Land-use change simulation and assessment of driving factors in the loess hilly region - a case study as Pengyang County

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the land-use change and its relationship with its driving factors in the loess hilly region. In this study, a case study was carried out in Pengyang County. We set two land-use demand scenarios (a baseline scenario (scenario 1) and a real land-use requirement scenario (scenario 2)) during year 2001-2005 via assuming the effect of driving factors on land-use change keeps stable from 1993 to 2005. Two simulated land-use patterns of 2005 are therefore achieved accordingly by use of the conversion of land use and its effects model at small regional extent. Kappa analyses are conducted to compare each simulated land-use pattern with the reality. Results show that (1) the associated kappa values were decreased from 0.83 in 1993-2000 to 0.27 (in scenario 1) and 0.23 (in scenario 2) in 2001-2005 and (2) forest and grassland were the land-use types with highest commission errors, which implies that conversion of both the land-use types mentioned above is the main determinant of change of kappa values. Our study indicates the land-use change was driven by the synthetic multiply factors including natural and social-economic factors (e.g., slope, aspect, elevation, distance to road, soil types, and population dense) in 1993-2000 until "Grain for Green Project" was implemented and has become the dominant factor in 2001-2005

Transaction costs in water markets in China's Heihe River Basin

This study assesses the transaction cost related to the Water Use Rights (WUR) system that is in operation in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, Northwest China. The study was carried out to see whether these costs were a significant barrier to a properly functioning system, and, if this was the case, to see what could be done to reduce them. Zhangye City is severely short of water. It is located in one of the driest areas in the world and is mainly watered by the Heihe River. Almost all the water from this river is currently extracted for irrigation and this has caused widespread desertification. The WUR system, the first of its kind in China, was introduced in 2002 to try and distribute water fairly and efficiently between agriculture and industry. Under the system, every water user gets a water quota fixed by the government. These quotas can be traded. Farmers and officials in the area were interviewed to get information and opinions on the effectiveness of the scheme. Transaction costs for both the implementation of the system itself and the WUR trading scheme was assessed. It was found that transaction costs were a significant barrier to the proper functioning of the system. It was also found that these costs were linked to the key social and administrative barriers that stand in the way of the system working properly. In light of this, the study advises that to bring transaction costs down – and improve the implementation of the scheme – these social and administrative problems must be tackled head on

Barriers to water markets in china's Heihe River Basin

This study assesses the water use rights (WUR) system in Zhangye City, Gansu Province, Northwest China. The research was carried out to see how well the system performs, in terms of its impact on water conservation and redistribution, and to see what barriers stand in the way of its successful implementation. Under the WUR system, every water user gets a water quota fixed by the government. WURs can be sold, temporarily or permanently. The system was set up because Zhangye City is severely short of water. It is located in one of the driest area in the world and is mainly watered by the Heihe River. Almost all the water from the Heihe is currently extracted for irrigation and this has caused widespread desertification. The study finds that the WUR system is encountering significant problems. Farmers ignore their groundwater quotas and this is causing the region’s aquifer to empty. The study also finds that water quota trades are still few and far between. There are many reasons for this failure, but a key issue is the financial insecurity of the region’s farmers. There are also problems with the system itself, which encourages a “use it or lose it” attitude toward water consumption. The study concludes that water use quotas and trading in China must go hand in hand with social and administrative improvements if it is to succeed

Rapid identification of early renal damage in asymptomatic hyperuricemia patients based on urine Raman spectroscopy and bioinformatics analysis

Objective: The issue of when to start treatment in patients with hyperuricemia (HUA) without gout and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is both important and controversial. In this study, Raman spectroscopy (RS) was used to analyze urine samples, and key genes expressed differentially CKD were identified using bioinformatics. The biological functions and regulatory pathways of these key genes were preliminarily analyzed, and the relationship between them as well as the heterogeneity of the urine components of HUA was evaluated. This study provides new ideas for the rapid evaluation of renal function in patients with HUA and CKD, while providing an important reference for the new treatment strategy of HUA disease.Methods: A physically examined population in 2021 was recruited as the research subjects. There were 10 cases with normal blood uric acid level and 31 cases with asymptomatic HUA diagnosis. The general clinical data were collected and the urine samples were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. An identification model was also established by using the multidimensional multivariate method of orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model for statistical analysis of the data, key genes associated with CKD were identified using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and key biological pathways associated with renal function damage in CKD patients with HUA were analyzed.Results: The Raman spectra showed significant differences in the levels of uric acid (640 cm−1), urea, creatinine (1,608, 1,706 cm−1), proteins/amino acids (642, 828, 1,556, 1,585, 1,587, 1,596, 1,603, 1,615 cm−1), and ketone body (1,643 cm−1) (p < 0.05). The top 10 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with CKD (ALB, MYC, IL10, FOS, TOP2A, PLG, REN, FGA, CCNA2, and BUB1) were identified. Compared with the differential peak positions analyzed by the OPLS-DA model, it was found that the peak positions of glutathione, tryptophan and tyrosine may be important markers for the diagnosis and progression of CKD.Conclusion: The progression of CKD was related to the expression of the ALB, MYC, IL10, PLG, REN, and FGA genes. Patients with HUA may have abnormalities in glutathione, tryptophan, tyrosine, and energy metabolism. The application of Raman spectroscopy to analyze urine samples and interpret the heterogeneity of the internal environment of asymptomatic HUA patients can be combined with the OPLS-DA model to mine the massive clinical and biochemical examination information on HUA patients. The results can also provide a reference for identifying the right time for intervention for uric acid as well as assist the early detection of changes in the internal environment of the body. Finally, this approach provides a useful technical supplement for exploring a low-cost, rapid evaluation and improving the timeliness of screening. Precise intervention of abnormal signal levels of internal environment and energy metabolism may be a potential way to delay renal injury in patients with HUA

Key candidate genes and pathways in T lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma identified by bioinformatics and serological analyses

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)/T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is an uncommon but highly aggressive hematological malignancy. It has high recurrence and mortality rates and is challenging to treat. This study conducted bioinformatics analyses, compared genetic expression profiles of healthy controls with patients having T-ALL/T-LBL, and verified the results through serological indicators. Data were acquired from the GSE48558 dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). T-ALL patients and normal T cells-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were investigated using the online analysis tool GEO2R in GEO, identifying 78 upregulated and 130 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyses of the top 10 DEGs showed enrichment in pathways linked to abnormal mitotic cell cycles, chromosomal instability, dysfunction of inflammatory mediators, and functional defects in T-cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and immune checkpoints. The DEGs were then validated by examining blood indices in samples obtained from patients, comparing the T-ALL/T-LBL group with the control group. Significant differences were observed in the levels of various blood components between T-ALL and T-LBL patients. These components include neutrophils, lymphocyte percentage, hemoglobin (HGB), total protein, globulin, erythropoietin (EPO) levels, thrombin time (TT), D-dimer (DD), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Additionally, there were significant differences in peripheral blood leukocyte count, absolute lymphocyte count, creatinine, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, folate, and thrombin times. The genes and pathways associated with T-LBL/T-ALL were identified, and peripheral blood HGB, EPO, TT, DD, and CRP were key molecular markers. This will assist the diagnosis of T-ALL/T-LBL, with applications for differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis

Postdoctoral Award

The study aims to: identify and analyse ecosystem services supported by groundwater resources; estimate the economic value of the ecosystem services supported by the groundwater; find sustainable groundwater-conserving policy incentives financed by the economic value of conservation; and make policy recommendations for conserving groundwater in Zhangye City. Located in the arid and desert areas in northwest China, Zhangye City consists of many oasis ecosystems watered by the Heihe River. For valuation of groundwater resources, this study applies the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM)

Synthesis of poly(Ethylene glycol) with sulfadiazine and chlorambucil end groups and investigation of its antitumor activity

alpha-Amino-omega-hydroxyl-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with different molecular weight (M-r = 2100 4400, 7200) were synthesized and used as carrier for the combination of sulfadiazine and chlorambucil. In vivo, all these polymer drugs with sulfadiazine and chlorambucil at each end are water soluble and showed the higher antitumor activity against Lewis lung cancer than the same polymers but without the sulfadiazine. The best one is the sample with molecular weight of 2100. In vitro, however, for the samples with same molecular weights, the polymer drugs with and without sulfadiazine showed the similar results against C6 human breast cancer cells. No obvious difference was found. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Decreasing methane emissions from China’s coal mining with rebounded coal production

China is the world’s largest anthropogenic methane (CH _4 ) emitter, with coal mine methane (CMM) as one of the main contributors. However, previous studies have not reach consensus on the magnitude and trend of China’s CMM emissions since 2010. Through distribution fitting and Monte Carlo methods, dynamic emission factors (EFs) of CMM at the province-level were derived with high confidence; along with the updated data on surface mining, abandoned coal mines, and methane utilization, we revealed that China’s annual CMM emissions were estimated at 20.11 Tg between 2010 and 2019 with a decline of 0.93 Tg yr ^−1 . Although coal production was revived in 2017, we found that the growing trend of China’s CMM emissions since 2012 were curbed by the previously-overlooked factors including the growth of CMM utilization and coal production from surface mining, and decrease of EFs driven by the closure of high CH _4 -content coal mines and a regional production shift to lower-emission areas