This article aims to identify the mechanism of how climate change affects agriculture through various channels and the mechanism of longer-run adaptation. Using a county-panel dataset spanning the ...past 35 years, we evaluate the impact of global warming on agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) as well as the impacts on agricultural inputs and outputs in China. Results show that, in the short run, extreme heat has negative effects on China’s agricultural TFP and input utilization, which results in a more negative effect on agricultural output measured by yield. However, longer-run adaptation has offset 37.9% of the short-run effects of extreme heat exposure on TFP, while climate adaptation mitigates agricultural output loss to a greater extent due to more flexible adjustment in labor, fertilizer, and machines in the long run. Despite the detected climate adaptation, projections of impacts under future climate change scenarios still imply a substantial loss in China’s agriculture.
•Identify the mechanism of the response and adaptation of agriculture to climate change.•Investigate the impact on China’s agriculture for 2495 counties from 1981 to 2015.•In the short run, extreme heat has negative effects on TFP, input utilization, and yield.•Longer-run adaptation has offset 38% and 47% of the short-run effects on TFP and yield.•Future global warming is expected to cause a sizeable negative effect on China’s agriculture.
The rapid development of Chinese shadow banking, which relies on the banking system, significantly impacts nonneutral bank risk-taking. Central bank communication also plays a vital role in risk ...prevention and mitigation in the banking system in a modern central banking system. To address the issues of central bank communication, shadow banking, and bank risk-taking, we construct a new theoretical model that includes shadow banking based on the M-S model. Based on the central bank written communication index measured by the Monetary Policy Implementation Report 2009–2019 and balanced panel data of 35 listed banks, we design an empirical PVAR model. This study finds that central bank communication regarding domestic easing economy and policy positively affects bank risk-taking, while central bank communication and mechanism exists in China. Moreover, the growth rate of shadow banking size also positively encourages bank risk-taking. Furthermore, central bank communication regarding foreign policy is negatively related to bank risk-taking in the robustness test, supporting the above findings. The analysis of equity heterogeneity shows that the positive effect of central bank communication on bank risk-taking in shadow banking is more pronounced in small and medium-sized shareholdings. Further analyzing the economic consequences of central bank communication and shadow banking on bank risk-taking, we find that banks’ risk-taking positively affects their share of noninterest income and total asset size.
For the mimicry of human visual memory, a prominent challenge is how to detect and store the image information by electronic devices, which demands a multifunctional integration to sense light like ...eyes and to memorize image information like the brain by transforming optical signals to electrical signals that can be recognized by electronic devices. Although current image sensors can perceive simple images in real time, the image information fades away when the external image stimuli are removed. The deficiency between the state‐of‐the‐art image sensors and visual memory system inspires the logical integration of image sensors and memory devices to realize the sensing and memory process toward light information for the bionic design of human visual memory. Hence, a facile architecture is designed to construct artificial flexible visual memory system by employing an UV‐motivated memristor. The visual memory arrays can realize the detection and memory process of UV light distribution with a patterned image for a long‐term retention and the stored image information can be reset by a negative voltage sweep and reprogrammed to the same or an other image distribution, which proves the effective reusability. These results provide new opportunities for the mimicry of human visual memory and enable the flexible visual memory device to be applied in future wearable electronics, electronic eyes, multifunctional robotics, and auxiliary equipment for visual handicapped.
An artificial flexible visual memory system based on a UV‐motivated memristor is assembled by integrating light‐sensitive imaging sensors and resistance‐switching memristors. Sensing and memory abilities toward UV light are realized and the visual memory arrays successfully realize the detection and memory process of light distribution with a patterned image for a long‐term retention, thus providing new opportunities for the mimicry of human visual memory and enabling the flexible visual memory device to be applied in future wearable electronics, electronic eyes, multifunctional robotics, etc.
Detection and quantification of circular RNAs (circRNAs) face several significant challenges, including high false discovery rate, uneven rRNA depletion and RNase R treatment efficiency, and ...underestimation of back-spliced junction reads. Here, we propose a novel algorithm, CIRIquant, for accurate circRNA quantification and differential expression analysis. By constructing pseudo-circular reference for re-alignment of RNA-seq reads and employing sophisticated statistical models to correct RNase R treatment biases, CIRIquant can provide more accurate expression values for circRNAs with significantly reduced false discovery rate. We further develop a one-stop differential expression analysis pipeline implementing two independent measures, which helps unveil the regulation of competitive splicing between circRNAs and their linear counterparts. We apply CIRIquant to RNA-seq datasets of hepatocellular carcinoma, and characterize two important groups of linear-circular switching and circular transcript usage switching events, which demonstrate the promising ability to explore extensive transcriptomic changes in liver tumorigenesis.
Faced with the global climate change, as a major greenhouse gas emitter, China launched a pilot policy on low-carbon city construction since 2010. Few studies have discussed how climate policies ...affect the investment and financing behavior of energy-intensive enterprises. Based on the micro data of A-share listed enterprises in China’s energy-intensive industries, this study aims to assess the productivity effect of low-carbon city pilot (LCCP) policy and investigates the mechanism of financing and investment using the difference-in-difference method. Empirical results provide evidence that the LCCP policy has significantly improved the total factor productivity of energy-intensive enterprises. In terms of the mechanisms, the LCCP policy has increased the supply of bank credit to enterprises and encouraged their long-term investment in fixed assets and R&D activities. The productivity effect of the LCCP policy is greater for state-owned enterprises and enterprises with political connection. Urban human capital, industrial agglomeration, and resource endowment contribute to the productivity effect of LCCP policy for enterprises in the energy-intensive industries. The findings show that the LCCP is an effective comprehensive policy to promote the high-quality development of energy-intensive industries, and the findings also provide enlightenment for enacting better climate transition policies.
Polymer vesicles, also known as polymersomes, are finding increasing applications in biomedical field, including drug delivery, gene therapy, magnetic resonance imaging, theranostics, etc. This is ...due to their intrinsic hollow nanostructure and compartmentalized domains with diverse functionalities. This review describes recent advances in the design and synthesis of polymer vesicles, including the formation mechanisms, preparation methods, applications and responsive behaviors toward external stimuli. We first present the rational design and synthesis of polymer vesicles based on different polymeric building blocks, followed by an insight into the structure and formation mechanism of polymer vesicles, as well as the recently developed means to determine the exact thickness of the vesicle membrane. Except for responding to traditional stimuli such as pH, temperature and oxidation/reduction, polymer vesicles are becoming ‘smarter’ owing to the newly developed stimuli including electrical field, magnetic field, sugar molecules, gas, ultrasound, etc. Finally, the potential applications of polymer vesicles beyond biomedical field are highlighted as novel nanoreactors, water remediation materials, etc.
To move China׳s climate policy forward, improved analyses of climate impacts on economic sectors using rigorous methodology and high quality data are called for. We develop an empirical framework, ...using fine-scale meteorological data, to estimate the link between corn and soybean yields and weather in China. We find that (i) there are nonlinear and inverted U-shaped relationships between crop yields and weather variables; (ii) global warming has caused an economic loss of about $820 million to China׳s corn and soybean sectors in the past decade; and (iii) corn and soybean yields are projected to decline by 3–12% and 7–19%, respectively, by 2100.
Abstract
Summary
Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is extensively associated with cancer development and progression. miRNAs have been shown to be biomarkers for predicting tumor formation and ...outcome. However, identification of the relationships between miRNA expression and tumor characteristics can be difficult and time-consuming without appropriate bioinformatics expertise. To address this issue, we present OncomiR, an online resource for exploring miRNA dysregulation in cancer. Using combined miRNA-seq, RNA-seq and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we systematically performed statistical analyses to identify dysregulated miRNAs that are associated with tumor development and progression in most major cancer types. Additional analyses further identified potential miRNA-gene target interactions in tumors. These results are stored in a backend database and presented through a web server interface. Moreover, through a backend bioinformatics pipeline, OncomiR can also perform dynamic analysis with custom miRNA selections for in-depth characterization of miRNAs in cancer.
Availability and implementation
The OncomiR website is freely accessible at www.oncomir.org.
Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Carbon aerogels with 3D networks of interconnected nanometer‐sized particles exhibit fascinating physical properties and show great application potential. Efficient and sustainable methods are ...required to produce high‐performance carbon aerogels on a large scale to boost their practical applications. An economical and sustainable method is now developed for the synthesis of ultrathin carbon nanofiber (CNF) aerogels from the wood‐based nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) aerogels via a catalytic pyrolysis process, which guarantees high carbon residual and well maintenance of the nanofibrous morphology during thermal decomposition of the NFC aerogels. The wood‐derived CNF aerogels exhibit excellent electrical conductivity, a large surface area, and potential as a binder‐free electrode material for supercapacitors. The results suggest great promise in developing new families of carbon aerogels based on the controlled pyrolysis of economical and sustainable nanostructured precursors.
Nano‐woodwork: An economical and sustainable method has now been developed for the synthesis of ultrathin carbon nanofiber (CNF) aerogels by engineering the thermal decomposition chemistry of nanofibrillated wood cellulose. This work suggests great promise in developing new families of carbon aerogels based on the controlled pyrolysis of sustainable nanostructured precursors.
We report a facile green approach for in situ growth of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the surface of graphene quantum dots (GQDs). GQDs serve as both reducing agent and stabilizer, and no ...additional reducing agent and stabilizer is necessary. The GQDs/AgNPs hybrid exhibits a superior absorbance fading response toward the reduction of H2O2. A simple colorimetric procedure is thus proposed for ultrasensitive detection of H2O2 without additional chromogenic agent. It provides a record detection limit of 33 nM for the detection of H2O2 by the AgNPs-based sensing system. This colorimetric sensing system is further extended to the detection of glucose in combination with the specific catalytic effect of glucose oxidase for the oxidation of glucose and formation of H2O2, giving rise to a detection limit of 170 nM. The favorable performances of the GQDs/AgNPs hybrid are due to the peroxidase-like activity of GQDs.
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