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The increasing demand for healthy edible oil has generated the need to identify promising oil crops. Tree peony ( section DC.) is a woody oil crop with α-linolenic acid (ALA) contributing for 45% of the total fatty acid (FA) content in seeds. Molecular and genetic differences that contribute to varied FA content and composition among the wild peony species are, however, poorly understood. Analyses of FA content and composition during seed development in three tree peony species ( , , and ) showed varied FA content among them with highest in , followed by , and . Total FA content among these species increased with seed development and reached its maximum in its final stage. Seed FA composition analysis of the three species also revealed that ALA (C18:3) was the most abundant, followed by oleic (C18:1) and linoleic (C18:2) acids. Additionally, quantitative real-time RT-PCR analyses of 10 key seed oil synthesis genes in the three tree peony species revealed that , , β , , and gene expression levels positively correlate with total FA content and rate of accumulation. Specifically, the abundance of transcripts in compared with , and suggests that FAD3 might play an important role in synthesis of ALA via phosphatidylcholine-derived pathway. Overall, comparative analyses of FA content and composition in three different peony species revealed a correlation between efficient lipid accumulation and lipid gene expression during seed development. Further characterization and metabolic engineering of these key genes from peonies will allow for subsequent improvement of tree peony oil quality and production.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is conventionally confirmed with oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, but it is still uncertain whether it can be predicted with secondary use of electronic health records (EHRs) in early pregnancy. To this purpose, the cost-sensitive hybrid model (CSHM) and five conventional machine learning methods are used to construct the predictive models, capturing the future risks of GDM in the temporally aggregated EHRs. The experimental data sources from a nested case-control study cohort, containing 33,935 gestational women in West China Second Hospital. After data cleaning, 4,378 cases and 50 attributes are stored and collected for the data set. Through selecting the most feasible method, the cost parameter of CSHM is adapted to deal with imbalance of the dataset. In the experiment, 3940 samples are used for training and the rest 438 samples for testing. Although the accuracy of positive samples is barely acceptable (62.16%), the results suggest that the vast majority (98.4%) of those predicted positive instances are real positives. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply machine learning models with EHRs to predict GDM, which will facilitate personalized medicine in maternal health management in the future.

Climate is a critical factor considered in predicting the potential distributions of species. However, the distribution of susceptible host plants is another important constraint in retrospective and predictive analyses of invasive insect pests, particularly for wood-boring insects. In the present study, we first modeled the geographic distribution of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), and its susceptible host trees using MaxEnt. We then compared the differences between the predicted and actual distribution of EAB in its native (China) and invaded (the United States and Canada) ranges by incorporating the distribution of its susceptible host plants. Results from our models indicate that: (1) in addition to climatic factors, the presence of susceptible host tree species plays a major role in delineating the pest’s distribution; (2) it is more accurate to project EAB’s potential range distribution by considering the suitability of potential areas for its susceptible host plants; and (3) there is a high risk of EAB expanding its current distribution areas in both its native and invasive ranges. The inclusion of susceptible host plant presence as a factor enables more effective predictive modeling and risk assessment for biological invasions, especially for oligophagous insects.

We performed zircon U–Pb age dating and geochemical analyses of late Mesozoic felsic volcanic rocks in the Hailar Basin, NE China, with the aim of eclucidating their emplacement ages, origin and geodynamic significance. The volcanic rocks consist of dacites, rhyolites and rhyolitic tuffs. Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry zircon U–Pb dating results suggest that the rocks were erupted during the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (161–117 Ma). They belong to the high-K calc-alkaline series and can be divided into two groups. Group I rocks are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, contain low concentrations of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and high field strength elements (HFSEs), and have low zircon saturation temperatures (average 786 °C), all of which indicate an I-type affinity. In contrast, Group II rocks have higher HREE and HFSE concentrations and zircon saturation temperatures (average 918 °C), suggesting an A-type affinity. All the felsic volcanic rocks have positive ε Hf (t) values of 1.43–12.32 with two-stage model ages of 1110–401 Ma. Our data indicate that the I-type felsic volcanic rocks formed from magmas generated by partial melting of a dominantly juvenile mica-bearing K-rich basaltic lower crust, whereas the A-type felsic volcanic rocks originated from the partial melting of a dry mafic–intermediate middle–lower crust that was dehydrated but not melt depleted. Based on the present results and previous research, we propose that the Late Jurassic I- and A-type felsic volcanic rocks in the Hailar Basin were formed in a post-collisional environment related to break-off of the subducted oceanic slab of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean and the subsequent gravitational collapse of the orogenically-thickened crust after closure of the ocean. In contrast, the Early Cretaceous I- and A-type felsic volcanic rocks were erupted in an extensional setting related to rollback of the subducted Paleo-Pacific Plate.

A general method to calculate multi-parameter bifurcation diagram in the parameter space is designed based on top Lyapunov exponent and Floquet multiplier to study the effect of different combinations of system parameters on the system’s dynamics. Bifurcation and chaos of the forced and damped Duffing system in two-parameter plane are investigated by using the method designed in this work. The correlation and matching laws of the Duffing system between dynamic performance and system parameters are analyzed. The effect of different types of bifurcation curves on the bifurcating of coexisting attractors is investigated according to basins of attraction, bifurcation diagrams, top Lyapunov exponent spectrums, phase portraits, Poincaré maps, and Floquet multipliers. The evolution of various bifurcation curves and codimension-two bifurcation in the parametric plane is studied as well. Coexisting attractors are found in the parameter plane. The results indicate that the different bifurcating curves are selective for the bifurcation of coexisting attractors. Both the pitchfork bifurcation curve and the period-doubling bifurcation curve just change the stability of some of the coexisting attractors, but have no effect on the stability of the other part of the attractors. The saddle-node bifurcation curve has an effect on the stability of all the coexisting attractors. A series of period-doubling bifurcation curves and codimension-two bifurcation points lead to chaos existence region in two-parameter plane. The special evolution of bifurcation points and bifurcation curves in two-parameter plane with the change of the system parameter is observed. The codimension-two bifurcation points and bifurcation curves play an important role in understanding nonlinear dynamics of the system in the parametric plane. The work in this study emphasizes the importance of the different combinations of system parameters on the system dynamics.

The global burden of cancer continues to increase largely with the aging and growth of the world population. The purpose of the present work was to find new anticancer molecules from a natural source. We utilized chromatographic methods to isolate compounds from medicinal plant Dryopteris fragrans (L.) Schott. The structure of the new compounds was determined by spectroscopic and spectrometric data (1D NMR, 2D NMR, and EMI-MS). Their anti-proliferation effects against five human cancer cell lines including A549, MCF7, HepG2, HeLa, and PC-3 were evaluated by CCK-8 andlactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. A new sesquiterpene, (7S, 10S)-2,3-dihydroxy-calamenene-15-carboxylic acid methyl ester (1), and two known compounds (2 and 3) were isolated. The new sesquiterpene was named dryofraterpene A and significantly inhibited cancer cell proliferation without any obvious necrosis below a 10 μM concentration. In conclusion, a novel anticancer sesquiterpene together with two known compounds was isolated, which might be a promising lead compound for the treatment of cancer.

Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), is a high-risk invasive forest pest worldwide. We surveyed Asian longhorned beetle parasitoid guilds and their seasonal abundance using field-deployed sentinel host logs infested with Asian longhorned beetle eggs or newly hatched (early-instar) larvae in three different sites of China (Beijing City, Shanghai City, and Jilin Province) from 2015 to 2018. Our survey detected 12 species of hymenopteran parasitoids (four Pteromalidae, three Braconidae, two Eupelmidae, one Eurytomidae, one Ichneumonidae, and one Bethylidae) attacking sentinel Asian longhorned beetle larvae or eggs deployed in these sites. Total parasitism by all the parasitoid species varied with different sites and across different years of the survey (averaging 7–16% in Beijing, 4–11% in Shanghai, and 0–0.2% in Jilin Province). In addition, the seasonal pattern of parasitism also differed among different sites, with parasitism peaking in July in the northern site (Beijing, 19%) and June in the southern site (Shanghai, 16%). Among all the parasitoid species recovered, Oxysychus sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) was the most abundant parasitoid species in both Beijing and Shanghai (with 42–66% relative abundance and an average of 6% Asian longhorned beetle parasitism). The second most abundant species was Bracon planitibiae Yang, Cao et Gould (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), which accounted for 35% of the species collected and caused an average of 5% Asian longhorned beetle parasitism. Relevance of our findings to Asian longhorned beetle biocontrol is discussed.

The apple jewel beetle Agrilus mali (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) is a destructive wood-boring pest that primarily affects Malus species. In the past 20 years, A. mali has caused widespread mortality of Malus sieversii in the wild fruit forests of Xinjiang, posing a serious ecological threat. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of A. mali using Illumina, PacBio HiFi and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The assembled genome is 291.3 Mb, with a scaffold N50 of 28.5 Mb and BUSCO completeness of 96.4%. Approximately 97.28% of the contigs were anchored to 11 chromosomes. Repeat elements accounted for 40.20% of the genome. A total of 22,979 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 74.62% were successfully annotated. The high-quality genome provides a valuable resource for future studies on the ecological adaptation, population genetics, and management of A. mali , and offers new insights into the outbreak mechanisms of wood-boring pests.

To address the question of whether the behavior of humans to view different phenological peony flowers has various effects on their physical and mental parameters, we investigated psycho-physiological responses of 74 participants (61.3 ± 10.78 years old) to environments of pre- and post-viewing tree peonies at four stages, including the exhibition leaf stage (ELS), initial bloom stage (IBS), full bloom stage (FBS), and terminal bloom stage (TBS). Physiological factors were examined using systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), fingertip pulse (FP), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and psychological evaluation, which was carried out using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The results indicated that the SBP, DBP, HR, and FP levels of participants were significantly reduced after viewing tree peonies, whereas no remarkable alterations in SpO2 were found. The POMS scores of anger–hostility (A–H), fatigue–inertia (F–I), tension–anxiety (T–A), confusion–bewilderment (C–B), and depression–dejection (D–D) were significantly lower, but of vigor–activity (V–A) was higher post-viewing than pre-viewing. Furthermore, participants exhibited markedly decreased anxiety levels according to the STAI. Notably, the changes in measurement indices were more pronounced at the FBS. Our studies demonstrated that a short peony-viewing program, especially at the FBS with completely opened and large tree peony flowers, would be a promising therapeutic method for improving physiological functions as well as an effective psychological relaxation strategy for middle-aged and elderly individuals.

Cancer is one of the most major diseases that threatens human health and life. The aim of this work was to obtain novel anticancer molecules from D. fragrans, a kind of medicinal plant. The structure of the new compound was identified using spectroscopic data (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and two dimensions NMR). Its anticancer properties were evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay against four human cells including lung cancer cells (A549), breast cancer cells (MCF-7), gastric cancer cells (SGC7901) and noncancerous human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). A new phenylpropanoid—(E)-caffeic acid-9-O-β-d-xylpyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (1), with seven known compounds (2–8)—was isolated. The IC50 value of compound 1 against MCF-7 cells was 2.65 ± 0.14 µM, and the IC50 values of compound 8 against three cancer cells were below 20 µM.