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Soil functional genes in grasslands are crucial for processes like nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, methane production, and oxidation, integral to nitrogen and methane cycles. However, the impact of global changes on these genes is not well understood. We reviewed 84 studies to examine the effects of nitrogen addition (N), warming (W), increased precipitation (PPT +), decreased precipitation (PPT-), and elevated CO2 (eCO2) on these functional genes. For nitrogen cycling, global changes mainly boost genes involved in nitrification but reduce those in denitrification, with nirK being the most sensitive. Most nitrogen fixation-related genes did not show a significant response. Among single factors, N and PPT + have the most significant effects. The impact of global changes on nitrogen cycling genes is largely additive, and their interaction with N is particularly influential. For methane cycling, global changes notably affect mcrA, while only PPT + significantly reduces pmoA. The magnitude and duration of global change treatments are more critical than the treatment form for nitrogen cycling genes. For methane cycling, the form and intensity of nitrogen addition, along with treatment duration, affect pmoA abundance. We also identified a competitive relationship between methane oxidation and nitrification and a complex coupling with denitrification. This study provides new insights into microbial responses in nitrogen and methane cycling under global changes, with significant implications for experimental design and management strategies in grassland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The augmentation of transactional volume within carbon emissions trading systems (ETS) is widely acknowledged as an efficacious mechanism for ensuring the efficient distribution of resources and financial support to corporations, significantly influencing their financing limitations. Despite its relevance, this subject has garnered scant attention in scholarly discourse. This research utilizes a panel dataset comprising Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2019, applying the difference-in-differences approach to examine the correlation between the magnitude of carbon emissions trading in regional ETS pilots and the evolution of financial constraints. Our analysis reveals that a 1% escalation in carbon transaction volume correlates with a 0.1885% reduction in the financial constraints encountered by companies. This phenomenon is particularly salient among smaller enterprises in the eastern provinces and second-tier urban centers, and those engaged in the primary and secondary sectors. Moreover, our principal results demonstrate resilience across various sensitivity analyses, encompassing common trend scrutiny and alternative methodologies like propensity score matching estimation. The research further delves into the underlying mechanisms by which carbon trading can mitigate a firm's fiscal pressures. Our examination identifies investment in intangible assets, improved carbon performance, and liquidity enhancement as key conduits. These findings carry substantial policy implications, advocating for governmental initiatives to bolster corporate engagement in ETS, thereby easing financial burdens while concurrently advancing environmental regulation and low-carbon transformation objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implementing quantum communication between space-separated local networks is essential for designing global quantum networks. In this study, we propose quantum teleportation and remote state preparation schemes between users of two space-separated local networks established by continuous-variable multipartite entangled states. In the proposed schemes, the quantum nodes belonging to the two distant local networks are first entangled by entanglement swapping, and then quantum communication protocols are realized. We show that quantum teleportation between any two users belonging to space-separated local networks can be realized with the assistance of other users, and squeezed thermal states can be remotely prepared in one local network by performing a homodyne projective measurement on the state in another distant local network. Our results provide a feasible approach for quantum communication between space-separated quantum networks with multipartite entangled states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Grassland ecosystems in ecologically fragile areas have experienced severe degradation due to global climate change and intensified human activities. However, responses of grassland ecosystems to degradation in different ecologically fragile areas remain unclear. Methods: We applied a meta-analysis approach to examine data about vegetation biomass, soil physicochemical properties, and soil microorganisms across different degradation stages in two ecologically fragile areas: Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and Northern Agro-pastoral Ecotone (NAPE). Results: Grassland degradation leads to reduction in vegetation biomass, and loss of soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). However, the response of soil potassium (K) to degradation isn't significant in NAPE. Physicochemical properties of soil on QTP exhibit a higher sensitivity to grassland degradation than those in NAPE. Model analysis results suggest mean annual precipitation (MAP), ecosystem type, and soil depth are primary factors contributing to differences in soil physicochemical properties between QTP and NAPE. Within different ecologically fragile areas, changes in enzyme activities are more pronounced, with general decline in soil sucrase (SR) activity, greater sensitivity of urease (URE) to degradation on QTP, and higher sensitivity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in NAPE. Further analysis reveals that the main influencing factors of enzyme activity are different in the QTP and the NAPE. Conclusions: In summary, grassland degradation is a result of the coordinated degradation of vegetation, soil, and microorganisms, displaying variations across different ecologically vulnerable regions and degradation stages. An in-depth investigation of these differences and their driving factors can facilitate the accurate assessment of grassland degradation and formulation of restoration strategies tailored to different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Exogenous Adenosine Antagonizes Excitatory Amino Acid Toxicity in Primary Astrocytes" published in the journal Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology. The correction addresses errors in Figure 3A and a typo in the funding section. The corrected version of Figure 3 is provided, showing the effects of gap junction intercellular communication in the OGD/R model. The funding section has also been corrected. The original article has been updated. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, the interplay between ecosystem services and human well-being in Seni district, which is a pastoral region of Nagqu city on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is investigated. Employing the improved InVEST model, CASA model, coupling coordination model, and hierarchical clustering method, we analyze the spatiotemporal patterns of ecosystem services, the levels of resident well-being levels, and the interrelationships between these factors over the period from 2000 to 2018. Our findings reveal significant changes in six ecosystem services, with water production decreasing by 7.1% and carbon sequestration and soil conservation services increasing by approximately 6.3% and 14.6%, respectively. Both the habitat quality and landscape recreation services remained stable. Spatially, the towns in the eastern and southern areas exhibited higher water production and soil conservation services, while those in the central area exhibited greater carbon sequestration services. The coupling and coordination relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being improved significantly over the study period, evolving from low-level coupling to coordinated coupling. Hierarchical clustering was used to classify the 12 town-level units into five categories. Low subjective well-being townships had lower livestock breeding services, while high subjective well-being townships had higher supply, regulation, and support ecosystem services. Good transportation conditions were associated with higher subjective well-being in townships with low supply services. We recommend addressing the identified transportation disparities and enhancing key regulatory and livestock breeding services to promote regional sustainability and improve the quality of life for Seni district residents, thus catering to the diverse needs of both herdsmen and citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The government corruption and resource misallocation are important factors that inhibit economic transformation and environmental governance. Using a study sample of 30 provinces in China, this study employs the spatial econometric methods and threshold model to investigate the relationship between regional corruption, resource misallocation, and CO2 emission. The results show that there is a clear spatial dependence and correlation of CO2 emissions. Government corruption is a neglected contributor to carbon emissions, and this promotion effects are attributed to a promotion in resource misallocation. Moreover, the CO2 emissions are significantly promoted by local labor misallocation and capital misallocation, and the increasing effect is more pronounced in areas with high corruption. For spatial spillover effects, there is also no evidence that local CO2 emissions are significantly promoted by capital misallocation of surrounding areas. Additionally, the promoting effect of corruption on CO2 emissions is more pronounced in regions with weak environmental regulation, low marketization process, and the central and western of China. This work elucidates the mechanism of the impact of corruption on environmental pollution from the perspective of resource allocation, and provides an important reference for the effective management of environmental pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building a sustainable energy system and achieving sustainable economic growth has always been China's development goal. However, under the promotion incentive and information asymmetry, local governments may choose to sacrifice the ecological environment to maintain expected economic growth goals. This paper analyzes the relationship between economic growth targets and green energy efficiency (GEE) by using panel data models and spatial econometric techniques. Moreover, the mediation effect model and threshold effect model are used to study their influence mechanism and the possible nonlinear relationship. The results indicate that economic growth targets reduce the efficiency of GEE. The impact of environmental regulation on GEE is "U" shaped. Environmental regulation plays a positive moderation role between economic growth targets and GEE. Additionally, higher levels of technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and environmental regulation result in a reduction in the negative effects of economic growth targets on the GEE. However, the improvement in the foreign direct investment can increase the negative influences of economic growth targets on the GEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous advancement of the technological revolution and industrial transformation, environmental governance supported by digital finance has become an important engine for achieving carbon neutrality. Based on panel data from 30 provinces in China, this study discusses the spatial spillover effect and transmission mechanism between digital finance and environmental pollution. Our research results confirm that the inhibitory effect of digital finance on local environmental pollution gradually increases with the improvement of digital finance. Interestingly, digital finance has a significant positive spatial spillover effect on environmental pollution in surrounding areas. The mediating effect shows that digital finance can alleviate environmental pollution by improving technological innovation, industrial upgrading and industrial structure rationalization. A higher degree of marketization and governmental support can increase the positive influences of digital finance on pollution reduction. This research proves the effectiveness of digital finance in improving environmental governance, and it encourages policy-makers around the world to rely on digital finance to promote ecological governance and achieve high-quality economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is now moving toward a scalable and secure QKD network, which establishes secret keys among network users. The continuous-variable (CV) and discrete-variable (DV) QKD systems are currently being developed in parallel and are all used in QKD networks. We propose here a hybrid QKD network, in which the CV QKD system is used to build metropolitan QKD networks, and the DV QKD system is used to connect metropolitan QKD networks. The hybrid QKD network takes advantage of high secret key rates for CV QKD systems and long distance for DV QKD systems. We also present a feasible hybrid measurement-device-independent (MDI) QKD network, which combines both CV and DV MDI QKD systems. The presented hybrid QKD networks meet the low cost and compact requirement of a realistic QKD network and provide a feasible solution for future real QKD networks by combining the advantages of both CV and DV QKD systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Accelerated grassland degradation due to global climate change and intensified human activities necessitates green and sustainable ecological restoration measures. Microbial and organic fertilizer composites have shown positive effects in agricultural soil improvement. However, the effects on soil nutrient cycling and plant growth of microbial inoculants alone or in combination with organic fertilizers on the multifunctionality of natural ecosystems remain unclear.This study explores the effects of Bacillus subtilis, Azotobacter salinestris, and Claroideoglomus lamellosum (added alone or in all possible combinations), applied in conjunction with organic fertilizers at different inoculation levels on the physicochemical properties of degraded soil, microbial factors, and Leymus chinensis plant biomass through pot experiments.Results indicate that combining organic fertilizers with B. subtilis, A. salinestris, and C. lamellosum enhances soil nutrient availability. Compared to single organic fertilizer treatments, all mixed inoculation schemes increased nutrient uptake. The combined inoculation of A. salinestris and C. lamellosum is most effective, resulting in a remarkable 465% increase in belowground biomass and significantly enhancing soil nutrient content, particularly with increases of 247% in NH + 4-N and 348% in NO- 3-N. Soil enrichment with external nutrients can influence the strength of their interactions with different factors.The study demonstrates that co-inoculation of bacteria and fungi has a synergistic effect on increasing plant biomass and soil nutrient availability. This provides essential ecological theories and practical scientific evidence for using microorganisms to improve the ecological functions of degraded grasslands, maintain soil health, and ensure the sustainable development of grasslands.Methods: Accelerated grassland degradation due to global climate change and intensified human activities necessitates green and sustainable ecological restoration measures. Microbial and organic fertilizer composites have shown positive effects in agricultural soil improvement. However, the effects on soil nutrient cycling and plant growth of microbial inoculants alone or in combination with organic fertilizers on the multifunctionality of natural ecosystems remain unclear.This study explores the effects of Bacillus subtilis, Azotobacter salinestris, and Claroideoglomus lamellosum (added alone or in all possible combinations), applied in conjunction with organic fertilizers at different inoculation levels on the physicochemical properties of degraded soil, microbial factors, and Leymus chinensis plant biomass through pot experiments.Results indicate that combining organic fertilizers with B. subtilis, A. salinestris, and C. lamellosum enhances soil nutrient availability. Compared to single organic fertilizer treatments, all mixed inoculation schemes increased nutrient uptake. The combined inoculation of A. salinestris and C. lamellosum is most effective, resulting in a remarkable 465% increase in belowground biomass and significantly enhancing soil nutrient content, particularly with increases of 247% in NH + 4-N and 348% in NO- 3-N. Soil enrichment with external nutrients can influence the strength of their interactions with different factors.The study demonstrates that co-inoculation of bacteria and fungi has a synergistic effect on increasing plant biomass and soil nutrient availability. This provides essential ecological theories and practical scientific evidence for using microorganisms to improve the ecological functions of degraded grasslands, maintain soil health, and ensure the sustainable development of grasslands.Results: Accelerated grassland degradation due to global climate change and intensified human activities necessitates green and sustainable ecological restoration measures. Microbial and organic fertilizer composites have shown positive effects in agricultural soil improvement. However, the effects on soil nutrient cycling and plant growth of microbial inoculants alone or in combination with organic fertilizers on the multifunctionality of natural ecosystems remain unclear.This study explores the effects of Bacillus subtilis, Azotobacter salinestris, and Claroideoglomus lamellosum (added alone or in all possible combinations), applied in conjunction with organic fertilizers at different inoculation levels on the physicochemical properties of degraded soil, microbial factors, and Leymus chinensis plant biomass through pot experiments.Results indicate that combining organic fertilizers with B. subtilis, A. salinestris, and C. lamellosum enhances soil nutrient availability. Compared to single organic fertilizer treatments, all mixed inoculation schemes increased nutrient uptake. The combined inoculation of A. salinestris and C. lamellosum is most effective, resulting in a remarkable 465% increase in belowground biomass and significantly enhancing soil nutrient content, particularly with increases of 247% in NH + 4-N and 348% in NO- 3-N. Soil enrichment with external nutrients can influence the strength of their interactions with different factors.The study demonstrates that co-inoculation of bacteria and fungi has a synergistic effect on increasing plant biomass and soil nutrient availability. This provides essential ecological theories and practical scientific evidence for using microorganisms to improve the ecological functions of degraded grasslands, maintain soil health, and ensure the sustainable development of grasslands.Conclusions: Accelerated grassland degradation due to global climate change and intensified human activities necessitates green and sustainable ecological restoration measures. Microbial and organic fertilizer composites have shown positive effects in agricultural soil improvement. However, the effects on soil nutrient cycling and plant growth of microbial inoculants alone or in combination with organic fertilizers on the multifunctionality of natural ecosystems remain unclear.This study explores the effects of Bacillus subtilis, Azotobacter salinestris, and Claroideoglomus lamellosum (added alone or in all possible combinations), applied in conjunction with organic fertilizers at different inoculation levels on the physicochemical properties of degraded soil, microbial factors, and Leymus chinensis plant biomass through pot experiments.Results indicate that combining organic fertilizers with B. subtilis, A. salinestris, and C. lamellosum enhances soil nutrient availability. Compared to single organic fertilizer treatments, all mixed inoculation schemes increased nutrient uptake. The combined inoculation of A. salinestris and C. lamellosum is most effective, resulting in a remarkable 465% increase in belowground biomass and significantly enhancing soil nutrient content, particularly with increases of 247% in NH + 4-N and 348% in NO- 3-N. Soil enrichment with external nutrients can influence the strength of their interactions with different factors.The study demonstrates that co-inoculation of bacteria and fungi has a synergistic effect on increasing plant biomass and soil nutrient availability. This provides essential ecological theories and practical scientific evidence for using microorganisms to improve the ecological functions of degraded grasslands, maintain soil health, and ensure the sustainable development of grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air pollution is an important factor affecting the quality and sustainability of the development of China's economy, and urban sprawl is also a typical by-product of the non-intensive development of urban land. At the same time, Chinese-style fiscal decentralization promotes urban sprawl through top-down yardstick competition, which has a serious impact on air pollution. Therefore, exploring the effect of fiscal decentralization and urban sprawl on air pollution is of great significance for regulating local government behavior, curbing urban sprawl, and accurately identifying the causes of air pollution. The dynamic spatial Durbin model with economic geography weight matrix is employed to analyze the direct and moderating effects of fiscal decentralization and urban sprawl on air pollution on the basis of 269 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2018. The results show that air pollution has a significant retarded time effect and space spillover effect. Both fiscal decentralization and urban sprawl have contributed significantly to air pollution. The moderating effect of urban sprawl and fiscal decentralization on air pollution is significantly positive. From the short-term effects, the coefficients of the total spillover effect, direct spillover effect, and indirect spillover effect of urban sprawl and fiscal decentralization on air pollution are significantly positive, respectively. In terms of long-term effects, the total spatial spillover effect of urban sprawl and fiscal decentralization on air pollution is significantly negative, while the direct and indirect effects of those are negative but not significant. Further research finds that there is significant regional heterogeneity in the influence of urban sprawl and fiscal decentralization on air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deterioration of environmental quality caused by fossil energy use, the research on energy internet and energy misallocation is of critical relevance to achieve low-carbon sustainable development. However, we find that the relevant research that analyzes energy internet and energy misallocation on carbon emissions under the same framework is ignored. For this purpose, the generalized method of moments (GMM), panel threshold model, and spatial analysis (deviation ellipse, hotspot analysis, and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR)) model were applied to investigate the impact of energy internet and energy misallocation on carbon emissions using panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2004 to 2018. The major statistical results include the following: (1) energy misallocation significantly contributes to carbon emissions, while energy internet inhibits carbon emissions. Energy internet can negatively moderate the positive effect of energy misallocation on carbon emissions. (2) The effect of energy misallocation on carbon emissions reveals an inverted "U-shaped" characteristic of first promoting and later inhibiting, but the inhibiting effect is insignificant. Moreover, the marginal effect of energy misallocation on carbon emissions decreases when the energy internet crosses the second thresholds consecutively, while the marginal effect of the energy internet on carbon emissions shows an inverted "N" shape. (3) Compared with the under-allocated regions, the promotion effect of energy misallocation on carbon emissions and the inhibitory effect of energy internet on carbon emissions are stronger in the over-allocated regions, while the energy internet has a more significant negative moderating effect on energy misallocation. (4) The gravity center of China's carbon emissions gradually shifts to the northwest with time. The longitude of the gravity center (east–west direction) changes greatly, while the latitude of the gravity center (north–south direction) changes less. Besides, the carbon emission hotspot regions centered on Shanxi spread to the neighboring provinces, which form a high-high agglomeration region, and the cold spot region dominated by Qinghai, Guangxi, and Guangdong forms low-low agglomeration characteristics. Finally, the GTWR model shows that the impact of energy internet and energy misallocation on carbon emissions shows significant hierarchical, banded, or block-like characteristics in spatial distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion: We prepared and distributed the polarization squeezed light through a 20 km fiber channel. After this distribution, a polarization squeezed light with −0.57 dB squeezing is still observed. We demonstrate that the quantum variance of Ŝ3 and Ŝ2 decreases with the increase in the fiber length, while the variance of Ŝ1 increases, because of the increase in the loss and excess noise. By introducing the technique of suppressing decoherence into the distribution experiment, the transmission distance of the polarization squeezed light can be extended further. Our work thus takes a crucial step toward enabling future practical applications based on polarization squeezed light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the digital economy develops rapidly and the network information technology advances, new development models represented by the network economy have emerged, which have a crucial impact on green economic growth. However, the relevant previous studies lacked the role of analyzing the direct and indirect effects of internet development on green economic growth at the prefecture-level city level. For this purpose, this paper aims to examine the intrinsic mechanism of the impact of internet development on green economic growth and provide empirical support for cities and regions in China to increase internet construction. Furthermore, the mixed model (EBM), which includes both radial and non-radial distance functions, is applied to calculate the green economic growth index. Fixed effect model and mediation effect model are also employed to test influence mechanisms of the internet development on green economic growth using panel data of 269 prefecture-level cities in China from 2004 to 2019. The statistical results reveal that internet development has contributed significantly to green economic growth. When the internet development level increases by 1 unit, the green economic growth level increases by an average of 5.0372 units. However, regional heterogeneity is evident between internet development and green economic growth, that is, the promoting effect of internet development on green economic growth is gradually enhanced from the eastern region to the western region. We also find that internet development guides industrial structure upgrading improves environmental quality and accelerates enterprise innovation, which indirectly contributes to green economic growth. And internet development mainly achieves green economic growth through enterprise innovation. Based on the above findings, we concluded that policymakers should not only strengthen the guiding role of social actors to promote the stable development of the internet industry, but also foster the construction of the three models of "internet+industry integration," "internet+environmental governance," and "internet+enterprise innovation" to promote green economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is currently undergoing an important stage wherein it is adjusting its development mode and upgrading its industrial structure. Green investment has become a major driving force through which China can achieve green and sustainable development. Based on the panel data of 30 Chinese provinces for the 2006–2017 period, this paper uses a spatial Durbin model and a dynamic threshold model to empirically analyze the impact of green investment and institutional quality on environmental pollution. The research results show that China's environmental pollution is significantly characterized by spatial dependence. Local environmental pollution is negatively impacted by green investment, but it is not affected by green investment in neighboring areas; this conclusion remains valid after a series of robustness tests. Green investment can reduce environmental pollution by improving efficiency of energy conservation and emission reduction, expanding technological innovation capabilities and upgrading the industrial structure. The regression results of the dynamic threshold model show that green investment has a nonlinear impact on environmental pollution that is dependent on institutional quality. A higher degree of regional corruption can lead to a gradual decrease in the role of green investment in reducing environmental pollution. However, improvements in marketization and intellectual property protection can increase the positive influence of green investment in reducing environmental pollution. Significant regional heterogeneity is also found in the impact of green investment on environmental pollution, and this impact gradually decreases from the eastern coast to the western region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excitatory toxicity is still a hot topic in the study of ischemic stroke, and related research has focused mainly on neurons. Adenosine is an important neuromodulator that is known as a "biosignature" in the central nervous system (CNS). The protective effect of exogenous adenosine on neurons has been confirmed, but its mechanism remains elusive. In this study, astrocytes were pretreated with adenosine, and the effects of an A2a receptor (A2aR) inhibitor (SCH58261) and A2b receptor (A2bR) inhibitor (PSB1115) on excitatory glutamate were investigated. An oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and glutamate model was generated in vitro. Post-model assessment included expression levels of glutamate transporters (glt-1), gap junction protein (Cx43) and glutamate receptor (AMPAR), Na+-K+-ATPase activity, and diffusion distance of dyes. Glutamate and glutamine contents were determined at different time points. The results showed that (1) adenosine could improve the function of Na+-K+-ATPase, upregulate the expression of glt-1, and enhance the synthesis of glutamine in astrocytes. This effect was associated with A2aR activation but not with A2bR activation. (2) Adenosine could inhibit the expression of gap junction protein (Cx43) and reduce glutamate diffusion. Inhibition of A2aR attenuated adenosine inhibition of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in the OGD/R model, while it enhanced adenosine inhibition of GJIC in the glutamate model, depending on the glutamate concentration. (3) Adenosine could cause AMPAR gradually entered the nucleus from the cytoplasm, thereby reducing the expression of AMPAR on the cell membrane. Taken together, the results indicate that adenosine plays a role of anti-excitatory toxicity effect in protection against neuronal death and the functional recovery of ischemic stroke mainly by targeting astrocytes, which are closely related to A2aR. The present study provided a scientific basis for adenosine prevention and ischemic stroke treatment, thereby providing a new approach for alleviating ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depth-image-based rendering is an efficient way to produce content for 3D video and free viewpoint video. However, since the background that is occluded by the foreground objects in the reference view may become visible in the synthesized view, disocclusions are produced. In this paper, a disocclusion-type aware hole filling method is proposed for disocclusion handling. Disocclusions are divided into two types based on the depth value of their boundary pixels: foreground-background (FG-BG) disocclusion and background-background (BG-BG) disocclusion. For FG-BG disocclusion, the depth values of the associated pixels are optimized in the reference image to ensure the removal of ghosts and adaptively divide the disocclusion into some small holes. For BG-BG disocclusion, a foreground removal method is applied to remove the corresponding foreground objects. The removed regions are filled with the surrounding background textures so that the BG-BG disocclusion in the synthesized image can be eliminated. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method outperforms the other methods in the objective and subjective evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, an increasing number of Listeria monocytogenes strains with resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) have been reported. However, the genetic basis for QACs resistance in L. monocytogenes remains poorly understood. In the present study, we have characterized the operon lmo0852/lmo0853/lmo0854 (designated sugR/sugE1/sugE2) that contributes to QACs' resistance in L. monocytogenes EGD-e. We constructed the gene deletion mutants and the complemented strains, determined minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of these strains against antimicrobial agents, assessed the transcription levels of target genes by RT-qPCR, and measured the promoter activity by using β-galactosidase assays. We also investigated the interaction between the promoter DNA and the putative regulatory protein by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The sug operon consists of a putative TetR family regulator encoded by sugR and two small multidrug resistance (SMR) efflux pumps encoded by sugE1 and sugE2. Our results showed that either SugE1 or SugE2 is sufficient for QACs' resistance, indicating their function overlapping in QACs' resistance. Interestingly, lacking one sugE gene could lead to a significant increase in transcription of the other sugE gene in the presence of benzalkonium chloride (BC). Additionally, SugR negatively regulates the transcription of the sug locus by binding to the operon promoter. Given that QACs are commonly used in food industry, the findings from this study will help us to have a better understanding of the adaptations of L. monocytogenes to this type of disinfectant. Key points •Either SugE1 or SugE2 was sufficient for QACs resistance. •The functions of two sug genes overlap and compensate each other in QACs resistance. •SugR is the transcriptional suppressor of sugE1 and sugE2. •SugR regulates the sug locus by binding to the operon promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an important driving force for economic growth and technological innovation, but it also brings environmental pollution problems along with economic development. From the perspective of technological innovation, the impact of FDI on China's environmental pollution deserves further study. With the spatial econometric tools employed to account for the potential spatial dependence of environmental pollution, this study uses the panel data of 30 province-level units in China from 1998 to 2016 to investigate the impact of FDI and technological innovation on environmental pollution. The results show that increased FDI can reduce environmental pollution, confirming the existence of the "pollution halo hypothesis"; technological innovation can reduce the emissions of sulfur dioxide and smoke dust but increase the chemical oxygen demand. Therefore, vigorous introduction of foreign capital is good for sustainable development for government, but it is also necessary to pay attention to screening and identifying environment-friendly enterprises with advanced production technology and management experience and to reject high-pollution and high-energy-consuming enterprises eliminated by developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Differential impacts of degradation on grassland ecosystems in the Tibetan Plateau and the Northern agro-pastoral ecotone: A meta-analysis" published in the journal Plant & Soil. The correction addresses an error in the original article regarding the affiliation of one of the authors, Jingyi Dong. The correct affiliation is provided in the correction notice. The original article has been corrected, and the publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral in terms of jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]