A Decomposed Data Analysis Approach to Assessing City Sustainable Development Performance: A Network DEA Model with a Slack-Based Measure

This paper deals with urban sustainable development in China. We propose a network data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with a slack-based measure (SBM) to analyze the eco-efficiency of 284 Chinese cities, enabling us to find a way to open the “black box” in conventional DEA models and introduce social well-being factors into the model, and depict the role of local government in providing public service and improving social well-beings. We set up a framework of urban development by dividing the process of into two steps. The first stage is a production system translating inputs and natural resources into GDP and waste production, which will be inputs to the second stage for distribution and consumption to realize social welfare and environmental protection. The results show eco-efficiency of Chinese cities experienced a significant decrease from 2005 to 2016, which should be mainly attributed to the distribution and consumption processes. Structural differences are described by regions, administrative level and clusters. These results are compared with an existing urban sustainability index system developed by McKinsey and an ANOVA approach is conducted to reveal differences between cities across regions and clusters. This article sheds new light on the understanding of urban sustainable construction and development in China regarding the service performance of local government. View Full-Tex

Device modeling of superconductor transition edge sensors based on the two-fluid theory

In order to support the design and study of sophisticated large scale transition edge sensor (TES) circuits, we use basic SPICE elements to develop device models for TESs based on the superfluid-normal fluid theory. In contrast to previous studies, our device model is not limited to small signal simulation, and it relies only on device parameters that have clear physical meaning and can be easily measured. We integrate the device models in design kits based on powerful EDA tools such as CADENCE and OrCAD, and use them for versatile simulations of TES circuits. Comparing our simulation results with published experimental data, we find good agreement which suggests that device models based on the two-fluid theory can be used to predict the behavior of TES circuits reliably and hence they are valuable for assisting the design of sophisticated TES circuits.Comment: 10pages,11figures. Accepted to IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercon

Effects of 5-Azacytidine on Growth and Hypocrellin Production of Shiraia bambusicola

Hypocrellins, fungal perylenequinones of Shiraia bambusicola are developed as important photodynamic therapy agents against cancers and viruses. Due to the limitation of the wild resources, the mycelium culture is a promising alternative for hypocrellin production. As DNA methylation has profound effects on fungal growth, development and secondary metabolism, we used both McrBC cleavage and HPLC analysis to reveal the status of DNA methylation of S. bambusicola mycelium. We found that DNA methylation is absent in mycelia, but DNA methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-AC) still induced the fluffy phenotype and decreased hypocrellin contents significantly. Simultaneously, a total of 4,046 differentially expressed genes were induced by 5-AC, including up-regulated 2,392 unigenes (59.12%) and down-regulated 1,654 unigenes (40.88%). Gene ontology analysis showed 5-AC treatment changed expression of genes involved in membrane composition and oxidation–reduction process. The fluffy phenotype in 5-AC-treated S. bambusicola was closely related to strong promotion of developmental regulator WetA and the repression of the sexual developmental actor VeA and LaeA. It was a surprise finding that 5-AC reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production significantly in the mycelia via the inhibition of NADPH oxidase gene (NOX) expression and NOX activity. With the treatment of vitamin C and H2O2, we found that the reduced ROS generation was involved in the down-regulated expression of key genes for hypocrellin biosynthesis and the decreased hypocrellin production. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to examine DNA methylation level in S. bambusicola. Our results suggested that the mediation of ROS generation could not be ignored in the study using 5-AC as a specific DNA methylation inhibitor