Production Activity Research Articles

The sensor protein AaSho1 regulates infection structures differentiation, osmotic stress tolerance and virulence via MAPK module AaSte11-AaPbs2-AaHog1 in Alternaria alternata

The high-osmolarity-sensitive protein Sho1 functions as a key membrane receptor in phytopathogenic fungi, which can sense and respond to external stimuli or stresses, and synergistically regulate diverse fungal biological processes through cellular signaling pathways. In this study, we investigated the biological functions of AaSho1 in Alternaria alternata, the causal agent of pear black spot. Targeted gene deletion revealed that AaSho1 is essential for infection structure differentiation, response to external stresses and synthesis of secondary metabolites. Compared to the wild-type (WT), the ∆AaSho1 mutant strain showed no significant difference in colony growth, morphology, conidial production and biomass accumulation. However, the mutant strain exhibited significantly reduced levels of melanin production, cellulase (CL) and ploygalacturonase (PG) activities, virulence, resistance to various exogenous stresses. Moreover, the appressorium and infection hyphae formation rates of the ∆AaSho1 mutant strain were significantly inhibited. RNA-Seq results showed that there were four branches including pheromone, cell wall stress, high osmolarity and starvation in the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) cascade pathway. Furthermore, yeast two-hybrid experiments showed that AaSho1 activates the MAPK pathway via AaSte11-AaPbs2-AaHog1. These results suggest that AaSho1 of A. alternata is essential for fungal development, pathogenesis and osmotic stress response by activating the MAPK cascade pathway via Sho1-Ste11-Pbs2-Hog1.

Synergistic flocculation performance and underlying mechanisms of a novel bioflocculant flocan with coagulant iron salt

Flocculation is an integral part of wastewater treatment units and various flocculants have been employed to strengthen the flocs formation and produce clean water. Natural polysaccharides have been employed as eco-friendly bioflocculants for the treatment of turbid water. In the study, flocan is a named exopolysaccharide (EPS) isolated from a coastal mudflat with a high yield of 8.3g/L. Flocan consisted of glucose, mannose, galactose, and glucuronic acid in a molar ratio of 2:3:1:1, along with pyruvate modifications. As the bioflocculant agent, flocan exhibited more than 85% removal efficiency in kaolin suspension in terms of a concentration of 10mg/L at pH 3. The addition of iron salts with flocan showed high flocculation efficiency in acidic kaolin suspension (99.37%) and acidic coal wastewater (99.44%). The carboxyl/hydroxyl groups and branched structure of flocan provided ionic interactions and promoted higher bridging between bioflocculants and negatively charged particles. Coagulants FeCl3 enhanced the flocculating activity via neutralizing and stabilizing the residual negative charge of functional groups. Treatment with EDTA decreased the ionic interactions and reversed the flocculation significantly. Compared with the current bioflocculants, the superior production, low dosage, and excellent flocculating activity implied that flocan showed great potential in acidic wastewater treatment industrially. The coagulants/bioflocculants combination appears to be a promising and sustainable technology for wastewater flocculation.

Compromise or Struggle: Extreme Temperatures and Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility in China

This article uses China's A-share listed companies from 2008 to 2020 as a sample to examine the impact of extreme temperatures on environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR). The results show that extreme temperatures can significantly enhance companies' performance of ECSR. Extreme temperatures primarily compel companies to engage in ECSR activities by increasing the costs of debt financing, reducing income levels, and intensifying government environmental regulations, thereby mitigating the negative impact of extreme temperature events on corporate production and operation activities. Further research found that in SOEs, companies with high government subsidies, and companies with executives with overseas experience, extreme temperatures have a more significant role in promoting ECSR. This article provides a novel perspective and micro-evidence for studying the external driving factors of ECSR, and provides useful enlightenment for managing climate risks and realizing the green and low-carbon transformation of our country's economy.

Assessment of Phytochemical Compounds, Enzyme Production, and Antifungal, Antioxidant, and Anti-mutagenic Activities in Endophytic Fungi Derived from Mangrove Trees

Mangrove forest is a unique wetland ecosystem that is highly productive and provides an environment for a variety of microorganisms. Endophytic fungi derived from mangrove plants provide the plants with protection from adverse environmental conditions, while also allowing the fungi to produce valuable bioactive compounds. The present study sampled 11 mangrove trees and isolated, screened, and identified the potent endophytic fungi and their bioactive substances showing anti-pathogenic, anti-mutagenic and antioxidant activities, while the endophytes were investigated for their enzymatic potential. In total, 47 endophytic fungi were isolated from the leaves (36) and stems (11) of the host plants and all isolates were tested for antagonistic activities against selected plant pathogens. Based on the results, isolates BgS-04 and BcL-05 had the highest anti-pathogenic activities against Curvularia sp., Fusarium sp., and Colletotrichum sp. Therefore, the ethyl acetate crude extracts from these two fungi were further investigated for their antioxidant and anti-mutagenic activities and their phenolic compound contents, based on phytochemical analysis. Based on the results, the crude extracts of BgS-04 and BcL-05 contained 5.24 and 4.8 mg gallic acid equivalent/g of total phenolic compounds, respectively, and had antioxidant activity (half maximal inhibitory concentration) levels of 7.4 and 4.26 mg/mL, respectively. The preliminary qualitative phytochemical analysis of the fungal crude extracts identified tannins and coumarins. The anti-mutagenic activity levels of BgS-04 and BcL-05 against the mutagenic compounds, Trp-P-1 and DMBA, were determined using the Ames test, which revealed that the crude extracts of BgS-04 and BcL-05 had moderate-to-high antimutagenic potential against TA98 and TA100.All 47 endophytic isolates were assessed for their potential role in producing extracellular enzyme; they were capable of producing protease (53%), pectinase (28%), amylase (26%) and cellulase (19%) but none of them produced lipase. Among the isolates, RmL-01 derived from the leaves of Rhizophora mucronata had the significantly highest amylase production. Maximum amylase production (141.2 U/mL) was observed at 30 °C, pH 7.0 and 120 hours of incubation time. Molecular identification of the isolates BgS-04, BcL-05 and RmL-01 using nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences revealed that they were Pestalotiopsis parva, Collectotrichum perseae, and Aspergillus oryzae, respectively, with high bootstrap support. It was concluded that the distinct groups of mangrove endophytes were potential sources of novel and valuable bio-based compounds with impressive anti-plant pathogen, anti-mutagenic, and antioxidant activities and capable of producing multi-industrial enzyme cocktails that might be important and useful for biotechnological applications.

Unveiling the potential of Au cocatalysts to induce SPR charges on CuO/CdS system for sunlight driven hydrogen production†

Atmospheric pollution and increasing costs of the fossil fuels have compelled the researchers to explore the alternative sources. The objective of current project is to discover the stable catalysts that can drive water splitting reaction with sunlight. To the purpose, visible light active catalysts i.e. CdS, CuO/CdS, and Au@CuO/CdS have been synthesized and evaluated for hydrogen generation activities. Gold cocatalysts have been employed to enhance the surface stability and catalytic efficiencies. Whereas, CuO/CdS heterojunction have been synthesized to improve charge separation ability. The optical characteristics, structural properties, and morphology of catalysts have been evaluated by UV‒Vis/DRS, XRD, Raman, BET, SEM, AFM, PL and FTIR techniques. Chemical compositions, photocurrent or charge transfer have been verified with XPS, EDX and EIS results. Catalytic reactions were performed in photoreactor (150mL/Pyrex), whereas hydrogen production activities were predicted via online GC-TCD (Shimadzu-2010/Japan). Results depict that catalyst with 0.8% of Au on CuO/CdS exhibit relatively higher activity (i.e. 32.13 mmolg‒1h‒1) than the other catalysts of the series. Higher activities were attributed to the presence of Au cocatalysts. It has been predicted that coexistence of gold develops Schottky junctions that progressively rectify the surface charges (i.e. movement of electrons). Additionally, gold induces the SPR charges and enhances activity of electrons. Schottky junctions formed by Au cocatalysts on CuO/CdS system restrict the charge recombination i.e. back reactions. In this study, various factors like temperature, pH, light intensity and dose of catalysts have been assessed and discussed. On the basis of activities, it has been concluded that work reported herein hold promise to replace the conventional catalysts used for hydrogen energy technologies.

Detecting and attributing the impact of human activities on grassland aboveground biomass in China's Loess Plateau

Human activities significantly influence grassland ecosystem functions, particularly plant biomass. However, the direction and magnitude of these effects remain insufficiently explored. Herein, we quantitively assessed both the positive and negative effects of various human activities on grassland aboveground biomass (AGB) in China's Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2022. The results indicated that the magnitudes of positive effects increased by 0.29 g m−2 per year, whereas the negative effects decreased by 0.31 g m−2 per year. Spatially, 32 % of the grasslands experienced significant positive effects, whereas the rest grasslands faced negative effects. Notably, only 20 % of the areas with negative effects showed worsening trends mainly due to ecological restoration, sustainable agriculture, and population migration. Agricultural production activities and population changes emerged as dominant factors, with some activities, like livestock farming, exhibiting dual effects (i.e., positive and negative effects) on AGB. These findings underscore the complexity of human activities in affecting the grassland production function and highlight the necessity for balanced management strategies to sustain grassland productivity and resilience.

Optimal investment in artificial intelligence-driven production activities considering socio-economic concerns

Optimal investment in artificial intelligence-driven production activities considering socio-economic concerns

Engineering a Cu-Pd Paddle-Wheel Metal-Organic Framework for Selective CO2 Electroreduction.

Optimizing the binding energy between the intermediate and the active site is a key factor for tuning catalytic product selectivity and activity in the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction. Copper active sites are known to reduce CO2 to hydrocarbons and oxygenates, but suffer from poor product selectivity due to the moderate binding energies of several of the reaction intermediates. Here, we report an ion exchange strategy to construct Cu-Pd paddle wheel dimers within Cu-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), [Cu3-xPdx(BTC)2] (BTC=benzentricarboxylate), without altering the overall MOF structural properties. Compared to the pristine Cu MOF ([Cu3(BTC)2], HKUST-1), the Cu-Pd MOF shifts CO2 electroreduction products from diverse chemical species to selective CO generation. In situ X-ray absorption fine structure analysis of the catalyst oxidation state and local geometry, combined with theoretical calculations, reveal that the incorporation of Pd within the Cu-Pd paddle wheel node structure of the MOF promotes adsorption of the key intermediate COOH* at the Cu site. This permits CO-selective catalytic mechanisms and thus advances our understanding of the interplay between structure and activity toward electrochemical CO2 reduction using molecular catalysts.

Digital economy and its effect on total factor productivity in services: evidence from China

ABSTRACT The emergence of the digital economy has provided a new development model and driving force for social and productive activities. The quest to accelerate the transformation and upgrading of the service economy through the digital economy has garnered significant attention in society and academia. In light of this context, this study employs data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure total factor productivity (TFP) in the service sector, utilizing provincial panel data from China for the period 2007–2019. The empirical results indicate that the digital economy significantly contributes to the growth of TFP in the service sector, and specifically, the channels of its impact include alleviating resource mismatch and promoting industrial structure upgrading. Furthermore, the impact of the digital economy on services TFP varies by region and stage of development of the digital economy. Moreover, based on the informational characteristics of the digital economy, the digital economy not only affects the local service TFP, but also generates a spatial spillover effect on the service TFP of neighbouring regions. This study provides a new empirical evidence to examine the productivity improvement of the digital economy in the service sector and provides important policy implications for achieving high-quality development of the service sector.

Mengorganisir Sampah yang Tercemar di TPS Masyarakat Dusun Karanglangon Desa Leran Wetan Kecamatan Palang Kabupaten Tuban

Waste is leftover material that is considered to have no economic value, but its existence cannot be avoided in people's social life. In Karanglangon Hamlet, the increase in population that occurs every year increases the volume of waste produced. As the population increases, household waste production and other activities also increase, thereby exacerbating waste management problems in the region. If not managed properly, the increasing amount of waste can have various negative impacts, both on public health and the surrounding environment, such as air, land and water pollution. This problem demands more attention from various parties to find appropriate and sustainable solutions. This research aims to identify in more depth the problems related to waste management at the Dusun Karanglangon TPS using the PAR (Participatory Action Research) approach method. The research results revealed that the condition of the waste at the TPS had a significant negative impact on the surrounding environment. The main causes are limited facilities, minimal budgets, and inadequate waste management standards, resulting in the accumulation of waste and increasingly severe environmental pollution.

Highly Active and Stable Cu-Cd Bimetallic Oxides for Enhanced Electrochemical CO2 Reduction.

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) can produce value-added chemicals such as carbon monoxide (CO) and multicarbon(C2+). However, the complex reaction pathways of CO2electro-reduction reaction (CO2RR) greatly limit the product selectivity and conversion efficiency. Herein, the Cu-Cd bimetallic oxides catalyst was designed and applied for the CO2RR. The optimized 4.73%Cd-CuO exhibits remarkable electrocatalytic CO2RR activity for selective CO production in H-cell using 0.5 M 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim]PF6)/MeCN as electrolyte. The Faradaic efficiency of CO (FE(CO)) can be maintained above 90% over a wide potential range of -2.0 to -2.4 V vs. Ag/Ag+. Particularly, the catalyst achieves an impressive FE(CO) of 96.3% with a current density of 60.7 mA cm-2at -2.2 V vs. Ag/Ag+. Furthermore, scaling up the 4.73%Cd-CuO catalyst into a flow cell can reach 56.64% FE of C2+products (ethylene, ethanol and n-propanol) with a current density as high as 600 mA cm-2steadily.The excellent CO2RR performance of the as-synthesized 4.73%Cd-CuOcan be mainly attributed to the introduction of CdO to improve the ability of CuO to activate CO2, the electronic interactions between Cu and Cd can boostactivation and conversionkey intermediates of CO2RR and ensure the continuous stability of4.73%Cd-CuOin electrolysis process.

NĂNG LỰC HIỆN TẠI, THÁCH THỨC VÀ NHU CẦU NÂNG CAO NĂNG LỰC CỦA CÁN BỘ KHUYẾN NÔNG TRONG BỐI CẢNH BIẾN ĐỔI KHÍ HẬU TẠI TỈNH BẮC KẠN

This study aims to assess the current capacity, challenges and needs of capacity building of agricultural extension workers in Bac Kan province under the context of climate change. The research was conducted during 2021-2022, using semi-structured questionnaires for face-to-face interviews with 17 leaders and 59 staff members of agricultural extension agencies in the province. Results show that the agricultural extension workforce of Bac Kan province has advantages in terms of qualifications and work experience. Nonetheless, they also encountered a number of challenges under the context of increasingly changing environment. These include: (1) passivity in guiding production and technical transfer activities, (2) difficulties in pest and disease forecast and management, (3) increased workload; and (4) their communication and/or community outreach activities face many challenges, especially in localities with ethnic minorities, scattered housing locations, and difficult travel access. Most of the agricultural extension workers have not been trained in both agricultural extension methods and climate change adaptation. Technical climate-resilient production manuals (for both crops and livestock), effective communication methods and information sharing networks among agricultural extension officers were considered the main learning resources that they desired to be equipped to effectively carry out their tasks under the context of climate change.

Discovery of α-amylase and α-glucosidase dual inhibitors from NPASS database for management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A chemoinformatic approach.

Postprandial hyperglycemia, typical manifestation of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), is associated with notable global morbidity and mortality. Preventing the advancement of this condition by delaying the rate of glucose absorption through inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymatic activities is of utmost importance. Finding a safe antidiabetic drug is essential since those that are currently on the market have drawbacks like unpleasant side effects. The current study utilized computer-aided drug design (CADD), as a quick and affordable method to find a substitute drug template that can be used to control postprandial hyperglycemia by modulating the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. The Natural Products Activity and Species database (NPASS) (30,926 compounds) was screened in silico, with a focus on evaluating drug-likeness, toxicity profiles and ability to bind on a target protein. Two molecules NPC204580 (Chrotacumine C) and NPC137813 (1-O-(2-Methoxy-4-Acetylphenyl)-6-O-(E-Cinnamoyl)-Beta-D-Glucopyranoside) were identified as potential dual inhibitors for α-amylase and α-glucosidase with free binding energies of -14.46 kcal/mol and -12.58 kcal/mol for α-amylase, and -8.42 kcal/mol and -8.76 kcal/mol for α-glucosidase, respectively. The molecules showed ionic, H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions with critical amino acid residues of both enzymes. Moreover, 100 ns molecular dynamic simulations showed that both molecules are stable on the receptors' active sites based on root mean square deviation (RMSD), root mean square fluctuation (RMSF), and the Generalized Born surface area (GBSA) energy calculated. The two compounds are thus promising therapeutic agents for T2DM that merit further investigation due to their excellent binding energies, encouraging pharmacokinetics, toxicity profiles, and stability as demonstrated in simulated studies.

Analyzing the Impacts of Inter-Provincial Trade on the Quantitative and Spatial Characteristics of Six Embodied Air Pollutants in China Through Multi-Scenario Simulation

Inter-provincial trade is accompanied by the transfer of embodied pollution emissions, leading to emissions leakage, thereby hindering the sustainable development of society. Therefore, it is imperative to analyze the characteristics of embodied pollutant emission and spatial transfer driven by inter-provincial trade. In this study, the quantitative and spatial characteristics of the six main embodied pollutants (i.e., SO2, NOX, CO, VOC, PM2.5, and PM10) were analyzed by a hypothetical extraction method (HEM) and complex network analysis (CNA) under an input–output analysis (IOA) framework. Then, the row arrange series (RAS) method was employed to simulate the impacts of varying levels of trade intensity, economic growth rate, and technological progress on embodied pollutants and spatial-transfer characteristics. The major findings are as follows: (i) the increase in inter-provincial trade led to a corresponding rise in embodied pollutant emissions due to the relocation of production activities towards provinces with higher emission intensity. Excessive responsibility was assumed by provinces such as Shanxi and Hebei, engaging in production outsourcing for reducing pollutants. (ii) The macro direction of pollutant transfer paths was from the resource-rich northern and central provinces towards the trade-developed southern provinces. Sectors in the transfer path, such as the industry sectors of Shanxi, Guangdong, Henan, and the transport sector of Henan, exhibited high centrality and dominated pollutant transfer activities in the network. (iii) The industry sector, characterized by substantial energy consumption, was the predominant emitter of all pollutant production-based emissions, accounting for more than 40% of total emissions. This study is conducive to analyzing the impacts of inter-provincial trade on embodied pollutant emissions and developing emissions reduction policies considering equitable allocation of emissions responsibilities from both production and consumption perspectives.

Preparation of Silicon Carbide Supported Iron Catalysts and their Catalytic Activities in Hydrogen Production by Ammonia Decomposition

Preparation of Silicon Carbide Supported Iron Catalysts and their Catalytic Activities in Hydrogen Production by Ammonia Decomposition

Exploring the applications of natural language processing and language models for production, planning, and control activities of SMEs in industry 4.0: a systematic literature review

Exploring the applications of natural language processing and language models for production, planning, and control activities of SMEs in industry 4.0: a systematic literature review

The spillover effect of global uncertainty through input–output linkage

AbstractThis study examines the cross‐country spillover effects of global uncertainty on domestic value‐added by introducing indices for input‐ and output‐linked uncertainty. Employing a panel fixed‐effect regression model, the analysis covers 70 countries from 1995 to 2019, using the World Uncertainty Index and the OECD Inter‐Country Input–Output Table. Our findings reveal that input‐linked uncertainty from procuring foreign intermediate goods has the most significant negative impact on domestic value‐added. The effects of domestic uncertainty and output‐linked uncertainty from foreign product sales follow this. Additionally, these negative effects exhibit a dynamic cumulative impact over time, rather than being confined to a specific period. Considering both the magnitude and duration of these impacts, the primary transmission pathway of global uncertainty on a country's domestic production activity is through its input linkage. Furthermore, the study identifies country‐specific variations in the ripple effects of global uncertainty. Analysing specific cases such as Korea and China affirms the empirical relevance of our findings to their economic contexts.

Modulating the band structure of two-dimensional black phosphorus via electronic effects of organic functional groups for enhanced hydrogen production activity.

Electronic effects of organic functional groups play a fundamental role in determining the rate and/or direction of organic chemical reactions. The implementation of this concept in selective organic catalysis is achieved by tuning the electronic effects of organic functional groups to alter the corresponding reactivity. However, this approach has hardly been applied to modulate the band structure of inorganic materials. Here, we show that modulating the electronic band structure of two-dimensional black phosphorus (BP) is possible via the electronic effects of organic functional groups covalently modified on its surface. Organic functional group can either donate or withdraw charge density from BP surface, which will alter the bonding/anti-binding orbitals occupancy and thus shift the band-edge positions of functionalized BP downward/upward. Therefore, the valence-band maxima and the conduction-band minima of functionalized BP can be continuously tuned by changing the binding group with different Hammett parameters. Finally, unexpectedly high hydrogen evolution reaction rates under visible light are achieved using functionalized BP heterojunctions as photocatalysts. This work underscores the significant role of electronic effects in chemically controlling BP's band structure, offering greater flexibility and affordability beyond physical method limits.

Modulating the band structure of two‐dimensional black phosphorus via electronic effects of organic functional groups for enhanced hydrogen production activity

Electronic effects of organic functional groups play a fundamental role in determining the rate and/or direction of organic chemical reactions. The implementation of this concept in selective organic catalysis is achieved by tuning the electronic effects of organic functional groups to alter the corresponding reactivity. However, this approach has hardly been applied to modulate the band structure of inorganic materials. Here, we show that modulating the electronic band structure of two‐dimensional black phosphorus (BP) is possible via the electronic effects of organic functional groups covalently modified on its surface. Organic functional group can either donate or withdraw charge density from BP surface, which will alter the bonding/anti‐binding orbitals occupancy and thus shift the band‐edge positions of functionalized BP downward/upward. Therefore, the valence‐band maxima and the conduction‐band minima of functionalized BP can be continuously tuned by changing the binding group with different Hammett parameters. Finally, unexpectedly high hydrogen evolution reaction rates under visible light are achieved using functionalized BP heterojunctions as photocatalysts. This work underscores the significant role of electronic effects in chemically controlling BP’s band structure, offering greater flexibility and affordability beyond physical method limits.

Strengthening Digital Literacy in Online Time Management among Senior High School Students

Rapid advances in digital technology have made digital literacy an important skill, especially among senior high school students who spend much time online. This community service project aims to improve digital literacy and time management skills among senior high school students, with a focus on effective and productive online activities. This project was carried out in collaboration with Gontangwetan Pasuruan Public High School 1 which involved students as the main beneficiaries. A participatory approach be used, including pre-assesment and post-assessment, interactive workshops, and ongoing mentoring. The findings showed a significant improvement in students' understanding of digital literacy, with an average increase of 25% in digital literacy and online time management skills. This increase results in better academic performance and a more balanced lifestyle. The results underscore the importance of equipping students with digital literacy skills to navigate the digital age effectively. This community service project demonstrates the potential of the initiative to foster responsible digital behavior and improve overall student productivity.