The uneven impacts of climate change on China's labor productivity and economy.

Climate change is considered to increase economic costs by worsening heat-related labor productivity loss. While extensive global and national research has been conducted on this topic, few studies have analyzed subnational and individual economic impacts, potentially weakening local governments' motivation to tackle climate change. Figuring out the most affected regions and labors could help climate policymakers to identify priority regions and sectors to allocate adaptation resources efficiently, and enhance stakeholder engagement. This study adopted a provincial Computable General Equilibrium model by distinguishing different labors and regions in modelling work to address the aforementioned gap. The study estimated economic costs at different level under three climate change scenarios (lower (SSP126), middle (SSP245), and higher (SSP585) warming scenario). Low-income regions located in southwest part of China (such as Guangxi and Guizhou), would experience the largest economic loss, 3.4-7.1 times higher than high-income in China by 2100 under SSP245 scenario. Additionally, wages for labors highly sensitive to heat in these regions are expected to rise, for example, by an 8.3% rise in Guangxi, driven by the rising demand for these labors. Conversely, others would experience a significant wage decrease, especially those with less sensitivity (e.g., managers). Therefore, we recommended that national financial supports be allocated more to these most affected regions and that government encourage managers provide assistance to workers vulnerable to heat.

LncRNA TEX41 promotes the proliferation and migration of squamous cell carcinoma cells by upregulating Atg5 via sponging miR-153-3p.

This study was conducted to investigate if lncRNA TEX41 could have effects on SCC. The aim was to confirm that TEX41 could promote SCC progression by up-regulating Atg5 via miR-153-3p. TEX41, miR-153-3p, and Atg5 mRNA expression were examined by qRT-PCR. Western blot was used to examine Atg5 protein expression. CCK-8 assay and transwell assay were used to examine SCC cell proliferation and migration. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to forecast the binding site of miR-153-3p with Atg5 or TEX41. TEX41 expression was enhanced in SCC tissues and cells. TEX41 knockdown could reduce the SCC cell proliferation and migration. There was a binding site between TEX41 and miR-153-3p, and TEX41 negatively adjusted miR-153-3p in SCC cells. Atg5 was bonded with miR-153-3p, which was adjusted by TEX41. Our study revealed that TEX41 expression was increased in SCC cell lines and tissues. TEX41 could aggravate SCC progression through adjusting the miR-153-3p/Atg5 axis, providing a key target for SCC.

The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Public Good and Public Bad Games: Evidence From a tDCS Study.

Although humans constitute an exceptionally cooperative species that is able to collaborate on large scales for common benefits, cooperation remains a longstanding puzzle in biological and social science. Moreover, cooperation is not always related to resource allocation and gains but is often related to losses. Revealing the neurological mechanisms and brain regions related to cooperation is important for reinforcing cooperation-related gains and losses. Recent neuroscience studies have found that the decision-making process of cooperation is involved in the function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal role of the VMPFC in cooperative behavior concerning gains and losses through the application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We integrated cooperation-related gains and losses into a unified paradigm. Based on the paradigm, we researched cooperation behaviors regarding gains in standard public good games and introduced public bad games to investigate cooperative behavior regarding losses. Our study revealed that the VMPFC plays different roles concerning gains and losses in situations requiring cooperation. Anodal stimulation over the VMPFC decreased cooperative behavior in public bad games, whereas stimulation over the VMPFC did not change cooperative behavior in public good games. Moreover, participants' beliefs about others' cooperation were changed in public bad games but not in public good games. Finally, participants' cooperative attitudes were not influenced in the public good or public bad games under the three stimulation conditions.

Modulating OFC Activity With tDCS Alters Regret About Human Decision-Making.

Regret is a common emotion in daily life. Humans always regret their decision-making choices if the chosen outcome is bad. Neuroscientific studies suggest that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) influences feelings of regret. We used a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device to study the role of regret in participants' decision-making by modulating the activity of the OFC. The two-wheel-of-fortune gamble task was used in our experimental design, and we asked the participants to rate their feelings of regret after the computer presented the obtained and unobtained outcomes. The experimental results revealed that the effect of stimulation type was significant, which indicated that the influence of the OFC in regret was modulated by tDCS. Furthermore, based on post hoc analyses (Bonferroni), regret was lower in those who received left anodal/right cathodal stimulation than in those who received sham stimulation, which revealed that modulating the activity of the OFC reduced the emotional intensity of regret. In addition, an inverted U-shaped curve characterized the mean ratings of regret over time.

Modulating the Activity of the VMPFC With tDCS Alters the Social Framing Effect.

Numerous experimental studies have replicated the social framing effect-the observation that people's decisions related to economic benefits and feelings depend on the method of presentation. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) plays a part in the influence of framing and how individuals think about the feelings of others. Based on this, we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate neuronal activity in the VMPFC to determine the likelihood of a direct association between VMPFC activity and the social framing effect. Subsequently, in three stimulation treatments, we assessed the presence of the social framing effect, as demonstrated by a disparity between harm degree and help degree. The findings revealed a social framing effect in the participants in the control group and the sham treatment but no social framing effect in the participants in the anodal or cathodal treatments. Furthermore, sex differences were observed in the sham treatment's social framing effect, whereas no sex differences were observed in the anodal or cathodal treatments. The participants tended to harm the victim after receiving anodal or cathodal tDCS over the VMPFC and did not change their helping behaviour in any stimulations. Consequently, a clear causal link between the behaviour of the VMPFC and the social framing effect was found in the present research.

Aerobic granulation of protein-rich granules from nitrogen-lean wastewaters.

Proteins (PN)-rich granules are stable in structure in long-term reactor operations. This study proposed to cultivate PN-rich granules with PN/polysaccharides (PS) >20 from nitrogen lean wastewater, with ammonia-nitrogen as sole nitrogen source at chemical oxygen demand (COD)/N of 153.8. The yielded granules can sustain their structural stability in sequencing batch reactor mode for sufficient treatment of wastewaters up to 7000mg/L COD and with COD/N<500 and in continuous-flow reactor for successful 216-d treatment of wastewaters up to organic loading rate (OLR) of 39kg/m(3)-d. The produced granules were enriched with Firmicutes and ß-proteobacteria as dominating strains. More than 58% of the nitrogen fed in the nitrogen-lean wastewater is converted to the PN in the granules. The replacement of ammonia by nitrate as sole nitrogen source led to granules enriched with γ-proteobacteria which are easily deteriorated at low OLR.

Strengthening aerobic granule by salt precipitation.

Structural stability of aerobic granules is generally poor during long-term operation. This study precipitated seven salts inside aerobic granules using supersaturated solutions of (NH4)3PO4, CaCO3, CaSO4, MgCO3, Mg3(PO4)2, Ca3(PO4)2 or SiO2 to enhance their structural stability. All precipitated granules have higher interior strength at ultrasonic field and reveal minimal loss in organic matter degradation capability at 160-d sequential batch reactor tests. The strength enhancement followed: Mg3(PO4)2=CaSO4>SiO2>(NH4)3PO4>MgCO3>CaCO3=Ca3(PO4)2>original. Also, the intra-granular solution environment can be buffered by the precipitate MgCO3 to make the aerobic granules capable of degradation of organic matters at pH 3. Salt precipitation is confirmed a simple and cost-effective modification method to extend the applicability of aerobic granules for wastewater treatments.

Drying and recovery of aerobic granules.

To dehydrate aerobic granules to bone-dry form was proposed as a promising option for long-term storage of aerobic granules. This study cultivated aerobic granules with high proteins/polysaccharide ratio and then dried these granules using seven protocols: drying at 37°C, 60°C, 4°C, under sunlight, in dark, in a flowing air stream or in concentrated acetone solutions. All dried granules experienced volume shrinkage of over 80% without major structural breakdown. After three recovery batches, although with loss of part of the volatile suspended solids, all dried granules were restored most of their original size and organic matter degradation capabilities. The strains that can survive over the drying and storage periods were also identified. Once the granules were dried, they can be stored over long period of time, with minimal impact yielded by the applied drying protocols.

Magnesium carbonate precipitate strengthened aerobic granules.

Aerobic granules were precipitated internally with magnesium carbonate to enhance their structural stability under shear. The strengthened granules were tested in continuous-flow reactors for 220 days at organic loadings of 6-39 kg/m(3)/day, hydraulic retention times of 0.44-19 h, and temperatures of 10 or 28°C. The carbonate salt had markedly improved the granule strength without significant changes in granule morphology or microbial communities (with persistent strains Streptomyces sp., Rhizobium sp., Brevundimonas sp., and Nitratireductor sp.), or sacrifice in biological activity for organic degradation. MgCO3 precipitated granules could be used in continuous-flow reactor for wastewater treatment at low cost and with easy processing efforts.

Using methyl as substituted-radical in n-phen enhances the anticancer activities of [(DMF)Cu(n-phen)(NO3(-))2].

In order to seek better ligand for anticancer drug, we choose 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (2,9-dmp) as predominant ligands, and synthetize two complexes:[(DMF)Cu(phen)(NO3)2] (1) and [(DMF)Cu(2,9-dmp)(NO3)2] (2) (DMF is dimethyl formamide). As for the five kinds of cancer cells, including A-549, Bel-7402, HCT-8, MDCK and L-1210 cells, our complexes showed higher inhibition ratio compared with anticancer drug 5-Fu (fluorouracil), ligand phenanthroline and Cu(NO3)2. It's worth noting that complex 2's anticancer activity is much more efficient than that of complex 1. This is because there are di-substituted-methyl in 2,9-dmp. By calculating, we found Δcomplexes<Δphenanthroline which showed that the energy gap between π(⁎) and π of the phenanthroline is decreased through coordination with Cu(II). Computational ΔG2<ΔG, and bond length (CuN)1<(CuN)2 revealed that the coordinated 2,9-dmp is easier to dissociate with Cu(II) than phen, which is confirmed by the absorption peak at 460nm in UV-visible (UV-vis) spectra of complex 2. In summary, the phenanthroline is activated by Cu(II)-coordination, which is beneficial for anticancer. More importantly, the substituted-methyl radicals stimulated the phenanthroline and enhanced the anticancer properties more efficiently.

Degradation of cresols by phenol-acclimated aerobic granules.

High-strength cresol isomers were treated with phenol-acclimated granules in batch experiments. The aerobic granules effectively metabolized cresol isomers at concentrations up to 1,500 mg l(-1). The modified Haldane kinetic model, used to assess the kinetic behavior during cresol degradation by granule cells, yielded a high maximum specific growth rate (1.13-1.45 h(-1)) and inhibition constant (617-952 mg l(-1)). The microbial community structure, which was stable under cresol stress, was principally composed of genera Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Corynebacterium, and Nocardioides. Enzyme assay results suggest simultaneous expression of ortho- and meta-cleavage pathways during cresol degradation. Under high cresol concentrations, however, cresol isomers were largely degraded via the meta-cleavage pathway, likely attributable to the activity of Bacillus. The aerobic granular sludge system is a promising biotechnology for degrading wastewater containing high-strength cresols.

Advances in aerobic granule formation and granule stability in the course of storage and reactor operation.

Aerobic granulation is drawing increasing global interest in a quest for an efficient and innovative technology in wastewater treatment. Developed less than two decades ago, extensive research work on aerobic granulation has been reported. The instability of the granule, which is one of the main problems that hinder practical application of aerobic granulation technology, is still to be resolved. This paper presents a review of the literature in aerobic granulation focusing on factors that influence granule formation, granule development and their stability in the context of sludge granulation. The review attempts to shed light on the potential of developing granules with adequate structural stability for practical applications. The possibilities and perspective of using stored granule as inoculums for rapid startup, and as microbial supplement to enhance treatment of bioreactor systems are also discussed.

Functional consortia for cresol-degrading activated sludges: toxicity-to-extinction approach.

The conventional roll tube and plating techniques are typically time consuming and can culture in vitro only a small fraction of microbes in natural microflora. This study utilizes a novel, simple, and rapid method, the toxicity-to-extinction approach, to obtain the minimal functional consortium that can effectively degrade meta- (m-), para- (p-), and ortho- (o-) cresols. The original sludge had 16 major bands by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Microbial diversity decreased as the cresol concentration increased. The functional strains acquired under toxic stress by dosed cresols that individually degraded m-, p-, and o-cresols were identified. Catechol 1,2-dioxygenase (C12D) and catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23D) activities in cell-free extracts were determined spectrophotometrically and were correlated with noted changes in microbial communities under cresol stress. The proposed toxicity-to-extinction approach is feasible for isolating a functional consortium from sludge for cresol degradation.

Degrading high-strength phenol using aerobic granular sludge.

Aerobic granules were adopted to degrade high-strength phenol wastewater in batch experiments. The acclimated granules effectively degraded phenol at a concentration of up to 5,000 mg l(-1) without severe inhibitory effects. The biodegradation of phenol by activated sludge was inhibited at phenol concentrations >3,000 mg l(-1). The granules were composed of cells embedded in a compact extracellular matrix. After acid or alkaline pretreatment, the granules continued to degrade phenol at an acceptable rate. The polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technique was employed to monitor the microbial communities of the activated sludge and the aerobic granules following their being used to treat high concentrations of phenol in batch tests.

Biodegradation of phenol using Corynebacterium sp. DJ1 aerobic granules.

The single-culture Corynebacterium sp. DJ1 aerobic granules were cultivated and were utilized to degrade high-strength phenolic wastewater. These granules can degrade phenol at sufficient high rate without severe inhibitory effects up to phenol concentration of 2000 mg l(-1). Furthermore, the kinetic characteristic noted for these granules yields a zero-order phenol degradation behavior with 500-1500 mg l(-1) phenol, which facilitates reactor design and scale up. With added acetate to promote cell growth, this single-culture aerobic granular system yields the highest phenol degradation rate reported in granular literature.