Who are the convoys of the happiness of Chinese urban residents? Research on social relations and subjective well-being based on the convoy model

IntroductionWhile the rapid advancement of urbanization has driven the improvement of material living standards, it has also brought about rapid social changes and intensified competition. In this “involutive” environment characterized by highly competitive and strong pressure, urban residents tend to fall into a state of “mental exhaustion.” Anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and other mental illnesses have seriously threatened public health in Chinese cities. Support from social relations is crucial for enhancing residents’ subjective well-being (SWB) and promoting their mental health, especially in China’s highly contextualized collectivist culture.MethodsAccording to the social structure of China’s “difference sequence pattern,” this paper constructs a theoretical framework of the relationship between social relations and SWB based on the convoy model and uses CGSS2018 data to verify the applicability of the theoretical framework.ResultsKinship and friendship positively relate to SWB, and their interaction effect is significantly negative. There is no necessary correlation between neighborhood and SWB. The relationship between social relations and SWB of different age groups is heterogeneous. In addition, the moderating effects of relative income and social class are significantly negative.DiscussionKinship and friendship are Chinese urban residents’ SWB convoys, and these two factors have an obvious substitution effect. The neighborhood has withdrawn from the convoy orbit of Chinese urban residents’ SWB, which may be related to neighborhood indifference caused by China’s housing system reform. From the life course perspective, the SWB convoys of young and middle-aged groups consist of kinship and friendship, while those of elderly people include kinship and neighborhood. In addition, for poor individuals living at the bottom of society, support from kinship is the most important source of social capital. These findings provide new insights into the relationship between social relations and the welfare of Chinese urban residents

Proteomic analysis of the endophytic fungus Undifilum oxytropis

The filamentous Ascomycete fungus Undifilum oxytropis is an endophyte of locoweed plants of the genera Oxytropis that produces a toxic alkaloid swainsonine. Swainsonine, an alpha-mannosidase inhibitor causes a general toxicosis and neurological problems (locoism) when consumed by grazing animals. Swainsonine is also being assessed for its anti-cancer properties. While the ecology of U. oxytropis has been studied, little is known about the genetics and proteomics of any swainsonine-producing fungus. To help understand the proteins in U. oxytropis, the proteome of U. oxytropis was analyzed using 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Proteins from U. oxytropis mycelia were extracted and separated by in-gel isoelectric focusing (IEF). The entire immobilized pH gradient (IPG) strip was cut into a set of gel sections and each gel section was digested with trypsin and then identified using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). 2-DE maps were also developed for U. oxytropis to define its proteome. In the isoelectric point (pI) range of 3-11 and 10-250 kDa ranges, more than 450 spots were detected in 2-DE silver-stained gels, and 52 proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS. Most of the identified proteins were involved in energy production, oxidoreductase activity, carbohydrate metabolic process, amino acid and cellular ketone metabolic process. A large group of identified proteins were related to stress proteins and heat shock proteins. This work presents the first two-dimensional reference map of this alkaloid-producing fungus. Details of the proteome serve as a baseline for further study of this swainsonine-producing fungus and are essential for a reverse genetic analysis of the fungus.Keywords: Undifilum oxytropis fungus, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, proteome reference map, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, swainsonin

Effects of temperature on oxidation behaviours of 35CrMo in high temperature flue gas environment

The pipelines made by alloy 35CrMo are widely used in the process of flue gas injection. Therefore, corrosion behaviours of alloy 35CrMo have been investigated at varied temperatures, namely 120 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C, with same experimental pressure of 9 MPa and flus gas environment. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to examine the morphologies and microstructures of the oxide films. The results indicated that moderate temperature stands an essential role in the reaction mechanism and aggressive effects. In addition to increase in the diffusion rate of both alloy ions and corrosive gas, temperature can also reform the morphology of oxides by resulting in larger oxide particles and thicker oxide films, plus the transmission from needle-like oxides to spherical oxides

Effects and Action Mechanisms of Berberine and Rhizoma coptidis on Gut Microbes and Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Fed C57BL/6J Mice

Gut microbes play important roles in regulating fat storage and metabolism. Rhizoma coptidis (RC) and its main active compound, berberine, have either antimicrobial or anti-obesity activities. In the present study, we hypothesize that RC exerts anti-obesity effects that are likely mediated by mechanisms of regulating gut microbes and berberine may be a key compound of RC. Gut microbes and glucose and lipid metabolism in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6J (HFD) mice in vivo are investigated after RC and berberine treatments. The results show that RC (200 mg/kg) and berberine (200 mg/kg) significantly lower both body and visceral adipose weights, and reduce blood glucose and lipid levels, and decrease degradation of dietary polysaccharides in HFD mice. Both RC and berberine significantly reduce the proportions of fecal Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes to total bacteria in HFD mice. In the trial ex vivo, both RC and berberine significantly inhibit the growth of gut bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. In in vitro trials, both RC and berberine significantly inhibit the growth of Lactobacillus (a classical type of Firmicutes) under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, both RC and berberine significantly increase fasting-induced adipose factor (Fiaf, a key protein negatively regulated by intestinal microbes) expressions in either intestinal or visceral adipose tissues. Both RC and berberine significantly increase mRNA expressions of AMPK, PGC1α, UCP2, CPT1α, and Hadhb related to mitochondrial energy metabolism, which may be driven by increased Fiaf expression. These results firstly suggest that antimicrobial activities of RC and berberine may result in decreasing degradation of dietary polysaccharides, lowering potential calorie intake, and then systemically activating Fiaf protein and related gene expressions of mitochondrial energy metabolism in visceral adipose tissues. Taken together, these action mechanisms may contribute to significant anti-obesity effects. Findings in the present study also indicate that pharmacological regulation on gut microbes can develop an anti-obesity strategy

Study on localized corrosion behavior of hot extrusion deformed GW103K magnesium alloy

This study investigated the corrosion behavior in the core and at the edge of the cross-section of an extruded GW103K (Mg–10Gd–3Y–0.4Zr) alloy. Equivalent stress and strain were modeled using finite element simulations. The stress and strain in the core were lower than those at the edge. The microstructure, corrosion morphology, and grain orientation of the alloy were examined using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction, respectively. The results showed that most grains in the core exhibited a basal plane orientation and lower surface energy, whereas those at the edge exhibited cylindrical orientations. Hydrogen evolution experiments and electrochemical tests showed that the corrosion resistance in the core was higher than that at the edge. Scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy measurements of the surface potential distribution in the cross-section revealed a large potential difference between the second-phase particles at the edge and the matrix, with obvious galvanic corrosion. The alloy core exhibited low stress and a higher content of grains with basal plane orientation, along with a small potential difference between the second-phase particles and the matrix. Thus, the corrosion resistance in the core was higher than that at the edge

Miniaturized Photo-Ionization Fourier Deconvolution Ion Mobility Spectrometer for the Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds

Because of its simplicity, reliability, and sensitivity, the drift tube ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) has been recognized as the equipment of choice for the on-site monitoring and identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the performance of handheld IMS is often limited by the size, weight, and drift voltage, which heavily determine the sensitivity and resolving power that is crucial for the detection and identification of VOCs. In this work, we present a low-cost, miniaturized drift tube ion mobility spectrometer incorporated with a miniaturized UV ionization lamp and a relatively low drift voltage. The sensitivity and resolving power are boosted with the implementation of Fourier deconvolution multiplexing compared to the conventional signal averaging data acquisition method. The drift tube provides a high resolving power of up to 52 at a drift length of 41 mm, 10 mm ID dimensions, and a drift voltage of 1.57 kV. Acetone, benzene, dimethyl methyl phosphonate, methyl salicylate, and acetic acid were evaluated in the developed spectrometer and showed satisfactory performance

Effects of temperature on oxidation behaviours of 35CrMo in high temperature flue gas environment

The pipelines made by alloy 35CrMo are widely used in the process of flue gas injection. Therefore, corrosion behaviours of alloy 35CrMo have been investigated at varied temperatures, namely 120 °C, 150 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C, with same experimental pressure of 9 MPa and flus gas environment. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to examine the morphologies and microstructures of the oxide films. The results indicated that moderate temperature stands an essential role in the reaction mechanism and aggressive effects. In addition to increase in the diffusion rate of both alloy ions and corrosive gas, temperature can also reform the morphology of oxides by resulting in larger oxide particles and thicker oxide films, plus the transmission from needle-like oxides to spherical oxides

Experimental Study on Bi-Axial Mechanical Properties of Warp-knitted Meshes with and without Initial Notches

Warp-knitted meshes have been widely used for structural reinforcement of rigid, semi-rigid, and flexible composite materials. In order to meet the performance requirements of different engineering applications, four typical warp-knitted meshes (rectangular, square, circular, and diamond) were designed and developed. The mechanical behaviors of these meshes under mono-axial and multi-axial tensile loads were compared. The influence of the initial notch length and orientation on the mechanical performance was also analyzed. The results showed that the biaxial tensile behavior of warp-knitted meshes tended to be more isotropic. The anisotropy level of the diamond warp-knitted mesh was the lowest (λ = 0.099), while the rectangular one was the highest (λ = 0.502). The notch on a significantly anisotropic mesh was propagated along the direction of larger modulus, while for a not remarkably anisotropic mesh, notch propagation was probably consistent with the initial notch orientation. The breaking strength of warp-knitted meshes with the same initial notch orientation decreased with the increase in notch length in both the wale and course directions. For warp-knitted meshes with the same initial notch length, the breaking strength in the wale direction was kept stable at different notch orientations, while that in the course direction decreased remarkably with notch orientation from 0° to 90°