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Abstract Carbon emission reduction is crucial for mitigating global climate change, and green fiscal policies, through providing economic incentives and reallocating resources, are key means to achieve carbon reduction targets. This paper uses data covering 248 cities from 2003 to 2019 and applies a multi-period difference-in-differences model (DID) to thoroughly assess the impact of energy conservation and emission reduction (ECER) fiscal policies on enhancing carbon emission (CE 1 ) reduction and carbon efficiency (CE 2 ). It further analyzes the mediating role of Green Innovation (GI), exploring how it strengthens the impact of ECER policies. We find that: (1) ECER policies significantly promote the improvement of carbon reduction and CE 2 , a conclusion that remains robust after excluding the impacts of concurrent policy influences, sample selection biases, outliers, and other random factors. (2) ECER policies enhance CE 1 reduction and CE 2 in pilot cities by promoting green innovation, and this conclusion is confirmed by Sobel Z tests. (3) The effects of ECER policies on CE 1 reduction and the improvement of CE 2 are more pronounced in higher-level cities, the eastern regions and non-resource cities. This research provides policy makers with suggestions, highlighting that incentivizing green innovation through green fiscal policies is an effective path to achieving carbon reduction goals.

Abstract Background Insulin resistance (IR) significantly contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) are recognised as convenient proxies for IR. However, their relationship with sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) remains unclear. Methods This prospective cohort analysis included 355,242 UK Biobank participants with available TyG index and TyG-BMI data and no history of CVD. Cox proportional risk models assessed the association between the TyG index, TyG-BMI and SCA risk. Additionally, Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) models were employed to investigate the timing of SCA onset. The impact of dynamic increases in TyG index and TyG-BMI levels on SCA risk was examined using restricted cubic spline. Results Over a median follow-up period of 165.4 months (interquartile range 156.5–174 months), 1,622 cases of SCA were recorded. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed a 9% increase in SCA risk per standard deviation increase in TyG index (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.15) and an 14% increase per standard deviation increase in TyG-BMI (aHR 1.14, 95% CI 1.09–1.2). AFT models indicated earlier median times to SCA occurrence with increasing quintiles of TyG index and TyG-BMI compared to the lowest quintile (P for trend

Abstract Optoelectronic properties of semiconductors are significantly modified by impurities at trace level. Oxygen, a prevalent impurity in organic semiconductors (OSCs), has long been considered charge-carrier traps, leading to mobility degradation and stability problems. However, this understanding relies on the conventional deoxygenation methods, by which oxygen residues in OSCs are inevitable. It implies that the current understanding is questionable. Here, we develop a non-destructive deoxygenation method (i.e., de-doping) for OSCs by a soft plasma treatment, and thus reveal that trace oxygen significantly pre-empties the donor-like traps in OSCs, which is the origin of p-type characteristics exhibited by the majority of these materials. This insight is completely opposite to the previously reported carrier trapping and can clarify some previously unexplained organic electronics phenomena. Furthermore, the de-doping results in the disappearance of p-type behaviors and significant increase of n-type properties, while re-doping (under light irradiation in O2) can controllably reverse the process. Benefiting from this, the key electronic characteristics (e.g., polarity, conductivity, threshold voltage, and mobility) can be precisely modulated in a nondestructive way, expanding the explorable property space for all known OSC materials.

The artificial cultivation and management were extensively carried out in Dendrocalamus brandisii stands. However, the influences of artificial management on the anatomical and chemical characteristics of the bamboo culms were unknown. In this study, the fiber morphology, chemical composition and sugar accumulation of the D. brandisii culms with management and without management were compared in order to determine the influences of artificial management on bamboo culms. The results indicated that artificial management had a significant influence on the fiber morphology, resulting in shorter fiber length, larger L/T ratio, and smaller W/Lu value. However, the management not only increased the contents of moisture, ash, SiO2, and extractive, but also increased the holocellulose contents and decreased the lignin contents, as compared to those without management. Moreover, the management significantly increased the endogenous carbohydrates storage in the culms so as to improve the shoot production. The bamboos under management conditions could still be utilized as a raw material for papermaking. This provided a theoretical basis for the artificial management of D. brandisii stands.

The electroplating industry is the main source of 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) pollution, which presents risks to human health and the environment. It is therefore crucial to develop effective 6:2 Cl-PFESA degradation techniques. Persulfate oxidation is a potential treatment method for 6:2 Cl-PFESA due to its outstanding oxidative degradability following the generation of the sulfate radical (SO4•−) and hydroxyl radical (•OH). It has proven difficult to acquire a full understanding of the reaction mechanism and formation of intermediate (IM) products through conventional experimental studies because they are costly and time-consuming. Therefore, a theoretical analysis method based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations was applied. The DFT results showed that electron transfer for the degradation of 6:2 Cl-PFESA could be initiated by the protonated sulfate radical (HSO4•, ΔG≠SET = 9.16 kcal/mol), rather than SO4•− (ΔG≠SET = 41.60 kcal/mol). After desulfonation, the reaction underwent stepwise decarboxylation cycles under the action of •OH, leading to the elimination of the CF2 units until there was complete mineralization into HCl, HF, and CO2. Furthermore, the IMs and the end products of 6:2 Cl-PFESA were evaluated using ECOSAR and TEST software. The low bioaccumulation of the short-chain IMs meant that they could be considered safe in terms of ecotoxicity and health effects. This research determined the theoretical and mechanistic basis of the effects of persulfate in the treatment of water containing 6:2 Cl-PFESA, and its structural analogues.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) poses a threat to various fields, particularly in piping and cooling water systems. As a green corrosion inhibitor, polyaspartic acid (PASP) faces challenges in achieving the intended corrosion inhibition against MIC due to biofilm. Therefore, mitigating biofilm might be the key to improving the corrosion inhibition of PASP. D-Phenylalanine (D-Phe) was selected as an enhancer to promote the inhibition of PASP on MIC caused by Desulfovibrio vulgaris due to its potential role in biofilm formation in this work. The joint application of PASP and D-Phe reduced the corrosion rate by 76.54% and obviously decreased the depth of corrosion pits with the maximum depth at 0.95 µm. Also, fewer cells adhered to the coupon surface due to the combined action of PASP and D-Phe, leading to thin and loose biofilm. Besides, both cathodic and anodic reactions were retarded with PASP and D-Phe, resulting in a low corrosion current at 0.530 × 10−7 A/cm2. The primary synergy mechanism is that D-Phe promoted the formation of PASP protective film via decreasing bacterial adhesion and thus inhibited electrochemical reaction and electron utilization of cells from metal surface. This study introduces a novel strategy to augment the effectiveness of PASP in inhibiting MIC.

Abstract Background The precise characterization of individual tumors and immune microenvironments using transcriptome sequencing has provided a great opportunity for successful personalized cancer treatment. However, the cancer treatment response is often characterized by in vitro assays or bulk transcriptomes that neglect the heterogeneity of malignant tumors in vivo and the immune microenvironment, motivating the need to use single-cell transcriptomes for personalized cancer treatment. Methods Here, we present comboSC, a computational proof-of-concept study to explore the feasibility of personalized cancer combination therapy optimization using single-cell transcriptomes. ComboSC provides a workable solution to stratify individual patient samples based on quantitative evaluation of their personalized immune microenvironment with single-cell RNA sequencing and maximize the translational potential of in vitro cellular response to unify the identification of synergistic drug/small molecule combinations or small molecules that can be paired with immune checkpoint inhibitors to boost immunotherapy from a large collection of small molecules and drugs, and finally prioritize them for personalized clinical use based on bipartition graph optimization. Results We apply comboSC to publicly available 119 single-cell transcriptome data from a comprehensive set of 119 tumor samples from 15 cancer types and validate the predicted drug combination with literature evidence, mining clinical trial data, perturbation of patient-derived cell line data, and finally in-vivo samples. Conclusions Overall, comboSC provides a feasible and one-stop computational prototype and a proof-of-concept study to predict potential drug combinations for further experimental validation and clinical usage using the single-cell transcriptome, which will facilitate and accelerate personalized tumor treatment by reducing screening time from a large drug combination space and saving valuable treatment time for individual patients. A user-friendly web server of comboSC for both clinical and research users is available at www.combosc.top . The source code is also available on GitHub at https://github.com/bm2-lab/comboSC .

Abstract U-Net, a deep-learning convolutional neural network, is used to downscale coarse meteorological data. Based on 19 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 and the Multi-Source Weather (MSWX) dataset, bias correction and UNet downscaling approaches are used to develop high resolution dataset over the East Asian region, referred to as Climate Change for East Asia with Bias corrected UNet Dataset (CLIMEA-BCUD). CLIMEA-BCUD provides nine meteorological variables including 2-m air temperature, 2-m daily maximum air temperature, 2-m daily minimum air temperature, precipitation, 10-m wind speed, 2-m relative humidity, 2-m specific humidity, downward shortwave radiation and downward longwave radiation with 0.1° horizontal resolution at daily intervals over the historical period of 1950–2014 and three future scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) of 2015–2100. Validation against MSWX indicates that CLIMEA-BCUD shows reasonable performance in terms of climatology, and it is capable of simulating seasonal cycles and future changes well. It is suggested that CLIMEA-BCUD can promote the application of deep learning in climate research in the areas of climate change, hydrology, etc.

Abstract Studies have indicated the potential of oral elastin hydrolysates in repairing photoaging skin. To reveal the underlying mechanism, this study examined how two elastin‐derived peptides (Gly‐Leu‐Gly‐Pro‐Gly‐Val‐Gly [GLGPGVG] and Pro‐Tyr [PY]) repair ultraviolet (UV)‐induced damage in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) and explored their digestive stability using UPLC‐MS/MS. Results showed that UV‐damaged HFFs treated with GLGPGVG showed higher superoxide dismutases (SOD) activity and cell viability compared with PY treatment. Furthermore, GLGPGVG even reversed UV‐induced increase in reactive oxygen species, MMP‐12 (elastase), elastin mRNA and intercellular Ca2+ levels, and decrease in elastin content. Intriguingly, in vitro digestion products from GLGPGVG retained approximately 60% of elastase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, a portion of GLGPGVG was observed to pass through the Caco‐2 monolayer intact. These findings revealed that elastin‐derived peptide GLGPGVG holds promise for passing through the gastrointestinal tract and exerting protective effects against photoaging through increasing SOD activity and inhibiting MMP‐12 expression.

Point of Interest (POI) recommendation is one of the important means for businesses to fully understand user preferences and meet their personalized needs, laying a solid foundation for the development of e-commerce and social networks. However, traditional social network POI recommendation algorithms suffer from various problems such as low accuracy and low recall. Therefore, a social network POI recommendation algorithm using the Internet of Things (IoT) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) is proposed. First, the overall framework of the POI recommendation algorithm is designed by integrating IoT technology and DRL algorithm. Second, under the support of this framework, IoT technology is utilized to deeply explore users' personalized preferences for POI recommendation, analyze the internal rules of user check-in behavior and integrate multiple data sources. Finally, a DRL algorithm is used to construct the recommendation model. Multiple data sources are used as input to the model, based on which the check-in probability is calculated to generate the POI recommendation list and complete the design of the social network POI recommendation algorithm. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the proposed algorithm for social network POI recommendation has a maximum value of 98%, the maximum recall is 97% and the root mean square error is low. The recommendation time is short, and the maximum recommendation quality is 0.92, indicating that the recommendation effect of the proposed algorithm is better. By applying this method to the e-commerce field, businesses can fully utilize POI recommendation to recommend products and services that are suitable for users, thus promoting the development of the social economy.

Cubic press is the primary equipment for diamond production in China. Its key component, the hinge beam, bears continuous alternating loads in the working environment and is prone to failure and breakage. In this paper, a method combining response surface method (RSM) and multi-objective genetic algorithms (MOGA) is proposed to optimize the hinge beam of the new hexagon top press. Firstly, a parametric model of the hinge beam is established. The dimensions of key parts are treated as design parameters, while the maximum stress and displacement serve as objective functions. There is also a constraint on the maximum mass. Then, the optimal space-filling design (OSF) is used as the design of experiments (DOE) to obtain the design experimental points. The proxy model is obtained by the response surface method. Afterward, the global optimum solution is searched using the MOGA method, and the optimal result of the hinge beam is evaluated. The results show that the optimized hinge beam effectively improves stiffness and strength with a slight increase in weight. Stress concentration is also significantly reduced, providing a valuable reference for the design and development of the press.

During long-duration dynamic loads, such as wind loads or seismic effects, the internal temperature and pressure of a damping cylinder escalate rapidly, which induce shifts in the mechanical attributes of viscous fluid dampers (VFDs). This study investigated the mechanical performance of VFD considering the coupling effects of temperature and pressure under long-duration loads. First, we analyzed the mechanical and energy-dissipation performances of the dampers based on the dynamic mechanical tests considering different loading frequencies, displacement amplitude, and loading cycles. The experimental results indicated that both temperature and pressure influenced the output of the dampers, and in the sealed environment of the damper pip, temperature and pressure exerted mutual influence. Furthermore, the relationship between the damping coefficient and temperature–pressure coupling effects was obtained. Subsequently, an improved mathematical model for the mechanical performance of a gap-type VFD was proposed by considering the macroscopic energy balance of the entire fluid within the damper. Finally, the accuracy of the mathematical model for VFD under long-duration dynamic loads was validated by comparing the computational results with the experimental data.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for photogrammetry allows the rapid acquisition of high-resolution images of geological masses in complex landforms. However, effective analysis of the acquired image information remains a key research issue. At K158 + 837 on the Chongqing-Huaihua Railway, Baima jointed rock masses were reconstructed with high accuracy using UAV close-range photogrammetry technology, and rock discontinuities were extracted from the projected image. The proposed modeling algorithm for jointed rock masses enables the preprocessing of two-dimensional jointed rock mass slopes. Numerical simulations using the disk-based discontinuous deformation analysis method show that the discontinuity network formed by initial cutting significantly affects the subsequent crack development. Meanwhile, simulation results under different scenarios indicate the importance of the pre-reinforcement measures applied to unstable rock masses. The workflow developed based on these results can serve as a reference for the comprehensive acquisition, recognition and numerical modeling analysis of similar jointed rock masses.

High-quality genomic DNA extraction is fundamental for the study of gene cloning and expression in plants. Therefore, this study evaluated several methods for extracting genomic DNA from shoots of four Dendrocalamus species to determine the optimal technique. Genomic DNA was extracted using three different methods: a commercial DNA extraction kit method, a modified cetyltrimethylammonium bromide method and a sodium dodecyl sulfate method. A membership function analysis was employed to compare these methods. The results demonstrated that the commercial DNA extraction kit method was the most effective and comprehensive approach for extracting genomic DNA from shoots of four Dendrocalamus species. Furthermore, this study provided valuable insights into optimizing techniques for extracting genomic DNA in other bamboo species.

Bamboo forests, which have come to occupy large areas in recent years, naturally undergo the process of blooming. However, bamboo culms and rhizomes degenerate after the plants bloom, resulting in widespread loss of raw materials. Systematic research on the properties and physiology of bamboo culms after flowering is lacking, and whether flowering bamboo culms could be used as raw materials in industry is unclear. In this paper, we compared and measured the fiber morphology, chemical components, and sugar metabolism indexes of non-flowering and flowering Bambusa tuldoides culms at different ages. The results showed that the fibers in the middle internodes of both non-flowering and flowering B. tuldoides culms had the longest length. The fibers completed their elongation within 1 year, but the fiber walls were continually deposited with age. The levels of the chemical components in the nonflowering culms also continually increased with age. The nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) content and sugar metabolism indexes showed the highest levels in the 2-year culms and then declined in the 3-year culms. Compared to young culms that had not yet flowered, the 3-month-old and 1-year-old flowering culms had a significant decrease in the fiber length and tangential diameter, and their holocellulose and lignin levels also decreased, while the levels of ash, SiO2, 1% NaOH extractives, and benzene-ethanol extractives increased. A correlation analysis showed that sugar catabolism was accelerated in the flowering cluster, which could lead to “starvation death” in bamboo and which had a significant negative impact on the anatomical and chemical properties of the bamboo culms. Generally, the flowering bamboo culms had shorter fibers, higher levels of extractives and ash, and lower holocellulose content, which indicated that bamboo flowering has an adverse effect on the application of such components in the production of pulp, in papermaking, and in other processing and utilization activities. This study revealed the physiological changes in flowering B. tuldoides culms and provided a theoretical basis to inform the utilization of culms in this species.

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) caused by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) is a serious challenge in many industries, but biofilm greatly decreases the toxicity of bactericides to cell inside. d-amino acids are potential enhancers for bactericides due to their excellent performance on biofilm inhibition. However, the mechanism of d-amino acid cooperating with bactericides for MIC inhibition is still unknown. In this study, d-tyrosine（D-Tyr）and disoctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC) were selected as the typical d-amino acid and bactericide, respectively, to evaluate their synergetic inhibition on the corrosion caused by Desulfovibrio vulgaris. D-Tyr obviously enhanced the role of DDAC in inhibiting corrosion with high corrosion inhibition efficiency at 77.23 %. The attachment of EPS and live cells on the coupon surface decreased in the presence of D-Try, leading to more cells directly exposed to DDAC. Besides, D-Try decreased the amount of live cells on the surface and thus reduced the utilization of Fe by SRB and corrosion current. Moreover, dead cells settling to the coupon surface may form a protective lay to retard the contact between live SRB and Fe, leading to slow cathode reaction and less corrosion. Therefore, D-Tyr can reduce the coverage of biofilm, thereby reducing its protective effect on SRB and achieving better corrosion inhibition effect. This work provides a new strategy for improving bactericides and inhibiting MIC.

Background: Currently, the mechanism(s) underlying corticogenesis is still under characterization.Methods: We curated the most comprehensive single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) datasets from mouse and human fetal cortexes for data analysis and confirmed the findings with co-immunostaining experiments.Results: By analyzing the developmental trajectories with scRNA-seq datasets in mice, we identified a specific developmental sub-path contributed by a cell-population expressing both deep- and upper-layer neurons (DLNs and ULNs) specific markers, which occurred on E13.5 but was absent in adults. In this cell-population, the percentages of cells expressing DLN and ULN markers decreased and increased, respectively, during the development suggesting direct neuronal transition (namely D-T-U). Whilst genes significantly highly/uniquely expressed in D-T-U cell population were significantly enriched in PTN/MDK signaling pathways related to cell migration. Both findings were further confirmed by co-immunostaining with DLNs, ULNs and D-T-U specific markers across different timepoints. Furthermore, six genes (co-expressed with D-T-U specific markers in mice) showing a potential opposite temporal expression between human and mouse during fetal cortical development were associated with neuronal migration and cognitive functions. In adult prefrontal cortexes (PFC), D-T-U specific genes were expressed in neurons from different layers between humans and mice.Conclusion: Our study characterizes a specific cell population D-T-U showing direct DLNs to ULNs neuronal transition and migration during fetal cortical development in mice. It is potentially associated with the difference of cortical development in humans and mice.

Stabilizing LiCoO2 (LCO) at 4.5 V rather than the common 4.2 V is important for the high specific capacity. In this study, we developed a simple and efficient way to improve the stability of LiCoO2 at high voltages. After a simple sol–gel method, we introduced trifluoroacetic acid (TA) to the surface of LCO via an afterwards calcination. Meanwhile, the TA reacted with residual lithium on the surface of LCO, further leading to the formation of uniform LiF nanoshells. The LiF nanoshells could effectively restrict the interfacial side reaction, hinder the transition metal dissolution and thus achieve a stable cathode–electrolyte interface at high working-voltages. As a result, the LCO@LiF demonstrated a much superior cycling stability with a capacity retention ratio of 83.54% after 100 cycles compared with the bare ones (43.3% for capacity retention), as well as high rate performances. Notably, LiF coating layers endow LCO with excellent high-temperature performances and outstanding full-cell performances. This work provides a simple and effective way to prepare stable LCO materials working at a high voltage.

Persulfate-based advanced oxidation process has been proven to be a promising method for the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPY) degradation in wastewater treatment. However, due to the limitation for the short-lived intermediates detection, a comprehensive understanding for the degradation pathway remains unclear. To address this issue, density functional theory was used to analyze the degradation mechanism of CPY at the M06-2X/6-311++G(3df,3pd)//M06-2X/6-31+G(d,p) level, and computational toxicology methods were employed to explore the toxicity of CPY and its degradation products. Results show that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and sulfate radicals (SO4•−) initiate the degradation reactions by adding to the P=S bond and abstracting the H atom on the ethyl group, rather than undergoing α-elimination of the pyridine ring in the persulfate oxidation process. Moreover, the addition products were attracted and degraded by breaking the P–O bond, while the abstraction products were degraded through dealkylation reactions. The transformation products, including 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridynol, O,O-diethyl phosphorothioate, chlorpyrifos oxon, and acetaldehyde, obtained through theoretical calculations have been detected in previous experimental studies. The reaction rate constants of CPY with ·OH and SO4•− were 6.32 × 108 and 9.14 × 108 M−1·s−1 at room temperature, respectively, which was consistent with the experimental values of 4.42 × 109 and 4.5 × 109 M−1 s−1. Toxicity evaluation results indicated that the acute and chronic toxicity to aquatic organisms gradually decreased during the degradation process. However, some products still possess toxic or highly toxic levels, which may pose risks to human health. These research findings contribute to understanding the transformation behavior and risk assessment of CPY in practical wastewater treatment.

Bamboo has great economic values and is used extensively in many industries, and their natural distribution range was divided into 12 zones in China according to the temperature of their geographical distribution in previous works. Different bamboo species had significantly different abilities in low-temperature tolerance, which need to be considered carefully during ex-situ introduction. In this paper, we observed and evaluated the low-temperature damage of 19 bamboo species in winter, and measured the physiological changes of bamboo leaves. A total of 3060 leaf samples were obtained from 102 core collections in 34 bamboo species from the 5 regions of Chinese mainland for anatomical comparison, in order to screen out the key anatomical indicators related to their low-temperature tolerance and to establish a mathematical prediction model for bamboo introduction. The results showed that the low-temperature resistance of clustered bamboos was generally lower than that of the scattered bamboos. The decreased temperature led to the constant decrease of net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate, but the increase of soluble sugar content in all bamboo species. There was no dormancy for all bamboo species in winter. The temperate bamboos showed lower photosynthesis as compared to tropical bamboos in winter. The leaf shape of bamboos was closely related to their distribution. A total of 13 leaf indicators were screened and more suitable to estimate the low-temperature tolerant abilities of bamboos and to predict their distribution. The MNLR (multiple nonlinear regression) mathematical model showed the highest fitting degree and the optimal prediction ability in the potential northernmost introduction range of bamboos. This study lay a foundation for bamboo introduction, and could also reduce the economic losses caused by the wrong introduction.

The development of cost-effective, biocompatible soft wound dressings is highly desirable; however, conventional dressings are only designed for flat wounds, which creates difficulty with promising healing efficiency in complex practical conditions. Herein, we developed a tough, adhesive biomimetic hyaluronic acid methacryloyl hydrogels composed of chemically crosslinked hyaluronic acid methacryloyl (HAMA) network and poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PHEAA) network rich in multiple hydrogen bonding. Due to the multiple chemical crosslinking sites (acrylamide groups) of HAMA; the bulk HEMA/PHEAA hydrogels presented significant enhancements in mechanical properties (∼0.45 MPa) than common hyaluronic acid hydrogels (99% of cell viability). Based on these physicochemical features, we have demonstrated that this adhesive hydrogel, administered in the form of a designed patch, could be applied to wound tissue healing by promoting epithelialization, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition. We believe that our proposed biomimetic hydrogel design holds great potential for wound repair and our developed HAMA/PHEAA hydrogels are extremely promising for the next-generation tissue healings in emergency situations.

Abstract Sustainable development of agriculture is the basis for achieving social sustainable development. As the basic industry of national economy, green development of agriculture has become an important support for building an environment-friendly society. Agricultural fiscal expenditure is a direct channel for the government to support agriculture and promote agricultural transformation. It is important to analyze the impact of agricultural fiscal expenditure (AFE) on agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) for sustainable agricultural development. Therefore, this paper employs the random effect model and spatial Durbin model to empirically analyze the direct effect and spatial spillover effect of AFE on AGTFP by using the agricultural panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2008 to 2020. Then, by taking the policy proposal as the time node, this paper also conducts a time heterogeneity analysis to measure the impact of policy enactment on AFE and AGTFP. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) AGTFP exists significant positive spatial spillover effect. The "radiation effect" of agricultural green development is significant. (2) AFE can significantly reduce the AGTFP in the local area, that is, 1% increase of AFE in the local area will reduce AGTFP by 0.037%. At present, agriculture is still yield-oriented. The improvement of AFE in the local area will lead to the expansion of local agricultural production and increase pollution emission. (3) AFE has a significant negative spatial spillover effect on AGTFP, that is, for every 1% increase in AFE, the AGTFP will decrease 0.123% in geographically similar areas, while the AGTFP will decrease by 0.116% in economically and geographically similar areas. It is obvious that AFE will promote the optimization of agricultural production conditions in the province, with the "demonstration effect" on the surrounding areas, the enthusiasm of production in the surrounding areas will increase, thus expanding the pollution emission. (4) According to the analysis of different periods, AFE has a negative impact on AGTFP mainly before the reform innovation is proposed in 2015. It indicates that reform policies have a significant impact on agricultural sustainability.

The present study investigated the anti-diabetic activity and potential mechanisms of sea cucumber gonad hydrolysates (SCGH) in a rat model of type II diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ) combined with high-fat diet (HFD). Results showed that SCGH significantly reduced water intake, fasting blood glucose level and glycated hemoglobin level. Moreover, the oral glucose tolerance, insulin resistance and plasma lipid level in diabetic rats were also alleviated. Furthermore, histological analysis showed that SCGH effectively protected the tissue structure of liver. In addition, mechanism studies showed that SCGH improved glucose metabolism via activating the IRS/Akt signaling pathway, and promoted lipid metabolism via activating the AMPK signaling pathway. In summary, these findings suggested that SCGH have potential anti-diabetic effects by improving insulin resistance and lipid metabolism disorders.

The green production efficiency of industrial enterprises in Zhejiang Province is not only related to the level of green economy in Zhejiang Province, but also provides an example for the green development of national industrial enterprises. This paper used the panel data of industrial enterprises by sector and city in Zhejiang Province from 2012 to 2017. Firstly, the entropy weight method is employed to calculation the Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) of various sectors and cities including sulfur dioxide; nitrogen oxide; smoke and dust; solid waste and hazardous solid waste. The method of output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model with undesirable output was employed to measure Global Malmquist-Luenberger Productivity Index (GMLPI). The conclusion shows that: (1) Zhejiang industrial enterprises have made slight progress (0.738% per year on average) in comprehensive efficiency between 2012 and 2017. (2) In sectoral efficiency analysis, the fluctuation of TC and SEC is the main factor affecting the comprehensive efficiency of the sector. (3) In city efficiency analysis, Hangzhou; Ningbo; Wenzhou; Jiaxing and Shaoxing have made progress in comprehensive efficiency in the research period, while Jinhua; Quzhou and Zhoushan have made decline. This paper provides support for the green development of Zhejiang Province.

Bamboo propagation and seed collection are severely limited by a protracted and unpredictable flowering cycle. Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Nees et Arn. ex Munro was renowned for its delectable, bitter-free bamboo shoots, making it an exceptional choice for culinary purposes, which has significant economic value in China. To date, no fruit has been collected, and there are currently no comprehensive studies available on the floral morphology and embryology of D. hamiltonii. The morphological and anatomical characteristics of floral organs were described, and the developmental process of male and female gametophytes was elucidated, through anatomical observation. It was found that the floret of D. hamiltonii was composed of one lemma, palea, pistil, and six stamens, but lacked lodicules. The single ovule, possessing a parietal placenta, was anatropous and featured a double integument. The floral organs showed normal in external morphology, whereas male and female gametophyte development was abnormal, such as pollen grain shrinkage, hollow anther chambers, and underdeveloped ovules, which might be the important factors of its low seed setting rate. This study provided important information on the developmental stages of D. hamiltonii flowers and offered a theoretical basis for understanding the low seed setting rate of bamboo.

The differences in the response of the leaves of different bamboo types to sudden snowfalls in winter were analyzed in order to provide scientific references for the introduction and cultivation of cold-resistant bamboo species and to provide new theoretical information on bamboo afforestation and disaster reduction. A total of nine bamboo species were selected to analyze the physiological and chemical changes in the leaves caused by a sudden snowfall. The results showed that sudden snowfall in winter led to a decrease in the moisture, soluble sugar, and starch contents in the leaves of all of the bamboo species analyzed, but there were increases in the contents of proline, MDA, and H2O2 and in the ratios of AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG. Both the enzymatic activities (SOD, POD, CAT, APX, DHAR, GPX, and GR) and non-enzymatic antioxidant contents (AsA and GSH) were increased after the snowfall, which indicated that the sudden snowfall caused an increase in the antioxidant abilities in the leaves of all bamboo species analyzed. Different bamboo species adopted different strategies for resisting the freezing damage caused by the sudden snowfall. The prevention and mitigation of snow disasters in winter can be scientifically carried out in bamboo forests according to their tolerance abilities.

Abstract Phase‐change semiconductor is one of the best candidates for designing nonvolatile memory, but it has never been realized in organic semiconductors until now. Here, a phase‐changeable and high‐mobility organic semiconductor (3,6‐DATT) is first synthesized. Benefiting from the introduction of electrostatic hydrogen bond (S···H), the molecular conformation of 3,6‐DATT crystals can be reversibly modulated by the electric field and ultraviolet irradiation. Through experimental and theoretical verification, the tiny difference in molecular conformation leads to crystalline polymorphisms and dramatically distinct charge transport properties, based on which a high‐performance organic phase‐change memory transistor (OPCMT) is constructed. The OPCMT exhibits a quick programming/erasing rate (about 3 s), long retention time (more than 2 h), and large memory window (i.e., large threshold voltage shift over 30 V). This work presents a new molecule design concept for organic semiconductors with reversible molecular conformation transition and opens a novel avenue for memory devices and other functional applications.

Abstract Background Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from different sources show varied repopulating capacity, and HSCs lose their stemness after long‐time ex vivo culture. A deep understanding of these phenomena may provide helpful insights for HSCs. Methods Here, we applied single‐cell RNA‐seq (scRNA‐seq) to analyse the naïve and stimulated human CD34+ cells from cord blood (CB) and mobilised peripheral blood (mPB). Results We collected over 16 000 high‐quality single‐cell data to construct a comprehensive inference map and characterised the HSCs under a quiescent state on the hierarchy top. Then, we compared HSCs in CB with those in mPB and HSCs of naïve samples to those of cultured samples, and identified stemness‐related genes (SRGs) associated with cell source (CS‐SRGs) and culture time (CT‐SRGs), respectively. Interestingly, CS‐SRGs and CT‐SRGs share genes enriched in the signalling pathways such as mRNA catabolic process, translational initiation, ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis and cotranslational protein targeting to membrane, suggesting dynamic protein translation and processing may be a common requirement for stemness maintenance. Meanwhile, CT‐SRGs are enriched in pathways involved in glucocorticoid and corticosteroid response that affect HSCs homing and engraftment. In contrast, CS‐SRGs specifically contain genes related to purine and ATP metabolic process, which is crucial for HSC homeostasis in the stress settings. Particularly, when CT‐SRGs are used as reference genes for the construction of the development trajectory of CD34+ cells, lymphoid and myeloid lineages are clearly separated after HSCs/MPPs. Finally, we presented an application through a small‐scale drug screening using Connectivity Map (CMap) against CT‐SRGs. A small molecule, cucurbitacin I, was found to efficiently expand HSCs ex vivo while maintaining its stemness. Conclusions Our findings provide new perspectives for understanding HSCs, and the strategy to identify candidate molecules through SRGs may be applicable to study other stem cells.

Abstract Due to the huge toxicity of co-contaminated soil with PAHs and heavy metals and the complexity of their remediation, it is thus critical to take effective remediation actions to remove heavy metals and PAHs simultaneously from the co-contaminated soil. Biosurfactant-enhanced soil washing (BESW) were investigated in this study for remediation of soil co-contaminated with phenanthrene (PHE) and cadmium (Cd). The co-existence of PHE and Cd caused the change of the structure of soil and rhamnolipid micelle, which lead to different removal rate of PHE and Cd from co-contaminated soil compared with single contaminated soil. The results of FT-IR and NMR showed that PHE entered micelles of rhamnolipid and Cd formed the complexation with the external carboxyl groups of rhamnolipid micelle. We also found that pH, concentration of rhamnolipid solution, temperature and ionic strength had influence on co-contaminated soil remediation. The effects of above mentioned four factors on co-contaminated soil remediation in BESW processes were analyzed by using Taguchi design of experiment method. Taguchi based Grey Relational Analysis was conducted to identify the optimal remediation conditions, which included pH = 9, concentration of rhamnolipid = 5 g/L, temperature = 15 °C and ionic strength = 0.01 M. Under the optimal conditions for BESW, removal rates of cadmium and phenanthrene reached 72.4% and 87.8%, respectively in co-contaminated soil.

Abstract Here, we present a multi-modal deep generative model, the single-cell Multi-View Profiler (scMVP), which is designed for handling sequencing data that simultaneously measure gene expression and chromatin accessibility in the same cell, including SNARE-seq, sci-CAR, Paired-seq, SHARE-seq, and Multiome from 10X Genomics. scMVP generates common latent representations for dimensionality reduction, cell clustering, and developmental trajectory inference and generates separate imputations for differential analysis and cis-regulatory element identification. scMVP can help mitigate data sparsity issues with imputation and accurately identify cell groups for different joint profiling techniques with common latent embedding, and we demonstrate its advantages on several realistic datasets.

The moisture, ash, and silicon content, as well as the phytolith morphotype and concentration in the tissue-cultured, seed-cultured, and grafted seedling leaves of Dendrocalamus brandisii were determined to investigate the differences in silicon uptake and phytolith morphology in the leaves from different rearing methods. The results showed that ash, silicon content, and phytolith concentration were higher in the mature leaves. Tissue-cultured seedlings had a significantly higher moisture content than grafted seedlings. Ash and silicon demonstrated the same order of grafted seedlings > tissue-cultured seedlings > seed-cultured seedlings. The highest phytolith concentration was found in tissue-cultured seedlings. The phytolith morphotypes in D. brandisii seedling leaves raised by different methods were identical and grouped into eight morphotypes. The phytolith assemblage was characterized by a high frequency of bilobate and saddle, accounting for more than 60%, whereas the morphotypes of elongate, blocky, flabellate, and circular phytoliths accounted for the smallest proportion, normally all below 4.5%. The phytolith size demonstrated an increasing trend in the maturing leaves. The sizes of bilobate, saddle, and acute phytoliths expanded the fastest in tissue-cultured seedling leaves, implying rapid growth of the cell in tissue-cultured seedlings. Accordingly, the tissue-cultured seedlings contained more silicon and phytoliths of larger sizes, which could be a better choice of stock supply for establishing large-scale plantations. If the stock of the seed-cultured and grafted seedlings is to be used, silicon fertilizer application is an optimal option to boost seedling growth.

Microplastics (MPs) have received a lot of attention and have been detected in multiple environmental matrices as a new environmental hazard, but studies on human internal exposure to MPs are limited. Here, we collected lung tissue samples from 12 nonsmoking patients to evaluate the characteristics of MPs in human lung tissues using an Agilent 8700 laser infrared imaging spectrometer and scanning electron microscopy. We detected 108 MPs covering 12 types in the lung tissue samples, with a median concentration of 2.19 particles/g. Most of the MPs (88.89%) were sized between 20 to 100 μm. Polypropylene accounts for 34.26% of the MPs in the lung tissues, followed by polyethylene terephthalate (21.30%) and polystyrene (8.33%). Compared with males and those living far from a major road (≥300 m), females and those living near the main road (

Environmental biomarkers represent an emerging tool in environmental monitoring by measuring variations in cellular or molecular exposure to chemical pollutants. Carbonic anhydrase, a widespread enzyme in organisms, has the potential to be utilized as a biomarker because of its sensitive activity to chemical pollutants. Here, we report the first extracellular carbonic anhydrase (EcaA) from cyanobacteria as a biomarker for monitoring antibiotics. A recombinant microbial factory that is capable of heterologously overexpressing EcaA was constructed, and the purified enzyme exhibited superior performance in monitoring various antibiotics in vitro. The IC50 values of the four selected antibiotics, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, tetracycline and ampicillin, were 1.45 ± 0.61, 10.40 ± 0.34, 18.92 ± 2.42 and 59.73 ± 2.56 μM, respectively. The feasibility of EcaA as a biomarker for monitoring antibiotics in vivo was also confirmed. Growth of wild-type cyanobacteria was more inhibited by ciprofloxacin and tetracycline than an EcaA-null mutant, demonstrating that EcaA responded physiologically to the two antibiotics, thus causing growth defects. Our results enable advanced development and optimization of carbonic anhydrase as a biomarker to monitor antibiotics in vitro and in vivo.

Drought is one of the most severe abiotic stresses that influence wheat production across the globe. Understanding the molecular regulatory network of wheat in response to drought is of great importance in molecular breeding. Noncoding RNAs influence plant development and resistance to abiotic stresses by regulating gene expression. In this study, whole-transcriptome sequencing was performed on the seedlings of two wheat varieties with contrasting levels of drought tolerance under drought and control conditions to identify long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), micro RNAs (miRNAs), and mRNAs related to drought stress and explore the potential lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory modules in controlling wheat drought stress response. A total of 1515 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), 209 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs), and 20462 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Of the 20462 DEGs, 1025 were identified as potential wheat drought resistance-related DEGs. Based on the regulatory relationship and expression patterns of DELs, DEMs, and DEGs, 10 DEL-DEM-DEG regulatory modules related to wheat drought stress response were screened, and preliminary expression verification of two important candidate modules was performed. Our results revealed the possible roles of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA modules in regulatory networks related to drought tolerance and provided useful information as valuable genomic resources in molecular breeding of wheat.

Herein, we explored a new 2D heterostructure by hybridizing BN and TiB2, especially the photocatalytic activity of composite materials. Based on the key strategy of developing BN hybrid photocatalysts to change the band structure, we studied the influences of TiB2 addition on the structures and photocatalytic performances of Ti3+-B codoped TiO2/BN. The Ti3+ existed in TiBO3 enables excellent photocatalytic performances in hydrogen production and nitrogen fixation compared with pure BN. We also carried out first-principle calculations using the VASP program to explain the excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production performances. Finally, the photocatalytic mechanism of such TiO2/BN hybrid photocatalysts was proposed.

In this study, a fuzzy bi-level chance constraint programming (FBCP) model is developed for urban ecological management in Xiamen, China. FBCP has advantages in balancing trade-offs between multiple decision makers and can address fuzzy and stochastic uncertainty in ecosystem management. It also can reflect the impact of different violation risk levels and emission reduction measures on system benefit, ecosystem service value, and land resource allocation. Then, the conversion of land use and its effects at small regional extent (CLUE-S) model is employed to provide the spatial allocation of future land resources under different scenarios. Results reveal that (i) carbon fixation and climate regulation are the major contributors to the ecosystem service value, with a proportion of [15.4, 15.6]% and [18.5, 18.8]%, respectively; (ii) the main environmental problem in Xiamen is the water pollution caused by the excessive discharge of commercial and residential land, with COD and NH3-N account for [68.81, 69.33]% and [67.65, 68.20]% of the total discharge of the city, respectively; (iii) the violation risk p level is the most impact factor, and the schemes with high system benefit would face greater default risk and lower ecological quality; (iv) FBCP model considers the trade-off between economic benefit and ecological quality, while the fuzzy chance constraint programming (FCP) model achieves a high system benefit at the expense of the environment. These findings help decision makers to understand the impact of parameter uncertainty and pollutant discharge policies on system benefit, and adjust land-use patterns to weigh ecological environment protection with urban economic development.

Abstract Background Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic and an anxiety-provoking event. There are few studies to identify potential risk and protective factors related to anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We collected information on demographic data and lifestyles by a web-based survey of 19,802 participants from 34 provinces in China during COVID-19 pandemic. Level of anxiety was evaluated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. We used ordinal multivariable logistic regression to estimate the associations of anxiety level with potential risk and protective factors. We further developed a new score to simplify the assessment of anxiety during COVID-19 crisis. Results Among 19,802 participants, we found that those who were front-line medical personnel, suffered from chronic disease, with present symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection or contact history had 112, 93, 40 and 15% increased risk of higher anxiety level; while those with knowledge about personal protective measures or wore masks had 75 and 29% lower risk of higher anxiety level respectively. We developed a risk score by calculating the sum of single score of 17 factors. Each one increase of the risk score was associated with a 297% increase in anxiety index score. In categorical analysis, low risk (the risk score between 1 to 2), the moderate risk group (the risk score of 3) and high risk group (the risk score ≥ 4) had − 0.40 (95% CI: − 1.55, 0.76), 1.44 (95% CI: 0.27, 2.61) and 9.18 (95% CI: 8.04, 10.33) increase in anxiety index score, and 26% (95% CI: − 7, 72%), 172% (95% CI: 100, 270%), and 733% (95% CI: 516, 1026%) higher risk of anxiety respectively, when compared with the very low risk group (the risk score of 0). The AUC was 0.73 (95% CI, 0.72, 0.74) for the model fitted the developed risk score, with the cut-off point of 3.5. Conclusions These findings revealed protective and risk factors associated with anxiety, and developed a simple method of identifying people who are at an increased risk of anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract Downscaling techniques are effective to bridge the scale gap between global circulation models and regional studies. Statistical downscaling methods are prevalent due to their advantages in high computational efficiency and accuracy. However, an implicit assumption of most statistical techniques is that time series should be relatively stationary after certain function transformations. Otherwise, statistics of nonstationary time series may be meaningless for describing future behavior. In this study, a hybrid statistical downscaling framework was developed through integrating bivariate empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) and a machine learning method to extract multi‐timescale features from nonstationary data to enhance downscaling performance. The proposed framework can reduce the effects of non‐stationarity in data‐driven models by using the BEMD method, which can decompose time series into independent and stationary components at multiple time‐frequency resolutions. It was applied to downscale monthly precipitation and temperature of Canadian Earth System Model in multiple stations with different climate types in the Central Valley of California, USA, to verify its accuracy and generalization ability. The performance of downscaling maximum and minimum temperatures (R2 > 0.9) was more accurate than that of precipitation. The potential reason is that precipitation is more sensitive to transient weather phenomena, which can only be extracted from data with higher temporal resolution. The proposed model was further compared with models based on discrete wavelet transform and models without time series decomposition. The results showed that a decomposition strategy of the proposed framework can improve the downscaling accuracy, potentially providing a viable option to deal with the nonstationary of data in statistical downscaling models.

The photosynthesis of wheat glumes makes important contributions to the yield. Stomata play a crucial role in regulating photosynthesis and transpiration in plants. However, the genetic base of wheat glume stomata is not fully understood. In this study, stomatal length (SL), stomatal width (SW), stomatal density (SD), potential conductance index (PCI) of stomata, stomatal area (SA), and stomatal relative area (SRA) were measured in different parts of wheat glumes from a doubled haploid (DH) population and their parents. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of these traits were anchored on a high-density genetic linkage map of the DH population. A total of 61 QTLs for stoma-related traits were mapped onto 16 chromosomes, and each one accounted for 3.63 to 19.02% of the phenotypic variations. Two QTL hotspots were detected in two marker intervals, AX-109400932∼AX-110985652 and AX-108972184∼AX-108752564, on chromosome 6A. Five possibly candidate genes (TraesCS6A02G105400, TraesCS6A02G106400, TraesCS6A02G115100, TraesCS6A02G115400, and TraesCS6A02G116200) for stoma-related traits of wheat glumes were screened out , according to their predicted expression levels in wheat glumes or spikes. The expression of these genes may be induced by a variety of abiotic stresses. These findings provide insights for cloning and functional characterization of stoma-related candidate genes in wheat glumes.

Algal bloom (AB) is a serious water environment problem in China, but it is still unclear how AB affects microorganisms with special functions (such as nitrogen-, phosphorus-, sulfur- and iron-related bacteria) at different AB stages. Samples of water and sediment were taken in the AB region and free algal bloom (FAB) region of Chaohu Lake at different AB stages, and the numbers of N-, P-, S- and Fe-related bacteria were determined by culture-dependent methods. Results showed that during the whole experiment, numbers of N-, P-, S-, and Fe-related bacteria in the AB region were significantly higher than those in the FAB region, especially at the AB outbreak stage. In the FAB region, numbers of above bacteria showed little variation with time. In the AB region, however, numbers of N-, S-, and Fe-related bacteria evidently changed as ‘Λ’-type with AB process. They presented an upward trend at the AB formation stage and the initial stage of AB outbreak, and then showed a downward trend. Numbers of P-related bacteria also showed a similar trend as the above bacteria, but they kept high level for long time at the AB outbreak stage. This study indicated that AB produced different effects on microorganisms with special functions at different AB stages.

Background and Objective: The preferred treatment for Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients is surgery. Approximately, 35% of patients can undergo surgical resection in clinic. Biomarkers for CCA need to be identified for diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis prediction of this disease. Y-box binding protein-1 (YBOX-1) is highly correlated with tumor progression and poor overall survival in many malignancies. The prognostic value of YBOX-1 overexpression in CCA remains unclear. We examined the expression of YBOX-1 in resected tissue in CCA patients and studied the effect of YBOX-1 in CCA migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Expression of YBOX-1 in the tissue of 91 CCA patients was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The effects of YBOX-1 on migration, invasion, and proliferation in CCA cell lines were assessed by short hairpin RNA lentivirus or overexpression plasmid transfection. Results: A total of 55 (60.4%) of CCA cancerous tissues showed strongly positive YBOX-1 cytoplasmic staining. The strongly positive expression of YBOX-1 was close to early recurrence and poor overall survival by Kaplan–Meier analyses. Knockdown of YBOX-1 reduced migration and invasion in CCA cells and proliferation of tumor in xenotransplantation nude mice. Overexpression of YBOX-1 promoted migration and invasion in CCA cells and proliferation of tumor in xenotransplantation nude mice. Conclusion: YBOX-1 is correlated with early recurrence and poor overall survival in CCA. YBOX-1 may be a factor of predicting poor prognosis and overall survival.

The demand for plant-based meat analogs (PBMA) is on the rise as a strategy to sustain the food protein supply while mitigating environmental change. In addition to supplying essential amino acids and energy, food proteins are known sources of bioactive peptides. Whether protein in PBMA affords similar peptide profiles and bioactivities as real meat remains largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the gastrointestinal digestion fate of beef and PBMA proteins with a special focus on their potential as precursors of bioactive peptides. Results showed that PBMA protein showed inferior digestibility than that in beef. However, PBMA hydrolysates possessed a comparable amino acid profile to that of beef. A total of 37, 2420 and 2021 peptides were identified in the gastrointestinal digests of beef, Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat, respectively. The astonishingly fewer peptides identified from beef digest is probably due to the near-full digestion of beef proteins. Almost all peptides in Impossible Meat digest were from soy, whereas 81%, 14% and 5% of peptides in Beyond Meat digest were derived from pea, rice and mung proteins, respectively. Peptides in PBMA digests were predicted to exert a wide range of regulatory roles and were shown to have ACE inhibitory, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, supporting the potential of PBMA as a source of bioactive peptides.

Reasonable management could produce the good growth of bamboo plants. There are few studies in bamboo that integrate phenology and ecophysiological traits; in this case, water relations, photosynthetic rates and carbohydrate content in different organs of Neosinocalamus affinis were determined. The moisture content was easily affected by the local precipitation and showed a similar trend in leaves and branches, with the highest values in July and August, but did not vary significantly between vegetative phenological stages in culms. The emergence and growth of shoots caused an apparent decrease in the moisture content of 1-year culms. NSC content showed a similar trend in culms and branches in classes of different ages and decreased progressively from March through November and then increased in the following months. Net photosynthetic rate and transpiration pull showed the highest values in July and then decreased constantly, which implied that a great deal of water was consumed for photoassimilate synthesis. The net photosynthetic rates of leaves were significantly affected by the water status of culms in the dry season, but correlated significantly only with the leaf water content in the wet season for the sufficient water supply. The transpiration pulls, water potential and sap flow rates revealed the water status of culms better than the water content of culms. The shoot germination and growth of N. affinis were more dependent on the photoassimilate accumulation in the early stage from May to July. There was no real dormancy period for N. affinis due to its apparent photoassimilate accumulation and water flow in January. This suggested that proper irrigation was essential during leaf and branch extension during the dry season.

This article presents a Lyapunov precise integral-based analysis method for seismic structures with added viscous fluid dampers. This study uses the full stress algorithm as the optimization method, considering the mean square of interstory drifts as the optimization objective, the position of the damper as the optimization object, and the random vibration analysis method as the calculation method to optimize seismic frame structures with viscous dampers. A precise integral solution is derived for the Lyapunov equation based on the general expression of the Lyapunov differential equation for the damping system under the excitation of a nonstationary stochastic process using two types of modulation functions: g(t)=1 and g(t)=t. Finally, the optimal damping arrangement is achieved using this method with a six-layer non-eccentric planar frame. In addition, the optimization results of this study are verified with those in the literature using time-history analysis, which verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. This study provides a method for the optimal configuration of dampers for seismic response of structures, which is beneficial for engineering applications and the protection of seismic structures.

Abstract High vigor seeds have greater yield potential than those with low vigor; however, long-term storage leads to a decline in this trait. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for seed vigor-related traits under artificial aging conditions using a high-density genetic linkage map of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and mine the related candidate genes. A doubled haploid population, derived from a cross between Hanxuan 10 × Lumai 14, was used as the experimental material. Six controlled-environment treatments were set up, i.e. the seeds were aged for 0, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 h at a high temperature (48 °C) and under high humidity (relative humidity 100%). Eight traits including seed germination percentage, germination energy, germination index, seedling length, root length, seedling weight, vigor index, and simple vigor index were measured. With the prolongation of artificial aging treatment, these traits showed a continuous downward trend and significant correlations were observed between most of them. A total of 49 additive QTLs for seed vigor-related traits were mapped onto 12 chromosomes (1B, 2D, 3A, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4D, 5A, 5B, 5D, 6D, and 7A); and each one accounted for 6.01–17.18% of the phenotypic variations. Twenty-five pairs of epistatic QTLs were detected on all chromosomes, except for 5D, 6A, and 7D, and each epistasis accounted for 7.35–26.06% of the phenotypic variations. Three additive QTL hot spots were found on chromosomes 5A, 5B, and 5D, respectively. 13 QTLs, QGEe5B, QGIe5B, QSLc5B, QSLd5B, QSLf5B, QRLd5B, QRLe5B, QRLf5B, QVId5B, QVIe5B, QVIf5B, QSVId5B, and QSVIe5B, were located in the marker interval AX-94643729 ~ AX-110529646 on 5B and the physical interval 707,412,449–710,959,479 bp. Genes including TRAESCS5B01G564900, TRAESCS5B01G564200, TRAESCS5B01G562600, TraesCS5B02G562700, TRAESCS5B01G561300, TRAESCS5B01G561400, and TRAESCS5B01G562100, located in this marker interval, were found to be involved in regulating the processes of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, transcription, and cell division during the germination of aging seeds, thus they were viewed as candidate genes for seed viability-related traits. These findings provide the basis for the seed-based cloning and functional identification of related candidate genes for seed vigor.

Any sort of wound injury leads to the destruction of skin integrity and wound formation, causing millions of deaths every year and accounting for 10% of death rate insight into various diseases. The ideal biological wound dressings are expected to possess extraordinary mechanical characterization, cytocompatibility, adhesive properties, antibacterial properties, and conductivity of endogenous electric current to enhance the wound healing process. Recent studies have demonstrated that biomedical hydrogels can be used as typical wound dressings to accelerate the whole healing process due to them having a similar composition structure to skin, but they are also limited by ideal biocompatibility and stable mechanical properties. To extend the number of practical candidates in the field of wound healing, we designed a new structural zwitterion poly[3-(dimethyl(4-vinylbenzyl) ammonium) propyl sulfonate] (SVBA) into a poly-acrylamide network, with remarkable mechanical properties, stable rheological property, effective antibacterial properties, strong adsorption, high penetrability, and good electroactive properties. Both in vivo and in vitro evidence indicates biocompatibility, and strong healing efficiency, indicating that poly (AAm-co-SVBA) (PAS) hydrogels as new wound healing candidates with biomedical applications.

Background: Stone recurrence is a major problem limiting the effects of surgical treatment for hepatolithiasis. It was showed that hyperplasia of perihilar liver may compress the hepatic portal and cause deficient bile flow because of compressed hilar bile duct, thereby leading to the formation of bile stasis and precipitating stone recurrence. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of perihilar hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis with compressed hilar bile duct induced by perihilar hyperplasia of liver. Methods: 135 patients with compressed hilar bile duct induced by hypertrophied perihilar liver were included in this study from January 2011 to July 2016. Among these patients, 77 underwent conventional operation procedure (control group) and 58 underwent conventional operation procedure added by perihilar hepatectomy (perihilar hepatectomy group). Clinical data containing preoperative data, intraoperative data, operation complications, and short-term and long-term outcomes were collected. Results: The demographic and disease-related characteristics of the two groups were comparable. The two groups were not remarkably different in operation-related characteristics. The incidence of bile leakage in the perihilar hepatectomy group was substantially higher than that in the control group. Other postoperative complications were not remarkably different between the two groups. In the long-term postoperative follow-up period, the incidence of the recurrence of stones and cholangitis in the control group was considerably higher than that in the perihilar hepatectomy group. Conclusions: Based on conventional operation procedure, additional perihilar hepatectomy is a reliable intervention with definite clinical effects for hepatolithiasis with compressed hilar bile duct induced by hypertrophied perihilar liver.

Abstract Background Human demand for wheat will continue to increase together with the continuous global population growth. Agronomic traits in wheat are susceptible to environmental conditions. Therefore, in breeding practice, priority is given to QTLs of agronomic traits that can be stably detected across multiple environments and over many years. Results In this study, QTL analysis was conducted for eight agronomic traits using an introgression line population across eight environments (drought stressed and well-watered) for 5 years. In total, 44 additive QTLs for the above agronomic traits were detected on 15 chromosomes. Among these, qPH-6A, qHD-1A, qSL-2A, qHD-2D and qSL-6A were detected across seven, six, five, five and four environments, respectively. The means in the phenotypic variation explained by these five QTLs were 12.26, 9.51, 7.77, 7.23, and 8.49%, respectively. Conclusions We identified five stable QTLs, which includes qPH-6A, qHD-1A, qSL-2A, qHD-2D and qSL-6A. They play a critical role in wheat agronomic traits. One of the dwarf genes Rht14, Rht16, Rht18 and Rht25 on chromosome 6A might be the candidate gene for qPH-6A. The qHD-1A and qHD-2D were novel stable QTLs for heading date and they differed from known vernalization genes, photoperiod genes and earliness per se genes.

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently been shown to play important roles in different tumors. However, their detailed roles and regulatory mechanisms in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are not well understood. This study aimed to identify enriched circRNAs and detect their functions and mechanisms in PDAC cells and tissues. Methods circRNA-ASH2L (circ-ASH2L) was identified by circRNA microarray studies based on previous studies, and further detected in PDAC cells and samples by qRT-PCR. The functions of circ-ASH2L were identified by transwell, EdU, cell cycle or Tube formation assays. The regulatory mechanisms of circ-ASH2L were explored by WB, RIP, FISH, dual-luciferase assays, RNA pulldown or other assays. Results We identified a circRNA (circ-ASH2L) based on our previous studies, detected its expression in different malignant cells and found that circ-ASH2L was highly expressed in pancreatic cells or tumor tissues and correlated with tumor malignancy. Further studies revealed that circ-ASH2L promoted tumor invasion, proliferation and angiogenesis by regulating miR-34a, thus regulate Notch 1 expression. Circ-ASH2L served as a miRNA sponge for miR-34a and promoted tumor progression in vivo. Finally, we analyzed circ-ASH2L expression in clinical tissues and found that high circ-ASH2L expression was correlated with lymphatic invasion and TNM stage and was an independent risk factor for pancreatic patient survival. Conclusions circ-ASH2L play an important role in tumor invasion, and high circ-ASH2L may be a useful marker of PDAC diagnosis or progression.