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The purpose of this study is to examine the sustainability information that energy companies provide on social media and the relationship between that data and that which is shared in conventional sustainability reports. Based on stakeholder theory, we use a sample of Chinese A-share listed energy corporations in 2020 and refer to GRI G4 guidelines to conduct content analysis on their 17,451 tweets from the WeChat platform and 53 sustainability reports. The analysis results show the following: 1) both the sustainability disclosures of Chinese energy firms on WeChat platform and sustainability reports focus on investor and employee dimensions. Among them, the average proportion of investor dimension disclosure to total disclosure is 31.92% and 35.19% on social media and sustainability reports, respectively, and the average proportion of employee dimension disclosure is 27.22% and 17.92%, respectively. However, the two channels show a large difference in the environment and government dimensions. The average proportion of environment disclosure in sustainability reports is 13.44%, while on social media it is only 2.01%. Government disclosure in sustainability reports is 8.24% and as high as 20.43% on social media. (2) Chinese energy firms prefer to provide supplementary information on social media. For example, using the investor dimension as an example, the average proportion of non-GRI information on social media is 71.47%, while that of the sustainability report is only 48.56%. This study helps stakeholders to better understand sustainable information on social media.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) vision and mission are to improve the people's living standards of Pakistan and China through bilateral investments, trade, cultural exchanges, and economic activities. To achieve this envisioned dream, Pakistan established the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (CPECA) to further its completion, but Covid-19 slowed it down. This situation compelled the digitalization of CPEC. This article reviews the best practices and success stories of various digitalization and e-governance programs and, in this light, advises the implementation of the Ajman Digital Governance (ADG) model as a theoretical framework for CPEC digitalization. This article concludes that the Pakistani government needs to transform CPEC digitalization by setting up the CPEC Digitalization and Transformation Center (DTC) at the CPECA office to attract more investors and businesses.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the powdered formulation with the nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep under three feeding systems in...

Two new p-methoxyphenyl-type derivatives cytchloramol (1) and cytoxazinanone (2), along with six known compounds (3-8) were identified from the chemical investigations of a saline lake actinomycete, Streptomyces sp. XZB32. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive NMR spectroscopic analysis, HRESIMS data, GIAO (gauge-including atomic orbitals) NMR, specific optical rotation (SOR) and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Cytotoxicity evaluation of the two new compounds showed that compound 1 exhibited significant activity against HCT-116 and MDA-MB-231 human cancer cell line with IC50 values of 2.7 ± 0.07 µM and 1.54 ± 0.14 µM, respectively.

Based on the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM), this study evaluates the spatial spillover effect of PM2.5 concentration in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) and its surrounding areas from 2000 to 2016, analyzes its main influencing factors and verifies the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC). In addition, Social Network Analysis (SNA) is used to measure the regional air pollution transmission network. The results are as follows: (1) A significant inverted U-shaped EKC with spatial spillover effect between the sampled 48 cities was verified. (2) Industrial structure had both local and spillover effects on air pollution with a U-shaped curve; technological progress exerted a negative spillover effect on air pollution, while traffic evidenced positive local and spillover effects; meteorological conditions showed different impacts on air pollution. (3) Heze, Tianjin, Xingtai, Shijiazhuang and Liaocheng are the top five cities in the centrality of the air pollution correlation network, indicating air pollution in these cities have significant impacts on other cities within the network; while Sanmenxia, Weihai, Yuncheng, Langfang and Zhumadian are the bottom five cities, which indicates that the air pollution of these cities has the least correlation with other cities. The policy suggestions for 48 cities involve: building up a regional joint prevention and control mechanism, enhancing the supervision of cities located in the centrality of the air pollution correlation network, accelerating high-tech and service-oriented industrialization, encouraging technological innovation in energy conservation and environmental protection and implementing vehicle regulation.

Background Correction surgery for cleft palate is recommended between 9 and 18 months of age. Patients suffer from acute pain after palatoplasty. Clinicians are hesitant to use opioids for analgesia concerning the potential high risk of respiratory adverse events. Intravenous ibuprofen perhaps be a suitable adjuvant to pain relief. We try to assess whether preoperative administration of intravenous ibuprofen can decrease opioid requirements following cleft palate repair in infants. Methods This single center prospective randomized clinical trial was performed from February to April 2021 at Department of Anesthesiology in Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. Forty patients ASA I-II, aged 9–24 months with isolated cleft palate and undergoing palatoplasty were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a single dose of 10 mg/kg ibuprofen intravenously or normal saline at induction. Children and infants postoperative pain scale (CHIPPS) was used for pain assessment. Those patients CHIPPS pain score equal or higher than 4 received analgesic rescue with titrating intravenous fentanyl 0.5 μg/kg and repeated in 10 min if required. The primary outcome was the amount of postoperative fentanyl used for rescue analgesia in postanesthesia care unit (PACU). Results Patients (n = 20 in each group) in IV-Ibuprofen group required less postoperative fentanyl than those in placebo group (pp = 0.079) and surgical blood loss (p = 0.194). No incidence of obvious adverse events had been found within the first 24 h after surgery in both groups. Conclusions Preemptive intravenous administration ibuprofen 10 mg/kg at induction had a significant opioid sparing effect in early postoperative period without obvious adverse effects in infants undergoing palatoplasty. Trial registration CHICTR, CTR2100043718, 27/02/2021 http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=122187

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure serves as a vital bridge for forestry firms to communicate with their stakeholders and obtain legitimacy support. Existing studies focus on forestry firms’ CSR disclosures based on CSR reports but lack consideration of such disclosures on social media. In this study, based on WeChat, the most widely used social media platform in China, we obtained 3311 tweets from 36 WeChat Official Accounts (WOA) of 63 Chinese-listed forestry firms in 2018 and used content analysis to classify the CSR information involved in these tweets based on the stakeholder dimensions. The main analysis results show that the top three CSR dimensions disclosed by Chinese forestry firms in social media are the shareholder (28.21%), customer (26.20%), and employee (23.64%) dimensions, and there are also great differences in the subcontent of disclosure concerns in each stakeholder dimension, e.g., approximately 86% of CSR disclosures for customers are product and service information. Additionally, we conducted a content analysis on the CSR reports of forestry firms using WOA. The results show that firms express different concerns in CSR reports than on social media, and the most mentioned dimensions in their reports are the environment (23.69%), employees (20.91%), and shareholders (20.21%). This indicates that there is a significant difference between the stakeholders that Chinese forestry firms focus on in social media and those that they focus on in CSR reports. This paper is the first study to focus on the CSR disclosure of Chinese forestry firms in social media and provides a reference for scholars to understand the information activities of forestry firms in social media.

With their ultrafast water transport and excellent molecule sieving properties, graphene oxide (GO)-based membranes show great potential in the membrane filtration field for water purification and molecular separation. However, the inability of uniform GO membranes to be produced on an industrial scale and their nonenvironmentally friendly reduction treatment are the bottleneck preventing their industrial applications. Herein, we report a scalable ultrathin uniform GO membrane fabrication technique. Ultrathin GO membranes with a large area of 30 × 80 cm2 and a thickness of a few nanometers were uniformly and facilely fabricated using a continuous process combining Mayer rod-coating and a short-time, high-power UV reduction. The interlayer spacing of the GO membrane could be effectively reduced and regulated to improve the salt rejection rate. The fabricated membrane showed superior water permeability of over 60.0 kg m-2 h-1 and a high separation efficiency of over 96.0% for a sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) solution. It also exhibited excellent mechanical stability under various harsh crossflow conditions. More importantly, the fabrication method developed here can be scaled up using a roll-to-roll industrial production process, which successfully solves the problem currently faced by GO membrane researchers and makes the industrial usage of GO membrane a reality.

By constructing a dynamic spatial Durbin model based on C-D production function that includes energy consumption and air pollution, this paper explains the driving factors of urban economic output in the “2+26” cities of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounding areas during 2006-2015. The result shows the significant spatial autocorrelation of energy consumption and air pollution in the “2+26” cities. The increase in economic output of neighbouring cities will bring about economic radiation and promote the economic output of the city, which provides strong evidence for the necessity of joint prevention and control policy. Further considering effects of the inputs of neighbouring cities, the paper finds that the driving force of economic increase mainly came from the capital and energy input of the city itself, as well as the air pollution dividends of neighbouring cities. Therefore, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounding areas should make the best of the resource advantages of neighbouring cities to achieve complementarity and coordinated development. Governments should construct comprehensive cross-city air pollution prevention mechanism, such as regional air pollution compensation mechanism and fund for air pollution joint control.

The COVID-19 epidemic broke out in China in January 2020, which triggered the largest wave of corporate philanthropic donations since the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Based on A-share listed firms in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges in 2020, we study whether substantive and symbolic corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies affect corporate philanthropic responses during the COVID-19 crisis. We use the lagged annual donation and technical dimension scores (T scores) of rankins ratings (RKS) as proxies of CSR performance and CSR disclosure and then define the CSR gap as the gap between the two. The results show that substantive and symbolic strategies cause firms to have material differential responses in the COVID-19 crisis. Specifically, the CSR gap is negatively related to the possibility and the level of crisis donation. In addition, (1) this difference is more pronounced in the earlier period of the COVID-19 crisis; (2) the negative correlation is more pronounced in private firms; and (3) the crisis donation of firms with either strategy obtains no different response from the capital market. Our evidence suggests that the established CSR strategy influences the substantive response of Chinese firms to public emergencies, but their substantive response does not result in different reactions in the capital market.

GF-5 is a hyperspectral remote sensing satellite in the GF series of satellite of China, which was successfully launched on 9 May 2018. The key instrument, the Atmospheric Infrared Ultra-spectral Sounder (AIUS), is the first space-borne occultation sensor with ultra-spectral resolution in China, as well as the space-borne Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) with finest spectral resolution. The instrument covers wavelengths from 2.4 to 13.3 μm, providing the ultra-spectral resolution with 0.03 cm−1. The AIUS instrument will measure trace gases in the atmosphere and analyse the chemical and dynamical processes by solar occultation from GF-5 satellite. This paper describes the on-orbit test activities and performances of key characteristics, including Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), accuracy of spectral calibration and spectral resolution based on the on-orbit data obtained. The preliminary results from the on-orbit verification, calibration and validation after launch have shown that AIUS has good performance with good quality spectrum. The results show that the SNR will meet the requirement, the full width at half maximum (FWHM) will be smaller than 0.03 cm−1 and the accuracy of spectral calibration will be greater than 0.008 cm−1. The AIUS instrument on-board GF5 satellite will provide fine spectral transmittances of the atmosphere and offer the best atmospheric constituents observing performance in solar occultation.

Background Many options exist for the management of cholelithiasis and secondary choledocholithiasis. Among them, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) with choledocotomy followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy has gained popularity. However, efforts should be made to ensure minimally invasive or noninvasive management of the common bile duct (CBD). The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical experience of non-invasive surgical modality, i.e., laparoscopic transcystic dilation of the cystic duct confluence in CBD exploration (LTD-CBDE), including feasibility, safety, adverse events, and incidence. Methods In this retrospective analysis, 68 patients were offered the LTD-CBDE technique from December 2015 to April 2018 based on patient’s own intention. During the surgery, the cystic duct confluence was dilated with separation forceps and/or a columnar dilation balloon. Subsequently, CBD exploration and stone extraction were performed with a choledochoscope. The entrance of the CBD was covered with a cystic duct stump wall and was subjected to primary closure at the end of surgery. Results Forty-nine females and 19 males with cholelithiasis and secondary choledocholithiasis were included. The mean age was 53 years old (18 to 72 year). Of these patients, 62 (91.2%) were successfully treated with the LTD-CBDE technique, and bile leakage was observed in 3 patients (4.4%). The mean operation time was 106 min, and the mean hospital stay was 5.9 days. Among the other 6 patients, 3 were converted to open cholecystectomy due to severe fibrosis, unclear anatomical structure at Calot’s triangle (n = 2) or Mirizze syndrome (n = 1); LCBDE was performed in 3 patients due to cystic duct atresia (n = 2) and low level of flow from the gallbladder duct into the CBD (n = 1). These patients had a smooth postoperative course. In total, 43/68 of the patients presented no radiological evidence of retained CBD stones at the postoperative follow-up (40 patients treated with LTD-CBDE) 1 year later. Conclusions The current work suggests that LTD-CBDE for the management of cholelithiasis and secondary choledocholithiasis is a feasible, safe and effective technique with a low complication rate. LTD-CBDE offers another alternative for surgeons to treat patients in similar scenarios. However, additional randomized, controlled studies are needed to demonstrate its efficacy, safety, and impact on CBD stenosis.

Objectives: Many options exist in the management of cholelithiasis and secondary choledocholithiasis. Among them, laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) with the choledocotomy followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy has gained popularity. However, efforts should be made for minimally invasive or non-invasive to the common bile duct (CBD). For this purpose, we modified the surgical modality of laparoscopic transcystic approach by dilating the cystic duct confluence in CBD exploration (LTD-CBDE). Based on our preliminary experience, the aim of this work was to assess the feasibility, safety and effectivity of LTD-CBDE.Patients and methods: Sixty-eight patients were arbitrarily offered new LTD-CBDE technique from December 2015 to April 2018. During the surgery, we dilated the cystic duct confluence with separation forceps and/or the columnar dilation balloon. Subsequently, the CBD exploration and stone extraction were performed with choledochoscope. The entrance of CBD was covered with cystic duct stump wall and primarily closed at the end of surgery.Results: 49 females and 19 males with cholelithiasis and secondary choledocholithiasis were included. The mean age was 53 years old (18 to 72 yr). Of which, 62 cases (91.2%) were performed with LTD-CBDE techniques successfully, bile leakage was observed in 3 cases (4.4%). The mean operation time was 106 minutes and the mean hospital stay was 5.9 days. As for the other 6 patients, 3 cases were converted to open cholecystectomy due to severe fibrosis, unclear anatomical structure at the Calot’s triangle (n=2) and Mirizze syndrome (n=1); LCBDE were performed in 3 patients due to cystic duct atresia (n=2) and low level of the gallbladder duct into CBD (n=1). These patients had smooth postoperative course. None of the patients presented radiological evidence of retained CBD stone on the postoperative follow-up in 43/68 (40 cases used LTD-CBDE) patients one year later.Conclusion: The current work suggests that LTD-CBDE for the management of cholelithiasis and secondary choledocholithiasis is a feasible, safe and effective technique with a low rate of complications. It offers another alternative for surgeons to treat patients in similar scenarios. However, additional randomized, controlled study is further needed to demonstrate its efficacy, safety, and impact on CBD stenosis.

The advent of endoscopic and laporoscopic techniques changed surgery in many regards. A number of options exist in the management of cholelithiasis and secondary choledocholithiasis. Among them, laparoscopic common bile duct (CBD) exploration with the choledocotomy followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has gained popularity. However, efforts should be made for minimally invasive or non-invasive to the CBD. For this purpose, we modified the surgical modality by laparoscopic transcystic approach with dilatation of the cystic duct confluence in CBD exploration (LTD-CBDE). The aim of this work was to assess the feasibility, safety and effectivity of LTD-CBDE based on our preliminary experience.

Additional file 3: Figure S3. 2-DE maps of total proteins in pYES2-BnLACS2 (a) and pYES2 transformants (b). The representative images from three biological replicates are shown. The arrows in images indicate 13 differentially expressed proteins that changed reproducibly and significantly in pYES2-BnLACS2 compared with pYES2.

Insect pollination in basal angiosperms is assumed to mostly involve ‘generalized' insects looking for food, but direct observation of ANITA grade (283 species) pollinators are sparse. We present new data for numerous Schisandraceae, the largest ANITA family, from fieldwork, nocturnal filming, electron microscopy, barcoding and molecular clocks to infer pollinator/plant interactions over multiple years at sites throughout China to test the extent of pollinator specificity. Schisandraceae are pollinated by nocturnal gall midges that lay eggs in the flowers and whose larvae then feed on floral exudates. At least three Schisandraceae have shifted to beetle pollination. Pollination by a single midge species predominates, but one species was pollinated by different species at three locations and one by two at the same location. Based on molecular clocks, gall midges and Schisandraceae may have interacted since at least the Early Miocene. Combining these data with a review of all published ANITA pollination data shows that ovipositing flies are the most common pollinators of living representatives of the ANITA grade. Compared to food reward-based pollination, oviposition-based systems are less wasteful of plant gametes because (i) none are eaten and (ii) female insects with herbivorous larvae reliably visit conspecific flowers.

Insect pollination in basal angiosperms is assumed to mostly involve ‘generalized' insects looking for food, but direct observation of ANITA grade (283 species) pollinators are sparse. We present new data for numerous Schisandraceae, the largest ANITA family, from fieldwork, nocturnal filming, electron microscopy, barcoding and molecular clocks to infer pollinator/plant interactions over multiple years at sites throughout China to test the extent of pollinator specificity. Schisandraceae are pollinated by nocturnal gall midges that lay eggs in the flowers and whose larvae then feed on floral exudates. At least three Schisandraceae have shifted to beetle pollination. Pollination by a single midge species predominates, but one species was pollinated by different species at three locations and one by two at the same location. Based on molecular clocks, gall midges and Schisandraceae may have interacted since at least the Early Miocene. Combining these data with a review of all published ANITA pollination data shows that ovipositing flies are the most common pollinators of living representatives of the ANITA grade. Compared to food reward-based pollination, oviposition-based systems are less wasteful of plant gametes because (i) none are eaten and (ii) female insects with herbivorous larvae reliably visit conspecific flowers.

Additional file 6: Table S3. Primer sequences used for quantitative real-time PCR.

Insect pollination in basal angiosperms is assumed to mostly involve ‘generalized' insects looking for food, but direct observation of ANITA grade (283 species) pollinators are sparse. We present new data for numerous Schisandraceae, the largest ANITA family, from fieldwork, nocturnal filming, electron microscopy, barcoding and molecular clocks to infer pollinator/plant interactions over multiple years at sites throughout China to test the extent of pollinator specificity. Schisandraceae are pollinated by nocturnal gall midges that lay eggs in the flowers and whose larvae then feed on floral exudates. At least three Schisandraceae have shifted to beetle pollination. Pollination by a single midge species predominates, but one species was pollinated by different species at three locations and one by two at the same location. Based on molecular clocks, gall midges and Schisandraceae may have interacted since at least the Early Miocene. Combining these data with a review of all published ANITA pollination data shows that ovipositing flies are the most common pollinators of living representatives of the ANITA grade. Compared to food reward-based pollination, oviposition-based systems are less wasteful of plant gametes because (i) none are eaten and (ii) female insects with herbivorous larvae reliably visit conspecific flowers.

Insect pollination in basal angiosperms is assumed to mostly involve ‘generalized' insects looking for food, but direct observation of ANITA grade (283 species) pollinators are sparse. We present new data for numerous Schisandraceae, the largest ANITA family, from fieldwork, nocturnal filming, electron microscopy, barcoding and molecular clocks to infer pollinator/plant interactions over multiple years at sites throughout China to test the extent of pollinator specificity. Schisandraceae are pollinated by nocturnal gall midges that lay eggs in the flowers and whose larvae then feed on floral exudates. At least three Schisandraceae have shifted to beetle pollination. Pollination by a single midge species predominates, but one species was pollinated by different species at three locations and one by two at the same location. Based on molecular clocks, gall midges and Schisandraceae may have interacted since at least the Early Miocene. Combining these data with a review of all published ANITA pollination data shows that ovipositing flies are the most common pollinators of living representatives of the ANITA grade. Compared to food reward-based pollination, oviposition-based systems are less wasteful of plant gametes because (i) none are eaten and (ii) female insects with herbivorous larvae reliably visit conspecific flowers.

Insect pollination in basal angiosperms is assumed to mostly involve ‘generalized' insects looking for food, but direct observation of ANITA grade (283 species) pollinators are sparse. We present new data for numerous Schisandraceae, the largest ANITA family, from fieldwork, nocturnal filming, electron microscopy, barcoding and molecular clocks to infer pollinator/plant interactions over multiple years at sites throughout China to test the extent of pollinator specificity. Schisandraceae are pollinated by nocturnal gall midges that lay eggs in the flowers and whose larvae then feed on floral exudates. At least three Schisandraceae have shifted to beetle pollination. Pollination by a single midge species predominates, but one species was pollinated by different species at three locations and one by two at the same location. Based on molecular clocks, gall midges and Schisandraceae may have interacted since at least the Early Miocene. Combining these data with a review of all published ANITA pollination data shows that ovipositing flies are the most common pollinators of living representatives of the ANITA grade. Compared to food reward-based pollination, oviposition-based systems are less wasteful of plant gametes because (i) none are eaten and (ii) female insects with herbivorous larvae reliably visit conspecific flowers.

Insect pollination in basal angiosperms is assumed to mostly involve ‘generalized' insects looking for food, but direct observation of ANITA grade (283 species) pollinators are sparse. We present new data for numerous Schisandraceae, the largest ANITA family, from fieldwork, nocturnal filming, electron microscopy, barcoding and molecular clocks to infer pollinator/plant interactions over multiple years at sites throughout China to test the extent of pollinator specificity. Schisandraceae are pollinated by nocturnal gall midges that lay eggs in the flowers and whose larvae then feed on floral exudates. At least three Schisandraceae have shifted to beetle pollination. Pollination by a single midge species predominates, but one species was pollinated by different species at three locations and one by two at the same location. Based on molecular clocks, gall midges and Schisandraceae may have interacted since at least the Early Miocene. Combining these data with a review of all published ANITA pollination data shows that ovipositing flies are the most common pollinators of living representatives of the ANITA grade. Compared to food reward-based pollination, oviposition-based systems are less wasteful of plant gametes because (i) none are eaten and (ii) female insects with herbivorous larvae reliably visit conspecific flowers.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Full length cDNA and deduced amino acid sequences of BnLACS2. Exons are indicated by black and red lines.

A theoretical and experimental study on the separation method of the incident sound field based on a small-scale vector sensor is proposed in this study, with the aim of resolving the problem of separation and acquisition of an incident sound field under the interference of near-field sound scattering from a cylindrical shell in water. The method of identifying and separating sound waves obtained under plane wave conditions is extended to complex sound-field conditions. Simulation and experimental results show that the vector separation method can greatly reduce the sound pressure amplitude and the phase deviation of the incident sound field, which is affected by near-field scattering from the cylindrical surface. The separation accuracy is related to the deviation angle and the distance from the target surface. The maximum deviation of the pressure amplitude is less than 1 dB, and the phase deviation is less than 3°. This method can effectively suppress the near-field scattering of the cylindrical shell and improve the separation accuracy of the incident sound field. The research results have reference value for a range of practical engineering applications.

Additional file 5: Table S2. Primer sequences used for transgenic plants detection.

Additional file 4: Table S1. Protein identities of the differentially expressed protein spots.

Additional file 2: Figure S2. Expression of BnLACS2 increased the lipid (a) and FAs (b) contents in yeast. Neutral lipids of pYES2 and pYES2-BnLACS2 transformants are stained with Sudan Black B and the absorbance is measured at 580 nm, respectively (left). Polar lipids are detected by 2D-TLC (right). The circle indicates the phospholipids induced in pYES2-BnLACS2 transformant. The Error bars indicate SD (n = 3). The significant differences between pYES2 and pYES2-BnLACS2 transformants are indicated (Student’s t-test): ***, P

Insect pollination in basal angiosperms is assumed to mostly involve ‘generalized' insects looking for food, but direct observation of ANITA grade (283 species) pollinators are sparse. We present new data for numerous Schisandraceae, the largest ANITA family, from fieldwork, nocturnal filming, electron microscopy, barcoding and molecular clocks to infer pollinator/plant interactions over multiple years at sites throughout China to test the extent of pollinator specificity. Schisandraceae are pollinated by nocturnal gall midges that lay eggs in the flowers and whose larvae then feed on floral exudates. At least three Schisandraceae have shifted to beetle pollination. Pollination by a single midge species predominates, but one species was pollinated by different species at three locations and one by two at the same location. Based on molecular clocks, gall midges and Schisandraceae may have interacted since at least the Early Miocene. Combining these data with a review of all published ANITA pollination data shows that ovipositing flies are the most common pollinators of living representatives of the ANITA grade. Compared to food reward-based pollination, oviposition-based systems are less wasteful of plant gametes because (i) none are eaten and (ii) female insects with herbivorous larvae reliably visit conspecific flowers.

The pathophysiology of neuropathic pain generation has not been fully investigated. Previous studies have primarily focused on changes in the properties of single neurons in the brain after nerve injury; however, little is known concerning the role of neuron-to-neuron connections in neuropathic pain pathogenesis. Synaptic transmission potentiation in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has been confirmed to be responsible for the formation of neuropathic pain. Thus, analysis of interneuronal connections in the ACC is an important approach for understanding the mechanism of neuropathic pain since it provides information on the potency of synaptic transmission. Here, we recorded membrane potentials from pairs of ACC neurons in anaesthetised rats and found that cross-correlations between pairs of ACC neurons significantly increased after surgery for chronic constriction injury (CCI). Moreover, CCI surgery could also enhance the power spectrum density of lower and higher-frequency membrane oscillations while having no effect on middle-frequency oscillations. The activation of membrane potential synchrony and power spectrum was reversed by the electrical synapse blocker mefloquine and pain behaviour was simultaneously alleviated. Our results may indicate that activation of membrane potential synchrony contributes to generation of neuropathic pain.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure on firm-level investment efficiency. Design/methodology/approach An econometric model is used to estimate the impact of CSR reporting on investment efficiency on a sample of listed Chinese firms during the period from 2010 to 2013. Financial reporting quality is included in the model as a control variable. Investment efficiency is estimated based on existing models. Two scenarios are identified: under-investment and over-investment. Findings The results provide evidence of a higher level of investment efficiency for CSR reporting firms than for non-reporting firms. This relationship is, however, more pronounced in the over-investment scenario than in the under-investment scenario. In addition, the association between CSR disclosure and investment efficiency is stronger for firms with lower financial reporting quality (FRQ). These findings support the hypothesis that CSR disclosure provides effective incremental information that contributes to reduce information asymmetry and promote investment efficiency. Originality/value This is the first paper that directly tests the association between CSR disclosure and firm-level investment efficiency. The results suggest that firms and investors should consider the effect of CSR disclosure on information asymmetry and its impact on the availability and cost of capital. This work also contributes to the understanding of the economic impacts of CSR disclosure and provides arguments for regulatory entities to enforce CSR disclosure.

Wide usage of mulching technology has increased crop yields, but the large amounts of mulching film residue resulting from widespread use of plastic film in China has brought about a series of pollution hazards. Based on a 4-year (2011-2014) long-term experiment, the effects of different kinds of collecting mothod (zero plastic film residues, conventional plastic film residues, whole plastic film residues remainded) on plastic film residues, residual coefficient and maize yield were explored. Plastic film residues mainly remained in 0~10 cm, 10~20 cm soil layers. In 0~30 cm soil layers, the two types of mulch residues (>25 cm2, 4~25 cm2) under zero plastic film residues treatment were much less than conventional plastic film residues and whole plastic film residues remainded treatments, no significant differences were observed in the mulch residues (2) among 3 treatments. After maize harvest, the amount of plastic film residues under zero plastic film residues, conventional plastic film residues and whole plastic film residues remainded treatments were 52.71, 80.85 kg·hm-2 and 152.65 kg·hm-2, respectively, the residual coefficient for zero plastic film residues, conventional plastic film residues and whole plastic film residues remainded treatments were -9.45%, 8.53% and 54.42%, respectively. The stem diameter, ear length, ear width, ear row number, grain number per row and 100-grain weight of maize decreased with the increase of residual film amount. Compared with the conventional plastic film residues, the mean grain yield of whole plastic film residues remainded treatment decreased by 15.08%, whereas the zero plastic film residues treatment increased by 4.70%. The plastic film residues, residual coefficient and maize yield were comprehensively analyzed, the conventional plastic film residues practice should be adopted currently without appropriate plastic film residues collector. But from the long-term development, we should speed up the research, development and application of plastic film residue collector.

We aimed to characterize the impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation on gastrointestinal-associated lymphoid tissue at various sites along the gastrointestinal site.Peripheral blood and duodenal and rectal biopsies were obtained from 12 HIV to 33 treatment-naive HIV participants at baseline and after 9 months ART. Tissue was digested for immunophenotyping. Inflammatory, bacterial translocation and intestinal damage markers were measured in plasma.Twenty-six HIV patients completed follow-up. The lowest reconstitution of CD4 T cells and the lowest CD4/CD8 ratio during ART compared with blood were observed in the duodenum with the rectum being either intermediate or approaching blood levels. Regulatory T cells were in higher proportions in the duodenum than the rectum and neither declined significantly during ART. Several correlations with biomarkers of microbial translocation were observed including increases in lipoteichoic acid levels, which reflects Gram-positive bacterial translocation, correlated with increases in %CD4 T cells in the duodenum (Rho 0.773, P = 0.033), and with decreases in duodenal regulatory T-cell populations (Rho -0.40, P = 0.045).HIV-mediated immunological disruption is greater in the duodenum than rectum and blood before and during ART. Small intestine damage may represent a unique environment for T-cell depletion, which might be attenuated by interaction with Gram-positive bacteria.

Aiming at the problem of sudden changes in the attitudes and the mass parameters encountered by spacecrafts when performing complex tasks such as discarding a payload or capturing a target, this paper proposes a new attitude stabilization mechanism based on the deep reinforcement learning method to restore the spacecraft to a stable attitude. Specifically, a three-dimensional space simulation environment which simulates the spacecraft\'s attitude is firstly established according to the real-time control torque. A neural network model based on the segmented weighted reward function is then built, which takes the attitude of the spacecraft as input, and outputs the discretized control torque to control the spacecraft. Moreover, the Deep Q Network algorithm performs the attitude stabilization training for the spacecraft in the simulation environment, the parameters of the neural network model are continuously updated in the training phase. Simulation experiments illustrate that, by continuous self-learning and self-evolution, deep reinforcement learning method gradually learns to re-stabilize spacecraft\'s attitude after unknown disturbance. As a contrast, we compare the proposed method with PD controller and backstepping controller. The PD controller is unable to re-stabilize the attitude due to its dependence on the mass parameters. The backstepping controller has robustness against mass parameter uncertainty, but it can only handle the constant control cycle. Compared with two controllers, our attitude stabilization mechanism based on deep reinforcement learning has competitive performance for uncertainties in the mass parameters, while allows the control cycle changes during the training phase. The proposed mechanism is an innovative application of artificial intelligence technology in attitude stabilization field, which provides support for achieving the intelligent control and makes the technical foundation for completing the service and maintenance of spacecrafts on-orbit. For future work, we plan to train and validate the mechanism on a semi-physical simulation platform consisting of a three-dimensional turntable and an actuator under the complex space simulation environment.

Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is a common sexually transmitted infection with a highly variable clinical course. Many infections quickly become subclinical, with episodes of spontaneous virus reactivation. To study host-HSV-2 interactions, an animal model of subclinical HSV-2 infection is needed. In an effort to develop a relevant model, rhesus macaques (RM) were inoculated intravaginally with two or three HSV-2 strains (186, 333, and/or G) at a total dose of 1 × 107 PFU of HSV-2 per animal. Infectious HSV-2 and HSV-2 DNA were consistently shed in vaginal swabs for the first 7 to 14 days after each inoculation. Proteins associated with wound healing, innate immunity, and inflammation were significantly increased in cervical secretions immediately after HSV-2 inoculation. There was histologic evidence of acute herpesvirus pathology, including acantholysis in the squamous epithelium and ballooning degeneration of and intranuclear inclusion bodies in epithelial cells, with HSV antigen in mucosal epithelial cells and keratinocytes. Further, an intense inflammatory infiltrate was found in the cervix and vulva. Evidence of latent infection and reactivation was demonstrated by the detection of spontaneous HSV-2 shedding post-acute inoculation (102 to 103 DNA copies/swab) in 80% of RM. Further, HSV-2 DNA was detected in ganglia in most necropsied animals. HSV-2-specifc T-cell responses were detected in all animals, although antibodies to HSV-2 were detected in only 30% of the animals. Thus, HSV-2 infection of RM recapitulates many of the key features of subclinical HSV-2 infection in women but seems to be more limited, as virus shedding was undetectable more than 40 days after the last virus inoculation.IMPORTANCE Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) infects nearly 500 million persons globally, with an estimated 21 million incident cases each year, making it one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs). HSV-2 is associated with increased human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) acquisition, and this risk does not decline with the use of antiherpes drugs. As initial acquisition of both HIV and HSV-2 infections is subclinical, study of the initial molecular interactions of the two agents requires an animal model. We found that HSV-2 can infect RM after vaginal inoculation, establish latency in the nervous system, and spontaneously reactivate; these features mimic some of the key features of HSV-2 infection in women. RM may provide an animal model to develop strategies to prevent HSV-2 acquisition and reactivation.

China’s green investment needs up to 2020 are ¥1.7 trillion–2.9 trillion CNY ($274 billion–468 billion USD) per year. Estimates of financing requirements are provided for multiple sectors, including sustainable energy, infrastructure (including for environmental protection), environmental remediation, industrial pollution control, energy and water efficiency, and green products. The context to China’s green financing is discussed, covering urbanization, climate change, interactions between infrastructure sectors, and the transformation of industry. Much of the infrastructure financing will occur in cities, with a focus on equity, environmental protection, and quality of life under the National New-Type Urbanization Plan (2014–2020). China has implemented many successful policies in the building sector, but there is still considerable scope for improvement in the energy efficiency of Chinese buildings. China is currently pursuing low-carbon growth strategies that are consistent with its overall environmental and quality-of-life objectives. Beyond 2020, China’s future as an ecologically balanced civilization will rest on the implementation of a central infrastructure policy: China 2050 High Renewable Energy Penetration Scenario and Roadmap Study. As exemplified by the Circular Economy Development Strategy and Near-Term Action Plan, an essential part of China’s green industrial transformation involves engineering systems that conserve materials, thereby reducing or even eliminating wastes. To better understand changes to China’s economy under its green transformation and to unlock large potential sources of finance, it is necessary to undertake a fuller examination of all of China’s infrastructure sectors, particularly freight rail infrastructure and ports. Large investments are required to clean up a legacy of environmental contamination of soil and groundwater and to reduce industrial pollution. Transformation of the power sector away from coal will avoid some industrial treatment costs. The contribution of engineers in planning, designing, and constructing China’s new green infrastructure will be furthered by understanding the broad policy context and the interactions between land use, infrastructure, and environmental performance.

Lipogenesis is under the concerted action of ChREBP, SREBP-1c and other transcription factors in response to glucose and insulin. The isolated porcine preadipocytes were differentiated into mature adipocytes to investigate the roles and interrelation of these transcription factors in the context of glucose- and insulin-induced lipogenesis in pigs. In ChREBP-silenced adipocytes, glucose-induced lipogenesis decreased by ~70%, however insulin-induced lipogenesis was unaffected. Moreover, insulin had no effect on ChREBP expression of unperturbed adipocytes irrespective of glucose concentration, suggesting ChREBP mediate glucose-induced lipogenesis. Insulin stimulated SREBP-1c expression and when SREBP-1c activation was blocked, and the insulin-induced lipogenesis decreased by ~55%, suggesting SREBP-1c is a key transcription factor mediating insulin-induced lipogenesis. LXRα activation promoted lipogenesis and lipogenic genes expression. In ChREBP-silenced or SREBP-1c activation blocked adipocytes, LXRα activation facilitated lipogenesis and SREBP-1c expression, but had no effect on ChREBP expression. Therefore, LXRα might mediate lipogenesis via SREBP-1c rather than ChREBP. When ChREBP expression was silenced and SREBP-1c activation blocked simultaneously, glucose and insulin were still able to stimulated lipogenesis and lipogenic genes expression, and LXRα activation enhanced these effects, suggesting LXRα mediated directly glucose- and insulin-induced lipogenesis. In summary, glucose and insulin stimulated lipogenesis through both dissimilar and identical regulation pathway in porcine adipocytes.

Utilizing the multi-band photometric data of the COSMOS (Cosmic Evolution Survey)/UltraVISTA (Ultra-deep Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) field and the high-resolution HST WFC3 (Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3) near-infrared images in the CANDELS (Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey) field, we have selected 362 galaxies with the redshifts of 1≤ z ≤3 and the stellar masses of M* ≥ 1010.5M⊙, and made the classification study on the morphologies of these massive galaxies. The results from the UVJ ((U–V) vs (V–J)) two-color diagram classification, visual classification, non-model based classification (Gini coefficient G and moment index M20), and model based classification (Sersic index n) are in good agreement with each other. Compared with the star-forming galaxies (SFGs), the quiescent galaxies (QGs) defined by the UVJ two-color diagram exhibit the compact elliptical structures, and generally have larger n and G, but smaller M20 and galaxy's effective radius re. The evolution of galaxy size with the redshift is obvious for various QG and SFG samples defined by the different classification systems (two-color diagram classification system, model and non-model based classification systems), and this evolutionary tendency is stronger for QGs in comparison with SFGs, independent to the selection of galaxy classification methods.

This Statistical Analysis Plan details the statistical procedures to be applied for the analysis of data for the multicenter electroencephalography study. It consists of a basic description of the study in broad terms and separate sections that detail the methods of different aspects of the statistical analysis, summarized under the following headings (a) Background; (b) Definitions of protocol violations; (c) Definitions of objectives and other terms; (d) Variables for analyses; (e) Handling of missing data and study bias; (f) Statistical analysis of the primary and secondary study outcomes; (g) Reporting of study results; and (h) References. It serves as a template for researchers interested in writing a Statistical Analysis Plan.

Ship wakes are large, exist for a long time, and are difficult to disguise or conceal. These characteristics can be used as an important basis for ship tracking and recognition. However, distinguishing between wakes, underwater targets, and sea surface is a difficult problem that currently limits acoustic wake homing technology. To solve this problem, in this study, from the viewpoint of feature recognition, the effects of bubble radius, air volume fraction, frequency, depth, and other parameters on the group bubble were first investigated. The volume scattering intensity of acoustic wakes at different frequencies and depths was also calculated and analyzed, and the results of our theoretical calculations were verified through an experiment using a multifrequency single wave sonar dock. Subsequently, through the single frequency and multibeam sonar sea trial test, a statistical model of target characteristics with a clear physical mechanism was developed. The developed model can be utilized for the guidance and recognition of acoustic wake targets. Thus, this study lays the foundation for the practical application of acoustic wake guidance.

Target acoustic scattering is the primary characteristic of target echo stealth performance, and it is an important sign of the viability of large-scale complex targets underwater. In a test band, owing to the superposition of scattered waves and the elastic echo produced by shells, liquid tanks, partition plates, ribs, etc., a target exhibits an extremely complex echo phenomenon. Accurate measurement and evaluation of the acoustic scattering characteristics of underwater complex targets can be achieved via experimental research on the echo characteristics of large-scale scaled models. In this study, the contribution and regularity of the strong reflection source of underwater complex targets in various azimuths, structures, and locations were analyzed quantitatively as a basis for in-depth research and understanding of the echo characteristics of underwater complex targets.

Based on the multi-band photometric data of the COSMOS (Cosmic Evolution Survey)/Ultra VISTA (Ultra-deep Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) field, we have selected a mass-limited sample of galaxies with the redshifts of 0 3.5. And according to the rest-frame UVJ twocolor (U-V vs. V-J) criteria, we classify the sample galaxies into the star-forming galaxies (SFGs) and the quiescent galaxies (QGs) in different redshift bins. In the redshift range of 0 1.5, the fraction of QGs with a mass of M * > 10 11 M ʘ is greater than 70%. In the range of 0 3.5, the star formation rates (SFRs) of SFGs exhibit a strong main sequence (MS) relation with the stellar mass M * . For a fixed stellar mass M * , the galaxy SFR and specific SFR (sSFR) increase with the redshift, indicating that the SFGs at high redshifts are more active in star formation. Relative to the low-mass galaxies, the large-mass SFGs have a lower sSFR, implying that the growth of a low-mass galaxy is more relying on the star formation activity of itself. In combination with the data given by the other literature, it is found that for the galaxies at higher redshifts (2 8), the evolution of sSFR with the redshift becomes weak, and the evolutionary relation is sSFR∝ (1 + z ) 0.94±0.17 .