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Public Participation in China's State-Created ICT Spaces: Explaining Participation Patterns
No full textIt has become commonplace for non-democratic regimes to integrate information and communication technologies (ICTs) into their governance system. However, how citizens make use of these new digital opportunities in an authoritarian setting remains understudied. Based on an online survey in China in 2021, we find that a surprisingly large share of Chinese citizens engages with the new ICT-based participatory venues. But ICTs seem to unfold their potential only for certain groups such as tech-savvy younger citizens with a higher income. Moreover, while citizens seem to be quite aware of the risks of using ICTs, such as data security breaches or digital surveillance, these do not seem to hamper participation. Rather, citizens trade off perceived risks for perceived benefits, such as higher levels of convenience, efficiency, or expected government responsiveness. Our study contributes to the literature on digital governance in authoritarian regimes, and the digital divide and technology acceptance literatures. Moreover, amid the tightening of political control in China, it offers insights into participatory developments under Xi Jinping
Spatial Distribution of Astins in Aster tataricus and Their Production by Cyanodermella asteris
No full textAster tataricus is a plant used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for the treatment of cough, phlegm, and asthma. Phytochemical studies of A. tataricus have resulted in the isolation of 23 peptides, among which the astins are recognized for their potential application as anticancer drugs. However, it was found that some of the astins, namely, astins C, F and G, are in fact produced by an endophytic fungus, Cyanodermella asteris, isolated from the inflorescences of the plant, while the remainder were suggested to be transformation products of these astins by A. tataricus. Using mass spectrometry imaging and microscopy, we demonstrate that astins exhibit a nonhomogeneous distribution, vary in relative abundance in different plant tissue sections, and are likely colocalized with fungal cells. To gain further insights into the diversity and composition of astins produced by C. asteris, we applied HPLC–MS/MS and mass spectrometry-based molecular networking after in vitro cultivation of the fungus in media with increased salinity. We found that the fungus produced a higher variety of astins than previously known, including several yet undescribed astins, suggesting that the fungus alone is indeed able to produce the complete astin diversity and that cross-species biosynthesis is unlikely
How Do Value Added Taxes Affect Wages and Labor?
No full textWe analyze how value added taxes (VATs) affect labor market outcomes (firms’
employee costs, wages, hours worked, employment). While VATs are designed to
tax consumption, they are levied at the firm level, which creates potential spillovers
to labor markets. We hypothesize that VATs affect wages and employment through
two channels: an inflation adjustment effect, where employees demand higher wages
to compensate for VAT-induced price increases; and a profitability effect, where incomplete
pass-through reduces firms’ net sales and profits, putting downward pressure
on wages and employment. We exploit variation in VAT rates, measuring labor
market outcomes at the firm and country level. We find economically significant
negative effects of VAT rates at the firm level on employee costs and at the country
level on wages and employment. At the firm level, a one percentage point increase
in the standard VAT rate corresponds to a 3.886% reduction in employee costs. At
the country level, the same increase is associated with a 2.802% decline in average
nominal wages. We find a 1.444% decline in employment at the country level following
a one percentage point increase in the VAT rate. For working hours, the
evidence is inconclusive and at most suggests a reduction. Heterogeneity analyses
suggest that small firms and firms with high profit margins react stronger; among
the employees, the age group 15-24 years is hit hardest. Our study provides the
first systematic cross-country evidence on the labor market consequences of VATs
Biodegradable Polyglycerols Combining Antioxidant Activity and Sulfation-Induced Complement Inhibition
No full textPolyglycerol platforms are promising for polymer therapeutics due to their multifunctionality and biocompatibility. Our aim was to introduce biodegradability as well as antioxidant properties to the polyglycerol backbone using cyclic comonomers with thioether and ester functionalities. Anionic ring-opening copolymerization of glycidol and either 1,4-oxathiepan-7-one or thiodiglycolic anhydride yielded the hyperbranched structures: GOTO or GTA, respectively. Characterization confirmed molecular weights of 10 kDa and the successful incorporation of 10 mol % comonomer while maintaining water solubility. Sulfated derivatives, GOTO-S and GTA-S, were obtained with a high degree of sulfation. All copolymers showed good cytocompatibility as well as degradability under physiological conditions. Significant antioxidant activity attributed to the thioether groups of the copolymers was demonstrated via the ABTS radical scavenging assay. GTA emerged as the strongest radical scavenger among the polymers tested, likewise, GTA-S outperformed GOTO-S. Notably, the sulfated derivatives effectively inhibit complement activation with potencies comparable to dPGS and heparin, demonstrating their potential for applications in oxidative stress-related inflammation
Impact of thin silicone film contamination and laser treatment on adhesive bonds
No full textAlmost all industries depend on reliable adhesive bonds. Adhesive bonding is a “special process”, where non-destructive in-line inspections of the sample are not practicable. To ensure reliability, profound knowledge of the mechanisms of the adhesion and a proper understanding of the adhesive process is crucial. In this paper the impact of different thin silicone films and laser cleaning processes on the bond quality is assessed. Therefore, aluminum samples are contaminated with various thin silicone films and the laser cleaning process is applied. Afterwards the adhesive is dispensed, cured and the shear strength is measured. The results are interpreted based on five hypotheses that set the laser effect on the morphology change in relation to the laser cleaning effect. The transition zone between adhesive and samples is investigated using cross sections and the non-destructive imaging technique 3D-X-ray microscopy (XRM) scans. Furthermore, the surface free energy (SFE) and the surface roughness of the samples are measured and correlated with the shear strength. Our data show that the quality of adhesive bonding can be significantly improved through the interplay between various surface parameters and treatments
Artificial light at night extends pollen season and elevates allergen exposure
No full textArtificial light at night (ALAN), a growing environmental stressor in urban ecosystems, disrupts natural light–dark cycles and alters plant phenological events such as leaf-out and flowering. However, the extent to which ALAN influences airborne pollen season timing and exacerbates allergy-related health risks remains largely understudied. This study investigates how ALAN influences the timing and duration of the airborne pollen season across the Northeastern United States from 2012 to 2023 and the consequences of allergenic pollen exposure. Using daily pollen concentrations from the National Allergy Bureau, ALAN data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite product, and gridded Daymet climate data, we derived three key pollen season metrics: start of season, end of season, and season length, and examined their relationship with environmental conditions. We found that higher ALAN exposure was significantly associated with an earlier start of pollen season, a later end of season, and a longer pollen season length, after controlling for temperature and precipitation. ALAN’s impact on the end of the season is larger than on the start of the season. ALAN sites experienced more days and higher severity for allergenic pollen exposure, relative to sites with minimal or no ALAN exposure. These results underscore the potential of ALAN to exacerbate allergy-related disease burdens, calling for its integration into urban environmental public health and planning strategies
Mutual absorptive interaction of D-glucose and D-galactose with L-Alanine in the intestine of broiler chickens offered a low-protein wheat-based diet
No full textThis study tested the hypothesis that growth retardation in broiler chickens fed low-protein wheat-based diets is linked to interactions between intestinal hexose and amino acid (AA) absorption. A total of 54 male Cobb 500 broilers were fed a three-phase low-protein wheat-based diet for ≥28 days (crude protein: -2% points of Cobb 500 recommendations). Apical jejunal uptakes of L-Alanine (L-Ala) were measured in Ussing chambers in the presence of 0, 20 or 100 mM luminal hexoses (D-glucose, D-galactose, D-fructose or D-mannose) and, conversely, D-glucose uptakes were measured in the presence of 0, 20 or 100 mM luminal L-Ala, each in the presence and absence of luminal Na+. L-Alanine uptakes were further measured after two preincubation lengths (3 min versus 30 min) with D-glucose or D-galactose and three transepithelial potential differences (PDt; open circuit, PDt = 0 mV or PDt = -50 mV) co-applied with 100 mM luminal D-galactose. With the exception of a statistical trend for L-Ala uptake in the copresence of D-mannose (P = 0.087), apical uptakes of L-Ala and D-glucose were generally higher in the presence vs. absence of Na+ (P < 0.05). Apical L-Ala uptakes showed no sodium × hexose concentration interaction with D-fructose and D-mannose. However, such interaction existed for luminal D-glucose and D-galactose (P < 0.05) where D-glucose or D-galactose decreased L-Ala uptakes solely in the presence of Na+ (P < 0.05). Vice versa, increasing luminal L-Ala concentrations decreased apical D-glucose uptakes solely in Na+-containing luminal solutions (sodium × Ala concentration, P = 0.011). Different preincubation lengths with hexoses had no interaction effect. However, a PDt × sodium interaction (P = 0.013) revealed that the Na+-dependent portion of L-Ala uptakes was significantly reduced after a 3-min preincubation with 100 mM d-galactose at only -50 mV. The results demonstrate a bidirectional interaction of AA and glucose absorption in the broilers’ jejunum that might be based on subapical sodium accumulation and may at least partially explain reduced growth performance in broilers fed low-protein wheat-based diets
Local PI(4,5)P2 synthesis by septin-associated PIPKIγ isoforms controls centralspindlin association with the midbody during cytokinesis
No full textCytokinesis critically depends on phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. Synthesis of PI(4,5)P2 is crucial for several stages of cytokinesis, including actomyosin ring assembly and constriction, membrane tethering of spindle microtubules, and midbody organization. How these activities of PI(4,5)P2 are spatiotemporally controlled is unknown. Here we unravel a crucial function for local PI(4,5)P2 synthesis at the ingressed cleavage furrow by septin-binding isoforms of PIPKIγ to control midbody formation. We demonstrate that loss of PIPKIγ isoforms perturbs cytokinesis by impairing septin association with microtubules, and anillin and septin deposition at the intercellular bridge and at the midbody. This mechanism requires the ability of PIPKIγ isoforms to synthesize PI(4,5)P2 and to associate with septins. Septins and PIPKIγ further synergize to promote centralspindlin recruitment to the midbody. Our findings establish septin-associated PIPKIγ isoforms as spatiotemporal controllers of midbody organization during cytokinesis that act through generating a local pool of PI4,5P2 at the ingressed cleavage furrow
Seeking TOA SW flux closure over semi-synthetic 3D cloud fields: exploring the accuracy of two angular distribution models
No full textTo accurately estimate outgoing top-of-atmosphere (TOA) shortwave (SW) fluxes from measurements of broadband radiances, angular distribution models (ADMs) are necessary. ADMs rely on radiance-predicting models that are trained on hemispherically-resolved CERES TOA radiance observations. The estimation of SW fluxes is particularly challenging for cloudy skies due to clouds' anisotropy, which substantially varies with their optical properties for any given sun-object-observer geometry. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of micro- and macrophysical properties of liquid clouds on SW fluxes estimated by ADMs that are based on a semi-physical model and compare to operational ADMs. We hypothesize that a microphysically aware ADM performs better in observation angles influenced by single-scattering features. The semi-physical approach relies on a parameterized asymmetry parameter gΔ, which depends on the cloud effective radius and, after adjustments during training of the model, explicitly varies with sun–observer geometry. We link these adjustments to single scattering features, such as the shift of the cloud bow and glory with varying cloud droplet sizes. For the investigation, 125 3D cloud scenes are constructed based on observational data and theoretical assumptions. Using a Monte Carlo model, the TOA broadband SW radiances and fluxes of the semi-synthetic cloud scenes are simulated for different scenarios with varying viewing angles ( θv) along the principal plane and solar angles ( θs). Based on the resulting 20 000 scenarios, the sensitivity and accuracy of the two SW radiance-to-irradiance conversion approaches to cloud droplet size, spatial distribution of liquid water path, and mean optical thickness are quantified. The study emphasizes that explicitly including the liquid droplet effective radius in ADM generation can improve the accuracy of shortwave flux estimates. Particularly for viewing geometries that exhibit single scattering phenomena, such as cloud glory and cloud bow, flux estimates can benefit from microphysically aware ADMs. For the analyzed scenarios, we found that the errors of instantaneous TOA SW flux estimates could be reduced by up to 25 W m −2 . For scenes with very large or small droplets, the median error was reduced by up to 7 W m −2