Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, that is, stronger warming during night-time than during daytime. Here we focus on how soil nematodes respond to the current asymmetric warming. A field ...infrared heating experiment was performed in the western of the Songnen Plain, Northeast China. Three warming modes, i.e. daytime warming, night-time warming and diurnal warming, were taken to perform the asymmetric warming condition. Our results showed that the daytime and diurnal warming treatment significantly decreased soil nematodes density, and night-time warming treatment marginally affected the density. The response of bacterivorous nematode and fungivorous nematode to experimental warming showed the same trend with the total density. Redundancy analysis revealed an opposite effect of soil moisture and soil temperature, and the most important of soil moisture and temperature in night-time among the measured environment factors, affecting soil nematode community. Our findings suggested that daily minimum temperature and warming induced drying are most important factors affecting soil nematode community under the current global asymmetric warming.
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•ART possesses anti-complement bioactivities.•ART is involved in three effector pathways of complement interception.•ART targets C1q likely via binding of C1q globular head ...region.•ART specifically binds to the key therapeutic targets of C1q, C3 and C5.•A modified ELISA selectively allows the effector pathways of complement activation.
Complement is an important innate immune defence machinery. Once dysregulated, it is often linked to pathogenesis of diverse autoimmune diseases. Artesunate (ART) is a well-known anti-malarial compound. Recently, ART has been highlighted by its potential therapeutic effects on certain complement-related autoimmune diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms are hitherto unknown. In the present study, we found that ART mediated complement interception as validated by analysis of complement haemolytic assay. In cell-based setup using dying Jurkat cells, ART-mediated complement interception was also confirmed. Further, we newly established an ELISA system selectively allowing complement activation via the classical pathway, the lectin pathway and the alternative pathway, respectively. ELISA analysis revealed that ART dose-dependently inhibited C4 activation, C3 activation and terminal complement complex assembly via the effector pathways. ART was found to blockade C1q, C3 and C5 with a lesser extent to properdin. The interaction of ART with C1q was determined to be mediated via C1q globular head region. FACS analysis using ART-conjugated mesoporous silica particles revealed that ART specifically bound the key therapeutic targets of C1q, C3 and C5 on microparticles. In conclusion, we for the first time report the anti-complement bioactivities of ART and suggest a potential therapeutic benefit of ART in the complement-related human diseases.
Cognitive diagnosis assessment (CDA) can be regarded as a kind of formative assessments because it is intended to promote assessment for learning and modify instruction and learning in classrooms by ...providing the formative diagnostic information about students' cognitive strengths and weaknesses. CDA has two phases, like a statistical pattern recognition. The first phase is feature generation, followed by classification stage. A Q-matrix, which describes the relationship between items and latent skills, corresponds to the feature generation phase in statistical pattern recognition. Feature generation is of paramount importance in any pattern recognition task. In practice, the Q-matrix is difficult to specify correctly in cognitive diagnosis and misspecification of the Q-matrix can seriously affect the accuracy of the classification of examinees. Based on the fact that any columns of a reduced Q-matrix can be expressed by the columns of a reachability R matrix under the logical OR operation, a semi-supervised learning approach and an optimal design for examinee sampling were proposed for Q-matrix specification under the conjunctive and disjunctive model with independent structure. This method only required subject matter experts specifying a R matrix corresponding to a small part of test items for the independent structure in which the R matrix is an identity matrix. Simulation and real data analysis showed that the new method with the optimal design is promising in terms of correct recovery rates of q-entries.
With the rapid economic development, the serious air pollution in Beijing attracts increasing attention in the last decade. Seen as one whole complex and grey system, the causal relationship between ...the social development and the air pollution in Beijing has been quantitatively analyzed in this paper. By using the grey relational model, the aim of this study is to explore how the socio-economic and human activities affect on the air pollution in the city of Beijing, China. Four air pollutants, as the particulate matter with size 2.5 micrometers or less (PM
), particulate matter with size 10 micrometers or less (PM
), sulfur dioxide (SO
) and nitrogen dioxide (NO
), are selected as the indicators of air pollution. Additionally, fifteen socio-economic indicators are selected to account for the regional socio-economic characteristics (economy variables, energy consumption variables, pollution emissions variables, environment and construction activity variables). The results highlight that all variables are associated with the concentrations of the four selected air pollutants, but with notable differences between the air pollutants. Most of the socio-economic indicators, such as industrial output, total energy consumption are highly correlated with PM
, while PM
, SO
, and NO
present in general moderate correlations with most of the socio-economic variables. Contrary to other studies and reports this study reveals that vehicles and life energy do not have the strongest effect on air pollution in Beijing. This study provides useful information to reduce air pollution and support decision-making for sustainable development.
Properdin stabilizes the alternative C3 convertase (C3bBb), whereas its role as pattern-recognition molecule mediating complement activation is disputed for decades. Previously, we have found that ...soluble collectin-12 (sCL-12) synergizes complement alternative pathway (AP) activation. However, whether this observation is C3 dependent is unknown. By application of the C3-inhibitor Cp40, we found that properdin in normal human serum bound to
solely in a C3b-dependent manner. Cp40 also prevented properdin binding when properdin-depleted serum reconstituted with purified properdin was applied, in analogy with the findings achieved by C3-depleted serum. However, when opsonized with sCL-12, properdin bound in a C3-independent manner exclusively via its tetrameric structure and directed in situ C3bBb assembly. In conclusion, a prerequisite for properdin binding and in situ C3bBb assembly was the initial docking of sCL-12. This implies a new important function of properdin in host defense bridging pattern recognition and specific AP activation.
Background
The accumulation of heavy metals, including cadmium (Cd), in soil endangers the quality of agricultural products and can harm human health. At present, the application of passivators is a ...relatively efficient, quick, and economical way to address this problem. In the experimental site of the present study, the effects of different composite passivators (red mud + lime + phosphorite powder, red mud + lime + biochar, lime + humic acid + seafoam, seafoam + biochar + red mud, seafoam + biochar + phosphorite powder) on the physiology and biochemistry of Chinese cabbage were investigated.
Results
After passivator application, the soil’s effective state Cd content was reduced, and the Cd content, bioconcentration factor (BCF), transfer coefficient (TF), oxidative stress, and antioxidant enzyme activity levels of Chinese cabbage leaves and stalks were reduced to different degrees. The reduction of reactive oxygen species content was mainly owing to passivator application, which reduced the degree of oxidative stress and increased the content of osmotic substances, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the ability to scavenge hydroxyl radicals. The soluble protein content of Chinese cabbage was mainly increased by an increase in the content of osmotic substances and non-enzymatic antioxidant substances and a reduction in the inhibition of protein synthesis.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that the reduction of reactive oxygen species was the main cause of the reduction of Cd accumulation, transport, and toxicity in leaves. The increase in soluble protein was the main cause of the reduction of Cd accumulation, transport, and toxicity in petioles.
Graphical Abstract
Biogenic structures produced by soil ecosystem engineers mediate soil functions and ecosystem services. Ant mounds are important biogenic structures in marsh wetlands, where they can occur at high ...densities. However, little information is available on their roles in the C and N cycling in these ecosystems. We measured CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from ant mounds of three different ant species (Lasius flavus, Lasius niger and Formica candida) and estimated their contribution to the total gas emissions of soils from May to September 2010 in a Calamagrostis angustifolia-Carex schmidtii marsh wetland of the Sanjiang Plain, in northeastern China. Average CO2 emissions from ant mounds ranged from 0.84 to 1.95 g CO2 m−2 h−1 and were 1.08–3.09 times higher than from the surrounding marsh soils. Soil CO2 emissions from ant mounds were significantly influenced by mound type and sampling season. On the whole, average soil CO2 emissions from L. niger mounds were lower in comparison to those from F. candida mounds and L. flavus mounds. Ant mound soils were CH4 sinks (−0.39～−0.19 mg m−2 h−1) while the control marsh soils were CH4 emission sources (0.13–0.76 mg m−2 h−1). Soil CH4 and N2O emissions did not significantly differ among the three different types of ant mounds. Compared with control marsh soils (0.034–0.045 mg m−2 h−1), N2O emissions from ant mounds (0.007–0.13 mg m−2 h−1) were influenced more by sampling season. Overall, ant mounds contributed measurable amounts to soil gas emissions from the wetland, averaging 7.02%, −4.28% and 3.35% of total soil CO2, CH4 and N2O emission, respectively. Ant mounds also increased the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil gas emissions in the marsh. Thus ant mounds may be important to a complete understanding of wetland ecosystem C and N cycles and balances. Research on more ant species from more ecosystems is needed to establish ant mound impacts on soil gas emissions at a global scale.
► We confirmed there can be high densities of ant mounds in wetlands. ► We assessed simultaneously CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from ant mounds. ► We investigated and compared the gas emissions for three different types of ant mounds.
Some features and patterns of Jewish diaspora in the Islamic world help shed light on the historical accounts of Jews in traditional China. The so-called "Blue Cap Hui Hui", for example, betrays an ...element of the ghiyar, "distinguishing signs", that is, the restrictions regarding the distinctive appearance and behavior of the non-Muslims. The so-called "Jews' Gate" in Hangzhou, as attested in Ibn Battuta's travelogue, should not be taken literally to the effect that there was a city gate called "Jews' Gate" any longer; rather, it was a conventional appellation for "Jewish quarter" in the medieval Islamic world. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Novel titanium‐supported porous Pd and binary Pd‐Ru particles, nanoPd, Pd99Ru1, Pd96Ru4, Pd87Ru13, and Pd35Ru65, are obtained by using a hydrothermal method and investigated as electrocatalysts for ...ethanol oxidation in alkaline media. The prepared porous Pd catalyst (nanoPd) exhibits high electroactivity for ethanol oxidation in 1 M NaOH solution and further, introduction of Ru into Pd catalyst, leading to the synthesis of binary Pd99Ru1, Pd96Ru4, Pd87Ru13, and Pd35Ru65 catalysts, enhances the electroactivity for ethanol oxidation. Among the electrocatalysts investigated, the Pd87Ru13 catalyst displays the greatest electrocatalytic activity, which is characterized by the large anodic peak current density of 193.5 mA cm−2 for the positive scan and the most negative onset potential of −0.765 V for ethanol oxidation. Cyclic voltammetric responses show that ethanol oxidation on the Pd87Ru13 catalyst presents a large and wide peak current plateau on the positive‐going potential scan at higher ethanol concentrations and higher potential scan rates. In addition, electrochemical impedance spectra of the Pd87Ru13 catalyst exhibit low values of charge transfer resistances for ethanol oxidation and an obvious decline of impedance values with ethanol concentrations, showing significantly high electrocatalytic activity of the Pd87Ru13 catalyst for ethanol oxidation in alkaline solutions. The prepared binary Pd‐Ru catalysts could be promising alternatives to Pt electrodes applied in alkaline direct alcohol fuel cells.
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