Search

To share China’s developmental experiences, and oftentimes to showcase Chinese strengths and achievements, Beijing has been conducting what is called people-to-people exchange with other countries. In this regard, Chapter 1, written by Zhuang Liwei, highlights the general features of China’s policy ideas/objectives and policy practices in people-to-people exchange. His prognosis is that there are some discrepancies between the ideas/objectives and practices. Whereas the major emphasis of the practice for the exchange is orchestrated by the government to build up “soft power” by publicity and public and one-way display mainly on culture, the objective of promoting people-to-people interactions is not really implemented. In fact, there is a lack of direct exchange at the grassroots level, and as such, the exchange lacks the social foundation for international understanding. Zhuang suggests that a genuine realization of understanding among people “requires full activation and use of the power of non-governmental organizations and the formation of transnational civil societies”. If China wants to work for Xi Jinping’s grand plan on a community with a shared future for mankind, Zhuang would emphasize that working together and people-to-people contact conducted by transnational NGOs and civil societies could be an important way to build community. In light of the backlashes against some of the projects promoted by China’s BRI, it is most pertinent to note Zhuang’s analysis that the one-way people-to-people exchange should be coupled with an understanding of the concerns, aspirations, and demands of the people at the grassroots level in the host countries along the Silk Roads.

Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) is a key enzyme involved in intestinal mucosal mechanical barrier and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This article describes the "two-hit theory" for NAFLD and gut-derived endotoxin which plays a major role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, the relationship between endotoxin, MLCK, and NAFLD, and the impact of MLCK inhibitor ML-7 on the intestinal barrier. MLCK inhibitor ML-7 may hinder and delay the development and progression of NAFLD, providing a novel clinical idea for the early prevention of NAFLD.

Both of crop growth simulation models and remote sensing method have a high potential in crop growth monitoring and yield prediction. However, crop models have limitations in regional application and remote sensing in describing the growth process. Therefore, many researchers try to combine those two approaches for estimating the regional crop yields. In this paper, the WOFOST model was adjusted and regionalized for winter wheat in North China and coupled through the LAI to the SAIL–PROSPECT model in order to simulate soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI). Using the optimization software (FSEOPT), the crop model was then re-initialized by minimizing the differences between simulated and synthesized SAVI from remote sensing data to monitor winter wheat growth at the potential production level. Initial conditions, which strongly impact phenological development and growth, and which are hardly known at the regional scale (such as emergence date or biomass at turn-green stage), were chosen to be re-initialized. It was shown that re-initializing emergence date by using remote sensing data brought simulated anthesis and maturity date closer to measured values than without remote sensing data. Also the re-initialization of regional biomass weight at turn-green stage led that the spatial distribution of simulated weight of storage organ was more consistent to official yields. This approach has some potential to aid in scaling local simulation of crop phenological development and growth to the regional scale but requires further validation.

Bufalin is used to treat many patients with solid malignant tumors clinically. Bufalin could induce gastric cancer cell apoptosis via BAX. microRNA (miRNA) plays important roles in gene regulation. However, miRNA involving in bufalin inducing apoptosis of gastric cancer cells remains to futher research. To study the regulatory role of miRNA in bufalin induced cancer cell apoptosis. Firstly, we verifed that bufalin could induce gastric cancer cell apoptosis by inducing BAX expression. miR-298 was predicted as a regulator of BAX and further study verified Bax was a target gene of miR-298 by luciferase reporter assay. miR-298 could down-regulate BAX on mRNA and protein level in gastric cancer cells. miR-298 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. It was also found that bufalin inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis by down-regualtion of miR-298. In summary, bufalin-associated miR-298 may indirectly be involved in cell proliferation and apoptosis by targeting BAX, pointing to use as a potential molecular target in gastric cancer therapy.