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The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis, YFP) is an endangered species endemic to the Yangtze River in China, and it is the only freshwater whale in the genus Neophocaena. In terms of protection, three effective conservation strategies exist: in situ conservation, ex situ conservation, and artificial breeding, all of which have been implemented by the Chinese government. Of these, ex situ conservation involves the relocation of Yangtze finless porpoises to semi-natural waters with less human interference, and artificial breeding involves the relocation of Yangtze finless porpoises to a controlled environment that is more strictly managed. To compare and analyze the responsive changes in gene expression of the YFPs between the ex situ and controlled environments, we performed the RNA sequencing of blood tissues from these YFPs. A total of 1201 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 423 were up-regulated in the ex situ population and 778 were up-regulated in the controlled-environment population. Gene enrichment analysis showed that 1201 DEGs between the ex situ and controlled-environment populations were generally enriched for vision-, digestion- and immune-system-related pathways. Further analysis revealed that several key immune system pathways, such as the chemokine signaling pathway and B cell receptor signal pathway, were activated in the ex situ population. In addition, the key pathways related to vision, including phototransduction and the inflammatory mediator regulation of TRP channels, as well as the pathways related to the digestive system, such as protein digestion and absorption and salivary secretion, were activated in the controlled-environment population. These results suggest that the ex situ populations may respond to complex environmental conditions in semi-natural waters by enhancing their immune function through the increased expression of immune-related genes and that the visual function and protein digestion of the YFPs were improved compared to those of the ex situ population based on the conditions of artificial feeding, such as the higher transparency of the water and regular feeding. This study provides clues for evaluating the adaptability of YFPs to different environments and is a useful reference for future ex situ conservation and artificial breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has the largest aquaculture eel production in the world. High-density cultivation pattern often results in an outbreak of epidemic diseases. Since the 1990s, eel "mucus sloughing and hemorrhagic septicemia disease" was often broke out in China, and brought huge economic losses to eel breeders. Anguillid herpesvirus 1 (AngHV) was detected and isolated from the diseased eel, and proved to be the pathogen of the disease. In this study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for rapid, sensitive, and specific detection of AngHV. A set of six primers targeting the ORF51 gene of AngHV was designed, which could effectively detect purified AngHV virions, AngHV-infected cells, or eel tissue samples. The suitable reaction temperature is 63℃, and the reaction time is 40 min. There was no cross-reaction with eel and other fish viruses, including Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), Marine birnavirus (MABV), Rana grylio virus (RGV), Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3), and Eel iridovirus (EIV). The lower detection limit of the AngHV LAMP assay is 10 copies of AngHV genome DNA, which is at least 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR in detecting AngHV. The assay could effectively detect AngHV from collected samples with typical clinical symptoms of AngHV infection. It suggested that the LAMP assay could be used in specific detection of AngHV and has great potential for early diagnosis of AngHV infection in the farm., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Although corporate social performance has become an important measure of firm performance, there is little understanding about how firms respond to social performance feedback and how impression management may function as an important firm response to the feedback. Building upon and extending the literature on the behavioral theory of the firm and the strategic use of language, we examine how discrepancies between firms' social performance and their aspiration levels affect how firms use visual expressions in their CSR reports. In addition, we argue that the relationship between social performance discrepancies and the use of visual expressions in CSR reports is moderated by the extent to which firms conduct socially responsible activities to enhance legitimacy (reflected in the level of state ownership) and the extent to which firms engage in social activities to improve financial performance (reflected in foreign exposure). Using a sample of Chinese firms issuing CSR reports from 2009 to 2017, our empirical results provide strong support for these arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural hybrids complement the richness of the visual art of Masjid Agung Sang Cipta Rasa in Cirebon. The influence of diversity can be seen in the mosque including having strong local cultural characteristics, coupled with the influence of foreign cultures such as Arabic, India, and China. This study aims to find hybrid culture crosses in elements of Masjid Agung Sang Cipta Cipta. The method used is the historical method. The historical method is the process of critically testing and analyzing records and relics of the past. This method consists of several stages, namely heuristics, criticism, interpretation, and historiography. The results of this study describe various forms of hybridity that have influenced the development of Masjid Agung Sang Cipta Rasa. The elements are considered to represent the period before Islam entered, or the influence of Hindu Buddhism, Chinese, Arab, Javanese, and European that coexist in Cirebon. The elements of visual arts in the mosque which are part of the hybrid cultural cross-identity among which are represented on the roof that gets influence (Javanese, Hindu-Buddhist, Arabic/Islamic); gate (Hindu-Buddhist); maksurah (Arabic); mihrab (Arabic, Chinese); pillars (Javanese, Arabic). This shows that the greatest influence on the building of Masjid Agung Sang Cipta Rasa, starting from the earliest development until several centuries later, is the influence of culture from outside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provision of skills to students for developing new ideas is important in design education. Success depends on the teaching method and the learning style of the students. Chinese students tend to refer to perceived standards, such as the use of typical and usual ideas in their creative thinking, which makes it difficult for them to generate new design ideas. By using an integrated technique, which consists of a customized assignment, visual learning platform and online virtual interactive display library, the process by which students in this study generate ideas has been explored. The need for aesthetic congruity in the elements of design ideas is an important factor that influences the Hong Kong Chinese students' generation of new design ideas. The application of an integrated technique was found to reduce the degree of aesthetic congruence and encourage students to explore ideas in more depth. Finally, insights on the idea generation of Hong Kong Chinese students are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Monitoring traps and control methods are needed for the long-legged chafer, Hoplia spectabilis Medvedev, which has recently reached outbreak numbers in pastureland of Qinghai Province, China. RESULTS: Field trapping experiments, using cross-pane funnel (barrier) traps, showed that H. spectabilis adults were not significantly attracted to branches of the host plant Dasiphora fructicosa (L.) Rydb. However, beetles were slightly attracted to similar host plant branches infested by conspecific beetles, possibly owing to weakly attractive volatiles, primarily ( Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, released from beetle-damaged host leaves. This compound was weakly attractive when released from traps. However, H. spectabilis beetles showed strong visual responses to yellow- or white-painted trap panes, with weaker responses to blue, red or green panes, and least response to black panes. Black traps at 0.2-1.5 m above ground intercepted significantly more beetles than traps at 2.5 m. The mean flight height based on trap catches was 0.88 m (SD = 0.76), yielding an effective flight layer of 1.9 m. Flight response of beetles to colored barrier traps occurred between 10:00 and 18:00, and peaked between 12:00-14:00, when daily temperatures reached their maximum. CONCLUSION: Unbaited yellow or white cross-pane funnel traps are recommended for both monitoring and mass-trapping programs against this economically and ecologically important scarab beetle. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bund ranks first in any introduction to Shanghai in contemporary guides as a “must see” place where one can go to discover the wonders of Shanghai and its now sanitized and non-controversial past. Current accounts usually point to the bizarre architectural heritage that the municipal government has lately chosen to turn into a tourist attraction for domestic and foreign consumption alike. The present paper intends to unveil a much more complex and multi-layered history. It relies on a large body of materials, especially visual sources, to document the transformation of an undistinguished space - a riverfront - into a central place of political, social and architectural juxtaposition. This exploration will start from the earliest visual records of the city, made by Chinese or Western residents and travelers and move into the late 1940s. This paper weaves different threads to highlight the various layers of discourse that “made the Bund” while at the same time blending textual and visual sources to illustrate its changing nature over time, from a commercial entrepot to a cityscape devoted to finance and leisure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Street peddlers were a common feature of city life in China well into the twentieth century. The presence of these small-scale, often single-good merchants can be traced back to earlier centuries. That they survived until after WWII reflects in part the state of economic development of China, where recent immigrants were prepared to take up the meanest, lowest-paid jobs to make a living. In Peking, thousands of peddlers roamed the streets, and more particularly, the hutongs where most of the population lived. They ceaselessly offered their goods and services to the residents, day and night. In order to attract customers and to entice them out of their walled houses and courtyards, peddlers uttered musical vocal phrases, sometimes in elaborate form, and more interestingly, they sometimes used musical instruments. In this paper I examine who they were, how they operated and what they represented to Peking's urban society. From this sketchy social portrait, I will move into a study of how the peddlers were represented in various settings of the pictorial records. Finally, I argue that peddlers were an integral part of a kind of street theater. This is not just a metaphor. Through their calls, songs, and music, peddlers created a constant flow of live entertainment in the street. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]