Religious atmosphere, seismic impact, and corporate charitable donations in China

This study examines the external socio-cultural and natural environment factors that driving corporate philanthropy in China. We focus on two predominant influences: religiosity, specifically the traditional Three-Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism), and seismic activities. Using a large sample of 31,673 firm-year observations from Chinese listed firms from 2009 to 2020, our findings reveal that (a) firms immersed in more pronounced religious-cultural presence have higher donation incentives, and (b) firms experiencing higher seismic impacts or are located in high seismic risk areas show heightened corporate philanthropic tendencies. Our multidisciplinary approach bridges various academic disciplines, presenting an innovative framework for understanding the intersection of corporate philanthropy, socio-cultural environments, and natural disasters in China. Overall, we highlight the importance of external environmental factors in shaping corporate charitable behaviours

GWAS Analysis and QTL Identification of Fiber Quality Traits and Yield Components in Upland Cotton Using Enriched High-Density SNP Markers

It is of great importance to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling fiber quality traits and yield components for future marker-assisted selection (MAS) and candidate gene function identifications. In this study, two kinds of traits in 231 F6:8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from an intraspecific cross between Xinluzao24, a cultivar with elite fiber quality, and Lumianyan28, a cultivar with wide adaptability and high yield potential, were measured in nine environments. This RIL population was genotyped by 122 SSR and 4729 SNP markers, which were also used to construct the genetic map. The map covered 2477.99 cM of hirsutum genome, with an average marker interval of 0.51 cM between adjacent markers. As a result, a total of 134 QTLs for fiber quality traits and 122 QTLs for yield components were detected, with 2.18–24.45 and 1.68–28.27% proportions of the phenotypic variance explained by each QTL, respectively. Among these QTLs, 57 were detected in at least two environments, named stable QTLs. A total of 209 and 139 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were associated with fiber quality traits and yield components by four multilocus genome-wide association studies methods, respectively. Among these QTNs, 74 were detected by at least two algorithms or in two environments. The candidate genes harbored by 57 stable QTLs were compared with the ones associated with QTN, and 35 common candidate genes were found. Among these common candidate genes, four were possibly “pleiotropic.” This study provided important information for MAS and candidate gene functional studies

Self-assembling subnanometer pores with unusual mass-transport properties

A long-standing aim in molecular self-assembly is the development of synthetic nanopores capable of mimicking the mass-transport characteristics of biological channels and pores. Here we report a strategy for enforcing the nanotubular assembly of rigid macrocycles in both the solid state and solution based on the interplay of multiple hydrogen-bonding and aromatic π − π stacking interactions. The resultant nanotubes have modifiable surfaces and inner pores of a uniform diameter defined by the constituent macrocycles. The self-assembling hydrophobic nanopores can mediate not only highly selective transmembrane ion transport, unprecedented for a synthetic nanopore, but also highly efficient transmembrane water permeability. These results establish a solid foundation for developing synthetically accessible, robust nanostructured systems with broad applications such as reconstituted mimicry of defined functions solely achieved by biological nanostructures, molecular sensing, and the fabrication of porous materials required for water purification and molecular separations

Evaluation of an identification method for the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant based on the amplification-refractory mutation system

The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 dominated the COVID-19 pandemic due to its high viral replication capacity and immune evasion, causing massive outbreaks of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Currently, variant identification is performed mainly by sequencing. However, the high requirements for equipment and operators as well as its high cost have limited its application in underdeveloped regions. To achieve an economical and rapid method of variant identification suitable for undeveloped areas, we applied an amplification-refractory mutation system (ARMS) based on PCR for the detection of novel coronavirus variants. The results showed that this method could be finished in 90 min and detect as few as 500 copies/mL and not react with SARS-Coronavirus, influenza A H1N1(2009), and other cross-pathogens or be influenced by fresh human blood, α- interferon, and other interfering substances. In a set of double-blind trials, tests of 262 samples obtained from patients confirmed with Delta variant infection revealed that our method was able to accurately identify the Delta variant with high sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, the ARMS-PCR method applied in Delta variant identification is rapid, sensitive, specific, economical, and suitable for undeveloped areas. In our future study, ARMS-PCR will be further applied in the identification of other variants, such as Omicron

An augmented formulation of distributed compliant mechanism optimization using a level set method

Topology optimization has emerged as one of the key approaches to design compliant mechanisms. However, one of the main difficulties is that the resulted compliant mechanisms often have de facto hinges. For this reason, a simple yet efficient formulation for designing hinge-free compliant mechanisms is developed and examined within a level set–based topology optimization framework. First, the conventional objective function is augmented using an output stiffness. Second, the proposed formulation is solved using a level set method for designing some benchmark problems in the literature. It is shown that the proposed augmented objective function can prevent the de facto hinges in the obtained compliant mechanisms. Finally, some concluding remarks and future work are put forward

Effects of Brucine on the OPG/RANKL/RANK Signaling Pathway in MDA-MB-231 and MC3T3-E1 Cell Coculture System

The present study examined the effects of brucine on the OPG/RANKL/RANK signaling pathway for exploring the mechanism of brucine suppression of bone metastasis in breast cancer. MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and mouse osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells were cocultured to mimic the breast cancer bone metastasis microenvironment in vitro. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expressions of OPG and RANKL at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively, in brucine-treated cultures and they were compared to those in untreated cultures. We aimed to understand the effect of brucine on the entire OPG/RANKL/RANK signaling pathway after analyzing these effects. Results showed that brucine treatment significantly increased both the OPG mRNA/RANKL mRNA expression ratio and the OPG protein/RANKL protein ratio in cocultures compared to those in untreated cocultures (P<0.01). Brucine, therefore, plays a regulatory role in the OPG/RANKL/RANK signaling pathway, suggesting that it can indirectly control osteoclasts by regulating the expression and secretion of OPG and RANKL in osteoblast cells, thereby inhibiting the differentiation and bone resorption function of osteoclasts