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Smallholder farmers produce one-third of the world's food and over 80% of China's; therefore, they must be at the forefront of developing a sustainable food system. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from these farms cannot be ignored. In this study, we created an agricultural environmental impact evaluation framework for China based on a localized database through an extensive survey. The survey was based on face-to-face interviews by 120 investigators with 1015 smallholders in 100 villages within Chinese major agricultural regions. The GHG emissions of each smallholder farmer's staple grain production was assessed on a case-by-case basis. Structural equation models were used to analyze the influence paths of production behavior. The results showed that GHG emissions from smallholder grain production exceeded average global levels. Despite some regional differences, synthetic fertilizers were the main source of GHG emissions from all farm inputs. Increased farm size can reduce nitrogen fertilizer use. The GHG emissions can be reduced by 203.59–279.90 Tg CO2eq, and profits would increase by 62.05–92.42 billion CNY in China, when all smallholders are managed in the same way as the top 25% or 10% of outstanding producers without applying higher nitrogen fertilizer application than the national recommendation. It is urgent and necessary for smallholders to change production practices to reduce their reliance on fertilizers to achieve climate goals.

Biosensors play a significant role in biomedical, clinical and disease diagnosis areas. Here, we proposed Langmuir adsorption model to explain sensing mechanism of biosensor based on excessively tilted fiber grating (Ex-TFG) functionalized with graphene oxide (GO). Due to GO containing plenty of six-membered rings and oxygen-containing groups, the biomolecules can be easily adsorbed through π-π interaction and hydrogen bond. The whole interaction process obeys the Langmuir adsorption model in which there always an equilibrium during detecting process, inducing the sensor with adjustable bio-sensitivity and detection range. Three biosensors based on Ex-TFG coated with three different amount of GO were investigated for hemoglobin (Hb) detection experiment, showing pronounced bio-interaction induced resonance shifts. The experiment results indicate that GO coating could enhance the surface biological activity of Ex-TFG, making the Ex-TFG sensitive to the Hb biomolecule solutions. The three GO coated Ex-TFG sensors have the bio-sensitivity of 3.83 nm/(mg/ml), 4.33 nm/(mg/ml), and 8.21 nm/(mg/ml), and the detection range of 0.8 mg/ml, 0.6 mg/ml and 0.4 mg/ml, respectively, which are in good agreement with the prediction from the Langmuir adsorption model. By controlling the amount of the bio-functionalized materials, the bio-sensitivity and detection range of the Ex-TFG based biosensors can be easily adjusted.

Biosensors play a significant role in biomedical, clinical and disease diagnosis areas. Here, we proposed Langmuir adsorption model to explain sensing mechanism of biosensor based on excessively tilted fiber grating (Ex-TFG) functionalized with graphene oxide (GO). Due to GO containing plenty of six-membered rings and oxygen-containing groups, the biomolecules can be easily adsorbed through π-π interaction and hydrogen bond. The whole interaction process obeys the Langmuir adsorption model in which there always an equilibrium during detecting process, inducing the sensor with tunable bio-sensitivity and detection range. Three biosensors based on Ex-TFG coated with three different amount of GO were investigated for hemoglobin (Hb) detection experiment, showing pronounced bio-interaction induced resonance shifts. The experiment results indicate that GO coating has enhanced the surface biological activity of Ex-TFG, making the Ex-TFG sensitive to the Hb biomolecule solutions. The three GO coated Ex-TFG sensors have the bio-sensitivity of 3.83 nm/(mg/ml), 4.33 nm/(mg/ml), and 8.21 nm/(mg/ml), and the detection range of 0.8 mg/ml, 0.6 mg/ml and 0.4 mg/ml, respectively, which are in good agreement with the prediction from the Langmuir adsorption model. By controlling the amount of the bio-functionalized materials, the bio-sensitivity and detection range of the Ex-TFG based biosensors can be easily designed.

In this note, we present perturbation analysis for the T-product based tensor singular values defined by Lu et al. First, the Cauchy's interlacing-type theorem for tensor singular values is given. Then, the inequalities about the difference between the singular values of two matrices proposed by Mirsky are extended to tensor cases. Finally, we introduce some useful inequalities for the singular values of tensor products and sums.

This paper derives the CS decomposition for orthogonal tensors (T-CSD) and the generalized singular value decomposition for two tensors (T-GSVD) via the T-product. The structures of the two decompositions are analyzed in detail and are consistent with those for matrix cases. Then the corresponding algorithms are proposed respectively. Finally, T-GSVD can be used to give the explicit expression for the solution of tensor Tikhonov regularization. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of T-GSVD in solving image restoration problems.

Xiaoxia Guo, 1,* Jie Mei, 1,* Chunping Zhang 2 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 2The Center of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Great Master Diagnostics Co. Ltd, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Chunping ZhangThe Center of Clinical Laboratory, Sichuan Great Master Diagnostics Co. Ltd, No. 8, Anhe the Second Road, Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Chengdu 611731, Sichuan, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-189 8008 6040Email zcpcn7894@163.comPurpose: Multifunctional drug delivery systems (DDS) are emerging as a new strategy to highly treat malignant tumors. The aim of this study is to develop a drug dual-carriers delivery system (DDDS) using the natural protein ferritin (FRT) and a nanoscale graphene oxide (NGO) as dual-carriers.Methods: The FRT is a pH-sensitive hollow cage protein with disassembly and reassembly properties and the NGO has a large surface area and a photothermal effect by which it can load and release drugs under near-infrared irradiation (NIR). Due to these unique features, the NGO loaded the anticancer drug resveratrol (RSV) and the conjugated mitochondrion targeted molecule IR780 as IR780-NGO-RSV (INR), the first drug delivery platform. Next, the INR was capsulated by FRT to form the DDDS INR@FRT which was applied for synergistic photothermal-chemotherapy of ovarian cancer.Results: Through a series of characterizations, INR@FRT showed a uniform nanosphere structure and remarkable stability in physiological condition. Heat/pH 5.0 was confirmed to trigger RSV release from the INR@FRT. After taken up by cells, INR@FRT located to the lysosomes where the acidic environment triggered INR release. INR targeted the mitochondrion and released RSV to directly react with organelles, which in turn decrea

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization, and thermal stability of cation-exchange membranes based on naphthalenic copolyimides. To improve the mechanical stability, the membranes were cross-linked through the reaction of sulfonic acid groups with hydrogen atoms of activated phenyl groups located in neighboring chains using appropriate catalysts. The ion-exchange capacity of the membranes is higher than 2 meq/(g of dry membrane), and the number of molecules of water per ion-exchange group lies in the vicinity of 20. The response of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) to electrical perturbation fields in a wide range of frequencies was measured, and the equivalent electrical circuit governing the response is discussed. The conductivity of the MEAs at 75 °C is of the order of 10-2 S/cm. Hydrogen crossover in the membranes was determined by electrochemical measurements and the permeability coefficient of the gas in the membranes determined. Finally, the single cell exhibits a fair performance, the power of the cell at 75 °C being only 225 mW/cm2 or lower, at 0.5 V.

A series of sulfonated diamines were synthesized which were further used to obtain relevant sulfonated naphthalenic copolyimides. Tough and ductile membranes were cast from solutions of the copolyimides in dimethylsulfoxide, which exhibit high ion-exchange capacity and high water uptake. The protonic conductivity of the membranes equilibrated with water lies in the range 1.0−8.6 S/m, at 25 °C, being of the same order of magnitude as that reported for perfluorinated acidic membranes. The values of the transport number of protons and sodium ions are close to the unit for very dilute electrolyte solutions, but they lie in the range 0.80−0.90 for moderate concentrations. The membranes exhibit rather high electroosmotic permeability. The similarity of the diffusion coefficients of protons and water in the membranes suggests that the Grottus mechanism governs the protonic conductive process in the acidic membranes equilibrated with water.

Recent target validation studies have shown that inhibition of the protein interaction between annexin A2 and the S100A10 protein may have potential therapeutic benefits in cancer. Virtual screening identified certain 3,4,5-trisubstituted 4H-1,2,4-triazoles as moderately potent inhibitors of this interaction. A series of analogues were synthesized based on the 1,2,4-triazole scaffold and were evaluated for inhibition of the annexin A2–S100A10 protein interaction in competitive binding assays. 2-[(5-{[(4,6-Dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)sulfanyl]methyl}-4-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)sulfanyl]-N-[4-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]acetamide (36) showed improved potency and was shown to disrupt the native complex between annexin A2 and S100A10.

Recent target validation studies have shown that inhibition of the protein interaction between annexin A2 and the S100A10 protein may have potential therapeutic benefits in cancer. Virtual screening identified certain 3,4,5-trisubstituted 4H-1,2,4-triazoles as moderately potent inhibitors of this interaction. A series of analogues were synthesized based on the 1,2,4-triazole scaffold and were evaluated for inhibition of the annexin A2–S100A10 protein interaction in competitive binding assays. 2-[(5-{[(4,6-Dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)sulfanyl]methyl}-4-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)sulfanyl]-N-[4-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]acetamide (36) showed improved potency and was shown to disrupt the native complex between annexin A2 and S100A10.

Recent target validation studies have shown that inhibition of the protein interaction between annexin A2 and the S100A10 protein may have potential therapeutic benefits in cancer. Virtual screening identified certain 3,4,5-trisubstituted 4H-1,2,4-triazoles as moderately potent inhibitors of this interaction. A series of analogues were synthesized based on the 1,2,4-triazole scaffold and were evaluated for inhibition of the annexin A2–S100A10 protein interaction in competitive binding assays. 2-[(5-{[(4,6-Dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)sulfanyl]methyl}-4-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)sulfanyl]-N-[4-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]acetamide (36) showed improved potency and was shown to disrupt the native complex between annexin A2 and S100A10.

Recent target validation studies have shown that inhibition of the protein interaction between annexin A2 and the S100A10 protein may have potential therapeutic benefits in cancer. Virtual screening identified certain 3,4,5-trisubstituted 4H-1,2,4-triazoles as moderately potent inhibitors of this interaction. A series of analogues were synthesized based on the 1,2,4-triazole scaffold and were evaluated for inhibition of the annexin A2–S100A10 protein interaction in competitive binding assays. 2-[(5-{[(4,6-Dimethylpyrimidin-2-yl)sulfanyl]methyl}-4-(furan-2-ylmethyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)sulfanyl]-N-[4-(propan-2-yl)phenyl]acetamide (36) showed improved potency and was shown to disrupt the native complex between annexin A2 and S100A10.