Port Integration in China: Temporal Pathways, Spatial Patterns and Dynamics

Over the past two decades, numerous ports located in China have participated in port integration strategies, thus influencing the entire port system. The current research is initiated in order to examine the nature of port integration in China, including associated temporal pathways, spatial patterns and dynamics. Results indicate that port integration in China has been characterized by a significant increase at the turn of the 21 st century, comprising thirteen distinguishable pathways typified by differing dynamics, particularly between the northern and southern ports. Pathways were found to include 44 seaports and river ports, chiefly concentrated in the Bohai Rim, Yangtze(Changjiang) River Delta, Beibu Gulf and the southeastern Fujian, thus representing significant spatial regions. Categorically larger seaports have become the primary beneficiaries of port integration. Integration cases were divided into four categories based upon quantified dynamic magnitude including the government-driven mode, market-driven mode, government/market-driven mode and strategic alliance, and into five further categories based upon spatial extent including port internal integration, jurisdictional port integration, port integration across neighbor region, regional port integration and hub-feeder port integration. Results suggest that several factors have effectively driven port integration in China, including legislative tools and spatial planning, optimization of shoreline resources and port functionality, and port competition with the same hinterland.

Integration of omics studies indicates that species-dependent molecular mechanisms govern male fertility

Background Comparative and comprehensive omics studies have recently been conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying infertility.However,because these huge omics datasets often contain irrelevant information,editing strategies for summarizing and filtering the data are necessary prerequisite steps for identifying biomarkers of male fertility.Here,we attempted to integrate omics data from spermatozoa with normal and below-normal fertility from boars and bulls,including transcriptomic,proteomic,and metabolomic data.Pathway enrichment analysis was conducted and visualized using g:Profiler,Cytoscape,EnrichmentMap,and AutoAnnotation to determine fertility-related biological functions according to species.Results In particular,gamete production and protein biogenesis-associated pathways were enriched in bull spermatozoa with below-normal fertility,whereas mitochondrial-associated metabolic pathways were enriched in boar spermatozoa with normal fertility.These results indicate that below-normal fertility may be determined by aberrant regulation of protein synthesis during spermatogenesis,and the modulation of reactive oxygen species generation to maintain capacitation and the acrosome reaction governs boar sperm fertility.Conclusion Overall,this approach demonstrated that distinct molecular pathways drive sperm fertility in mammals in a species-dependent manner.Moreover,we anticipate that searching for species-specific signaling pathways may aid in the discovery of fertility-related biomarkers within large omics datasets.

Crosstalk among canonical Wnt and Hippo pathway members in skeletal muscle and at the neuromuscular junction

Skeletal muscles are essential for locomotion,posture,and metabolic regulation.To understand physiological processes,exercise adaptation,and muscle-related disorders,it is critical to understand the molecular pathways that underlie skeletal muscle function.The process of muscle contra ction,orchestrated by a complex interplay of molecular events,is at the core of skeletal muscle function.Muscle contraction is initiated by an action potential and neuromuscular transmission requiring a neuromuscular junction.Within muscle fibers,calcium ions play a critical role in mediating the interaction between actin and myosin filaments that generate force.Regulation of calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum plays a key role in excitation-contraction coupling.The development and growth of skeletal muscle are regulated by a network of molecular pathways collectively known as myogenesis.Myogenic regulators coordinate the diffe rentiation of myoblasts into mature muscle fibers.Signaling pathways regulate muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy in response to mechanical stimuli and nutrient availability.Seve ral muscle-related diseases,including congenital myasthenic disorders,sarcopenia,muscular dystrophies,and metabolic myopathies,are underpinned by dys regulated molecular pathways in skeletal muscle.Therapeutic interventions aimed at preserving muscle mass and function,enhancing regeneration,and improving metabolic health hold promise by targeting specific molecular pathways.Other molecular signaling pathways in skeletal muscle include the canonical Wnt signaling pathway,a critical regulator of myogenesis,muscle regeneration,and metabolic function,and the Hippo signaling pathway.In recent years,more details have been uncovered about the role of these two pathways during myogenesis and in developing and adult skeletal muscle fibers,and at the neuromuscular junction.In fact,research in the last few years now suggests that these two signaling pathways are interconnected and that they jointly control physiological and pathophysiological processes in muscle fibers.In this review,we will summarize and discuss the data on these two pathways,focusing on their concerted action next to their contribution to skeletal muscle biology.However,an in-depth discussion of the noncanonical Wnt pathway,the fibro/a dipogenic precursors,or the mechanosensory aspects of these pathways is not the focus of this review.

Insulin-like signaling pathway regulates integration and learning in C. elegans

Animals can sense many environment stimuli simultaneously and integrate these signals within the nervous system. However, the neural system and molecular

Rationally optimized generation of integrated Escherichia coli with stable and high yield lycopene biosynthesis from heterologous mevalonate(MVA)and lycopene expression pathways

The stability and high productivity of heterogeneous terpenoid production in Escherichia coli expression system is one of the most key issues for its large scale industrialization.In the current study on taking lycopene biosynthesis as an example,an integrated Escherichia coli system has been generated successfully,which resulted into stable and high lycopene production.In this process,two modules of mevalonate(MVA)pathway and one module of lycopene expression pathway were completely integrated in the chromosome.Firstly,the copy number and integrated position of three modules of heterologous pathways were rationally optimized.Later,a strain DH416 equipped with heterogeneous expression pathways through chromosomal integration was efficiently derived from parental strain DH411.The evolving DH416 strain efficiently produced the lycopene level of 1.22 g/L(49.9 mg/g DCW)in a 5 L fermenter with mean productivity of 61.0 mg/L/h.Additionally,the integrated strain showed more genetic stability than the plasmid systems after successive 21st passage.