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Babinskaiidae is an extinct family of the lacewing superfamily Myrmeleontoidea, currently only recorded from the Cretaceous. The phylogenetic position of this family is elusive, with inconsistent inferences in previous studies. Here we report on three new genera and species of Babinskaiidae from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of Myanmar, namely Calobabinskaia xiai gen. et sp. nov., Stenobabinskaia punctata gen. et sp. nov., and Xiaobabinskaia lepidotricha gen. et sp. nov. These new babinskaiids are featured by having specialized characters, such as the rich number of presectoral crossveins and the presence of scaly setae on forewing costal vein, which have not yet been found in this family. The exquisite preservation of the Kachin amber babinskaiids facilitate a reappraisal of the phylogenetic placement of this family based on adult morphological characters. Our result from the phylogenetic inference combining the data from fossil and extant myrmeleontoids recovered a monophyletic clade composed of Babinskaiidae and another extinct family Cratosmylidae, and further assigned this clade to be sister group to a clade including Nemopteridae, Palaeoleontidae, and Myrmeleontidae. Babinskaiidae appears to be a transitional lineage between Nymphidae and advanced myrmeleontoids, with ancient morphological diversification.

ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transporter proteins are one of the most extensive protein families known to date and are ubiquitously found in animals, plants, and microorganisms. ABCs have a variety of functions, such as plant tissue development regulation, hormone transport, and biotic and abiotic stress resistance. However, the gene characterization and function of the ABC gene family in almond ( Prunus dulcis ) have not been thoroughly studied. In this study, we identified 117 PdABC genes using the whole genome of ‘Wanfeng’ almond obtained by sequencing and explored their protein characterization. The PdABC family members were classified into eight subfamilies. The members of the same subfamily had conserved motifs but poorly conserved numbers of exons and introns and were unevenly distributed among the eight subfamilies and on the eight chromosomes. Expression patterns showed that PdABC family members were significantly differentially expressed during almond development, dormant freezing stress, and salt stress. We found that PdABC59 and PdABC77 had extremely high expression levels in pollen. PdABC63 and PdABC64 had high expression levels during almond petal development and multiple stages of flower development. PdABC98 was highly expressed in annual dormant branches after six temperature-freezing stress treatments. PdABC29 , PdABC69 , and PdABC98 were highly expressed under different concentrations of salt stress. This study preliminarily investigated the expression characteristics of ABC genes in different tissues of almond during flower development, freezing stress and salt stress, and the results will provide a reference for further in-depth research and breeding of almond in the future.

An updated summary on the fauna of Canadian Megaloptera is provided. Currently, 18 species are recorded in Canada, with six species of Corydalidae and 12 species of Sialidae. This is an increase of two species since 1979. An additional seven species are expected to be discovered in Canada. Barcode Index Numbers are available for ten Canadian species.

This article presents recent advancements in the development of flexible piezoresistive strain sensors based on carbon nanotubes (CNTs)–polymer composites, with particular attention to their electromechanical properties. Various fabrication approaches and material preparation of CNTs–polymer composites with improved piezoresistive performance are introduced. Moreover, the article presents the working principle of the piezoresistive sensors in terms of the tunneling effect and disconnection-reconnection mechanism. The sensing performances of recently reported applications are studied. This work also reveals that the CNTs–polymer composites have great potential for flexible, skin-mountable, and wearable electronics applications. Finally, possible challenges for the future developments of CNTs–polymer composites are discussed.

The family Stenopsocidae exhibits a rich biodiversity in China, yet species identification based on morphological characters remains problematic due to insufficient study and absent molecular data. DNA barcoding has been widely employed for rapid species identification in insects, particularly through standardized COI gene sequencing. In this study, we conducted species delimitation for Neostenopsocus in China based on the morphological characters and DNA barcodes, comprising 20 morphological species with 110 barcodes. We redescribed 13 species from China and proposed 39 new synonyms. This study supports the applicability of DNA barcoding for species identification in Neostenopsocus. The K2P distance between the morphological species of Neostenopsocus ranges from 0.0051 to 0.2040, with most exceeding 0.10. The maximum intraspecific divergence reaches 0.0778 in N. nepalensis. The external morphology of Neostenopsocus shows considerable structural uniformity, and the genitalia provide limited diagnostic value for species identification. Instead, the marking patterns of the head and forewing are considered to be useful for species identification. Therefore, delimiting closely related species demands an integrated taxonomy approach that combines extensive geographical sampling, detailed morphological analysis, and nuclear DNA data.

The pleasing lacewing genus Dilar Rambur, 1838, albeit possessing largely similar external characters, is the most species-rich genus of the family Dilaridae. This genus is particularly diverse in China, previously with 41 species recorded. Herein, we report eight new species of Dilar from China, namely Dilar jiquanyui sp. nov. , Dilar lanlingensis sp. nov. , Dilar lulanae sp. nov. , Dilar puerensis sp. nov. , Dilar qiongduensis sp. nov. , Dilar tuyuezhengi sp. nov. , Dilar weiningensis sp. nov. and Dilar yangyingae sp. nov. All these new species occur in the Oriental China and six of them are distributed from southwestern China, reinforcing this region as a key distribution centre of species diversity in Dilar . We also summarise the distribution pattern of this genus in China, showing the faunal affinities across different zoogeographic regions within the country. In addition, a key to all Chinese Dilar species is provided.

In modern power-system load frequency control (LFC), proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controllers are widely used because of their simple structure and ease of implementation. However, the combined effects of communication delay and nonlinear constraints can degrade control performance. To address this issue, this paper proposes a model-constraint-aware optimal PID tuning method based on a Hybrid Differential Evolution–Chaotic Grey Wolf Optimizer (HDE-CGWO). First, a nonlinear LFC model incorporating data sampling, communication delay, governor deadband (GDB), and generation rate constraint (GRC) is established, and a PID-based LFC model is formulated. Next, an objective function based on the integral of time-weighted absolute area control error (ACE), namely ACE-based integral of time-weighted absolute error (ITAE), is constructed. Accordingly, quasi-opposition-based learning (QOBL), chaotic warm-up, Lévy flight, and differential evolution (DE) are incorporated into the standard Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) to develop an HDE-CGWO-based PID design scheme for LFC under sampled-data delay and nonlinear unit constraints. Finally, simulation studies are carried out on a multi-area LFC system. The resulting time-domain responses and statistical results show that, compared with standard GWO in the single-area test, HDE-CGWO reduces the ACE-based ITAE by about 43.3%. In the three-area system, the ACE-based ITAE is reduced by about 3.0% under step disturbances and about 1.4% under random disturbances compared with the warm-up Grey Wolf Optimizer (WGWO), indicating that the proposed method can reduce frequency deviations, attenuate post-disturbance oscillations, and accelerate the dynamic recovery process under the considered disturbance conditions.

Background Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder, also known as multiple tic syndrome. TS is associated with the serotonin (5-HT) system, of which 5-HT2A is a subtype. Xiaoyao San (XYS) comes from “Prescriptions of the Bureau of Taiping People’s Welfare”. It has the effect of harmonizing liver and spleen, relieving depression, nourishing blood, and invigorating spleen. However, the therapeutic mechanism of XYS for TS has not been evaluated. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of XYS on the TS mouse model and its possible mechanism. Methods A mouse model of TS induced by DOI (selective 5-HT (2A/2C) receptor agonist, 10 ml/kg) was established. The mice were randomly divided into normal control group, DOI group, DOI + Tiapride Hydrochloride (Tia at 25 mg /kg) group, DOI + XYS low-dose (1.44 g/kg/d), medium-dose (2.88 g/kg/d) and high-dose (5.76 g/kg/d) groups, and the mice were given the corresponding drug intragastric administration for four consecutive weeks, and the stereotypic behavior was recorded weekly. The morphological characteristics of the cells were observed by hematoxylin–eosin staining. The content of 5-HT was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect 5-HT2A. Results XYS could significantly improve the stereotypic behavior of TS mice, and the improvement effect increased with the increase of dose, the improvement effect of XYS high dose was similar to that of Tia. After Tia or XYS high-dose treatment, the prefrontal cortex cells and neuronal structure of TS mice gradually normal, cells arranged neatly. The prefrontal cortex cells recovered generally after XYS low-dose and medium-dose treatments. 5-HT in the serum of mice in all treatment groups was higher than that in the DOI group, and 5-HT in serum of XYS high-dose group and Tia group was the highest. 5-HT2A receptor protein and mRNA in the prefrontal cortex of mice in all treatment groups showed a downward trend, and the decrease degree was the largest in the XYS high-dose group and Tia group. Conclusion XYS has an improvement effect on TS in mice, and its mechanism is related to reducing 5-HT2A receptor expression, increasing 5-HT content, and enhancing 5-HT system activity. These results suggest that XYS is a therapeutic strategy for TS treatment.

The genus Rapisma McLachlan, 1866 ( Insecta : Neuroptera : Ithonidae ) is a rare and poorly known lacewing group endemic to Asia. Here I present a revision of the Rapisma species from China, with description of two new species, namely Rapisma changqingensis sp. n. and Rapisma chikuni sp. n. The Chinese Rapisma now comprises five species that respectively belong to two monophyletic species groups. Rapisma changqingensis sp. n. represents the northernmost record of the genus, being distributed at the border of eastern Palaearctic and Oriental regions. Moreover, the homology of genital sclerites of Rapisma is also updated.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the influencing factors of burnout among grassroots medical staff in China so as to provide a reference for improving their physical, psychological, and social statuses under China's prevention and control strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuring the sustainable supply of high-quality medical resources. Methods This study was performed on medical staff in five primary hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China, from May 1, 2022, to June 1, 2022, using a general information questionnaire and Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale. SPSS 25.0 and Stata 15.0 were used for two-track data entry and analysis. The OLS regression model was established to analyze the influencing factors for the job burnout of health care personnel. Results Two hundred seventy valid questionnaires were analyzed. The total score of job burnout was (30.16 ± 10.99). The scores of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and self-achievement were (9.88 ± 3.839), (11.99 ± 5.68), and (8.29 ± 5.18), respectively. Feeling depressed and stressed after the pandemic, days working over the past week, and work hours per shift had a positive impact on the Maslach Burnout total score. Increased income and hours working every week had a negative impact on the Maslach Burnout total score. However, sex, age in years, degree, professional title, job category, workplace, marital status, years in practice, health status, active management of health, idea of resignation, and promotion after the pandemic did not affect the Maslach Burnout total score. Conclusion The job burnout of medical staff is affected by health conditions, working conditions, the psychological consequences of a pandemic, wages and marital status. Hospital managers should formulate incentive measures according to different psychological changes in medical staff to create a good medical working environment under the normalization of COVID-19 pandemic prevention and control.