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Background: The mechanism of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (Malat1) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is still unclear. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-141-3p and Malat1 in autophagy in TNBC under hypoxia. Method: The expression levels of Malat1 and miR-141-3p were detected via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The protein expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), HIF-2α, MMP9, p62 and LC3 were determined via western blotting. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect cell viability, while a Transwell assay to detect cell proliferation and invasion. A luciferase assay was used to confirm the relationship between Malat1 and miR-141-3p. Results: A significant increase was observed in the expression level of Malat1 and the autophagic activity in TNBC tissues and cells. The expression level of Malat1 was higher in a hypoxic environment, which can significantly promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells by activating autophagy. HIF-1α, but not HIF-2α, was identified to induce the upregulation of Malat1 in TNBC cells. The dual-luciferase assay results identified a miR-141-binding site in Malat1. Malat1 knockdown and miR-141-3p overexpression were demonstrated to significantly inhibit autophagy, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Moreover, hypoxia can inhibit the effect of miR-141-3p on TNBC cells. Conclusion: miR-141-3p could suppress autophagy and inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting Malat1 in TNBC cells under hypoxia. The existence of the HIF-1α/Malat1/miR-141 axis plays a vital role in the development of TNBC and may be a target for the diagnosis and treatment of TNBC.

Ecological compensation policies for the watershed (ECPW) have played a guiding role in establishing a sound watershed ecological compensation system with Chinese characteristics, and the quantitative evaluation of current policies can provide a reference for policy optimization. Firstly, taking 77 ECPW promulgated in China from 2006 to 2020 as the research objects, this paper extracted keyword frequencies using a text mining method, and then selected the policy indicators by combining the policy characteristics and existing results of watershed ecological compensation. Secondly, the Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weights of the variables and improve the Policy Modeling Consistency Index (PMC-Index). Finally, the empirical analysis was conducted on six typical policies and the differences among P1, P3, and P5 at the three levels of the national, provincial, and municipal levels were further explored and compared. It was found that (1) the consistency evaluation of P1, P2, P3, and P4 were excellent levels, and that of P5 and P6 were acceptable levels. (2) The mean value of an improved PMC-Index of the six strategies was 0.6287, which indicated that the overall performance of the quality of ECPW was good, but still room for improvement. (3) The quality of China's ECPW showed a trend that the higher the level of government, the better the overall performance of the policy. The more targeted the ECPW, the lower the PMC index score, which is manifested in indicators such as incentive measures, policy mechanisms, policy areas, and policy functions. This study helps to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of China's single ECPW.

In the context of the high incidence of flooding disputes among neighboring subjects in the basin, exploring the drainage rights trading mechanism and clarifying the pricing method of drainage rights are new ideas to manage flooding disasters. In this study, the trading mechanism of drainage rights is constructed using a bilateral call auction model, in which the price constraint, the control total quantity constraint, the clearing rule, and the matching rule are explained. In addition, we adopt the wealth utility concept to construct a function, apply the social welfare function to associate the wealth utility functions of both sides of the transaction, and draw on the environmental Gini coefficient concept to construct a pricing model for drainage rights transactions based on fairness and efficiency. Finally, we conduct an arithmetic simulation of the drainage rights trading mechanism and transaction pricing for China’s Jiangsu section of the Huaihe River Basin. The study’s results show that the trading mechanism model can give the optimal trading scheme when multiple subjects are trading drainage rights. This fills the gap in existing studies and can lead to efficient trading of drainage rights. At the same time, the pricing model can give the optimal transaction price that considers efficiency and fairness, providing a more practical pricing theory for drainage rights trading.

The frequent occurrence of floods poses a serious threat to various aspects such as socio-economic development, ecological stability, and safety of people’s lives and properties. In order to reduce flood losses and improve the overall regional flood control efficiency, the DPSIR model is used to construct an index system affecting the allocation of drainage rights considering the characteristics and allocation principles of drainage rights. The objective and subjective weights determined by the hierarchical analysis and entropy method are optimally combined according to the game theory idea, and finally, the drainage rights allocation model of the game combination weight-improved matter-element extension model is constructed. In addition, this paper conducts a case study with data from 2017–2021 in the south Jiangsu canal region, and the results show that the drainage rights allocation is influenced by social, economic, and ecological aspects, among which the most influential are ecological and economic aspects; the drainage rights quota size from 2017–2021 is in the order of Wuxi, Suzhou, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang.

In this study, an FDR allocation scheme based on synergetic theory was designed to alleviate the drainage conflicts caused by the grabbing of flood drainage rights (FDR) in each region of the basin. An FDR allocation index system was constructed by employing synergetic theory and following the principles of safety, equity, efficiency, and sustainability. A new multi-criteria decision-making method, called FBWM-Grey-TOPSIS, was developed, which is based on the integration of the fuzzy best–worst method (FBWM) and Grey-TOPSIS. Among them, the FBWM method was used to distinguish the importance of subsystems and order parameters, and the Grey-TOPSIS method is applied to obtain the optimal FDR assignment results. Taking the Jiangsu section of the Sunan Canal as an example, the FDRs of the four regions in the basin were allocated. The results reveal that the proportion of FDRs obtained in descending order is Changzhou (32.69%), Suzhou (24.88%), Wuxi (23.01%), and Zhenjiang (19.42%). In addition, the performance of the proposed method is demonstrated by sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis with the existing methods. The methodology and research results presented in this paper can help governments and agencies achieve a scientific allocation of FDR in watersheds, thus promoting harmonious watershed development.

As an important auxiliary tool for amputees to gain abled limb functions, prosthetic limbs with decoration or feedforward control channel could not meet the needs. In order to enable the prosthesis to deliver the information, includes temperature, pressure, position, shape and so on, a variety of sensory feedback methods have been integrated into the prosthesis. According to the position of the feedback terminal on the human body, the perceptual feedback systems include invasive and noninvasive sensory feedback. This review presents the research progress of these perceptual feedback techniques, and summarizes the problems in the application in artificial limbs. Finally, the development trend of sensory feedback technology in prostheses is prospected.

Environmental problems - specifically relating to water - have become the key factors restricting sustainable development. To evaluate the performance of water environment, this study takes 31 provinces in China as the research area and constructs a water environment performance evaluation index system based on a DPSIR framework (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact and Response). The undesirable output slack measure model (SBM) is used to calculate the water environment performance of 31 provinces from 2005 to 2017. According to the study, the performance of the water environment in China shows a trend of decline, and the overall performance is low. The water environment performance in different provinces shows obvious differences. The Tobit model is then introduced to analyze the influence of indicators on water environment efficiency. The driving force indicators have significant negative effects on water environment performance. The pressure indicators have significant positive effects on the water environment performance. The state indicators play a significant role in promoting the improvement of water environment performance. With regard to the impact indicators, both industrial added value water consumption and GDP growth rate have significant negative effects on water environment performance. The impact of different response measures on water environment performance is inconsistent.

Contains fulltext : 216056.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access) The purpose of this study was to fabricate a low-immunogenicity fish collagen (FC) and bioactive nanohydroxyapatite (n-HA) enhanced poly(lactide- co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanofibrous membrane for guided bone regeneration (GBR) via electrospinning. The physicochemical properties and morphology study revealed that FC and n-HA particles were homogeneously dispersed in the PLGA fibrous matrix. Notably, the formation of enhanced polymeric chain network due to the interaction between FC and PLGA significantly improved the tensile strength of the PLGA membrane. The incorporation of FC altered the degradation behavior of fibers and accelerated the degradation rate of the PLGA-based membranes. Moreover, the membranes exhibited favorable cytocompatibility with bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and human gingiva fibroblasts (HGF) cells. More importantly, the optimized membrane satisfied the requirements of the 'Biological evaluation of medical devices' during the incipient biosafety evaluation. All the results indicate that this composite fibrous membrane exhibits significant potential for guided bone or tissue regeneration.

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Tang, Y.; Xu, J.; Zhou, F., and Sun, F., 2020. Construction of a primary market transaction mode for groundwater resources based on the principle of sustainable development: Jiangsu Province, China. In: Hu, C. and Cai, M. (eds.), Geo-informatics and Oceanography. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 105, pp. 195–198. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Chinese water resources are abundant yet remain insufficient per capita. Groundwater is thus becoming an important water resource. Taking Jiangsu Province as an example, this paper studies and constructs a sustainable trading mode for a groundwater primary market based on the principle of sustainable development. After examining different uses of groundwater, the study confirms that differentiated trading methods for water rights have been adopted since initial water resources allocation, combining a market mechanism with government regulation, and that the trade mode will promote win–win development of the economy and the environment.

To minimize losses caused by flooding of areas in a river basin, flood risk management may sacrifice the interests of some areas. Because of regional differences in natural and urban conditions, rankings of the urgencies of flood drainage rights allocations in different regions are of great practical significance to the realization of optimal allocations and reduction of damages. Based on the &ldquo, pressure&ndash, state&ndash, response&rdquo, (PSR) framework, this study designed an index system of flood drainage rights allocations in river basins for the comprehensive consideration of the different attributes of regional societies, environments, and technologies, as well as the differences in the quality of technical management and in the levels of social and economic development. A Pythagoras fuzzy TOPSIS method was used to evaluate the urgencies and determine the management of allocations in different areas. Eight cities in Jiangsu Province in the Huai River Basin were selected as the research objects. The results showed that pressure factors played dominant roles in the degrees of urgency. Among the cities, Nantong had the highest degree, followed by Taizhou, whereas Lianyungang had the lowest. The degrees in the central region of Jiangsu were higher than in the northern region.

in order to build fibrous bone tissue scaffolds for guided bone regeneration and to mimic the trilayer structure and the multifunctional properties of the natural periosteum, we fabricated two fibrous trilayer membranes by conjugate electrospinning technology, in which poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) fiber was designed as an outer layer, the mixed fibers of PCL and polyurethane (co-PUPCL) as the interlayer, and degradable polyurethane fibers with or without nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) as the inner layer (PUHA or PU). The microstructure and characteristics of the trilayer membranes were evaluated and different monolayer fibers were fabricated as the contrast samples. The tensile strength values of each layer increased from the inner layer to the outer layer in the designed structure, while the step-by-step electrospinning method produced good adhesion of different layers. Furthermore, the degradable properties and hydrophilicity of the layers changed with dissymmetric fibrous structures. Cell proliferation assay and cell morphology observation indicated that the PUHA inner fibrous layer exhibited better cell attachment and proliferation than PU. In addition, the osteogenicity of the PUHA fibrous layer has been attested through protein expression by the differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) into the osteogenic lineage. Cell infiltration testing on the two sides of the trilayer membranes in vitro and in vivo showed that the inner layer had good cellular penetration deep into the scaffolds, whereas the cells were barred by the outer layer. We have developed a trilayer structured membrane with different polymer fibers to replicate the natural periosteum by improving functional outcomes, which is a promising fibrous scaffold for clinical use in the repair of destroyed bone.

To solve the flood drainage conflict among different regions of the water basin when the flood occurs, it is of great significance to study the allocation of flood drainage rights. The allocation of flood drainage rights requires flood management departments to consider the influences of socioeconomic differences among different regions on flood control operations to realize sustainable development. Under the pattern of the total amount allocation of "watershed&ndash, administrative regions", the evaluation index system of flood drainage rights allocation incorporated four aspects: natural conditions, level of social development, level of economic development, and technology and management. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was used to calculate the weight coefficient of each allocation index and the initial distribution&rsquo, s proportion of the total amount in each region. Land area, population, gross domestic product (GDP), and sewage treatment capacity were selected as the evaluation indexes of the environmental Gini coefficient, and the environmental Gini coefficient method was used to evaluate and adjust the initial allocation of each region. Taking the allocation of flood drainage rights in the Taihu Basin as a case study, the final allocation results were obtained after initial allocation and feedback optimization. By evaluating the environmental Gini coefficient of each evaluation index, it is concluded that the final allocation could meet the requirements of fair allocation in each administrative region and be effectively implemented. Optimal allocation of the flood drainage rights in the Taihu Basin can contribute to overall flood control management, the reduction of flood disasters, and the stable development of society in the basin.

The Beijing&ndash, Tianji&ndash, Hebei region (BTHR) is economically developed and densely populated, but its water resources are extremely scarce. A clear understanding of the decoupling relationship between water footprint and economic growth is conducive to facilitating and realizing the coordinated development of water resources and economic growth in this region. This study calculated the water footprint and other related indicators of BTHR from 2004 to 2017, and objectively evaluated the utilization of water resources in the region. Then, logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) method was applied to study the driving factors that resulted in the change of water footprint and their respective effects. Finally, Tapio decoupling model was used to research the decoupling relationships between water footprint and economic growth, and between the driving factors of water footprint and economic growth. There are three main results in this research. (1) The water utilization efficiency in BTHR continues to improve, and the water footprint shows a gradually increasing trend during the research period, among which the agricultural water footprint accounts for a relatively high proportion. (2) The change of water footprint can be attributed to efficiency effect, economic effect, and population effect. Furthermore, efficiency effect is the decisive factor of water footprint reduction and economic effect is the main factor of water footprint increase, while population effect plays a weak role in promoting the increase in water footprint. (3) The decoupling status between water footprint and economic growth show a weak decoupling in most years, while the status between water footprint intensity and economic growth always remains strong decoupling. Moreover, population size and economic growth always show an expansive coupling state. In sum, it is advisable for policy makers to improve water utilization efficiency, especially agricultural irrigation efficiency, to raise residents&rsquo, awareness of water conservation, and increase the import of water-intensive products, so as to alleviate water shortage and realize the coordinated development of water resources and economic growth in BTHR.

As the economy in China enters the new normal, Public-Private Partnerships have been an important measure for alleviating financial tensions and improving the administrative efficiency of the government. Based on the mode of open tendering for the selection of social capital partners for the new profit project, the open tendering procedures were analyzed. In addition, based on an improved TOPSIS model, the evaluation index system for the selection conducts a comprehensive evaluation of six aspects: reputation and performance, water pricing factor, financing program, construction program, operation and maintenance program, and transfer program.

In this account, Ni-P coated diamond (NPCD) with different phosphorus contents was prepared by electroless plating, and Ni-Co-Mn/NPCD composite coatings were formed through electrodeposition. The effect of phosphorus content on NPCD suspension and wear resistance of Ni-Co-Mn/NPCD composite coatings were examined and compared with unmodified diamond particles. The morphology and the chemical composition of the as-prepared materials were determined by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), and the hardness was tested by Vickers tester. The volume wear rates and friction coefficients of the coatings were respectively evaluated by ball-on-disk testing machine. The results demonstrated that lower phosphorus contents in NPCD yielded better suspensions, and contributed to higher volume fractions in the composite coatings. The wear resistance of Ni-Co-Mn/LP-NPCD composite coatings was found superior to other NPCD samples and untreated diamonds. However, the latter was weakened as the phosphorus content increased in NPCD.

Transboundary water pollution is a long-standing problem in China, although the Chinese government has been committed to the protection of water resources. Due to the different interests of multilevel governments and the regionalization of management, there is still no unified plan to solve the transboundary water pollution in China. Watershed ecological compensation as a holistic plan to deal with transboundary water pollution is being promoted currently. Taking the South-to-North Water Transfer Project&rsquo, eastern route as an example, this paper firstly analyses stakeholders&rsquo, strategies and establishes a tripartite game model based on evolutionary game theory. Secondly, by introducing Cobb Douglas production function creatively, the supervision level of the central government is refined into supervisory attitude and supervisory skills. Thirdly, the numerical simulation is used to analyze the sensitivity of influencing factors. The results show that: (1) whether the central government supervises the local governments mainly depends on the benefits of water environment improvement and supervision costs, (2) the initial negotiation plan of the stakeholders has a significant impact on their optimum strategies, (3) the fines imposed by the central government on the local governments have a small impact on the stable state of the system, (4) the higher the eco-compensation fee, the lower their likelihood of cooperation, (5) the central government&rsquo, s supervisory attitude and supervisory skills have significant effect on the sustainability of the optimum arrangement, even when willingness of upstream and downstream governments to cooperate is low, (6) the initial ecological benefits of downstream governments have no effect on the optimum strategy. Therefore, considering these insights is helpful to improve the watershed ecological compensation mechanism in order to solve transboundary water pollution and achieve the sustainability of water resources.

As a way to coordinate the interests of multi-government and solve the problem of transboundary water pollution, watershed ecological compensation system has been promoted in China. It is necessary to understand the influencing factors of watershed ecological compensation from the perspective of how interactions occur between different governments. This paper analyses the interaction among upstream governments, downstream governments and the central government in the Eastern Route of South-to-North Water Transfer Project, using evolutionary game theory. In particular, how ecological benefits are distributed between upstream and downstream governments is analyzed. Simultaneously, numerical simulation is used to analyze the effects of influencing factors on governments' behaviors. The results show that: (1) the initial willingness of governments to corporate affect their final behaviors; (2) upstream and downstream governments cannot spontaneously cooperate to implement watershed ecological compensation system without supervision of the central government; (3) opportunity costs only have a significant impact on upstream governments; (4) punishment on downstream governments can effectively influence the behaviors of governments at all levels; (5) high ecological compensation fee improve downstream governments' willness not to pay; (6) upstream governments get about 78% of ecological benefits due to the implementation of watershed ecological compensation system.

In order to improve the processability of conductive polyurethane (CPU) containing aniline oligomers, a new CPU containing aniline trimer (AT) and l-lysine (PUAT) are designed and synthesized. Further, the 3D porous PUAT membranes have been prepared by a simple gel cooperated with freeze-drying method. Chemical testings and conductive properties testify a self- doping model of PUAT based on the rich electronic l-lysine and electroaffinity AT moities. The self-doping behavior further endows the PUAT copolymers specific characteristics such as high electrical conductivity and the formation of the polaron lattice like-structure in good solvent dimethyl sulfoxide. The combination of organogel and freeze-drying could prevent the collapse of pore structure when the copolymers are molded as membranes. The synergistic effect of l-lysine and AT components has a strong influence on the dissolution, degradation, thermal stability, and mechanical properties of PUAT. The excellent properties of PUAT would broad the application of conductive polymers in biomedicine field.

As an important system to solve cross regional water pollution, watershed ecological compensation has been widely used in the world. However, the existing studies mainly focus on the governments, while ignoring the important role of polluting enterprises in watershed ecological compensation. Thus, the established watershed ecological compensation mechanism is difficult to implement sustainably. Therefore, taking the local governments and polluting enterprises in the watershed as the research object, and studying the change process and influencing factors of their decision-making behavior is of great significance to attract polluting enterprises to join the watershed ecological compensation, and to formulate a sustainable watershed ecological compensation mechanism to solve the cross regional water pollution. Therefore, based on prospect theory and evolutionary game theory, this paper firstly establishes an evolutionary game model between local governments and polluting enterprises in Taihu Lake Basin; secondly, combined with simulation technology, their decision-making behaviors and influencing factors of watershed ecological compensation are studied. The results show that: (1) The initial probabilities will affect their decision-making behaviors; (2) The ecological compensation fee has little influence on the decision-making behaviors of polluting enterprises; (3) The increase of environmental tax rate has significant influence on the local governments’ decision-making behaviors with low initial probabilities; (4) The improvement of supervision ability can promote local governments and polluting enterprises to reach a stable state faster; (5) The marginal decreasing degree of value function has a stronger influence on local governments than on polluting enterprises. This paper can provide suggestions for local governments to build a sustainable watershed ecological compensation mechanism including polluting enterprises, and provide the scientific basis for decision-makers of polluting enterprises whether to join watershed ecological compensation.

For the first time, the influence of temperature on the elastic and thermodynamic properties of magnetostrictive material iron–gallium with cubic DO3, L12, and hexagonal DO19 structure was investigated by using the first-principles calculations combined with the quasi-harmonic approximation approach. Equilibrium volume as a function of temperature from phonon calculations were calculated to obtain temperature-dependent elastic and thermodynamic properties. The obtained lattice parameters and thermal expansion coefficient are in good accordance with available experimental data. In terms of calculated elastic properties, the adiabatic elastic constants and polycrystalline elastic modulus decrease with the increasing temperature. In addition, the three types Fe3Ga are mechanically stable at room temperature and maintain ductility nature with increasing temperature. However, it should be noted that the DO3 type Fe3Ga is more sensitive to temperature, while the elastic properties of L12 and DO19 type Fe3Ga exhibit a very gentle changing trend with increasing temperature. This indicates that L12 and DO19 type Fe3Ga can keep their mechanical properties through wide temperature range and have good temperature stability. In contrast, for Fe3Ga in DO3 structure, the elastic properties are not as stable as the L12 and DO19 structures when temperature is higher than 475 K.

We synthesised a series of ω -aminoalkyl sodium hydrogen phosphates (AAP- n -Na, n = 3, 4, 5, 6, purity > 99%), which have potential applications as bioactive cosmetic ingredients and surface modifiers of bone minerals ( i.e. hydroxyapatites). Results from Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high resolution mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis all matched their chemical structures. The acid dissociation constants (p K a's) of each AAP- n (acid form of AAP- n -Na, n = 2–6) were measured by potentiometric titration, showing a general increasing trend with an increase in the chain length of AAP- n . However, the p K a 3 constant, which corresponds to the deprotonation of the ammonium group in AAP- n -Na, displayed an unusual decrease when n = even. This odd–even effect can be explained by the pairwise self-association of AAP- n -Na molecules in water where intermolecular hydrogen bonding in case of n = even is weaker than that in case of n = odd. All AAP- n -Na at concentrations up to 0.1% (w/v) were non-toxic to L929 fibroblasts and MG 63 osteoblast-like cells in terms of cell growth and morphology. These basic data were important for applications of AAP- n and their salts in biomedical engineering.

The flower-like SnO 2 and a series of SnO 2 -graphene (S–G) composites have been synthesized through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. The as-prepared products were characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM, BET, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy. The results clearly revealed that the three-dimensional flower-like SnO 2 hierarchical structure was destroyed by graphene nanosheets. The possible growth models for flower-like SnO 2 and S–G composites were proposed based on the microstructure characterizations. Furthermore, the H 2 sensing responses of all samples were investigated at low operating temperatures (OT) between 30 and 180 °C. The results indicate that the S–G-2-based sensor exhibits the excellent H 2 sensing response of 87.2 at a relatively low OT of 150 °C, which is about 70 times higher than that of pure SnO 2 . Mechanism of H 2 sensing of S–G composite has been discussed in terms of resistance change, which is influenced by the Schottky barrier at the interface of S–G composites.

The polyurethane foam community has encountered increasing pressure to replace the ozone depleting and/or global warming blowing agents, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). In this study, a series of polypropylene glycol-grafted polyethyleneimines (PPG-PEIs) were synthesised with the grafting rate ranging from 9% to 19%. Their CO2 adducts (PPG-PEI–CO2s) are thermally instable and can release CO2 to blow polyurethanes, whose polymerisation is exothermic. A PPG grafting rate of about 11% (found in sample 1 : 9-PPG-PEI–CO2) is enough to homogenously disperse the blowing agent into polyurethane raw materials. The CO2 adducts with a PPG grafting rate of about 11–14% are particularly effective to decrease the foam density. The foams blown by 1 : 9-PPG-PEI–CO2 possess a thermal conductivity higher than those of traditional polyurethane foams (0.040 vs. 0.020–0.027 W m−1 K−1), hindering their application in thermal insulation. However, these new blowing agents are advantageous in zero emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as their climate friendliness. We believe these blowing agents can be used in thermally insulating foams in cars and aircraft where VOCs are strictly regulated.

An obturation biomaterial that possess inherent antibacterial activity has been developed to create a tight seal for the root canal space in treatment. Novel castor oil-based polyurethane sealers composited with different proportions of silver phosphate or zinc oxide nanoparticles were synthesized to investigate the physicochemical properties, antibacterial effect on Enterococcus faecalis, and cytotoxicity on murine fibroblasts compared with commercially available products. The results showed that the physical properties of all of the polyurethane sealers could meet with the standards expected. The microdilatancy character of the polyurethane sealers was particularly preferable for the three dimensional obturation of root canal space. Compared with the silver-loaded polyurethane series, the zinc-loaded polyurethane series showed better antibacterial properties based on the contact mode. Analysis of the kinetics indicated that the setting process of the polyurethane sealers supported a first-order reaction and the setting process was highly effective, with more than 90% of the isocyanate groups participating in the setting reaction within 12 h. This is beneficial for the rapid consumption of monomers, efficiently avoiding inflammation. The in vitro results showed that the polyurethane sealers loaded with zinc oxide nanoparticles or 1 wt% silver phosphate were desirable for cell attachment and proliferation compared with the commercial sealers. In conclusion, the castor oil-based polyurethane-zinc sealers, especially PU-Zn5, present good physicochemical and antibacterial properties and cytocompatibility, and could be a promising candidate for application in the field of root canal treatment.

The evaluation of the sustainable utilization of water resources is an important factor to measure whether the water resources can support the local coordinated development of population, economy and environment. Our study used Henan Province as the research area, which has a relative shortage of water resources (average water resources per capita, ≤400 m3). The Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, Response (DPSIR) model was used to construct the evaluation index system, utilizing the entropy weight method and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to determine the index weight. The sustainable utilization of water resources in 18 cities of Henan Province from 2006 to 2015 was evaluated using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) model. The results show a steady upward trend, from worst to general, but there is a great difference between each city. The overall level was still on the low side, and the influence of each subsystem in the comprehensive index of the sustainable utilization of water resources varies. The evaluation results are basically in line with the actual situation of economic and social development in Henan Province, which has a guiding significance for improving the level of sustainable utilization of water resources in the region.

Ecological compensation standards and the allocation of compensation funds have always been the core issues of watershed ecological compensation. Due to the construction of the Eastern Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP), Jiangsu Province has paid a huge cost for the protection of water resources, and local economic development has been greatly affected. Therefore, this paper takes Jiangsu Province, the water source area of the Eastern Route of the SNWTP as an example, and combines a geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technology, using the ecosystem services value method to calculate the ecosystem services value of Jiangsu Province from 2005 to 2018. Then the change of this ecosystem services value in Jiangsu Province from 2015 to 2018 is taken as the basis for watershed ecological compensation standards of the Eastern Route. Through a compensation fund allocation model, watershed ecological compensation funds are allocated to four cities, Yangzhou, Huai&rsquo, an, Suqian and Xuzhou, which are located along the Eastern Route of this SNWTP in Jiangsu Province. The results show that: (1) The ecosystem services value of Jiangsu Province has changed greatly. Urbanization and market environment of grain crops are the main reasons for this change, (2) the relationship between ecosystem services in Jiangsu Province is mainly synergistic, (3) Suqian receives US$24.73 million, Huai&rsquo, an receives US$16.49 million, Yangzhou receives US$54.88 million and Xuzhou receives US$0.95 million in watershed ecological compensation, respectively. Watershed ecological compensation standards based upon the value of ecosystem services, and the allocation of compensation funds at the municipal level, are conducive to the improvement in efficiency of watershed ecological compensation in mainland China.

To reduce groundwater overexploitation and alleviate water shortages, market mechanisms are introduced to allocate water rights. Scientific and reasonable pricing of groundwater rights is key to ensuring the effectiveness of the groundwater market. Because of the complexity and uncertainty of water resources, this study calculates the price of groundwater rights based on the value of water resources with an evaluation indicator system. The system includes 14 indicators developed with a fuzzy mathematics model addressing three dimensions: environment, society, and economy. The weights of the indicators are determined through the analytic network process (ANP) and the entropy method. The results show that the price of groundwater rights in Ningxia, China increased from 5.11 yuan/m3 to 5.73 yuan/m3 between 2013 and 2017, this means the price was basically stable, with a slight increase. The ratio of residents&rsquo, water fee expenditures to real disposable income also remained essentially stable, fluctuating around 0.37%, far below the normal level. These data demonstrated that the current regional water price policy does not reflect the true value of groundwater resources, there is room to increase urban water prices. Local governments need speed up water price system reforms and adopt water rights systems to optimize water resource allocations.

The security of water resources is the core content and ultimate goal of urban water resource management agencies. The management of water resources is directly related to the needs of urban residents’ lives and the area’s socio-economic development. How to determine the effective evaluation indicators and methods is an important prerequisite to solving the water resource security problem. This study took Luoyang City as the research area and constructed a water resource security evaluation index system based on pressure-state-response framework. An analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method were used to determine the index weight. A set pair analysis model was then introduced to evaluate the security of water resources in Luoyang from 2006 to 2016. The results of this study show that the standard of water resource security generally improved in Luoyang in the latter years of the study period. From 2006 to 2008, Luoyang was graded at the Insecurity Level. This compares to a slightly improved grading of Critical Security Level from 2009 to 2016 (except for 2013). However, the overall grade is still low. The pressure on the Luoyang water resource system mainly comes from the development of the urban socio-economy, which in turn has caused problems for both the quantity and quality of water resources. Therefore, a series of countermeasures have been introduced as a means of improving the water resource security of Luoyang, and these measures have achieved certain results. However, further improvements to the efficiency of water resource utilization and strengthening the management and protection of water resources remain necessary.

In this article, it is used the tourism management theory, analysis the determinants of the travel system, and pointed that water environment is one of the important factors what influence the system of city tourist. And study the relation between the water environment and urban tourism, it shows that the water environment is an important component of the support system of urban tourism and urban tourism, urban tourism is a double-edged sword to the water environmental protection. On this basis, it is exploring the mechanism of how water environment impact the urban tourism, from three facts, such as: the water environment influence the tourism resources, tourist flows, and tourism industry economic. And last for the conclusion of the study, giving the suggestion.

Based on analysis of the process and reasons for blue-green algae outbreak in Taihu Lake in 2007, from five areas, such as the quality of life for residents, the residents physical and mental health, employment, environmental awareness and government's public service, to defined the social impact of the blue-green algae event in Taihu Lake, and then explore the necessity and feasibility of studying. The article suggests that it is necessary to study the social impact for quantify the social impact, scientific planning and decision-making, and achieve harmonious society.

In order to simulate the impact of the Blue-green Algae Event in Taihu Lake on Prices of the Bottled Water in Wuxi City, to understand their influence, for the measurement social influence of the Blue-green Algae Event in Taihu Lake lay a foundation, this paper built up a Multi-agent model to simulate the impacts of the Blue-algae incident in Taihu Lake on prices of the bottled water in Wuxi city based on the modeling approach of ABMS. The JAVA Language programming is used as a fashion method for the modeling in this paper, and the Repast-simphony toolkits is taken to run the model. The simulation results are consistent with the pure water price changes rule in the periods of during the blue-green algae event in Taihu Lake in Wuxi, and demonstrate that the time of when the government intervened to the price and its effectiveness affected prices of the bottled water. This simulation can be led to a clear understanding of the change rule of the Blue-green Algae Event in Taihu Lake on Prices of the Bottled Water, so as to lay the foundation for its measurement.