microRNA-3037 targeting CYP6CY2 confers imidacloprid resistance to Sitobion miscanthi (Takahashi).

The wheat aphid Sitobion miscanthi is a dominant and destructive pest in agricultural production. Insecticides are the main substances used for effective control of wheat aphids. However, their extensive application has caused severe resistance of wheat aphids to some insecticides; therefore, exploring resistance mechanisms is essential for wheat aphid management. In the present study, CYP6CY2, a new P450 gene, was isolated and overexpressed in the imidacloprid-resistant strain (SM-R) compared to the imidacloprid-susceptible strain (SM-S). The increased sensitivity of S. miscanthi to imidacloprid after knockdown of CYP6CY2 indicates that it could be associated with imidacloprid resistance. Subsequently, the posttranscriptional regulation of CYP6CY2 in the 3' UTR by miR-3037 was confirmed, and CYP6CY2 participated in imidacloprid resistance. This finding is critical for determining the role of P450 in relation to the resistance of S. miscanthi to imidacloprid. It is of great significance to understand this regulatory mechanism of P450 expression in the resistance of S. miscanthi to neonicotinoids.

Diagnosis of single umbilical artery and risk of foetal congenital malformations by prenatal ultrasound: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Single umbilical artery (SUA) is strongly associated with foetal structural abnormalities; however, the exact pattern of this association has not been described. We aimed to investigate the occurrence of malformations in singleton pregnancies with SUA in China and to study the association between the absent side of the umbilical artery and foetal malformations. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of singleton pregnancies for which routine first-trimester anatomical screening was performed at 11+ 0-13+ 6 gestational weeks and, if the pregnancy continued, a second-trimester scan was performed at 20+ 0-24+ 0 weeks. Data were extracted from records at the referral centre, the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, between January 2011 and April 2019 (n = 47,894). Using logistic regression, the odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for malformations associated with SUA. RESULTS: The incidence of SUA in our study was 2.0% (970/47,894). Of all foetuses with SUA, 387 (39.9%) had structural malformations. The malformation type varied, with cardiovascular complications being the most common. A robust association was observed between SUA and oesophageal stenosis or atresia (OR: 25.33), followed by cardiovascular (OR: 9.98-24.02), scoliosis (OR: 18.62), genitourinary (OR: 2.45-15.66), and brain malformations (OR: 4.73-9.12). The absence of the left umbilical artery (n = 445, 45.9%) was consistent with that of the right umbilical artery (n = 431, 44.4%). Furthermore, a significantly higher rate of an absent right than the left umbilical artery (p<0.01) was observed in SUA with foetal abnormalities than in SUA with no malformations. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we observed a higher risk of various specific malformations in foetuses with SUA, and a strong association between SUA and oesophageal stenosis or atresia. The absence of the right umbilical artery was most common in foetuses with SUA and structural malformations. This study provides a reference for ultrasonographers in conducting foetal structural screening for pregnant women with SUA.

Sublethal effects of imidacloprid on the fitness of two species of wheat aphids, Schizaphis graminum (R.) and Rhopalosiphum padi (L.).

Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide that efficiently controls piercing-sucking mouthparts pests. However, the impact of low lethal concentration of imidacloprid on key demographic parameters of wheat aphids, Schizaphis graminum (R.) and Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) has been scarcely studied. In this study, we used the age stage, two-sex life table approach to investigate the sublethal effects of imidacloprid on the biological traits of S. graminum and R. padi. Bioassays showed that imidacloprid possesses high toxicity to adult S. graminum and R. padi, with LC50 of 3.59 and 13.78 mg L-1 following 24 h exposure. A low lethal concentration of imidacloprid (LC25) significantly decreased adult longevity and total longevity of progeny generation aphids (F1) of S. graminum. Nevertheless, imidacloprid (LC25) had no significant effects on the fecundity and longevity of directly exposed parental parental S. graminum and R. padi (F0). Our results showed that the low lethal concentration of imidacloprid affected the demographic parameters that ultimately impact on the population of S. graminum. This study provides detailed information about the overall effects of imidacloprid on S. graminum and R. padi that might help to manage these two key pests.

Current and emerging applications of carrageenan in the food industry.

Carrageenan, a polysaccharide derived from red algae, has a long history of use as a food additive in food. Carrageenan comes in three classes, κ-, ι-, and λ-carrageenan, with different properties attributed to their organosulfate substitution levels, and their interactions with other food components give rise to properties such as water holding, thickening, gelling, and stabilizing. Over the years, carrageenan has been used in wide variety of food products such as meat, dairy, and flour-based products, and their mechanisms and functions in these matrices have also been studied. With the emergence of novel food technologies, carrageenan's potential applications have been extensively explored alongside, including encapsulation, edible films/coatings, plant-based analogs, and 3D/4D printing. As the food technology evolves, the required functions of food ingredients have changed, and carrageenan is being investigated for its role in these new areas. However, there are many similarities in the use of carrageenan in both classic and emerging applications, and understanding the underlying principles of carrageenan will lead to a proper use of carrageenan in emerging food products. This review focuses on the potential of carrageenan as a food ingredient in these emerging technologies mainly based on papers published within the past five years, highlighting its functions and applications to better understand its role in food products.

Impacts and prediction of land use change on ecosystem carbon sequestration in Zhejiang Province, China.

It is crucial to clarify the impact of land use change on ecosystem carbon sequestration service for exploring natural-based carbon neutral solutions. We used InVEST and FLUS models to analyze land use change and its impacts on ecosystem carbon sequestration service in Zhejiang Province from 2000 to 2021, and predict ecosystem carbon sequestration service potential and its economic value of land use pattern in 2035 and 2050 under three scenarios of natural development, ecological protection, and cultivated land protection. The results showed that the area of cultivated land, forest, grassland, and water was continuously reducing and the area of construction land was continuously increasing from 2000 to 2021 in Zhejiang Province. The total amount of ecosystem carbon sequestration service decreased by 29.9658 million t, and the net income of carbon sequestrqtion service was -170.7184 million dollars. The distribution of ecosystem carbon sequestration services showed a spatial pattern of high in the southwest and low in the northeast. In the future, the total amount of ecosystem carbon sequestration services in Zhejiang Province would be the highest under the ecological protection scenario, followed by the cultivated land protection scenario, and the lowest under the natural development scenario. From 2021 to 2035 and 2050, ecosystem carbon sequestration services in Zhejiang Province would increase by 3.2326 million and 4.73 million t respectively under the ecological protection scenario, generating carbon sequestration service benefits of 77.0786 million and 111.8391 million dollars, respectively. Under the cultivated land protection scenario, it would be reduced by 10.1318 million and 16.1611 million t, and the net loss of carbon sequestration service value would be 241.3849 million and 381.9109 million dollars, respectively. Under the natural development scenario, it would be reduced by 11.6490 million and 16.1651 million t, resulting in a net loss of carbon sequestration service value of 277.5393 million and 382.0063 million dollars, respectively. In the context of actively addressing climate change and striving to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality, Zhejiang Province should focus on protecting ecological land such as woodlands, grasslands, and water, expand the scale of ecological land, optimize the spatial structure of ecological land, and continuously enhance carbon sequestration and sink enhancement functions of ecological land.

Effect of place-based policy on regional economic growth: A quasi-natural experiment from China's Old Revolutionary Development Program.

Triggering economic growth is a requirement to promote human welfare and realize sustainable development in many developing countries. However, place-based policies' impact on economic growth is debatable, and its underlying mechanism is unknown. China's Old Revolutionary Development Program (ORDP) is a large-scale and novel type of place-based policy targeted at undeveloped regions in China. We evaluate the effect of ORDP on economic growth by employing a time-varying difference-in-differences model and further explore the potential mechanisms and heterogeneity effects. VIIRS/DNB nightlight data is used to measure economic growth. We find that ORDP can significantly promote economic growth by 4.0% and the result is still robust after several tests. Mechanism analysis shows that ORDP can improve economic growth through government intervention, industrial structure optimization, and information infrastructure construction. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the ORDP performs better on economic growth in central Chinese cities and high-economy cities. At the same time, our paper provides three practical suggestions for stimulating economic growth in ORDP, which can be enlightening for other developing countries.

The role of place-based policies on carbon emission: A quasi-natural experiment from China's old revolutionary development program.

The effectiveness of place-based policies on carbon emission is controversial, and particularly the mechanism behind its effectiveness is unknown. We treat China's Old Revolutionary Development Program (ORDP)- a large-scale and novel type of place-based policy targeted at undeveloped regions, as a natural experiment to estimate ORDP's impact on carbon emission. Employing the panel data of 110 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2019, we perform a time-varying difference-in-differences (DID) study and discover that ORDP leads to an average of 26.7% increase in carbon emission and this effect takes a period to emerge and is not sustainable in the long term. Three mechanisms that may result in such impact are that ORDP improves economic development, changes industrial structure, and decreases technological progress. Further heterogeneity analysis indicates that ORDP results in a greater increased impact on carbon emission in old revolutionary cities that are located in western China compared to those located in central and eastern China.

Changes in chemical characteristics and modeling sensory parameters of stored pecan nutmeats.

Pecan is a major specialty crop produced in the United States. Sensory evaluation and chemical analyses of pecan nutmeats are integral components of shelf life and have been employed to investigate changes during storage, but there remains a lack of knowledge regarding storage stability. Specifically, the association between shelf life and chemical characteristics has not been investigated. We aimed to investigate the chemical changes in pecan nuts during a range of storage treatments (temperature, relative humidity, packaging material, and modified atmosphere). The results of the chemical analyses were used to build a volatile compound-based sensory prediction model. The work has utility as a rapid method to measure lipid oxidation in pecan, which is of value to the pecan industry. The research also determined a possible association between pecan nut volatile compounds and sensory attributes of pecans, and their perception by human subjects. Building a sensory-based prediction model would reduce dependency on expensive and time-consuming sensory methods.

Quantifying the Effectiveness of Environmental Regulations on Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence Based on China's Environmental Protection Interview Program.

The effectiveness of environmental regulations on green total factor productivity (GTFP) is controversial, and the mechanisms of the relationship between environmental regulation and GTFP are unknown. In this article, we take advantage of the Environmental Protection Interview (EPI) program-the harshest environmental monitoring program in Chinese history-to carry out a natural experiment to estimate the effect of environmental regulation on GTFP. Applying a time-varying difference-in-differences model based on city panel data from 2003 to 2018 in China, we determined that the EPI can lead to an average GTFP promotion of 35.6%, but the effect of the EPI is not consistent in the long term. A heterogeneity analysis documented that the effect of the EPI on GTFP is more significant in cities with low initial GTFP levels and low economic levels. A mechanism analysis showed that the EPI increases GTFP, basically, through technical creativity and industrial structure upgrading.

Decoupling agriculture pollution and carbon reduction from economic growth in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Agriculture is the foundation of the national economy, and agricultural nonpoint source pollution and carbon emissions are the main environmental problems limiting the development of the agricultural economy. This study takes the Yangtze River Delta as the research object and measures agricultural carbon emissions and nonpoint source pollution in the study area from 2010 to 2020 respectively. The Tapio decoupling model is used to study types of decoupling between agricultural pollution and carbon reduction and economic growth in the Yangtze River Delta from 2010 to 2020, and the GM (1,1) model is used to predict the decoupling relationship between the agricultural environment and economic growth over the next ten years. The results show the following: (1) Agricultural COD emissions come mainly from livestock and poultry breeding, dropped from 1,130,120 tons in 2010 to 908,460 tons in 2020. Agricultural TN and TP emissions come mainly from plantations. Agricultural TN emissions dropped from 892,310 tons in 2010 to 788,020 tons in 2020. Agricultural TP emissions dropped from 149,590 tons in 2010 to130,770 tons in 2020. Agricultural carbon emissions dropped from 17,115,900 tons in 2010 to 15,786,600 tons in 2020, and come mainly from agricultural fertilizer and diesel fuel and pig breeding. (2) The decoupling effect of agricultural pollution reduction and carbon reduction in the Yangtze River Delta and economic growth has been in a long-term state, with negative decoupling occurring in a few regions, mainly in 2011, 2014 and 2020. (3) In the next ten years, except for 2021, when the coordination between agricultural pollution reduction and economic growth is poor, the two show good decoupling in the remaining years. Based on the results, this study makes recommendations on how to carry out comprehensive environmental management and promote green agricultural development.

Dynamic gastrointestinal digestion/intestinal permeability of encapsulated and nonencapsulated Brazilian red propolis: Active compounds stability and bioactivity.

The objectives were to investigate the effect of dynamic gastrointestinal digestion/Caco-2 cell transport on active compounds stability and antioxidant/anti-inflammatory activities of the ethanolic extract of Brazilian red propolis (EEBRP), whether encapsulated or not; and the in vivo acute toxicity of the EEBRP after digestion. Eight isoflavonoids, one flavanone, and one chalcone were identified by HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS, and quantified by HPLC-PDA. Bioaccessibility was higher for the encapsulated EEBRP (21.4%-57.6%) than for the nonencapsulated (19.3%-30.2%). Conversely, the Caco-2 cell transport was higher for the nonencapsulated EEBRP. Similarly, the nonencapsulated EEBRP showed higher ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species, which was especially attributed to calycosin, and to decrease NF-κB activation, and the levels of TNF-α and CXCL2/MIP-2 after Caco-2 cell transport. Hence, there is an indication that EEBRP is a promising alternative dietary source of bioavailable isoflavonoids. Further studies on encapsulation should be encouraged to improve bioactivity, and expand its food applications.

Effect of relative humidity, storage days, and packaging on pecan kernel texture: Analyses and modeling.

The studies expounding on the effects of storage conditions on texture changes are limited. The researchers have been proposing methods to measure pecan texture instrumentally. But current protocols and/or attributes fail to address huge variability during experimentation. Additionally, there are no predictive models to estimate changes in pecan texture during storage. This study addresses all the above concerns and investigates the effects of different relative humidity (RH, 30-90%) and packaging material (Polyethylene-Nylon [PEN], polypropylene [PP], low density polyethylene [LDPE], and metallic laminates [ML]) on pecan texture, introducing a rift ratio (F/H or fracturability to hardness ratio) to address variability in the data and predictive model to estimate changes in the textural attribute of pecans during storage. The textural analysis was conducted on pecan cores and intact pecans to measure the area under curve, fracturability, hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, springiness, and rift ratio. It was observed that values for the rift ratio obtained using the intact pecan method had high R2 (0.72) as compared to the rest of the textural attributes. A three-parameter logistic model was employed to predict pecan texture during storage. The pecans stored at 75, 80, and 90% reached the rift ratio (F/H) of 0.5 at approx. 115, 3, and 0.15 days (~ 4 hr), respectively. Similarly, pecans stored in LDPE, PP, and PEN packs at 80% reached rift ratio (F/H) of 0.5 at approx. 26, 57, and 78 days, respectively. The presence of any kind of package delayed fracturability loss by at least eight folds at 80% RH. The pecans stored in ML did not experience a significant change in textural attributes.

Six weeks effect of different nanocellulose on blood lipid level and small intestinal morphology in mice.

AIMS: Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF, or NFC), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC, or NCC), and Tempo (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical) oxidized CNF (Tempo-CNF) were compared for the short-term effect on mice fed with a high-fat and high-sugar (Western diet, WD) to investigate their effect when combined with a sub-optimal diet. SCOPE: Thirty C57B/C female mice (10 weeks old; 5-6 mice/group) were given water, cellulose, or three types of nanocellulose once daily in a dose of 30 mg/kg body weight by oral gavage. After six weeks, weight changes, fecal output, glucose homeostasis, and gut permeability showed no significant among groups. Serum analysis including triglycerides, cholesterol and total bile acids and small intestinal morphology including villus length, villus width, crypt depth, goblet cell count and goblet cell density were no difference for all groups. Only CNC group had higher excretion of bile acids in the feces. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that current treated dose using three types of nanocellulose had no detrimental effects on blood lipid level and small intestinal morphology.

Nanocellulose incorporated oleogel matrix for controlled-release of active ingredients in the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Controlled release is often preferred for orally administrated bioactive compounds and drugs. In this study, a nanocellulose (NC) incorporated oleogel encapsulation system was developed for controlled release of active agents. 5-Aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), an anti-inflammatory drug to treat inflammatory bowel diseases, was used as an example core ingredient for demonstrating the efficacy of the system. Oleogels with/without NC incorporation encapsulating 5-ASA were prepared and tested by in vitro digestion study, and 5-ASA released from the matrix was quantified by a novel UV-Vis spectrometric method developed in this study. The oleogel encapsulation system was characterized by assessing the encapsulation efficiency, oxidative stability, gel hardness, microstructure, and thermal stability. Results showed that sorbitan tristearate-induced oleogel system successfully protected 5-ASA during GI digestion. The incorporation of NC solutions with different NC types, concentrations and volumes further modified the release rate. Specifically, the release of 5-ASA in NC incorporated matrix was <6 % in the gastric phase, and ranged between 17.42 % - 38.28 % in the small intestine depending on the added NC type and concentration. Additionally, the incorporation of NC improved physicochemical stability of the gel matrix. The new 5-ASA quantification method developed in this study is simpler and faster compared with currently available methods.

Does economic agglomeration improve agricultural green total factor productivity? Evidence from China's Yangtze river delta.

Economic agglomeration plays an important role in China's social transformation process of industry feeding agriculture and urban supporting rural areas, and is one of the core weapons to promote agricultural economic growth and green and efficient development. Based on panel data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) from 2010 to 2020, this paper constructs an "environment-resource-energy-economy" agricultural input-output system, taking into account carbon emissions and surface pollution, and provides a more comprehensive accounting of agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP), the non-linear effects of economic agglomeration on AGTFP and shock responses were empirically analyzed using a panel threshold model and a panel vector autoregression (VAR), respectively. The findings show that: (1) during the period 2010-2020, the AGTFP in the YRD showed an overall rising trend with regional spatial agglomeration characteristics. (2) Economic agglomeration has a triple threshold effect on AGTFP, which was a weak facilitative effect in the early stage, inhibited by the siphoning effect of resource loss and arable land fragmentation in the growth stage, promoted by the radiation effect of external increasing return to scale in the form of sharing, matching and learning in the maturity stage, and finally tends to decline. (3) The shock response of economic agglomeration to AGTFP showed a continuous positive shock, peaking in the first period and then gradually converging to zero. (4) The heterogeneity analysis demonstrated that economic agglomeration has a considerable impact on boosting AGTFP in non-metropolitan areas and cities on the outskirts of YRD. In the future, China should effectively play a positive role in economic agglomeration on AGTFP and enhance the mutual coordination of economic agglomeration and agricultural green development in the process of urban cluster economic growth.

Effect of cinnamon on starch hydrolysis of rice pudding: Comparing static and dynamic in vitro digestion models.

Two in vitro digestion methods (static and dynamic) were applied in this study to investigate the effect of cinnamon on starch hydrolysis of rice pudding during in vitro digestion. The dynamic model simulated the major physiological processes including gastric emptying, motility, gastric acidification, and digestive secretions. The INFOGEST static method, which is widely adopted in digestion simulation studies, was conducted as a comparison. Two meals (i.e., rice pudding with and without cinnamon) were digested in the oral, gastric, and small intestinal phases in both models. Higher starch hydrolysis was observed in the gastric and intestinal phases in the dynamic model compared to the static model (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a significant inhibitory effect of cinnamon on starch hydrolysis was exclusively observed in the dynamic model . The difference could be attributed to the distinct gastric conditions including pH profiles, gastric emptying, and gastrointestinal motility in the two models. Our results indicated that the dynamic model could more closely estimate the effect of cinnamon on starch hydrolysis during digestion by simulating physiologically important gastrointestinal conditions in humans. Our findings also contribute to the growing body of scientific data suggesting that cinnamon may benefit hyperglycemic management due to its inhibitory effects on digestion enzymes.

Exploring ecosystem carbon storage change and scenario simulation in the Qiantang River source region of China.

To explore the impact of land-use change on carbon storage, this study coupled the InVEST model and the FLUS model to analyse the spatial and temporal characteristics of carbon storage in the Qiantang River source region from 2000 to 2030. The carbon storage in the study area is evaluated which declined rapidly from 166.22 × 106 t in 2000 to 164.41 × 106 t in 2020, and the spatial distribution of carbon storage could be characterized by "the northwest and the southwest of region with higher, the east and the centre of the region with lower". The carbon storage was simulated based on the historical trend development scenario, the food security scenario, and the ecological protection scenario. The carbon storage with the food security scenario could achieve 162.74 × 106 t in 2030. The carbon storage with the ecological protection scenario had an increase of 62.60 t/km2 compared to the historical natural tendency development. Interestingly, the food security scenario had the smallest carbon loss value which is about $1.39 × 109, and its net carbon storage value was the largest which is about $3.71 × 109. The results of this study could provide a scientific reference for the conservation of carbon storage and land use management for climate change and sustainable development. This paper also can lay the foundation for subsequent further studies such as artificial intelligence.

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The imbalance of regional development is one of the important obstacles for the implementation of regio-nal coordinated development strategy. Based on the panel data of 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2010 to 2019, the regional coordinated development index system with five subsystems was constructed, including economic development, science and education, infrastructure, people's life, and resource and environment. With the help of GeoDa and ArcGIS software, we used measurement model of regional coordinated development and method of exploratory spatial data analysis to analyze the temporal and spatial variations and internal correlation of various elements of regional coordinated development in the Yangtze River Delta. The results showed that, from the perspective of regional development, the coordination of regional development in the Yangtze River Delta had increased annually from 2010 to 2019. The level of economic development and science and education in Shanghai and Suzhou was ahead of other cities, while the development coordination of Northwest Anhui, Zhoushan and Huangshan was weaker than other cities. The order of average autocorrelation degree of each subsystem from high to low in the Yangtze River Delta from 2010 to 2019 was people's life, economic development, resource and environment, science and education, and infrastructure. Among them, the global Moran's index (Moran I) of economic development and science and education subsystem showed a downward trend, while science and education subsystem showed no significant correlation. Moran I of infrastructure subsystem was mostly at the low level with a great fluctuation in different years. People's life had obvious spatial characteristics of high-high and low-low agglomeration. The global Moran I of resources and environment showed a pattern of "V" distribution. Economic development and science and education were the two factors most closely related to regional coordinated development.

4-Oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE)-Induced Degradation of Bovine Skeletal Muscle Proteins.

Lipids are an important component of meat, as they provide desirable sensory characteristics and nutritional benefits. However, lipids are susceptible to degradation through oxidation and produce toxic oxidative byproducts. 4-Oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) is an oxidative byproduct that is highly reactive and cytotoxic. In this study, we investigated the influence of 4-ONE-induced protein degradation on fresh and gastric digested bovine skeletal muscle proteins. The results indicated that 4-ONE naturally forms in fresh muscle proteins. We report here for the first time that 4-ONE causes severe degradation of bovine skeletal muscle proteins. An SDS-PAGE gel analysis showed evidence that the skeletal muscle proteins attenuated over the incubation time, as the density of the protein bands faded significantly after 120 h. Additionally, protein and band density analyses showed a significant decrease in protein abundance and band densities throughout the incubation time. This study revealed that the lipid oxidation byproduct, 4-oxo-2-nonenal (4-ONE) is responsible for causing skeletal muscle protein degradation. Future studies should assess the bioprotective role of antioxidants and other food ingredients for their potential to prevent the formation and/or detoxification of 4-ONE in meat.