Understanding the mechanisms and processes of groundwater recharge and evolution is critical for sustainable water resources management to meet human and agriculture needs under climate change, ...because groundwater is the primary water source in semiarid and arid regions, where the surface water resources are usually highly unstable and scarce. However, few studies investigated the recharge and evolution processes of groundwater combining with isotopic geochemistry and radiocarbon data, especially focused on the interactions among precipitation, surface water, groundwater, and rock. This study examined the recharge and evolution processes of groundwater in the Wuwei Basin based on stable isotopes, chemical indicators, and radiocarbon data. Our results showed that the Na
+
(sodium ion) and K
+
(potassium ion) concentrations of the groundwater were controlled by the dissolution of sylvite and halite origin from sediments, whereas the increase of Na
+
and Cl
−
(chloride ion) concentrations were not in accordance with a ratio of 1:1, indicating that the Na
+
and K
+
concentrations in groundwater were barely affected by the dissolution of halite and sylvite. Meanwhile, we also found that bicarbonate ion (HCO
3
−
) was the dominant ion with a decreased ratio in the groundwater. The SO
4
2−
/Cl
−
(sulfate ion/chloride ion) ratio decreased with the sample profile from Southwest to Northeast due mainly to the increases of Cl
−
concentration. The Ca
2+
/Cl
−
(calcium ion/chloride ion) ratio decreased with the enhancement of Cl
−
in the hydrodynamic sluggish belt. In addition, the δ
18
O (oxygen isotope) and δ
2
H (hydrogen isotope) values of groundwater gradually increased from Southwest to Northeast along the flow path. The heavy isotopic values were more strongly depleted than the isotopic values of precipitation in the ground water samples, suggesting that the recharge of ground water in the plain region was very limited from precipitation. Moreover, the groundwater in the phreatic aquifer was younger water with
3
H (tritium isotope) values from 47 to 71 a.BP (before present), while the groundwater age in the confined aquifer was 1000–5800 BP evidenced by the
14
C (carbon isotope) values between 48 and 88 pmc (percentage modern carbon content). Overall, these results suggested that the unconfined groundwater enriched along the overall groundwater flow path from the southwest to northeast of the Wuwei Basin and the melt water from the Qilian Mountains may determine the water isotopic composition and contributed to the steady long-term runoff of the Shiyang River. Our findings may have important implications for inter-basin water allocation programmes and groundwater management in the Wuwei Basin.
Overseas imported dengue fever is an important factor in local outbreaks of this disease in the mainland of China. To better prevent and control such local outbreaks, the epidemiological ...characteristics and temporal-spatial distribution of overseas imported dengue fever cases in provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs) where dengue fever is outbreak in the mainland of China were explored.
Using the Chinese National Notifiable Infectious Disease Reporting Information System (CNNDS), we identified overseas imported dengue fever cases in dengue fever outbreak areas in the mainland of China from 2005 to 2019 to draw the epidemic curve and population characteristic distribution of overseas imported cases in each PLAD. Based on spatial autocorrelation analysis of ArcGIS 10.5 and temporal-spatial scanning analysis of SaTScan 9.5, we analyzed the temporal-spatial distribution of overseas imported dengue fever in dengue fever outbreak areas in the mainland of China.
A total of 11,407 imported cases, mainly from Southeast Asia, were recorded from 2005 to 2019 in these 13 PLADs. Of which 62.1% were imported into Yunnan and Guangdong Provinces. Among the imported cases, there were more males than females, mainly from the 21-50 age group. The hot spots were concentrated in parts of Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian Provinces. We found the cluster of infected areas were expanding northward.
Based on the analysis of overseas imported dengue cases in 13 PLADs of the mainland of China from 2005 to 2019, we obtained the epidemiological characteristics and spatial distribution of imported dengue cases. Border controls need to pay attention to key population sectors, such as 21-50 years old men and education of key populations on dengue prevention. There is a need to improve the awareness of the prevention and control of imported cases in border areas. At the same time, northern regions cannot relax their vigilance.
MicroRNA319 (miR319) plays a key role in plant growth, development, and multiple resistance by repressing the expression of targeted
(
) genes. Two members,
and
, were discovered in the miR319 gene ...family in sweet potato (
L. Lam). Here, we focused on the biological function and potential molecular mechanism of the response of
to drought stress in sweet potato. Blocking
in transgenic sweet potato (MIM319) resulted in a slim and tender phenotype and greater sensitivity to drought stress. Microscopic observations revealed that blocking
decreased the cell width and increased the stomatal distribution in the adaxial leaf epidermis, and also increased the intercellular space in the leaf and petiole. We also found that the lignin content was reduced, which led to increased brittleness in MIM319. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that the expression levels of key genes in the lignin biosynthesis pathway were much lower in the MIM319 lines than in the wild type. Ectopic expression of IbmiR319a-targeted genes
and
in
resulted in similar phenotypes to MIM319. We also showed that the expression of
and
was largely induced by drought stress. Transcriptome analysis indicated that cell growth-related pathways, such as plant hormonal signaling, were significantly downregulated with the blocking of
. Taken together, our findings suggest that
affects plant architecture by targeting
to control the response to drought stress in sweet potato.
CX3CR1 has been identified as a highly attractive target for several therapeutic interventions. Despite this potential, no potent antagonists, either small molecule or monoclonal antibody, have been ...identified. Here we describe the lead finding and engineering approach that lead to the identification of BI 655088, a potent biotherapeutic antagonist to CX3CR1. BI 655088 is a potent CX3CR1 antagonist that, upon therapeutic dosing, significantly inhibits plaque progression in the standard mouse model of atherosclerosis. BI 655088 represents a novel and highly selective biotherapeutic that could reduce inflammation in the atherosclerotic plaque when added to standard of care treatment including statins, which could result in a significant decrease in atherothrombotic events in patients with existing cardiovascular disease.
This paper takes 516 households who planted wheat in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province in 2018, as samples to construct three policy environments: Technological guidance for planting, subsidies for ...organic fertilizer application, and agricultural tailwater discharge standards. The experimental choice method was used to empirically analyze policy preferences during the process of fertilizer reduction. The results indicate that households show different preferences for the three policy settings: The fertilizer application rate is reduced by 6.98% if providing full technological guidance for farmers throughout the wheat planting process and is reduced by 5.18% under the background of providing appropriate organic fertilizer subsidies. The agricultural tailwater discharge standards have the least impact on the reducing level of chemical fertilizer application, with decreasing amounts of only 1.85% and 0.77% under the second-level and the first-level agricultural tailwater discharge standards, respectively. These results indicate that households in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province, demonstrate a low willingness to accept the agricultural tailwater discharge standards in order to cut down on the amount of chemical fertilizer application and the agricultural non-point source pollution. Therefore, compared with a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1% of fertilizer usage nationwide according to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, given the current planting environment and policies design, providing comprehensive technological guidance as well as price subsidies for the organic fertilizer can significantly and robustly reduce the excessive application of fertilizer in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province, under the best scenario, thereby further alleviating agricultural non-point source pollution.
The aim of this study is to extract keratin from human hair waste by alkali-reduction method. The properties of keratin were analyzed by the tests of SEM and FTIR. The result shows that the ...extraction rate of keratin was 75.3%. Furthermore, FTIR shows that the molecular structure of keratin was transformed from α-helix to β-sheet in the process of extraction.
Food packaging plays a vital role in the food supply chain by acting as an additional layer to protect against food contamination, but the main function of traditional conventional packaging is only ...to isolate food from the outside environment, and cannot provide related information about food spoilage. Intelligent packaging can feel, inspect, and record external or internal changes in food products to provide further information about food quality. Importantly, intelligent packaging indicators will account for a significant proportion of the food industry's production, with promising application potential. In this review, we mainly summarize and review the upcoming progress in the classification, preparation, and application of food packaging indicators. Equally, the feasibility of 3D printing in the preparation of intelligent food packaging indicators is also discussed in detail, as well as the limitations and future directions of smart food packaging. Taken together, the information supported in this paper provides new insights into monitoring food spoilage and food quality.
PDF
