relative abundance of the volatile compounds in kidney bean plants and that (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, 1-octen-3-ol, ß-lonone, and (E,E)-2,4-hexadienal might be potential olfactory cues. Furthermore, the results of the six-arm olfactometer test indicated that 1-octen-3-ol (10-2 µL/µL), ß-lonone (10-2 µL/µL), and (E,E)-2,4-hexadienal (10-3 µL/µL) repelled F. occidentalis but attracted O. similis. Overall, our results suggested that exogenous CaCl2 treatment induced defense responses in kidney bean plants, suggesting that CaCl2 supplementation may be a promising strategy to enhance the biological control of F. occidentalis.

Terawatt femtosecond laser storage cavity with cholesteric liquid crystals for an x-ray source based on Compton scattering.

In laser Compton scattering systems, the limitation to higher average brightness is the low repetition rate of high-power lasers. We propose and demonstrate for the first time, as far as we know, a simple method by which x-ray yield could be enhanced nearly 2 orders of magnitude per second. The method, utilizing cholesteric liquid crystals as the entrance mirror of the laser storage cavity, can be used not only for storing femtosecond laser pulses with a peak power of several terawatts, but also to make high coupling efficiency and energy utilization efficiency accessible.