Evaluation of regional patent innovation efficiency and its spatial distribution from the perspective of spatial spillover

There is considerable interest among policy-makers and academics regarding other potential arrangements to encourage the innovative activities of firms. This study aims to investigate whether R&D investments promote or impede the enhancement of patent innovation efficiency in China, and also to reveal the spatial patterns of patent innovation and its regional interdependencies and evolution, as well as its role in determining the effects of local innovation in China. The spatial autoregressive model is used to examine the effects of patent innovation efficiency. Results show that geographical proximity matters in the interregional flow of knowledge and technology; moreover, innovation in a region depends on its own R&D efforts, its innovative tradition and its e activities has demonstrated that policies enhancing ional R&D activities are probably to get a richer effectiveness on stimulating patent innovation

Study on the effect of manufacturing services in promoting carbon emission reduction in a low carbon economy

The concept of low-carbon green development has become a global consensus, and the servitization of manufacturing is a feasible path to achieving green development in manufacturing. This paper takes manufacturing enterprises in 27 provinces and cities in China from 2006 to 2019 as samples, and empirically analyzes the effects of manufacturing servitization to promote carbon emission reduction in a low-carbon economy, which shows that: manufacturing servitization can reduce carbon emissions, and informatization, urbanization and energy structure optimization promote carbon emission reduction; in the less developed and backward central and western regions of the economy, manufacturing servitization promotes carbon emission reduction The effect is obvious. In the future, China should give full play to the digital economy's new advantages, optimize the manufacturing industry's energy use structure, and take the lead in promoting the servitization of the manufacturing industry in less economically developed regions

Application of an airborne hyper-spectral survey system CASI/SASI in the gold-silver-lead-zinc ore district of Huaniushan, Gansu, China

The airborne hyper-spectral survey system CASI/SASI, which has an integrated system for gathering both image an spectral data, is at the cutting edge developments in the remote-sensing field. It can be used to directly identify surface objects based on diagnostic spectral characteristics. In this paper, the CASI/SASI were used in the Huaniushan gold-silver-lead-zinc ore district–Gansu to produce a lithologic map, identify altered minerals, and map the mineralized-alteration zones. Radiometric correction, radiometric calibration, atmospheric correction (spectral reconstruction), and geometric corrections were carried out in ENVI to pre-process the measured data. A FieldSpec ® Pro FR portable spectrometer was used to obtain the spectral signatures of all types of rock samples, ore deposits, and mineralized-alteration zones. We extracted and analyzed the spectral characteristics of typical alteration minerals. On the basis of hyper-spectral data, ground-spectral data processing, and comparative analysis of the measured image spectrum, we used the spectral-angle-mapping (SAM) and mixture-tuned matchedfiltering (MTMF) methods to perform hyperspectral-alteration mineral  mapping of wall rock and mineralized-alteration-zone hyperspectral identification. Hyperspectral- remote- sensing geological- classification maps were produced as well as distribution maps of all kinds of alteration minerals and mineralized-alteration zones. Based on geological comprehensive analysis and field investigations, the range of mineral alteration was proven to be the same as shown by the remote-sensing imagery. Indications are that airborne hyperspectral- remote-sensing -image CASI/SASI offer good application results and show a promising potential as a tool in geological investigations. The results will provide the basis for hyperspectral remote-sensing prospecting in the same or similar unexplored areas.

A comparative analysis of the complete chloroplast genome sequences of four peanut botanical varieties

Background Arachis hypogaea L. is an economically important oilseed crop worldwide comprising six botanical varieties. In this work, we characterized the chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of the four widely distributed peanut varieties. Methods The cp genome data of these four botanical varieties (var. hypogaea, var. hirsuta, var. fastigiata, and var. vulgaris) were obtained by next-generation sequencing. These high-throughput sequencing reads were then assembled, annotated, and comparatively analyzed. Results The total cp genome lengths of the studied A. hypogaea varieties were 156,354 bp (var. hypogaea), 156,878 bp (var. hirsuta), 156,718 bp (var. fastigiata), and 156,399 bp (var. vulgaris). Comparative analysis of theses cp genome sequences revealed that their gene content, gene order, and GC content were highly conserved, with only a total of 46 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 26 insertions/deletions identified. Most of the variations were restricted to non-coding sequences, especially, the trnI-GAU intron region was detected to be highly variable and will be useful for future evolutionary studies. Discussion The four cp genome sequences acquired here will provide valuable genetic resources for distinguishing A. hypogaea botanical varieties and determining their evolutionary relationship

Taxifolin protects rat against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by modulating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway

Background Taxifolin (TAX), is an active flavonoid, that plays an underlying protective role on the cardiovascular system. This study aimed to evaluate its effect and potential mechanisms on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Methods Healthy rat heart was subjected to I/R using the Langendorff apparatus. Hemodynamic parameters, including heart rate, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), maximum/minimum rate of the left ventricular pressure rise (+dp/dtmax and −dp/dtmin) and rate pressure product (RPP) were recorded during the perfusion. Histopathological examination of left ventricular was measured by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in the effluent perfusion, and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in the tissue were assayed. Apoptosis related proteins, such as B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl2-associated X (Bax), and cytochrome c (Cyt-c) were also assayed by ELISA. Western blot was employed to determine apoptosis-executive proteins, including caspase 3 and 9. Transferase-mediated dUTP-X nick end labeling assay was performed to evaluate the effect TAX on myocardial apoptosis. Results Taxifolin significantly improved the ventricular functional recovery, as evident by the increase in LVDP, +dp/dtmax, −dp/dtmin and RPP, the levels of SOD, GSH-PX were also increased, but those of LDH, CK-MB, and MDA were decreased. Furthermore, TAX up-regulated the Bcl-2 protein level but down-regulated the levels of Bax, Cyt-c, caspase 3 and 9 protein, thereby inhibits the myocardial apoptosis. Discussion Taxifolin treatment remarkably improved the cardiac function, regulated oxidative stress and attenuated apoptosis. Hence, TAX has a cardioprotective effect against I/R injury by modulating mitochondrial apoptosis pathway

Effects of moderate drought extension on bacterial network structure in the rhizosphere soil of Leymus chinensis in semi-arid grasslands

IntroductionGrasslands are home to complex bacterial communities whose dynamic interactions play a crucial role in organic matter and nutrient cycling. However, there is limited understanding regarding the impact of changes in rainfall amount and the duration of dry intervals on bacterial interactions.MethodsTo assess the impact of changes in precipitation volume and dry intervals on bacterial co-occurrence networks, we carried out precipitation manipulation experiments in the Eastern Eurasian Steppe of China.Results and DiscussionWe found that alterations in precipitation and dry intervals did not significantly affect bacterial alpha and beta diversity. However, we observed significant changes in the co-occurrence network structure of bacteria in the rhizosphere ecosystem, with the 12-day dry interval showing the most notable reduction in the number of degrees, edges, and clustering coefficient. Additionally, the study identified putative keystone taxa and observed that the moderately prolonged dry intervals between precipitation events had a major effect on the robustness of bacterial networks. The complexity and stability of the network were found to be positively correlated, and were primarily influenced by soil water content, phosphorous, and aboveground biomass, followed by available phosphorus (AP) and total biomass. These findings have the potential to enhance our comprehension of how bacterial co-occurrence pattern react to variations in dry intervals, by regulating their interactions in water-limited ecosystems. This, in turn, could aid in predicting the impact of precipitation regime alterations on ecosystem nutrient cycling, as well as the feedback between ecosystem processes and global climate change

Distributions of surface sediments surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula and its environmental significance

We analyzed grain size composition to provide information on the types and distributions as well as depositional varieties of marine surface sediments from the area surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula. The samples retrieved from the study area contain gravel, sand, silt and clay. As suggested by bathymetry and morphology, the study area is characterized by neritic, hemipelagic and pelagic deposits. The glacial-marine sediments can be divided into two types, residual paratill and compound paratill, which are primarily transported by glaciers and as ice-rafted debris. Ocean current effects on deposition are more obvious, and the deposit types are distributed consistently with terrain variations

Genome-wide association mapping for yield-related traits in soybean (Glycine max) under well-watered and drought-stressed conditions

Soybean (Glycine max) productivity is significantly reduced by drought stress. Breeders are aiming to improve soybean grain yields both under well-watered (WW) and drought-stressed (DS) conditions, however, little is known about the genetic architecture of yield-related traits. Here, a panel of 188 soybean germplasm was used in a genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers linked to yield-related traits including pod number per plant (PN), biomass per plant (BM) and seed weight per plant (SW). The SLAF-seq genotyping was conducted on the population and three phenotype traits were examined in WW and DS conditions in four environments. Based on best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) data and individual environmental analyses, 39 SNPs were significantly associated with three soybean traits under two conditions, which were tagged to 26 genomic regions by linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis. Of these, six QTLs qPN-WW19.1, qPN-DS8.8, qBM-WW1, qBM-DS17.4, qSW-WW4 and qSW-DS8 were identified controlling PN, BM and SW of soybean. There were larger proportions of favorable haplotypes for locus qPN-WW19.1 and qSW-WW4 rather than qBM-WW1, qBM-DS17.4, qPN-DS8.8 and qSW-DS8 in both landraces and improved cultivars. In addition, several putative candidate genes such as Glyma.19G211300, Glyma.17G057100 and Glyma.04G124800, encoding E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase BAH1, WRKY transcription factor 11 and protein zinc induced facilitator-like 1, respectively, were predicted. We propose that the further exploration of these locus will facilitate accelerating breeding for high-yield soybean cultivars

Loss of PDZK1 expression activates PI3K/AKT signaling via PTEN phosphorylation in gastric cancer

Phosphorylation of PTEN plays an important role in carcinogenesis and progression of gastric cancer. However, the underlying mechanism of PTEN phosphorylation regulation remains largely elusive. In the present study, PDZK1 was identified as a novel binding protein of PTEN by association of PTEN through its carboxyl terminus and PDZ domains of PDZK1. By direct interaction with PTEN, PDZK1 inhibited the phosphorylation of PTEN at S380/T382/T383 cluster and further enhanced the capacity of PTEN to suppress PI3K/AKT activation. PDZK1 suppressed gastric cancer cell proliferation by diminishing PI3K/AKT activation via inhibition of PTEN phosphorylation in vitro and in vivo. The expression of PDZK1 was frequently downregulated in gastric cancer specimens and correlated with progression and poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Downregulation of PDZK1 was associated with PTEN inactivation, AKT signaling and cell proliferation activation in clinical specimens. Thus, low levels of PDZK1 in gastric cancer specimens lead to increase proliferation of gastric cancer cells via phosphorylation of PTEN at the S380/T382/T383 cluster and constitutively activation of PI3K/AKT signaling, which results in poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients

Imaging and Pathological Features of Percutaneous Cryosurgery on Normal Lung Evaluated in a Porcine Model

Background and objective Lung cancer is one of the most commonly occurring malignancies and frequent causes of death in the world. Cryoablation is a safe and alternative treatment for unresectable lung cancer. Due to the lung being gas-containing organ and different from solid organs such as liver and pancreas, it is difficult to achieve the freezing range of beyond the tumor edge 1 cm safety border. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of different numbers of freeze cycles on the effectiveness of cryoablation on normal lung tissue and to create an operation guideline that gives the best effect. Methods Six healthy Tibetan miniature pigs were given a CT scan and histological investigation after percutaneous cryosurgery. Cryoablation was performed as 2 cycles of 10 min of active freezing in the left lung; each freeze followed by a 5 min thaw. In the right lung, we performed the same 2 cycles of 5 min of freezing followed by 5 min of thawing. However, for the right lung, we included a third cycle of consisting of 10 min of freezing followed by 5 min of thawing. Three cryoprobes were inserted into the left lung and three cryoprobes in the right lung per animal, one in the upper and two in the lower lobe, so as to be well away from each other. Comparison under the same experimental condition was necessary. During the experiment, observations were made regarding the imaging change of ice-ball. The lungs were removed postoperatively at 3 intervals: 4 h, 3 d of postoperation and 7 d of postoperation, respectively, to view microscopic and pathological change. Results The ice-ball grew gradually in relation to the increase in time, and the increase in number of cycles. The size of the cryolesion (hypothesis necrotic area) in specimens, over time, became larger in size than the size of the ice-ball during operation, regardless of whether 2 or 3 freeze-thaw cycles were performed. The area of necrosis was gradually increased over the course of time. The hypothesis necrotic area was equal to necrosis area 3 d after cryosurgery. Conclusion Percutaneous cryoablation of the lung can achieve complete ablation of target tissue. The freezing technique may be different depending on the individual circumstances of each tumor. In technology, 3 freeze-thaw cycles are recommended, and the range of cryoablation’s effective diameter may be not necessarily beyond the tumor edge at least 1 cm safe border during cryosurgery