On Diagnostic Index and Method of Healthy Wetland Food Chain

Abstract: Wetland food chain is the channel of the matter and energy transfer or flow in the wetland ecosystem. From wetland food chain scission mechanism, the structure and functional characteristics of the wetland food chain scission were analyzed, while building a healthy wetland food chain diagnostic index system. Depending on wetland ecosystem health research results, this study brought forward the wetland food chain structure stability and functions of wetland energy measures and their quantitative calculation formula and finally we gave the healthy wetland food chain diagnosis process in order to provide scientific basis for wetland food chain restoration

A Decision Model to Predict the Optimal Size of the Diversified Management Industry from the View of Profit Maximization and Coordination of Industrial Scale

To avoid the risk of single and homogeneous development, China’s coal enterprises have explored a diversified development model and are actively developing coal-based industries such as electric power, coal chemical, coal equipment manufacturing, logistics, and building materials. In previous studies of the diversification strategy, the focus has been placed on the motivation for diversification, the measurement of diversification, and the relationship between diversification and enterprise performance. From an enterprise strategic decision, we predicted the optimal size of each industry by considering the limited enterprise capital, human resources, the synergetic relationship among industrial clusters (mainly the scale coordination), and policy factors. The optimal decision model for diversified industrial management was constructed using linear programming methods. The decision target was to maximize the enterprise’s profit, but to also consider the social and environmental benefits. One of the largest listed coal enterprises in China, China Coal Energy (also a typical diversified enterprise), was selected as a case for analysis. Data were collected from surveys and annual reports from 2010 to 2014. The optimal scales of coal, electric power, chemical, and equipment manufacturing were predicted, and could be used as a reference for future enterprise production decisions. Furthermore, this decision model can be used as a reference for other diversified enterprises

Bis(μ-2,2′-oxydibenzoato-κ4 O,O′:O′′,O′′′)bis­[(4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine-κ2 N,N′)zinc(II)] dihydrate

In the title compound, [Zn2(C14H8O5)2(C12H12N2)2]·2H2O, the ZnII atom exhibits a distorted octa­hedral coordination geometry, defined by two N atoms from one 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine ligand and four O atoms from two bridging 2,2′-oxydibenzoate ligands. The mol­ecule is a centrosymmetric dimer. π–π Stacking inter­actions are observed between the 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine ligands, with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.649 (2) Å

Optical absorption of angulon in metal halide perovskites

We theoretically study the optical absorption of an angulon in the metal halide perovskites (MHP) based on the improved Devreese-Huybrechts-Lemmens model, where the formation of quasiparticle angulon states originates from the organic cation rotating in the inorganic octahedral cage of MHP. We find that the resonance optical absorption peaks are appeared when the energy of incident photon matches the quantum levels of angulon. Moreover, the intensity of absorption depends on the quantum states of phonon angular momentum. These theoretical results provide significant insight to study the redistribution of angular momenta for the rotational molecules immersed into the many-body environment.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. A (Welcome to comments

Institutional Environment and Overinvestment in Emerging Markets-Empirical Evidence from Chinese Listed Companies

We use China’s unique institutional environment as a basis to study the country’s enterprise overinvestment behavior. In recent years, China has seen a surge in enterprise investment due to the huge availability of investment funds leading to difficulties in governing listed firms in the country. We separately analyze the impact of government intervention, rule of law and financial development of various regions on the overinvestment behavior of the listed companies. The results show that government intervention is positively related to overinvestment of listed companies. However, rule of law and financial development are negatively related to overinvestment of listed companies. In addition, the results further show that improved institutional environment can restrict overinvestment in listed companies. Further research indicates that, compared to the rule of law and financial development, government intervention is a fundamental factor which influences overinvestment the most. The study’s results have implications, particularly for the regulators, as they provide useful and detailed information which can be used in the design of more appropriate and functional systems to govern listed companies and help in curbing the overinvestment problem. Keywords: Government intervention; rule of law; financial development; overinvestment, Emerging Market

Expression of the microRNA-143/145 cluster is decreased in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma and may serve as a biomarker for tumorigenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis B

The aims of the present study were to identify the expression profile of microRNA (miR)‑143/145 in hepatitis B virus (HBV)‑associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), explore its association with prognosis and investigate whether the serum miR‑143/145 expression levels may serve as a diagnostic indicator of HBV‑associated HCC. The microRNA (miRNA) chromatin immunoprecipitation dataset was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed‑rank test. It was observed that the expression of miR‑143 and miR‑145 was decreased 1.5‑fold in HBV‑associated HCC samples compared with non‑tumor tissue in the TCGA and the GSE22058 datasets (P\u3c0.01). Using the reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction, it was further confirmed that miR‑143/145 and their host gene MIR143HG were downregulated in HBV‑associated HCC tissues compared with corresponding distal non‑tumor tissues. The lower level of miR‑143 and miR‑145 expression was associated with tumor differentiation, and may thus be responsible for a poor prognosis of patients with HBV‑associated HCC. The receiver‑operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to explore the potential value of miR‑143 and miR‑145 as biomarkers for predicting HBV‑associated HCC tumorigenesis. In serum, miR‑143/145 were identified to be significantly decreased in patients with HBV‑associated HCC compared with negative control patients, and their associated areas under the ROC curves were calculated at 0.813 and 0.852 (P\u3c0.05), with each having a sensitivity and a specificity close to 0.80. These results indicated that the decreased expression of the miR‑143/145 cluster and their host gene MIR143HG in HBV‑associated HCC tissue was associated with prognosis, and each of these miRNAs may serve as a valuable diagnostic biomarker for predicting HBV‑associated HCC tumorigenesis

Colorectal cancer screening with fecal occult blood test: A 22-year cohort study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening with a three-tier fecal occult blood test (FOBT) in the Chinese population. The study was performed between 1987 and 2008 at the Beijing Military General Hospital, in a cohort of army service males and females aged >50 years. Between 1987 and 2005, a three-tier screening program, comprising guaiac-based FOBTs (gFOBTs), followed by immunochemical FOBTs for positive guaiac test samples and then colonoscopy for positive immunochemical test subjects, was performed annually. The cohort was followed up until 2008. The cohort included 5,104 subjects, of which, 3,863 subjects participated in screening (screening group) and 1,241 did not (non-screening group). The two groups did not differ in age, gender or other major risk factors for colon cancer. Overall, 36 CRCs occurred in the screening group and 21 in the non-screening group. Compared with the non-screening group, the relative risk for the incidence and mortality of CRC was 0.51 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.30-0.87] and 0.36 (95% CI, 0.18-0.71), respectively, in the screening group. The general sensitivity of this three-tier FOBT was 80.6% (95% CI, 65.3-91.1). Thus, annual screening using the three-tier FOBT program may reduce the CRC incidence and mortality rate

Aqua­azido­{3,3′-[o-phenyl­enebis(nitrilo­methyl­idyne)]di-2-naphtholato}manganese(III)

In the title complex, [Mn(C28H18N2O2)(N3)(H2O)], the MnIII ion adopts a distorted fac-MnO3N3 octa­hedral geometry arising from the O,N,N′,O′-tetra­dentate Schiff base ligand, an azide ion and a water mol­ecule. In the crystal, inter­molecular O—H⋯(O,O) and O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid separation = 3.5535 (13) Å] link the mol­ecules into chains

Anti-Hepatitis B Virus Effect and Possible Mechanism of Action of 3,4-O-Dicaffeoylquinic Acid In Vitro and In Vivo

The anti-hepatitis B activity of 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid isolated from Laggera alata was studied using the D-galactosamine- (D-GalN-) induced hepatocyte damage model, HepG2.2.15 cells, and with HBV transgenic mice. In vitro results showed that 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid improved HL-7702 hepatocyte viability and markedly inhibited the production of HBsAg and HBeAg. At a concentration of 100 μg/mL, its inhibitory rates on the expression levels of HBsAg and HBeAg were 89.96% and 81.01%, respectively. The content of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA (HBV cccDNA) in HepG2.2.15 cells was significantly decreased after the cells were treated with the test compound. In addition, 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid significantly increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in HepG2.2.15 cells. In vivo results indicated that the test compound at concentrations of 100 μg/mL significantly inhibited HBsAg production and increased HO-1 expression in HBV transgenic mice. In conclusion, this study verifies the anti-hepatitis B activity of 3,4-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid. The upregulation of HO-1 may contribute to the anti-HBV effect of this compound by reducing the stability of the HBV core protein, which blocks the refill of nuclear HBV cccDNA. Furthermore, the hepatoprotective effect of this compound may be mediated through its antioxidative/anti-inflammatory properties and by the induction of HO-1 expression