Long-term wage inequality in imperial China: From 202 BCE to 1912 CE.

This paper attempts to describe and explain the long-term evolution of wage inequality in imperial China, covering over two millennia from the Han dynasty to the Qing dynasty (202 BCE-1912 CE). Based on historical government records of official salaries, commodity prices, and agricultural productivity, we convert various forms of salaries to equivalent rice volumes and comparable salary benchmarks. Wage inequality is measured by salary ratios and (partial) Gini coefficients between official and peasant classes as well as within the official class.

Greenhouse gas fluxes and their determining factors in salt marsh wetlands along the south shore of Hangzhou Bay, East China Sea.

This study employed in-situ online monitoring to assess the impact of Spartina alterniflora harvesting on greenhouse gas emissions. Their fluxes and δC values were measured in unvegetated tidal flat, low and medium vegetation coverage areas of the salt marsh wetlands along the south shore of Hangzhou Bay about a month after harvest. The objective was to clarify fluxes changes and interactions with environmental factors.

BTG3 inhibits porcine epidemic diarrhea virus replication by promoting viral S2 protein degradation through the autophagy and proteasome pathways.

BTG3, which belongs to the BTG/Tob gene family, is involved in various physiological processes. Infection with porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), an alphacoronavirus, is associated with high mortality rates among piglets, contributing to major economic losses. This study elucidated a novel mechanism through which BTG3 suppresses PEDV replication.

RNASEK interacting with PEDV structural proteins facilitates virus entry via clathrin-mediated endocytosis.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), as a type of Alphacoronavirus causing acute diarrhea and high death rate among sucking piglets, poses great financial damage to the swine industry. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanism whereby PEDV enters host cells is unclear, limiting the development of PED vaccines and anti-PEDV agents. The present study found that the host protein ribonuclease kappa (RNASEK) was regulated by USF2, a transcription factor, and facilitated the PEDV replication.

3D-printed devices for multiplexed semi-quantitative competitive lateral flow immunoassays.

Lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) are widely used for the simple and rapid detection of various targets at the point of need. However, LFIAs enabling the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes and the possibility for naked-eye semi-quantitative analysis are facing various challenges, including the requirement of large sample volumes, low efficiency, and accuracy. This is particularly the case for the competitive immunoassay format targeting the detection of low molecular weight compounds, such as, for example, drugs.