Comparison of biological behavior of lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma with high-grade transformation cells

AIM:To evaluate the differences between human lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma with high-grade transformation(LACC-HGT)primar y cells cultured by high-grade transformation tissue and non-high-grade transformation(non-HGT)primary cells cultured by non-highgrade transformation tissue in proliferation,metastasis,drug susceptibility,and genes.METHODS:LACC-HGT primary cells were established by tissue block culture,and the 4^(th)to 10^(th)generation primary cells were selected as research objects.The cells were preliminarily identified by immunofluorescent staining.The differences between non-HGT and LACC-HGT primary cells in terms of proliferation,metastasis,and drug susceptibility were compared by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay,wound healing,and drug sensitivity experiments.Differentially expressed genes were screened using mRNA array.Gene expression was analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).RESULTS:LACC-HGT primary cells were successfully cultured by tissue block culture.Immunofluorescence staining results showed that cytokeratin(CK)and CK7 expression levels were positive in LACC-HGT primary cells.CCK-8 results showed that the proliferation ability of LACCHGT cells was significantly higher than that of non-HGT cells.Wound healing experiment showed that the migration ability of LACC-HGT cells was significantly higher than that of non-HGT cells.LACC-HGT cells were also less sensitive to cisplatin and paclitaxel than non-HGT cells.Compared with non-HGT cells,9566 differentially expressed genes were found in LACC-HGT primary cells,of which 5162 were upregulated and 4404 were down-regulated.The expression of N-acetylneuraminate pyruvate lyase(NPL),MARVEL domain containing 3(MARVELD3),syntabulin(SYBU),and allograft inflammatory factor 1(AIF1)was higher in LACCHGT cells than in non-HGT cells,whereas that of periostin(POSTN)was lower.CONCLUSION:LACC-HGT primary cells have faster proliferation,stronger migration ability,and poorer sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs than non-HGT primary cells.The expression of mRNAs in non-HGT and LACC-HGT primary cells are significantly different.These features are speculated to be the reasons why high-grade transformation tissues exhibit higher malignant degree and poorer prognosis than their counterparts.

Transformation of marginal zone lymphoma into high-grade B-cell lymphoma expressing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase:A case report

BACKGROUND High-grade B-cell lymphoma(HGBL)is an unusual malignancy that includes myelocytomatosis viral oncogene(MYC),B-cell lymphoma-2(BCL-2),and/or BCL-6 rearrangements,termed double-hit or triple-hit lymphomas,and HGBL-not otherwise specific(HGBL-NOS),which are morphologically characteristic of HGBL but lack MYC,BCL-2,or BCL-6 rearrangements.HGBL is partially transformed by follicular lymphoma and other indolent lymphoma,with few cases of marginal zone lymphoma(MZL)transformation.HGBL often has a poor prognosis and intensive therapy is currently mainly advocated,but there is no good treatment for these patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy.CASE SUMMARY We reported a case of MZL transformed into HGBL-NOS with TP53 mutation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase expression.Gene analysis revealed the gene expression profile was identical in the pre-and post-transformed tissues,suggesting that the two diseases are homologous,not secondary tumors.The chemotherapy was ineffective and the side effect was severe,so we tried combination therapy including venetoclax and obinutuzumab.The patient tolerated treatment well,and reached partial response.The patient had recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and died of multifunctional organ failure.He survived for 12 months after diagnosis.CONCLUSION Venetoclax combined with obinutuzumab might improve the survival in some HGBL patients,who are unsuitable for chemotherapy.

High-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia diagnosed based on changes in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography findings:A case report

BACKGROUND High-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia(PanIN)exhibits no mass and is not detected by any examination modalities.However,it can be diagnosed by pancreatic juice cytology from indirect findings.Most previous cases were diagnosed based on findings of a focal stricture of the main pancreatic duct(MPD)and caudal MPD dilatation and subsequent pancreatic juice cytology using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).We experienced a case of high-grade PanIN with an unclear MPD over a 20-mm range,but without caudal MPD dilatation on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography(MRCP).CASE SUMMARY A 60-year-old female patient underwent computed tomography for a follow-up of uterine cancer post-excision,which revealed pancreatic cysts.MRCP revealed an unclear MPD of the pancreatic body at a 20-mm length without caudal MPD dilatation.Thus,course observation was performed.After 24 mo,MRCP revealed an increased caudal MPD caliber and a larger pancreatic cyst.We performed ERCP and detected atypical cells suspected of adenocarcinoma by serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytology examination.We performed a distal pancreatectomy and obtained a histopathological diagnosis of high-grade PanIN.Pancreatic parenchyma invasion was not observed,and curative resection was achieved.CONCLUSION High-grade Pan-IN may cause MPD narrowing in a long range without caudal MPD dilatation.

Hemorrhagic transformation in patients with large-artery atherosclerotic stroke is associated with the gut microbiota and lipopolysaccharide

Hemorrhagic transformation is a major complication of large-artery atheroscle rotic stroke(a major ischemic stro ke subtype)that wo rsens outcomes and increases mortality.Disruption of the gut microbiota is an important feature of stroke,and some specific bacteria and bacterial metabolites may contribute to hemorrhagic transformation pathogenesis.We aimed to investigate the relationship between the gut microbiota and hemorrhagic transformation in largearte ry atheroscle rotic stro ke.An observational retrospective study was conducted.From May 2020 to September 2021,blood and fecal samples were obtained upon admission from 32 patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke and not undergoing intravenous thrombolysis or endovascular thrombectomy,as well as 16 healthy controls.Patients with stro ke who developed hemorrhagic transfo rmation(n=15)were compared to those who did not develop hemorrhagic transformation(n=17)and with healthy controls.The gut microbiota was assessed through 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing.We also examined key components of the lipopolysaccharide pathway:lipopolysaccharide,lipopolysaccharide-binding protein,and soluble CD14.We observed that bacterial diversity was decreased in both the hemorrhagic transformation and non-hemorrhagic transfo rmation group compared with the healthy controls.The patients with ischemic stro ke who developed hemorrhagic transfo rmation exhibited altered gut micro biota composition,in particular an increase in the relative abundance and dive rsity of members belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family.Plasma lipopolysaccharide and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein levels were higher in the hemorrhagic transformation group compared with the non-hemorrhagic transfo rmation group.lipopolysaccharide,lipopolysaccharide-binding protein,and soluble CD14 concentrations were associated with increased abundance of Enterobacte riaceae.Next,the role of the gut microbiota in hemorrhagic transformation was evaluated using an experimental stroke rat model.In this model,transplantation of the gut microbiota from hemorrhagic transformation rats into the recipient rats triggered higher plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide,lipopolysaccharide-binding protein,and soluble CD14.Ta ken togethe r,our findings demonstrate a noticeable change in the gut microbiota and lipopolysaccharide-related inflammatory response in stroke patients with hemorrhagic transformation.This suggests that maintaining a balanced gut microbiota may be an important factor in preventing hemorrhagic transfo rmation after stro ke.

Formation and transformation of metastable LPSO building blocks clusters in Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloys by spinodal decomposition and heterogeneous nucleation

To study the formation and transformation mechanism of long-period stacked ordered(LPSO)structures,a systematic atomic scale analysis was conducted for the structural evolution of long-period stacked ordered(LPSO)structures in the Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy annealed at 300℃~500℃.Various types of metastable LPSO building block clusters were found to exist in alloy structures at different temperatures,which precipitate during the solidification and homogenization process.The stability of Zn/Y clusters is explained by the first principles of density functional theory.The LPSO structure is distinguished by the arrangement of its different Zn/Y enriched LPSO structural units,which comprises local fcc stacking sequences upon a tightly packed plane.The presence of solute atoms causes local lattice distortion,thereby enabling the rearrangement of Mg atoms in the different configurations in the local lattice,and local HCP-FCC transitions occur between Mg and Zn atoms occupying the nearest neighbor positions.This finding indicates that LPSO structures can generate necessary Schockley partial dislocations on specific slip surfaces,providing direct evidence of the transition from 18R to 14H.Growth of the LPSO,devoid of any defects and non-coherent interfaces,was observed separately from other precipitated phases.As a result,the precipitation sequence of LPSO in the solidification stage was as follows:Zn/Ycluster+Mg layers→various metastable LPSO building block clusters→18R/24R LPSO;whereas the precipitation sequence of LPSO during homogenization treatment was observed to be as follows:18R LPSO→various metastable LPSO building block clusters→14H LPSO.Of these,14H LPSO was found to be the most thermodynamically stable structure.

Defect Detection Model Using Time Series Data Augmentation and Transformation

Time-series data provide important information in many fields,and their processing and analysis have been the focus of much research.However,detecting anomalies is very difficult due to data imbalance,temporal dependence,and noise.Therefore,methodologies for data augmentation and conversion of time series data into images for analysis have been studied.This paper proposes a fault detection model that uses time series data augmentation and transformation to address the problems of data imbalance,temporal dependence,and robustness to noise.The method of data augmentation is set as the addition of noise.It involves adding Gaussian noise,with the noise level set to 0.002,to maximize the generalization performance of the model.In addition,we use the Markov Transition Field(MTF)method to effectively visualize the dynamic transitions of the data while converting the time series data into images.It enables the identification of patterns in time series data and assists in capturing the sequential dependencies of the data.For anomaly detection,the PatchCore model is applied to show excellent performance,and the detected anomaly areas are represented as heat maps.It allows for the detection of anomalies,and by applying an anomaly map to the original image,it is possible to capture the areas where anomalies occur.The performance evaluation shows that both F1-score and Accuracy are high when time series data is converted to images.Additionally,when processed as images rather than as time series data,there was a significant reduction in both the size of the data and the training time.The proposed method can provide an important springboard for research in the field of anomaly detection using time series data.Besides,it helps solve problems such as analyzing complex patterns in data lightweight.

A new insight into LPSO phase transformation and mechanical properties uniformity of large-scale Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy prepared by multi-pass friction stir processing

A large-scale fine-grained Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy plate with high strength and ductility was successfully prepared by multi-pass friction stir processing(MFSP)technology in this work.The structure of grains and long period stacking ordered(LPSO)phase were characterized,and the mechanical properties uniformity was investigated.Moreover,a quantitative relationship between the microstructure and tensile yield strength was established.The results showed that the grains in the processed zone(PZ)and interfacial zone(IZ)were refined from 50μm to 3μm and 4μm,respectively,and numerous original LPSO phases were broken.In IZ,some block-shaped 18R LPSO phases were transformed into needle-like 14H LPSO phases due to stacking faults and the short-range diffusion of solute atoms.The severe shear deformation in the form of kinetic energy caused profuse stacking fault to be generated and move rapidly,greatly increasing the transformation rate of LPSO phase.After MFSP,the ultimate tensile strength,yield strength and elongation to failure of the large-scale plate were 367 MPa,305 MPa and 18.0% respectively.Grain refinement and LPSO phase strengthening were the major strengthening mechanisms for the MFSP sample.In particularly,the strength of IZ was comparable to that of PZ because the strength contribution of the 14H LPSO phase offsets the lack of grain refinement strengthening in IZ.This result opposes the widely accepted notion that IZ is a weak region in MFSP-prepared large-scale fine-grained plate.

Intrahepatic portal venous systems in adult patients with cavernous transformation of portal vein: Imaging features and a new classification

Background: Cavernous transformation of the portal vein(CTPV) due to portal vein obstruction is a rare vascular anomaly defined as the formation of multiple collateral vessels in the hepatic hilum. This study aimed to investigate the imaging features of intrahepatic portal vein in adult patients with CTPV and establish the relationship between the manifestations of intrahepatic portal vein and the progression of CTPV. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 14 CTPV patients in Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital. All patients underwent both direct portal venography(DPV) and computed tomography angiography(CTA) to reveal the manifestations of the portal venous system. The vessels measured included the left portal vein(LPV), right portal vein(RPV), main portal vein(MPV) and the portal vein bifurcation(PVB). Results: Nine males and 5 females, with a median age of 40.5 years, were included in the study. No significant difference was found in the diameters of the LPV or RPV measured by DPV and CTA. The visualization in terms of LPV, RPV and PVB measured by DPV was higher than that by CTA. There was a significant association between LPV/RPV and PVB/MPV in term of visibility revealed with DPV( P = 0.01), while this association was not observed with CTA. According to the imaging features of the portal vein measured by DPV, CTPV was classified into three categories to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions: DPV was more accurate than CTA for revealing the course of the intrahepatic portal vein in patients with CTPV. The classification of CTPV, that originated from the imaging features of the portal vein revealed by DPV, may provide a new perspective for the diagnosis and treatment of CTPV.

Bulk geochemistry,Rb-Sr,Sm-Nd,and stable O-H isotope systematics of the Metzimevin high-grade iron ore deposit,Mbalam iron ore district,southern Cameroon

Bulk geochemistry,Sr,Nd,and O-H isotope systematics are reported for the first time on banded iron formation(BIF)-hosted high-grade iron ore at the northwestern segment of Congo Craton(CC).Located in Mbalam iron ore district,Southern Cameroon,Metzimevin iron ore deposit is a hematite-magnetite BIF system,dominated by SiO_(2)+Fe_(2)O_(3)(97.1 to 99.84 wt%),with low concentrations of clastic elements e.g.,Al_(2)O_(3),TiO_(2),and HFSE,depicting a nearly pure chemical precipitate.The REE+Y signature of the iron deposit displays strong positive Eu anomaly,strong negative Ce anomaly,and chondritic to superchondritic Y/Ho ratios,suggestive of formation by mixed seawater-high temperature hydrothermal fluids in oxidising environment.The^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr ratios of the BIF are higher than the maximum^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr evolution curves for all Archean reservoirs(bulk silicate earth,Archean crust and Archean seawater),indicating involvement of continentally-derived components during BIF formation and alteration.TheƐ_(Nd)(t)(+2.26 to+3.77)and Nd model age indicate that chemical constituents for the BIF were derived from undifferentiated crustal source,between 3.002 and 2.88 Ga.The variable and diverse O and H isotope data(−1.9‰to 17.3‰and−57‰to 136‰respectively)indicate that the Metzimevin iron ore formed initially from magmatic plumes and later enriched by magmatic-metamorphic-modified meteoric fluids.Mass balance calculations indicate mineralisation by combined leaching and precipitation,with an average iron enrichment factor of>2.67 and SiO_(2)depletion factor of>0.99.This is associated with an overall volume reduction of 28.27%,reflecting net leaching and volume collapse of the BIF protholith.

Management of retroperitoneal high-grade serous carcinoma of unknown origin:A case report

BACKGROUND Retroperitoneal high-grade serous carcinoma(HGSC)of unknown origin is a sporadic tumor that can originate from ovarian cancer.Herein,we report the case of a woman with retroperitoneal HGSC of unknown origin and describe how she was diagnosed and treated.CASE SUMMARY A 71-year-old female presented with the tumor marker CA125 elevated to 1041.9 U/mL upon a regular health examination.Computed tomography revealed retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement.Subsequently,positron emission tomography scanning revealed lesions with increased F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose uptake at the nodes.As a result,she underwent laparoscopic lymph node resection,and pathology revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma with CK7(+),PAX8(+),WT1(+),PR(-),and p53 mutational loss of expression,indicating that the origin may be from the adnexa.The patient was admitted to our ward and underwent laparoscopic staging;however,the pathological results were negative.Under the suspicion of retroperitoneal HGSC of unknown origin,chemotherapy and targeted therapy were initiated.Tumor marker levels decreased after treatment.CONCLUSION We present a case of HGSC of unknown origin managed using retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy,staging surgery,chemotherapy,and targeted therapy.

Characteristics and risk factor analyses of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia in older patients with colorectal polyps

BACKGROUND According to the degree of intradermal neoplasia in the colorectal exhalation,it can be divided into two grades:Low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(LGIN)and high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(HGIN).Currently,it is difficult to accurately diagnose LGIN and HGIN through imaging,and clinical diagnosis depends on postoperative histopathological diagnosis.A more accurate method for evaluating HGIN preoperatively is urgently needed in the surgical treatment and nursing intervention of colorectal polyps.AIM To explore the characteristics and risk factors of HGIN in older patients with colorectal polyps.METHODS We selected 84 older patients diagnosed with HGIN as the HGIN group(n=95 colonic polyps)and 112 older patients diagnosed with LGIN as the LGIN group(n=132 colonic polyps)from Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University.The endoscopic features,demographic characteristics,and clinical manifestations of the two patient groups were compared,and a logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors for HGIN in these patients.RESULTS The HGIN group was older and had a higher number of sigmoid colon polyps,rectal polyps,pedunculated polyps,polyps≥1.0 cm in size,polyps with surface congestion,polyps with surface depression,and polyps with villous/tubular adenomas,a higher proportion of patients with diabetes and a family history of colorectal cancer,patients who experienced rectal bleeding or occult blood,patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and cancer antigen 199(CA199),and lower nutritional levels and higher frailty levels.The polyp location(in the sigmoid colon or rectum),polyp diameter(≥1.0 cm),pathological diagnosis of(villous/tubular adenoma),family history of colorectal cancer,rectal bleeding or occult blood,elevated serum CEA and CA199 levels,lower nutritional levels and higher frailty levels also are independent risk factors for HGIN.CONCLUSION The occurrence of high-grade neoplastic transformation in colorectal polyps is closely associated with their location,size,villous/tubular characteristics,family history,elevated levels of tumor markers,and lower nutritional levels and higher frailty levels.

Unraveling the nexus between cellular senescence and malignant transformation:a paradigm shift in cancer research

Cellular senescence, a natural process wherein cells cease division and undergo irreversible growth arrest, has long captivated the curiosity of scientists because of its many implications in aging and disease. Recent research has shed light on the nexus between cellular senescence and malignant transformation, thus leading to a paradigm shift in understanding cancer development and progression.

High-grade serous carcinoma of the fallopian tube in a young woman with chromosomal 4q abnormality:A case report

BACKGROUND Few studies have reported an association between an increased risk of acquiring cancers and survival in patients with 4q deletion syndrome.This study presents a rare association between chromosome 4q abnormalities and fallopian tube highgrade serous carcinoma(HGSC)in a young woman.CASE SUMMARY A 35-year-old woman presented with acute dull abdominal pain and a known chromosomal abnormality involving 4q13.3 duplication and 4q23q24 deletion.Upon arrival at the emergency room,her abdomen appeared ovoid and distended with palpable shifting dullness.Ascites were identified through abdominal ultrasound,and computed tomography revealed an omentum cake and an enlarged bilateral adnexa.Blood tests showed elevated CA-125 levels.Paracentesis was conducted,and immunohistochemistry indicated that the cancer cells favored an ovarian origin,making us suspect ovarian cancer.The patient underwent debulking surgery,which led to a diagnosis of stage IIIC HGSC of the fallopian tube.Subsequently,the patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel,resulting in stable current condition.CONCLUSION This study demonstrates a rare correlation between a chromosome 4q abnormality and HGSC.UBE2D3 may affect crucial cancer-related pathways,including P53,BRCA,cyclin D,and tyrosine kinase receptors,thereby possibly contributing to cancer development.In addition,ADH1 and DDIT4 may be potential influencers of both carcinogenic and therapeutic responses.

Effects of Biochar Inoculation with Bacillus megaterium on Rice Soil Phosphorus Fraction Transformation and Bacterial Community Dynamics

Rice husk biochar inoculated with Bacillus megaterium(BM)(referred to as BM-inoculated biochar, BMB) and uninoculated rice husk biochar(RHB) were added to soil at two rates(0.5%, as BMB1 and RHB1, respectively, and 1.0%, as BMB2 and RHB2, respectively) in an incubation experiment to comprehensively evaluate their effects on basic soil properties, phosphorus(P) fractions, bacterial community composition, and P-cycling genes.

Hydrogen-based mineral phase transformation mechanism investigation of pyrolusite ore

Pyrolusite comprises the foremost manganese oxides and is a major source of manganese production.An innovative hydrogenbased mineral phase transformation technology to pyrolusite was proposed,where a 96.44%distribution rate of divalent manganese(Mn^(2+))was observed at an optimal roasting temperature of 650℃,a roasting time of 25 min,and an H2 concentration of 20vol%;under these conditions.The manganese predominantly existed in the form of manganosite.This study investigated the generation mechanism of manganosite based on the reduction kinetics,phase transformation,and structural evolution of pyrolusite and revealed that high temperature improved the distribution rate,and the optimal kinetic model for the reaction was the random nucleation and growth model(reaction order,n=3/2)with an activation energy(E_(a))of 24.119 kJ·mol^(−1).Throughout the mineral phase transformation,manganese oxide from the outer layer of particles moves inward to the core.In addition,pyrolusite follows the reduction sequence of MnO_(2)→Mn_(2)O_(3)→Mn_(3)O_(4)→MnO,and the reduction of manganese oxides in each valence state simultaneously proceeds.These findings provide significant insight into the efficient and clean utilization of pyrolusite.

The nitrogen transformation behavior based on the pyrolysis products of wheat straw

In order to provide basic design parameters for the industrial pyrolysis process,the transformation behavior of nitrogen was investigated using wheat straw as raw material.The distributions of nitrogen in pyrolysis char,oil,and gas were obtained and the nitrogenous components in the products were analyzed systematically by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS),pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry(Py-GC/MS)and thermogravimetric-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry(TG-FTIR).The nitrogen distribution ranges of the pyrolysis char,oil,and gas were 37.34%–54.82%,32.87%–40.94%and 10.20%–28.83%,respectively.More nitrogen was retained in char at lower pyrolysis temperature and the nitrogen distribution of oil was from rise to decline with increasing temperature.The most abundant N-containing compounds in three-phase products were pyrrole-N,amines,and HCN,respectively.In addition,the transformation mechanism of nitrogen from wheat straw to pyrolysis products was concluded.

Critical approaches in the catalytic transformation of sugar isomerization and epimerization after Fischer-History,challenges,and prospects

The transformation of aldose to ketose or common sugars into rare saccharides,including rare ketoses and aldoses,is of great value and interest to the food industry and for saccharidic biomass utilization,medicine,and the synthesis of drugs.Nowadays,high-fructose corn syrup(HFCS)is industrially produced in more than 10 million tons annually using immobilized glucose isomerase.Some low-calorie saccharides such as tagatose and psicose,which are becoming popular sweeteners,have also been produced on a pilot scale in order to replace sucrose and HFCS.However,current catalysts and catalytic processes are still difficult to utilize in biomass conversion and also have strong substrate dependence in producing high-value,rare sugars.Considering the specific reaction properties of saccharides and catalysts,since the pioneering discovery by Fischer,various catalysts and catalytic systems have been discovered or developed in attempts to extend the reaction pathways,improve the reaction efficiency,and to potentially produce commercial products.In this review,we trace the history of sugar isomerization/epimerization reactions and summarize the important breakthroughs for each reaction as well as the difficulties that remain unresolved to date.

Influence mechanism of government subsidy on the green transformation of coal company in China

The optimization of government subsidies to enhance the efficiency of coal companies’green transformation constitutes a critical component in the pursuit of global sustainability.We investigate the influence mechanism of government subsidies on the green transformation using data from the listed coal companies in China from 2007 to 2022.According to our findings and hypothesis testing,previous government subsidies did not have a significant direct impact on coal companies’green transformation.Nevertheless,government subsidies can help coal companies transition to greener practices by promoting innovative green initiatives.Furthermore,we confirmed an indirect route:that government subsidies enable the adoption of low-carbon initiatives,which in turn could facilitate the transition of coal companies towards green practices.In addition,we discovered that the coal company’s digitization will improve this indirect route.Thus,we propose increasing the effectiveness of government subsidies in facilitating coal companies’transition to green practices by focusing on technological advancements and enhancing company digitalization.

Are gender inclusiveness and rural transformation interlinked?The case of Bangladesh

Gender inclusiveness is important in the rural transformation process of Bangladesh as rural women play key roles in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.Gender inclusiveness also leads to gender equity.We empirically evaluate relationships between rural transformation and gender inclusiveness in Bangladesh.We consider three rural transformation indicators:high-value commodities’share in agricultural output values,non-farm employment’s share in rural labor employment,and non-agricultural GDP’s share in total GDP.Indicators capturing gender inclusiveness include the per capita rural income of males and females,ratio of investments into gender programs,female access to education,access to healthcare,employment participation,land ownership,and asset ownership.We test the effect of the difference in per capita rural income of males and females and the ratio of their incomes and check for the robustness of the gender variables across different model specifications.Analyzing 128 district-level observations from 32 districts of Bangladesh across four time periods(2000,2005,2010 and 2016),we use both ordinary least squares and fixed effects panel regression models.We find that female land and asset ownership and access to education and healthcare are robust determinants of various stages of rural transformation.Thus,our results suggest that improving women’s ownership of land and assets and investing in women’s education and healthcare will likely contribute to a more inclusive rural transformation.

Pre-existing orthorhombic embryos-induced hexagonal-orthorhombic martensitic transformation in MnNiSi_(1-x)(CoNiGe)_x alloy

The thermal-elastic martensitic transformation from high-temperature Ni_(2)In-type hexagonal structure to low-temperature TiNiSi-type orthorhombic structure has been widely studied in MnMX(M=Ni or Co,and X=Ge or Si)alloys.However,the answer to how the orthorhombic martensite nucleates and grows within the hexagonal parent is still unclear.In this work,the hexagonal-orthorhombic martensitic transformation in a Co and Ge co-substituted MnNiSi is investigated.One can find some orthorhombic laths embedded in the hexagonal parent at a temperature above the martensitic transformation start temperature(M_(s)).With the the sample cooing to M_(s),the laths turn broader,indicating that the martensitic transformation starts from these pre-existing orthorhombic laths.Microstructure observation suggests that these pre-existing orthorhombic laths do not originate from the hexagonal-orthorhombic martensitic transformation because of the difference between atomic occupations of doping elements in the hexagonal parent and those in the preexisting orthorhombic laths.The phenomenological crystallographic theory and experimental investigations prove that the pre-existing orthorhombic lath and generated orthorhombic martensite have the same crystallography relationship to the hexagonal parent.Therefore,the orthorhombic martensite can take these pre-existing laths as embryos and grow up.This work implies that the martensitic transformation in MnNiSi_(1-x)(CoNiGe)_(x) alloy is initiated by orthorhombic embryos.