Case study of smart meter and in-home display for residential behavior change in Shanghai, China

Smart meters and in-home displays (IHD) have been recently adopted to help give residential consumers more control over energy consumption, and to help meet environmental and security of supply objectives. The paper aims to identify the effectiveness of smart meters and real-time IHDs in reducing Shanghai household energy consumption through a pilot investigation. The research results demonstrate the improved awareness, understanding, and attitudes towards the energy saving by smart meters and IHDs

Transient collagen triple-helix binding to membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase : interaction studies and NMR-guided structural docking

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] MT1-MMP (MMP-14) as pericellular collagenase is critically involved in cancer cell invasion through collagen barriers that it degrades. To better understand the structural and mechanistic details underlying collagenolytic activity of MMP-14, a solution NMR approach is used here to investigate interactions between individual MMP-14 catalytic and hemopexin domain and a collagen-I-mimicking Triple-Helical Peptide (THP). In this study, backbone chemical shifts were assigned for isolated MMP-14 catalytic and hemopexin domains. The results from gel-filtration chromatography, DLS and NMR combined suggested that MMP-14 hemopexin domain behaves consistently as a monomer in solution. NMR-monitored THP titration led to identification of a distinct patch centered about blade I at the exit side of the hemopexin domain as a potential THP binding exosite. Mutation of residues from this area impairs triple-helical peptidase activity of MMP-14. Saturation transfer difference NMR suggests rotational averaging around the longitudinal axis of the triple-helical peptide. Additionally, intermolecular distances between the hemopexin domain of MMP-14 (HPX-14) and THP were measured by paramagnetic NMR using TOAC-labeled THP. Structural models of HPX-14/THP calculated based on PRE-measured distance restraints revealed extensive interaction between MMP-14 hemopexin domain and sequences surrounding the cleavage site in the THP, indicating a distinctive arrangement of the catalytic domain and unique collagen binding conformation of MMP-14 during collagenolysis

Has “The Belt and Road” initiative promoted regional economic growth and economic innovation?

The article regards “The Belt and Road” initiative as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the county panel data from 1999 to 2017, difference-in-differences model (DID) is used to examine the impact of the “The Belt and Road” initiative on regional economic growth and economic innovation. The study found that the “The Belt and Road” initiative can significantly increase the economic growth and innovation of the region. Through the placebo test and the robustness test, it shows good policy uniqueness characteristics. The article further analyzes the heterogeneity of the initiative. The study found that the initiative has more obvious economic growth and innovation in the central region

Molecular characterizations of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Heilongjiang Province, China

Abstract Background Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are prevalent zoonotic pathogens responsible for the high burden of diarrheal diseases worldwide. Rodents are globally overpopulated and are known as reservoirs or carriers of a variety of zoonotic pathogens including Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi. However, few data are available on genetic characterizations of both pathogens in rodents in China. The aim of the present work was to determine the prevalence and genetic characterizations of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi in brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) from Heilongjiang, China. Methods A total of 242 wild brown rats were captured in Heilongjiang Province of China. A fresh fecal specimen was collected directly from the intestinal and rectal content of each brown rat. All the fecal specimens were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi by PCR and sequencing of the partial small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA gene of the two pathogens, respectively. Results The infection rate was 9.1% (22/242) for Cryptosporidium spp. and 7.9% (19/242) for E. bieneusi. Sequence analysis confirmed the presence of C. ubiquitum (1/22, 4.5%) and three genotypes of Cryptosporidium, including Cryptosporidium rat genotype I (14/22, 63.6%), Cryptosporidium rat genotype IV (6/22, 27.3%) and Cryptosporidium suis-like genotype (1/22, 4.5%). Meanwhile, two E. bieneusi genotypes were identified, including D (17/19, 89.5%) and Peru6 (2/19, 10.5%). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotype Peru6 was identified in rodents for the first time globally and Cryptosporidium rat genotype I and Cryptosporidium rat genotype IV were found in rats in China for the first time. The finding of zoonotic C. ubiquitum and C. suis-like genotype, as well as E. bieneusi genotypes, suggests that brown rats pose a threat to human health. It is necessary to control brown rat population in the investigated areas and improve local people’s awareness of the transmission risk of the two pathogens from brown rats to humans

Apparent Tradeoff of Higher Activity in MMP-12 for Enhanced Stability and Flexibility in MMP-3

The greater activity of MMP-12 than MMP-3 toward substrates from protein fibrils has been quantified. Why is MMP-12 the more active protease? We looked for behaviors associated with the higher activity of MMP-12 than MMP-3, using nuclear magnetic resonance to monitor backbone dynamics and residue-specific stabilities of their catalytic domain. The proteolytic activities are likely to play important roles in inflammatory diseases of arteries, lungs, joints, and intestines. Nuclear magnetic resonance line broadening indicates that regions surrounding the active sites of both proteases sample conformational substates within milliseconds. The more extensive line broadening in MMP-3 suggests greater sampling of conformational substates, affecting the full length of helix B and β-strand IV forming the active site, and more remote sites. This could suggest more excursions to functionally incompetent substates. MMP-3 also has enhanced subnanosecond fluctuations in helix A, in the β-hairpin of strands IV and V, and before and including helix C. Hydrogen exchange protection in the EX2 regime suggests that MMP-3 possesses 2.8 kcal/mol higher folding stability than MMP-12(E219A). The β-sheet of MMP-3 appears to be stabilized still more. The higher stability of MMP-3 relative to MMP-12 coincides with the former's considerably lower proteolytic activity. This relationship is consistent with the hypothesis that enzymes often trade stability for higher activity