Planning for Eco-City in China: Policy Mobility in Path Creation of Eco-Zhuhai

Idea of eco-city booms in China’s planning practices under central state’s envisioned transition towards “ecological civilization” wherein Zhuhai stands out as an example well fitted the eco-livable paradigm. To disentangle how Zhuhai has achieved such fame, this article identifies two interlocked and nested forms of policy mobility: policy reformulation towards pro-environment and policy circulation of advanced eco-experiences, and reviews key process of eco-city planning in the city since 1980s. Rather than an explicit, long-term vision, the review suggests that Zhuhai’s reputation as an eco-city model results from cumulative effects of early policy formulation towards environmental protection upon its geographical location, its natural assets, and essentially early hysteresis in the growth race. Though subsequent development has been path-dependently locked in, it is benefitted from the planning regime wherein knowledge and experiences related to eco-city are instantly shared

Enhancing cellular uptake of activable cell-penetrating peptide–doxorubicin conjugate by enzymatic cleavage

The use of activable cell-penetrating peptides (ACPPs) as molecular imaging probes is a promising new approach for the visualization of enzymes. The cell-penetrating function of a polycationic cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) is efficiently blocked by intramolecular electrostatic interactions with a polyanionic peptide. Proteolysis of a proteinase-sensitive substrate present between the CPP and polyanionic peptide affords dissociation of both domains and enables the activated CPP to enter cells. This ACPP strategy could also be used to modify antitumor agents for tumor-targeting therapy. Here, we aimed to develop a conjugate of ACPP with antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) sensitive to matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 (MMP-2/9) for tumor-targeting therapy purposes. The ACPP-DOX conjugate was successfully synthesized. Enzymatic cleavage of ACPP-DOX conjugate by matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9 indicated that the activation of ACPP-DOX occurred in an enzyme concentration–dependent manner. Flow cytometry and laser confocal microscope studies revealed that the cellular uptake of ACPP-DOX was enhanced after enzymatic-triggered activation and was higher in HT-1080 cells (overexpressed MMPs) than in MCF-7 cells (under-expressed MMPs). The antiproliferative assay showed that ACPP had little toxicity and that ACPP-DOX effectively inhibited HT-1080 cell proliferation. These experiments revealed that the ACPP-DOX conjugate could be triggered by MMP-2/9, which enabled the activated CPP-DOX to enter cells. ACPP-DOX conjugate may be a potential prodrug delivery system used to carry antitumor drugs for MMP-related tumor therapy

A new decay mode of higher charmonium

We calculate the $\Lambda_c\bar{\Lambda}_c$ partial decay width of the excited vector charmonium states around 4.6 GeV with the quark pair creation model. We find that the partial decay width of the $\Lambda_c\bar{\Lambda}_c$ mode can reach up to several MeV for $\psi(4S,~5S,~6S)$. In contrast, the partial $\Lambda_c\bar{\Lambda}_c$ decay width of the states $\psi(3D,~4D,~5D)$ is less than one MeV. If the enhancement $Y(4630)$ reported by the Belle Collaboration in $\Lambda_c\bar{\Lambda}_c$ invariant-mass distribution is the same structure as $Y(4660)$, the $Y(4660)$ resonance is most likely to be a $S$-wave charmonium state.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Identification of microRNAs Involved in the Host Response to Enterovirus 71 Infection by a Deep Sequencing Approach

Role of microRNA (miRNA) has been highlighted in pathogen-host interactions recently. To identify cellular miRNAs involved in the host response to enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection, we performed a comprehensive miRNA profiling in EV71-infected Hep2 cells through deep sequencing. 64 miRNAs were found whose expression levels changed for more than 2-fold in response to EV71 infection. Gene ontology analysis revealed that many of these mRNAs play roles in neurological process, immune response, and cell death pathways, which are known to be associated with the extreme virulence of EV71. To our knowledge, this is the first study on host miRNAs expression alteration response to EV71 infection. Our findings supported the hypothesis that certain miRNAs might be essential in the host-pathogen interactions

A 1-hydroxy-2,4-diformylnaphthalene-based fluorescent probe and its detection of sulfites/bisulfite

A novel 1-hydroxy-2,4-diformylnaphthalene-based fluorescent probe L was synthesized by a Knoevenagel reaction and exhibited excellent sensitivity and selectivity towards sulfite ions (SO32−) and bisulfite ions (HSO3−). The detection limits of the probe L were 0.24 μM using UV-Vis spectroscopy and 9.93 nM using fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Furthermore, the fluorescent probe L could be utilized for detection in real water samples with satisfactory recoveries in the range 99.20%~104.30% in lake water and 100.00%~104.80% in tap water by UV-Vis absorption spectrometry, and in the range 100.50%~108.60% in lake water and 102.70%~103.80% in tap water by fluorescence spectrophotometry

ELECTROACUPUNCTURING AT ZUSANLI POINT (ST36) ATTENUATES PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE RELEASE AND ORGAN DYSFUNCTION BY ACTIVATING CHOLINERGIC ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PATHWAY IN RAT WITH ENDOTOXIN CHALLENGE

To investigate the effect of electro-acupuncturing (EA), at Zusanli point (ST36) on plasma cytokine release and organ dysfunction and their mechanism in conscious rats with endotoxin challenge. EA at Zusanli points obviously lowered the elevated levels of plasma TNF-α, and attenuated changes in parameters relevant to various organ functions at 2 h after LPS challenge. ɑ-BGT injection or bilateral cervical vagotomy could weaken or eliminate the effects of EA, and further aggravated the elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and organ dysfunction. The results suggested that EA at Zusanli points significantly reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and organ dysfunction after LPS challenge by activating cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway