Chinese foreign aid and the unga voting patterns of the recipients

Using panel data for 120 countries over the period 2000-2014, this paper imperially analyzes the impact of Chinese aid on the voting patterns of countries in the UN General Assembly. I utilize the disaggregated Chinese aid data for the fact that distinct forms of aid flows may differ in their capability to induce recipients to vote for China’s favor. The results suggest that only Chinese grants are the aid category by which recipients have been induced to vote in line with China

Identifizierung und funktionelle Analyse von 5' UTR-Spleissvarianten der mRNA des humanen Cathepsin L

Humanes Cathepsin L (hCATL) ist eine lysosomale Cystein-Protease und bei der Tumor-Invasion und -Metastasierung beteiligt. Die Expression des hCATL korreliert in vielen normalen Geweben und Tumorgeweben positiv mit der mRNA-Expression. Eine Ausnahme stellt das Nierenkarzinom dar, wo trotz erhöhter mRNA-Expression der hCATL-Proteingehalt erniedrigt ist. Um dieses Missverhältnis in malignen Nierentumoren gegenüber gesundem Nierengewebe zu klären, wurden in der vorliegender Arbeit die Spleissvarianten der hCATL-mRNA kloniert und charakterisiert

Heterogeneous Catalysts from Natural Sources for Tar Removal: A Mini Review

Tar formation in gasifier is a headache problem in biomass gasification process. Catalytic cracking and/or reforming of tar using a catalyst is the most effective way to solve this problem. In order to reduce the cost, some heterogeneous catalysts from natural sources have been found to possess excellent catalytic properties that render them suitable for tar cracking and reforming in biomass gasification process. This article reviews the main natural catalysts such as dolomite, olivine, coal/biomass char and waste scallop shell that have been evaluated for tar removal in biomass gasification till date. Especially, our investigations on waste scallop shell based catalysts are reviewed in more details. The ways to improve the catalytic activity and appropriate options for a practical process are also reviewed and discussed. It is expected to provide the basis for a proposal for the exploitation of heterogeneous catalysts from natural sources to optimize tar removal in biomass gasification

Effect of Au Precursor and Support on the Catalytic Activity of the Nano-Au-Catalysts for Propane Complete Oxidation

Catalytic activity of nano-Au-catalyst(s) for the complete propane oxidation was investigated. The results showed that the nature of both Au precursor and support strongly influences catalytic activity of the Au-catalyst(s) for the propane oxidation. Oxidation state, size, and dispersion of Au nanoparticles in the Au-catalysts, surface area, crystallinity, phase structure, and redox property of the support are the key aspects for the complete propane oxidation. Among the studied Au-catalysts, the AuHAuCl4-Ce catalyst is found to be the most active catalyst

The Effect of Poly (Glycerol Sebacate) Incorporation within Hybrid Chitin–Lignin Sol–Gel Nanofibrous Scaffolds

Chitin and lignin primarily accumulate as bio-waste resulting from byproducts of crustacean crusts and plant biomass. Recently, their use has been proposed for diverse and unique bioengineering applications, amongst others. However, their weak mechanical properties need to be improved in order to facilitate their industrial utilization. In this paper, we fabricated hybrid fibers composed of a chitin–lignin (CL)-based sol–gel mixture and elastomeric poly (glycerol sebacate) (PGS) using a standard electrospinning approach. Obtained results showed that PGS could be coherently blended with the sol–gel mixture to form a nanofibrous scaffold exhibiting remarkable mechanical performance and improved antibacterial and antifungal activity. The developed hybrid fibers showed promising potential in advanced biomedical applications such as wound care products. Ultimately, recycling these sustainable biopolymers and other bio-wastes alike could propel a “greener” economy

Ectopic Endometrial Cell-Derived Exosomal Moesin Induces Eutopic Endometrial Cell Migration, Enhances Angiogenesis and Cytosolic Inflammation in Lesions Contributes to Endometriosis Progression.

Background: Endometriosis (EMs) is the most common gynaecological disorder with its etiology and/or pathophysiology remains enigmatic. Recent studies showed that extracellular vesicles (EVs), exosomes in particular, play a critical role in developing various clinical disorders. However, the implication of exosomes in endometriosis progression has not been well elucidated. Method: The ectopic stromal cellular exosomes (eEVs) were assessed by transwell assay, scratch tests, tube formation assay, western blot, and qRT-PCR analysis. Protein expression profiles of exosomes in endometrial tissue and vaginal discharge collected from patients with EMS and healthy donors were analysed by Mass spectrometry. siRNA interference technology was used to inhibit the expression of exosomal protein for the functional analysis in in-vivo. Finally, in-vitro experiments were performed to validate the results that we observed in EMs mouse model. Results: In vitro, we discovered that eEVs improved NSC migratory potential by upregulating MMP9 expression and activity. eEVs also aided angiogenesis and elevated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in ovarian epithelial cells, according to our findings. Moesin (MSN) levels in ESC exosomes were substantially greater than in NSC exosomes (1.22e8±5.58e6 vs. 6.605e7±4.574e6, LFQ intensity), as shown by protein mass spectrometry and bioinformatics analysis. In ectopic stromal cells, ERa receptors stimulated the RhoA/Rock-2/MSN pathway. We discovered that downregulating exosomal moesin reduced NSC migration (about 3-fold change) and MMP9 expression (about 2-fold change). On the other hand, Exomsni inhibited angiogenesis and inflammatory cytokine release. In vivo the result of immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence demonstrated that exosomal MSN substantially modified the expression of MM9, VEGFR and p-VEGFR in polyclonal lesions. In addition, we discovered an elevation in the expression of proinflammatory factors in the surrounding tissue. Conclusion: Exosomal MSN derived from ectopic stromal cells can contribute to endometriosis progression by mediating the construction of a "migration-vascularization-inflammation" loop in the ectopic environment