Time-varying propagation model and dynamic-feedback-phase correction for multiplexed orbital angular momentum beams in atmospheric turbulence.

Freespace optical (FSO) communication in an outdoor setting is complicated by atmospheric turbulence (AT). A time-varying (TV) multiplexed orbital angular momentum (OAM) propagation model to consider AT under transverse-wind conditions is formulated for the first time, and optimized dynamic correction periods for various TV AT situations are found to improve the transmission efficiency. The TV nature of AT has until now been neglected from modeling of OAM propagation models, but it is shown to be important. First, according to the Taylor frozen-turbulence hypothesis, a series of AT phase screens influenced by transverse wind are introduced into the conventional angular-spectrum propagation analysis method to model both the temporal and spatial propagation characteristics of multiplexed OAM beams. Our model shows that while in weak TV AT, the power standard deviation of lower-order modes is usually smaller than that of higher-order modes, the phenomena in strong TV AT are qualitatively different. Moreover, after analyzing the effective time of each OAM phase correction, optimized dynamic correction periods for a dynamic feedback communication link are obtained. An optimized result shows that, under the moderate TV AT, both a system BER within the forward-error-correction limit and a low iterative computation volume with 6% of the real-time correction could be achieved with a correction period of 0.18 s. The research emphasizes the significance of establishing a TV propagation model for exploring the effect of TV AT on multiplexed OAM beams and proposing an optimized phase-correction mechanism to mitigate performance degradation caused by TV AT, ultimately enhancing overall transmission efficiency.

Metavalently bonded tellurides: the essence of improved thermoelectric performance in elemental Te.

Elemental Te is important for semiconductor applications including thermoelectric energy conversion. Introducing dopants such as As, Sb, and Bi has been proven critical for improving its thermoelectric performance. However, the remarkably low solubility of these elements in Te raises questions about the mechanism with which these dopants can improve the thermoelectric properties. Indeed, these dopants overwhelmingly form precipitates rather than dissolve in the Te lattice. To distinguish the role of doping and precipitation on the properties, we have developed a correlative method to locally determine the structure-property relationship for an individual matrix or precipitate. We reveal that the conspicuous enhancement of electrical conductivity and power factor of bulk Te stems from the dopant-induced metavalently bonded telluride precipitates. These precipitates form electrically beneficial interfaces with the Te matrix. A quantum-mechanical-derived map uncovers more candidates for advancing Te thermoelectrics. This unconventional doping scenario adds another recipe to the design options for thermoelectrics and opens interesting pathways for microstructure design.

Thermal acclimation uncovers a simple genetic basis of adaptation to high temperature in a cosmopolitan pest.

Understanding a population's fitness heterogeneity and genetic basis of thermal adaptation is essential for predicting the responses to global warming. We examined the thermotolerance and genetic adaptation of Plutella xylostella to exposure to hot temperatures. The population fitness parameters of the hot-acclimated DBM strains varied in the thermal environments. Using genome scanning and transcription profiling, we find a number of genes potentially involved in thermal adaptation of DBM. Editing two ABCG transporter genes, PxWhite and PxABCG, confirmed their role in altering cuticle permeability and influencing thermal responses. Our results demonstrate that SNP mutations in genes and changes in gene expression can allow DBM to rapidly adapt to thermal environment. ABCG transporter genes play an important role in thermal adaptation of DBM. This work improves our understanding of genetic adaptation mechanisms of insects to thermal stress and our capacity to predict the effects of rising global temperatures on ectotherms.

Circulating inflammatory cytokines and risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The previous epidemiological and experimental evidence has implied the linkage between chronic inflammation to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, it was still unclear whether there were casual associations between circulating inflammatory cytokines and IPF development. The objective of present study was to examine whether altered genetically predicted concentration of circulating cytokines were associated with IPF development using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The causal effects of 23 circulating inflammatory cytokines were evaluated on IPF using MR analysis. The primary approach of MR analysis was the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method. The sensitivity analyses were conducted by simple median, weighted median, penalized weighted median and MR-Egger regression methods. RESULTS: The present MR study found suggestive evidence that a higher circulating IL-14 level was associated with an increased risk of IPF (random effects IVW method: odds ratio: 1.001, 95% confidence interval: 1.000-1.001, P = 0.026). The sensitivity analysis yielded directionally similar results for IL-14. There was no significant association found between other circulating inflammatory cytokines and IPF. CONCLUSION: The high level of IL14 predicted by genes had a casual relationship with the increased risk of IPF. This finding provided epidemiological evidence for drug therapy targeting inflammatory factors in the prevention and treatment of IPF. It's warranted further exploration to validate the clinical significance of IL14 associated with developmental risk of IPF.

Bna.EPF2 Enhances Drought Tolerance by Regulating Stomatal Development and Stomatal Size in Brassica napus.

Drought stress severely affects global plant growth and production. The enhancement of plant water-use efficiency (WUE) and drought tolerance by the manipulation of the stomata is an effective strategy to deal with water shortage. However, increasing the WUE and drought tolerance by manipulation on the stomata has rarely been tested in Brassica napus. Here, we isolated Bna.EPF2, an epidermal patterning factor (EPF) in Brassica napus (ecotype Westar), and identified its role in drought performance. Bna.EPF2 overexpression lines had a reduction average of 19.02% in abaxial stomatal density and smaller stomatal pore size, leading to approximately 25% lower transpiration, which finally resulted in greater instantaneous WUE and enhanced drought tolerance. Interestingly, the reduction in stomatal density did not affect the CO2 assimilation or yield-related agronomic traits in Bna.EPF2 overexpression plants. Together with the complementation of Bna.EPF2 significantly decreasing the stomatal density of Arabidopsis epf2, and Bna.EPF2 being expressed in mature guard cells, these results suggest that Bna.EPF2 not only functions in stomatal density development, but also in stomatal dimension in Brassicas. Taken together, our results suggest that Bna.EPF2 improves WUE and drought tolerance by the regulation of stomatal density and stomatal size in Brassica without growth and yield penalty, and provide insight into the manipulation of this gene in the breeding of drought tolerant plants with increased production under water deficit conditions.

An LW-Opsin Mutation Changes the Gene Expression of the Phototransduction Pathway: A Cryptochrome1 Mutation Enhances the Phototaxis of Male Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).

Plutella xylostella is a typical phototactic pest. LW-opsin contributes to the phototaxis of P. xylostella, but the expression changes of other genes in the phototransduction pathway caused by the mutation of LW-opsin remain unknown. In the study, the head transcriptomes of male G88 and LW-opsin mutants were compared. A GO-function annotation showed that DEGs mainly belonged to the categories of molecular functions, biological processes, and cell composition. Additionally, a KEGG-pathway analysis suggested that DEGs were significantly enriched in some classical pathways, such as the phototransduction-fly and vitamin digestion and absorption pathways. The mRNA expressions of genes in the phototransduction-fly pathway, such as Gq, ninaC, and rdgC were significantly up-regulated, and trp, trpl, inaD, cry1, ninaA and arr1 were significantly down-regulated. The expression trends of nine DEGs in the phototransduction pathway confirmed by a RT-qPCR were consistent with transcriptomic data. In addition, the influence of a cry1 mutation on the phototaxis of P. xylostella was examined, and the results showed that the male cry1 mutant exhibited higher phototactic rates to UV and blue lights than the male G88. Our results indicated that the LW-opsin mutation changed the expression of genes in the phototransduction pathway, and the mutation of cry1 enhanced the phototaxis of a P. xylostella male, providing a basis for further investigation on the phototransduction pathway in P. xylostella.

Knockout of cryptochrome 1 disturbs the locomotor circadian rhythm and development of Plutella xylostella.

Cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) functions as a light-responsive photoreceptor, which is crucial for circadian rhythms. The identity and function of CRY1 in Plutella xylostella remain unknown. In this study, cry1 was cloned and identified in P. xylostella. Then, a cry1-knockout strain (Cry1-KO) of P. xylostella with a 2-bp deletion was established from the strain Geneva 88 (G88) using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. No daily temporal oscillation of cry1 was observed in G88 and Cry1-KO, and cry1 mean daily transcription of Cry1-KO was lower than that of G88. Both G88 and Cry1-KO demonstrated rhythmic locomotion under the light/dark condition with Cry1-KO being more active than G88 in the daytime, whereas Cry1-KO completely lost rhythmicity under constant darkness. The developmental period of pre-adult of Cry1-KO was longer than that of G88; the lifespan of the Cry1-KO male adult was shorter than that of G88; the fecundity of Cry1-KO was lower than that of G88; and Cry1-KO showed lower intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproduction rate (R0 ), finite increase rate (λ), and longer mean generation time (T) than G88. Our results indicate that cry1 is involved in the regulation of locomotor circadian rhythm and development in P. xylostella, providing a potential target gene for controlling the pest and a basis for further investigation on circadian rhythms in lepidopterans.

Annular phase grating-assisted recording of an ultrahigh-order optical orbital angular momentum.

Ultrahigh-order optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) states of the identification over ±270 orders are implemented by annular phase grating (APG) and Gaussian beams with different wavelengths. Particularly, the far-field diffraction intensity patterns feature the spiral stripes instead of Hermitian-Gaussian (HG)-like fringes. It's worth noting that the spiral stripes present uniform distribution, thus the order of OAM states can be intuitively acquired. More specifically, the OAM states can be confirmed from the total amount and rotating direction of the spiral stripes. Compared with traditional methods, the propose scheme contributes to the perfect-distributed and sharper spiral stripes. Moreover, it also makes an easier observation of the patterns in the CCD camera with limited imaging targets. In our experimental setup, the optical filter is removed and the APG parameters are not strictly required. Therefore, the propose optical transmission system is equipped with the advantages of efficiency, robustness and low cost, which paves a promising way for the communication capacity enhancement.

Effect of IMB Model Combined with Spousal Support Breastfeeding Intervention on PBSES Score and Breastfeeding Rate of Primipara with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Objective: To analyze the effects of the info-motivation-behavior skills (IMB) model combined with spousal support breastfeeding intervention on breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale (PBSES) scores and breastfeeding rate of primiparas with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Methods: Seventy-four first-term pregnant women and 74 of their spouses were selected as the traditional control group by the convenience sampling method from July to September 2021 in obstetrics department of Shenzhen Third People's Hospital. 74 pregnant women with their first child and 74 spouses who had their first child checked during October to December 2021 were classified as the IMB model group. The traditional control group was applied with conventional intervention management mode, and the IMB model group was applied with intervention management mode based on IMB theory on the basis of the traditional control group. The self-efficacy scores of breastfeeding before and after intervention during pregnancy and during hospitalization were compared between the two groups, and the self-efficacy scores of paternal support for breastfeeding were compared. The exclusive breastfeeding rate of infants within 6 months and the maternal breastfeeding knowledge level of the two groups were compared, and the correlation between maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy score and feeding knowledge level was analyzed. Results: After pregnancy intervention, PBSES and FBSES-SF scores were significantly increased in both groups, and scores of scales in the IMB model group increased significantly than the traditional control group (all P < 0.05). The BSES-SF and FBSES-SF scores of the IMB model group increased significantly than the traditional control group at 3 days after delivery and at discharge (P < 0.05), and the scores of each scale at discharge in both groups increased significantly than those at 3 days after delivery (P < 0.05). The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the IMB model group was 94.59% (70/74), and that in the traditional control group was 78.38% (58/74). There was a significant difference (χ2 = 8.325, P = 0.004). At discharge, the score of maternal breastfeeding knowledge increased significantly in both groups, and the score of the IMB model group increased significantly than that of the traditional control group (all P < 0.05). Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between PBSES score, FBSES-SF score, and maternal feeding knowledge level, which showed positive correlation (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: The self-efficacy of prenatal breastfeeding in pregnant women with HBV is low, and the application of the IMB model combined with the intervention mode of spy-supported breastfeeding has positive effects on the improvement of maternal breastfeeding efficiency, breastfeeding health knowledge level, and postpartum breastfeeding rate, which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Suppression of Interfacial Diffusion in Mg3Sb2 Thermoelectric Materials through an Mg4.3Sb3Ni/Mg3.2Sb2Y0.05/Mg4.3Sb3Ni-Graded Structure.

The Zintl compound, n-type Mg3Sb2, has been extensively investigated as a promising thermoelectric material. However, performance degradation caused by the loss of Mg element during device preparation and service is a main disadvantage in its utilization in thermoelectric devices. To suppress volatilization, diffusion, or reaction of Mg, we designed a graded concentration junction to control the interfacial elemental diffusion and improve the stability of the thermoelectric joint. We utilized the reaction product at the Ni/Mg3.2Sb2Y0.05 interface, the phase Mg4.3Sb3Ni, as a barrier layer material, and prepared Mg4.3Sb3Ni/Mg3.2Sb2Y0.05/Mg4.3Sb3Ni junctions. The results show that the interface behavior of the thermoelectric junction is optimized by the gradation of elemental concentration, thermal expansion coefficient, and work function. The Mg4.3Sb3Ni/Mg3.2Sb2Y0.05/Mg4.3Sb3Ni single-leg device showed high thermal stability at 673 K for 20 days, the contact resistance was stable at around 10 µΩ cm2, and the shear strength was maintained at about 20 MPa. The conversion efficiency of its single-leg device maintains nearly 90% of the best performance after aging at 673 K for 20 days.

Compact and high Q-factor multimode racetrack ring resonator based on transformation optics.

The ring resonator is a versatile and functional component in the silicon-based integrated optical circuit. Most of the previously reported ring resonators work in the single-mode case. With the rapid development of mode division multiplexing technology, a multimode ring resonator (MMRR) has been proposed and the usage beyond the limit of a conventional single mode ring resonator has been explored. However, the reported MMRRs are either large in size or low in quality factor. In this paper, we designed a compact silicon MMRR with a small bending radius of 15µm, in which the three lowest TE modes all have high Q-factors. For suppressing the mode loss and inter-mode crosstalk in MMRR, a multimode waveguide bend (MWB) with mode adiabatic evolution was designed based on transformation optics and waveguide shape optimization. The independent excitation of each order mode of the MMRR is realized by using bending directional coupler and asymmetric directional coupler. We successfully fabricated the device on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform using simple one-step lithography. The measured loaded Q-factors of the three lowest TE modes are 5.9 × 104, 4.5 × 104, and 4.7 × 104, respectively.

An automatic identification system for citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing) using a YOLO convolutional neural network.

Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease, has complex and variable symptoms, making its diagnosis almost entirely reliant on subjective experience, which results in a low diagnosis efficiency. To overcome this problem, we constructed and validated a deep learning (DL)-based method for detecting citrus HLB using YOLOv5l from digital images. Three models (Yolov5l-HLB1, Yolov5l-HLB2, and Yolov5l-HLB3) were developed using images of healthy and symptomatic citrus leaves acquired under a range of imaging conditions. The micro F1-scores of the Yolov5l-HLB2 model (85.19%) recognising five HLB symptoms (blotchy mottling, "red-nose" fruits, zinc-deficiency, vein yellowing, and uniform yellowing) in the images were higher than those of the other two models. The generalisation performance of Yolov5l-HLB2 was tested using test set images acquired under two photographic conditions (conditions B and C) that were different from that of the model training set condition (condition A). The results suggested that this model performed well at recognising the five HLB symptom images acquired under both conditions B and C, and yielded a micro F1-score of 84.64% and 85.84%, respectively. In addition, the detection performance of the Yolov5l-HLB2 model was better for experienced users than for inexperienced users. The PCR-positive rate of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) detection (the causative pathogen for HLB) in the samples with five HLB symptoms as classified using the Yolov5l-HLB2 model was also compared with manual classification by experts. This indicated that the model can be employed as a preliminary screening tool before the collection of field samples for subsequent PCR testing. We also developed the 'HLBdetector' app using the Yolov5l-HLB2 model, which allows farmers to complete HLB detection in seconds with only a mobile phone terminal and without expert guidance. Overall, we successfully constructed a reliable automatic HLB identification model and developed the user-friendly 'HLBdetector' app, facilitating the prevention and timely control of HLB transmission in citrus orchards.

Different administration methods of endostar combined with second-line chemotherapy in advanced malignancies.

Background: This study aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy and the side effects of different endostar administration methods in patients with advanced malignancy who underwent second-line chemotherapy. Methods: 98 patients with advanced malignancies were divided into 2 groups based on the delivery methods of endostar, including drip intravenous administration of endostar (DE) group and continuous intravenous administration of endostar (CE) group. Response rate (RR), disease control rate (DCR), and quality of life (QOL) of the patients were examined to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy, and toxicity reactions were analyzed to evaluate the adverse effects. Results: Compared with the DE group, the therapeutic efficacy of CE has been slightly improved, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (P > 0.05). Additionally, no different incidence rate was observed in toxic reactions, including leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and hepatic function damage, between the DE and CE groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, no significant difference was observed between the traditional intravenous drip of endostar group and the intravenous drip followed by continuous pumping of endostar group in the patients with advanced malignancies.

Complete photonic bandgap in silicon nitride slab assisted by effective index difference between polarizations.

The slab effective index difference between the transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) polarizations was utilized to obtain complete photonic bandgap (CPBG) in a silicon nitride (SixNy) photonic crystal slab. For this, coincident frequency range in the TE photonic bandgap (PBG) and TM PBG, which denotes the CPBGs of the slab, must be found with the same structure. Through adjusting the effective index pair of TE and TM polarizations by changing the thickness of the SixNy core layer, and also optimizing the structure parameters within the photonic crystal plane, a large normalized CPBG of 5.62% was theoretically obtained in a slab of SixNy with a refractive index of 2.5. Moreover, based on the obtained CPBG, a microcavity which could support both TE and TM polarization was theoretically demonstrated. The cavity modes for different polarizations were both well confined, which proved the reliability of the CPBG. In addition, using the same method, the lowest refractive index of SixNy on silica slab for a CPBG could be extended to as low as 2. The results indicate that there is potential for development of various high-performance CPBG devices based on SixNy slab technology.

Large-scale genome-wide study reveals climate adaptive variability in a cosmopolitan pest.

Understanding the genetic basis of climatic adaptation is essential for predicting species' responses to climate change. However, intraspecific variation of these responses arising from local adaptation remains ambiguous for most species. Here, we analyze genomic data from diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) collected from 75 sites spanning six continents to reveal that climate-associated adaptive variation exhibits a roughly latitudinal pattern. By developing an eco-genetic index that combines genetic variation and physiological responses, we predict that most P. xylostella populations have high tolerance to projected future climates. Using genome editing, a key gene, PxCad, emerged from our analysis as functionally temperature responsive. Our results demonstrate that P. xylostella is largely capable of tolerating future climates in most of the world and will remain a global pest beyond 2050. This work improves our understanding of adaptive variation along environmental gradients, and advances pest forecasting by highlighting the genetic basis for local climate adaptation.

Complete two-dimensional photonic bandgap in refractive-index ratio 2.1 photonic crystals due to high-order bands.

We find that in a suitably designed photonic crystal (PC) certain high-order photonic bands are less affected by the refractive-index ratio (RIR) than low-order bands, enabling the realization of a robust and complete two-dimensional (2D) photonic bandgap in a moderate refractive-index-ratio PC. A detailed theoretical investigation of low- and high-order bandgaps in a series of PCs with different configurations is performed that shows that high-order bands may favor substantial complete photonic bandgaps (CPBGs) for systems with a moderate RIR. Furthermore, the importance of the geometry and structural parameters on achieving a high-order CPBG is found. Specifically, a hexagonal lattice PC of annular-hole-peripheral connecting rods is proposed, which can support a CPBG with a refractive-index ratio (RIR) as low as nhigh:nlow=2.1; to the best of our knowledge, this is the lowest RIR used to obtain a 2D CPBG in a PC.

Improvement of LV Reverse Remodeling Using Dynamic Programming of Fusion-Optimized Atrioventricular Intervals in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Background: The patient-tailored SyncAV algorithm shortens the QRS duration (QRSd) beyond what conventional biventricular (BiV) pacing can. However, evidence of the ability of SyncAV to improve the cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response is lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of CRT enhanced by SyncAV on echocardiographic and clinical responses. Methods and Results: Consecutive heart failure (HF) patients from three centers treated with a quadripolar CRT system (Abbott) were enrolled. The total of 122 patients were divided into BiV+SyncAV (n = 68) and BiV groups (n = 54) according to whether they underwent CRT with or without SyncAV. Electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and clinical data were assessed at baseline and during follow-up. Echocardiographic response to CRT was defined as a ≥15% decrease in left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), and clinical response was defined as a NYHA class reduction of ≥1. At the 6-month follow-up, the baseline QRSd and LVESV decreased more significantly in the BiV+SyncAV than in the BiV group (QRSd -36.25 ± 16.33 vs. -22.72 ± 18.75 ms, P < 0.001; LVESV -54.19 ± 38.87 vs. -25.37 ± 36.48 ml, P < 0.001). Compared to the BiV group, more patients in the BiV+SyncAV group were classified as echocardiographic (82.35 vs. 64.81%; P = 0.036) and clinical responders (83.82 vs. 66.67%; P = 0.033). During follow-up, no deaths due to HF deterioration or severe procedure related complications occurred. Conclusion: Compared to BiV pacing, BiV combined with SyncAV leads to a more significant reduction in QRSd and improves LV remodeling and long-term outcomes in HF patients treated with CRT.

Screening of tumor grade-related mRNAs and lncRNAs for Esophagus Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The goal of our study was to screen tumor grade-related lncRNAs and mRNAs to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of esophagus squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: The lncRNA and mRNA sequencing data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Tumor grade correlation analysis of lncRNAs and mRNAs was executed, followed by the functional enrichment analysis of all tumor grade-related mRNAs. The differentially expression mRNAs (DEmRNAs) and differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were obtained. PPI network and DEmRNA-DElncRNA interaction analysis were constructed. The functional annotation of the DEmRNAs co-expressed with DElncRNAs was performed. The expression levels of the candidate genes were validated using qRT-PCR. RESULTS: A total of 1864 tumor grade-related mRNAs (846 positively related and 1018 negatively related) and 552 tumor grade-related lncRNAs (331 positively related and 221 negatively related) were obtained. The top 10 significantly grade-related mRNAs and lncRNAs included CA12, FABP4, DECR1, BAIAP2, IL1RAPL2, PPARD, LAD1, TSPAN10, LDOC1, ZNF853, RP11-25G10.2, RP11-557H15.3, RP11-521D12.5, CHKB-AS1, RP11-219B4.3, CH17-335B8.4, RP11-99 J16-A.2, CTB-111H14.1, ADNP-AS1, and JHDM1D-AS1. SFN, IL1RAPL2, and RP11-25G10.2 were overlapped from grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3. PPI network showed that top 10 proteins with higher degrees, including GNAI1, RAP2B, GNAZ, SHH, ADCY1, PRKAR2B, SH3GL1, GNA15, and ARRB1. A DElncRNAs-nearby DEmRNAs network was constructed to obtain hub lncRNAs including ADAMTS9-AS2, RP11-210 M15.2, RP11-13 K12.1, ZBED3-AS1, and RP11-25G10.2. Except for RP11-25G10.2, ADAMTS9-AS1, ZBED3-AS1, SFN, ATP1A2, and GNA15 were consistent with our TCGA analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations of DEmRNAs and DElncRNAs may provide key insights into the molecular mechanisms of ESCC.

An interventional study on the influence of social and family support systems on the fertility pattern of HIV-infected women.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to explore the influence of social and family support system on the fertility pattern of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected women. TRIAL DESIGN: An interventional study including 70 participants. METHODS: HIV-infected female participants treated from January 2015 to January 2019 were selected, randomly divided into 2 groups, with 35cases in each group. The experimental group was given complete social and family support, whereas the control group was given basic treatment only. Changes in fertility rate, fertility number, and fertility interval were compared between the 2 groups. We also compared the changes in the quality of life (QOL), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) of the 2 groups of participants. RESULTS: The fertility rate of the experimental group was 43.29%, and that of in the control group was 31.96%, and the childbearing age is mainly concentrated in the 20 to 29 years; the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). The mean number of births in the experimental group was (1.47 ±â€Š0.61), which was significantly higher than that of in the control group (0.63 ±â€Š0.22), and the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). The fertility interval of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of in the control group (2.65 ±â€Š1.34 vs 3.77 ±â€Š0.85), and the difference was statistically significant (P < .05). Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in the QOL scores, SAS, and SDS scores between the experimental group and the control group (P > 0.05). After intervention, the scores of QOL in the experimental group was significantly higher than those of in the control group (54.1 ±â€Š1.7 vs 41.2 ±â€Š2.5); the SAS and SDS scores of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of in the control group (39.3 ±â€Š4.2 vs 56.1 ±â€Š5.7; 32.2 ±â€Š6.7 vs 51.9 ±â€Š5.8), and the difference were statistically significant (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Social and family support for female participants infected with HIV can improve the fertility rate of women to some extent, increase the number of births and shorten the interval between births, and can help relief the women's anxiety, depression, and other emotional problems, which is worthy of extensive application and promotion in the society.

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of LW-opsin reduces the efficiency of phototaxis in the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella.

BACKGROUND: Opsins are crucial for animal vision. The identity and function of opsins in Plutella xylostella remain unknown. The aim of the research is to confirm which opsin gene(s) contribute to phototaxis of P. xylostella. RESULTS: LW-opsin, BL-opsin and UV-opsin, were identified in the P. xylostella genome. LW-opsin was more highly expressed than the other two opsin genes, and all three genes were specifically expressed in the head. Three P. xylostella strains, LW-13 with a 13-bp deletion in LW-opsin, BL + 2 with a 2-bp insertion in BL-opsin, and UV-29 with a 5-bp insertion and a 34-bp deletion in UV-opsin, were established from the strain G88 using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Among the three opsin-knockout strains, only male and female LW-13 exhibited weaker phototaxis to lights of different wavelengths and white light than G88 at 2.5 lx due to defective locomotion, and LW-13 was defective to sense white, green and infrared lights. The locomotion of LW-13 was reduced compared with G88 at 2.5, 10, 20, 60, 80, 100, and 200 lx under the green light, but the locomotion of LW-13 female was recovered at 80, 100 and 200 lx. The defective phototaxis to the green light of male LW-13 was not affected by light intensity, while the defective phototaxis to the green light of female LW-13 was recovered at 10, 20, 60, 80, 100, and 200 lx. CONCLUSION: LW-opsin is involved in light sensing and locomotion of P. xylostella, providing a potential target gene for controlling the pest. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.