Thoughts on the relationship between Buddhism and Tibetans permeate Pema Tseden’s films. His early films focused on whether the Buddhist spirit, such as feelings, dedication, and self-sacrifice, was ...recognized in modern Tibet. Identity is a problem that Tibetans have always faced in the process of modernization. People in economically disadvantaged positions often face difficult choices between self-survival and maintaining moral and cultural traditions. Pema Tseden’s films, however, focus more on the philosophy of Buddhism and use an ethnic internal perspective to examine the problems in ethnic modernization, which provides his stories with a strong allegorical color.
N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant mRNA modification in mammals and has been implicated in various biological processes. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely ...unknown. In this study, we investigated the alterations of 19 main m6A regulatory genes in HCC and their association with clinicopathological features, including survival. The mutation, copy number variation (CNV) and clinical data of HCC patients were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We found that the m6A regulators had high frequent alterations in HCC. The alterations of m6A regulators were significantly associated with clinicopathological features as well as TP53 alteration. Patients with any mutation of the m6A regulatory genes had worse overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). Deletion of METTL16 or ALKBH5 predicted poor OS and DFS of HCC patients. Moreover, deletion of METTL16 was an independent risk factor for DFS. Low METT16 expression was association with activation of multiple metabolic pathways in HCC. Finally, by RT-PCR, we confirmed that METTL16 was downregulated in HCC, and that lower METTL16 expression was associated with poor OS. In conclusion, we reported a significant association between alterations of m6A regulators and clinicopathological features, and highlighted the importance of METTL16 among the 19 m6A regulators in HCC pathogenesis. These findings will provide new insights into the role of m6A modification in HCC.
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Here we report a simple, low-cost and environment friendly method, in which Black locust seed dregs and potassium ferrate (K2FeO4) are used as starting raw materials and activation ...agent. The hierarchically porous carbons (BDPC) with high special surface area and abundant mesopores (SBET = 2010.1 m2 g−1 and Vmeso = 1.457 cm3 g−1) are obtained through hydrothermal treatment and chemical activation. The BDPC electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical performances by virtue of unique architecture and heteroatoms pseudocapacitance contribution. In the three-electrode system, the optimized carbon material (BDPC-2) achieves a high specific capacitance of 333 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and displays the high rate capability (81.1% capacitance retention at 100 A g−1) in 6 M KOH electrolyte. The symmetric supercapacitor based BDPC-2 exhibits energy density as high as 26.2 Wh kg−1 (at a power density of 0.79 kW kg−1) and excellent long-term cycling stability (only 8% decrease after 10,000 cycles) in 6 M KOH.
In recent studies, NKG2A is revealed to be a key immune checkpoint for both natural killer (NK) cells and CD8
+
T cells. It form heterodimer receptors with CD94, and targets the peptide-presenting ...human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) molecules. Upon crosslinking, NKG2A/CD94 delivers inhibitory signals for NK cells and CD8
+
T cells, while blocking NKG2A can effectively unleash functions of these cytotoxic lymphocytes. The interaction between NKG2A and HLA-E contributes to tumor immune escape, and NKG2A-mediated mechanisms are currently being exploited to develop potential antitumor therapeutic strategies. In addition, growing evidence shows that NKG2A also plays important roles in other immune-related diseases including viral infections, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory diseases, parasite infections and transplant rejection. Therefore, the current work focuses on describing the effect of NKG2A on immune regulation and exploring its potential role in immune-mediated disorders.
Four anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) immobilized filler reactors (R1: 33 °C-normal, R2: seasonal temperature-normal, R3: seasonal temperature-feast, R4: seasonal temperature-starvation) were ...established to study the response of anammox immobilized fillers to seasonal temperature changes and different operating modes. The results showed that the anammox immobilized filler could better adapt to the seasonal temperature drop and maintain the activity potential by adjusting the hydraulic retention time (HRT). During the temperature rise phase, R2 activity increased rapidly with the highest nitrogen removal rate reaching 1.26 kgN·(m3·d)−1, which was equivalent to control sample R1 (1.33 kgN·(m3·d)−1). However, feasting and famine conditions severely impaired anammox performance and changed stoichiometric ratios; feasting, in particular, significantly lowered the nitrogen removal potential of R3. The specific anammox activity of R2, R3 and R4 was 92.2%, 52.6% and 67.9%, respectively, that of R1, respectively, where the accumulation of functional bacteria was the reason for the higher activity of R2. Degradation kinetics and NO2−-N inhibition curves showed that R3 was less sensitive to high concentrations of NH4+–N, while R4 responded earlier to low concentrations of NH4+–N, and the reduction of IC50 at low temperature was the reason for the inhibition of R3 activity. Furthermore, seasonal temperature fluctuations had little effect on the microbial community structure but had a considerable impact on bacteria abundance. The anammox functional bacteria Candidatus Kuenenia was found to be the dominant genus in R1-R4; however, the relative abundance of most bacteria, including anammox bacteria, decreased in R3, while the proportion of fermentation bacteria and denitrifying bacteria increased in R4. These findings highlight the necessity of rational regulation of HRT for the adaptation of anammox immobilized fillers to seasonal temperature changes, which could enhance our understanding of the synergistic effect of seasonal temperature changes and different operating modes on nitrogen removal.
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•Evaluated entrapped anammox biomass performance at seasonal temperature for 375 days.•HRT regulation stabilized nitrogen removal while maintaining activity potential.•Excess substrate at low temperatures is more harmful than starvation.•Anammox reaction kinetics and NO2−-N tolerance affected by different operation modes.•Feast mainly affected AnAOB, while starvation had a greater effect on other flora.
Abstract
Estimating truck emissions accurately would benefit atmospheric research and public health protection. Here, we developed a full-sample enumeration approach TrackATruck to bridge ...low-frequency but full-size vehicles driving big data to high-resolution emission inventories. Based on 19 billion trajectories, we show how big the emission difference could be using different approaches: 99% variation coefficients on regional total (including 31% emissions from non-local trucks), and ± as large as 15 times on individual counties. Even if total amounts are set the same, the emissions on primary cargo routes were underestimated in the former by a multiple of 2–10 using aggregated approaches. Time allocation proxies are generated, indicating the importance of day-to-day estimation because the variation reached 26-fold. Low emission zone policy reduced emissions in the zone, but raised emissions in upwind areas in Beijing's case. Comprehensive measures should be considered, e.g. the demand-side optimization.
The hydrogenation of furfural (FUR), a typical bio‐based furan derivative, is a critical reaction within the roadmap for upgrading lignocellulosic biomass into high value‐added chemicals and liquid ...fuels, the performance of which is strongly correlated with the catalysts’ intrinsic peculiarities. Metal catalysts with tailorable sizes, uniform dispersions and robust sintering resistance are generally recognized as a prerequisite for obtaining better hydrogenation activity, selectivity and stability, which has prompted intensive research into metal particle size effects and their regulation strategies. The roles of metal particle sizes and corresponding dispersions of metal catalysts used for FUR hydrogenation have been clearly recognized to be crucial over the past decade. In this regard, this systematic Minireview aims to provide profound insights into particle size effects in the metal‐catalyzed hydrogenation of FUR, as well as conditional and structural approaches to regulating these effects. In addition, from the aspect of catalyst stability, the impacts and improvements of the metal particle sintering issue are analyzed. Moreover, several suggestions are proposed in response to the challenges in regulating particle size effects. Furthermore, the viewpoints presented herein would potentially contribute to the rational development of metal hydrogenation catalysts and further help to boost a more sustainable biomass refining system.
Particle size matters: The roles of particle size and dispersion of metal catalysts used for furfural hydrogenation have been clearly recognized to be crucial over the past decade. This Minireview is focused on particle size effects in the metal‐catalyzed furfural hydrogenation, as well as approaches to regulating these effects.
SUMMARY
An analysis of over 10 000 plant genome sizes (GSs) indicates that most species have smaller genomes than expected given the incidence of polyploidy in their ancestries, suggesting selection ...for genome downsizing. However, comparing ancestral GS with the incidence of ancestral polyploidy suggests that the rate of DNA loss following polyploidy is likely to have been very low (4–70 Mb/million years, 4–482 bp/generation). This poses a problem. How might such small DNA losses be visible to selection, overcome the power of genetic drift and drive genome downsizing? Here we explore that problem, focussing on the role that double‐strand break (DSB) repair pathways (non‐homologous end joining and homologous recombination) may have played. We also explore two hypotheses that could explain how selection might favour genome downsizing following polyploidy: to reduce (i) nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) costs associated with nucleic acid synthesis in the nucleus and the transcriptome and (ii) the impact of scaling effects of GS on cell size, which influences CO2 uptake and water loss. We explore the hypothesis that losses of DNA must be fastest in early polyploid generations. Alternatively, if DNA loss is a more continuous process over evolutionary time, then we propose it is a byproduct of selection elsewhere, such as limiting the damaging activity of repetitive DNA. If so, then the impact of GS on photosynthesis, water use efficiency and/or nutrient costs at the nucleus level may be emergent properties, which have advantages, but not ones that could have been selected for over generational timescales.
Significance Statement
Despite an astonishing 2400‐fold range in angiosperm genome sizes, a key unanswered question is why most plant genomes are small, in spite of the abundance of repeats and the prevalence of polyploidy. This review outlines our current understanding of the mechanisms and processes responsible for genome size diversity, predicts typical rates of DNA loss following polyploidy and explores how selection might act to drive genome downsizing.
•The gully was the main sediment source, and the contribution of the gully to the slope was 8:2 between 1978 and 2010.•Erosion was dominated by the collapse of gully walls under the effect of ...gravity, which was triggered by rainstorms.•Changes in sediment contribution correlated to soil, landform, rainfall, coal mining and soil conservation.•Uncertainties of the fingerprinting approach are more significant and influential in complex environments.
Sediment sources in catchments under the control of check dams in the wind-water erosion crisscross region are more complicated compared to other regions on the Chinese Loess Plateau. This is due to their general complexity, which mainly results from variation in soil, landform, vegetation, and erosion agents. Accordingly, we used the composite fingerprinting approach to trace sediment sources in a typical small catchment in this region. The aim was to reveal the erosion characteristics of the catchment throughout the trapping history of the check dam. Sediment sources were classified into three-source (paleosol, loess and sand) and four-source (paleosol-gully, loess-gully, slope bare of sand and slope covered by sand) groups on the basis of soil and landform types, respectively. Sediment sources throughout the whole trapping history of the check dam (1978–2010) could be classified into three stages according to variation in sedimentation rate. Results showed that depositional sediment in the check dam was primarily from gullies (averaging 80.1%), especially the paleosol-gully (>54.1%). The large contribution of gullies indicated that the main erosion agents were streamflow from rainstorm events and gravity. Coal mining also had a significant impact on contribution of sediment sources, especially for slopes. Since 1987, mining began to change the structure of hills in this region, leading to slope fissures, collapse, and landslides at junctions where gullies meet slopes, which increased the risk of slope erosion. This has caused an increase in sediment from slopes bare of sand distributed under condition of continues implementation of soil conservation measures, which converted sloping cropland into grassland or forest. Further studies are necessary to gain better insight into sediment transport and deposition within such complex environments, as well as to distinguish between the effects of multiple erosion agents.
The problem of “missing sink” in the carbon cycle has not been properly explained. To reveal the effects of coastal saline-alkali wetlands on global inorganic carbon sequestration, soil samples with ...different salinity and alkalinity were collected in Jiaozhou Bay coastal wetlands, and the main work were: split the soil CO2 flux through inactivation treatment; simulate the CO2 absorption process of saline alkali soils; and analyze the mechanism of the above process through stable isotopic labeling. The inorganic carbon sequestration process is common in coastal saline-alkali soil. The increasing salinity and alkalinity of soil can improve its CO2 uptake capacity, and the soil alkalinity showed greater effects on the capacity than soil salinity. The leaching/absorption of atmosphere CO2 and the dissolution/precipitation of carbonate system are confirmed as the two mechanisms of inorganic carbon sequestration. The former mechanism dominates the sequestration process in coastal wetlands. We conclude that the abundant water sources and the high alkalinity of soils contribute to the advantages of carbon sequestration processes in coastal saline-alkali wetlands.
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•Potential abiotic absorption of atmospheric CO2 is common in coastal saline-alkali wetlands.•The soil alkalinity shows greater effect on the CO2 uptake capacity than the soil salinity.•The leaching/absorption of CO2 is the dominate mechanism of the inorganic C sequestration process in coastal wetlands.•Atmospheric CO2 is absorbed to form DIC, and enter deep soil or ocean under the promotion of leaching process.
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