Evolutionary characteristics and influencing mechanisms of green development efficiency in Chinese urban agglomerations: Analysis of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration.

Urban agglomerations are central to global economic growth and the shift towards green development, particularly in developing countries. This study examines regional comparisons and variations in green development mechanisms within urban agglomerations to better understand their spatiotemporal patterns. An input-output indicator system was developed, accounting for social benefits and carbon emissions.

Two new ant species of the genus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) from Hainan, China, with a key to the known Chinese species.

Two new species of ponerine ants from Hainan Province, China, and , are delineated and depicted based on the worker caste. belongs to the species group, with mandibles elongate, slender and curved, lacking a distinct masticatory margin. On the other hand, belongs to the species group, distinguished by its square head, smooth body, mandibles with a dentate masticatory margin, and short antennae.

Association between phase angle and diabetic peripheral neuropathy in Type 2 diabetes patients.

Background: Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), the very prevalent microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), severely threatens the quality of life of diabetic patients. Thus, prevention of DPN is extremely important for public health, and the identification of potential biomarkers may help with early prevention. Our work determined the association between phase angles (PhAs) and the risk of DPN in T2DM patients.

Association Between the Water Distribution in the Human Body and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Among the Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Population: A Possible Pathway Between Vitamin D and Diabetic Nephropathy.

Purpose: To explore the association between the water distribution in the human body and 25-hydroxyvitamin D among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to analyze whether water distribution is a mediator between vitamin D and T2DM complications.

Patients And Methods: In total, 533 T2DM inpatients were included from August 1, 2016 to April 1, 2023. Water distribution indicators, whether from the whole body, arms, trunk, or legs, were measured to calculate the association with vitamin D using linear regression analysis.

Prediction of the Risk of Bone Mineral Density Decrease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Based on Traditional Multivariate Logistic Regression and Machine Learning: A Preliminary Study.

Purpose: There remains a lack of a machine learning (ML) model incorporating body composition to assess the risk of bone mineral density (BMD) decreases in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. We aimed to use ML algorithms and the traditional multivariate logistic regression to establish prediction models for BMD decreases in T2DM patients over 50 years of age, and compare the performance of the two methods.

Patients And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 450 patients with T2DM from 1 August 2016 to 31 December 2022.

A new species of the ant species group (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae) from continental Asia.

The species group is reviewed and three species, including one new species, , are recognized. This species group is distinguished from the species group by the reddish-brown body, the elliptical shape of the propodeal spiracle, the elongate antennal scape, and the distinctly narrowed posteriad space between frontal carinae. , from Thailand and China, is described based on the worker caste.

Characterization and Phylogenetic Implication of Complete Mitochondrial Genome of the Medicinal Ant Formica sinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Genomic Comparisons in Formicidae.

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are among the largest and most widespread families of terrestrial insects and are valuable to medical and ecological investigations. The mitochondrial genome has been widely used as a reliable genetic marker for species identification and phylogenetic analyses. To further understand the mitogenome-level characteristics of the congeneric Formicidae species, the complete mitogenome of Formica sinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) was sequenced, annotated, and compared with other 48 Formicidae species.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of a harvesting ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae).

(Latreille, 1798) is a keystone ant species in the genus (Formicidae: Myrmicinae). Here, we reported the complete mitochondrial genome of . .

A multi-faceted comparative perspective on elevational beta-diversity: the patterns and their causes.

The observed patterns and underlying mechanisms of elevational beta-diversity have been explored intensively, but multi-dimensional comparative studies remain scarce. Herein, across distinct beta-diversity components, dimensions and species groups, we designed a multi-faceted comparative framework aiming to reveal the general rules in the observed patterns and underlying causes of elevational beta-diversity. We have found that: first, the turnover process dominated altitudinal patterns of species beta-diversity ( > ), whereas the nestedness process appeared relatively more important for elevational trait dissimilarity ( < ); second, the taxonomic turnover was relative higher than its phylogenetic and functional analogues ( > /), conversely, nestedness-resultant trait dissimilarity tended to be higher than the taxonomic and phylogenetic measures ( > /); and third, as elevational distance increased, the contradicting dynamics of environmental filtering and limiting similarity have jointly led the elevational patterns of beta-diversity, especially at taxonomic dimension.

Effect of Ca(OH) on the Release Characteristics of HCl during Sludge Combustion.

With the addition of Ca(OH), the effects of combustion temperature, moisture, sludge particle size, and chlorine-containing additives on the removal of HCl during sludge combustion were studied. The experimental results showed that combustion temperature and moisture content promoted the formation of HCl and Ca(OH) played a key role in the formation of HCl during sludge combustion. Under the best conditions of a sludge particle size of 380-250 μm, moisture content of 5%, temperature of 850 °C, and Ca(OH)/sludge weight ratio of 3/10, the HCl capture efficiency was 79.

Study on the influencing factors of removal of NO from cement kiln flue gas by sewage sludge as a denitration agent.

Experimental study on the influencing factors of using sewage sludge as a denitration agent for cement industry was carried out on a self-made laboratory-scale fluid-bed reactor. Results indicate that sludge combustion at 900 °C shows an ideal NO (the sum of NO and NO) removal activity under simulated working conditions of cement precalciner. The optimal removal efficiency of NO can reach 70.

Development of an Enzyme-Mediated, Site-Specific Method to Conjugate Toll-Like Receptor 2 Agonists onto Protein Antigens: Toward a Broadly Protective, Four Component, Group A Streptococcal Self-Adjuvanting Lipoprotein-Fusion Combination Vaccine.

Subunit vaccines composed of protein antigens covalently attached to Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists elicit superior immune responses compared to mixtures of antigens and TLR agonists. Among different conjugation approaches, enzyme-mediated ligation is one of the few that provides an opportunity for the generation of homogeneous, molecularly defined products in which protein antigens are maintained with native structures, which is most critical to elicit protective immune responses upon vaccination. Four highly conserved protein antigens from Group A (GAS) have the potential to be safe and efficacious vaccine candidates.

Simultaneous Removal of SO and NO by O Oxidation Combined with Wet Absorption.

The effects of ozone concentration, NaOH concentration, type and concentration of additives, initial pH, temperature, and NO and SO concentration on simultaneous removal of NO and SO were studied through ozone oxidation combined with wet absorption. Results indicated that ozone concentration and the type and concentration of additives had the most significant effect on NO removal. The optimal ozone concentration was 250 ppm (NO/NO = 1), and the best additive was KMnO.

A Self-Adjuvanting Vaccine Platform: Optimization of Site-Specific Sortase A Mediated Conjugation of Toll-Like Receptor 2 Ligands onto the Carboxyl or Amino terminus of Recombinant Protein Antigens.

Self-adjuvanting vaccines, consisting of recombinant protein antigens and covalently attached Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, have the ability to simultaneously and efficiently deliver antigen and TLR adjuvant to antigen presenting cells (APCs). Here, an enzyme-mediated ligation approach was used to overcome difficulties in producing homogeneous, molecularly defined self-adjuvanting vaccine products under native conditions. This process was optimized to allow the incorporation of the lipopeptide TLR2 agonist fibroblast-stimulating lipopeptide (FSL)-1 onto the N- or C-termini of recombinant protein antigens, employing the enzyme Staphylococcus aureus sortase A (SrtAsa) penta mutant.

Semisynthetic, self-adjuvanting vaccine development: Efficient, site-specific sortase A-mediated conjugation of Toll-like receptor 2 ligand FSL-1 to recombinant protein antigens under native conditions and application to a model group A streptococcal vaccine.

Protein antigens are, in general, weakly immunogenic, and therefore require co-delivery with adjuvants to stimulate potent immune responses. The fusion of (poly)peptide antigens to immunostimulatory adjuvants (e.g.

Night-light Image Restoration Method Based on Night Scattering Model for Luojia 1-01 Satellite.

Aiming at solving the degradation problem of Luojia 1-01 night-light remote sensing images, the main reason for the "glow" phenomenon was analyzed. The APSF (Atmospheric Point Spread Function) template of night-light image was obtained from atmospheric source scattering. The template was used as the initial value in the regularization restoration model in this paper.

Taxonomic and Functional Ant Diversity Along tropical, Subtropical, and Subalpine Elevational Transects in Southwest China.

Although elevational gradients of biodiversity have long been the topic of scientific research, information on patterns of, and processes that shape insect community structure across elevation is still lacking. Addressing this gap requires the use of both taxonomic and functional approaches when studying diversity across elevational gradients. In this study, we examined taxonomic and functional alpha and beta diversity of ant assemblages sampled along tropical, subtropical, and subalpine elevational transects in Yunnan Province, southwest China.

Systematics of the ant genus Roger (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Proceratiinae) in China - with descriptions of three new species based on micro-CT enhanced next-generation-morphology.

The genus Roger, 1863 contains cryptic, subterranean ants that are seldom sampled and rare in natural history collections. Furthermore, most specimens are extremely hairy and, due to their enlarged and curved gaster, often mounted suboptimally. As a consequence, the poorly observable physical characteristics of the material and its scarcity result in a rather challenging alpha taxonomy of this group.

Bioconjugation Approaches to Producing Subunit Vaccines Composed of Protein or Peptide Antigens and Covalently Attached Toll-Like Receptor Ligands.

Traditional vaccines derived from attenuated or inactivated pathogens are effective at inducing antibody-based protective immune responses but tend to be highly reactogenic, causing notable adverse effects. Vaccines with superior safety profiles can be produced by subunit approaches, utilizing molecularly defined antigens (e.g.

An outbreak of norovirus gastroenteritis associated with a secondary water supply system in a factory in south China.

Background: Between September 17 and October 3, 2009, hundreds of workers employed in a manufacturing factory in Shenzhen, a city in south China developed a sudden onset of acute gastroenteritis. A retrospective cohort study is designed to identify the risk factors and control this outbreak.

Methods: Information on demographic characteristics, working place, the history of contact with a person having diarrhea and/or vomiting, drink water preference and frequency, eating in the company cafeteria or outside the company, hand-washing habits and eating habits is included.

Rapid and simultaneous detection of Ureaplasma parvum and Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies based on visual protein microarray using gold nanoparticles and silver enhancement.

Based on gold-labeled silver stain (GLSS) method, we developed the visual protein microarray for simultaneous, sensitive, and specific detection of Ureaplasma parvum and Chlamydia trachomatis using N-terminus multiple-banded antigen (NMBA) of U. parvum and major outer membrane protein of C. trachomatis.

Structure-function analysis of mutant RNA-dependent RNA polymerase complexes with VPg.

The replication of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) genome is critically dependent upon the activity of a virally encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). In this study, four mutant RdRps of FMDV were isolated from viral quasi-species treated with ribavirin, of which two were single mutants (L123F and T381A) and two were double mutants (T291I/T381I and L123F/F244L). The mutant proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by His-bind resin chromatography.