Ozone (O 3 ) concentrations in periurban areas in East Asia are sufficiently high to decrease crop yield. However, little is known about the genotypic differences in O 3 sensitivity in winter wheat in relation to year of cultivar release. This paper reports genotypic variations in O 3 sensitivity in 20 winter wheat cultivars released over the past 60 years in China highlighting O 3 -induced mechanisms. Wheat plants were exposed to elevated O 3 (82 ppb O 3 , 7 h day À1 ) or charcoal-filtered air (o5 ppb O 3 ) for 21 days in open top chambers. Responses to O 3 were assessed by the levels of antioxidative activities, protein alteration, membrane lipid peroxidation, gas exchange, leaf chlorophyll, dark respiration and growth. We found that O 3 significantly reduced foliar ascorbate (À14%) and soluble protein (À22%), but increased peroxidase activity (146%) and malondialdehyde (1 38%). Elevated O 3 depressed light saturated net photosynthetic rate (À24%), stomatal conductance (À8%) and total chlorophyll (À11%), while stimulated dark respiration (1 28%) and intercellular CO 2 concentration (1 39%). O 3 also reduced overall plant growth, but to a greater extent in root (À32%) than in shoot (À17%) biomass. There was significant genotypic variation in potential sensitivity to O 3 that did not correlate to observed O 3 tolerance. Sensitivity to O 3 in cultivars of winter wheat progressed with year of release and correlated with stomatal conductance and dark respiration in O 3 -exposed plants. O 3 -induced loss in photosynthetic rate was attributed primarily to impaired activity of mesophyll cells and loss of integrity of cellular membrane as evidenced by increased intercellular CO 2 concentration and lipid peroxidation. Our findings demonstrated that higher sensitivity to O 3 in the more recently released cultivars was induced by higher stomatal conductance, larger reduction in antioxidative capacity and lower levels of dark respiration leading to higher oxidative damage to proteins and integrity of cellular membranes.

Modern wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most ozone (O(3))-sensitive crops. However, little is known about its genetic background of O(3) sensitivity, which is fundamental for breeding O(3)-resistant cultivars. Wild and cultivated species of winter wheat including donors of the A, B and D genomes of T. aestivum were exposed to 100 ppb O(3) or charcoal-filtered air in open top chambers for 21 d. Responses to O(3) were assessed by visible O(3) injury, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative growth rate, and biomass accumulation. Ozone significantly decreased light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (-37%) and instantaneous transpiration efficiency (-42%), but increased stomatal conductance (+11%) and intercellular CO(2) concentration (+11%). Elevated O(3) depressed ground fluorescence (-8%), maximum fluorescence (-26%), variable fluorescence (-31%), and maximum photochemical efficiency (-7%). Ozone also decreased relative growth rate and the allometric coefficient, which finally reduced total biomass accumulation (-54%), but to a greater extent in roots (-77%) than in the shoot (-44%). Winter wheat exhibited significant interspecies variation in the impacts of elevated O(3) on photosynthesis and growth. Primitive cultivated wheat demonstrated the highest relative O(3) tolerance followed by modern wheat and wild wheat showed the lowest. Among the genome donors of modern wheat, Aegilops tauschii (DD) behaved as the most O(3)-sensitive followed by T. monococcum (AA) and Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (AABB) appeared to be the most O(3)-tolerant. It was concluded that the higher O(3) sensitivity of modern wheat was attributed to the increased O(3) sensitivity of Aegilops tauschii (DD), but not to Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (AABB) during speciation.

Rapid urbanization has provided a strong impetus for the economic growth of China, but it has also caused many problems such as inefficient urban land use and environmental pollution. With the popularization of the concept of green and sustainable development, the Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) assessment concept is widely accepted. The government and residents are paying more and more attention to environmental issues in urban development, and environmental protection has formed an important part of urban development. In this context, this study takes 26 cities in the Yangtze River Delta as examples to build an evaluation system for urban land-use efficiency under green development orientation. The evaluation system takes into account the inputs of land, capital, labor, and energy factors in the process of urban development. Based on emphasizing economic output, the social benefits and undesired outputs brought about by urban development are taken into account. This paper measures urban land use efficiency by the super-efficiency SBM model, and on this basis, analyses the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of urban land-use efficiency. Further, this paper measures urban land use efficiency without considering undesired outputs and compares the two evaluation methods. Again, the comparison illustrates the rationality of urban land use efficiency evaluation system under green development orientation.

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells can be obtained through in vitro differentiation of both embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We have previously identified 87 signature genes relevant to RPE cell differentiation and function through transcriptome analysis of both human ESC- and iPSC-derived RPE as well as normal fetal RPE. Here, we profile miRNA expression through small RNA-seq in human ESCs and their RPE derivatives. Much like conclusions drawn from our previous transcriptome analysis, we find that the overall miRNA landscape in RPE is distinct from ESCs and other differentiated somatic tissues. We also profile miRNA expression during intermediate stages of RPE differentiation and identified unique subsets of miRNAs that are gradually up- or down-regulated, suggesting that dynamic regulation of these miRNAs is associated with the RPE differentiation process. Indeed, the down-regulation of a subset of miRNAs during RPE differentiation is associated with up-regulation of RPE-specific genes, such as RPE65, which is exclusively expressed in RPE. We conclude that miRNA signatures can be used to classify different degrees of in vitro differentiation of RPE from human pluripotent stem cells. We suggest that RPE-specific miRNAs likely contribute to the functional maturation of RPE in vitro, similar to the regulation of RPE-specific mRNA expression.

The combination of digital technology and finance has brought about a new development model for financial inclusion. What impact will it have on the current imbalance in the distribution of financial resources and the urban-rural income gap in China? To answer this question, this paper uses relevant data from 2014–2018 to study the impact of digital inclusive finance on the urban-rural income gap from the theory of financial exclusion, and analyzes the transmission of digital inclusive finance through alleviating financial exclusion, widening financing channels and helping residents with entrepreneurial spirit to start their own businesses, thus increasing jobs, raising the income of rural residents and reducing the urban-rural income gap. The conclusions are as follows: (1) digital inclusive finance can significantly converge the urban-rural income gap; (2) among the dimensions of digital inclusive finance, only the breadth of coverage can significantly reduce the urban-rural income gap, while the effects of depth of use and digitalization are not significant; (3) digital inclusive finance can alleviate the urban-rural income gap through the transmission mechanism of promoting residents’ entrepreneurship; (4) the worse the regional economic development and education, the better the effect of digital inclusive finance on the urban-rural income gap. This paper combines the above results to propose corresponding policy recommendations.

Innovation is the primary driving force for development and the core of green, healthy, and sustainable economic development. This paper researches the spatial effect of absorptive capacity on regional innovation capacity from the perspective of knowledge spillover. We use the seven dimensions such as R & D intensity to build an absorptive capacity index evaluation system. After statistical verification, we select the most suitable empirical model, the dynamic Spatial Durbin Model with two-way fixed effect. The empirical results show that: (1) The promotion effect of absorptive capacity on knowledge spillovers in one province has no obvious effect on innovation promotion in other provinces, especially provinces at similar economic levels. However, it tends to inhibit the innovation development of neighboring provinces. (2) The impact of absorptive capacity on promoting knowledge spillovers varies from region to region. The eastern provinces of China are not affected by the absorptive capacity of neighboring provinces. The regression results of the central and western regions are not substantially different from the full sample. This study puts forward some policy suggestions based on the empirical results. It shows that a higher absorptive capacity does not mean better performance. The Chinese government should thus promote innovation in different provinces according to the local conditions. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3021 2 of 23 Although China has already become the second largest economy in the world, its comprehensive innovation capacity is relatively weak. Up to now, there have been some problems in China's innovation development, such as imbalance and inadequacy. Population and resource mismatches and weak industrial sustainability are already prominent. The Chinese government has given long-term attention and support to innovation development. President Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed at various conferences that innovation development is urgent. The National Innovation Blue Book: China Innovation Development Report (2016) summarizes the situation: "There are two major constraints on China's innovation development. One is the insufficient use of innovation resources; the other is the insufficient economic transformation rate of innovation results." In view of the above, after consulting the relevant literature, this paper found that the two ratios are closely related to knowledge elements and absorptive capacity. Knowledge is an important factor in innovation development, and its spillover has a significant effect on sustainable economic development [1]. Absorptive capacity also plays a positive role in this process [2]. Nieto and Quevedo emphasized that only when external knowledge is absorbed is the entire spillover process complete. In addition, absorptive capacity is the key to improving spillover efficiency.[3] EgbeTokun and Savin explained that a region with high absorptive capacity can quickly transform received knowledge into expected economic output and realize benefits [4].Based on the above, thi...

Studies were conducted to demonstrate the effects of L L-alanyl-L L-glutamine (L-AG) on the growth performance and physiological function of hybrid sturgeon Acipenser schrenckii $ · Acipenser baerii # larvae. Five isonitrogenous experimental diets contained five different L-AG levels: 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0%. Triplicate groups of 1500 fish (mean weight 0.42 ± 0.05 g) were stocked in each aquarium (220 L), which were connected to a recycling system and fed to apparent satiation for 56 days. When the culture experiment was terminated, weight gain, specific growth, survival and condition factor were determined and served as indices for assessing growth performance. Na + -K + ATPase, glutamine, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), protease, lipase and amylase of the whole fish or intestine were also determined. The results showed that the growth performance improved significantly with increasing dietary L-AG supplementation levels from 0.0 to 1.0%. Fish fed diets containing higher L-AG level had greater Na + -K + ATPase, glutamine, SOD and lower MDA when the supplementation level increased. Compared to the control group, however, there were no significant differences in protease, lipase or amylase of the intestine. In conclusion, dietary L-AG supplementation could help improving growth performance and physiological function of larval hybrid sturgeon.

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