Identifying spatial variability of water chemical characteristics and groundwater discharge in Hulun Lake integrated remote sensing data and chemical components.

The frozen period interaction of groundwater and lakes is crucial for hydrological properties and aquatic ecology in cold and arid regions. In this study, we investigate the spatial hydrochemical characteristics, influencing factors in the Hulun Lake basin. The hydrochemical type of lake water exhibits Na-HCO3-SO4-Cl, while river shows a primary classification of Na-Ca-HCO3. Groundwater in the eastern and western regions is characterized by Na-SO4-Cl and Na-HCO3, respectively. Silicic acid and ion exchange predominantly influence groundwater chemistry in the western region, whereas evaporation and concentration play a major role in the eastern region. Total dissolved solids, Cl-, and F- emerge as the primary influencing factors of hydrochemical components in the Hulun Lake basin. Ion content decreased from the southern to the northern region, with the lowest value occurring near the Urson River. The high-temperature water body is primarily distributed in the central and southern regions of the lake. Based on characteristic ions and partial characteristics of ice surface temperature, the potential groundwater discharge areas near the inlet of the Xinkai River, the central and southern region are determined. This study reveals the hydrochemical characteristics, vertical ice distribution, and provides a scientific foundation for water resource management in cold and arid regions.

Spatiotemporal variation characteristics of livestock manure nutrient in the soil environment of the Yangtze River Delta from 1980 to 2018.

The pollution problem caused by surplus livestock manure nutrient is becoming more and more serious; thus, analyzing characteristics of the temporal and spatial patterns of livestock manure nutrient and assessing the risks are extremely important. The pollution coefficient method was used to figure out the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) emissions of livestock manure nutrient in soil of the Yangtze River Delta from 1980 to 2018. High-risk areas for livestock manure pollution were determined by matching degree assessment between livestock manure nutrient supply and crop nutrient requirements. Clustering and principal component analysis were applied to select main control factors. The results found that the total discharge and manure N and P loads in animal manure nutrient showed an overall trend of increasing first and then decreasing in the Yangtze River Delta in the soil from 1980 to 2018. The center of manure N and P loads shifted from the central region to the northeastern and southwestern regions. There were four typical patterns for manure N emissions, the main control factors were meat production and primary industry. Meanwhile, the main control factors for the four typical patterns of manure P emissions were meat production and cultivated land area. This research provides a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of the livestock breeding industry and is of significance for promoting a balance between planting and breeding in the Yangtze River Delta.

Linkage Between Inclusive Digital Finance and High-Tech Enterprise Innovation Performance: Role of Debt and Equity Financing.

This study investigates the relationship between digital financial inclusion, external financing, and the innovation performance of high-tech enterprises in China. The choice of corporate financing methods is an important part of organizational behavioral psychology, and different financing models will have a certain effect on organizational performance, especially in the digital economy environment. Therefore, based on resource dependence theory and financing constraint theory, the present study utilizes the panel data collected from the China Stock Market & Accounting Research (CSMAR) database from 2011 to 2020 of 112 companies in the Yangtze River Delta region and the "The Peking University Digital Financial Inclusion Index of China (PKU-DFIIC)" released by the Peking University Digital Finance Research Center and Ant Financial Group. The results show that the Digital Financial Inclusion Index (DFIIC) has a significant positive correlation with the innovation performance of high-tech enterprises. The higher the level of debt financing, the stronger the role of digital financial inclusion in promoting innovation performance. Investigating the DFIIC in terms of coverage breadth and usage depth, we find that usage depth does not significantly encourage innovation performance. The effect of the interaction between coverage breadth and external financing is consistent with the results for the DFIIC. The study suggests that equity financing promotes the usage depth of the DFIIC in state-owned enterprises. In contrast, debt financing promotes the coverage breadth of non-state-owned enterprises. Finally, we propose relevant policy recommendations based on the research results. It includes in-depth popularization of inclusive finance in the daily operations of enterprises at the technical level, refinement of external financing policy incentives for enterprises based on the characteristics of ownership, and strengthening the research of technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing. The paper presents a range of theoretical and practical implications for practitioners and academics relevant to high-tech enterprises.

Treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis secondary to ligamentum flavum hypertrophy using percutaneous endoscopy through interlaminar approach: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This paper is to describe percutaneous endoscopy in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis secondary to ligamentum flavum hypertrophy targeted and to investigate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous endoscopy in the treatment of this kind of lumbar spinal stenosis in elderly patients. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 40 elderly patients with lumbar spinal stenosis secondary to ligamentum flavum hypertrophy admitted between January 2016 and January 2018 was performed. According to different surgical methods, they were divided into two groups: the control group and the endoscopy group (interlaminar approach), 20 people per group. There were 9 males and 11 females in the control group; the age of patients was 65.65 ± 4.44 years, and the average disease duration was 4.55 ± 1.85 years. Besides, there were 10 males and 10 females in the endoscopy group; the age of patients was 67.30 ± 4.23 years, and the average disease duration was 4.95 ± 2.04 years. Collect and count surgical-related indicators, preoperative and postoperative radiologic findings, incision visual analog scale (VAS), lumbar and leg pain VAS, lumbar Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores of all patients. RESULT: A series of surgical indicators (including the operation time, the quantity of bleeding, and postoperative hospital stay) in the endoscopy group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). The incision VAS score in the endoscopy group was also significantly lower than that in the control group at each time after surgery (p < 0.05). Besides, compared with the control group, in the endoscopy group, the leg pain VAS score and lumbar ODI score after surgery were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, in the endoscopy group, the lumbar JOA score was significantly higher (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous endoscopic technique is a small trauma, quick recovery, safe, and effective minimally invasive surgery for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis secondary to ligamentum flavum hypertrophy.

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide alleviates IL-1ß-evoked chondrogenic ATDC5 cell inflammatory injury through mediation of microRNA-124.

Background: Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) is a promising therapeutic drug in inflammation-related injuries, nevertheless the mechanism of LBP's action is still elusive. The study is to explore the effect of LBP on IL-1ß-evoked ATDC5 cell inflammatory injury. Methods: ATDC5 cells were administrated with 10 ng/mL interleukin (IL)-1ß to establish an in vitro model of cartilage damage. After management, cell viability was tested through CCK8 assay. The pro-inflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase (Cox)-2 were assessed through ELISA, western blot and qRT-PCR. MiR-124 expression in ATDC5 cells was silenced by transfecting with miR-124 inhibitor, and the pro-inflammatory cytokines and Cox-2 were re-assessed. NF-κB and JNK pathways were measured through western blot. Results: IL-1ß stimulation accelerated the release of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, elevated Cox-2 expression. LBP significantly eased IL-1ß-induced inflammation. MiR-124 expression was observed to enhance by LBP, and the impacts of LBP on ATDC5 cells were lightened via transfection with miR-124 inhibitor. NF-κB and JNK pathways were activated after IL-1ß stimulation, nevertheless were inactivated by LBP administration. Besides, LBP-evoked the repression of NF-κB and JNK pathways were overturned by miR-124 inhibitor. Conclusions: Our study suggests that LBP protects ATDC5 cells from IL-1ß-evoked injury through up-regulating miR-124 via blocking NF-κB and JNK pathways.

Diffusion Mechanism of Aqueous Solutions and Swelling of Cellulosic Fibers in Silicone Non-Aqueous Dyeing System.

The main goal of this article is to study the diffusion mechanism of aqueous solutions and the swelling of cellulosic fibers in the silicone non-aqueous dyeing system via fluorescent labeling. Due to non-polar media only adsorbing on the surface of fiber, cellulosic fiber could not swell as a result of the non-polar media. However, because water molecules can diffuse into the non-crystalline region of the fiber, cellulosic fiber could swell by water which was dispersed or emulsified in a non-aqueous dyeing system. To study the diffusion mechanism of an aqueous solution in the siloxane non-aqueous dyeing system, siloxane non-aqueous media was first diffused to the cellulosic fiber because of its lower surface tension. The resulting aqueous solution took more time to diffuse the surface of the cellulosic fiber, because water molecules must penetrate the siloxane non-aqueous media film. Compared with the fluorescent intensity of the fiber surface, the siloxane film could be re-transferred to the dye bath under the emulsification of the surfactant and the mechanical force. Therefore, a longer diffusion time of the aqueous solution ensured the dyeing feasibility for cellulosic fiber in the non-aqueous dyeing system.

Impact of Long-Term Reclaimed Water Irrigation on the Distribution of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soil: An In-Situ Experiment Study in the North China Plain.

The widespread use of reclaimed water has alleviated the water resource crisis worldwide, but long-term use of reclaimed water for irrigation, especially in agricultural countries, might threaten the soil environment and further affect groundwater quality. An in-situ experiment had been carried out in the North China Plain, which aimed to reveal the impact of long-term reclaimed water irrigation on soil properties and distribution of potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Zn and Pb) in the soil profile as well as shallow groundwater. Four land plots were irrigated with different quantity of reclaimed water to represent 0, 13, 22 and 35 years' irrigation duration. Pollution Load Index (PLI) values of each soil layer were calculated to further assess the pollution status of irrigated soils by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Results showed that long-term reclaimed water irrigation caused appreciable increase of organic matter content, and might improve the soil quality. High soil organic matter concentrations conduced to high adsorption and retention capacity of the soils toward PTEs, which could reduce the risk of PTEs leaching into deep layers or shallow groundwater. Highest levels of Cr, Pb and Zn were observed at 200⁻240 cm and 460⁻500 cm horizons in plots. Longer irrigation time (35 years and 22 years) resulted in a decreasing trend of As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Zn in lower part of soil profiles (>540 cm) compared with that with 13-years' irrigation years. Long-term reclaimed water irrigation still brought about increases in concentrations of some elements in deep soil layer although their content in soils and shallow groundwater was below the national standard. Totally speaking, proper management for reclaimed water irrigation, such as reduction of irrigation volume and rate of reclaimed water, was still needed when a very long irrigation period was performed.

Fluorescent Determination of Succinylcholine Chloride by Naphthalimide/ Stilbazolium Dye ⊂ CP5A.

Succinylcholine Chloride (SCC), a short-acting neuromuscular relaxant, is non-fluorescent in aqueous solutions. This property makes it impossible to be determined by direct fluorescent method. Naphthalimide dye (NA) exhibits very strong fluorescence emissions in aqueous solution, after complexing with carboxylatopillar[5]arene (CP5A) in aqueous solutions, the fluorescent quenched intensity of complex was observed. On the contraty, stilbazolium dye (SA) exhibits weak fluorescence emissions in aqueous solution, after being included by CP5A, a fluorescence enhancement was observed. However, adding SCC to the NA⊂ CP5A or SA⊂ CP5A complex solution led to the recovery of the fluorescence intensity, in the meantime, the color of SA⊂ CP5A solution changed from dark yellow to light yellow. The competitive supramolecular interaction between SCC, NA and SA for CP5A was studied by spectrofluorometry, 1H NMR. Herein, a FID (fluorescence indicator displacement) system to detect SCC based on NA⊂ CP5A and SA⊂ CP5A complex was developed.

Dyeing Property and Adsorption Kinetics of Reactive Dyes for Cotton Textiles in Salt-Free Non-Aqueous Dyeing Systems.

In recent years, new concepts in textile dyeing technology have been investigated which aim to decrease the use of chemicals and the emission of water. In this work, dyeing of cotton textiles with reactive dyes has been investigated in a silicone non-aqueous dyeing system. Compared with conventional aqueous dyeing, almost 100% of reactive dyes can be adsorbed on cotton textiles without using any salts in non-aqueous dyeing systems, and the fixation of dye is also higher (80%~90% for non-aqueous dyeing vs. 40%~50% for traditional dyeing). The pseudo-second-order kinetic model can best describe the adsorption and equilibrium of reactive dyes in the non-aqueous dyeing systems as well as in the traditional water dyeing system. In the non-aqueous dyeing systems, the adsorption equilibrium of reactive dyes can be reached quickly. Particularly in the siloxane non-aqueous dyeing system, the adsorption equilibrium time of reactive dye is only 5⁻10 min at 25 °C, whereas more time is needed at 60 °C in the water dyeing system. The surface tension of non-aqueous media influences the adsorption rate of dye. The lower the surface tension, the faster the adsorption rate of reactive dye, and the higher the final uptake of dye. As a result, non-aqueous dyeing technology provides an innovative approach to increase dye uptake under a low dyeing temperature, in addition to making large water savings.

Natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the shallow groundwater quality in a typical irrigation area with reclaimed water, North China Plain.

In this study, the hydrochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater were analyzed to get insight into the factors affecting groundwater quality in a typical agricultural dominated area of the North China Plain. Forty-four shallow groundwater samples were collected for chemical analysis. The water type changes from Ca·Na-HCO3 type in grass land to Ca·Na-Cl (+NO3) type and Na (Ca)-Cl (+NO3+SO4) type in construction and facility agricultural land, indicating the influence of human activities. The factor analysis and geostatistical analysis revealed that the two major factors contributing to the groundwater hydrochemical compositions were the water-rock interaction and contamination from sewage discharge and agricultural fertilizers. The major ions (F, HCO3) and trace element (As) in the shallow groundwater represented the natural origin, while the nitrate and sulfate concentrations were related to the application of fertilizer and sewage discharge in the facility agricultural area, which was mainly affected by the human activities. The values of pH, total dissolved solids, electric conductivity, and conventional component (K, Ca, Na, Mg, Cl) in shallow groundwater increased from grass land and cultivated land, to construction land and to facility agriculture which were originated from the combination sources of natural processes (e.g., water-rock interaction) and human activities (e.g., domestic effluents). The study indicated that both natural processes and human activities had influences on the groundwater hydrochemical compositions in shallow groundwater, while anthropogenic processes had more contribution, especially in the reclaimed water irrigation area.

A novel Hg2+-selective fluorescent chemprobe based on thiooxorhodamine-B and ß-C-glycoside.

In this paper, two novel easily available probes based on rhodamine B and ß-C-glycoside were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and elemental analysis. Sensor 1 exhibited very high sensitivity and selectivity toward Hg2+ over other metal ions, due to the opening of the spiro ring in thiooxorhodamine B caused by Hg2+ through desulfurization. The binding analysis using Job's plot suggested 1:1 stoichiometry for the complexes formed for Hg2+. The fluorescent probe is pH independent in medium condition and common interferent ions do not show any interference with the Hg2+ determination. It is anticipated that 1 could be a good candidate probe and has potential application for Hg2+ determination.

Cis/trans Fluorescent Recognition by Naphthalimide Dyes ⊂ CB [7] Assembly.

A novel method to recognize cis/trans isomers was studied here. The naphthalimide dye as guest could bind with host cucurbit [7]uril (CB [7]) and 1:1 naphthalimide dye âŠ‚ CB [7] assembly was formed. Moreover, this assembly was used as a fluorescent probe to recognized Fumaric acid (FA) and maleic acid (MA) via fluorescence titration. Two carboxyls in MA are in the same side, they could form stable interaction with the assembly and the fluorescence intensity decreased obviously when naphthalimide dye âŠ‚ CB [7] was titrated by MA (nearly quenched in 1.5 equiv). But two carboxyls in FA are in opposite sides, the interaction between FA and the assembly was weak and not stable, and the fluorescence intensity changed inconspicuously when the assembly was titrated by FA.

A Tandem Catalyst with Multiple Metal Oxide Interfaces Produced by Atomic Layer Deposition.

Ideal heterogeneous tandem catalysts necessitate the rational design and integration of collaborative active sites. Herein, we report on the synthesis of a new tandem catalyst with multiple metal-oxide interfaces based on a tube-in-tube nanostructure using template-assisted atomic layer deposition, in which Ni nanoparticles are supported on the outer surface of the inner Al2 O3 nanotube (Ni/Al2 O3 interface) and Pt nanoparticles are attached to the inner surface of the outer TiO2 nanotube (Pt/TiO2 interface). The tandem catalyst shows remarkably high catalytic efficiency in nitrobenzene hydrogenation over Pt/TiO2 interface with hydrogen formed in situ by the decomposition of hydrazine hydrate over Ni/Al2 O3 interface. This can be ascribed to the synergy effect of the two interfaces and the confined nanospace favoring the instant transfer of intermediates. The tube-in-tube tandem catalyst with multiple metal-oxide interfaces represents a new concept for the design of highly efficient and multifunctional nanocatalysts.

Geostatistical interpolation model selection based on ArcGIS and spatio-temporal variability analysis of groundwater level in piedmont plains, northwest China.

Based on the geo-statistical theory and ArcGIS geo-statistical module, datas of 30 groundwater level observation wells were used to estimate the decline of groundwater level in Beijing piedmont. Seven different interpolation methods (inverse distance weighted interpolation, global polynomial interpolation, local polynomial interpolation, tension spline interpolation, ordinary Kriging interpolation, simple Kriging interpolation and universal Kriging interpolation) were used for interpolating groundwater level between 2001 and 2013. Cross-validation, absolute error and coefficient of determination (R(2)) was applied to evaluate the accuracy of different methods. The result shows that simple Kriging method gave the best fit. The analysis of spatial and temporal variability suggest that the nugget effects from 2001 to 2013 were increasing, which means the spatial correlation weakened gradually under the influence of human activities. The spatial variability in the middle areas of the alluvial-proluvial fan is relatively higher than area in top and bottom. Since the changes of the land use, groundwater level also has a temporal variation, the average decline rate of groundwater level between 2007 and 2013 increases compared with 2001-2006. Urban development and population growth cause over-exploitation of residential and industrial areas. The decline rate of the groundwater level in residential, industrial and river areas is relatively high, while the decreasing of farmland area and development of water-saving irrigation reduce the quantity of water using by agriculture and decline rate of groundwater level in agricultural area is not significant.

Synthesis of Schiff base-Based 1,2,4-Oxadiazole Derivative as Fluorescence Turn-On Sensor for High Selectivity of Pb(2.).

A new probe based on oxadiazole derivative (OXD) containing Schiff base moiety was synthesised as fluorescence turn-on sensor S1 . Furthermore, its fluorescents spectra (FS) result demonstrate that S1 selectively senses bivalent lead ion (Pb(2+)) in HEPES buffer solution (10 mM, pH = 7.0,DMF-H2O, 9:1, v/v), so S1 was a viable candidate as fluorescent receptor for a new Pb(2+) sensor. And the results of fluorescent spectral titration showed this sensor formed 1:1complex with Pb(2+).

Expression and prognostic relevance of centromere protein A in primary osteosarcoma.

Centromere protein A (CENP-A) is one of the fundamental components of the human active kinetochore and plays important roles in cell-cycle regulation, cell survival, and genetic stability. The aim of the present study was to explore the expression and prognostic significance of CENP-A in osteosarcoma. The results of real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting analysis revealed an enhanced expression of CENP-A in osteosarcomas relative to adjacent non-tumorous bone tissues at both mRNA and protein levels. Immunohistochemically, 72 of the 123 osteosarcoma specimens (58.5%) had high expression of CENP-A. CENP-A overexpression was significantly correlated with tumor size (P=0.002), poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P=0.016), local recurrence/lung metastasis (P=0.001), high Ki-67 index (P=0.004), and P53 positivity (P=0.005). Median overall and recurrence-free survival time was significantly shorter in patients with high-CENP-A osteosarcomas than in those with low-CENP-A osteosarcomas. Multivariate analysis identified CENP-A as an independent poor prognostic factor for osteosarcoma. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that elevated CENP-A expression is significantly associated with osteosarcoma progression and has an independent prognostic value in predicting overall and recurrence-free survival for patients with osteosarcoma.

A universal pedicle screw and V-rod system for lumbar isthmic spondylolysis: a retrospective analysis of 21 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the surgical outcome of a universal pedicle screw-V rod system and isthmic bone grafting for isthmic spondylolysis. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with isthmic spondylolysis at L5 and grade 0-I spondylolisthesis (Meyerding classification) received isthmic bone graft and stabilization using the universal pedicle screw-V rod system. Back pain was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) and time to bone healing, improvement in spondylolisthesis and intervertebral space height at L5/S1 and L4/L5 were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were followed up for 24 months and included in the analysis. Back pain was markedly improved at 3 months postoperatively with a statistical difference in VAS scores compared with preoperative VAS scores (P<0.001). The VAS scores were 0 to 3 at 6 months postoperatively in all patients and no back pain was reported in all patients except 2 patients who complained of back pain after prolonged sitting. X-ray examination showed a bone graft healing time of 3 to 12 months. Grade I spondylolisthesis improved to grade 0 in 4 patients and no noticeable change was observed in the remaining 17 cases. The intervertebral space height at L5/S1 was statistically increased (P<0.05) while no statistically significant change was seen at L4/L5. There was no statistically significant difference in the ROM of the intervertebral disks of L5/S1 and L4/5 before and after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The universal pedicle screw-V rod system and isthmic bone grafting directly repairs isthmic spondylolysis and reduces back pain, prevents anterior displacement of the diseased segment and maintains intervertebral space height, thus offering a promising alternative to current approaches for isthmic spondylolysis.

The dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural efficiently catalyzed by acidic ion-exchange resin in ionic liquid.

The efficient dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was developed in ionic liquids (ILs) with acidic ion-exchange resins as catalyst. By screening different resins and ILs respectively, it was found that the structure of resins and ILs had a prominent effect on the dehydration of fructose. In 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl), D001-cc resin showed a high activity. And then the effects of reaction temperatures, dosages of D001-cc, and different initial fructose loadings on the dehydration of fructose were studied in detail. The system of D001-cc resin and [Bmim]Cl exhibited a constant activity at 75°C for 20 min and a 86.2% yield of HMF was obtained after seven recycles. At 75°C for 20 min, a 93.0% yield of HMF from the dehydration of fructose was obtained.