Search

The implementation of Personal Carbon Trading (PCT) holds promise in facilitating a noteworthy contribution towards the attainment of emissions reduction predicated on consumption patterns and consequently motivating lifestyle modifications. As individual consumption behaviors usually lead to continuous changes in carbon emissions, it is crucial to rethink PCT from a systematic perspective. This review employed a bibliometric analysis of 1423 papers related to PCT, highlighting the key themes of carbon emissions from energy consumption, climate change, and public opinion on policies in the context of PCT. Most of the existing PCT researches focus on theoretical assumptions and public attitudes, while the quantification of carbon emissions and simulation of PCT require further investigation. Furthermore, the concept of Tan Pu Hui is seldom addressed in PCT studies and case analyses. Moreover, there are limited PCT schemes worldwide that can be directly implemented in practice, leading to a scarcity of large-scale, high-participation case studies. To address these gaps, this review proposes a framework to clarify how PCT can stimulate individual emission reductions on the consumption side, comprising two phases, from motivation to behavior and behavior to target. Future endeavors should prioritize the enhancement of the systematic study of the theoretical foundation of PCT, encompassing carbon emissions accounting and policy design, the incorporation of cutting-edge technology, and the reinforcement of integrated policy practice. This review serves as a valuable reference for future research endeavors and policymaking efforts., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: Unlike noble metals, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) behavior on Ti is more complicated due to its spontaneously formed oxide film. This film results in sluggish ORR kinetics and tends to be reduced within ORR potential region, causing the weak and multi-reaction coupled current. Though Ti is being used in chemical and biological fields, its ORR research is still underexplored., Experiments: We innovatively employed the modified reactive tip generation-substrate collection (RTG/SC) mode of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) with high efficiency of 97.2 % to quantitatively study the effects of film characteristics, solution environment (pH, anion, dissolved oxygen), and applied potential on the ORR activity and selectivity of Ti. Then, density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) analyses were employed to elucidate its ORR behavior., Findings: On highly reduced Ti, film properties dominate ORR behavior with promoted 4e - selectivity. Rapid film regeneration in alkaline/O 2 -saturated conditions inhibits ORR activity. Besides, ORR is sensitive to anion species in neutral solutions while showing enhanced 4e - reduction in alkaline media. All the improved 4e - selectivities originate from the hydrogen bond/electrostatic stabilization effect, while the decayed ORR activity by Cl - arises from the suppressed O 2 adsorption. This work provides theoretical support and possible guidance for ORR research on oxide-covered metals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is one of the important pathogens that cause calf diarrhea (CD), winter dysentery (WD), and the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC), and spreads worldwide. An infection of BCoV in cattle can lead to death of young animals, stunted growth, reduced milk production, and milk quality, thus bringing serious economic losses to the bovine industry. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent and control the spread of BCoV. Here, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence of BCoV in cattle in China before 2022. A total of 57 articles regarding the prevalence of BCoV in cattle in China were collected from five databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, VIP, and Wan Fang). Based on the inclusion criteria, a total of 15,838 samples were included, and 6,136 were positive cases. The overall prevalence of BCoV was 30.8%, with the highest prevalence rate (60.5%) identified in South China and the lowest prevalence (15.6%) identified in Central China. We also analyzed other subgroup information, included sampling years, sample sources, detection methods, breeding methods, age, type of cattle, presence of diarrhea, and geographic and climatic factors. The results indicated that BCoV was widely prevalent in China. Among all subgroups, the sample sources, detection methods, breeding methods, and presence or absence of diarrheal might be potential risk factors responsible for BCoV prevalence. It is recommended to strengthen the detection of BCoV in cattle, in order to effectively control the spread of BCoV., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aquatic environment, linked to the sustainable development of human existence and ecological environment, is influenced comprehensively by anthropogenic and natural activities. In light of the continuously low concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in surface water in plain river networks and the phenomenon of delay in the improvement of surface water quality, this research aims to introduce a method that may be utilized in identifying the critical driving forces of DO in surface water and their lagging characteristics, which will contribute to the assessment and adjustment of water quality drivers and/or policies. The research analyzes a typical small watershed in a river network region of the Yangtze River Delta plain as the study area, collecting 35-year (1986-2020) data on several water quality parameters, decades of anthropogenic activities, and two natural factors. The time series methods of vector autoregressive model, Granger causality tests, forecast error variance decompositions, and impulse response functions (hereinafter referred to as VAR+), which are rarely applied in related research, were employed in this study and proved helpful for screening out pivotal drivers and capturing the lagging responses of DO level to driving forces at each lagged time. Results show that there exists a fluctuating drop in DO level in surface water from 1986 to 2008 and a steady climb from 2008 to 2020, with the lowest DO level being present in 2008. The impulsive perturbations of phosphate fertilizer consumption (PFC), motor vessel number, and precipitation minimally increase DO concentration, while the impulsive perturbation of gross domestic product (GDP) causes the sharpest drop in DO level. With these perturbations, the driving force of PFC persists for approximately seven years, and the driving forces of water temperature, permanent population, and GDP persist for only five years. Future research could be conducted with spatial hysteresis, selection of lag order and variable quantity within the model, as well as intermediate variables between drivers and DO level for exploring driving pathways and mechanisms., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular parasites which lack mitochondria and have highly reduced genomes. Therefore, they are unable to produce ATP via the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. Instead, they have evolved strategies to obtain and manipulate host metabolism to acquire nutrients. However, little is known about how microsporidia modulate host energy metabolisms. Here, we present the first targeted metabolomics study to investigate changes in host energy metabolism as a result of infection by a microsporidian. Metabolites of silkworm embryo cell (BmE) were measured 48 h post infection by Nosema bombycis. Thirty metabolites were detected, nine of which were upregulated and mainly involved in glycolysis (glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate) and the TCA cycle (succinate, α-ketoglutarate, cis-aconitate, isocitrate, citrate, fumarate). Pathway enrichment analysis suggested that the upregulated metabolites could promote the synthesization of nucleotides, fatty acids, and amino acids by the host. ATP concentration in host cells, however, was not significantly changed by the infection. This ATP homeostasis was also found in Encephalitozoon hellem infected mouse macrophage RAW264.7, human monocytic leukemia THP-1, human embryonic kidney 293, and human foreskin fibroblast cells. These findings suggest that microsporidia have evolved strategies to maintain levels of ATP in the host while stimulating metabolic pathways to provide additional nutrients for the parasite., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cryptosporidiosis is an important zoonosis caused by Cryptosporidium. This disease causes a global public health problem. The cat is considered to be one of the potential hosts for transmitting Cryptosporidium to humans. In this study, a global meta-analysis for Cryptosporidium infection in cats was performed. The articles related to Cryptosporidium infection in cats were systematically searched in databases China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang data, VIP Chinese Journal Database, PubMed, and ScienceDirect. Finally, 92 articles published from 1988 to 2021, which met the criteria of systematic review and meta-analysis, were collected. During the selected period, the overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium among cats was identified to be 6.0%. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium detected by microscopy, coproantigens, and molecular biology methods were 4.2%, 8.2%, and 5.0%, respectively. Among 9 species/genotypes (C. felis, C. parvum, C. muris, Cryptosporidium rat genotype IV, C. baileyi, C. ryanae, C. hominis, Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype III and most closely related to Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype III), the prevalence of C. parvum (4.2%) was significantly higher than that of other species/genotypes. Among five continents, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Africa (30.5%) was significantly higher than in other continents. We also analyzed the effects of different geographical factors (longitude, latitude, altitude, mean temperature, precipitation, and humidity) on Cryptosporidium infection among cats. The results showed that cryptosporidiosis was common in cats all over the world. This systematic review and meta-analysis has systematically introduced the global epidemiology of Cryptosporidium in cats and correlated risk factors. Health authorities, doctors, veterinarians and cat owners' awareness of the prevalence, risk factors and complications of Cryptosporidium are important for the development of effective prevention strategies for cryptosporidiosis., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are typical industrial additives widely applied in various industrial and household products, but they may pollute drinking water. In the present study, the occurrence of OPEs in drinking water was analyzed. For this purpose, 25 drinking water samples were collected from households in 25 cities in China. The concentrations of OPEs were accurately determined according to a high-throughput organic analysis testing combined with high-volume solid phase extraction (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE) technique. Through this technique, nine OPEs were detected, with spiked recoveries from 77% to 101%, and their total concentrations (ΣOPEs) ranging from 46.8 to 251 (average 126) ng L -1 . The detection frequencies of the selected OPEs determined via Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE were 88.0%-100%, which are much higher than those previously reported. The limit of detections of the OPEs was low at < 0.01 ng L -1 , which could be mainly attributed to the high volume of accumulated drinking water (>20 L). OPEs in drinking water presented a decreasing trend from cities in coastal provinces to inland cities of China. Redundancy analysis showed that the concentrations of OPEs in drinking water were significantly influenced by economic-demographic influencing factors. The non-carcinogenic and lifetime carcinogenic risks (non-CR and CR) of the analyzed OPEs in drinking water were negligible for urban residents in China., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Complement component 4 (C4) has critical immunological functions in vertebrates. In the current study, a C4 homolog (gcC4) was identified in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). The full-length 5458 bp gcC4 cDNA contained a 5148 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a protein of 1715 amino acids with a signal peptide and eight conservative domains. The gcC4 protein has a high level of identity with other fish C4 counterparts and is phylogenetically clustered with cyprinid fish C4. The gcC4 transcript shows wide tissue distribution and is inducible by Aeromonas hydrophila in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, its expression also fluctuates upon lipopolysaccharide or flagellin stimulation in vitro. During infection, the gcC4 protein level decreases or increases to varying degrees, and the intrahepatic C4 expression location changes. With gcC4 overexpression, interleukin 1 beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interferon transcripts are all upregulated by A. hydrophila infection. Meanwhile, overexpression of gcC4 reduces bacterial invasion or proliferation. Moreover, gcC4 may activate the NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings demonstrate the vital role of gcC4 in the innate immunity of grass carp., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular parasites and cannot be cultured in vitro, which limits the use of current genetic engineering technologies on this pathogen. We isolated sporoplasms of Nosema bombycis to attempt to culture the pathogen in vitro. Cell-free medium was designed and successfully maintained the sporoplasms for 5 days. The sporoplasms were able to absorb ATP from the medium and DNA replicated during cultivation, although there was not a significant change in morphology and number of sporoplasms. Our study provides a strategy for in vitro cultivation and genetic manipulation of microsporidia. ., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), a highly conserved protein family, is widely distributed in organisms and plays fundamental roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses. However, reports on Hsp70 genes are scarce in microsporidia, a very large group of obligate intracellular parasites that can infect nearly all animals, including humans. In this study, we identified 37 Hsp70 proteins from eight microsporidian genomes and classified them into four subfamilies (A-D). The number of Hsp70 genes in these microsporidia was significantly fewer than in Rozella allomycis and yeast. All microsporidian species contained genes from each subfamily and similar subcellular locations (mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, cytosol, and cytosol and/or nucleus), indicating that each Hsp70 member may fulfil distinct functions. The conserved structures and motifs of the Hsp70 proteins in the same subfamily were highly similar. Expression analysis indicated that the subfamily C cytosol (cyto)-associated Hsp70s is functional during microsporidia development. Immunofluorescence assays revealed that Cyto-NbHsp70 was cytoplasmically located in the proliferation-stage of Nosema bombycis. Cyto-NbHsp70 antiserum also labeled Encephalitozoon hellem within infected cells, suggesting that this antiserum is a potential molecular marker for labeling the proliferative phases of different microsporidian species. The propagation of N. bombycis was significantly inhibited following RNAi of Cyto-NbHsp70, indicating that Cyto-NbHsp70 is important for pathogen proliferation. Our phylogenetic data suggest that Hsp70 proteins evolved during microsporidia adaption to intracellular parasitism, and they play important roles in pathogen development., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Pasteurella multocida (PM) causes a varity of clinical manifestation in domestic animals, even acute death. Vaccination is among effective strategy to prevent and control PM-related diseases. Bacterial ghosts (BGs) are empty bacterial envelopes, which sustain subtle antigenic comformation in bacterial outer-membrane and exhibit higher efficacy compared to inactivated vaccines. Here, a BG vaccine generated from the porcine PM reference strain CVCC446 (serotype B:2) was prepared upon lysis by E protein of bacteriophage PhiX174, and the safety and immunogenicity were evaluated its in a mouse model. Lysis rate was in 99.99% and the BG vaccine was completely inactivated by addition of freeze-dry procedure. Mice were immunized subcutaneously twice in 2-week intervals with BGs, or BGs plus adjuvant, or formalin-inactivated PM or an adjuvant control. Mice inoculated twice with BGs vaccines generated higher titer of antibodies, interleukin 4 and gamma interferon than those in the inactivated vaccine group or adjuvant placebo group (P < 0.05). CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocyte levels in spleen were higher in both BG groups than inactivated vaccine group or adjuvant group. Mice administered with the BGs plus adjuvant were completely protected against intraperitoneal challenge with 10 × LD 50 dose of virulent isolate and exhibited decreased tissue lesion and lower bacterial loads, which was superior to the inactivated vaccine. The results demonstrated safety of the BG vaccine and primary immunogenicity in a mouse model, suggesting a potential of further evaluation in a pig model and vaccine candidate., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Porcine epidemic diarrhea results from infection with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). It is an acute and highly contagious enteric disease in swine characterized by watery diarrhea and vomiting. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to assess the prevalence of PEDV infection in pig populations from mainland China., Methods: We conducted a literature search on the prevalence of PEDV infection in pigs between Jan 1, 1988 and Aug 20, 2018 in English and Chinese databases, including PubMed, Google scholar, Cochrane library, Clinical Trials, VIP, CNKI and WanFang database. Selections were made based on the title and the abstract of paper, and duplicated literature was excluded along with other host studies, and data incomplete literature according to the exclusion criteria we formulated. Finally, we extracted the number of swine with PEDV infection from the obtained studies and provided information that permitted us to estimate the prevalence of PEDV infection in pigs in mainland China., Results: A total of 45 studies (including data from 15,990 pigs) met our evaluation criteria. In China, the overall estimated prevalence of PEDV infection in pigs was 44% (7113/15,990), while the estimated prevalence of PEDV infection in pigs from northern China was 37% (793/2136), lower than those in other regions of China. The prevalence of PEDV infection was associated with sampling season, category of pigs and clinical signs (diarrhea) in pigs. However, the prevalence of PEDV among pigs in China was not significantly associated with the effect of detected target genes, nor was it associated with date of study publication., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PEDV infection is common among pigs in China. It is therefore necessary to carry out further research and monitor the prevalence of PEDV infection. Furthermore, powerful and effective regulatory measures should be taken in order to prevent the transmission and spread of PEDV among pig populations., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microsporidia Nosema bombycis CQ1 can be vertically transmitted in silkworm Bombyx mori but Vairimorpha necatrix BM cannot. Therefore, the pathological differences in silkworm infected with these two microsporidia required clarification. Here, we compared the virulence of N. bombycis CQ1 and V. necatrix BM against silkworm. The pathological characteristics in intestine, testis and ovary were surveyed using paraffin sections, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Our data firstly showed that the virulence of V. necatrix BM was weaker than that of N. bombycis CQ1. Secondly, the typical symptom of V. necatrix BM infection is making xenomas, which are full of pathogens in different stages, at the posterior of intestine. However, no xenomas were formed surrounding intestines infected with N. bombycis CQ1. Thirdly, N. bombycis CQ1 can cluster spores near the trachea while infecting ovaries. It is worth noting that N. bombycis CQ1 infected epithelial cells and connective tissues of ovaries, while V. necatrix BM did not. Although silkworm ovaries can not be infected by V. necatrix BM in vivo, it can infect embryonic and ovarian cell lines in vitro. This study is the first report about comparing infection features of N. bombycis CQ1 and V. necatrix BM in silkworm tissues and it provided elaborate and visual information of pathological characteristics which can help to explain the different transmission strategies of these two microsporidia., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aeromonas hydrophila is the causative agent of bacterial septicemia that is frequently observed in grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus. In this study, we evaluated the biological parameters and immune enzymes in the liver of grass carp following A. hydrophila infection and quantified the alterations in liver histology using a semi-quantitative system. For the biological parameters, we found that the liver somatic index (LSI) was more sensitive than Fulton's condition factor (CF) and was significantly decreased at three days post-injection (DPI). At the immune enzyme level, the level of peroxidase (POD) in the liver significantly increased at 1 and 3 DPI. The activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) significantly increased at 3 DPI. Similarly, acid phosphatase (ACP) activity significantly increased at 1, 3, and 5 DPI. Histologically, the results indicated that the liver index at 3, 5, and 7 DPI was significantly higher than that of control groups. The regressive alterations as the highly variable reactions patterns and its index at 5 DPI was significantly higher than that of 1, 21 DPI, and the control groups. Based on our results, we suggest that grass carp resist A. hydrophila infection via an innate immune mechanism in the liver. The findings of this study will help elucidate the underlying mechanisms of resistance to A. hydrophila infection., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease-1 (MASP-1) gene is a crucial component of the lectin pathway in the complement and coagulation cascade. Although MASP-1 has been found in the immune system of teleosts, its immune functions in response to bacterial infection are unclear. In this study, we identified a MASP-1 homolog (gcMASP-1) in the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). The full-length 3308-bp gcMASP-1 cDNA includes a 2160-bp open reading frame encoding a protein composed of 719 amino acids with epidermal growth factor-like, complement control protein, and trypsin-like domains. gcMASP-1 shares a high similarity with MASP-1 counterparts in other species, and it is most closely related to Cyprinus carpio MASP-1 and Sinocyclocheilus anshuiensis MASP-1. Transcription of gcMASP-1 was widely distributed in different tissues and induced by Aeromonas hydrophila in vivo and in vitro. Expression of gcMASP-1 was also affected by lipopolysaccharide and flagellin stimulation in vitro. In cells over-expressing gcMASP-1, transcript levels of almost all components, except gcMBL and gcC5, were significantly enhanced, and gcIL1β, gcTNF-α, gcIFN, gcCD59, gcC5aR1, and gcITGβ-2 were significantly upregulated after exposure to A. hydrophila; gcMASP-1 interference downregulated the transcript levels after A. hydrophila challenge. In addition, gcMASP-1 activated NF-κB signaling. These findings indicate the vital role of gcMASP-1 in innate immunity in C. idella., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)