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Abstract Fundamental principles of agency theory and incentive mechanisms suggest that executive compensation should align with a company’s developmental goals. This paper aims to explore whether the executive compensation of listed companies in the Chinese capital market aligns with their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices, and the underlying mechanisms of this influence. For the first time, this study integrates ESG practices with executive compensation, creating a novel analytical framework and filling a gap in the existing literature. Employing empirical research methods such as the PSM-DID (Propensity Score Matching – Difference-in-differences) model, fixed effects model, heterogeneity analysis, and tests for mediating effects, the study concludes that ESG practices of Chinese listed companies significantly increase executive compensation, demonstrating consistency between the two. Additionally, the beneficial impact of ESG practices on executive compensation incentives is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises compared to non-state-owned ones. Financial performance, company reputation, and investor relations partially mediate the relationship between a company’s ESG practices and executive compensation. Specifically, financial performance acts as a negative mediator, while company reputation and investor relations serve as positive mediators. Initially, participation in ESG practices tends to exacerbate ‘income inequality’ between executives and other employees. However, as companies continue to enhance their ESG practice levels, this ‘income inequality’ gradually diminishes. Finally, the paper offers several suggestions: Firstly, Chinese listed companies can attract and retain top executive talents by strengthening ESG practices. Although initial ESG practices may lead to pay imbalances, long-term involvement will help reduce this disparity. Secondly, investors can conduct a more comprehensive assessment of a company’s future performance, governance structure, and corporate social responsibility by analyzing how ESG practices are reflected in executive compensation. Lastly, the paper provides valuable insights for policymakers, suggesting that regulators should develop more targeted policies and guidelines based on the relationship between a company’s ESG practices and executive compensation.

Abstract Regulatory T cell (Treg) impairment is implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases, but relatively little is known about the therapeutic potential of Treg restoration. Here we present clinical evidence for the Treg-selective interleukin-2 receptor agonist rezpegaldesleukin (REZPEG) in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1b trials in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) (NCT04081350) or chronic plaque psoriasis (PsO) (NCT04119557). Key inclusion criteria for AD included an Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score ≥ 16 and a validated Investigator Global Assessment for Atopic Dermatitis (vIGA-AD) ≥ 3, and for PsO included a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score of ≥ 12 and a static Physician’s Global Assessment (sPGA) score of ≥ 3. REZPEG is safe and well-tolerated and demonstrates consistent pharmacokinetics in participants receiving subcutaneous doses of 10 to 12 µg/kg or 24 µg/kg once every 2 weeks for 12 weeks, meeting the primary and secondary objectives, respectively. AD patients receiving the higher dose demonstrate an 83% improvement in EASI score after 12 weeks of treatment. EASI improvement of ≥ 75% (EASI-75) and vIGA-AD responses are maintained for 36 weeks after treatment discontinuation in 71% and 80% of week 12 responders, respectively. These exploratory clinical improvements are accompanied by sustained increases in CD25bright Tregs. REZPEG thus represents a homeostatic approach to cutaneous disease therapy and holds clinical potential in providing long-term, treatment-free disease control.

Abstract ESG uncertainty refers to the discrepancies in ratings by multiple third-party ESG rating agencies, challenging investors in assessing a company’s true ESG status. This study integrates ESG rating data from six major Chinese agencies to construct an ESG Uncertainty Index. Using a PVAR model, it explores the bidirectional relationships among ESG uncertainty, investor attention, and stock price crash risk in the Chinese capital market. The findings reveal no direct causal relationship between ESG uncertainty and stock price crash risk. However, there is a bidirectional Granger causality between ESG uncertainty and investor attention, as well as between stock price crash risk and investor attention. This suggests that increased ESG uncertainty and stock price crash risk attract more investor attention, which in turn amplifies these issues. The study implies that investor attention mediates the relationship between ESG uncertainty and stock price crash risk, indirectly affecting the latter. These findings highlight the importance of enhancing information disclosure regarding ESG factors to improve market transparency and stability.

Abstract In the age of rapid technological advancement, the proliferation of digital technologies has reshaped urban landscapes, affecting economic, social, and environmental dynamics. Urban digital transformation is more than just a technological innovation; it stands at the core of future urban competitive strategies. As this trend evolves, the commercial circulation industry is poised for significant opportunities. However, the academic exploration into the relationship between the level of urban digitalization and the total factor productivity of the commercial circulation industry remains limited. To address this gap, this study employs data from 15 emerging first-tier cities in China. Initially, a Digital City Competitiveness Index was established, with results indicating Hangzhou taking the lead, while other cities were categorized into distinct tiers. Utilizing a two-way fixed-effects model, the research then investigates the impact of digital city competitiveness on the total factor productivity of the commercial circulation industry. The findings suggest that digital city competitiveness significantly enhances the total factor productivity within this industry. Furthermore, the study examines the influences of various sub-dimensions of digital city competitiveness on total factor productivity. Notably, investments in urban information infrastructure emerge as the most pronounced positive factor, followed by industrial development, innovation, services, and governance. In contrast, the urban ecosystem dimension exerts a negative impact. This research fills an existing void in the literature concerning the relationship between digital city competitiveness and total factor productivity, offering profound insights into the interplay between digital city development and its economic benefits. In addition, the conclusions provide policy implications for decision-makers, highlighting the importance of bolstering urban information infrastructure, encouraging enterprises to innovate, fostering industrial clusters, enhancing urban service capabilities through digital means, elevating public participation, and emphasizing environmental conservation.

Abstract Regulation of perovskite growth plays a critical role in the development of high-performance optoelectronic devices. However, judicious control of the grain growth for perovskite light emitting diodes is elusive due to its multiple requirements in terms of morphology, composition, and defect. Herein, we demonstrate a supramolecular dynamic coordination strategy to regulate perovskite crystallization. The combined use of crown ether and sodium trifluoroacetate can coordinate with A site and B site cations in ABX3 perovskite, respectively. The formation of supramolecular structure retard perovskite nucleation, while the transformation of supramolecular intermediate structure enables the release of components for slow perovskite growth. This judicious control enables a segmented growth, inducing the growth of insular nanocrystal consist of low-dimensional structure. Light emitting diode based on this perovskite film eventually brings a peak external quantum efficiency up to 23.9%, ranking among the highest efficiency achieved. The homogeneous nano-island structure also enables high-efficiency large area (1 cm2) device up to 21.6%, and a record high value of 13.6% for highly semi-transparent ones.

Amid heightened inter-company competition and the global drive towards ESG reforms, this study investigates whether enhancing the ESG performance of listed companies in China assists in elevating their reputation. It also examines the mediating role of investor attention in the relationship between ESG performance and company reputation, and further delves into whether there's a threshold effect of investor attention on the ESG-performance relationship. Utilizing sample data from Chinese listed companies spanning 2011 to 2021, and employing methods such as the panel two-way fixed-effects regression model, mediation effect testing, and threshold effect models, the study reveals that there is a significant positive relationship between ESG performance and the reputation of these companies. Moreover, a unique threshold effect is observed in the relationship between ESG performance and reputation. Innovatively, our research confirms the mediating role of investor attention in the relationship between ESG performance and company reputation, noting a more pronounced mediation effect in non-state-owned companies as opposed to state-owned ones. This study builds upon the existing literature on the relationship between CSR and company reputation, as well as between investor attention and reputation. By elucidating the mediating role of investor attention and its dual threshold effect, we provide a nuanced perspective on how ESG performance influences company reputation. Practically speaking, this research offers strategic recommendations for companies, investors, and regulators in the Chinese market on reputation management aligned with ESG principles. For instance, companies should prioritize their ESG performance, striving to maintain it above the market average, thus optimizing its effect on their reputation. Furthermore, companies should nurture their relationships with investors, aiming to elevate investor attention above the market mean. Policymakers should encourage companies to bolster their ESG performance, even contemplating more rewards and incentives for those with notable ESG achievements. Lastly, auditors should intensify their focus on non-financial information during audits, especially ensuring the accuracy and completeness of a company's ESG reports.

As a new preparation process of nanofibers, electrospinning technology developed by bionic spider spinning can further improve the molecular structure and mechanical properties of nanofibers, and obtain nanofibers and base membrane products with better mechanical properties. The spider spinning needs minimal energy consumption though it has a very long liquid transport tube. Because spider silk has high mechanical properties and wide industrial applications, so a kind of new biomimetic electrospinning technology which harnessed a very long spiral-needle was proposed. Then poly(lactic acid)PLA/graphite oxide(GO)/dopamine (DA) nanofiber membrane was fabricated by the new biomimetic electrospinning technology. The results showed that compared with the pure PLA nanofiber membranes, the average pore size of PLA/GO porous nanofiber membranes decreased, the total number of pores increased, and the fracture strength and elongation at break increased. At the same time, the spun nanofibers were also more uniform. The pore size distribution of nanofiber was more dense after adding DA, and the fracture strength and elongation at break of nanofiber increased, while the nanofiber was also more even. After adding DA, the fracture strength was greatly increased and the elongation at break was similar to that of pure PLA nanofiber. The nanofiber membrane was obtained after oxidative polymerization of DA into poly(dopamine) (PDA), a layer of nanofiber membrane was attached to the surface of nanofiber. The performance of PLA/GO/PDA nanofiber membranes prepared based on PLA/GO/DA nanofiber membranes was superior to that of PLA/GO/PDA nanofiber membranes prepared based on PLA/GO nanofiber membranes, and its adsorption rate after 24 h was as high as 98.81%.

In this study, polylactic acid/graphene oxide/Dopamine (PLA/GO/DA) porous nanofiber membrane was prepared by electrospinning. L _16 (4 ^3 ) orthogonal experiment was designed to investigate the effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, and DA concentration on the adsorption performance of DA oxidized and self-polymerized on the fiber. Based on the characterization of scanning electron microscopy and the determination of the adsorption performance of the fiber membrane to methylene blue (MB) dye, data visualization analysis, variance analysis, and F-test were conducted to determine the optimal process parameters: reaction temperature of 45 °C, reaction time of 30 h, and DA concentration of 2 mg ml ^−1 . PLA/GO/PDA(Polydopamine) nanofiber was prepared and characterized under the optimal process parameters. The results showed that the average diameter of the PDA-loaded nanofiber increased from 737 nm to 996 nm, and a layer of PDA with a thickness of about 129 nm was loaded on the outer surface of the fiber, making the contact angle of the fiber membrane with 0° and becoming a hydrophilic material. In adsorption performance testing of MB, the PLA/GO/PDA nanofiber membrane prepared based on the PLA/GO/DA fiber membrane with an adsorption rate of 98.81 % in 24 h was superior to the PLA/GO/PDA nanofiber membrane prepared based on the PLA/GO fiber membrane.

This study investigates the relationship between information asymmetry and cash holdings under the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. It likewise explores how state ownership dominates their nexus, particularly during the pandemic. COVID-19 caused increases in cash holdings, and that the information asymmetry’s effect on cash holdings is more pronounced over the COVID-19 period. Additionally, information asymmetry has a weaker effect on corporate cash holdings for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) under the pandemic. Overall, the study shows that state ownership moderates information asymmetry’s impact on cash holdings and softens firms’ precautionary motive for cash holdings during the pandemic.

We show that innovative activities exacerbate environmental degradation based on data covering 52 countries between 1990 and 2014. Yet, innovative activities carried out in countries with greater financial development pose less environmental harm. Additionally, we show the equity market is more effective concerning dampening effect of innovation on carbon emissions. With a dynamic panel threshold method, we find that innovation is significantly associated with improvements in environmental quality when the private sector credit and market capitalization of listed domestic companies exceed threshold levels of about 65 and 16% as a share of GDP respectively. We also look into the relationship between financial structure and the innovation-pollution nexus. We show that innovation promotes environmental quality in countries that have a relatively more equity-based financial system. Our empirical evidence calls for policymakers to identify the optimal level of finance to mitigate pollution resulting from innovative activities and realign the financial structure in accordance with the innovation-pollution nexus.

This article explores genres as recurrent acts of positioning that contribute to associating particular positions with the genre users as social actors. As an illustration, the study investigates the positioning of Chinese university presidents in their published opening convocation speeches. By combining rhetorical move analysis with the positioning triangle framework, this study demystifies three positions conventionally used by university presidents in the genre: guiding educator, morale builder, and university representative. These positions, legitimized by the role of the university president, establish specific types of social relations between the president and the students, which function as channels for the transmission of values, particularly collective values, to address relevant social expectations in Chinese society. This study suggests that the genre-based positioning analysis can offer valuable genre knowledge to novice practitioners, enabling them to familiarize themselves with adequate positionings that adhere to the code of conduct within a discourse community, thereby facilitating effective genre realization.

All-solid-state lithium-ion batteries that use sulfide solid electrolytes have attracted much attention due to their high safety and wide electrochemical window. In this study, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and 75Li2S-25P2S5 (mol%) glass were used as a model graphite negative electrode and a sulfide solid electrolyte, respectively. Interfacial lithium-ion transfer between 75Li2S-25P2S5 glass and the HOPG electrode was studied by AC impedance spectroscopy measurements. The activation energy of the interfacial lithium-ion transfer was estimated to be around 37 kJ mol−1, which was much smaller than that at the interface between organic liquid electrolytes and HOPG electrode, indicating that the lithium-ion transfer at the interface between 75Li2S-25P2S5 glass and HOPG electrode proceeded quite rapidly. Furthermore, surface deposition of TiO2 and surface oxidation on HOPG electrodes were performed using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. Interfacial lithium-ion transfer between 75Li2S-25P2S5 glass and ALD-modified-HOPG electrodes was also investigated. The activation energies of the interfacial lithium-ion transfer were slightly higher than that of HOPG, but the resistance of the charge-transfer process was lower, indicating that the affinity of the HOPG electrode for the glass electrolyte was improved by surface modification.

The severe side effects of chemosynthetic anti-diarrhea drugs have created an interest in low-toxic alternative plant-derived compounds. FengLiao consists of Polygonum hydropiper Linn. and Daphniphyllum calycinum Bench., and is widely used in China to treat diarrhea due to low levels of toxicity. In this study, the effects of FengLiao were analyzed in a castor oil-induced diarrhea model, using the anti-diarrhea drug, loperamide, as the positive control. The effects were evaluated using stool characteristics and the expression levels of various diarrhea-related factors in the jejunum and liver, as well as changes in the microbiota of the jejunum. The symptoms of diarrhea and stool consistency were improved through FengLiao and loperamide treatment. Furthermore, FengLiao down-regulated alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and up-regulated transferrin (TRF) mRNA levels in the liver, and down-regulated Aquaporin 3 (AQP3) and Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 8 (NHE8) expression in the epithelial cells of the jejunum. It also increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Aerococcus, Corynebacterium_1 and Pseudomonas, and lowered the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio, which maintained the balance between immunity and intestinal health. Taken together, FengLiao alleviated castor oil-induced diarrhea by altering gut microbiota, and levels of jejunum epithelial transport proteins and acute phase proteins.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236511.].

In this study, novel titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) hybrid photocatalysts in the form of nanofibres were fabricated by a facile method using electrospinning followed by a calcination process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to investigate the morphology and structure of the heterogeneous nanofi‐ bres. The photocatalytic performances were evaluated via the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under irradiation with UV light. Due to the low recombination rate of photo-induced charge carriers, the high utilization efficiency of UV light and the large contact area with the target molecules, the ZnO/TiO2 hybrid nanofibres exhibit‐ ed high catalytic activity towards the Rhodamine B, and the amount of Zn(OAc)2 in the precursor of these nanofibres played an important role in determining the photo decom‐ position performance.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of injury-related death and disability worldwide. Effective treatment for TBI is limited and many TBI patients suffer from neuropsychiatric sequelae. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the neuronal damage and impairment of mental abilities following TBI are largely unknown. Here we used the next generation sequencing platform to delineate miRNA transcriptome changes in the hippocampus at 24 hours and 7 days following TBI in the rat controlled cortical impact injury (CCI) model, and developed a bioinformatic analysis to identify cellular activities that are regulated by miRNAs differentially expressed in the CCI brains. The results of our study indicate that distinct sets of miRNAs are regulated at different post-traumatic times, and suggest that multiple miRNA species cooperatively regulate cellular pathways for the pathological changes and management of brain injury. The distinctive miRNAs expression profiles at different post-CCI times may be used as molecular signatures to assess TBI progression. In addition to known pathophysiological changes, our study identifies many other cellular pathways that are subjected to modification by differentially expressed miRNAs in TBI brains. These pathways can potentially be targeted for development of novel TBI treatment.

The genetic model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, like many plant species, experiences a range of edaphic conditions across its natural habitat. Such heterogeneity may drive local adaptation, though the molecular genetic basis remains elusive. Here, we describe a study in which we used genome-wide association mapping, genetic complementation, and gene expression studies to identify cis-regulatory expression level polymorphisms at the AtHKT1;1 locus, encoding a known sodium (Na(+)) transporter, as being a major factor controlling natural variation in leaf Na(+) accumulation capacity across the global A. thaliana population. A weak allele of AtHKT1;1 that drives elevated leaf Na(+) in this population has been previously linked to elevated salinity tolerance. Inspection of the geographical distribution of this allele revealed its significant enrichment in populations associated with the coast and saline soils in Europe. The fixation of this weak AtHKT1;1 allele in these populations is genetic evidence supporting local adaptation to these potentially saline impacted environments.