Identification of a male-specific amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker in Broussonetia papyrifera

The present study exhibits amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular marker for sex identification in Broussonetia papyrifera. Based on nine selective amplification primer combinations, 230 bands were produced and the E-AGG/M-CAA combination was found to be a male-specific AFLP marker. Subsequently, this male-specific AFLP fragment was sequenced and converted into a sequence tagged site (STS) marker. Based on STS sequence, two primers, MADB-1 and MADB-2 (Male-Associated DNA from B. papyrifera), were designed to verify the specificity of the fragment. The results indicate that common homology sequence is existed in both male and female plants while one of the bands amplified via MADB-2 primer was solely present in male individuals at high annealing temperature up to 66°C. Finally, MADB-2 primer was introduced to amplify another 16 plants and it revealed that this primer could be used as a convenient, efficient, reliable, and low-cost molecular marker for sex identification in B. papyrifera.Keywords: Broussonetia papyrifera, AFLP, STS, male-specific marke

InvVis: Large-Scale Data Embedding for Invertible Visualization

We present InvVis, a new approach for invertible visualization, which is reconstructing or further modifying a visualization from an image. InvVis allows the embedding of a significant amount of data, such as chart data, chart information, source code, etc., into visualization images. The encoded image is perceptually indistinguishable from the original one. We propose a new method to efficiently express chart data in the form of images, enabling large-capacity data embedding. We also outline a model based on the invertible neural network to achieve high-quality data concealing and revealing. We explore and implement a variety of application scenarios of InvVis. Additionally, we conduct a series of evaluation experiments to assess our method from multiple perspectives, including data embedding quality, data restoration accuracy, data encoding capacity, etc. The result of our experiments demonstrates the great potential of InvVis in invertible visualization.Comment: IEEE VIS 202

Assessing economic impacts of China’s water pollution mitigation measures through a dynamic computable general equilibrium analysis.

In this letter, we apply an extended environmental dynamic computable general equilibrium model to assess the economic consequences of implementing a total emission control policy. On the basis of emission levels in 2007, we simulate different emission reduction scenarios, ranging from 20 to 50% emission reduction, up to the year 2020. The results indicate that a modest total emission reduction target in 2020 can be achieved at low macroeconomic cost. As the stringency of policy targets increases, the macroeconomic cost will increase at a rate faster than linear. Implementation of a tradable emission permit system can counterbalance the economic costs affecting the gross domestic product and welfare. We also find that a stringent environmental policy can lead to an important shift in production, consumption and trade patterns from dirty sectors to relatively clean sector

Publishing in English or Chinese: a qualitative analysis of Chinese researchers’ academic language choice

Non-native language scholars often struggle to choose between English and their native language in scholarly publishing. This study aims to identify the mechanism by which journal attributes influence language choice by investigating the perspectives of 18 Chinese scholars through semi-structured interviews. Drawing on grounded theory, this study develops a model for how journal attributes influence researchers’ language preferences. We find that journal attributes influence researchers’ perceived value which, in turn, affects their particular language choice, with contextual factors playing a moderating role. By examining the motivations underlying Chinese scholars’ language choice, this study provides a critical understanding of the factors shaping their decision-making processes. These findings have significant implications for Chinese scholars, policymakers, and journal operators, shedding light on the issue of discrimination in academic publishing. Addressing these concerns is crucial for fostering a fair and inclusive academic environment