In situ growth of self-supported CuO nanorods from Cu-MOFs for glucose sensing and elucidation of the sensing mechanism.

Herein, we present a simple and mild method to in situ prepare CuO nanostructures for non-enzymatic glucose sensing. A Cu-metal organic framework (Cu-MOF) precursor was first directly grown on a pencil lead electrode with 3D graphene-like surfaces (EPLE) and then in situ transformed into CuO nanorods. The CuO nanorod-modified EPLE (CuO/EPLE) shows high sensitivity (1138.32 µA mM-1 cm-2), fast response time (1.5 s) and low detection limit (0.11 µM) for glucose oxidation. It has been found that NaOH promoted the generation of ˙OH groups and Cu(III) on the CuO surface, which then facilitated the electrochemical oxidation of glucose. Signals characteristic of hydroxyl and carbon-centered radical adducts were detected by EPR. Furthermore, the CuO/EPLE sensor also shows good accuracy in glucose determination in human serum samples.

Sex-specific differences in symbiotic microorganisms associated with an invasive mealybug (Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley) based on 16S ribosomal DNA.

The ability of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) to utilize a wide range of host plants is closely related to the symbiotic bacteria within its body. This study investigated the diversity of symbiotic microorganisms associated with the sap-sucking hemipteran insect. Using deep sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene and subsequent analysis with the Qiime software package, we constructed a comprehensive library of bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). We compared the microbial communities of female and male adult mealybugs. Our results showed significant differences in bacterial composition between the sexes, with Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes being the dominant phyla in both female and male mealybugs. These results suggest that the diverse assemblage of symbiotic bacteria in P. solenopsis may be critical in enabling this insect to utilize a wide range of host plants by facilitating carbohydrate digestion and energy uptake.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall 1913) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and its phylogenetic analysis.

Megalurothrips usitatus is a serious pest on Vigna unguiculata. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of M. usitatus was characterized and its phylogenetic relationship within the Order Thysanoptera was determined. The mitochondrial genome of M. usitatus was a circular molecule of 15426 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and the control region. It showed the typical insect mitochondrial genome arrangement. The AT content of the whole genome was 77.69% and the length of the control region was 567 bp with 78.66% AT content. The Maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analysis based on mitochondrial protein-coding genes of 17 insect speciesshowed that M. usitatus is closest to Frankliniella occidentalis.

Three new Penicillium species isolated from the tidal flats of China.

During a survey of culturable fungi in the coastal areas of China, three new species of Penicillium sect. Lanata-Divaricata were discovered and studied with a polyphasic taxonomic approach, and then named as P. donggangicum sp. nov. (ex-type AS3.15900T = LN5H1-4), P. hepuense sp. nov. (ex-type AS3.16039T = TT2-4X3, AS3.16040 = TT2-6X3) and P. jiaozhouwanicum sp. nov. (ex-type AS3.16038T = 0801H2-2, AS3.16207 = ZZ2-9-3). In morphology, P. donggangicum is unique in showing light yellow sclerotia and mycelium, sparse sporulation, restricted growth at 37 °C, irregular conidiophores, intercalary phialides and metulae, and pyriform to subspherical conidia. P. hepuense is distinguished by the fast growth on CYA and YES and slow growth on MEA at 25 °C, weak or absence of growth at 37 °C, biverticillate and monoverticillate penicilli, and ellipsoidal conidia. P. jiaozhouwanicum is characterized by abundant grayish-green conidia en masse and moderate growth at 37 °C, the appressed biverticillate penicilli and fusiform, smooth-walled conidia. These three novelties were further confirmed by the phylogenetic analyses based on either the combined BenA-CaM-Rpb2 or the individual BenA, CaM, Rpb2 and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences.

Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon nanodots toward bovine hemoglobin: A fluorescence quenching mechanism investigation.

A deep understanding of the molecular interactions of carbon nanodots with biomacromolecules is essential for wider applications of carbon nanodots both in vitro and in vivo. Herein, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N,S-CDs) with a quantum yield of 16% were synthesized by a 1-step hydrothermal method. The N,S-CDs exhibited a good dispersion, with a graphite-like structure, along with the fluorescence lifetime of approximately 7.50 ns. Findings showed that the fluorescence of the N,S-CDs was effectively quenched by bovine hemoglobin as a result of the static fluorescence quenching. The mentioned quenching mechanism was investigated by the Stern-Volmer equation, temperature-dependent quenching, and fluorescence lifetime measurements. The binding constants, number of binding sites, and the binding average distance between the energy donor N,S-CDs and acceptor bovine hemoglobin were calculated as well. These findings will provide for valuable insights on the future bioapplications of N,S-CDs.

Three new species of Talaromyces sect. Talaromyces discovered from soil in China.

Three new Talaromyces species isolated from soil are reported here, namely T. dimorphus (ex-type strain AS3.15692 T), T. lentulus (ex-type strain AS3.15689 T) and T. mae (ex-type strain AS3.15690 T). T. dimorphus is characterized by biverticillate and monoverticillate penicilli, ampulliform phialides, slimy texture with sparse mycelial funicles and absent conidiogenesis on MEA. T. lentulus is featured by vivid yellow mycelium on Cz and MEA, absent conidiogenesis on CYA, and globose smooth-walled conidia. T. mae presents sparse conidia on CYA and YES, funiculous and floccose texture on MEA, and ovoid smooth-walled conidia. Both morphological and molecular characters show that T. dimorphus is unique and has no close relatives. Although T. lentulus and T. mae resembles T. adpressus and T. pinophilus very much, phylogenetic analyses of CaM, BenA, ITS and Rpb2 sequences all support their status as novel species.

Co-reductive fabrication of carbon nanodots with high quantum yield for bioimaging of bacteria.

A simple and straightforward synthetic approach for carbon nanodots (C-dots) is proposed. The strategy is based on a one-step hydrothermal chemical reduction with thiourea and urea, leading to high quantum yield C-dots. The obtained C-dots are well-dispersed with a uniform size and a graphite-like structure. A synergistic reduction mechanism was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The findings show that using both thiourea and urea during the one-pot synthesis enhances the luminescence of the generated C-dots. Moreover, the prepared C-dots have a high distribution of functional groups on their surface. In this work, C-dots proved to be a suitable nanomaterial for imaging of bacteria and exhibit potential for application in bioimaging thanks to their low cytotoxicity.

Diversity of secondary endosymbionts among different putative species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci.

Endosymbionts are important components of arthropod biology. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a cryptic species complex composed of ≥ 28 putative species. In addition to the primary endosymbiont Portiera aleyrodidarum, six secondary endosymbionts (S-endosymbionts), Hamiltonella, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, Cardinium, Arsenophonus and Fritschea, have been identified in B. tabaci thus far. Here, we tested five of the six S-endosymbiont lineages (excluding Fritschea) from 340 whitely individuals representing six putative species from China. Hamiltonella was detected only in the two exotic invaders, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED). Rickettsia was absent in Asia II 1 and MED, scarce in Asia II 3 (13%), but abundant in Asia II 7 (63.2%), China 1 (84.7%) and MEAM1 (100%). Wolbachia, Cardinium and Arsenophonus were absent in the invasive MEAM1 and MED but mostly abundant in the native putative species. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses revealed that some S-endosymbionts have several clades and different B. tabaci putative species can harbor different clades of a given S-endosymbiont, demonstrating further the complexity of S-endosymbionts in B. tabaci. All together, our results demonstrate the variation and diversity of S-endosymbionts in different putative species of B. tabaci, especially between invasive and native whiteflies.

Hybrid carbon source for producing nitrogen-doped polymer nanodots: one-pot hydrothermal synthesis, fluorescence enhancement and highly selective detection of Fe(III).

Polymer nanodots (PNDs) from a hybrid carbon source (glucose and glycine) which exhibit a stronger fluorescence than the PNDs from a single source (glucose or glycine) are obtained by one-pot hydrothermal treatment. It is attractive that PNDs can be used as an effective fluorescent probe for the detection of iron ions with good selectivity and sensitivity in an aqueous solution.

[Molecular detection of symbiotic bacteria Arsenophonus from Ericerus pela Chavannes].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between the sex ratio of Ericerus pela and its symbiotic bacterial Arsenophonus. METHODS: The symbiotic bacterial diversity in male Ericerus pela was determined through sequencing 16S rDNA gene library. PCR amplification for Arsenophonus was performed by using two 16S rDNA specific primers and 23S rDNA specific primer. The molecular detection of Arsenophonus in six geographic populations of E. pela, namely Zhaotong, Kunming, Jinkouhe, Hangzhou, Changchun, and Jianghua, were performed by semi-quantitative PCR. The absolute concentrations of Arsenophonus in E. pela of Zhaotong, Kunming, Jinkouhe geographic populations were determined using absolute quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Two different 16S rDNA sequences were obtained; the sizes were 445bp and 1462bp respectively. A 23S rDNA sequence was obtained, the size was 582bp. Some E. pela individuals of Hangzhou and Jianghua were not infected with Arsenophonus. The contents of Arsenophonus in E. pela of Zhaotong were significantly higher than that of Kunming and Jinkouhe, while the contents of Arsenophonus from the latter two geographic populations were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: Arsenophonus is not responsible for the sex ratio of E. pela.

[Effects of oral contraceptive pretreatment on controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and outcomes of IVF-ET].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of oral contraceptive pretreatment (OCP) in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF-ET. METHODS: We randomly divided 85 patients with P-COS undergoing IVF-ET into an OCP (n = 53) and a control group (n = 32), the former received OCP, while the latter did not before the cycle. We retrospectively analyzed the data of the patients for the ovulation promoting effect of OCP and its influence on the incidence of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and outcomes of IVF-ET. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, OCP significantly reduced the formation of ovarian cyst (P < 0.05), remarkably increased the duration of gonadotropin stimulation and consumption (P < 0.01) , and markedly raised the percentage of mature ova (87.92% vs 92.85%, P < 0.05). But no significant differences were observed between the two groups in the incidences of moderate and severe OHSS, number of retrieved oocytes, and rates of fertilization, miscarriage and clinical pregnancy. CONCLUSION: OCP for patients with PCOS can help to control the time of ovarian stimulation, improve the synchronism of follicular development, and increase the duration of gonadotropin stimulation and consumption, but cannot change the incidences of moderate and severe OHSS.

Suppression of jasmonic acid-dependent defense in cotton plant by the mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis.

The solenopsis mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis, has been recently recognized as an aggressively invasive pest in China, and is now becoming a serious threat to the cotton industry in the country. Thus, it is necessary to investigate the molecular mechanisms employed by cotton for defending against P. solenopsis before the pest populations reach epidemic levels. Here, we examined the effects of exogenous jasmonic acid (JA), salicylic acid (SA), and herbivory treatments on feeding behavior and on development of female P. solenopsis. Further, we compared the volatile emissions of cotton plants upon JA, SA, and herbivory treatments, as well as the time-related changes in gossypol production and defense-related genes. Female adult P. solenopsis were repelled by leaves from JA-treated plant, but were not repelled by leaves from SA-treated plants. In contrast, females were attracted by leaves from plants pre-infested by P. solenopsis. The diverse feeding responses by P. solenopsis were due to the difference in volatile emission of plants from different treatments. Furthermore, we show that JA-treated plants slowed P. solenopsis development, but plants pre-infested by P. solenopsis accelerated its development. We also show that P. solenopsis feeding inhibited the JA-regulated gossypol production, and prevented the induction of JA-related genes. We conclude that P. solenopsis is able to prevent the activation of JA-dependent defenses associated with basal resistance to mealybugs.

Asymmetric mating interactions drive widespread invasion and displacement in a whitefly.

The role of behavioral mechanisms in animal invasions is poorly understood. We show that asymmetric mating interactions between closely related but previously allopatric genetic groups of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, a haplodiploid species, have been a driving force contributing to widespread invasion and displacement by alien populations. We conducted long-term field surveys, caged population experiments, and detailed behavioral observations in Zhejiang, China, and Queensland, Australia, to investigate the invasion process and its underlying behavioral mechanisms. During invasion and displacement, we found increased frequency of copulation leading to increased production of female progeny among the invader, as well as reduced copulation and female production in the indigenous genetic groups. Such asymmetric mating interactions may be critical to determining the capacity of a haplodiploid invader and the consequences for its closely related indigenous organisms.

[Studied on the identification of Fructus amomi from its confusable varieties by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy].

This paper uses Fourier transform infrared spectrometer with OMNI sampler to distinguish Fructus amomi from their confusable varieties, i. e. Amomum aurantiacum H. T. Tsai et S. W. Zhao, Amomum chinense Chun ex T. L. Wu, Alpinia chinensis (Ketz.) Rosc and Alpinia japonica (Thunb.) Miq. IRs of Amomum villosum Lour., Amomum longiligulare T. L. Wu and Amomum villosum Lour. Var xanthioides T. L. Wu et Senjen are resemble, and they are markedly different from the FTIR of the confusable varieties. Repeat experiments were processed with different samples of the same set, and the probability is 1.000. The result shows that FTIR can be directly used to distinguish Fructus amomi from their confusable varieties.