Assessment of the spatiotemporal characteristics of vegetation water use efficiency in response to drought in Inner Mongolia, China.

Ecosystem water use efficiency (eWUE) can be used to obtain a better comprehension of the ecosystem water-carbon cycle. This study aimed to characterize the regional-scale responses and adaptations of different vegetation categories to drought changes and the spatiotemporal characteristics of WUE and associated drought factors for nine vegetation categories in Inner Mongolia, China, from 2000 to 2020. This study estimated drought, the association between drought and eWUE among varying vegetation categories, and the differences in eWUE between the drought stage and the post-drought stage by analyzing the spatiotemporal variations in eWUE of different vegetation categories based on MODIS ET (evapotranspiration), GPP (gross primary productivity), and temperature vegetation drought index data. The results illustrated the following: (1) the multi-year mean eWUE from 2000 to 2020 was 1.03 g·m-2·mm-1, with an overall significantly increasing trend of 0.008 g·m-2·mm-1 and eWUE decreasing from northeast to southwest. (2) The rank of vegetation types in Inner Mongolia according to multi-year mean eWUE was evergreen coniferous forest > savanna > evergreen broadleaf forest > forested grassland > farmland > deciduous broadleaf forest > mixed forest > closed scrub > grassland. All vegetation categories illustrated an increasing trend in eWUE over time. (3) eWUE was inversely associated with drought in the drought stage and a clear effect of drought legacy was identified in which harsh drought impacted the eWUE of the ecosystem, whereas eWUE was positively associated with drought. (4) The eWUE values of ecosystems increased significantly after drought, indicating that ecosystems that are adapted to drought show high capacity to recovery from drought stress.

Analysis and Prediction of Corporate Finance and Exchange Rate Correlation Based on Machine Learning Algorithms.

Based on the risk management of exposure to foreign exchange assets and liabilities and the application of financial derivatives, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of the financial and exchange rate risks of foreign-funded enterprises. Therefore, a method of evaluating the financial performance of listed financial enterprises based on principal component analysis and neural network model is proposed. First, principal components of alternative financial performance input-output indicators are extracted using principal component analysis. Subsequently, these principal components are used as input-output data for the DEA model to derive the relative validity evaluation results of the financial performance of individual financial enterprises and to provide a reference for decision making to improve the financial performance level of financial enterprises. Combined with the economic business data of the enterprises, an empirical test on exchange rate risk management is conducted and relevant suggestions are made on how foreign enterprises can reduce exchange rate risk losses. It has important theoretical value and practical significance for enterprise finance and exchange rate management.

Synthesis and Preliminary Biological Assessment of Carborane-Loaded Theranostic Nanoparticles to Target Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an encouraging therapeutic modality for cancer treatment. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a cell membrane protein that is abundantly overexpressed in prostate cancer and can be targeted with radioligand therapies to stimulate clinical responses in patients. In principle, a spatially targeted neutron beam together with specifically targeted PSMA ligands could enable prostate cancer-targeted BNCT. Thus, we developed and tested PSMA-targeted poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA-b-PEG) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with carborane and tethered to the radiometal chelator deferoxamine B (DFB) for simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) imaging and selective delivery of boron to prostate cancer. Monomeric PLGA-b-PEGs were covalently functionalized with either DFB or the PSMA ligand ACUPA. Different nanoparticle formulations were generated by nanoemulsification of the corresponding unmodified and DFB- or ACUPA-modified monomers in varying percent fractions. The nanoparticles were efficiently labeled with 89Zr and were subjected to in vitro and in vivo evaluation. The optimized DFB(25)ACUPA(75) NPs exhibited strong in vitro binding to PSMA in direct binding and competition radioligand binding assays in PSMA(+) PC3-Pip cells. [89Zr]DFB(25) NPs and [89Zr]DFB(25)ACUPA(75) NPs were injected to mice with bilateral PSMA(-) PC3-Flu and PSMA(+) PC3-Pip dual xenografts. The NPs demonstrated twofold superior accumulation in PC3-Pip tumors to that of PC3-Flu tumors with a tumor/blood ratio of 25; however, no substantial effect of the ACUPA ligands was detected. Moreover, fast release of carborane from the NPs was observed, resulting in a low boron delivery to tumors in vivo. In summary, these data demonstrate the synthesis, characterization, and initial biological assessment of PSMA-targeted, carborane-loaded PLGA-b-PEG nanoparticles and establish the foundation for future efforts to enable their best use in vivo.