The potential risks of Bt rice on non-target arthropods (NTAs) should be evaluated and defined before commercial production. Recently, effects of Bt rice on NTAs under abiotic and biotic stress conditions attracted much attention. Here we reported the effects of Bt rice T1C-19 (Cry1C rice) on the non-target herbivore, Nilaparvata lugens (rice brown planthopper, BPH) with or without RDV (rice dwarf virus) infection conditions. BPH showed no feeding and oviposition preference between Bt rice T1C-19 and its non-Bt parental rice Minghui 63 (MH63), as well as between RDV-infected and RDV-free rice plants. Meanwhile, rice type, RDV infection status, and their interaction had little impacts on the survival, development and fecundity of BPH. By comparison with non-Bt control, Bt rice T1C-19 with or without RDV infection had no significant effects on the life-table parameters of BPH including rm, R0, T, DT and λ. Thus, it could be concluded that Bt rice T1C-19 doesn't affect the ecological fitness of BPH either under RDV stress or not.Aluminium (Al) toxicity limits crop productivity, particularly at low soil pH. Proline (Pro) plays a role in protecting plants against various abiotic stresses. Using the relatively Al-tolerant cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), we evaluated Pro metabolism in roots and shoots of two genotypes differing in Al tolerance, var. RioDeva (sensitive) and var. Beira (tolerant). Most enzyme activities and metabolites of Pro biosynthesis were analysed. Al induced increases in Pro levels in each genotype, but the mechanisms were different and were also different between roots and shoots. The Al-tolerant genotype accumulated highest Pro levels and this stronger increase was ascribed to simultaneous activation of the ornithine (Orn)-biosynthetic pathway and decrease in Pro oxidation. The Orn pathway was particularly enhanced in roots. Nitrate reductase (NR) activity, N levels, and N/C ratios demonstrate that N-metabolism is less inhibited in the Al-tolerant line. https://www.selleckchem.com/ The correlation between Pro changes and differences in Al-sensitivity between these two genotypes, supports a role for Pro in Al tolerance. Our results suggest that differential responses in Pro biosynthesis may be linked to N-availability. Understanding the role of Pro in differences between genotypes in stress responses, could be valuable in plant selection and breeding for Al resistance.Kinkarakawa-gami wallpapers are unique works of art produced in Japan between 1870 and 1905 and exported in European countries, although only few examples are nowadays present in Europe. So far, neither the wallpapers nor the composing materials have been characterised, limiting the effective conservation-restoration of these artefacts accounting also for the potential deteriogen effects of microorganisms populating them. In the present study, four Kinkarakawa-gami wallpapers were analysed combining physical-chemical and microbiological approaches to obtain information regarding the artefacts' manufacture, composition, dating, and their microbial community. The validity of these methodologies was verified through a fine in blind statistical analysis, which allowed to identify trends and similarities within these important artefacts. The evidence gathered indicated that these wallpapers were generated between 1885 and 1889, during the so-called industrial production period. A wide range of organic (proteinaceous binders, natural waxes, pigments, and vegetable lacquers) and inorganic (tin foil and pigments) substances were used for the artefacts' manufacture, contributing to their overall complexity, which also reflects on the identification of a heterogeneous microbiota, often found in Eastern environmental matrices. Nevertheless, whether microorganisms inhabiting these wallpapers determined a detrimental or protective effect is not fully elucidated yet, thus constituting an aspect worth to be explored to deepen the knowledge needed for the conservation of Kinkarakawa-gami over time.Mandibular tumors and radical oral cancer surgery often cause bone dysmorphia and defects. Most patients present with noticeable mandibular deformations, and doctors often have difficulty determining their exact mandibular morphology. In this study, a deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN) called CTGAN is proposed to complete 3D mandibular cone beam computed tomography data from CT data. After extensive training, CTGAN was tested on 6 mandibular tumor cases, resulting in 3D virtual mandibular completion. We found that CTGAN can generate mandibles with different levels and rich morphology, including positional and angular changes and local patterns. The completion results are shown as tomographic images combining generated and natural areas. The 3D generated mandibles have the anatomical morphology of the real mandibles and transition smoothly to the portions without disease, showing that CTGAN constructs mandibles with the expected patient characteristics and is suitable for mandibular morphological completion. The presented modeling principles can be applied to other areas for 3D morphological completion from medical images.Clinical trial registration This study is not a clinical trial. Patient data were only used for testing in a virtual environment. The use of the digital data used in this study was ethically approved.Healthy benthic substrates that induce coral larvae to settle are necessary for coral recovery. Yet, the biochemical cues required to induce coral settlement have not been identified for many taxa. Here we tested the ability of the crustose coralline alga (CCA) Porolithon onkodes to induce attachment and metamorphosis, collectively termed settlement, of larvae from 15 ecologically important coral species from the families Acroporidae, Merulinidae, Poritidae, and Diploastreidae. Live CCA fragments, ethanol extracts, and hot aqueous extracts of P. onkodes induced settlement (> 10%) for 11, 7, and 6 coral species, respectively. Live CCA fragments were the most effective inducer, achieving over 50% settlement for nine species. The strongest settlement responses were observed in Acropora spp.; the only non-acroporid species that settled over 50% were Diploastrea heliopora, Goniastrea retiformis, and Dipsastraea pallida. Larval settlement was reduced in treatments with chemical extracts compared with live CCA, although high settlement (> 50%) was reported for six acroporid species in response to ethanol extracts of CCA.