An empirical analysis on the rationalization of world development

The tremendous changes in world society during the past several decades raise a number of important questions that require new empirical evidence and theoretical explanation for studies of rationalization. World society theory treats rationalization as a cultural process. This theory argues that a rational world culture, which originated from western culture, has universal influence. Based on this idea, this thesis proposes the standardized social measurement as one of the main embodiments of the rational world culture. Thus, participation in global social survey infrastructure (GSSI) is used to measure the diffusion of scientific rationality in world society. Based on this measurement, a descriptive analysis on the global participation in GSSI and an event history analysis on the history of global participation are conducted to describe this process and provide insights into its causes. Results of descriptive analysis show the national participation in GSSI is extensive, but highly unbalance even throughout its expansion in recent years. Event history models show that countries with closer connections to world culture are at greater risk of joining the GSSI. Both results support the argument of world society theory. Rationalization in contemporary world is driven by the world culture through diffusion

Endoplasmic Reticulum Targeting Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Carboxylesterase 2 Detection in Drug-Induced Acute Liver Injury

Carboxylesterase 2 (CES2), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) located phase I enzyme, plays a vital role in the metabolism of various endogenous and exogenous substances, and is regarded as an important target for the design of prodrugs. Unfortunately, superior highly selective ER targeting fluorescent probes for monitoring of CES2 are not currently available. Herein, we report an ER targeting CES2 selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe ERNB based on the ER localizing group p-toluenesulfonamide. ERNB possessed high specificity, sensitivity, and exhibited excellent subcellular localization when compared to commercial ER tracker, and was used to image CES2 in the ER of living cells. Additionally, using ERNB we evaluated the CES2 regulation under d,l-dithiothreitol and tunicamycin-induced ER stress. Furthermore, we determined the down regulation of CES2 activity and expression in the acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury model. On the basis of these results, we conclude that ERNB is a promising tool for highlighting the role of CES2 in the ER and in exploring the role of CES2 in the development of diseases associated with ER stress.</p

Endoplasmic Reticulum Targeting Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Carboxylesterase 2 Detection in Drug-Induced Acute Liver Injury

Carboxylesterase 2 (CES2), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) located phase I enzyme, plays a vital role in the metabolism of various endogenous and exogenous substances, and is regarded as an important target for the design of prodrugs. Unfortunately, superior highly selective ER targeting fluorescent probes for monitoring of CES2 are not currently available. Herein, we report an ER targeting CES2 selective and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent probe ERNB based on the ER localizing group p-toluenesulfonamide. ERNB possessed high specificity, sensitivity, and exhibited excellent subcellular localization when compared to commercial ER tracker, and was used to image CES2 in the ER of living cells. Additionally, using ERNB we evaluated the CES2 regulation under d,l-dithiothreitol and tunicamycin-induced ER stress. Furthermore, we determined the down regulation of CES2 activity and expression in the acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury model. On the basis of these results, we conclude that ERNB is a promising tool for highlighting the role of CES2 in the ER and in exploring the role of CES2 in the development of diseases associated with ER stress.</p

Exploring the Potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) in Learning on Graphs

Learning on Graphs has attracted immense attention due to its wide real-world applications. The most popular pipeline for learning on graphs with textual node attributes primarily relies on Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), and utilizes shallow text embedding as initial node representations, which has limitations in general knowledge and profound semantic understanding. In recent years, Large Language Models (LLMs) have been proven to possess extensive common knowledge and powerful semantic comprehension abilities that have revolutionized existing workflows to handle text data. In this paper, we aim to explore the potential of LLMs in graph machine learning, especially the node classification task, and investigate two possible pipelines: LLMs-as-Enhancers and LLMs-as-Predictors. The former leverages LLMs to enhance nodes' text attributes with their massive knowledge and then generate predictions through GNNs. The latter attempts to directly employ LLMs as standalone predictors. We conduct comprehensive and systematical studies on these two pipelines under various settings. From comprehensive empirical results, we make original observations and find new insights that open new possibilities and suggest promising directions to leverage LLMs for learning on graphs.Comment: fix some minor typos and error

An empirical analysis on the rationalization of world development

The tremendous changes in world society during the past several decades raise a number of important questions that require new empirical evidence and theoretical explanation for studies of rationalization. World society theory treats rationalization as a cultural process. This theory argues that a rational world culture, which originated from western culture, has universal influence. Based on this idea, this thesis proposes the standardized social measurement as one of the main embodiments of the rational world culture. Thus, participation in global social survey infrastructure (GSSI) is used to measure the diffusion of scientific rationality in world society. Based on this measurement, a descriptive analysis on the global participation in GSSI and an event history analysis on the history of global participation are conducted to describe this process and provide insights into its causes. Results of descriptive analysis show the national participation in GSSI is extensive, but highly unbalance even throughout its expansion in recent years. Event history models show that countries with closer connections to world culture are at greater risk of joining the GSSI. Both results support the argument of world society theory. Rationalization in contemporary world is driven by the world culture through diffusion.</p

Reappraisal of the Changning-Menglian Belt as a Suture Zone for the Tethys in Western Yunnan, China: Late Paleozoic faunal and sedimentary evidence

The Changning-Menglian Belt in western Yunnan, China has long been considered a major Tethyan suture in SE Asia, based mainly on fragmented Paleozoic ophiolites, slices of Devonian-Triassic radiolarian cherts and possible seamount limestones of Permo-Carboniferous age (Fig. 1). However, some students also argued for a setting of passive continental margin for this belt and a cryptic suture further east representing the vanished Tethyan Ocean (Ridd, 2015). To evaluate this hypothesis, we have been studying late Paleozoic strata and fusulinids in this belt for years. We recently collected late Carboniferous to Middle Permian fusulinids from various sections in this belt, including ascendingly Triticites assemblage, Sphaeroschwagerina sphaerica assemblage, Eoparafusulina assemblage, Chalaroschwagerina solita assemblage and Neoschwagerina assemblage. Further comparison reveals that the fusulinid taxonomy in this belt still differs from that in S China. For instance, the Early Permian fusulinids in this belt generally lack Pseudoschwagerina, a typical Cathaysian element. Moreover, quantitative analysis (Rarefaction) confirms that the generic diversity in this belt remains lower than in S China. These results supports that a substantial portion of the Permo-Carboniferous limestones in this belt originated from seamounts located far from the northern Gondwana margin, meanwhile slightly south of the equatorial region, also considering the couplet of carbonates and underlying basalts (OIB type). Furthermore, petrographic and geochemical analyses of the Carboniferous siliciclastic Nanduan Formation demonstrate a mature continental provenance and two peaks of detrital zircon ages (ca. 950 Ma and ca. 550 Ma) (Zheng et al., 2019). Notably, these two peaks are also shared by metasedimentary rocks (e.g., the Ximeng and Lancang Groups) widespread in this belt as well as peri-Gondwana blocks. These data suggest that the Paleozoic siliciclastics covering this belt’s eastern and western parts were derived from the Gondwana margin. Therefore, significant siliciclastic inputs from the Gondwana margin over much of this belt contradict the implied vast Paleozoic ocean in this belt. In contrast, the siliciclastic Nanpihe Group (Devonian-early Carboniferous) in the central part demonstrates a detritus source from continental arcs and clusters of detrital zircon ages of ca. 435 Ma and ca. 950 Ma, which correlates well to Silurian magmatism in the Simao and S China blocks. In conclusion, we propose that the Changning-Menglian Belt was part of the passive continental margin on the eastern flank of the Baoshan-Shan Block during the late Paleozoic, while and tectonostratigraphic slices of seamount limestones, Nanpihe Formation or even ophiolites are allochthonous and were displaced to their present position during the Late Triassic closure of the Tethys

Preface: Outline of IGCP 516

The International Geological Correlation Programme (IGCP) has progressed since 1972 under the sponsorship of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). As one of the IGCP projects, IGCP 516 entitled "Geological Anatomy of East and South Asia: Paleogeography and Paleoenvironment in Eastern Tethys" was established as a successor project to 'Geodynamics of Gondwana-derived terranes in East Asia: 1998-2002' (IGCP 441) in 2005. In IGCP 441 and its preceeding projects (IGCP 224 and 321), our knowledge on the break-up of Gondwana and the basic geotectonic framework of East Asia expanded significantly. Participants in these projects have indentified the basic scenario for the rift-drift-amalgamation history of the main Gondwana-derived terranes including the timing of rifting and collision of the main continental fragments. The fundamental purpose of IGCP 516 is to gain insights into the paleogeography and paleoenvironment of the eastern Tethys. The framework of geodynamic processes has been established as mentioned above but the identification of, and interrelation between, terranes are still controversial. Knowledge concerning some terranes is also insufficient. To accomplish this purpose, the geological anatomy of East and South Asia, as well as Southeast Asia, has been investigated by IGCP 516 participants vigorously. Exchange of geological data and information among participants took place at the international symposia of IGCP 516 held in Tsukuba, Japan in 2005, Manila, the Philippines in 2006, Delhi, India in 2007, Bangkok, Thailand in 2008, Kunming, China in 2009 and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2010. The participating countries and regions were Australia, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, UK and USA

Cisuralian–Guadalupian brachiopod assemblages from the northern Tengchong Block in western Yunnan, China and their paleogeographical implications—a revisit

The early to middle Permian brachiopods from the Tengchong Block in western Yunnan, southwestern China, play important roles in biostratigraphic correlation and paleogeographic inferences of tectonic units on eastern peri-Gondwana. However, detailed taxonomic studies of these brachiopods have been limited. In this paper, we provide the systematic description of three Permian brachiopod assemblages from the Shanmutang section in the northern Tengchong Block, which in ascending order include the Elivina-Etherilosia Assemblage from the top of the Kongshuhe Formation, and the Spiriferella-Spiriferellina Assemblage and the Waagenites-Costiferina Assemblage from the base and lower part, respectively, of the overlying Dadongchang Formation. Based on the biostratigraphic assessment of the brachiopod taxa as well as the age constraints from the associated fusulinid assemblages, the age of the Elivina-Etherilosia Assemblage is considered to be most likely late Sakmarian to early Artinskian, the Spiriferella-Spiriferellina Assemblage probably late Artinskian, and the Waagenites-Costiferina Assemblage late Roadian to early Wordian. A transition from cool-water faunas with Gondwanan affinities to mixed warm-temperate (transitional) faunas with Cathaysian elements is evident for the Artinskian and through the Guadalupian. The climatic transition inferred from the faunal evidence is interpreted to have resulted from the combined effect of Gondwana deglaciation and the northward drift of the peri-Gondwanan blocks (including the Tengchong Block) during the Cisuralian and Guadalupian

Study on the Efficiency of On-Site Sludge Reduction Using Ti/SnO₂-Sb and Ti/RuO₂-IrO₂ Electrodes Based on a Cell Lysis-Cryptic Growth System

The present study investigated the parameters and the mechanism of action of electrochemical cell lysis to reduce the return sludge from secondary settlers based on the theory of cell lysis-cryptic growth. The factors influencing the functioning of two electrodes (Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2-IrO2) were investigated to determine the optimal cell lysis parameters for each electrode, and the effects of the two electrodes on cell lysis were compared under these conditions. Finally, the Ti/SnO2-Sb electrode was selected for the subsequent experiments. The electrolysis reaction was performed using the following parameters: the initial sludge concentration was 7000 mg/L, the working voltage was 18 V, the plate spacing was 1 cm, the initial pH was 6.8 to 7.0, and the electrolysis duration was 90 min. The degree of disintegration of the sludge and the cell lysis rate reached 25.35% and 20.15%, respectively. In summary, electrochemical cell lysis has a good prospect for sludge reduction

Study on the Efficiency of On-Site Sludge Reduction Using Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2-IrO2 Electrodes Based on a Cell Lysis-Cryptic Growth System

The present study investigated the parameters and the mechanism of action of electrochemical cell lysis to reduce the return sludge from secondary settlers based on the theory of cell lysis-cryptic growth. The factors influencing the functioning of two electrodes (Ti/SnO2-Sb and Ti/RuO2-IrO2) were investigated to determine the optimal cell lysis parameters for each electrode, and the effects of the two electrodes on cell lysis were compared under these conditions. Finally, the Ti/SnO2-Sb electrode was selected for the subsequent experiments. The electrolysis reaction was performed using the following parameters: the initial sludge concentration was 7000 mg/L, the working voltage was 18 V, the plate spacing was 1 cm, the initial pH was 6.8 to 7.0, and the electrolysis duration was 90 min. The degree of disintegration of the sludge and the cell lysis rate reached 25.35% and 20.15%, respectively. In summary, electrochemical cell lysis has a good prospect for sludge reduction