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Spin-polarized charge endows conventional lasers with not only new functionalities but also reduced lasing thresholds thanks to the lifting of spin degeneracy. II-VI and III-V semiconductors have been extensively investigated as spin laser gain mediums; however, the degree of polarization is limited by the light hole and heavy hole degeneracy. Herein, we evaluate the potential of CsPbBr

Comparing three Chinese translations of Amy Tan’s novel The Kitchen God’s Wife (1991), this article explores gender issues in Chinese translations of Chinese American women’s literature from a feminist perspective. Using the feminist concept of female alienation, it explores how feminist consciousness and sexual alienation caused by marital sexual violence in the source text are expressed in the Chinese translations, and how far the translations achieve (feminist) translation equivalence. Special attention is paid to the translators’ gender consciousness and ideologies, as reflected in their translations, in order to explore the role played by gender in the translation of women’s writing.

Blue-emitting heavy-metal free QDs simultaneously exhibiting photoluminescence quantum yield close to unity and narrow emission line widths are essential for next-generation electroluminescence displays, yet their synthesis is highly challenging. Herein, we develop the synthesis of blue-emitting QDs by growing a thin shell of ZnS on ZnSe cores with their size larger than bulk Bohr diameter. The bulk-like size of ZnSe cores enables the emission to locate in the blue region with a narrow emission width close to its intrinsic peak width. The obtained bulk-like ZnSe/ZnS core/shell QDs display high quantum yield of 95% and extremely narrow emission width of ∼9.6 nm. Moreover, the bulk-like size of ZnSe cores reduces the energy level difference between QDs and adjacent layers in LEDs and improves charge transport. The LEDs fabricated with these high-quality QDs show bright pure blue emission with an external quantum efficiency of 12.2% and a relatively long operating lifetime.

Defects in a semiconductor dictate the carrier transport and recombination ability, which are critical factors that influence the power conversion efficiency in solar cells. In this study, we demonstrate that the introduction of tellurium is able to fine tune the atomic ratio of Se/Sb in Sb2Se3 thin films, both Se-rich and Sb-rich Sb2Se3 are obtained. Using fine-tuned device fabrication and deep level defect spectroscopy for characterization, we experimentally disclose that Se-rich Sb2Se3 favors the formation of SeSb and VSb defects, while Sb-rich films benefit the formation of SbSe and VSe defects. With an appropriate excess of Se in Sb2Se3, a net efficiency improvement of 2% is obtained when compared with pristine Sb2Se3 based solar cells. Our study provides an effective strategy to manipulate the defect formation in Sb2Se3 solar cells and inspires further improvement in the efficiency of Sb2Se3 solar cells.

This article examines the so-called “grid governance” scheme, a widely used grassroots governance strategy implemented in urban China in recent years. Drawing on data collected in multiple cities from 2011 to 2016, it analyses in what ways, and to what extent, the state employs the grid governance scheme to resolve neighbourhood conflicts and reinforce governance in Chinese urban middle-class neighbourhoods. The findings highlight complex interactions under the scheme among the residents, the state and market actors in neighbourhood governance, including the resident volunteers, residents’ social groups, residents’ committees and property management companies. By coopting middle-class resident volunteers, maximizing the existing political influence of the retired urban elites, and establishing Party organizations in middle-class residential communities, the grid governance scheme has become a major vehicle for resident mobilization and conflict resolution, and a key governance mechanism to reinforce the Party's leadership in middle-class neighbourhoods.

The spread of folk music culture of ethnic minorities can not only make national culture more famous, but also increase the identity of the people of the whole country to the traditional culture of the Chinese nation and enhance the influence of the Chinese culture in the world. China's information technology is constantly developing and improving, and the mode of information dissemination has been continuously innovated and developed with the application of big data technology. The innovation of information communication mode is a double-edged sword, which not only brings opportunities for the dissemination of minority music culture, but also brings heavy challenges. If ethnic culture music wants to get out of this predicament, it can only use new media and big data technology to spread national music culture in combination with the background of the present era. Through the application research in the field of ethnomusicology, this paper puts forward the method which is helpful to the dissemination of music culture, in the hope that the music culture of ethnic minorities can flourish.

This paper examines the mechanisms of deliberation and conflict resolution in Chinese urban middle-class residential communities. Along with the rise of private home ownership and urban middle-class residential estates, disputes and conflicts have risen between the residents, resident self-elected organization (homeowner associations), real estate developer and property management companies, and the local government. Through the lens of deliberation in middle-class neighborhoods, this paper analyzes (1) how and to what extent deliberation is introduced and employed as an instrumental tool by the local government to achieve their goal of maintaining social stability. (2) In what ways and to what extent deliberation has served as part of governance strategies. And (3) whether and how the state and non-state actors interact with each other during this process to produce more democratic governance under the Party-state's authoritarian rule. This paper adopts a systemic approach to examine authoritarian deliberation as a neighborhood governance strategy. The findings suggest that (1) deliberation has become an instrumental tool for conflict resolution introduced by the local government to middle-class neighborhoods. Residents’ Committees, on behalf of the state, has become key coordinator and mediator during the deliberation process. (2) The systemic approach of authoritarian deliberation includes a mix of deliberative elements and other features of political culture, traditions, strategies, and institutions. The dynamic interactions between deliberation and authoritarianism, between deliberative and non-deliberative features, and between formal deliberative meetings and informal deliberative talks all contribute to a functional deliberative system.

Myostatin (MSTN) is an important gene involved in the regulation of embryonic muscle cells and adult muscle development; it has a good application prospect in transgenic animal production by improving the yield of muscle. The purpose of this study is to construct MSTN gene knockout vector using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats ( CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 ( Cas9). The knockout efficiency was evaluated in sheep ear fibroblasts (SEFs) by cleavage activity of transcription of guide RNA ( gRNA), luciferase-single-strand annealing assay, T7 endonuclease I assay (T7E1), and TA clone sequence (10/38); and above all, detection showed that the cleavage activity of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MSTN reached 29%. MSTN-Cas9/gRNA4 was transfected into sheep skeletal muscle satellite cell (sSMSC) to confirm the function of MSTN in myotomes formation induced by starvation in low-serum medium. The results showed that myotubes formation efficiency were 11.2 ± 1.3% and 19.5 ± 2.1% in the control group and knockout group, respectively. The average length of myotomes was 22 ± 5.3 and 47 ± 3.6 μm, displaying that MSTN knockout can promote sSMSC differentiation in number and length. The unlabeled MSTN-Cas9/gRNA4 was transfected into SEFs and monoclonal positive cells was obtained after 48 hours transfection. The MSTN-positive cells were used as donor cells to perform somatic cell nuclear transplantation to produce transgenic sheep. A total of 20 embryos were transplanted into surrogate mothers, four of them normally produce offspring. The genomic DNA of surviving lambs were used as a template, three positive individuals were identified by T7E1 digestion. All the results demonstrated that the CRISPR/Cas9 system has the potential to become an important and applicable gene engineering tool in animal breeding.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are being intensively investigated for the design of advanced composite membranes, primarily due to their favorable polymer affinity, and highly tunable porous structure and surface properties. However, the development of engineered MOF-based ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for water treatment remains in its infancy. In the present study, hydrophilic hollow zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (hZIF-8) was meticulously synthesized via surface functionalization-assisted etching approach by using tannic acid (TA), and then incorporated into polysulfone (PSf) casting solution to fabricate novel hybrid UF membranes via phase inversion method. The resultant hZIF-8 not only possessed a highly hydrophilic surface derived from the coated TA but also yielded a unique hollow structure without destroying the intrinsic frameworks. Thanks to the well-tailored surface property and nanostructure of hZIF-8, the obtained PSf/hZIF hybrid UF membranes showed highly improved water permeation (597 L m−2 h−1), which was 2.8 times that of the pristine PSf membrane (210 L m−2 h−1), while well maintaining the rejection property. What's more, the incorporation of hZIF-8 rendered the membrane with enhanced resistance to fouling. These results indicated the great application potential of such MOF/polymer hybrid UF membranes in wastewater treatment and separation in many industrial fields.

Since 2011 China’s new nationwide system of neighborhood aged care has invited nonstate organizations to carry out aged care provision in urban residential communities. This article examine...

It is of great necessity to achieve a proton exchange membrane (PEM) with high proton conductivity and low methanol permeability for the practical applications. Nafion modified carbon dots (NCDs) with multi-functional groups were successfully synthesized via the pyrolysis of citric acid (CA) with the existence of Nafion. The modification process is motivated by the hydrophilicity-to-hydrophobicity transformation of CA as well as the non-covalent hydrophilic-hydrophobic interaction during the pyrolysis procedure. Multi-functionalized NCDs with moderate hydrophilicity influence the aggregation structure of Nafion matrix of the composite membranes and effectively enhance the high-temperature water retention ability. Both the proton conductivity and the methanol resistance ability of the composite PEMs are significantly enhanced. 0.5-NCD-0.5 Nafion composite PEM presents a 5–10 times increase in proton conductivity and 50% percent decrease in methanol permeability than that of recast Nafion.

In the current study, Nafion is adopted as a dispersant for assisting the water-phase exfoliation of MoS2. The completely ionized hydrophilic sulfonic groups and hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene backbone permit strong non-covalent bonding interactions between Nafion and exfoliated nanosheets for stabilization and functionalization to obtain Nafion–modified MoS2 (N-MoS2) nanocomposites. These interactions are stable in different pH environments. The concentration of Nafion influences the exfoliation efficiency and the size of the exfoliated nanosheets. N–MoS2/Nafion composite membranes are prepared. The N-MoS2 nanocomposite exhibits good dispersibility in a Nafion matrix, benefitting from the functionalization of Nafion. The N-MoS2/Nafion composite membrane shows excellent near-infrared light-controllable multi-shape-memory performance with convenient operation. The Nafion-assisted water-phase exfoliation method shows good efficiency, convenient operation, environmental benignity, and broad application potential.

To obtain proton exchange membrane (PEM) with high proton conductivities under both high humidity and anhydrous condition, interconnected UiO-66-NH 2 was tethered onto graphene oxide (GO) surfaces, and then incorporated into Nafion matrix. Thanks to tethering effect of GO surfaces and interconnection among MOF grains, well interconnected metal-organic framework (MOF) structures (GO@UiO-66-NH 2 ) were constructed. The structural advantage and mechanism of GO@UiO-66-NH 2 in proton conduction were explored. It was found the synergistic effect between GO and UiO-66-NH 2 with suitable particle size was especially important for promoting proton transfer. Such interconnected structure of MOF on GO also made acid/base pair pathways between –SO 3 H of Nafion and –NH 2 of GO@UiO-66-NH 2 more consecutive. This was favorable to proton conduction via both vehicle mechanism and Grotthuss mechanism. The proton conductivity of the as-prepared composite membrane reached up to 0.303 S/cm under 90 °C, 95% RH, and 3.403×10 −3 S/cm under anhydrous condition, which was about 1.57 and 1.88 times higher than that of the recast Nafion (0.118 S/cm and 1.182×10 −3 S/cm), respectively. Furthermore, the composite membrane showed a reduced methanol permeability, which was attributed to the barrier effect of the two-dimensional GO and the trapping of methanol by UiO-66-NH 2 pores.

In this study, two functionalized metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), UiO-66-SO3H and UiO-66-NH2, were synthesized. Then, different composite proton exchange membranes (PEMs) were prepared by single doping and codoping of these two MOFs, respectively. It was found that codoping of these two MOFs with suitable sizes was more conducive to the proton conductivity enhancement of the composite PEM. A synergistic effect between these two MOFs led to the the formation of more consecutive hydration channels in the composite PEM. It further greatly promoted the proton conductivity of the composite PEM. The proton conductivity of the codoped PEM reached up to 0.256 S/cm under 90 °C, 95% RH, which was ∼1.17 times higher than that of the recast Nafion (0.118 S/cm). Besides, the methanol permeability of the codoped PEM was prominently decreased owing to the methanol trapping effect of the pores of these two MOFs. Meanwhile, the high water and thermal stabilities of these two MOFs were beneficial to the high proton conductivity stability of the codoped PEM under high humidity and high temperature. The proton conductivity of the codoped PEM was almost unchanged throughout 3000 min of testing under 90 °C, 95% RH. This work provides a valuable reference for designing different functionalized MOFs to synergistically promote the proton conductivities of PEMs.

A facile method to prepare high-performance Nafion slightly reduced graphene oxide membranes (N-srGOMs) via vacuum filtration is proposed. The long-range connected ionic nanochannels in the membrane are constructed via the concentration-dependent self-assembling of the amphiphilic Nafion and the hydrophilic–hydrophobic interaction between graphene oxide (GO) and Nafion in water. The obtained N-srGOM possesses high proton conductivity, and low methanol permeability benefitted from the constructed unique interior structures. The proton conductivity of N-srGOM reaches as high as 0.58 S cm–1 at 80 °C and 95%RH, which is near 4-fold of the commercialized Nafion 117 membrane under the same condition. The methanol permeability of N-srGOM is 2.0 × 10–9 cm2 s–1, two-magnitude lower than that of Nafion 117. This novel membrane fabrication strategy has proved to be highly efficient in overcoming the “trade-off” effect between proton conductivity and methanol resistance and displays great potential in DMFC application.

Nafion-boron nitride (NBN) nanocomposites with a Nafion-functionalized periphery are prepared via a convenient and ecofriendly Nafion-assisted water-phase exfoliation method. Nafion and the boron nitride nanosheet present strong interactions in the NBN nanocomposite. Then the NBN nanocomposites were blended with Nafion to prepare NBN Nafion composite proton exchange membranes (PEMs). NBN nanocomposites show good dispersibility and have a noticeable impact on the aggregation structure of the Nafion matrix. Connected long-range ionic nanochannels containing exaggerated (-SO3-)n ionic clusters are constructed during the membrane-forming process via the hydrophilic and H-bonding interactions between NBN nanocomposites and Nafion matrix. The addition of NBN nanocomposites with sulfonic groups also provides additional proton transportation spots and enhances the water uptake of the composite PEMs. The proton conductivity of the NBN Nafion composite PEMs is significantly increased under various conditions relative to that of recast Nafion. At 80 °C-95% relative humidity, the proton conductivity of 0.5 NBN Nafion is 0.33 S·cm-1, 6 times that of recast Nafion under the same conditions.

As part of the Reproducibility Project: Cancer Biology, we published a Registered Report (Li et al., 2015), that described how we intended to replicate selected experiments from the paper ‘The microRNA miR-34a inhibits prostate cancer stem cells and metastasis by directly repressing CD44’ (Liu et al., 2011). Here we report the results. We found the microRNA, miR-34a, was expressed at twice the level in CD44+ prostate cancer cells purified from xenograft tumors (LAPC4 cells) compared to CD44- LAPC4 cells, whereas the original study reported miR-34a was underexpressed in CD44+ LAPC4 cells (Figure 1B; Liu et al., 2011). When LAPC4 cells engineered to express miR-34a were injected into mice, we did not observe changes in tumor growth or CD44 expression; however, unexpectedly miR-34a expression was lost in vivo. In the original study, LAPC4 cells expressing miR-34a had a statistically significant reduction in tumor regeneration and reduced CD44 expression compared to control (Figure 4A and Supplemental Figures 4A,B and 5C; Liu et al., 2011). Furthermore, when we tested if miR-34a regulated CD44 through binding sites in the 3’UTR we did not find a statistically significant difference, whereas the original study reported miR-34a decreased CD44 expression that was partially abrogated by mutation of the binding sites in the CD44 3’UTR (Figure 4D; Liu et al., 2011). Finally, where possible, we report meta-analyses for each result.

Zn-ion batteries stand out as an energy storage solution for the large-scale equipment because of the security, nontoxicity as well as relatively low cost. In this work, assembling GO with Mn3O4 at low temperature can not only construct a well-defined nanoscale crystallization, but also surmount the poor electrochemical performance of pure Mn3O4. The typical Mn3O4/GO composites exhibit a stable discharge capacity of 215.6 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1. At high current density of 1 A g−1, the cathode can also exhibit an excellent and satisfactory cycling stability of 85.0% after 500 cycles. It distinctly reveals that this work not only provides a simple strategy to create a well-defined nanoscale crystallization with transition metal oxides, but also make fully utilize to the synergistic effects of the porous structure of the nanoscale Mn3O4 and GO, which presents a promising cathode material for Zn-ion batteries.

The objectives of the present study were to screen for key gene and signaling pathways involved in the production of male germ cells in poultry and to investigate the effects of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway on the differentiation of chicken embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into male germ cells. The ESCs, primordial germ cells, and spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) were sorted using flow cytometry for RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. Male chicken ESCs were induced using 40 ng/mL of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4). The effects of the TGF-β signaling pathway on the production of chicken SSCs were confirmed by morphology, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and immunocytochemistry. One hundred seventy-three key genes relevant to development, differentiation, and metabolism and 20 signaling pathways involved in cell reproduction, differentiation, and signal transduction were identified by RNA-seq. The germ cells formed agglomerates and increased in number 14 days after induction by BMP4. During the induction process, the ESCs, Nanog, and Sox2 marker gene expression levels decreased, whereas expression of the germ cell-specific genes Stra8, Dazl, integrin-α6, and c-kit increased. The results indicated that the TGF-β signaling pathway participated in the differentiation of chicken ESCs into male germ cells.

The present study established an efficient genome editing approach for the construction of stable transgenic cell lines of the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Our objectives were to facilitate the breeding of high-yield, high-quality chicken strains, and to investigate gene function in chicken stem cells. Three guide RNA (gRNAs) were designed to knockout the C2EIP gene, and knockout efficiency was evaluated in DF-1 chicken fibroblasts and chicken ESCs using the luciferase single-strand annealing (SSA) recombination assay, T7 endonuclease I (T7EI) assay, and TA clone sequencing. In addition, the polyethylenimine-encapsulated Cas9/gRNA plasmid was injected into fresh fertilized eggs. At 4.5 d later, frozen sections of the embryos were prepared, and knockout efficiency was evaluated by the T7EI assay. SSA assay results showed that luciferase activity of the vector expressing gRNA-3 was double that of the control. Results of the T7EI assay and TA clone sequencing indicated that Cas9/gRNA vector-mediated gene knockdown efficiency was approximately 27% in both DF-1 cells and ESCs. The CRISPR/Cas9 vector was also expressed in chicken embryos, resulting in gene knockdown in three of the 20 embryos (gene knockdown efficiency 15%). Taken together, our results indicate that the CRISPR/Cas9 system can mediate stable gene knockdown at the cell and embryo levels in domestic chickens.

Japan and China offer two interesting case studies of Asian “deliberative turn” and represent different potential paths to deliberative democracy in Asia. Japanese public deliberation promises to deepen democracy within a liberal democratic system, while Chinese deliberative processes may have the potential to introduce democratic moments into an authoritarian system. In this chapter we aim to develop an understanding of how two key East Asian contexts, Japan and China, are developing deliberative institutions. We examine their cultural, institutional, and historical features, discuss the driving forces, characteristics, and patterns of deliberative institutions, and investigate the impact of Confucian culture. To apply the systematic approach we also examine the potential for deliberative capacity building, as well as assess the prospects for deliberative democracy in East Asia.

Batch experiments were conducted to investigate the adsorption characteristics of tetracycline (TC), and the interactive effects of copper (Cu) on the adsorption of TC onto water hyacinth roots. TC removal efficiency by water hyacinth roots was ranging from 58.9% to 84.6%, for virgin TC, 1:1 TC-Cu and 1:2 TC-Cu. The Freundlich isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted the adsorption data well. Thermodynamics parameters ΔG0 for TC were more negative in the TC plus Cu than the TC-only treatments, indicating the spontaneity of TC adsorption increased with increasing of Cu concentrations. An elevated temperature was associated with increasing adsorption of TC by water hyacinth roots. The additions of Cu(II) significantly increased TC adsorption onto water hyacinth roots within the pH range 4 to 6, because copper formed a strong metal bridge between root surface and TC molecule, facilitating the adsorption of TC by roots. However, Cu(II) hindered TC adsorption onto water hyacinth roots on the whole at pH range from 6–10, since the stronger electrostatic repulsion and formation of CuOH+ and Cu(OH)2. Therefore, the interaction between Cu(II) and TC under different environmental conditions should be taken into account to understand the environmental behavior, fate, and ecotoxicity of TC.

Background Studies of the association between the interleukin-1β gene (IL-1β) (+ 3953C/T, − 511T/C) and interleukin-6 gene (IL-6) (− 174G/C) polymorphisms and susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) have yielded inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between these polymorphisms and TB risk by this meta-analysis. Methods We systematically searched published literatures on IL-1β gene and IL-6 gene polymorphisms and tuberculosis risk by the PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Elsevier Science Direct and Cochrane Library databases, and identified outcome data from all articles. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 12.0. A total of 15 studies comprising 3983TB patients and 3996 controls were included in the present study. Results We found that the IL-6 − 174C/G polymorphism might be associated with decreased risk of TB (C vs. G: OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.64–0.91; CG vs. GG: OR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.57–0.90; CC + CG vs. GG: OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.57–0.88). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, significantly decreased risk were observed for IL-1β − 511T/C polymorphism in Africans (C allele vs. T allele: OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.74–0.99; CC vs. TT: OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.55–0.99). Moreover, the IL-6 − 174 C/G polymorphism was also associated with decreased risk of TB in Asians (C vs. G: OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.54–0.93; CG vs. GG: OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.44–0.85; CC + CG vs. GG: OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.46–0.86). We also performed the analyses by sample types in IL-6 − 174 C/G polymorphism, and significant decreased TB risk was observed in pulmonary tuberculosis group (C allele vs. G allele: OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.52–0.93; CG vs. GG: OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.52–0.91; CC + CG vs. GG: OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.55–0.93), and pulmonary tuberculosis plus extra-pulmonary tuberculosis mixed group (CC vs. GG: OR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.22–0.88; CC vs. CG + GG: OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.25–0.94). Conclusions This meta-analysis indicates that the IL-1β − 511T/C polymorphism is associated with TB decreased risk in Africans, and IL-6 − 174C/G polymorphism in Asians. Further well-designed, large scale studies are required to confirm this conclusion.

Herein, a free-radical scavenger platform was first utilized to prepare self-cleaning ultrafiltration membranes. First, a polydopamine (PDA) layer was attached onto the surface of a polysulfone (PSf) supporting membrane via dopamine׳s self-polymerization. Then, amine-functionalized TiO2 (TiO2-NH2) nanoparticles were chemically bonded with the PDA layer via amine-catechol adduct formation. Consequently, a self-protected TiO2/PDA/PSf composite ultrafiltration membrane with self-cleaning property was obtained. The photocatalytic TiO2 was decorated on the TiO2/PDA/PSf surface. Compared with the conventional TiO2+PSf membrane prepared by a blending method, the TiO2/PDA/PSf membrane enlarged the contact area between the photocatalytic nanoparticles and contaminants and hence had improved efficiency of photocatalytic degradation. In addition, the interlayer PDA, acting as a free-radical scavenger, protected the PSf supporting membrane from being attacked by free radicals during UV irradiation. Therefore, such a sandwich-like structure bestowed both good self-cleaning property and performance stability upon the TiO2/PDA/PSf ultrafiltration membrane. We found that the TiO2/PDA/PSf ultrafiltration membrane still possessed excellent permeability and separation ability even after a nine-day UV irradiation, while the performance of the TiO2+PSf one began to deteriorate after only one-day UV irradiation. Therefore, we believe that the free-radical scavenger platform is a promising approach to prepare self-cleaning membranes with good performance stability.

China's urbanization has created a large number of urban villages which, although they have been transferred to urban administration, have maintained their collective economies. Using a comparative perspective, this article investigates how villagers, the village collectives and the urban administration organize community governance in three urban villages on the fringes of the cities of Guangzhou, Wuhan and Shenyang. The findings suggest that successful village collective shareholding companies play a leading role in community governance by providing villagers with economic and social welfare, subsidizing community administration services, and mobilizing residents. The comparative analysis also shows that village shareholding companies employ different mechanisms based on the varied histories of their village collective economies, the ability of the village collectives to mobilize resources, and the degree to which the village collectives are engaged in the grassroots administrative structure. The article argues that the “not rural but not urban” governance mode of the urban villages illustrates China's fragmented urbanization planning. At the same time, it illuminates the dynamics of state–society relations during China's urbanization and how landless villagers and village collectives respond to urban transformation by adopting different strategies to preserve their individual and collective interests.

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) form the foundation for spermatogenesis and sustain male fertility. To explore the regulatory mechanisms of chicken SSCs generation, we obtained highly purified chicken embryonic stem cells (ESCs), primordial germ cells (PGCs) and SSCs by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). High-throughput analysis methods (RNA-Seq) were used to sequence the transcriptome level of these cells. Gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were used to analyze RNA-Seq results. BMP4 was used to induce chicken ESCs differentiation to SSCs-like cells in vitro. The quantitative real-time (qRT)-PCR was used to detect the expression changes of the key genes. The results showed that 22 relevant critical pathways were found by RNA-Seq, one of them was the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway. Total of 103 related genes were detected in this pathway. Protein-protein interactions analysis found that 87 proteins were significantly related to 19 key proteins in this pathway. These 87 proteins were enriched in 21 biological processes and 18 signaling pathways. Moreover, during the differentiation of chicken ESCs to SSCs-like cells induced by BMP4 in vitro , JAK2 and STAT3 were activated. The qRT-PCR results showed that the expression trends of JAK2 and STAT3 were basically the same as in vivo. We concluded that JAK/STAT signaling pathway plays an important role in the process of chicken SSCs generation both in vivo and in vitro ; it may achieve its function through multiple biological processes and other related pathways.

This study was aimed at identifying the active control area of chicken DAZL gene core promoter, to screen optimum inducers of the DAZL gene, thus to enhance the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into spermatogonial stem cells. Fragments of chicken DAZL gene promoter were cloned into fluorescent reporter plasmids and transfected into DF-1 cells. Then Dual-Luciferase® Reporter Assay System was used to identify the activity of the DAZL gene under different inducers. Our studies showed that the DAZL core promoter region for the Suqin yellow chicken was −383 to −39 bp. The dual-luciferase® reporter showed that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), a retinoic acid receptor alpha agonist (tamibarotene/Am80), or estradiol (E2) could significantly enhance DAZL transcription. The in vitro inductive culture of chicken ESCs demonstrated that, with ATRA treatment, DAZL transcription peaked at 6 days and then decreased slowly, whereas, DAZL transcription was continuous and peaked at 10 days with Am80 treatment. E2 treatment significantly increased DAZL expression after 8 days. All three treatments were associated with the appearance of male germ cell (MGC)-like cells on day 10. These results provide the optimum inducer screening of the DAZL gene and lay the foundation for further screening of compounds that can induce the differentiation of ESCs into MGCs in vitro.