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Using the data of listed companies in Chinese A-share market from 2011 to 2020, this paper investigates the effect of the economic policy uncertainty (EPU) on corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG). The results show that during periods of high economic policy uncertainty, firms increase their overall ESG performance, corporate environmental performance, social performance and governance performance. Heterogeneous analyses show that the positive effect of EPU on ESG performance is more pronounced for state-owned enterprises, for firms with better corporate governance, for firms with more institutional investors, and for firms with less financing constraints. This study contributes to the literature on the determinants of ESG and provides implications for both practitioners and academics.

The sorghum aphid (Melanaphis sacchari) has emerged as a serious pest for Sorghum bicolor and a major factor limiting its production worldwide. In this study, whole‐genome resequencing of resistant and susceptible bulks from a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was conducted together with transcriptome analysis of the parent to identify genes underlying aphid resistance. In the NGS‐based bulked segregation analysis (BSA), using a total of 920,389 genome‐wide high‐confidence markers, four QTLs, qtlMs‐6.1, qtlMs‐6.2, qtlMs‐6.3, and qtlMs‐6.4, were identified on chromosome 6. Based on comparative transcriptome analysis, 245 differentially expressed genes (DEGs,190 upregulated and 55 downregulated) and 576 DEGs (336 upregulated and 240 downregulated) were identified at 4 dpi in 407B (resistant) and 7B (susceptible), respectively. The DEGs in 407B were enriched in 'DNA replication', 'flavone and flavonol biosynthesis' and 'flavonoid biosynthesis', which are associated with plant stress resistance. The QTL‐seq study identified a SNP marker (Chr6: 2686447C>G) that was validated on a diverse panel and could be used in molecular marker‐assisted selection to improve aphid resistance in sorghum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of the hydraulic properties of coastal aquifer systems has important implications that are related to the issues such as seawater intrusion, submarine groundwater discharge, migration of contaminants, assessment of water resources, and geotechnical engineering. Over recent decades, many analytical solutions that consider different types of coastal aquifer systems or models have been developed. These solutions can be used as a theoretical basis for the tidal method that characterizes the hydraulic properties of a coastal aquifer system using hydraulic response measurements in an observation well or wells induced by tidal waves in the ocean. The hydraulic properties of an aquifer can be estimated through fitting a series of time‐dependent changes of hydraulic head detected in an observation well to those calculated based on theoretical solutions. For simplicity, most theoretical solutions only consider one tidal component and idealized boundary conditions, although in reality multiple tidal components exist simultaneously and boundary conditions can be more complicated. For practical applications of the tidal method and to increase its reliability, multiple tidal components should be considered and models considering more complicated boundary conditions should be developed. In addition, methods that can determine both the hydraulic conductivity and storage coefficient, rather than only the hydraulic diffusivity, that is, the ratio of hydraulic conductivity to storage coefficient of coastal aquifer, should be developed. Cautions should be taken into account when using the tidal method because earth tides and changes in local atmospheric pressure may induce similar tidal fluctuations in the hydraulic head within inland observation wells. This article is categorized under:Science of Water > Hydrological ProcessesScience of Water > Methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determination of the hydraulic properties of a coastal aquifer system with lower cost and acceptable accuracy has practical implications. Although many theoretical solutions have been developed over recent decades, most of them assume that an aquifer system extends inland and subjected a single-frequency tidal fluctuation on coastline boundary. In addition, only one hydraulic parameter, i.e., the hydraulic diffusivity, of an aquifer can be obtained in most cases. In this paper, the solution of groundwater response in a leaky confined coastal aquifer to dual frequency tidal fluctuations has been established. The new solution was then used as an example to discuss the applicability and limitations of using tidal fluctuations for determining coastal aquifer hydraulic properties. Our study illustrated that ocean tides could only transport to a limited distance towards inland depending on the coastal aquifer hydraulic properties. The tidal method is applicable only when changes in the hydraulic head within in a monitoring well can be detected with an acceptable accuracy. Both the hydraulic diffusivity and leakage can be identified from the monitored hydraulic heads. By incorporating the use of aquifer thickness, the transmissivity and storage coefficient of a perfectly confined aquifer can also be simultaneously estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles (EVs) have been widely used in urban cold chain logistic distribution and transportation of fresh products. In this paper, an electric vehicle routing problem (EVRP) model under time-varying traffic conditions is designed for planning the itinerary for fresh products in the urban cold chain. The object of the EVRP model is to minimize the total cost of logistic distribution that includes economic cost and fresh value loss cost. To reflect the real situation, the EVRP model considers several influencing factors, including time-varying road network traffic, road type, client's time-window requirement, freshness of fresh products, and en route queuing for charging. Furthermore, to address the EVRP, an improved adaptive ant colony algorithm is designed. Simulation test results show that the proposed method can allow EVs to effectively avoid traffic congestion during the distribution process, reduce the total distribution cost, and improve the performance of the cold chain logistic distribution process for fresh products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study on fresh food safety reliability and temperature control has being a research focus in the fresh food cold distribution optimization study field. On this basis, optimization of transportation routing problem with time windows for fresh food in time-varying road network is studied by considering both economic cost and fresh food safety loss. A calculation method for path division strategy is designed. A food safety value loss measurement function, a metric function of energy and heat conversion a measure function of carbon emission rate are employed by considering time-varying vehicle speeds, fuel consumptions, cost of temperature control, the loss of food safety reliability and carbon emissions from transportation and temperature control. The fresh food cold chain distribution vehicle routing problem model with time windows in time-varying road network is formulated based on the objective of the distribution cost and food safety value loss minimization. According to the characteristics of the model, an adaptive improved ant colony algorithm is designed. Finally, the experimental data show that the model can effectively avoid the congestion period, reasonably control the refrigeration temperature, reduce the distribution cost, and improve food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study on the hydraulic properties of coastal aquifers has significant implications both in hydrological sciences and environmental engineering. Although many analytical solutions are available, most of them are based on the same basic assumption that assumes aquifers extend landward semi‐infinitely, which does not necessarily reflect the reality. In this study, the general solutions for a leaky confined coastal aquifer have been developed that consider both finitely landward constant‐head and no‐flow boundaries. The newly developed solutions were then used to examine theoretically the joint effects of leakage and aquifer length on hydraulic head fluctuations within the leaky confined aquifer, and the validity of using the simplified solution, which assumes the aquifer is semi‐infinite. The results illustrated that the use of the simplified solution may cause significant errors, depending on joint effects of leakage and aquifer length. A dimensionless characteristic parameter was then proposed as an index for judging the applicability of the simplified solution. In addition, practical application of the general solution for the constant‐head inland boundary was used to characterize the hydraulic properties of a leaky confined aquifer using the data collected from a field site at the Seine River estuary, France, and the versatility of the general solution was further justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel discrete control strategy is proposed to improve power-capture performance of wave energy converters (WECs) with a hydraulic power take-off (PTO) system. In this novel discrete control strategy, separate switching valves are introduced such that each chamber of hydraulic cylinders can be actively and independently connected to a high-pressure gas accumulator or a low-pressure gas accumulator by controlling the switching action of the switching valves. Thus, it increases the flexibility of the PTO system and makes the PTO system more controllable. The effectiveness of the novel discrete control on improving power-capture performance of a raft-type WEC and the optimal switching command of the switching valves for maximizing power capture are studied. Benefit brought by the novel discrete control is investigated in terms of power improvement and the control effect of the novel discrete control is compared with that of load control and latching control. Results show that the novel discrete control can effectively improve power-capture performance of the raft-type WEC and theoretically the corresponding benefit reaches a peak value of 2 and 2.5 in regular and irregular waves, respectively. The novel discrete control has an advantage over load control and can be complementary to latching control. • A novel discrete control is proposed to improve power capture of WECs. • Effectiveness and optimal switching command of the novel control are studied. • Benefit due to the novel control in terms of power improvement is investigated. • Controls effect of the novel control, load control and latching control are compared. • The novel control is superior to load control and complementary to latching control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we developed β-lactoglobulin nanofibrils by alkaline-thermal activation methods for Pb removal. The protein fibrils exhibited effective adsorption and selectivity for lead (II) removal, even with coexisting Ca2+/Mg2+/Na+ ions at higher concentrations. Kinetic results proved rapid Pb purification within 60 s. The nanofibrils effectively treated ∼22 m3 contaminated water/kg sorbent, far beyond effectiveness of a commercial ion exchange resin. The effluent from this process approached to the drinking water standard recommended by the World Health Organization (10 μg/L). These satisfactory performances can be ascribed to the ultrafine nanofibril structures and abundance of amino-acid species of protein. The simple fabrication and efficient performance of these nanofibrils make them highly capable of alleviating Pb contamination problems. Image 1 • We developed β-lactoglobulin nanofibrils from Whey protein. • It exhibited a rapid Pb removal in 60 s. • It revealed favorable adsorption and superior selectivity. • Outstanding treated capacity of 22 m3 water/kg sorbent with regenerated property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant receptor-like kinases (RLKs) are important players in response to pathogen infections. Verticillium and Fusarium wilts, caused by Verticillium dahliae ( Vd ) and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp vasinfectum ( Fov ), respectively, are among the most devastating diseases in cotton ( Gossypium spp). To understand the cotton response to these soil-borne fungal pathogens, we performed a genome-wide in silico characterization and functional screen of diverse RLKs for their involvement in cotton wilt diseases. We identified Gossypium hirsutum GhWAK7A, a wall-associated kinase, that positively regulates cotton response to both Vd and Fov infections. Chitin, the major constituent of the fungal cell wall, is perceived by lysin-motif-containing RLKs (LYKs/CERK1), leading to the activation of plant defense against fungal pathogens. A conserved chitin sensing and signaling system is present in cotton, including chitin-induced GhLYK5-GhCERK1 dimerization and phosphorylation, and contributes to cotton defense against Vd and Fov Importantly, GhWAK7A directly interacts with both GhLYK5 and GhCERK1 and promotes chitin-induced GhLYK5-GhCERK1 dimerization. GhWAK7A phosphorylates GhLYK5, which itself does not have kinase activity, but requires phosphorylation for its function. Consequently, GhWAK7A plays a crucial role in chitin-induced responses. Thus, our data reveal GhWAK7A as an important component in cotton response to fungal wilt pathogens by complexing with the chitin receptors., (© 2020 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.)