HfB2-SiC-MoSi2 oxidation resistance coating fabricated through in-situ synthesis for SiC coated C/C composites

A brand new HfB2-SiC-MoSi2 coating was fabricated to protect carbon/carbon (C/C) composites with inner SiC coating from oxidation, which was prepared by in-situ synthesis. In this paper, the C/C substrate with the protection of the HfB2-SiC-MoSi2/SiC coating could resist oxidation in 1773 K air for 408 h. The double coating also presented expected oxidation protection performance at dynamic oxidation environment. In the test process, the surface coating was oxidized to form a self-sealing silicate glass layer containing HfO2 and HfSiO4, which could hinder crack propagation in coating

I Seed Permanent Implantation as a Palliative Treatment for Stage III and IV Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of percutaneous 125I seed permanent implantation for advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma from toxicity, tumor response, and short-term outcome. Methods. 125I seeds implant procedures were performed under computed tomography for 34 patients with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. We observed the local control rate, overall survival, and acute or late toxicity rate. Results. In the 34 patients (stage III, n=6; stage IV, n=28), the sites of origin were pyriform sinus (n=29) and postcricoid area (n=5). All patients also received one to four cycles of chemotherapy after seed implantation. The post-plan showed that the actuarial D90 of 125I seeds ranged from 90 to 158 Gy (median, 127 Gy). The mean follow-up was 12.3 months (range, 3.4 to 43.2 months). The local control was 2.1–31.0 months with a median of 17.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.4 to 22.0 months). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year local controls were 65.3%, 28.6%, and 9.5% respectively. Twelve patients (35%) died of local recurrence, fourteen patients (41%) died of distant metastases, and three patients (9%) died of recurrence and metastases at the same time. Five patients (15%) still survived to follow-up. At the time of analysis, the median survival time was 12.5 months (95% CI, 9.5 to 15.4 months). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 55.2%, 20.3%, and 10.9%, respectively. Five patients (15%) experienced grade 3 toxic events and nine patients (26%) have experienced grade 2 toxic events. Conclusion. This review shows relatively low toxicity for interstitial 125I seed implantation in the patients with advanced stage hypopharyngeal cancer. The high local control results suggest that 125I seed brachytherapy implant as a salvage or palliative treatment for advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma merit further investigation

Antifungal effects and biocontrol potential of lipopeptide-producing Streptomyces against banana Fusarium wilt fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense

Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB), caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), especially tropical race 4 (TR4), presents the foremost menace to the global banana production. Extensive efforts have been made to search for efficient biological control agents for disease management. Our previous study showed that Streptomyces sp. XY006 exhibited a strong inhibitory activity against several phytopathogenic fungi, including F. oxysporum. Here, the corresponding antifungal metabolites were purified and determined to be two cyclic lipopeptide homologs, lipopeptin A and lipopeptin B. Combined treatment with lipopeptin complex antagonized Foc TR4 by inhibiting mycelial growth and conidial sporulation, suppressing the synthesis of ergosterol and fatty acids and lowering the production of fusaric acid. Electron microscopy observation showed that lipopeptide treatment induced a severe disruption of the plasma membrane, leading to cell leakage. Lipopeptin A displayed a more pronounced antifungal activity against Foc TR4 than lipopeptin B. In pot experiments, strain XY006 successfully colonized banana plantlets and suppressed the incidence of FWB, with a biocontrol efficacy of up to 87.7%. Additionally, XY006 fermentation culture application improved plant growth parameters and induced peroxidase activity in treated plantlets, suggesting a possible role in induced resistance. Our findings highlight the potential of strain XY006 as a biological agent for FWB, and further research is needed to enhance its efficacy and mode of action in planta

A framework for the successful implementation of food traceability systems in China

Implementation of food traceability systems in China faces many challenges due to the scale, diversity and complexity of China’s food supply chains. This study aims to identify critical success factors specific to the implementation of traceability systems in China. Twenty-seven critical success factors were identified in the literature. Interviews with managers at four food enterprises in a pre-study helped identify success criteria and five additional critical success factors. These critical success factors were tested through a survey of managers in eighty-three food companies. This study identifies six dimensions for critical success factors: laws, regulations and standards; government support; consumer knowledge and support; effective management and communication; top management and vendor support; and information and system quality

Effect of Environmental Regulation on Industrial Solid Waste Pollution in China: From the Perspective of Formal Environmental Regulation and Informal Environmental Regulation

To address the concern of environmental pollution, it is necessary to study the effect of environmental regulation on industrial solid waste emission reduction in China. This paper aimed to analyze the effectiveness of provincial environmental regulation (both formal and informal) on the industrial solid waste emission reduction. The results show that both the effect of formal and informal environmental regulations on industrial solid waste emission intensity present an inverted “U” shape. The threshold value of per capita GDP as an indicator variable is CNY 16,299 and CNY 15,572 respectively. The effect on pollution emission reduction will appear when the value is higher than the threshold, and the two-way transmission mechanism between formal and informal environmental regulations does exist. When GDP per capita exceeds CNY 27,961, there is a phenomenon of “rebound” in the effect of informal environmental regulation on pollution reduction. Based on the findings, it was suggested that both formal and informal environmental regulation should be promoted to achieve the goal of industrial solid waste emission reduction. The coordination between formal and informal environmental regulation should be considered when the government makes policies. Different environmental regulation policies should be implemented in different regions. Informal regulation should be enriched and further promoted. Environmental law should play an important role in maintaining the public’s participation in environmental regulation to prevent the failure of informal environmental regulation

The Impact of the Accessibility of Transportation Infrastructure on the Non-Farm Employment Choices of Rural Laborers: Empirical Analysis Based on China’s Micro Data

Non-agricultural employment plays a significant role in alleviating regional poverty. Using the micro data of the China Labor-Dynamics Survey (CLDS), this paper empirically analyzes the impact of the accessibility of rural transportation infrastructure on the non-agricultural employment choices of rural laborers by using the entropy method and the ordered Logit model. The results show that there is a significant positive correlation between the accessibility of rural transportation infrastructure and the non-agricultural employment of rural laborers. The study also finds that the laborers participating in non-agricultural employment in villages with good transportation infrastructure will prefer to be employed in nearby locations, and the development of the rural non-agricultural economy is an important reason. Further analysis clearly shows that gender, the family dependency ratio, and rural terrain characteristics affect the choices made by laborers with respect to non-agricultural employment. Based on the research results, focusing on a transportation and industry model and considering the construction of transportation infrastructure as a guide, especially in areas with poor terrain, promoting the development of rural non-agricultural industries can help solve the problem in rural areas and in women’s employment where family members or accompanying personnel are left behind, and can promote the orderly transfer of rural laborers

Technological Innovation Characteristics and Capacity Enhancement Ways for the Agricultural Science and Technology Enterprises in Beijing City

From the perspective of innovation mechanism, capital, personnel, achievements and conversion, this study analyzes the current situation of technological innovation in Beijing agricultural science and technology enterprises, and summarizes the characteristics including single financing channel of R&D funds, low conversion rate of innovative products, unbalanced distribution of technology and innovative talents, the underestimated position of enterprises as the main body of technological innovation, the large gap of innovation achievements between developed provinces and Beijing. At last, this study puts forward the ways to improve technological innovation ability in Beijing agricultural science and technology enterprises as follows: developing technological innovation strategies; improving the R&D expenditure and expanding the financing channels; perfecting the mechanism of professional personnel training in agricultural technology innovation; enhancing the level of innovation performance management; establishing and improving the corporate culture of innovation and cultivating technology innovation spirit

The Impact of the Accessibility of Transportation Infrastructure on the Non-Farm Employment Choices of Rural Laborers: Empirical Analysis Based on China’s Micro Data

Non-agricultural employment plays a significant role in alleviating regional poverty. Using the micro data of the China Labor-Dynamics Survey (CLDS), this paper empirically analyzes the impact of the accessibility of rural transportation infrastructure on the non-agricultural employment choices of rural laborers by using the entropy method and the ordered Logit model. The results show that there is a significant positive correlation between the accessibility of rural transportation infrastructure and the non-agricultural employment of rural laborers. The study also finds that the laborers participating in non-agricultural employment in villages with good transportation infrastructure will prefer to be employed in nearby locations, and the development of the rural non-agricultural economy is an important reason. Further analysis clearly shows that gender, the family dependency ratio, and rural terrain characteristics affect the choices made by laborers with respect to non-agricultural employment. Based on the research results, focusing on a transportation and industry model and considering the construction of transportation infrastructure as a guide, especially in areas with poor terrain, promoting the development of rural non-agricultural industries can help solve the problem in rural areas and in women’s employment where family members or accompanying personnel are left behind, and can promote the orderly transfer of rural laborers