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Environmental friendliness and energy conservation are good guarantees and driving forces for the sustainable development. How to coordinate the relationship between the two is crucial for building a "resource saving" and "environmentally friendly" society. This article uses the data from Chinese cities from 2010 to 2021 to explore whether environmental protection tax (EPT) could reduce energy consumption. Baseline regression found that EPT significantly reduced China's energy consumption and achieved a "resource saving" society. The EPT shows obvious heterogeneity characteristics, significantly reducing energy consumption in the central and western regions and the two-controlled areas, while the policy effect on the eastern region and non two-controlled areas is not significant. In addition, EPT has effectively reduced China's energy consumption by enhancing investment in urban research and development innovation, optimizing industrial structure, and strengthening tax collection intensity. The conclusion is helpful in achieving the construction of an "environmentally friendly" society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a crucial element of management practices for green supply chains (GSC), cities’ GSC pilot policies have played a vital role in mitigating environmental risks, enhancing resource utilization efficiency, and fostering sustainable urban development. Using data from A-share listed companies between 2016 and 2020, this study employs a quasi-natural experiment to the implementation of a city’s GSC pilot policy to empirically investigate its influence on corporate green innovation. The findings indicate that (1) the city’s GSC pilots significantly enhance enterprises' performance in terms of green innovation; (2) the positive impact of the city GSC pilots on corporate green innovation stems from heightened regulatory pressure within urban areas and increased supply chain standards; (3) this positive impact is more significant in cities with environmental laws and companies with green investors; and (4) green innovation triggered by city GSC pilots can significantly improve environmental, social, governance (ESG), and economic performance. This study offers empirical evidence for enhancing enterprises' green innovation performance, while providing theoretical support and policy insights for strengthening government-led city GSC pilot systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Agronomic quality of digestate was improved by adding Agricultural Jiaosu (AJ). • Adding AJ reducing free ammonia of digestate helps to reduce the phytotoxicity. • The abundance of some agricultural beneficial genera was increased by adding AJ. • We revealed links between chemical, plant, and microbial indicators in digestate. Anaerobic digestate disposal is challenging, hampering the development of large-scale biogas projects. Currently, digestate is primarily stabilized naturally and subsequently applied to farmland. However, during this process, the number of beneficial microorganisms decreases, free ammonia nitrogen increases, and pH rises, decreasing the benefits of digestate to soil and plants. In this study, digestate was treated by adding agricultural Jiaosu (AJ). The agronomic quality of the digestate was explored by conducting a pot experiment. Subsequently, the mechanisms of the changes in digestate properties were investigated based on chemical and microbial parameters. The results showed that the digestate with a 10% AJ supplement significantly improved the plant characteristics such as plant height, fresh weight, and leaf area. Regarding chemical properties, the addition of 10% AJ decreased the total ammonia nitrogen and free ammonia nitrogen in the digestate to below the toxicity threshold. With respect to microorganisms, the addition of AJ improved the microbial diversity of the digestate and increased the relative abundances of Advenella , Trichococcus, and Comamonas spp., which are beneficial to both soil and plants. Moreover, AJ decreased the abundance of potentially threatening microorganisms such as Thiopseudomonas and Papillibacter spp. Collaborative analysis showed that the improvement in digestate agronomic quality was closely related to its effects on microorganisms. Based on these results, the present study suggests an approach to the post-treatment of anaerobic digestate that can improve its fertilizer value while reducing its phytotoxicity. Furthermore, this study provides a model for a more comprehensive evaluation of the agronomic quality of digestate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human filarial parasite Brugia malayi harbors an endosymbiotic bacterium of the genus Wolbachia. The Wolbachia represent an attractive target for the control of filarial induced disease as elimination of the bacteria affects molting, reproduction and survival of the worms. The molecular basis for the symbiotic relationship between Wolbachia and their filarial hosts has yet to be elucidated. To identify proteins involved in this process, we focused on the Wolbachia surface proteins (WSPs), which are known to be involved in bacteria-host interactions in other bacterial systems. Two WSP-like proteins (wBm0152 and wBm0432) were localized to various host tissues of the B. malayi female adult worms and are present in the excretory/secretory products of the worms. We provide evidence that both of these proteins bind specifically to B. malayi crude protein extracts and to individual filarial proteins to create functional complexes. The wBm0432 interacts with several key enzymes involved in the host glycolytic pathway, including aldolase and enolase. The wBm0152 interacts with the host cytoskeletal proteins actin and tubulin. We also show these interactions in vitro and have verified that wBm0432 and B. malayi aldolase, as well as wBm0152 and B. malayi actin, co-localize to the vacuole surrounding Wolbachia. We propose that both WSP protein complexes interact with each other via the aldolase-actin link and/or via the possible interaction between the host's enolase and the cytoskeleton, and play a role in Wolbachia distribution during worm growth and embryogenesis. Author Summary: The human filarial parasite Brugia malayi harbors a Wolbachia endosymbiotic bacterium that is required for normal reproduction and development. However, the molecular basis of how this essential endosymbiotic relationship is maintained is not understood. As a first step in trying to understand the molecular interactions that might be essential in this process, we focused on the Wolbachia surface proteins (WSPs), which are known to be involved in bacteria-host interactions in other systems. Our aim was to determine whether there are any functional interactions between some of these WSPs and the proteins produced by the host parasite cells. We found that two of the WSP family members specifically interact with proteins produced by the host. Wolbachia wBm0432 interacted with several key enzymes involved in the host glycolytic pathway, the primary energy-producing pathway in the cell. Wolbachia wBm0152 interacted with the host cytoskeleton. These findings suggest that WSP family proteins might play important roles in both optimization of the energy production pathway in B. malayi as well as in anchoring the endosymbiont to the host's cytoskeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-expansion ramp nozzle (SERN) has a compact structure and adaptability under off-design conditions, which is one of the nozzle configurations that the combined cycle engine gives priority to. Flow separation is likely to occur when the nozzle operates at low-pressure ratios. Subsonic regions, such as separation bubbles, recirculation zone, and boundary layer, also exist in the overexpanded flow field. At this point, the varying external flow field can affect the flow field inside the nozzle, which may lead to the transition of the flow separation pattern. The majority of relevant studies are conducted in a static environment because of experimental conditions limitations. This paper numerically simulates the transitions of separation patterns during the acceleration and deceleration processes of a short flap SERN. The separation transitions mechanism is analyzed, as well as the performance impact of the transitions. Current results show that the separation pattern transition happens during both the acceleration and deceleration processes, and free shock separation is a relatively stable state. The separation pattern transition occurs as a function of the external flow field, recirculation zone, boundary layer, and separation shock wave coupling. Compared with previous studies on the long flap SERN, the coupling mechanisms of the internal and external flow fields of the two nozzles were found to be different. The shock wave structure of the short flap SERN's flow field is stable during the transition processes, and the nozzle performance does not exhibit a step change. The hysteresis of the short flap SERN is also weaker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an important measure in the reform of state-owned enterprises to improve the efficiency of capital operation by introducing non-state-owned shareholders. This paper explores the impact of non-state shareholder governance on capital structure decision-making by using the data of 2008–2021 A-share state-owned listed companies from the perspective of the speed and deviation of capital structure adjustment. The results reveal that only non-state shareholding has no significant impact on the capital structure adjustment of a company. However, the appointment of senior management by non-state shareholders can speed up the capital structure adjustment and lower the degree of capital structure deviation. Moreover, when the capital structure goes down, the appointment of non-state-owned shareholders plays a larger role in accelerating the capital structure adjustment, which makes the deviation from the actual capital structure and the target capital structure smaller. Further research shows that the above relationship between non-state shareholder governance and the optimization and adjustment of the capital structure only exists in local SOEs and competitive SOEs. In addition, the path test found that non-state shareholder governance affects the dynamic adjustment of capital structure by reducing opportunism behavior of management rather than by financing constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The human filarial parasites cause diseases that are among the most important causes of morbidity in the developing world. The elimination programs targeting these infections rely on a limited number of drugs, making the identification of new chemotherapeutic agents a high priority. The study of these parasites has lagged due to the lack of reverse genetic methods. Methodology/Principal findings: We report a novel co-culture method that results in developmentally competent infective larvae of one of the human filarial parasites (Brugia malayi) and describe a method to efficiently transfect the larval stages of this parasite. We describe the production of constructs that result in integrative transfection using the piggyBac transposon system, and a selectable marker that can be used to identify transgenic parasites. We describe the production and use of dual reporter plasmids containing both a secreted luciferase selectable marker and fluorescent protein reporters that will be useful to study temporal and spatial patterns of gene expression. Conclusions/Significance: The methods and constructs reported here will permit the efficient production of integrated transgenic filarial parasite lines, allowing reverse genetic technologies to be applied to all life cycle stages of the parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cascadic sensing system was developed for detection of DNA target at ultralow concentration by a combination of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and exonuclease III (Exo III)-induced cascade two-stage isothermal amplification in the study. An ingeniously designed capture hairpin probe (CHP) that integrates target-binding and signal transduction sequences within one multifunctional design was assembled on MNPs. Upon sensing of the analyte nucleic acid, the hairpin probe on MNPs could be opened and stepwise removed by Exo III accompanied by the releasing of target DNA for the successive hybridization and cleavage process and the generation of bare signal transduction sequences of CHP as a new trigger for next circular reaction. The new DNA triggers initiate hybridizing with hairpin DNA probe that contains a partially "caged" G-quadruplex sequence (GHP), forming a duplex structure and liberating the active G-quadruplex structure. Then, Exo III digests the resulting duplex domain, leading to the recycling of new DNA trigger and simultaneously generating numerous ZnPPIX/G-quadruplex supramolecular complexes with the help of the zinc (II)-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX), as an optical label for amplified fluorescence sensing event. Finally, numerous liberated cascade ZnPPIX/G-quadruplex supramolecular complexes give a remarkable fluorescence response. Because of two-stage autocatalytic recycling amplification and the specifically catalyzed formation of ZnPPIX/G-quadruplex supramolecular complexes, this newly designed protocol provides a high sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.75 fM, can discriminate mismatched DNA from perfectly matched target DNA, and gives low matrix effect due to using MNPs as the separation and amplification elements in the real samples. Therefore, it holds great potential for early diagnosis in gene-related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Involvement of CD4+ helper T (Th) cells is crucial for CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated immunity. However, CD4+ Th’s signals that govern CTL survival and functional memory are still not completely understood. In this study, we assessed the role of CD4+ Th cells with acquired antigen-presenting machineries in determining CTL fates. We utilized an adoptive co-transfer into CD4+ T cell-sufficient or -deficient mice of OTI CTLs and OTII Th cells or Th cells with various gene deficiencies pre-stimulated in vitro by ovalbumin (OVA)-pulsed dendritic cell (DCova). CTL survival was kinetically assessed in these mice using FITC-anti-CD8 and PE-H-2Kb/OVA257-264 tetramer staining by flow cytometry. We show that by acting via endogenous CD40L and IL-2, and acquired peptide-MHC-I (pMHC-I) complex signaling, CD4+ Th cells enhance survival of transferred effector CTLs and their differentiation into the functional memory CTLs capable of protecting against highly-metastasizing tumor challenge. Moreover, RT-PCR, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis demonstrate that increased survival of CD4+ Th cell-helped CTLs is matched with enhanced Akt1/NF-κB activation, down-regulation of TRAIL, and altered expression profiles with up-regulation of prosurvival (Bcl-2) and down-regulation of proapoptotic (Bcl-10, Casp-3, Casp-4, Casp-7) molecules. Taken together, our results reveal a previously unexplored mechanistic role for CD4+ Th cells in programming CTL survival and memory recall responses. This knowledge could also aid in the development of efficient adoptive CTL cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]