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ABSTRACT A new species of Nemouridae stonefly, Illiesonemoura wanglanga Rehman, Zhu and Du sp. nov., is described from Wanglang Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China. The male, female, and nymph of this species are identified and thoroughly documented. This study includes a diagnosis, detailed descriptions of the terminalia, and a comparison of terminalia similarities with closely related species. Furthermore, the female of Illiesonemoura bituberculata Wang and Du, 2023 was recorded for the first time from Sichuan Province, along with updated illustrations of the male. In addition, we provide an identification key to the adult males of Chinese Illiesonemoura species. These findings provide valuable data for future identification and taxonomic studies. https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:13A1866B-3C44-470D-B536-5169D8E02BCE

A multi-band microwave filter design method by using the defected microstrip structure (DMS) is developed. A new DMS bandpass filter with a tri-band is designed, fabricated and measured, and the experiment demonstrates the new proposal. The new DMS filter has the advantages of a compact and simple circuit topology, miniature circuit size, individually controllable centre frequencies and individually tunable bandwidths.

Nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries have demonstrated key technology advantages for applications in new-energy vehicles, which play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. However, the poor high-rate dischargeability of the negative electrode materials—hydrogen storage alloys (HSAs) limits applications of Ni-MH batteries in high-power fields due to large polarization. Here we design a hybrid electrode by integrating HSAs with a current collector of three-dimensional bicontinuous nanoporous Ni. The electrode shows enhanced high-rate dischargeability with the capacity retention rate reaching 44.6% at a discharge current density of 3000 mA g −1 , which is 2.4 times that of bare HSAs (18.8%). Such a unique hybrid architecture not only enhances charge transfer between nanoporous Ni and HSAs, but also facilitates rapid diffusion of hydrogen atoms in HSAs. The developed HSAs/nanoporous metals hybrid structures exhibit great potential to be candidates as electrodes in high-performance Ni-MH batteries towards applications in new-energy vehicles.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) of wheat is caused by fungal populations belonging to the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC). In this study, tebuconazole (a sterol demethylation inhibitor fungicide, DMI) was evaluated for FHB management in China using in vitro tests and field trials. Although tebuconazole has not been widely used in China, another DMI, triadimefon, has been constantly used to control wheat powdery mildew for more than 20 years. The sensitivity of 56 FGSC isolates collected from 2000 to 2002 and 107 FGSC isolates collected from 2012 to 2013 to tebuconazole were compared. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC 50 ) values of the two groups of isolates ranged from 0.028 to 0.262 mg L −1 and from 0.045 to 0.497 mg L −1 , respectively, and statistically significant differences ( P  < 0.05) were found between them. During the 13 years, the EC 50 values for tebuconazole increased by a factor of 1.53. In 2012 and 2013 field trials, the control efficacy of tebuconazole was evaluated in fields where triadimefon had been constantly used for over 20 years. Tebuconazole at 125.00 g a.i. ha −1 decreased disease severity by 81.80 and 70.54 %, respectively, reduced the deoxynivalenol (DON) contents by 78.85 and 38.43 %, respectively, and the yield losses were much lower in both years. Therefore, despite the significant decrease in the sensitivity of in vitro tests, tebuconazole was still very effective in inhibiting FHB and DON, and accordingly in reducing yield losses. It can be used as an effective fungicide for the control of FHB of wheat in China.

Amphiboles from the Galinge skarn deposit, the largest iron (Fe) polymetallic skarn deposit in the Qiman Tagh metallogenic belt (western China), were formed by multistage fluid-rock interactions. Mineral analysis of the various amphiboles suggest that they were formed by the replacement of mafic to intermediate igneous rocks. The two alteration phases have formed three generations of compositionally distinct amphiboles: Amp-I: Ferro-edenitic hornblende (FE); Amp-II: Deep bluish-green magnesian-hastingsite (MH); Amp-III: Light greenish-beige ferro-actinolite (FA). The Amp-I preserves the primary igneous amphibole composition, and was subsequently replaced by Amp-II. The amphibole Cl content markedly increases from the FE (0.176 − 0.582 wt.%) to the MH (0.894 − 3.161 wt.%), and abruptly drops in the FA (0.017 − 0.039 wt.%). The Cl-rich MH contains the lowest concentration of Si [5.64 − 6.28 atoms per formula unit (apfu)], and the highest (K + Na) values (0.72 − 1.06 apfu) in the amphibole A-site with a high K/(K + Na) of 0.491 to 0.429. Both Mg and Fe contents of the MH and FA vary widely, possibly due to the interactions of magma-derived hydrothermal fluids with the basaltic / andesitic host rocks. Formation of the Cl-rich MH may have been associated with the early high-temperature and high-saline hydrothermal fluids, meanwhile the Cl-poor FA may have formed from later low-temperature and low-saline hydrothermal fluids. The MH plays an important role for consuming Cl carried by hydrothermal fluids. The Cl-rich fluids may have mobilized some elements, such as Fe, Al, Mg, Ca and Ti from the host rocks. Considerable amounts of Ti, Al, Mg and Fe were incorporated into the sphene and Fe-Ti oxides that coexist with the MH.

Growth, reproduction and abundance traits of the invasive icefish Neosalanx taihuensis Chen, 1956 were investigated monthly from July 2009 to May 2011 in Lake Erhai on the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau, south‐western China, in order to explore the changes in life‐history traits after translocation. The results indicated that the icefish exhibited obvious plasticity in growth and reproduction traits. Growth of the fish in Lake Erhai was faster than that in native waters and in other translocated reservoirs. By fitting the von Bertalanffy growth model to the data, it was estimated that icefish obtain an asymptotic size of 96.12 mm, a K of 1.61, and a t₀ of ‐0.26; the calculated overall growth performance index φ′ was 4.17. The strategy of reproduction changed from multiple‐ to single‐spawning. The spawning period was from October to December with the absolute and relative fecundities of 1250 ± 169 eggs per ind and 2557 ± 245 eggs per g, respectively. Plasticity in icefish growth and reproduction in Lake Erhai greatly facilitated its population establishment, making it one of the most abundant fish species. The icefish invasion in the lake may be one of the reasons for the decrease or extinction of native fish species populations, and some measures for the control of this invasive fish are suggested.

Human infection with the emerging avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in China in 2013 has raised global concerns. We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of 27 confirmed human influenza A(H7N9) cases in Jiangsu Province, to elaborate poultry-related exposures and to provide a more precise estimate of the incubation periods of the illness. The median incubation period was 6 days (range 2–10 days) in cases with single known exposure and was 7·5 days (range 6·5–12·5 days) in cases with exposures on multiple days, difference between the two groups was not significant (Z = −1·895, P = 0·058). The overall median incubation period for all patients was estimated to be 7·5 days (range 2–12·5 days). Our findings further highlight the necessity for public health authorities to extend the period of medical surveillance from 7 days to 10 days.

Hypoimmunity and numerous stresses are two major challenges in broiler industry. Nutrient intervention at the specific time of embryonic stage is a feasible way to improve animal performance. This study was conducted to investigate the possible effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of vitamin C at embryonic age 15th day (E15) on growth performance, antioxidation and immune function of broilers. A total of 240 broiler fertile eggs were randomly divided into two groups (0 and 3 mg injected dose of vitamin C at E15), and new-hatched chicks from each treatment were randomly allocated into six replicates with 10 chicks per replicate after incubation. The results indicated that in ovo vitamin C injection improved the hatchability (P < 0.05) and increased immunoglobulin M (IgM) (at the broiler’s age 1st day, D1), IgG and IgM concentrations (D21), as well as lysozyme activity (D21, P < 0.05) and total antioxidant capacity (D42, P < 0.01) in plasma of broilers. On D21, the splenic expression level of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) was up-regulated in vitamin C (VC) group, whereas interleukin (IL)-6, interferon-γ, ten-eleven translocation protein 1 and thymine-DNA glycosylase were down-regulated (P < 0.05). On D42, in ovo vitamin C injection up-regulated splenic expression levels of DNMT1, DNA methyltransferase 3B (DNMT3B) and growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein beta (P < 0.05), whereas down-regulated splenic expression levels of IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-α and methyl-CpG-binding domain protein 4 (P < 0.05). Our findings suggested that IOF of 3 mg vitamin C at E15 could improve, to some extent, the antioxidant activity and immune function in plasma, corresponding with the lower expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in spleen. However, IOF of vitamin C leading to the changes in the expression of DNA methyltransferases and demethylases may suggest an increased trend of DNA methylation level in spleen and whether DNA methylation variation is associated with the lower expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in spleen warrants future study.

The large-scale practical application of fuel cells cannot come true if the high-priced Pt-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) cannot be replaced by other efficient, low-cost and stable electrodes. Here, based on density functional theory (DFT), we exploited the potentials of layered SiC sheets as a novel catalyst for ORR. From our DFT results, it can be predicted that layered SiC sheets exhibit excellent ORR catalytic activity without CO poisoning, while the CO poisoning is the major drawback in conventional Pt-based catalysts. Furthermore, the layered SiC sheets in alkaline media has better catalytic activity than Pt(111) surface and have potential as a metal-free catalyst for ORR in fuel cells.

To increase Pt utilization for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells, reducing particle sizes of Pt is a valid way. However, poisoning or surface oxidation limits the smallest size of Pt particles at 2.6 nm with a low utility of 20%. Here, using density functional theory calculations, we develop a core-shell Al 13 @Pt 42 cluster as a catalyst for ORR. Benefit from alloying with Al in this cluster, the covalent Pt-Al bonding effectively activates the Pt atoms at the edge sites, enabling its high utility up to 70%. Valuably, the adsorption energy of O is located at the optimal range with 0.0–0.4 eV weaker than Pt(111), while OH-poisoning does not observed. Moreover, ORR comes from O 2 dissociation mechanism where the rate-limiting step is located at OH formation from O and H with a barrier of 0.59 eV, comparable with 0.50 eV of OH formation from O and H 2 O on Pt(111).