Salicylic acid (SA), a phytohormone, has been considered to be a key regulator mediating plant defence against pathogens. It is still vague how SA activates plant defence against herbivores such as chewing and sucking pests. Here, we used an aphid-susceptible wheat variety to investigate Sitobion avenae response to SA-induced wheat plants, and the effects of exogenous SA on some defence enzymes and phenolics in the plant immune system. In SA-treated wheat seedlings, intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), fecundity and apterous rate of S. avenae were 0.25, 31.4 nymphs/female and 64.4%, respectively, and significantly lower than that in the controls (P < 0.05). Moreover, the increased activities of phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase in the SA-induced seedlings obviously depended on the sampling time, whereas activities of catalase and 4-coumarate:CoA ligase were suppressed significantly at 24, 48 and 72 h in comparison with the control. Dynamic levels of p-coumaric acid at 96 h, caffeic acid at 24 and 72 h and chlorogenic acid at 24, 48 and 96 h in wheat plants were significantly upregulated by exogenous SA application. Nevertheless, only caffeic acid content was positively correlated with PPO activity in SA-treated wheat seedlings (P = 0.031). These findings indicate that exogenous SA significantly enhanced the defence of aphid-susceptible wheat variety against aphids by regulating the plant immune system, and may prove a potential application of SA in aphid control.

The clinical characteristics of patients with COVID-19 were analysed to determine the factors influencing the prognosis and virus shedding time to facilitate early detection of disease progression. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationships among prognosis, clinical characteristics and laboratory indexes. The predictive value of this model was assessed with receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, calibration and internal validation. The viral shedding duration was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the prognostic factors were analysed by univariate log-rank analysis and the Cox proportional hazards model. A retrospective study was carried out with patients with COVID-19 in Tianjin, China. A total of 185 patients were included, 27 (14.59%) of whom were severely ill at the time of discharge and three (1.6%) of whom died. Our findings demonstrate that patients with an advanced age, diabetes, a low PaO2/FiO2 value and delayed treatment should be carefully monitored for disease progression to reduce the incidence of severe disease. Hypoproteinaemia and the fever duration warrant special attention. Timely interventions in symptomatic patients and a time from symptom onset to treatment <4 days can shorten the duration of viral shedding.

Using the first-principles calculation combined with the structure searching method, the ternary intermetallic compound (IMC) (Ni0.66, Zn0.33)3Sn4 with $R\bar 3m$ space group is predicted. The energetic, dynamic, thermal, and mechanical stabilities of the (Ni0.66, Zn0.33)3Sn4 IMC are confirmed. The mechanical, thermodynamic, and electronic characteristics at different pressures from 0 to 20 Gpa for the (Ni0.66, Zn0.33)3Sn4 IMC are also investigated. The results show that the (Ni0.66, Zn0.33)3Sn4 IMC possesses a ductile trait within 20 Gpa and that pressurization can increase its elastic modulus, hardness, anisotropy, Debye temperature, and minimum thermal conductivity. At a given pressure, the thermal expansion coefficient α increases significantly below 200 K, and then its increase rate approaches a linear mode as the temperature increases. Compared with the case of 0 GPa, the shapes of the total density of states and partial density of states for the (Ni0.66, Zn0.33)3Sn4 IMC change slightly at pressure 20 Gpa, implying that its structure is still stable under pressure 20 GPa.

Compared with commercial polyolefin membranes, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane prepared by electrostatic spinning has higher porosity, electrolyte uptake, thermal stability, and lithium-ion conductivity, etc. However, poor mechanical performance has largely limited the application of electrospun PAN separators. In this study, PAN/polyimide (PI) composite membrane is prepared by electrostatic spinning to improve the mechanical and electrochemical performances. Scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis method, and electrochemical methods were used for evaluation of the electrospun composite membrane. The results show that the composite membrane possesses good thermal stability and exhibits better mechanical performance than pristine PAN membrane (increasing by 1.1 times in tension strength). The addition of PI can increase porosity and fluid absorption rate obviously. In addition, the composite membrane has high ionic conductivity (18.77 × 10−4 S/cm), wide electrochemical window (about 4.0 V), and excellent cycling performance. It can retain a discharge specific capacity of 153 mA h/g even after 50 cycles at 0.5 C. The electrospun PAN/PI membrane may be a promising candidate for lithium-ion battery separators.

In this paper, we review the status of the multifunctional experimental platform at the National Laboratory of High Power Laser and Physics (NLHPLP). The platform, including the SG-II laser facility, SG-II 9th beam, SG-II upgrade (SG-II UP) facility, and SG-II 5 PW facility, is operational and available for interested scientists studying inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and a broad range of high-energy-density physics. These facilities can provide important experimental capabilities by combining different pulse widths of nanosecond, picosecond, and femtosecond scales. In addition, the SG-II UP facility, consisting of a single petawatt system and an eight-beam nanosecond system, is introduced including several laser technologies that have been developed to ensure the performance of the facility. Recent developments of the SG-II 5 PW facility are also presented.

Two phases of diabase-sill-forming magmatism are recorded within the Badu anticline where magmas were emplaced into upper Palaeozoic carbonates and clastic rocks of the Youjiang fold-and-thrust belt in the SW South China Block, China. Zircons from these diabase units yield weighted mean U–Pb ages of 249.2±2.0 Ma and 187.1±3.3 Ma, and magmatic oxygen fugacity values from ‒20 to ‒6 (average of ‒12, equating to FMQ +5) and ‒20 to ‒10 (average of ‒15, equating to FMQ +2), respectively. These data indicate that the sills were emplaced during Early Triassic and Early Jurassic times. The discovery of c. 250 Ma mafic magmatism in this area was probably related to post-flood-basalt extension associated with the Emeishan mantle plume or rollback of the subducting Palaeo-Tethys slab. The c. 190 Ma diabase sills indicate that the southwestern South China Block records Early Jurassic mafic magmatism and lithospheric extension that was likely associated with a transition from post-collisional to within-plate tectonic regimes. The emplacement of diabase intrusions at depth may have driven hydrothermal systems, enabling the mobilization of elements from sedimentary rocks and causing the formation of a giant epigenetic metallogenic domain. The results indicate that high-oxygen-fugacity materials within basement rocks caused crustal contamination of the magmas, contributing to the wide range of oxygen fugacity conditions recorded by the Au-bearing Badu diabase. In addition, data from inherited xenocrystic zircons within the Badu diabase and detrital zircons from basement rocks suggest that the Neoproterozoic Jiangshao suture extends to the south of the Badu anticline.

Two transmission curved crystal spectrometers are designed to measure the hard x-ray emission in the laser fusion experiment of Compton radiography of implosion target on ShenGuang-III laser facility in China. Cylindrically curved ${\it\alpha}$-quartz (10–11) crystals with curvature radii of 150 and 300 mm are used to cover spectral ranges of 10–56 and 17–100 keV, respectively. The distance between the crystal and the x-ray source can be changed over a broad distance from 200 to 1500 mm. The optical design, including the integral reflectivity of the curved crystal, the sensitivity, and the spectral resolution of the spectrometers, is discussed. We also provide mechanic design details and experimental results using a Mo anode x-ray source. High-quality spectra were obtained. We confirmed that the spectral resolution can be improved by increasing the working distance, which is the distance between the recording medium and the Rowland circle.

A magnetoelectric theoretical model combing piezoelectric and piezomagnetic parts about the longitudinal vibration was proposed for the laminate composite based on equivalent circuit. The model shows that the magnetoelectric voltage is relative to the thickness ratio, total thickness, frequency and loss. A simple laminate magnetoelectric composite was prepared by bonding a nickel plate and a multilayer piezoelectric vibrator together for the experimental research. The multilayer vibrator enjoys high capacitance, large effective area and low thickness, leading to a high magnetic field sensitivity of 1 mOe at the magnetoelectric field coefficient of 2.58 V/cmOe in the simple composite with nickel thickness of 0.2 mm. The model fits the resonance frequency well with the experimental results. Numerical calculation well predicates the magnetoelectric experimental behaviors, presenting a magnetoelectric maximum at about the thickness ratio 0.3 between the nickel plate and multilayer vibrators. This approach provides a method for the magnetoelectric application.

Following the progress of Chinese deep space exploration step, since 2006 we started a Mars mission, Yinghuo-1, by join in the Phobos-Grunt mission of Russia. A satellite bus platform and onboard payloads as well as an innovative open-loop radio tracking system have been developed by mission team. Also, together with Russian and German colleagues, we developed a kind of in-beam tracking method for measuring the rotation and nutation of Phobos, and developed the 1st Phobos global gravity field for the mission. We are promoting the Chinese new mission for Mars exploration. Although the joint YH-1 & Phobos-Grunt mission failed, the new techniques and knowledge developed by mission teams may benifit the future missions. In fact, the open-loop technique have been applied into lunar and other planetary missions, and the method in developing Phobos global gravity field will be used in the study of Rosetta mission and future Chinese mission for small body.

Domestic yak (Bos grunniens) metallothionein-I (MT-I) and metallothionein-III (MT-III) cDNA 3′-end full-length sequences (331 and 378 bp; GenBank accession MT-I no. AY758557, MT-III no. DQ492300) from the total RNA of liver and brain tissues were amplified and cloned by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and 3′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) using the primers YMT-I SP and M13 primers M4, and YMT-III SP and M13 primers M4, respectively, which included the MT-I (183 bp) coding sequence, MT-III (207 bp) cDNA coding sequences, and also the tailing signal AATAAA and Poly(A) at the 3′-ends of the MT-I and MT-III, respectively. The analyses showed that the yak cDNA sequence coding for MT-I protein was composed of 61 amino acids, including 20 cysteines having a conserved tripeptide structure, for example C–X–C, C–C–X–C–C, C–X–X–C and so on. The yak cDNA sequence coding for MT-III protein was composed of 68 amino acids, including 19 cysteines having both MT-III-specific conserved tripeptides and the same conserved tripeptides as MT-I, including T, CPCP, GEGAEA and so on. They were all comparatively conservative in molecular evolution. These structures indicated that MT-III had the same physiological functions regarding heavy metals (detoxification and so on) as MT-I, and also different specific functions from MT-I, including inhibition of neuron growth.

Primers bearing restriction enzyme sites for EcoR I and Hind III were designed according to the known partial cDNA sequence for gibberellin-induced cysteine-rich protein and were then used to amplify the full-length open reading frame (ORF) and signal peptide-truncated fragment of the gcgasa gene. Two fragments with lengths 319 and 238 bp were obtained and were further cloned into plasmid pET-32(a). Following transformation into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), the fusion proteins were observed to appear at ~26.0 and 25.2 kDa after induction from 1 mmol/l isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyronoside (IPTG). The results of sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of an ultra-thin section revealed that the presence of signal peptide gave rise to the formation of an inclusion body located in the periplasmic space; however, the absence of signal peptide greatly enhanced the solubility of the target protein. The expressed soluble protein was further purified by Ni2+-NTA affinity chromatography and gel filtration methods.

The F1 hybrid offspring of the distant hybridization between Cichlasoma trimaculatum (male) and Heros managuense (female) were successfully obtained through artificial fertilization, and the chromosome specimen of kidney cells of the two parents and their offspring were prepared using a low colchicine concentration air drying method, Howell and Black's (1980) silver–nucleolar organizer region (Ag–NOR) staining method and Sumner's (1972) C-band staining method. The karyotypes, Ag–NORs and C-bands of C. trimaculatum, H. managuense and their offspring were observed. The results showed that the diploid numbers of the two parents and the F1 hybrid offspring were all 2n=48. For C. trimaculatum, the karyotype formula was 2n=2m+8sm+26st+12t, NF=58. Two Ag–NORs were seen on the tips of the short arm of chromosome st7, and the entire chromosomes of st9 and st13 and the centromeres of the other chromosomes had positive C-bands. For H. managuense, the karyotype formula was 2n=2m+6sm+28st+12t, NF=56. Two Ag–NORs were located on the tips of the short arm of chromosome sm2 and positive C-bands were found in the centromere of all chromosomes. In the F1 hybrid offspring, the chromosome formula was 2n=2m+8sm+30st+8t, NF=58. Two Ag–NORs were seen on the tips of the short arm of chromosome sm2; all chromosomes presented positive C-bands in the centromere. No heteromorphic sex chromosome was found. After comparison with the two parents, the F1 hybrid offspring was suggested to be the filial generation of the two hybrid parents rather than the gynogenesis of H. managuense induced by heterogeneous sperm of C. trimaculatum.

A recent report on the “room temperature superplasticity” in the Zr64.13Cu15.75Ni10.12Al10 bulk metallic glass [Y.H. Liu et al., Science315, 1385 (2007)] was ascribed to the distinctive micrometer-sized structural heterogeneity. To verify the microstructure in this alloy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and anomalous small-angle x-ray scattering experiments were conducted. The results show that no micrometer-sized or nanometer-sized structural heterogeneities can be found. The micrometer-sized dark and bright regions that were previously reported as the reason for the plasticity are artifacts caused by TEM specimen preparation, rather than the intrinsic structure feature of this alloy. This finding is important for further studying the unique properties of this alloy.

A parent strain of Aspergillus niger LW-1 producing β-mannanase, preserved in our laboratory, was isolated. A strain, N-9, was screened out and further treated with vacuum microwave irradiation and ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS). A mutant strain, E-30, producing a high and stable yield of β-mannanase was obtained through screening by solid-state cultivation on the basic fermentation medium and several generations of bevel subculture. Its enzyme activity (36 675 U/g) was increased by 2.15 times compared to that of A. niger LW-1 (17 048 U/g). The production of high-yield β-mannanase by E-30 remained stable when maintained at 4°C for 2 months.