Berberine displays antitumor activity in esophageal cancer cells in vitro

To investigate the effects of berberine on esophageal cancer (EC) cells and its molecular mechanisms. METHODS Human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line KYSE-70 and esophageal adenocarcinoma cell line SKGT4 were used. The effects of berberine on cell proliferation were evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. For cell cycle progression, KYSE-70 cells were stained with propidium iodide (PI) staining buffer (10 mg/mL PI and 100 mg/mL RNase A) for 30 min and cell cycle was analyzed using a BD FACSCalibur flow cytometer. For apoptosis assay, cells were stained with an Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit. The rate of apoptotic cells was analyzed using a dual laser flow cytometer and estimated using BD ModFit software. Levels of proteins related to cell cycle and apoptosis were examined by western blotting. RESULTS Berberine treatment resulted in growth inhibition of KYSE-70 and SKGT4 cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. KYSE-70 cells were more susceptible to the inhibitory activities of berberine than SKGT4 cells were. In KYSE-70 cells treated with 50 mu mol/L berberine for 48 h, the number of cells in G2/M phase (25.94% +/- 5.01%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (9.77% +/- 1.28%, P < 0.01), and berberine treatment resulted in p21 upregulation in KYSE-70 cells. Flow cytometric analyses showed that berberine significantly augmented the KYSE-70 apoptotic population at 12 and 24 h post-treatment, when compared with control cells (0.83% vs 43.78% at 12 h, P < 0.05; 0.15% vs 81.86% at 24 h, P < 0.01), and berberine-induced apoptotic effect was stronger at 24 h compared with 12 h. Western blotting showed that berberine inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin and p70S6K, and enhanced AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in a sustained manner. CONCLUSION Berberine is an inhibitor of human EC cell growth and could be considered as a potential drug for the treatment of EC patients.

Change of Cultivated Land and Its Implications on Food Security in China

The population growth and demand for high living standard not only increase food demand but also cause more loss of the limited cultivated land resources. Cultivated land loss caused by disasters and the implementation of the ＂Conversion of Cropland to Forest or Grassland＂ project make this situation even worse in China. Thus, there is a problem to be solved imminently that to what extent the cultivated land can guarantee food security of China. Based on time-series data on food production and cultivated land area from 1989 to 2003 and other research results, this paper constructs quality index of cultivated land according to different land quality. Regression models are adopted to predicate changes of main factors from 2004 to 2030, which have great effect on cultivated land area or grain productivity, and verify accuracy with coc^cient of determination （R2）. Nine results were got according to three scenarios of decreasing rate of population growth rate and three cases of urban and rural built-up area per capita. There results show that China＇s food supply can only be maintained at a low to middle level of 370-410kg per capita, that is, China has enough land productivity to meet primary demand of food independently. However, it cannot reach the safe target of 500kg per capita if there is no breakthrough in breeding or no remarkable improvement of irrigation works, when the grain self-sufficiency maintains no less than 80%. To breed productive crops and to improve land productivity by mefiorating low quality cultivated land are appropriate measures to shrink the gap between food demand and supply. The results may offer helpful information for the formulation of policies on population growth, land use, protection of cultivated land.

Changes in Growth, Carbon and Nitrogen Enzyme Activity and mRNA Accumulation in the Halophilic Microalga Dunaliella viridis in Response to NaCl Stress

Abstract Many species of microalga Dunaliella exhibit a remarkable tolerance to salinity and are therefore ideal for probing the effects of salinity. In this work, we assessed the effects of NaC1 stress on the growth, activity and mRNA level of carbon and nitrogen metabolism enzymes of D. viridis. The alga could grow over a salinity range of 0.44 mol L-t to 3.00 mol L-1 NaCI, but the most rapid growth was observed at 1.00molL-1NaC1, followed by 2.00 molL-l NaC1. Paralleling these growth patterns, the highest initial and total Rubisco activities were detected in the presence of 1.00molL-t NaC1, decreasing to 37.33% and 26.39% of those values, re- spectively, in the presence of 3.00 mol L-1 NaC1, respectively. However, the highest extracellular carbonic anhydrase （CA） activity was measured in the presence of 2.00molL-1 NaC1, followed by 1.00molL-1NaC1. Different from the two carbon enzymes, nitrate reductase （NR） activity showed a slight change under different NaC1 concentrations. At the transcriptional level, the mRNAs of Rubisco large subunit （rbcL）, and small subunit （rbcS）, attained their highest abundances in the presence of 1.00 and 2.00molL-1 NaC1, respectively. The CA mRNA accumulation was induced from 0.44molL ~ to 3.00molL-1 NaC1, but the NR mRNA showed the decreasing tendency with the increasing salinity. In conclusion, the growth and carbon fixation enzyme of Rubisco displayed similar tendency in response to NaC1 stress, CA was proved be salt-inducible within a certain salinity range and NR showed the least effect by NaC1 in D. viridis.

Effect of dietary supplementation of vitamin C on growth, reactive oxygen species, and antioxidant enzyme activity of Apostichopus japonicus(Selenka) juveniles exposed to nitrite

Different amounts of vitamin C were added to diets fed to juveniles （2.5＋0.15 g） of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus （Selenka） in an attempt to reduce the stress response of specimens exposed to nitrite stress. A commercial feed was used as the control diet and three experimental diets were made by supplementing 1 000, 1 500, or 2 000 mg vitamin C/kg diet to control diet separately in a 45-day experiment. Sea cucumbers were exposed to three different levels （0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/L） of nitrite stress for 4, 8, and 12 h at four time intervals （0, 15, 30, and 45 d）. Growth of the animals was recorded during the experiment. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） （i.e. hydroxyl free radical （-OH）, malondialdehyde （MDA） and total antioxidant capacity （T-AOC）） and antioxidant enzyme activities （i.e., superoxide dismutase （SOD） and eatalase （CAT）） were measured. Response surface methodology （RSM） was used to analyze the effect of multiple factors on ROS indices and enzyme activities. Weight gain （WG） and special growth rate （SGR） of vitamin C supplementation groups were significantly higher than those of control group （P〈0.05）. The levels of-OH and MDA increased under exposure time extending and nitrite concentration increasing, whereas T-AOC level decreased. SOD and CAT activities increased at 4 h and 8 h and decreased at 12 h. During the days in which the animal consumed experimental diets, the levels of-OH and MDA decreased and that of T-AOC increased. This result suggests that diets containing vitamin C could reduce the nitrite stress response in the animals and increase their antioxidant capacity. The multifactor regression equation of growth performance, ROS indices, and duration of feeding results suggest that vitamin C supplementation of 1 400-2 000 mg/kg diet for 29-35 days could reduce effectively the effects of nitrite exposure.

Population Growth,Available Resources,and Quality of Life:China’s Post-Reform Economic Development

Two opposing intellectual traditions and their contem-porary developments regarding the relations among population, available resources, and quality of life as reflected in economic growth are reviewed. What is at issue is whether population growth is detrimental to or beneficial for economic development. Neither of the extreme views gives a complete picture of the interplay among population, resources, and quality of life. Following previous literature on the topic, this paper establishes a more balanced approach that considers the function linking population and quality of life not constant but variable and regards the limitedness of resources as not absolute but relative to regions and societies. The proposed approach is more flexible in better explaining the relation between population and economic growth. China is examined as a case in point to shed light on the interaction of population growth, economic development, and available resources, and its recent post-economic reform experiences showcase the appropriateness of the synthetic approach.

Interdependency Between Sustainable Development and Economic Growth （Investment Attraction）： The Role of City＇s Governance, Branding and Monitoring Strategies

Sustainable development is now considered the only option for collective happiness. This paper aims to highlight the interdependent role of city governance, its quality of life and corporate sustainable development process. A place that is good to live in, means that it is good to inhabit, work at, study invest, and visit. Therefore, public policies makers should think about the role of city administration in order to provide a good environment for entrepreneurship and corporate sustainable development. Territories, regions, cities and firms, must know their capabilities and competencies and define a common vision of the future, taking into account the present and the context in which they operate. Being defined as the strategy based on the principles of collective efficiency and market orientation, the successful implementation of activities requires ＂an operational framework for monitoring, supported by mechanisms of interdepartmental cooperation, and performance measurement procedures based on indicators and monitoring progress＂ （ENDS-2015, 2007）. This paper discusses the implementation of place marketing strategies and adoption, by the city governance, of the best practices of business management such as： balanced score card methodologies, leading to the enhancing of the wellness produced by cities; promoting productivity, innovation and rational use of resources; and developing competences and expertise in order to strength their competitive advantages and achieve the desired sustainable development.

The Role of Business in Accelerating Sustainable Development in Africa

Sustainable development is seen as a way to end extreme poverty, promote economic growth, and advance environmental sustainability and reduce gender inequality. Sustainable development is embedded in the Gross Domestic Product （GDP） of a nation and GDP is used as an indicator of the economic health of a country and also as a way of measuring a country＇s standard of living. Accelerating sustainable development requires the involvement of businesses to play a role in creating economic growth and job creation. The understanding is that when businesses invest in capital that is used in the production of goods, they create employment which in turn helps boost the people＇s standard of living as they earn some income. However, accelerating sustainable development has a beating on employee empowerrnent where workers are paid living wages to meet their fundamental needs, job security, and right to join a trade union and working in an environment free of sexual harassment.

Microcredit as a Strategy for Poverty Reduction： A Case Study of the Sudan

Sudan is among those developing countries characterized by high incidence of poverty in spite of its prodigious resource endowments. Sudan government has continued to introduce programmes aiming at alleviation of poverty which were generally characterized by a lack of effectiveness. The traditional approach towards poverty reduction centered on national development programmes designed to enhance economic growth and improve standards of living. In addition, the Islamic institution of Zakat was utilized to help poor families start income-generating projects. However, recently, a more ambitious poverty-focused microcredit programme was laid forth. Thus, billions of dollars were earmarked for microcredit to help the poor obtain investible resources which can be directed towards starting income-generating projects. This paper argues that today, there is no shortage of funds earmarked for microfinance in Sudan. But the prevailing institutional inadequacies would not allow such substantial outlays to have much impact on poverty reduction. This paper reviews the history of microcredit and microfinance in the country, highlights the roles of different institutions in provision of microcredit, attempts to figure out its possible policy outputs, and finally makes some suggestions to overcome the evident shortcomings.

The Avenue of Sphinxes： Restoration of a Legend

The redevelopment of historic cities is often challenged by intricate--and in many cases contradictory--missions. From one side, there is the urge to comprehensively preserve cultural resources. At the same time, opportunities of economic growth should be made available and needs of contemporary living maintained and nourished. The main aim of this paper is to reconcile probable incompatibilities between such missions through promoting ＂sensitive＂ redevelopment approaches in historic cities. The paper focuses on the city of Luxor, Egypt with its immensely capturing yet quite undermined legend： the Avenue of Sphinxes. In Luxor, the injection of nonintrusive interventions presents itself as a highly potential candidate in protecting and enhancing the experience of the avenue while meeting contemporary needs of living. Adopting less sensitive development approaches can lead the quality of experiencing the whole city to be worsened for the increasing numbers of tourists and locals.

Financial and Structural Stimuli for Regional Growth

The economies during the post-industrial era are returning to the classical meaning of manufacturing sector in the process of balanced regional growth and are searching for stimuli for diversifying economic structure and reindustrialization. Expansion of a new growth theory highlighted the necessity for the well-developed so-called innovative manufacturing sector; however, stimuli for realizing the potential of this sector are limited due to relative attractiveness of sectors with lower risks and faster returns especially in regions followers. Moreover, regional success as a result of the previous development can hinder changes and stimulate economic agents to avoid regions and sectors with high potential but weak performance. Generation of regional economic growth can be considered in a framework of two kinds of stimuli as financial and structural. Financial capital as an important factor for supporting structural change in economy helps to stay in harmony with the modern economy; however, existing sectoral composition can be persistent to changes. Latvia is considered as a case study about issues on fmancial and structural stimuli for regional growth because of the bright dominance of capital city region （high regional differentiation） and typical post-industrial economic structure in parallel with an intention to actively participate in reindustrialization and increase the innovativeness of economy. This article searches whether foreign investment stock in a company＇s equity capital provides a stimulus for an industrial change at a micro level （five regions and 12 manufacturing sectors in accordance with statistical classification of economic activities NACE 2 Rev. （Nomenclature generale des Activities economiques dans les Communuates Europeennes） two-digit level） and whether this change contributes to the regional growth. Unbalanced regional growth as a result of reallocation of financial resources among sectors of economic activity and differences in distribution of economic success at a sectoral level provide a useful foundation for testing the impact of foreign direct investments （FDI） on changes in economic structure.

资讯

财政部多举措支持推进农业适度规模经营近日财政部制定印发《关于支持多种形式适度规模经营促进转变农业发展方式的意见》,明确了财政支持发展多种形式适度规模经营的总体思路、基本原则和主要措施。《意见》提出,财政支持发展多种形式适度规模经营,要坚持"因地制宜、以粮为先、市场导向、统筹整合、利益共享"的基本原则,以提高农业要素配置效率为目标,以培育新型农业经营主体为载体,以健全农业生产社会化服务体系为支撑,以体制机制创新为动力,统筹整合相关涉农资金。

Limits to Resources,Economic Growth and Happiness

Terrible scenario for the future aspect of our society was issued by ＂The Limits to Growth＂. Basic problems that we confront are the restricted natural resources and the environment. Regarding the resources, the overall average of the reserve/production ratio is predicted to fall below 10 years by 2040. Aggressive developments of mines based on the sense of urgency for metal resources cause strong conftiction with the environment and the people living there. Resultantly, urban mine becomes more realistic than before. From the view point of ecological foot print, 5.3 globes are needed if all the people living in the world attain the affluent life same as USA. On the other hand, it is clear that we can get larger utility by smaller goods if our scale of satisfaction is reduced. We have to notice that happiness is our ultimate purpose, economy and industry are intermediate, and natural resources support the all from the basis.

Responsible Research and Innovation and Its Implications for China

Responsible research and innovation （RRI） represents a new evotvtng approach to governing research and innovation that takes into account potential impacts on the environment and society. Most published studies on RRI focus on the social benefits of research and innovation through examining RRI＇s definitions and approaches for its implementation. In contrast, the present study addresses the influence of RRI on economic growth, and discusses the situations in which RRI will benefit economies. Our study finds that for its implementation to be successful RRI needs to meet certain conditions, and that its implementation is not always beneficial to economic growth. To achieve a better result from RRI as part of an innovation policy, each country should balance the push and pull power of RRI to make sure that it becomes a building block rather than a stumbling block for innovation, economic growth and social welfare. To assure that RRI can be successfully implemented, China needs to strengthen and improve the participation mechanisms for stakeholders in major scientific and technological innovative activities.