Carbon Trading in BRICS Countries: Challenges and Recommendations

As one of the world’s largest emerging economies, BRICS countries are playing an increasingly important role in addressing the global issue of climate change. To achieve their emissions reduction targets, these nations are actively promoting the construction of carbon trading markets. However, they face multiple challenges and obstacles in this endeavor, including issues related to market norms, financial support, technical capacity, social participation, and development needs. This research investigates the problems and challenges faced by BRICS countries in terms of building carbon trading markets through literature reviews and case studies. To address these challenges, this research strengthening international cooperation and technical support, improving market norms and provide following recommendations: conducting regulatory measures, enhancing social participation and communication, and balancing the relationship between economic development and environmental protection requirements. Furthermore, it is crucial for these nations to continue to strengthen international cooperation and collaboration, working together to promote the construction of carbon trading markets, achieving their emissions reduction targets, and ensuring long-term sustainability and economic development

Tunable Interband Transitions in Twisted h-BN/Graphene Heterostructures

In twisted h-BN/graphene heterostructures, the complex electronic properties of the fast-traveling electron gas in graphene are usually considered to be fully revealed. However, the randomly twisted heterostructures may also have unexpected transition behaviors, which may influence the device performance. Here, we study the twist angle-dependent coupling effects of h-BN/graphene heterostructures using monochromatic electron energy loss spectroscopy. We find that the moir\'e potentials alter the band structure of graphene, resulting in a redshift of the intralayer transition at the M-point, which becomes more pronounced up to 0.25 eV with increasing twist angle. Furthermore, the twisting of the Brillouin zone of h-BN relative to the graphene M-point leads to tunable vertical transition energies in the range of 5.1-5.6 eV. Our findings indicate that twist-coupling effects of van der Waals heterostructures should be carefully considered in device fabrications, and the continuously tunable interband transitions through the twist angle can serve as a new degree of freedom to design optoelectrical devices

Spectroscopic Description of the E1 State of Mo Nitrogenase Based on Mo and Fe X‑ray Absorption and Mössbauer Studies

Mo nitrogenase (N2ase) utilizes a two-component protein system, the catalytic MoFe and its electron-transfer partner FeP, to reduce atmospheric dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3). The FeMo cofactor contained in the MoFe protein serves as the catalytic center for this reaction and has long inspired model chemistry oriented toward activating N2. This field of chemistry has relied heavily on the detailed characterization of how Mo N2ase accomplishes this feat. Understanding the reaction mechanism of Mo N2ase itself has presented one of the most challenging problems in bioinorganic chemistry because of the ephemeral nature of its catalytic intermediates, which are difficult, if not impossible, to singly isolate. This is further exacerbated by the near necessity of FeP to reduce native MoFe, rendering most traditional means of selective reduction inept. We have now investigated the first fundamental intermediate of the MoFe catalytic cycle, E1, as prepared both by low-flux turnover and radiolytic cryoreduction, using a combination of Mo Kα highenergy-resolution fluorescence detection and Fe K-edge partial-fluorescence-yield X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques. The results demonstrate that the formation of this state is the result of an Fe-centered reduction and that Mo remains redoxinnocent. Furthermore, using Fe X-ray absorption and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopies, we correlate a previously reported unique species formed under cryoreducing conditions to the natively formed E1 state through annealing, demonstrating the viability of cryoreduction in studying the catalytic intermediates of MoFe

Locally advanced rectal cancer with dMMR/MSI-H may be excused from surgery after neoadjuvant anti-PD-1 monotherapy: a multiple-center, cohort study

ObjectiveExamine patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) with deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) or microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy (nIT), and compare the outcomes of those who chose a watch-and-wait (WW) approach after achieving clinical complete response (cCR) or near-cCR with those who underwent surgery and were confirmed as pathological complete response (pCR).MethodsLARC patients with dMMR/MSI-H who received nIT were retrospectively examined. The endpoints were 2-year overall survival (OS), 2-year disease-free survival (DFS), local recurrence (LR), and distant metastasis (DM). The efficacy of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) inhibitor, immune-related adverse events (irAEs), surgery-related adverse events (srAEs), and enterostomy were also recorded.ResultsTwenty patients who received a PD-1 inhibitor as initial nIT were examined. Eighteen patients (90%) achieved complete response (CR) after a median of 7 nIT cycles, including 11 with pCR after surgery (pCR group), and 7 chose a WW strategy after evaluation as cCR or near-cCR (WW group). Both groups had median follow-up times of 25.0 months. Neither group had a case of LR or DM, and the 2-year DFS and OS in each group was 100%. The two groups had similar incidences of irAEs (P=0.627). In the pCR group, however, 2 patients (18.2%) had permanent colostomy, 3 (27.3%) had temporary ileostomy, and 2 (18.2%) had srAEs.ConclusionNeoadjuvant PD-1 blockade had high efficacy and led to a high rate of CR in LARC patients with dMMR/MSI-H. A WW strategy appears to be a safe and reliable option for these patients who achieve cCR or near-cCR after nIT

Target SSR-Seq: A Novel SSR Genotyping Technology Associate With Perfect SSRs in Genetic Analysis of Cucumber Varieties

Simple sequence repeats (SSR) – also known as microsatellites – have been used extensively in genetic analysis, fine mapping, quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, as well as marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding and other techniques. Despite a plethora of studies reporting that perfect SSRs with stable motifs and flanking sequences are more efficient for genetic research, the lack of a high throughput technology for SSR genotyping has limited their use as genetic targets in many crops. In this study, we developed a technology called Target SSR-seq that combined the multiplexed amplification of perfect SSRs with high throughput sequencing. This method can genotype plenty of SSR loci in hundreds of samples with highly accurate results, due to the substantial coverage afforded by high throughput sequencing. We also detected 844 perfect SSRs based on 182 resequencing datasets in cucumber, of which 91 SSRs were selected for Target SSR-seq. Finally, 122 SSRs, including 31 SSRs for varieties identification, were used to genotype 382 key cucumber varieties readily available in Chinese markets using our Target SSR-seq method. Libraries of PCR products were constructed and then sequenced on the Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 111 filtered SSRs were accurately genotyped with an average coverage of 1289× at an extremely low cost; furthermore, 398 alleles were observed in 382 cucumber cultivars. Genetic analysis identified four populations: northern China type, southern China type, European type, and Xishuangbanna type. Moreover, we acquired a set of 16 core SSRs for the identification of 382 cucumber varieties, of which 42 were isolated as backbone cucumber varieties. This study demonstrated that Target SSR-seq is a novel and efficient method for genetic research

Alkaline stress reduces root waving by regulating PIN7 vacuolar transport

Root development and plasticity are assessed via diverse endogenous and environmental cues, including phytohormones, nutrition, and stress. In this study, we observed that roots in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana exhibited waving and oscillating phenotypes under normal conditions but lost this pattern when subjected to alkaline stress. We later showed that alkaline treatment disturbed the auxin gradient in roots and increased auxin signal in columella cells. We further demonstrated that the auxin efflux transporter PIN-FORMED 7 (PIN7) but not PIN3 was translocated to vacuole lumen under alkaline stress. This process is essential for root response to alkaline stress because the pin7 knockout mutants retained the root waving phenotype. Moreover, we provided evidence that the PIN7 vacuolar transport might not depend on the ARF-GEFs but required the proper function of an ESCRT subunit known as FYVE domain protein required for endosomal sorting 1 (FREE1). Induced silencing of FREE1 disrupted the vacuolar transport of PIN7 and reduced sensitivity to alkaline stress, further highlighting the importance of this cellular process. In conclusion, our work reveals a new role of PIN7 in regulating root morphology under alkaline stress

Controlling Alzheimer's Disease Through the Deep Brain Stimulation to Thalamic Relay Cells

Experimental and clinical studies have shown that the technique of deep brain stimulation (DBS) plays a potential role in the regulation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet it still desires for ongoing studies including clinical trials, theoretical approach and action mechanism. In this work, we develop a modified thalamo-cortico-thalamic (TCT) model associated with AD to explore the therapeutic effects of DBS on AD from the perspective of neurocomputation. First, the neuropathological state of AD resulting from synapse loss is mimicked by decreasing the synaptic connectivity strength from the Inter-Neurons (IN) neuron population to the Thalamic Relay Cells (TRC) neuron population. Under such AD condition, a specific deep brain stimulation voltage is then implanted into the neural nucleus of TRC in this TCT model. The symptom of AD is found significantly relieved by means of power spectrum analysis and nonlinear dynamical analysis. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of DBS on AD are systematically examined in different parameter space of DBS. The results demonstrate that the controlling effect of DBS on AD can be efficient by appropriately tuning the key parameters of DBS including amplitude A, period P and duration D. This work highlights the critical role of thalamus stimulation for brain disease, and provides a theoretical basis for future experimental and clinical studies in treating AD.Peer Reviewe

The Characteristics of Oil Migration due to Water Imbibition in Tight Oil Reservoirs

In tight oil reservoirs, water imbibition is the key mechanism to improve oil production during shut-in operations. However, the complex microstructure and composition of minerals complicate the interpretation of oil migration during water imbibition. In this study, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) T2 spectra was used to monitor the oil migration dynamics in tight oil reservoirs. The factors influencing pore size distribution, micro-fractures, and clay minerals were systematically investigated. The results show that the small pores corresponded to a larger capillary pressure and a stronger imbibition capacity, expelling the oil into the large pores. The small pores had a more effective oil recovery than the large pores. As the soaking time increases, the water preferentially entered the natural micro-fractures, expelling the oil in the micro-fractures. Subsequently, the oil in the small pores was slowly expelled. Compared with the matrix pores, natural micro-fractures had a smaller flow resistance and were more conducive to water and oil flow. Clay minerals may have induced micro-fracture propagation, which can act as the oil migration channels during water imbibition. In contrary to the inhibitory effect of natural micro-fractures, the new micro-fractures could contribute to the oil migration from small pores into large pores. This study characterized the oil migration characteristics and provides new insight into tight oil production