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OsPs regulate glycometabolism and alter intestinal microbiota composition of T2DM mice.

To simultaneously detect whole transcriptomes and protein markers on the same tissue section, we combined Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by Sequencing (CITE-seq) and Stereo-seq to develop the Stereo-CITE-seq workflow. Here, we demonstrated that Stereo-CITE-seq can co-detect mRNAs and proteins in immune organs with high spatial resolution, reproducibility and accuracy.

Flavonoid compounds such as luteolin exhibit hypolipidemic effects, and there are few reports on the hypoglycemic activity of luteolin derivatives. In this research, 6,8-(1,3-diaminoguanidine) luteolin (DAGL) and its Cr complex (DAGL·Cr) were obtained as a result of structural modifications to luteolin, and the hypoglycemic activities and the composition of intestinal microbiota in T2DM mice were investigated. This study found that DAGL and DAGL·Cr could significantly restore body weight, FBG, OGTT, AUC, and GSP in T2DM mice. Moreover, the pancreatic islet function index and the biochemical indicators of serum and the liver were also significantly improved. The histopathological results also showed that DAGL and DAGL·Cr had a stronger repair ability in the liver and the pancreas. It was also revealed that the potential hypoglycemic mechanism of DAGL and DAGL·Cr was involved in the simultaneous regulation of PI3K/AKT-1/GSK-3β/GLUT-4 and PI3K/AKT-1/mTOR/S6K1/IRS-1. Furthermore, DAGL and DAGL·Cr could also regulate the structure of the intestinal microbiota and increase the content of SCFA to relieve the symptoms of hyperglycemia in T2DM mice. This included a significant reduction in the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes (F/B), and at the genus level, an increase in the relative abundance of

In mammals, Yin Yang 1 (YY1), a pervasively expressed transcription factor related to many biological processes as an activator or inhibitor of the transcription of various genes, plays a critical role in the development of male gonads and spermatogenesis. Although the role of YY1 on the development of male gonads and spermatogenesis in mammals has been reported, its function on chicken testis are yet to be clarified. In this study, we used immunofluorescence analysis to investigate the location of YY1 in chicken testis. In embryo testis, YY1 was detected in spermatogonia and Sertoli cells, while in adult testis, YY1 was shown to be expressed in spermatogenic cells and Sertoli cells, but not in spermatozoa. Furthermore, we investigated the regulatory functions of YY1 in chicken testicular Sertoli cells by combining overexpression with RNA-sequencing. Overexpression of YY1 in Sertoli cells revealed a total of 2955 differentially expressed genes involved in various biological processes, such as male gonad development and seminiferous tubule development. Overexpression of YY1 also caused significant differences in the expression of the androgen receptor gene and the inhibin βA gene, two major genes involved in the regulation of spermatogonia in Sertoli cells. These observations indicate that YY1 may regulate the development and function of the gonads by affecting the secretion of cytokines and hormones in Sertoli cells to mediate the production and differentiation of spermatogonia.

This study assesses the incremental impact of the first transboundary Payments for Watershed Services (PWS) scheme on water quality in China. Due to the absence of a control situation without the PWS scheme, the synthetic control method (SCM) is applied to construct a counterfactual for the prefecture city Huangshan in Eastern China where the PWS is implemented based on the socio-economic characteristics of more than 75 other prefecture cities. The creation of such a counterfactual is crucial in view of the declining trend in water pollution observed before implementation of the PWS scheme. Despite this downward trend in water pollution, an additional effect of the PWS scheme is observed. This result is not obtained when using any of the other prefecture cities as a placebo to test the robustness of this outcome. The application of the SCM in this study is a promising new avenue for the evaluation of PWS schemes elsewhere where similar control conditions are lacking. However, as we show, its applicability depends crucially on the availability of relevant water quality monitoring data.

The improvement of reproductive capacity of poultry is important for the poultry industry. The existing studies on reproductive capacity mainly focus on the testis tissue, but few reports on regulationary effect of brain neuroendocrime on reproductive capacity have been available. The hypothalamus–pituitarium–gonad (HPG) axis is an important pathway regulating spermatogenesis and sexual behavior. This study analyzed the gene expression in the hypothalamus and pituitary tissues of male ducks in high-semen-quality group (DH), low-semen-quality group (DL), and non-response group (DN) by RNA-sequencing. A total of 1980 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and significantly less DEGs were found in pituitary gland than in hypothalamus. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that these DEGs were mainly enriched in nerve-related and synapse-related biological processes, mitochondrial inner membrane formation pathway, and ribosome structure pathway. Notably, the neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction pathway significantly enriched in all three comparisons (DH vs. DL, DH vs. DN, and DL vs. DN) was related to different reproductive performance such as semen quality and sexual response. Furthermore, six genes, including POMC, CPLX2, HAPLN2, EGR4, TOX3, and MSH4, were identified as candidate genes regulating reproductive capacity. Our findings provide new insights into the regulation mechanisms underlying the reproductive performance of male poultry, and offer a valuable reference for duck breeding programs aimed at promoting reproductive capacity.

The excessive accumulation of wheat grain metals and metalloids caused by ambient air contamination has drawn an increasing concern. However, at present, the differences in the pathways of cadmium and lead accumulation in wheat grains in an air-soil-wheat system are not clear. In this study, wheat was grown around a lead‑zinc smelting area and exposed to different soil Pb and Cd levels and different ambient air Pb and Cd levels. Lead and Cd accumulation in wheat grains was examined in this study. Two models of wheat grain Pb and Cd concentrations were established based on the 3 variables including soil Pb and Cd concentration, ambient air Pb and Cd concentration, and soil pH. The results showed that total suspended particulate (TSP), soil, and wheat grains exhibited different degrees of Pb and Cd contamination in the study area, and the contamination of Cd is more serious than Pb contamination. The Pb in wheat grains was more likely to derive from ambient air than from soil, whereas the impact of ambient air on the accumulation of Cd in wheat grains might be very limited. This speculation was confirmed by the results of the predictor variable relative weight method based on the multiple regression analysis. Introduction of ambient air factor (TSP Pb and Cd) greatly improved the modeling effect of wheat grains Pb, while the modeling of grain Cd was more dependent on soil pH and total soil Cd. This research suggests that the reduction in wheat grain Pb is likely to be achieved by the control over ambient air Pb, whereas the reduction in the wheat grain Cd by the remediation of soil pollutants.

This paper introduces an engineering case history of the prevention and remediation of sinkholes induced by limestone quarrying in Longmen county, Huizhou city, China, through karst groundwater-air pressure monitoring, the design and construction of a grouting curtain, and grouting effect detection. Based on hydrogeological surveys, the location of the main karst development zones and faults can be accurately delineated by combining geophysical exploration with drilling, providing a basis for curtain setting. According to the interpretation results of geophysical exploration, the monitoring boreholes of groundwater-air pressure were set up, which provided support for mine construction, optimization of prevention and remediation of the sinkhole scheme, and reduction of sinkhole risk. In order to prevent the further expansion of sinkhole hazards, grouting curtain technology was used for engineering treatment of the water inflow points of the quarry. After construction of the grouting curtain was completed, comprehensive detection methods were used to evaluate the grouting effect of the curtain. The results showed that the inflow rate reduced from 3500 to approximately 500 m3/day, the water plugging effect was significant, and the occurrence of sinkhole hazards was effectively reduced. The monitoring boreholes can capture the changes of groundwater-air pressure within karst conduit systems, and the purpose of monitoring and warning of sinkholes can be achieved by setting an appropriate warning threshold.

Luteolin (LU) is a flavonoid compound and metformin hydrochloride (MH) is a kind of drug. Studies have shown that both LU and MH have the function of hypoglycemic effect. However, there are few reports indicating that LU cooperated with MH (LU·MH) can relieve lipid metabolism disorders and optimize intestinal flora compositions of high-fat diet mice. In this research, we investigated the effects of LU, MH and LU·MH on lipid metabolism disorders and intestinal flora composition in high-fat diet mice. The study found that compared with high-fat diet (HFD) alone, LU, MH and LU·MH could significantly reduce the lipid metabolism disorder. Furthermore, compared with LU or MH alone, the biochemical indicators of LU·MH were significantly improved and the results of the histopathological section also showed that LU·MH has stronger liver repair ability. It revealed that the potential mechanisms of the LU·MH alleviating lipid metabolism disorders were involved in the simultaneous regulation of SREBP-1c/FAS and SREBP-1c/ACC/Cpt-1. In addition, LU·MH could regulate the intestinal flora compositions. This includes significantly reducing the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes(F/B) and at the family level, increasing the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Helicobacteraceae, Marinifilaceae and Peptococcaceae to relieve lipid metabolism disorders. In conclusion, the work found that LU·MH regulates the signal pathway of SREBP-1c/FAS and SREBP-1c/ACC/Cpt-1 simultaneously and decreases the ratio of F/B, as well as increases the relative abundance of certain microbiota to alleviate the lipid metabolism disorders of HFD-fed mice.

Justice in rural residential land distribution is vital to both farmers' living security and social stability in China. Based on the Self-interest Theory and endowment effect, this article discusses the impact of farmers' identity and property rights cognition on their perceptions of rural residential land distributive justice using the survey data of 565 rural households in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China by principal component analysis and binary logistic regression. The results indicate that (1) farmers' identity would impact their perceptions of rural residential land distributive justice, among different farmers, perceptions of rural residential land distributive justice differed greatly; (2) there is a negative relationship between farmers' perceptions of rural residential land distributive justice and their private property rights cognition; (3) farmers' private property rights cognition would be an amplifier to the impact of their identity on rural residential land distributive justice perceptions. We finally argue that rural residential land policy judgment about injustice should focus on farmers' identity, and the government should protect legitimate rights and interests of farmers in the process of rural residential land distribution.

Sulfated polysaccharides from marine algae exhibit various bioactivities with potential benefits for human health and well-being. In this study, the in vitro digestibility and fermentability of polysaccharides from the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (AnPs) were examined, and the effects of AnPs on gut microbiota were determined using high-throughput sequencing technology. Salivary amylase, artificial gastric juice, and intestinal juice had no effect on AnPs, but the molecular weight of AnPs and reducing sugar decreased significantly after fermentation by gut microbiota. AnPs significantly modulated the composition of the gut microbiota; in particular, they increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, suggesting the potential for AnPs to decrease the risk of obesity. Furthermore, the total SCFA content after fermentation increased significantly. These results suggest that AnPs have potential uses as functional food components to improve human gut health.

In the present study, digestion under saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions and fermentation in vitro of polysaccharides from the flowers of Camellia sinensis (TFPS) by human gut microbiota were investigated. The results indicated that human saliva and simulated gastric and intestinal juices had no effect on TFPS, while TFPS could be utilized by human fecal microbiota, which was proved from the decreased molecular weight and lower content of total or reducing sugars after fermentation under anaerobic conditions. It was found that pH in the fermentation system decreased, and the production of short-chain fatty acids was significantly enhanced. Furthermore, in vitro fermentation of TFPS altered the composition of gut microbiota, specifically in elevating the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes and enriching Prevotella. The present results suggest that TFPS has the potential to be developed as functional foods to modify gut microbiota.

Helicteres angustifolia L. is a familiar herbal plant, which exhibits various bioactivities with potential benefits for human health. In this study, the simulated digestion (saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions) and fermentation in vitro of polysaccharides from H. angustifolia L. (HaLPs) were evaluated, and the effects of HaLPs on gut microbiota were examined using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results indicated that the simulated gastrointestinal digestion had no effect on HaLPs, so HaLPs could reach the large intestine safely. However, the molecular weight of HaLPs and the reducing sugar decreased significantly after fermentation under anaerobic conditions. It was found that HaLPs had the significantly alternation effect on the composition of the gut microbiota. Furthermore, the total short-chain fatty acids content increased significantly after fermentation (from 2.25 ± 0.13 mM to 22.45 ± 4.56 mM). These results provided an understanding of the digestive characteristics of HaLPs and afforded a viable basis for their development.

The effects of hot water extraction (HWE), enzyme‐assisted extraction (EAE), ultrasonic‐assisted extraction (UAE), and ultrasonic‐enzyme‐assisted extraction (UEAE) methods on the extraction yield, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant activities of Gynura medica polysaccharides (GMPs) were investigated. The GMPs extracted by four methods were designated GMPs‐H, GMPs‐E, GMPs‐U, and GMPs‐UE, respectively. Meanwhile, the EAE method was further optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The results showed that EAE and UEAE methods both markedly enhanced the yield of GMPs. Four kinds of GMPs possessed different physicochemical properties including molecular weight distributions and surface morphology. EAE had higher scavenging abilities for DPPH radical compared to other methods. The optimal conditions for GMPs were predicted to be cellulase amount of 155 (mg/g), extraction time of 48.4 min and pH of 7.9, with a predicted yield of 11.98%. Under the optimal conditions, the yield of polysaccharides was 12.03%, which matched the predicted value well. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Enzyme‐assisted extraction (EAE) is an environmentally friendly method that can be used to improve the extraction of active ingredients from various natural sources. Our results demonstrated that EAE could enhance the extraction yield of polysaccharides which was the most important active ingredient. In addition, Gynura medica polysaccharides possess good antioxidant activity, which means that Gynura medica polysaccharides may be a novel source of natural antioxidant in functional food.

Novel polysaccharide-platinum conjugated polymers bearing alendronate on Portulaca oleracea polysaccharides (PPS) were designed and synthesized. Their chemical structures and properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), 1H NMR and 31P NMR spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectrophotometer (UV-vis) and other analysis methods. The results demonstrated that alendronate can be used as the linker of Portulaca oleracea polysaccharides and platinum compounds. Portulaca oleracea polysaccharides-alendronate (PPS-ALN) conjugates exhibited stronger antioxidant ability than PPS. The cytotoxicity assay to cancer cells was tested in vitro, and the Portulaca oleracea polysaccharides-alendronate-platinum (PPS-ALN-Pt) conjugates strongly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells than PPS and PPS-ALN. The evaluation of complexes affinity toward supercoiled plasmid DNA, displayed a high DNA interaction. Interestingly, the platinum conjugates displayed immunological competence in HeLa cells by cellular immunofluorescence assay. Besides, the cellular platinum accumulation of PPS-ALN-Pt conjugates was higher than that of cisplatin in HeLa cells, implying that the polysaccharide-platinum conjugated polymers might have a synergistically therapeutic application in metal anticancer drug delivery.

The metal-based drugs have gained increasing attention in the fight against cancer. Ga(III) in the form of inorganic salts has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of a number of malignancies in experimental animals and humans, and has therefore attracted considerable pharmaceutical interest. However, the poor hydrolytic stability of Ga(III) in physiological medium owing to its property of hard Lewis acid prevents its widespread use in systemic cancer chemotherapy. Complexation of suitable chelators capable of stabilising Ga(III) against hydrolysis affords an opportunity for overcoming this drawback. Thiosemicarbazone (TSC) derivatives, a class of well-studied iron chelators featuring softer donor sulfur, also were evaluated to possess antineoplastic activities in an arrary of tumour cell lines. The structural modifications can affect the activities of TSCs, and related structure-activity relationships (SAR) have been studied over these years. Combination of Ga(III) and TSCs that are both pharmaceutically active has proved to exert synergistic effects of each component in one compound in most cases, and may produce more potent Ga(III) drugs. In this review, the SAR of α(N)-heterocyclic thiosemicarbazone (HCT) analogues, a family of TSCs, were scrupulously surveyed, and the effect of Ga(III) complexation on their anticancer activity sparsely reported in literature was comparatively examined, in order to stimulate further advances in the field of gallium-based anticancer drugs.

Probiotics with positive physiological effects on intestinal microflora populations of the host are popular in functional foods. Low relative humidity (RH) and temperature are beneficial for probiotic survival. In the present study, freeze-dried Lactobacillus plantarum powder, representative of probiotics, was encapsulated in the high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) stabilized with whey protein isolate (WPI) microgels, to avoid the contact of water. Homogeneously dispersed WPI microgels with particle sizes around 300 nm were formed through thermal treatment of WPI solution. The particle size of the microgels decreased with the elevation of protein concentrations as well as the departure of pH values from the isoelectric point of the protein. When internal oil phase volume fractions were higher than 80% (w/w), WPI microgels with concentrations higher than 4.0 wt %, prepared at pH 4.0, 6.0, and 7.0 conditions, could stabilize the oil to form homogeneous HIPEs with tilting stability. The HIPEs thus formed had a cellular and tunable pore structure that could resist mechanical perturbation. Encapsulation of L. plantarum within HIPEs successfully increased the cell viability after pasteurization processing. The protective effect was even improved with the elevation of the oil volume fraction and increase of WPI microgel concentrations. Under different pH conditions, the strongest protective effect appeared at pH 4.0, when the WPI microgels accumulated on the oil droplet surface. When the large amount of oil and the protein microgel layer on the oil-water interface were combined as two specialties, the HIPEs were demonstrated to have high potential for enhancing the viability of probiotics during food thermal processing.

Polysaccharides from Ascophyllum nodosum (AnPS) were extracted and purified via an optimized protocol. The optimal extraction conditions were as follows: extraction time of 4.3 h, extraction temperature of 84 &deg, C and ratio (v/w, mL/g) of extraction solvent (water) to raw material of 27. The resulting yield was 9.15 &plusmn, 0.23% of crude AnPS. Two fractions, named AnP1-1 and AnP2-1 with molecular weights of 165.92 KDa and 370.68 KDa, were separated from the crude AnPS by chromatography in DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S-300, respectively. AnP1-1 was composed of mannose, ribose, glucuronic acid, glucose and fucose, and AnP2-1 was composed of mannose, glucuronic acid, galactose and fucose. AnPS, AnP1-1 and AnP2-1 exhibited high scavenging activities against ABTS radical and superoxide radical, and showed protective effect on H2O2-induced oxidative injury in RAW264.7 cells. Furthermore, the immunostimulatory activities of AnP1-1 and AnP2-1 were evaluated by Caco-2 cells, the results showed both AnP1-1 and AnP2-1 could significantly promote the production of immune reactive molecules such as interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1&beta, interferon (IFN)-&gamma, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&alpha, Therefore, the results suggest that AnPS and its two fractions may be explored as a potential functional food supplement.

Payments for ecosystem services (PES) play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem services (ES) and adjusting stakeholder interests. In this article, we chose Suzhou as an example to explore stakeholders and their responses to a local PES system in the developed area. Suzhou's PES program complies with the Pigouvian PES conceptualization with characteristics of legal and regulatory frameworks and lack of private negotiations. The results show that, as the core stakeholders, local governments (the municipal government and concerned district/county governments) dominate the compensation process. However, other stakeholders' rights and obligations were neglected in the past in Suzhou's PES system. The study also shows that, local conditions included the PES arrangements, rural production and management patterns, and macro-economy and local governments' preference, affect the activities of stakeholders in PES. It can be concluded that developed economy and local governments' preference active motivate the PES system. Our study accordingly suggests a need to attach importance to all stakeholders involved the local PES program rather than local governments and develop private negotiation mechanism in PES systems in the developed area. The state operated PES program integrates some components of Coasean approach would be an innovation benefiting PES systems development and ES provision.

Dietary polyphenols have been considered as novel prebiotics, and polyphenols could exert their functions through modulating intestinal microbiota. The diverse bioactivities of kudingcha could derive from its phenolic compounds, but the effects of dicaffeoylquinic acids (diCQAs) from Ilex kudingcha on intestinal microbiota have not been investigated. In the present study, high-throughput sequencing and anaerobic fermentation in vitro were utilized to investigate the microecology-modulating function of I. kudingcha diCQAs. As a result, diCQAs raised the diversity and exhibited a more considerable impact than a carbon source on the microbial profile. DiCQAs increased the relative abundances of Alistipes, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, Butyricimonas, Clostridium sensu stricto, Escherichia/Shigella, Parasutterella, Romboutsia, Oscillibacter, Veillonella, Phascolarctobacterium, Lachnospiracea incertae sedis, Gemmiger, Streptococcus, and Haemophilus and decreased the relative abundances of Ruminococcus, Anaerostipes, Dialister, Megasphaera, Megamonas, and Prevotella. DiCQAs also affected the generation of short-chain fatty acids through microbiota. The contents of acetic and lactic acids were raised, while the production of propionic and butyric acids was reduced. Conclusively, diCQAs from I. kudingcha had significant modulating effects on intestinal microbiota in vitro, which might be the fundamental of diCQAs exerting their bioactivities.

The aim of present study was to examine whether the digestivesystem (saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions) could break down and large intestinal microbiota could utilize the polysaccharides from Fuzhuan brick tea (FBTPS). The results showed that there was no change in molecular weight, monosaccharide content and content of reducing sugars before and after saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal digestion, indicating that FBTPS could pass through the digestive system without being broken down and reach the large intestine safely. The content of carbohydrate was significantly decreased by fermentation in vitro of gut microbiota, suggesting that FBTPS could be broken down and utilized by gut microbiota. FBTPS could significantly modulate the composition and abundance of gut microbiota. Furthermore, the contents of short-chain fatty acids were significantly increased. Therefore, FBTPS is expected to be a functional food to improve human health and prevent disease through promoting the gut health.

The antioxidant activity of polysaccharides has attracted tremendous research interest in recent years. In this study, we aimed to investigate the antioxidant properties of Helicteres angustifolia L. polysaccharides (HALP) that was acquired by water extraction and alcohol precipitation using ultrasound-assisted method with decolorization and protein removal. The polysaccharides were then successively purified using chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex S-300 columns with two major fractions: HALPs1-1 and HALPs2-1. The physicochemical properties, structural characterization, and antioxidant activities of these fractions were investigated. The results indicated that HALPs1-1 was a glucan with an average molecular weight of 151.70kDa, and HALPs2-1 was composed of glucuronic acid with an average molecular weight of 114.81kDa. Infrared spectroscopies and iodine potassium iodide tests showed that the HALP were acid α-pyranoses. The antioxidant activities of the polysaccharide fractions (HALP, HALPs1-1, and HALPs2-1) were evaluated in vitro. The results suggested that HALPs2-1 had the highest scavenging activities for ABTS, hydroxyl and DPPH radicals than other polysaccharides. Taken together, the results of this study suggested that polysaccharides from Helicteres angustifolia L. could be used as novel potential antioxidants.

Ecological land rent is the excess profit produced by resource scarcity, and is also an important indicator for measuring the social and economic effects of resource scarcity. This paper, by calculating the respective ecological land rents of all the provinces in China for the years 2002 and 2007, and with the assistance of the software programs ArcGIS and GeoDA, analyzes the spatial differentiation characteristics of ecological land rent; then, the influencing factors of ecological land rent differentiation among the provinces are examined using the methods of traditional regression and spatial correlation analysis. The following results were obtained: First, ecological land rent per unit of output in China shows stable distribution characteristics of being low in the southwestern and northeastern provinces, and high in Hebei and Henan provinces. There is also an increasing tendency in the central and western provinces, and a decreasing one in the eastern provinces. In general, the spatial distribution of ecological land rent per unit of output in China is quite scattered. Second, the total ecological land rent shows significant spatial aggregation characteristics, in particular the provinces in China possessing high total amounts of ecological land rent tend to be adjacent to one another, as do those with low total amounts, and the spatial difference characteristics of the eastern, central and western provinces are distinguished. The Bohai Rim, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta are shown to be highly clustering regions of total ecological land rent, while the western provinces have very low ecological land rent in terms of total amount. Third, population distribution, economic level and industrial structure were all important influencing factors influencing ecological land rent differentiation among provinces in China. Furthermore, population density, urbanization level, economic density, per capita consumption level and GDP per capita were all shown to be positively related to total ecological land rent, which indicates that spatial clustering exists between ecological land rent and these factors. However, there was also a negative correlation between ecological land rent and agricultural output percentage, indicating that spatial scattering exists between ecological land rent and agricultural output percentage.

N,N-dimethyldodecylamine was produced by the catalytic hydrogenation of N,N-dimethyldodecylamide over a Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst. During the process, there was a side reaction: the catalytic hydrogenation of N,N-dimethyldodecylamide produced dodecyl alcohol and dimethylamine. Therefore, dimethylamine was introduced into the raw materials, which would suppress the side reaction. The Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst obtained from the reduction of the NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst in an autoclave had higher surface area and nickel dispersion and the amount of coke was less. Therefore, the catalyst had higher activity and stability. In this case, the hydrogen gas was a raw material and a reducing agent, and reduction of the NiO phase and the hydrogenation reaction were carried out synchronously. Under the conditions of dimethylamine introduction and the Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst obtained from the reduction of the NiO/γ-Al2O3 catalyst in the autoclave, the N,N-dimethyldodecylamide conversion, the N,N-dimethyldodecylamine selectivity and yield were 98.0, 99.0 and 97.1 %.

The catalytic hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol to produce p-aminophenol (PAP) was carried out over the catalyst nickel supported on active carbon (AC). The calcination temperature was one of the most important technical conditions: temperature higher than 450 °C would result in the reduction of NiO to Ni phase by AC and the loss of support. The surface area and nickel dispersion over catalyst decreased obviously after 450 °C calcination temperature because of the loss of support and the Ni phase sintering. Addition of K2O enhanced the alkalinity of the Ni/AC catalyst, and the p-nitrophenol stuff performed rather stronger acidity. Therefore, the level of p-nitrophenol adsorption over Ni/AC catalyst was improved, and the reaction efficiency was enhanced consequently. The p-nitrophenol conversion and PAP selectivity reached 97.7 and 99.3% over Ni–K2O/AC catalyst, respectively. During the process of catalytic hydrogenation, higher PAP selectivity was kept successively. It indicated that no side reactions happened during the catalytic hydrogenation of p-nitrophenol.

A diblock copolymer of polystyrene–block–poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PS-b-PHEA) was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reacted with cinnamoyl chloride in triethylamine to yield PS-b-(PCEA-co-PHEA) copolymer with photo-cross-linkable poly(2-cinnamoylethyl acrylate) (PCEA) moieties. Then the triblock copolymer of polystyrene–block–poly(2-cinnamoylethyl acrylate-co-2-hydroxyethyl acrylate)–block–poly(γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane) (PS-b-(PCEA-co-PHEA)-b-PMPS) was synthesized viaATRP from PS-b-(PCEA-co-PHEA) copolymer. Using as-prepared triblock copolymer as a macromolecular coupling agent to modify glass fibers, via microbond tests, the interfacial bond strength between pretreated glass fiber and polystyrene was compared before and after copolymer photo-crosslinking. The partially crosslinked block copolymer coupling agent greatly improved the interfacial adhesion of glass fiber-reinforced polystyrene.

Functional spontaneous gradient copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and tert-butyl acrylate (tBA) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in cyclohexanone at 50°C. The copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) and gel permeation chromatograph (GPC). Comonomer conversions were determined by gas chromatograph (GC) and the kinetic behavior for HEMA/tBA copolymerization was analyzed, indicating that the copolymerization proceeds in a controlled way. The monomer reactivity ratios rHEMA = 4.497 and rtBA = 0.212 were estimated using an extended Kelen-Tudos method from copolymer composition data. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images demonstrated the changes of surface morphology of poly(HEMA-grad-tBA) polymerized for different times and the changes were correlated to the composition of the copolymers.

Based on the penetrability of IR within the polymeric nanoparticles, a novel Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) method, with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as the internal reference standard, was developed to quantify the hemoglobin (Hb) content in Hb-based polymeric nanoparticles (HbPN). The HbPN was fabricated by double emulsion method from poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) triblock copolymers. Depending on the characteristic un-overlapped IR absorbances at 1540 cm(-1) of Hb (amide II) and at 2241 cm(-1) of PAN(-C[triple bond]N), calibration equations, presenting the peak height ratio of Hb and PAN as a function of the weight ratio of Hb and PAN, were established. This new quantification method is validated and used to the determination Hb content in HbPN. Due to the good results of this calibration strategy, the proposed simple FTIR approach with minimal sample-needed and solvent-free makes it useful for routine analysis of protein content and could be also applied to any other drug/protein encapsulated particles.