Green finance, renewable energy investment, and environmental protection: empirical evidence from B.R.I.C.S. countries

Environmental degradation has become a severe concern for the globe; therefore, policymakers in emerging economies are trying to meet the environmental standards. Nowadays, economies have shifted their energy pattern from non-renewable to renewable energy (R.E.U.), but its cost is too high. Undoubtedly, the financial sector also performs well in facilitating such green activities. Therefore, the current study investigates the role of R.E.U. and green finance in environmental quality and collects the data for B.R.I.C.S. economies from 2000 to 2018. The study uses quantile regressions and other advanced techniques to deal with the problems of cross-sectional dependence (C.S.D.) and heterogeneity. The estimated outcomes show that green finance, R.E.U. consumption, and technical innovations perform well in securing the environment by reducing carbon emissions. Likewise, the environmental quality in selected economies is deteriorating due to the rise in non-R.E.U. consumption, economic progress, F.D.I., and trade openness. Therefore, it is time to reshape the local, national and regional growth policies concerning a green investment that can secure our environment. Also, this study proposes future pathways for green finance and other factors relevant to a sustainable environment

Technology transfer in clean development mechanism (CDM) projects: lessons from China

China has become the largest host country of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in the world. This article provides an assessment of international technology transfer (TT) based on 500 registered Chinese CDM projects. It reveals that the projects hosted by large state-owned enterprises (SOEs), not Hydro and Wind projects, with foreign consultants or developers, commonly involve TT. Projects located in the comparatively developed regions such as Eastern China are more likely to involve TT. The findings indicate that the mitigation potential of non-SOEs, energy efficiency (EE) and other projects, has not been fully explored in China, which can be facilitated using advanced mitigation technologies

Wide azimuth seismic data processing technology and application: a case study of tight gas reservoirs in western China

As the difficulty of oil and gas field exploration and development increases both domestically and internationally, onshore exploration targets have gradually shifted from the shallow to the deep and from conventional oil and gas reservoirs to unconventional ones. Particularly in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas horizontal wells, there is an increasing demand for higher precision and quality of seismic data to better identify formation lithology, rock fractures, and improve the characterization of reservoirs, reservoir positioning, and connectivity. Wide-azimuth seismic exploration possesses significant technical advantages in addressing exploration challenges such as lithologic exploration, small fault imaging, and detailed characterization of oil and gas reservoirs. Wide azimuth seismic data reduces blind spots in seismic acquisition and improves the imaging accuracy of small faults. Notably, there exist distinct anisotropic characteristics in fault areas and fractured reservoirs. Wide azimuth seismic data is particularly advantageous for studying amplitude variation with variations in amplitude with offset (AVO), incident angle (AVA), or azimuth (AVAZ), as well as velocity with azimuth (VVA). These variations aid in identifying faults, fractures, and changes in formation lithology. As the focus of oil and gas exploration gradually shifts to complex lithological reservoirs and unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, narrow azimuth seismic exploration has been gradually replaced by wide azimuth exploration. However, as observation azimuth increases, challenges related to velocity variations with azimuth, azimuth-related traveltime differences, and azimuth-related anisotropy arise. Based on wide-azimuth seismic data from tight gas reservoirs in western China, this study conducted wide-azimuth anisotropic velocity analysis, OVT domain data regularization processing, OVT domain prestack time/depth migration, and horizontally transverse isotropy (HTI) azimuth anisotropy correction techniques. After applying specialized processing to the wide-azimuth seismic data, significant improvements were observed in the S/N and resolution of the target layer. The delineation of fractures related to hydrocarbon sources also became more distinct. These advancements not only provided high-quality results for high-fidelity, high-resolution imaging of tight gas reservoirs but also provided azimuth volume corresponding to fast and slow wave velocities for seismic data interpretation, facilitating velocity variation with azimuth (VVAZ) fracture detection and AVO analysis research

The microbiota continuum along the female reproductive tract and its relation to uterine-related diseases

Reports on bacteria detected in maternal fluids during pregnancy are typically associated with adverse consequences, and whether the female reproductive tract harbours distinct microbial communities beyond the vagina has been a matter of debate. Here we systematically sample the microbiota within the female reproductive tract in 110 women of reproductive age, and examine the nature of colonisation by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and cultivation. We find distinct microbial communities in cervical canal, uterus, fallopian tubes and peritoneal fluid, differing from that of the vagina. The results reflect a microbiota continuum along the female reproductive tract, indicative of a non-sterile environment. We also identify microbial taxa and potential functions that correlate with the menstrual cycle or are over-represented in subjects with adenomyosis or infertility due to endometriosis. The study provides insight into the nature of the vagino-uterine microbiome, and suggests that surveying the vaginal or cervical microbiota might be useful for detection of common diseases in the upper reproductive tract.Shenzhen Municipal Government of China [JCYJ20160229172757249, JCYJ20150601090833370]; Danish Strategic Research Council [2106-07-0021]; Ole Romer grant from Danish Natural Science Research Council; Solexa project [272-07-0196]SCI(E)ARTICLE

Fe/MOF based platform for NIR laser induced efficient PDT/PTT of cancer

Introduction: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are widely used in the treatment of tumors. However, their application in the treatment of clinical tumors is limited by the complexity and irreversible hypoxia environment generated by tumor tissues. To overcome this limitation, a nanoparticle composed of indocyanine green (ICG) and Fe-MOF-5 was developed.Methods: We prepared F-I@FM5 and measured its morphology, particle size, and stability. Its enzyme like ability and optical effect was verified. Then we used MTT, staining and flow cytometry to evaluated the anti-tumor effect on EMT-6 cells in vitro. Finally, the anti-tumor effect in vivo has been studied on EMT-6 tumor bearing mice.Results: For the composite nanoparticle, we confirmed that Fe-MOF-5 has the best nanozyme activity. In addition, it has excellent photothermal conversion efficiency and generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) under near-infrared light irradiation (808 nm). The composite nanoparticle showed good tumor inhibition effect in vitro and in vivo, which was superior to the free ICG or Fe-MOF-5 alone. Besides, there was no obvious cytotoxicity in major organs within the effective therapeutic concentration.Discussion: Fe-MOF-5 has the function of simulating catalase, which can promote the decomposition of excessive H2O2 in the tumor microenvironment and produce oxygen to improve the hypoxic environment. The improvement of tumor hypoxia can enhance the efficacy of PDT and PTT. This research not only provides an efficient and stable anti-tumor nano platform, but also has broad application prospects in the field of tumor therapy, and provides a new idea for the application of MOF as an important carrier material in the field of photodynamic therapy

Mendelian randomization integrating GWAS and eQTL data reveals genetic determinants of complex and clinical traits

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of variants associated with complex traits, but their biological interpretation often remains unclear. Most of these variants overlap with expression QTLs, indicating their potential involvement in regulation of gene expression. Here, we propose a transcriptome-wide summary statistics-based Mendelian Randomization approach (TWMR) that uses multiple SNPs as instruments and multiple gene expression traits as exposures, simultaneously. Applied to 43 human phenotypes, it uncovers 3,913 putatively causal gene-trait associations, 36% of which have no genome-wide significant SNP nearby in previous GWAS. Using independent association summary statistics, we find that the majority of these loci were missed by GWAS due to power issues. Noteworthy among these links is educational attainment-associated BSCL2, known to carry mutations leading to a Mendelian form of encephalopathy. We also find pleiotropic causal effects suggestive of mechanistic connections. TWMR better accounts for pleiotropy and has the potential to identify biological mechanisms underlying complex traits

Mapping genomic loci implicates genes and synaptic biology in schizophrenia

Schizophrenia has a heritability of 60-80%1, much of which is attributable to common risk alleles. Here, in a two-stage genome-wide association study of up to 76,755 individuals with schizophrenia and 243,649 control individuals, we report common variant associations at 287 distinct genomic loci. Associations were concentrated in genes that are expressed in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of the central nervous system, but not in other tissues or cell types. Using fine-mapping and functional genomic data, we identify 120 genes (106 protein-coding) that are likely to underpin associations at some of these loci, including 16 genes with credible causal non-synonymous or untranslated region variation. We also implicate fundamental processes related to neuronal function, including synaptic organization, differentiation and transmission. Fine-mapped candidates were enriched for genes associated with rare disruptive coding variants in people with schizophrenia, including the glutamate receptor subunit GRIN2A and transcription factor SP4, and were also enriched for genes implicated by such variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. We identify biological processes relevant to schizophrenia pathophysiology; show convergence of common and rare variant associations in schizophrenia and neurodevelopmental disorders; and provide a resource of prioritized genes and variants to advance mechanistic studies

Microstructure and texture evolution of pure nickel during cryorolling and subsequent annealing

The microstructure and texture evolution of pure nickel sheets during cryorolling and subsequent short-time low-temperature annealing were analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction technique. Results show that the content of typical texture of brass, copper, S, cube, and Goss texture is no significant change during cryorolling with a reduction of 40%. When the reduction reaches 60%, it begins to significantly increase, and when the reduction reaches 80%, it exhibits a copper type texture. However, when the reduction is 20%, the fiber texture of //normal direction (ND) orientation begins to significantly increase, which was mainly caused by dislocation slip during cryorolling. During low temperature and short time annealing, the content of typical textures decreases except S texture, and the grain changes mainly occur in grains other than //ND orientation which is due to the rich substructure and high dislocation density formed in the cryorolling process leading to rapid response to annealing

High Abundance of Thaumarchaeota Found in Deep Metamorphic Subsurface in Eastern China

Members of the Thaumarchaeota phylum play a key role in nitrogen cycling and are prevalent in a variety of environments including soil, sediment, and seawater. However, few studies have shown the presence of Thaumarchaeota in the terrestrial deep subsurface. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing, this study presents evidence for the high relative abundance of Thaumarchaeota in a biofilm sample collected from the well of Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling at a depth of 2000 m. Phylogenetic analysis showed a close relationship of these thaumarchaeotal sequences with known ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) isolates, suggesting the presence of AOA in the deep metamorphic environment of eastern China which is believed to be oxic. Based on fluid geochemistry and FAProTax functional prediction, a pathway of nitrogen cycling is proposed. Firstly, heterotrophic nitrogen fixation is executed by diazotrophic bacteria coupled with methane oxidation. Then, ammonia is oxidized to nitrite by AOA, and nitrite is further oxidized to nitrate by bacteria within the phylum Nitrospirae. Denitrification and anaerobic ammonia oxidation occur slowly, leading to nitrate accumulation in the subsurface. With respect to biogeochemistry, the reaction between downward diffusing O2 and upward diffusing CH4 potentially fuels the ecosystem with a high relative abundance of Thaumarchaeota