The impact of digital inclusive financial development on local government expenditure: Evidence from China.

This paper investigates the impact of digital inclusive financial development on local government expenditure incentives at the income level. It does so by constructing a multi-level government Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model that incorporates the financial sector. By employing empirical methods that involve uncertainty shocks and counterfactual simulations, the research yields several key findings. Firstly, the development of digital inclusive finance contributes to breaking down the urban-rural dual financial structure, thus facilitating balanced economic development within regions. Secondly, it reduces the proportion of financially excluded areas, accelerates fiscal decentralization, leading to an increase in local government fiscal revenue, and, consequently, an expansion of local fiscal expenditures. Thirdly, at a certain stage of digital inclusive finance development, it tends to crowd out residents' investment and consumption. Therefore, the decentralization of fiscal power and the expansion of local government expenditure at this stage may paradoxically inhibit regional economic growth. The study's conclusions validate the significant impact of digital inclusive finance on local government incentives at the income level.

Ultrasound Pretreatment for Enhancing Fine and Ultrafine Flake Graphite Flotation Beneficiation.

With the severe depletion of coarse flake graphite (a critical raw material) resources, developing and utilizing fine and ultrafine graphite resources have recently attracted attention. Froth flotation is a widely used technique for the initial enrichment of graphite; however, the flotation selectivity decreases significantly along with particle size reduction. Ultrasound pretreatment would be a promising method to improve the flotation of fine particles. As an innovative approach to understand better the flotation response of different flake graphite sizes, this study conducted a comparative analysis based on flotation concentrate yield and ash as well as ash removal rate between the flake graphite with various particle sizes after ultrasound pretreatment. Particle size, X-ray powder diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses were used to investigate the effect of ultrasound treatment on mineralogical properties of the flake graphite with varied particle sizes. Process outcomes indicated that the flotation performance of fine flake graphite (mean chord length: 62.63 µm) was significantly enhanced after ultrasound pretreatment. However, flotation of the ultrafine flake graphite (mean chord length: 24.97 µm) after ultrasound treatment was limited due to the difficulty of generating sufficient fragmentation and dissociation by microjets and shock waves formed by the cavitation effect. Compared with conventional flotation, the concentrate yield of ultrasound flotation increased from 88.95 to 94.98%, ash content decreased from 5.72 to 4.87%, and ash removal rate enhanced from 36.94 to 42.61%. Particle size and mineral property analyses confirmed that further crushing and dissociation of the larger flake graphite after ultrasound pretreatment would be the main factors contributing to improved flotation performance. Additionally, the formation of air flocs in the coarse flake graphite during the ultrasound pretreatment process facilitated the flotation recovery of the crushed graphite particles.

Ginger volatile oil inhibits the growth of MDA-MB-231 in the bisphenol A environment by altering gut microbial diversity.

To examine the impact of ginger volatile oil (GVO) on the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) by modulating the diversity of gut microbiota. METHODS: MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were injected subcutaneously into the right armpit of female BALB/c Nude (nu/nu) mice to create a triple negative breast cancer model. Thirty nude mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: control group (distilled water every day), BPA control group (distilled PEG-400+ DMSO + cyclodextrin every day), BPA + GVO (0.25 mL/kg) group, BPA + GVO (0.5 mL/kg) group, BPA + GVO (1 mL/kg) group, 6 mice in each group; The drug was given by gavage once a day for 4 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the changes of tumor mass and tumor volume were observed and compared in 5 groups of tumor-bearing mice. High-throughput sequencing (16S rRNA) was used to detect the changes of gut microflora in each group. RESULTS: The volume and weight of breast cancer decreased in the low, medium and high dose groups of GVO. Among them, the difference between the high-dose group and the BPA group reached a significant level (P < 0.05). The species and abundance of gut flora decreased following BPA treatment, but increased after combined treatment of BPA with GVO. In the tumor control group, the ratio of Firmicutes(F) and Bacteroidea(B) respectively was 0.10:0.79 at the phylum level, while the ratio of BPA group further decreased (0.04:0.88). After feeding GVO, the number of Firmicutes and Bacteroidea increased, the F/B ratio increased, and the level of Lactobacillus and alistipes increased. In the BPA and GVO treatment group, the predominant gut microflora functions are cell membrane biogenesis, carbohydrate transport and metabolism. This is followed by amino acid transport and metabolism, and transcription function. After GVO administration, the Gram-positive bacteria (G+) ratio had an increasing trend and the Gram-negative bacteria (G-)ratio had a decreasing trend. CONCLUSION: The species and abundance of gut flora decreased following BPA treatment, but increased after combined treatment of BPA with GVO.

Structure characteristics and adsorption performance of graphene oxide prepared by spent carbon cathode-an ultra-low temperature graphitized carbon material.

Spent carbon cathode (SCC) is a hazardous waste from the aluminum electrolysis industry. It is commonly used as a carbon source in the current disposal and recovery strategies, such as combustion, or as a reductant for smelting. The novelty of this study is to propose a strategy for recycling SCC as a graphite resource and to investigate the unique structural characteristics and adsorption properties of graphene oxide produced from this low temperature graphitized carbon. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of SCC-GO on methylene blue (MB) were studied and compared with the GO prepared from natural flake graphite (NFG) and artificial graphite (AG). The results show that SCC-GO exhibits the highest adsorption rate and adsorption capacity (647.83 mg/g) for MB, which is much higher than NFG-GO (451.22 mg/g) and AG-GO (533.12 mg/g). The analysis of the spectroscopy and morphology confirmed that SCC-GO has a high degree of crystal defects, oxidation, and surface wrinkle. Overall, this study reveals the unique structure of SCC-GO and highlights its significant scientific and application potential as an ultra-low temperature graphitized carbon. This research is also significant for recycling aluminum electrolytic cathode solid waste in the form of a graphite source.

Emerging roles of biological m6A proteins in regulating virus infection: A review.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent chemical modifications of intracellular RNA, which recently emerging as a multifaceted effector of viral genomic RNA. As a dynamic process, three groups of biological proteins control the levels of m6A modification in eukaryocyte, designed as m6A writers, erasers, and readers. The m6A writers comprising of methyltransferases complex initiate the modification process. On the contrary, the m6A erasers ALKBH5 or FTO abolish the modification through three-step demethylation: m6A to N6-hydroxymethyl adenosine (hm6A), then hm6A to N6-methyladenosine (f6A), and finally f6A to adenosine. The known m6A readers include the YTH family and the hnRNP family. As m6A modification regulates RNA nuclear exportation, stability, and translation, m6A proteins commonly participate in virus infection by regulating viral genomic RNA synthesis. Moreover, m6A proteins establish molecular linkages between virus genome/viral encode proteins and host cells proteins via their multifunctional roles in cellular RNA metabolism. The m6A writers and erasers directly impact interferon expression and macrophage innate immune responses, facilitating them to act as anti-/pro-viral factors. The m6A readers enable to alter cell metabolism and stress granules (SGs) production to regulate virus-host interactions. Here, the latest progress of m6A proteins in regulating viral infection is reviewed. Demonstrating the roles of m6A proteins will enhance the understanding of epigenetic regulation of virus infection and stimulate the development of novel antiviral strategies.

The triangle relationship between human genome, gut microbiome, and COVID-19: opening of a Pandora's box.

Since the pandemic started, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide. In patients with COVID-19, the gut microbiome (GM) has been supposed to be closely related to the progress of the disease. The gut microbiota composition and human genetic variation are also connected in COVID-19 patients, assuming a triangular relationship between the genome, GM, and COVID-19. Here, we reviewed the recent developments in the study of the relationship between gut microbiota and COVID-19. The keywords "COVID-19," "microbiome," and "genome" were used to search the literature in the PubMed database. We first found that the composition of the GM in COVID-19 patients varies according to the severity of the illness. Most obviously, Candida albicans abnormally increased while the probiotic Bifidobacterium decreased in severe cases of COVID-19. Interestingly, clinical studies have consistently emphasized that the family Lachnospiraceae plays a critical role in patients with COVID-19. Additionally, we have demonstrated the impact of microbiome-related genes on COVID-19. Specially, we focused on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2's dual functions in SARS-CoV-2 infection and gut microbiota alternation. In summary, these studies showed that the diversity of GMs is closely connected to COVID-19. A triangular relationship exists between COVID-19, the human genome, and the gut flora, suggesting that human genetic variations may offer a chance for a precise diagnosis of COVID-19, and the important relationships between genetic makeup and microbiome regulation may affect the therapy of COVID-19.

Reciprocal relationship between interpersonal communication and depressive symptoms and the mediating role of resilience across two years: Three-wave cross-lagged panel model.

BACKGROUND: Depression among children has been a growing public health concern. It is generally recognized that individuals with depression are likely to have interpersonal malfunctioning. However, there remains a limited scientific understanding of the reciprocal relationship between interpersonal communication and depressive symptoms among rural Chinese children in a longitudinal approach. METHODS: Therefore, guided by the interpersonal model of depression and the developmental cascade model, the present study conducted a cross-lagged panel analysis study to explore the bidirectional relationship between interpersonal communication and depressive symptoms across three waves among 2188 elementary school students in rural areas of one county of Gansu Province, China. We also examined the mediating effect of resilience and sex differences of the models. RESULTS: Our results showed that depressive symptoms negatively predicted interpersonal communication from T1 to T2 and T2 to T3. Interpersonal communication negatively predicted depressive symptoms from T1 to T2, but not T2 to T3. Furthermore, resilience showed significant partial mediating effects in the reciprocal relationship between interpersonal communication and depressive symptoms. In terms of sex differences, the significant relationship between depressive symptoms at T1 and interpersonal communication at T2 was found to be significant among male students and marginally significant among female students. The full mediating effect of resilience at T1 was found only among male students, whereas resilience at T2 functioned as a full mediator between depressive symptoms at T2 and interpersonal communication at T3 only among female students. LIMITATIONS: First, the present sample consisted of only third and fourth grade (i.e., in T1) students from one county in rural China. Second, the present study examined depressive symptoms instead of depression as a clinical diagnosis. Third, the third wave of the data was collected during COVID-19. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could unexpectedly pose on child mental health. CONCLUSIONS: The finding underlined the importance of providing comprehensive depression prevention and intervention from fostering children's inner resilience and promoting their ability to navigate interpersonal resources.

Exploring the mechanism of an active ingredient of ginger, dihydrocapsaicin, on triple negative breast cancer based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiments.

To investigate the potential mechanism of ginger in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) based on network pharmacology, molecular docking and in vitro cell experiments. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database And Analysis Platform, the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool For Molecular Mechanism Of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the HERB database and literature search were used to search for the main active compounds of ginger. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were used to predict the possible molecular mechanism and signaling pathway of ginger in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. The key core genes of ginger in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer were docked with the active ingredients of ginger on the Autodock platform, and the mechanism of ginger on triple negative breast cancer was further verified by in vitro cell experiments. As a result, 10 effective components, 27 potential targets and 10 Protein-Protein Interaction core genes were predicted in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer with ginger, involving 287 biological processes, 18 cellular components and 38 molecular functions. Ginger regulated the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of triple negative breast cancer cells by regulating TNF, IL-17, FoxO, MAPK, PI3K/AKT and other signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking showed that the lowest binding potential energy between dihydrocapsaicin (DHC) and EGFR protein was -7.70 kcal·mol-1, followed by that between 6-gingerol and EGFR protein was -7.30 kcal·mol-1 and that between DHC and CASP3 protein was -7.20 kcal·mol-1. In vitro cell experiments showed that ginger could inhibit the proliferation and migration of TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells, increase the mRNA expression of Caspase family CASP9 and the protein expression of CASP3 and BAX. Overall, based on the combination of network pharmacology and in vitro cell experiments, ginger has the characteristics of multi-target in the treatment of TNBC, which may play a regulatory role through the PI3K/AKT family. It provides a reference for the drug development of ginger and the clinical treatment of triple negative breast cancer.

Evaluation of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for Staphylococcus aureus detection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus can cause many diseases and even death. It's important to detect Staphylococcus aureus rapidly and reliably. The accuracy of a novel test named LAMP in detecting Staphylococcus aureus is unclear. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the LAMP assay for Staphylococcus aureus detection. METHODS: Four databases were searched for relevant studies. Meta-DiSc 1.4.0 and Stata 12.0 were used for statistical analysis. At the same time, we used QUADAS-2 to assess the studies we included. Two groups of subgroup analysis were done to differentiate the diagnostic effects of various LAMP tests and in cases of different gold standards. RESULTS: 11 studies were identified and 19 2 × 2 contingency tables were extracted in our study. The results showed that both pooled sensitivity and specificity of the LAMP assay were 99% (95% CI 99-100). CONCLUSION: The LAMP assay demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing Staphylococcus aureus.

The Emerging Role of RNA Modifications in the Regulation of Antiviral Innate Immunity.

Posttranscriptional modifications have been implicated in regulation of nearly all biological aspects of cellular RNAs, from stability, translation, splicing, nuclear export to localization. Chemical modifications also have been revealed for virus derived RNAs several decades before, along with the potential of their regulatory roles in virus infection. Due to the dynamic changes of RNA modifications during virus infection, illustrating the mechanisms of RNA epigenetic regulations remains a challenge. Nevertheless, many studies have indicated that these RNA epigenetic marks may directly regulate virus infection through antiviral innate immune responses. The present review summarizes the impacts of important epigenetic marks on viral RNAs, including N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 5-methylcytidine (m5C), 2'-O-methylation (2'-O-Methyl), and a few uncanonical nucleotides (A-to-I editing, pseudouridine), on antiviral innate immunity and relevant signaling pathways, while highlighting the significance of antiviral innate immune responses during virus infection.

Effect of the ultrasonic standing wave frequency on the attractive mineralization for fine coal particle flotation.

Froth flotation for mineral beneficiation is one of the most important separation techniques; however, it has several challenges for processing fine and ultrafine particles. Attractive mineralization between particles and bubbles by ultrasonic standing wave (USW) is a novel and high-efficiency method that could assist fine particle flotation. Frequency is an important ultrasound parameter, whose effectiveness mechanisms on the attractive mineralization did not compressively address. This study explored the effect of the USW field with various frequencies on the fine coal flotation for filling this gap. Herein, a high-speed camera and a focused beam reflectance measurement (FBRM) were used to analyze three sub-processes of the attractive mineralization, including the microbubbles' formation, the conventional flotation bubbles (CFBs)' dispersion, and the particles' movement. It was found that the maximum flotation metallurgical responses were obtained under the highest examined USW frequency (600 kHz). However, the flotation outcomes by a low USW frequency (50 kHz) were even lower than the conventional flotation tests. Observation and theoretical calculation results revealed these results were originated from the influence of frequency on the carrier bubbles' formation and the action of the secondary acoustic force during USW-assisted flotation. These outcomes demonstrated that frequency is a key factor determining the success of attractive mineralization for fine particles' flotation.

Toward efficient interactions of bubbles and coal particles induced by stable cavitation bubbles under 600 kHz ultrasonic standing waves.

The interactions of bubbles and coal particles in 600 kHz ultrasonic standing waves (USW) field has been investigated. A high-speed camera was employed to record the phenomena occurred under the USW treatment. The formation and behaviors of cavitation bubbles were analyzed. Under the driving of these cavitation bubbles, whose size is from several microns to dozens of microns, coal particles were aggregated and then attracted by large bubbles due to the acoustic radiation forces. The results of USW-assisted flotation show a significant improvement in recoveries at 600 kHz, which indicates that the interactions of bubbles and particles in the USW field are more efficient than that in the conventional gravitational field. Furthermore, the sound pressure distribution of the USW was measured and predicted by a hydrophone. The analysis of gravity and buoyancy, primary and secondary Bjerknes forces shows that bubble-laden particles can be attracted by the rising bubbles under large acoustic forces. This study highlights the potential for USW technology to achieve efficient bubble-particle interactions in flotation.

Selective aggregation by ultrasonic standing waves through gas nuclei on the particle surface.

Gas nuclei in water are usually too small to be directly observed. They will grow into bubbles under the negative pressure, which is called cavitation (heterogeneous cavitation). In this study, the gas nuclei in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic silica particle suspension were investigated using the transient cavitation threshold measured by a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). The transient cavitation bubbles were also observed by a high-speed camera. The results showed that the nuclei only exist on the surface of hydrophobic particles. Furthermore, the aggregation experiments revealed that the aggregates were only formed in the hydrophobic silica suspension by ultrasonic standing waves (USW) at 200 kHz. This distinct difference was mainly due to the formation of gas nuclei on hydrophobic silica particles, which grew and coalesced into stable bubbles under the 200 kHz USW. The aggregation process in suspension was observed by a CCD camera. Moreover, the cavitation thresholds and acoustic radiation forces were analyzed to explain the mechanism of the acoustic aggregation. This study showed a very promising acoustic method for the selective aggregation of hydrophobic particles, which might be efficiently used in the mineral separation industry.

A review of effects and applications of ultrasound in mineral flotation.

Ultrasound technology is widely applied in the flotation process. From the perspective of the theory of ultrasound, this article explains the effects and applications of ultrasound in the flotation process. To obtain a clear understanding of ultrasonic effects, we observe the phenomena of ultrasound using a high-speed camera and a CCD camera, and investigate potential applications in flotation. From these different phenomena, the ultrasonic effects are classified into three types of effect: the transient cavitation effect, stable cavitation effect, and acoustic radiation force effect. Based on these effects, the applications of ultrasound to mineral flotation are reviewed, including slime coating removal, oxidation film removal, desulfuration, tiny bubble generation, flotation reagent dispersion, and aggregation. In addition, the ultrasonic equipment and treatment methods applied in flotation are classified and compared based on their characteristics. Finally, we propose some potential directions in the study of the stable cavitation effect and acoustic radiation force effect, which are important, but are seldom mentioned in previous reports.