Genes involved in melanin production directly impact insect pigmentation and can affect diverse physiology and behaviours. The role these genes have on sex behaviour, however, is unclear. In the present study, the crucial melanin pigment gene black was functionally characterised in an urban pest, the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. RNAi knockdown of B. germanica black (Bgblack) had no effect on survival, but did result in black pigmentation of the thoraxes, abdomens, heads, wings, legs, antennae, and cerci due to cuticular accumulation of melanin. Sex-specific variation in the pigmentation pattern was apparent, with females exhibiting darker coloration on the abdomen and thorax than males. Bgblack knockdown also resulted in wing deformation and negatively impacted the contact sex pheromone-based courtship behaviour of males. This study provides evidence for black function in multiple aspects of B. germanica biology and opens new avenues of exploration for novel pest control strategies.

As an environmental factor, temperature impacts the distribution of species and influences interspecific competition. The molecular chaperones encoded by small heat shock proteins (sHsps) are essential for rapid, appropriate responses to environmental stress. This study focuses on Hsp20.8, which encodes a temperature-responsive sHsp in Liriomyza trifolii, an insect pest that infests both agricultural and ornamental crops. Hsp20.8 expression was highest at 39℃ in L. trifolii pupae and adults, and expression levels were greater in pupae than in adults. Recombinant Hsp20.8 was expressed in Escherichia coli and conferred a higher survival rate than the empty vector to bacterial cells exposed to heat stress. RNA interference experiments were conducted using L. trifolii adults and prepupae and the knockdown of Hsp20.8 expression increased mortality in L. trifolii during heat stress. The results expand our understanding of sHsp function in Liriomyza spp. and the ongoing adaptation of this pest to climate change. In addition, this study is also important for predicting the distribution of invasive species and proposing new prevention and control strategies based on temperature adaptation.

This study investigates the linear instability of a thin-film coating inside a rigid tube. The flow is assumed to be inertialess and driven by an axial body force (e.g. gravity), an interfacial shearing force, or their combinations. The interface and the bulk of the film are laden with soluble surfactant. The properties of the soluble surfactant, i.e. solubility, sorption kinetics and bulk diffusivity, modulate the interfacial dynamics of the film. The influence of these properties on the linear instability of the film is comprehensively investigated via long-wave approximation analysis and numerical calculation. Two modes, namely the interface mode and the surfactant mode, are identified to dominate the instability. For a quiescent film, it is found that solubility, sorption kinetics and bulk diffusivity act to improve the uniformity of the surface surfactant and mitigate the stabilizing effect of the Marangoni force. For the film driven by the axial body/interfacial shearing force, the results reveal that solubility plays contrasting roles in the interface mode and the surfactant mode. A window with intermediate solubility is detected where the film can be linearly stabilized. Moreover, sorption kinetics is found to destabilize the perturbations with long wavelength whereas it stabilizes the perturbations with finite wavelength. The bulk diffusivity of the surfactant has a non-monotonic influence on the flow instability, and the film can be relatively stable at both strong and weak diffusivity.

Government attention selectively distributed to various issues in policy-making processes is usually reflected in language, such as metaphors in political discourse. In addition, metaphor change may reveal how conceptualizations of major topics such as economy and ecology evolve over time. After self-building a corpus of China’s 45-year Government Work Reports, this study explores whether there is a difference in attention to topics of economy and ecology over time and investigates the diachronic change of metaphor use on them based on a modified framework for diachronic metaphor change analysis. Results show that attention to economy has been steadily decreasing while attention to ecology has been growing, and that there is an increasing tendency of using more economy and ecology metaphors. Metaphor change on the use of source domains is arranged on a continuum, ranging from constant use (war for economy and ecology, and journey and object for economy), incremental change (living organism and building for economy and ecology, and object for ecology) to fundamental change (building and living organism for ecology). This study may enrich the understanding of diachronic metaphor change by providing a Chinese perspective on the metaphor use in government discourse over time.

In “Risky choice framing: Task versions and a comparison of prospect theory and fuzzy-trace theory”, Kühberger and Tanner (2010) examined the impacts of removing stated zero/non-zero complements of risky options on the gain/loss framing effect. They also tested two rival theoretical explanations for this effect: prospect theory and fuzzy-trace theory. The present study aimed to examine the reliability and robustness of the evidence provided by Kühberger and Tanner by precise replication in Study 1. The original findings were reported for conditions in which the probability of the risky option was fixed, and the expected value of the two alternatives was approximately equivalent. The present study also aimed to examine the generality of their findings under additional conditions in which large, medium and small probabilities of the risky option were assigned, and the expected value of the certain or risky options differed. The main findings of Kühberger and Tanner (2010) were successfully replicated and confirmed under the original and additional conditions. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Liriomyza trifolii is a significant pest of vegetable and ornamental crops across the globe. Microwave radiation has been used for controlling pests in stored products; however, there are few reports on the use of microwaves for eradicating agricultural pests such as L. trifolii, and its effects on pests at the molecular level is unclear. In this study, we show that microwave radiation inhibited the emergence of L. trifolii pupae. Transcriptomic studies of L. trifolii indicated significant enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ‘post-translational modification, protein turnover, chaperones’, ‘sensory perception of pain/transcription repressor complex/zinc ion binding’ and ‘insulin signaling pathway’ when analyzed with the Clusters of Orthologous Groups, Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases, respectively. The top DEGs were related to reproduction, immunity and development and were significantly expressed after microwave radiation. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in the expression of genes encoding heat shock proteins or antioxidant enzymes in L. trifolii treated with microwave radiation as compared to the untreated control. The expression of DEGs encoding cuticular protein and protein takeout were silenced by RNA interference, and the results showed that knockdown of these two DEGs reduced the survival of L. trifolii exposed to microwave radiation. The results of this study help elucidate the molecular response of L. trifolii exposed to microwave radiation and provide novel ideas for control.

With the improvement of the bias instability of Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) gyroscopes, the g-sensitivity error is gradually becoming one of the more important factors that affects the dynamic accuracy of a MEMS gyroscope. Hence there is a need for correcting the g-sensitivity error. However, the traditional calibration of g-sensitivity error uses a centrifuge. The calibration conditions are harsh, the process is complex and the cost is relatively high. In this paper, a fast and simple method of g-sensitivity error calibration for MEMS gyroscopes is proposed. With respect to the bias and random noise of a MEMS gyroscope, the g-sensitivity error magnitude is relatively small and it is simultaneously coupled with the Earth's rotation rate. Therefore, in order to correct the g-sensitivity error, this work models the calibration for g-sensitivity error coefficients, designs an (8+N)-position calibration scheme, and then proposes a fitting method for g-sensitivity error coefficients based on the Newton iteration and least squares methods. Multi-group calibration experiments designed on a MEMS Inertial Measurement Unit (MEMS IMU) product demonstrate that the proposed method can calibrate g-sensitivity error coefficients and correct the g-sensitivity error effectively and simply.

One of the most important non-destructive methods for on-site analysis of bronze artifacts is portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF). However, bronze artifacts are usually heterogeneous in composition due to, among other things, the segregation of lead, which is hard to be eliminated through annealing treatments. In the present work, Cu-Sn-Pb alloys with homogenous composition and microstructure is fabricated by powder metallurgy technique. The suitability of the standard curve using Cu-Sn-Pb alloys by powder metallurgy as the standard samples for XRF on the analysis of bronze artifacts is evaluated. It is shown that this proposed method can be transferred to portable XRF to acquire accurate on-site composition information of bronze artifacts.

We study the optimal proportional reinsurance and investment problem in a general jump-diffusion financial market. Assuming that the insurer’s surplus process follows a jump-diffusion process, the insurer can purchase proportional reinsurance from the reinsurer and invest in a risk-free asset and a risky asset, whose price is modelled by a general jump-diffusion process. The insurance company wishes to maximize the expected exponential utility of the terminal wealth. By using techniques of stochastic control theory, closed-form expressions for the value function and optimal strategy are obtained. A Monte Carlo simulation is conducted to illustrate that the closed-form expressions we derived are indeed the optimal strategies, and some numerical examples are presented to analyse the impact of model parameters on the optimal strategies.

Since the introduction of the Internet, China's networked public sphere has become a critical site in which various actors compete to shape public opinion and promote or forestall legal and political change. This paper examines how members of an online public, the Tianya Forum, conceptualized and discussed law in relation to a specific event, the 2008 Sanlu milk scandal. Whereas previous studies suggest the Chinese state effectively controls citizens' legal consciousness via propaganda, this analysis shows that the construction of legality by the Tianya public was not a top-down process, but a complex negotiation involving multiple parties. The Chinese state had to compete with lawyers and outspoken media to frame and interpret the scandal for the Tianya public and it was not always successful in doing so. Data show further how the online public framed the food safety incident as indicative of fundamental problems rooted in China's political regime and critiqued the state's instrumental use of law.

A model for predicting the austenite grain growth during a common heating process including continuous and isothermal heating processes in medium carbon alloy steel 42CrMo was developed. The isothermal austenite grain growth kinetics were studied with conditions involving soaking time and soaking temperature. The time exponent n in the model was obtained considering the influence of the initial grain size rather than simply utilizing Beck’s equation. The results showed that the value of the time exponent n is 3.55 ± 0.30 when the temperature is above 1000 °C, while the value is 8.33 when the temperature is below 1000 °C. When the temperature is below 1000 °C, the pinning effect of carbides contributes to the higher value of the time exponent. Based on the isothermal model and the rule of additivity, a model for predicting the grain growth occurring during continuous heating was proposed. A reasonable agreement between the calculations and experimental measurements of grain size was obtained. According to the model, the effect of the initial austenite grain size on the final austenite grain size during induction quenching was analyzed. The initial austenite grain size has a significant effect on the final austenite grain size. In order to obtain a refined quenched microstructure, it is necessary to refine the microstructure at room temperature.

The aim of the present study was to determine the potential long-term metabolic effects of early nutritional programming on carbohydrate utilisation in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). High-carbohydrate diets were fed to fish during four ontogenetic stages: from the first-feeding stage to the end of the yolk-sac larval stage; from the first-feeding stage to 2 d after yolk-sac exhaustion; after yolk-sac exhaustion for 3 or 5 d. The carbohydrate stimuli significantly increased the body weight of the first-feeding groups in the short term. The expression of genes was differentially regulated by the early dietary intervention. The high-carbohydrate diets resulted in decreased plasma glucose levels in the adult fish. The mRNA levels and enzyme activities of glucokinase, pyruvate kinase, α-amylase and sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter 1 were up-regulated in the first-feeding groups. There was no significant change in the mRNA levels of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) in any experimental group, and the activity of G6Pase enzyme in the FF-5 (first feeding to 2 d after yolk-sac exhaustion) group was significantly different from that of the other groups. The expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene in all the groups was significantly decreased. In the examined early programming range, growth performance was not affected. Taken together, data reported herein indicate that the period ranging from the polyculture to the external feeding stage is an important window for potential modification of the long-term physiological functions. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that it is possible to permanently modify carbohydrate digestion, transport and metabolism of adult zebrafish through early nutritional programming.

Detailed analysis of the polarization tracking modules for Ku band active phased array antennas is presented. The proposed transmitter (14.0–14.5 GHz) and receiver (12.25–12.75 GHz) modules are based on the low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technique, containing orthogonal dual channels with different phases controlled by phase shifters. The effect of amplitude and phase inconsistency between two channels on polarization tracking performance is analyzed. The validity of the analysis is verified by the measurements of the manufactured prototypes. The measured patterns of the active phased array antenna are given to illustrate the effects of the modules on polarization agility, which may be used for Ku band satellite antennas on mobile terminals.

Dietary n-3 PUFA have been demonstrated to promote muscle growth in growing animals. In the present study, fractional protein synthesis rates (FSR) in the skeletal muscle of growing pigs fed a DHA-enriched (DE) diet (DE treatment) or a soyabean oil (SO) diet (SO treatment) were evaluated in the fed and feed-deprived states. Feeding-induced increases in muscle FSR, as well as the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin and protein kinase B, were higher in the DE treatment as indicated by the positive interaction between diet and feeding. In the fed state, the activation of eIF4E-binding protein 1 in the skeletal muscle of pigs on the DE diet was higher than that in pigs on the SO diet (P <0·05). Feeding the DE diet increased muscle insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression (P <0·05) and insulin action (as demonstrated by increased insulin receptor (IR) phosphorylation, P <0·05), resulting in increased IR substrate 1 activation in the fed state. However, no difference in plasma IGF-1 concentration or hepatic IGF-1 expression between the two treatments was associated. The increased IGF-1 expression in the DE treatment was associated with increased mRNA expression of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 5A and decreased mRNA expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 3 in skeletal muscle. Moreover, mRNA expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 1 (PTPN1), the activation of PTPN1 and the activation of NF-κB in muscle were significantly lower in the DE treatment (P <0·05). The results of the present study suggest that feeding a DE diet increased feeding-induced muscle protein synthesis in growing pigs, and muscle IGF-1 expression and insulin action were involved in this action.

Metal/high-k dielectric core shell nanocrystal memory capacitor was demonstrated. This kind of MOS memory shows good performance in charge storage capacity, programming and erasing speed. By using a self-assembled Block Co-Polymer, Co/HfO2 core shell nanocrystals were well arrayed and showed uniform dot size and inter distance between dots. Compared with traditional metal nanocrystal fabrication process with E-Beam Evaporation followed by RTA (Rapid Thermal Annealing), core shell nanocrystal memory prepared by Block Co-Polymer produces a wide memory window of 8.4V at the ±12 V voltage sweep. Co/HfO2 core shell nanocrystals prepared by low-temperature Block Co-polymer process ensure high reliability of the devices.

The genetic diversity of dinitrogen-fixing bacteria associated with rice (Oryza sativa) was assessed by a polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) approach on the nifH gene amplified directly from DNA extracted from washed rice roots and rhizospheric soil. Restriction digestion with the enzymes MnlI and HaeIII was performed to characterize 54 cloned nifH PCR products. RFLP profiles were clustered and analysed with the UPGMA program. Eight pairs of similar RFLP patterns (similarity>50%) and two pairs of homologous RFLP patterns (100% identity) were found from the washed roots and the rhizospheric soil, respectively. Three specific diazotrophic patterns were found from rhizospheric soil and rice roots. The analyses have revealed the presence of different nifH types, which appear to be significant components of the diazotrophic community in paddy fields, indicating that some of the diazotrophs may colonize the inside and the surface of the rice roots.