Moreover, all bonds between boron and nitrogen in B9N9 molecule are single one. Study bonding characters for C6, C12, C16, and C20 molecules have confirmed that carbon-carbon bonds of cyclo[n]carbon changed gradually from double bonds to alternating single and triple bonds with increasing n value. The data from theory would give help for future research on C18 and B9N9 molecules in experiment. Graphical abstract Theoretical investigation for bond and spectra characters of cyclo[18]carbon (C18), prepared with low-temperature STM-AFM (scanning tunneling microscopy-atomic force microscopy) from C24O6, C22O4, and C20O2 molecules, which have been confirmed being alternating single and triple bonds structure.Forest landscape change is affected by a complex mix of multiple interacting factors, including the biophysical environment, socioeconomic activities, cultural contexts, and forest management. Here, we investigated the temporal and spatial changes in forested land in Sichuan, China, using forest resource inventory data from 1980 to 2015. The factors that drove forest landscape conversion included environmental and socioeconomic characteristics, and forest operations. We also used spatial techniques to allow for neighborhood effects from forest land use activities in neighboring areas. We found that forest landscapes were very dynamic, with high change and high turnover in forest type and cover, but with an overall net gain. Spatial regression models showed strong neighborhood effects. Forest operations such as afforestation and protected areas had positive effects on forest gain. Meanwhile, forest land use changes resulting from forest programs (in Sichuan, mainly the Grain to Green Program and Natural Forest Conservation Program) were the major driving factors for increasing forest areas and improving forest conditions, tempered by local conditions of topography, climate, demography, and economy. The effective implementation of sustainable forest management strategy and policy can increase forest quality and quantity and maintain ecological function.The cosmopolitan entomopathogenic and root endophytic fungus Metarhizium robertsii has a versatile lifestyle and during liquid fermentation undergoes a dimorphic transformation from hyphae to conidia or microsclerotia, or from hyphae to blastospores. In all cases, these processes are mediated by environmental and nutritional cues. Blastospores could be used in spray applications to control arthropod pests above ground and may serve as an attractive alternative to the traditional solid-grown aerial conidial spores of Metarhizium spp. found in commercial products. PX-478 Nitrogen is a vital nutrient in cell metabolism and growth; however, it is the expensive component in liquid cultures of entomopathogenic fungi. Our goals in this study were to optimize nitrogen sources and titers for maximum production of M. robertsii blastospores cultured in shake flasks at highly aerated conditions and to further determine their virulence against the corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis, an important vector of serious pathogens in maize crops worldwide. Our fermentation studies revealed that the low-cost corn steep liquor (CSL) was the most suitable nitrogen source to improve blastospore growth in M. robertsii. The growth kinetic assays determined the optimal titer of 80 g L-1 and a yield up to 4.7 × 108 cells mL-1 within 5 days of cultivation (3 days preculture and 2 days culture), at a total cost of US$0.30 L-1. Moreover, the blastospore growth kinetic was strongly dependent on glucose and nitrogen consumptions accompanied by a slight drop in the culture pH. Insect bioassays evidenced a high virulence of these blastospores, either as dried or fresh cells, to D. maidis adults fed on maize plants. Our findings provide insights into the nutritional requirements for optimal and cost-efficient production of M. robertsii blastospores and elucidate the potential of blastospores as an ecofriendly tool against the corn leafhopper.The choice of the right treatment regimen for recurrent ovarian cancer (rOC) remains a case-by-case decision. It is based on multiple factors that involve patient characteristics and biological factors at the same time. The prioritization of factors is still subject to changes with a trend towards a more personalized medicine. Therefore, participation and engagement in clinical studies constitutes a substantial need for the future development of the treatment algorithm of rOC.PURPOSE We aimed to investigate whether the angle created by the most lateral portion of the lower ureter is responsible for the difficulty in ureteral access sheath insertion. METHODS All male patients scheduled to undergo flexible ureteroscopy were enrolled. Patients with ureteral stricture in any course of the ureter and patients with problems at the ureteral opening were excluded. We set the coordinates of the most lateral portion of the lower ureter as M (x, y, z) using computed tomography. The bladder outlet was marked as the zero point O (0, 0, 0). The vector that passed through the urethra and point O was expressed as Vuo (0, 0, – u). The vector that passed through points O and M was expressed as Vom (x, y, z). Thus, an angle (90° – α) could be calculated between Vuo and Vom using the rotation angle formula. RESULTS A total of 671 male patients were enrolled, among whom the ureteral access sheath could not pass through the most lateral portion of the lower ureter in 14 patients. The mean values of the α angle were 38.56° and 48.48° in the patient and control groups, respectively, compared with the 42 age- and sex-matched control subjects (p  less then  0.001). CONCLUSION The ureteral angle determined by the level of the bladder outlet and the most lateral portion of the lower ureter could be a causative factor for the failure of ureteral access sheath insertion.Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs) are increasingly recognized entities, whose incidence has dramatically grown during the last two decades. Surgery plays a pivotal role in their management as it represents the only chance of cure. Since PanNENs display a wide range of aggressiveness, their surgical management needs to be tailored on tumor’s and patient’s characteristics. Currently, there are several open questions and burning issues in the field of PanNEN, such as the management of asymptomatic nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PanNET) ≤ 2 cm. An active surveillance of these small lesions has been demonstrated to be safe although the available evidences are only based on retrospective studies. On the other hand, formal pancreatic resection associated with lymphadenectomy represents the gold standard for patients with localized NF-PanNEN > 2 cm or NF-PanNEN ≤ 2 cm in the presence of symptoms, dilation of the main pancreatic duct or suspicion of nodal metastases. Surgery plays also an important role in the setting of metastatic disease.