Ultrastructure and Spectral Characteristics of the Compound Eye of (Baly, 1881) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae).

In this study, the morphology and ultrastructure of the compound eye of were examined by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), micro-computed tomography (μCT), and 3D reconstruction. Spectral sensitivity was investigated by electroretinogram (ERG) tests and phototropism experiments. The compound eye of is of the apposition type, consisting of 611.

Genome-scale approach to reconstructing the phylogenetic tree of psyllids (superfamily Psylloidea) with account of systematic bias.

Psyllids (class Insecta: order Hemiptera: superfamily Psylloidea) are a taxonomically and phylogenetically challenging clade. Recent studies have largely advanced the phylogeny of this group, yet the family-level relationships among Aphalaridae, Carsidaridae, and others remain unresolved. Genome-scale phylogenetic analysis is known to provide a finer resolution for problems like that.

The fecal shield is a double-edged sword for larvae of a leaf beetle.

Larvae of some leaf beetles carry masses of feces covering parts or all of the body, which is called a "fecal shield". In general, the shield is thought to be a defense structure against natural enemies. However, some studies have suggested that defense effectiveness varies depending on the natural enemy.

Revisiting renewable energy and economic growth-Does trade openness a matter?

A significant obstacle to the scaling of renewable energy is the concern that increased consumption of renewable energy could have a negative impact on economic growth, due to the higher cost of renewable energy compared to fossil energy. To examine how exactly renewable energy consumption impacts economic growth, this study uses a non-linear panel threshold model with trade openness, financial development, and per capita income as threshold variables, to analyze the long-term non-linear relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in 28 European Union countries from 2007 to 2017. The results show that (i) renewable energy consumption has significant threshold effect on economic growth.

Identification of novel paralytic shellfish toxin binding protein via homology modeling and molecular docking.

A paralytic shellfish toxin binding protein (PST-BP) was extracted and purified from the viscera of oyster (Crassostrea hongkongensis) that accumulates paralytic shellfish toxin (PST), and the amino acid sequence of the protein was detected via HPLC-MS-MS. The structure of the PST-BP was built by homology modeling, and the interaction between PST and PST-BP was studied using molecular docking. The results showed that the purity of PST-BP was more than 99.

Technological innovation and renewable energy consumption: a middle path for trading off financial risk and carbon emissions.

Global carbon dioxide emissions are on an upward trend, but there have been declines in carbon emissions during financial crises. The possible negative correlation between financial risks and carbon emissions will cause policy makers to face a dilemma when formulating carbon neutral policies. Therefore, it is crucial to find a middle path that can control financial risks while addressing carbon emission reduction, which can help achieve the dual goals of stable economic development and environmental protection.

Improving the Rice Photosynthetic Efficiency and Yield by Editing via CRISPR/Cas9 System.

Rice ( L.) is an important food crop species in China. Cultivating high-yielding rice varieties that have a high photosynthetic efficiency is an important goal of rice breeding in China.

Does financial development promote renewable energy? Evidence of G20 economies.

This paper constructs a fixed-effect model and a panel threshold model to investigate the linear and non-linear impacts of financial development on renewable energy in a STIRPAT framework by using the panel data set of the G20 countries from 2005 to 2018 and further explores the threshold effect of the population (urbanization), affluence (GDP per capita), and technology (R&D) in non-linear models. Key empirical results indicate the following: first, there are no significant linear relationships between financial development and renewable energy consumption. Second, financial development does have significant non-linear impacts on renewable energy consumption, only when population, affluence, and technology are above a certain level (threshold value) can financial development significantly increase renewable energy consumption, otherwise it will have a negative effect.

Effect of carboxymethyl chitosan on the detoxification and biotransformation of paralytic shellfish toxins in oyster Ostrea rivularis.

Economic bivalve ingested toxic algae causes frequent human poisoning events. To explore new compounds that can accelerate the depuration of toxins in shellfish, we investigated the detoxification of the paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and the biotransformation pathway of PSTs during detoxification by the application of three treatments to a toxic bloom, Alexandrium minutum (A. minutum).