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Background: Baicalin (BG) has been used in the treatment of many diseases. However, the effect of hepatic insufficiency on its pharmacokinetics has not been reported, and there is a lack of clinical guidance for the use of BG in patients with hepatic impairment. Methods: Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced rat models were used to simulate hepatic failure patients to assess the effect of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics and distribution of BG. In vitro metabolism and transporter studies were employed to elucidate the potential mechanisms. Results: After intragastric administration of 10 mg/kg of BG, the peak plasma concentration and exposure (AUC0–t) of BG decreased by 64.6% and 52.6%, respectively, in CCl4-induced rats. After intravenous administration, the AUC0–t decreased by 73.6%, and unlike in the control group, the second absorption peak of BG was not obvious in the concentration–time curve of CCl4-induced rats. The cumulative excretion of BG in the feces increased, but that in the bile decreased. In vivo data indicated that the absorption and enterohepatic circulation of BG were affected. In vitro studies found that the hydrolysis of BG to the aglycone baicalein decreased significantly in the intestinal tissues and contents of the CCl4-induced rats. And BG was identified as a substrate for multiple efflux and uptake transporters, such as breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs), organic anion transporting polypeptides (OATP1B1, 1B3, 2B1), and organic anion transporters (OATs). The bile acids accumulated by liver injury inhibited the uptake of BG by OATPs, especially that by OATP2B1. Conclusions: Hepatic impairment reduced BG hydrolysis by intestinal microflora and inhibited its transporter-mediated biliary excretion, which synergistically led to the attenuation of the enterohepatic circulation of BG, which altered its pharmacokinetics.

Daphnia magna belongs to the Cladocera and plays an important role in the water ecosystem. With the intensification of water pollution, the wild population of D. magna has declined rapidly in recent years, and insufficient molecular markers have limited effective research and conservation of this species. In this research, 30 novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were developed in a cultivar of D. magna and 12 wild D. magna using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). The minor allele frequency, observed heterozygosity, and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.115 to 0.483, 0.073 to 0.800, and 0.077 to 0.520, respectively. The PIC ranged from 0.071 to 0.403. Six loci showed significant deviations from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05).These newly developed polymorphic SNP markers for D. magna are of great significance in terms of the genetic breeding of D. magna , identification of wild and artificially domesticated species and conservation genetics research.

Hydropower is a reliable source of renewable energy that can support the low-carbon energy transition, even though man-made reservoirs can be significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A multitude of studies have been undertaken to examine the temporal and spatial patterns of GHG emissions from reservoirs, yet no thorough examination of the influence of reservoir hydrological conditions on these emissions has been made. In this study, GHG emissions from hydroelectric reservoirs with varying volumes of water, hydraulic retention times, and power densities were evaluated for a 100-year timescale. GHG emissions from hydropower generation over a 100-year period were significantly lower than those from thermal power generation. Notably, the post-impoundment emission rates averaged 4.27 g CO 2 equivalents (CO 2eq )/m 2 per day, with a net rate of 3.17 g CO 2eq /m 2 per day. The average post-impoundment emission per unit of electricity generated was 17.22 g CO 2eq /kWh, which was lower than the global average of 273 g CO 2eq /kWh. Moreover, the emission rates were negatively correlated with volume (post-impoundment, r  = – 0.70, p  < 0.001; net, r  = – 0.33,  p = 0.06) and hydraulic retention time (post-impoundment, r  = – 0.97, p  < 0.001; net, r  = – 0.46, p  < 0.01). The post-impoundment ( r  = – 0.81, p  < 0.001) and net ( r  = – 0.62, p  < 0.001) emissions per unit of electricity produced exhibited a negative correlation with power density. Reservoirs with higher power densities, shorter hydraulic retention times and smaller capacities were demonstrated to have considerable advantages and potential for the mitigation of GHG emissions due to the their lower emissions of GHG per unit of electricity generated.

The soil carbon (C) priming effect (PE), an important phenomenon in soil C cycle research, has garnered extensive attention in recent years. Soil C PE refers to the stimulation or inhibition of the original soil organic C (SOC) decomposition rate by newly added organic matter in the soil. Its mechanism of action involves the activity of soil microorganisms. Fresh organic matter input provides an additional source of energy and nutrients for soil microorganisms, prompting changes in microbial community structure and activity, which in turn affects SOC decomposition. Easily decomposable organic matter may stimulate rapid microbial growth and metabolic activity of microorganisms, thereby the decomposition accelerating of original SOC and producing a positive PE, whereas recalcitrant organic matter may lead microorganisms to preferentially utilise the newly added C source, thereby inhibiting original SOC decomposition and producing a negative PE. There are numerous factors influencing soil C PE, including organic matter properties such as chemical composition, C:N ratio, and lignin content; soil environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and pH value; and land-use patterns and vegetation types. Research on soil C PE is crucial for an in-depth understanding of the soil C cycle, the accurate assessment of dynamic changes in the soil C pool, and the development of sustainable soil management strategies. This study introduces the definition, change mechanism, influencing factors, and research methods of soil C PE and elaborates on the status and deficiencies of PE research, which is helpful for predicting soil C responses to global climate change and provides a scientific basis for improving soil fertility and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A novel in-tube solid-phase microextraction coupled with an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method has been established for simultaneous quantification of three crucial brain biomarkers N -acetylaspartic acid (NAA), N -acetylglutamic acid (NAG), and N -acetylaspartylglutamic acid (NAAG). A polymer monolith with quaternary ammonium as the functional group was designed and exhibited efficient enrichment of target analytes through strong anion exchange interaction. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed method displayed wide linear ranges (0.1–80 nM for NAA and NAG, 0.2–160 nM for NAAG) with good precision (RSDs were lower than 15%) and low limits of detection (0.019–0.052 nM), which is by far the most sensitive approach for NAA, NAG, and NAAG determination. Furthermore, this approach has been applied to measure the target analytes in mouse brain samples, and endogenous NAA, NAG, and NAAG were successfully detected and quantified from only around 5 mg of cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus. Compared with existing methods, the newly developed method in the current study provides highest sensitivity and lowest sample consumption for NAA, NAG, and NAAG measurements, which would potentially be utilized in determining and tracking these meaningful brain biomarkers in diseases or treatment processes, benefiting the investigations of pathophysiology and treatment of brain disorders. Graphical abstract

Background Daphnia magna belongs to the Cladocera order and plays an important role in the aquatic ecosystem. With the intensification of water pollution, the wild population of D. magna has declined rapidly in recent years, and insufficient molecular markers have limited effective research and conservation of this species. Methods and results 26 novel microsatellite (SSR) markers were developed in an artificially domesticated D. magna and 12 wild D. magna populations using restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). The results showed that the observed heterozygosity (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He) ranged from 0.083 to 0.999 and 0.085 to 0.862, respectively. The PIC ranged from 0.368 to 0.805. These results indicate that the developed SSR marker is highly polymorphic. Nei’s genetic identity (H) ranged from 0.0926 to 0.3462. Shannon’s Information index (I) ranged from 0.1333 to 0.4799. Genetic distance and Nei’s genetic identity analysis, NJ tree diagram analysis, and PCoA analysis were conducted on populations of D. magna from different regions. The results show that the D. magna genetic relationship between Liaoning and Shanxi, Hunan and Anhui, and Beijing and Hainan are relatively close, while the genetic structure of D. magna in Guangdong, Jiangsu, and Sichuan is quite different from other sampling sites. An analysis of population genetic structure divided the D. magna samples into two major groups. Conclusions These results indicate that the genetic structure of D. magna differs considerably in different regions. Our research results and the newly developed polymorphic SSR markers for D. magna are of great significance in terms of the genetic breeding of D. magna , identification of wild and artificially domesticated populations and conservation genetics research.

The story of independent evaluation in the World Bank is more than 30 years in the making. However, it is a story that has never been fully told. The Operations Evaluation Department (OED) of the World Bank will celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of its founding on July 1, 2003.This volume details this history of OED as related by many of those who participated in making that history and is divided into four sections. The first section is taken from a series of presentations made by former Directors-General, Operations Evaluations, and senior OED managers. The second part provides perspectives on OED from two of its most important internal constituencies—the Board of Executive Directors and senior World Bank management. Part three considers OED’s relationship with external constituencies and finally, section four offers a forward-looking appraisal of the challenges of development evaluation from three of its leading thinkers.

Nowhere did he mention that under the leadership of James Wolfensohn the World Bank has seen project quality and effectiveness rise to record levels; that overall client satisfaction has improved; that shareholders have expressed strong support for the bank's strategic directions and for the Comprehensive Development Framework, including unanimously approving a budget increase; or that anti-corruption is now on the bank's agenda for the first time.

A range of novel two-dimensional materials have been actively explored for More Moore and More-than-Moore device applications because of their ability to form van der Waals heterostructures with unique electronic properties. However, most of the reported electronic devices exhibit insufficient control of multifunctional operations. Here, we leverage the band-structure alignment properties of narrow-bandgap black phosphorus and large-bandgap molybdenum disulfide to realize vertical heterostructures with an ultrahigh rectifying ratio approaching 10 6 and on–off ratio up to 10 7 . Furthermore, we design and fabricate tunable multivalue inverters, in which the output logic state and window of the mid-logic can be controlled by specific pairs of channel length and, most importantly, by the electric field, which shifts the band-structure alignment across the heterojunction. Finally, high gains over 150 are achieved in the inverters with optimized device geometries, showing great potential for future logic applications. Black phosphorus/molybdenum disulfide heterostructures serve as a building block for logic devices with overall superior performance characteristics.

Lady Justice Ang'awa Judge of the high court of Kenya, Rodrigo Botero former finance minister of Colombia, Baroness Mary Goudie, Prof Linda Scott DP world chair for entrepreneurship and innovation, Said Business School, University of Oxford, Prof Ngaire Woods Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, Shengman Zhang chair, Citi Asia Pacific