A Study on the Participation of Peasants in Rural Environmental Improvement From the Perspective of Sustainable Development

Peasants are producers and the direct stakeholders of rural environmental problems, and also the core subject of the comprehensive rural ecological improvement. However, in the current mode of rural environmental governance, the government takes the dominant role, with low participation of peasants. Based on the representative micro-survey data of China, and from the perspective of the psychosocial effects of the peasants’ self-identification, this research made use of instrumental variables and generalized structural equation mode (GSEM) to explore the reason behand this phenomenon. The research shows that, first, at present Chinese peasants have a low degree of self-identification, and self-identification has a remarkable and positive stimulating effect on the participation of peasants in rural ecological improvement; second, heterogeneity analysis shows that self-identification is a stronger incentive for peasant groups with female offspring and rural families with relatively higher incomes in the participation of rural environmental improvement, and is a less remarkable incentive for rural families with relatively low incomes; and third, the mediation model results indicate that social fairness and social capital are important mediating paths with which self-identification influences the participation of peasants in rural environmental improvement, and the exertion of the stimulating effect of self-identification on the participation in rural environmental improvement is inseparable from the coordination and integration of the perception effect of peasants as the behavioral subject in terms of social fairness, and is still more inseparable from the support of corresponding social capital. What we’ve discovered means that the enhancement of self-identification of peasants by strengthening the construction of public cultural services and cultural guidance in rural area is the crucial element to motivate the peasants to participate in rural environmental improvement so as to realize sustainable rural development

Perovskite Origami for Programmable Microtube Lasing

Metal halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronic and photonic applications ranging from photovoltaics to laser devices. However, current perovskite devices are constrained to simple low-dimensional structures suffering from limited design freedom and holding up performance improvement and functionality upgrades. Here, a micro-origami technique is developed to program 3D perovskite microarchitectures toward a new type of microcavity laser. The design flexibility in 3D supports not only outstanding laser performance such as low threshold, tunable output, and high stability but also yields new functionalities like 3D confined mode lasing and directional emission in, for example, laser “array-in-array” systems. The results represent a significant step forward toward programmable microarchitectures that take perovskite optoelectronics and photonics into the 3D era. © 2021 The Authors. Advanced Functional Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH

BPR1K653, a Novel Aurora Kinase Inhibitor, Exhibits Potent Anti-Proliferative Activity in MDR1 (P-gp170)-Mediated Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells

Over-expression of Aurora kinases promotes the tumorigenesis of cells. The aim of this study was to determine the preclinical profile of a novel pan-Aurora kinase inhibitor, BPR1K653, as a candidate for anti-cancer therapy. Since expression of the drug efflux pump, MDR1, reduces the effectiveness of various chemotherapeutic compounds in human cancers, this study also aimed to determine whether the potency of BPR1K653 could be affected by the expression of MDR1 in cancer cells.BPR1K653 specifically inhibited the activity of Aurora-A and Aurora-B kinase at low nano-molar concentrations in vitro. Anti-proliferative activity of BPR1K653 was evaluated in various human cancer cell lines. Results of the clonogenic assay showed that BPR1K653 was potent in targeting a variety of cancer cell lines regardless of the tissue origin, p53 status, or expression of MDR1. At the cellular level, BPR1K653 induced endo-replication and subsequent apoptosis in both MDR1-negative and MDR1-positive cancer cells. Importantly, it showed potent activity against the growth of xenograft tumors of the human cervical carcinoma KB and KB-derived MDR1-positive KB-VIN10 cells in nude mice. Finally, BPR1K653 also exhibited favorable pharmacokinetic properties in rats.BPR1K653 is a novel potent anti-cancer compound, and its potency is not affected by the expression of the multiple drug resistant protein, MDR1, in cancer cells. Therefore, BPR1K653 is a promising anti-cancer compound that has potential for the management of various malignancies, particularly for patients with MDR1-related drug resistance after prolonged chemotherapeutic treatments

Blockchain-Based Fine-Grained Data Sharing for Multiple Groups in Internet of Things

Cloud-based Internet of Things, which is considered as a promising paradigm these days, can provide various applications for our society. However, as massive sensitive and private data in IoT devices are collected and outsourced to cloud for data storage, processing, or sharing for cost saving, the data security has become a bottleneck for its further development. Moreover, in many large-scale IoT systems, multiple group data sharing is practical for users. Thus, how to ensure data security in multiple group data sharing remains an open problem, especially the fine-grained access control and data integrity verification with public auditing. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a blockchain-based fine-grained data sharing scheme for multiple groups in cloud-based IoT systems. In particular, we design a novel multiauthority large universe CP-ABE scheme to guarantee the fine-grained access control and data integrity across multiple groups by integrating group signature into our scheme. Moreover, to ease the need for a trusted third auditor in traditional data public auditing schemes, we introduce blockchain technique to enable a distributed data public auditing. In addition, with the group signature, our scheme also realizes anonymity and traitor tracing. The security analysis and performance evaluation show that our scheme is practical for large-scale IoT systems

Bacillus bombysepticus α-Toxin Binding to G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Regulates cAMP/PKA Signaling Pathway to Induce Host Death.

Bacterial pathogens and their toxins target host receptors, leading to aberrant behavior or host death by changing signaling events through subversion of host intracellular cAMP level. This is an efficient and widespread mechanism of microbial pathogenesis. Previous studies describe toxins that increase cAMP in host cells, resulting in death through G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling pathways by influencing adenylyl cyclase or G protein activity. G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) has a central role in regulation of GPCR desensitization. However, little information is available about the pathogenic mechanisms of toxins associated with GRK2. Here, we reported a new bacterial toxin-Bacillus bombysepticus (Bb) α-toxin that was lethal to host. We showed that Bb α-toxin interacted with BmGRK2. The data demonstrated that Bb α-toxin directly bound to BmGRK2 to promote death by affecting GPCR signaling pathways. This mechanism involved stimulation of Gαs, increase level of cAMP and activation of protein kinase A (PKA). Activated cAMP/PKA signal transduction altered downstream effectors that affected homeostasis and fundamental biological processes, disturbing the structural and functional integrity of cells, resulting in death. Preventing cAMP/PKA signaling transduction by inhibitions (NF449 or H-89) substantially reduced the pathogenicity of Bb α-toxin. The discovery of a toxin-induced host death specifically linked to GRK2 mediated signaling pathway suggested a new model for bacterial toxin action. Characterization of host genes whose expression and function are regulated by Bb α-toxin and GRK2 will offer a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases caused by pathogens that elevate cAMP

Mesoproterozoic (ca. 1.3 Ga) A-Type Granites on the Northern Margin of the North China Craton: Response to Break-Up of the Columbia Supercontinent

Mesoproterozoic (ca. 1.3 Ga) magmatism in the North China Craton (NCC) was dominated by mafic intrusions (dolerite sills) with lesser amounts of granitic magmatism, but our lack of knowledge of this magmatism hinders our understanding of the evolution of the NCC during this period. This study investigated porphyritic granites from the Huade–Kangbao area on the northern margin of the NCC. Zircon dating indicates the porphyritic granites were intruded during the Mesoproterozoic between 1285.4 ± 2.6 and 1278.6 ± 6.1 Ma. The granites have high silica contents (SiO2 = 63.10–73.73 wt.%), exhibit alkali enrichment (total alkalis = 7.71–8.79 wt.%), are peraluminous, and can be classified as weakly peraluminous A2-type granites. The granites have negative Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.14–0.44), enrichments in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs; e.g., K, Rb, Th, and U), and depletions in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti). εHf(t) values range from –6.43 to +2.41, with tDM2 ages of 1905–2462 Ma, suggesting the magmas were derived by partial melting of ancient crustal material. The geochronological and geochemical data, and regional geological features, indicate the Mesoproterozoic porphyritic granites from the northern margin of the NCC formed in an intraplate tectonic setting during continental extension and rifting, which represents the response of the NCC to the break-up of the Columbia supercontinent

Thickness debit effect and multi-factor coupling mechanism of Ni3Al-based single crystal alloy

With the continuous development of aircraft engine generations, single-crystal alloy blades with more complex shapes and reduced wall thickness are urgently requested. However, the deteriorated performance associated with the wall thickness reduction has not been effectively resolved until now. In this research, the creep behavior of a [001]-oriented Ni3Al-based single crystal alloy with a thin-wall thickness was explored under the environment of 980 °C/220 MPa. A multi-factor coupling mechanism was proposed to explain the premature failure of the thin-walled specimen, providing a comprehensive understanding of the reasons behind the occurrence of the thickness debit effect. The study elucidated the influences of surface oxidation, the stress state of TCP phases, pore growth, and crack propagation on the creep performance. The findings serve as valuable theoretical references for the design and related research of future blade materials

Thickness Debit Effect in Creep Performance of a Ni₃Al-Based Single-Crystal Superalloy with [001] Orientation

With the complexity of the structure of aero-engine turbine blades, the blade wall thickness continues to decrease. It is found that when the blade wall thickness decreases to a certain extent, its mechanical properties will decline significantly. It is extremely important to study this phenomenon of a significant decline in mechanical properties caused by wall thickness. In this paper, the creep behavior of a second-generation Ni3Al-based single crystal superalloy with different wall thicknesses and [001] orientation at 980 °C/220 MPa has been studied and compared with the creep life of Φ4 round bar. The experimental results show that the second orientation and the surface affected zone are not the main reasons for the reduction of the life of thin-walled samples under this experimental condition. By analyzing the fracture morphology and deformed microstructure of thin-walled samples with different thicknesses, it is found that the thickness debit effect of the single crystal alloy occurs since the effective stress area of the alloy changes due to internal defects and surface affected zone during the creep process. For thicker samples, the creep life of the alloy can be extended by making the samples undergo certain plastic deformation through better plastic deformation coordination ability, while for thinner samples, the plastic coordination ability is poor, and the ability to extend the creep life through plastic deformation is also weaker when the effective stress area of the alloy changes, which leads to the thinner samples being more prone to fracture

Influence of secondary orientation on [111]-orientated high temperature creep properties of single crystal alloy with a thin-wall structure

Designing single-crystal superalloy blades to thin wall structures produces the secondary orientation which is the perpendicularity orientation of the wall surface, becoming a newly-concerned crucial factor of performance. Here, we have studied the influence of [110] and [112] secondary orientations on 1100 °C/137 MPa creep properties of [111]-orientated single-crystal superalloys. The plastic deformation accumulation and the plastic limit during creep vary with secondary orientations. Our results give microstructural evidence of the change in the slip systems operation and micro-pore growth, and correlate the possible stress state in the thin wall to plastic deformation mechanism, and finally to properties, which can explain such influence. The results show that the activation of slip systems with different secondary orientations is different due to the different shear stress, and this difference of slip systems causes the difference of plastic deformation ability and pore growth and finally affects the creep performance