The impact and mechanism of vertical fiscal imbalance on green development efficiency: An empirical analysis based on city-level samples in China.

Green development has become a prevalent theme due to the tightening of resource constraints. This article explores the institutional factors that may contribute to the slow pace of green modernization in prefecture-level cities during the new era through the examination of the central-local fiscal relationship that local governments in China must navigate. A two-way fixed-effects model is used to theoretically analyze the impact of the increase in vertical fiscal imbalance (VFI) on green development efficiency (GDE) based statistical data from 270 cities between 2007 and 2020. The research shows that the increase in VFI has an N-shaped nonlinear effect on GDE, which is supported by various robustness and endogeneity tests. The greening process is significantly affected by the fluctuating dynamics of China's central-local fiscal relations. The VFI values of 0.2801 and 0.8892 are important transition points along the GDE curve, representing its peak and valley, respectively. At the end of the study period, only 12.13% of the studied cities experienced a higher quality facilitation effect. Streamlining the relationship between central and local finance is urgently needed for the widespread implementation of greening. The stock and supply of scientific and technological personnel play crucial roles in shaping the impact of the central-local fiscal relationship on green modernization. Specifically, VFI has an inverted U-shaped nonlinear impact on the level of scientific and technological human resources (S&TL). The inflection point occurs at VFI = 0.2710, which is close to the point of GDE. Furthermore, heterogeneity tests indicate that the institutional dividend of VFI is more pronounced in economically developed regions, eastern coastal areas, and regions with a more developed industrial structure. The study provides valuable insights for the government to promote green development. However, the lack of indicators and specific samples, as well as the reliance on limited assumptions, constrains the ability of this study to draw meaningful research conclusions. These limitations highlight the necessity for further related research in the future.

'Skip' osteoporosis vertebral compression fractures caused by electrical injury: a case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Electrical injuries rarely result in fractures, such as long bone fractures and spinal fractures. A few articles have reported osteoporosis vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) caused by electrical injuries. Here, we present a rare case of 37-year-old male suffering from the 9th thoracic (T9) and 5th lumbar (L5) OVCFs after receiving a electric shock. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37-year-old Han male experienced an electric shock (480 V direct current) at the working time and felt immediately serious back pain. He did not fall and lose consciousness. X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging showed acute OVCFs, as well as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry indicated osteoporosis. Normal laboratory tests can avoid secondary osteoporosis resulting from metabolic diseases and tumors. Finally, he was diagnosed with acute discontinuous OVCFs (T9 and L5). The patient denied having a history of back pain, whereas, he had a history of smoking, alcohol abuse, and congenital heart disease (tetralogy of Fallot) were associated with osteoporosis. Considering no local kyphosis and < 50% anterior body compression, we selected conservative treatment for this patient. At a 1-year and 3-year follow-up, the lateral thoracic and lumbar radiography demonstrated no instability of the spine, and the back pain has been relieved. CONCLUSIONS: This rare case reminds us the importance of consulting a detailed medical history when we encounter young patients receiving electrical injuries. Discontinuously OVCFs must not be overlooked, even though we encounter a young man.

Intrapleural injection of brucea javanica oil emulsion provided a long-term benefits in patient with malignant pleural effusion from pleural mesothelioma: A case report.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a severe form of cancer that originates from mesothelium cells. Around 54-90% of mesotheliomas are associated with pleural effusions. Brucea Javanica Oil Emulsion (BJOE) is the processed oil derived from the seeds of Brucea javanica, which has shown potential as a treatment option for several types of cancer. Here, we present a case study of a MPM patient with malignant pleural effusion who received intrapleural injection of BJOE. The treatment resulted in the complete response of pleural effusion and chest tightness. While the precise mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of BJOE for pleural effusion are not yet fully understood, it has demonstrated a satisfactory clinical response without significant adverse effects.

Ectopic Expression of MADS-Box Transcription Factor VvAGL12 from Grape Promotes Early Flowering, Plant Growth, and Production by Regulating Cell-Wall Architecture in Arabidopsis.

The MADS-box family, a substantial group of plant transcription factors, crucially regulates plant growth and development. Although the functions of AGL12-like subgroups have been elucidated in Arabidopsis, rice, and walnut, their roles in grapes remain unexplored. In this study, we isolated VvAGL12, a member of the grape MADS-box group, and investigated its impact on plant growth and biomass production. VvAGL12 was found to localize in the nucleus and exhibit expression in both vegetative and reproductive organs. We introduced VvAGL12 into Arabidopsis thaliana ecotype Columbia-0 and an agl12 mutant. The resulting phenotypes in the agl12 mutant, complementary line, and overexpressed line underscored VvAGL12's ability to promote early flowering, augment plant growth, and enhance production. This was evident from the improved fresh weight, root length, plant height, and seed production, as well as the reduced flowering time. Subsequent transcriptome analysis revealed significant alterations in the expression of genes associated with cell-wall modification and flowering in the transgenic plants. In summary, the findings highlight VvAGL12's pivotal role in the regulation of flowering timing, overall plant growth, and development. This study offers valuable insights, serving as a reference for understanding the influence of the VvAGL12 gene in other plant species and addressing yield-related challenges.

The Glutathione S-Transferase PtGSTF1 Improves Biomass Production and Salt Tolerance through Regulating Xylem Cell Proliferation, Ion Homeostasis and Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging in Poplar.

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) play an essential role in plant cell detoxification and secondary metabolism. However, their accurate functions in the growth and response to abiotic stress in woody plants are still largely unknown. In this work, a Phi class Glutathione S-transferase encoding gene PtGSTF1 was isolated from poplar (P. trichocarpa), and its biological functions in the regulation of biomass production and salt tolerance were investigated in transgenic poplar. PtGSTF1 was ubiquitously expressed in various tissues and organs, with a predominant expression in leaves and inducible expression by salt stress. Transgenic poplar overexpressing PtGSTF1 showed improved shoot growth, wood formation and improved salt tolerance, consistent with the increased xylem cell number and size under normal condition, and the optimized Na+ and K+ homeostasis and strengthened reactive oxygen species scavenging during salt stress. Further transcriptome analyses demonstrated that the expressions of genes related to hydrolase, cell wall modification, ion homeostasis and ROS scavenging were up- or down-regulated in transgenic plants. Our findings imply that PtGSTF1 improves both biomass production and salt tolerance through regulating hydrolase activity, cell wall modification, ion homeostasis and ROS scavenging in transgenic poplar, and that it can be considered as a useful gene candidate for the genetic breeding of new tree varieties with improved growth under salt stress conditions.

A Study on the Impact of Fiscal Decentralization on Green Development from the Perspective of Government Environmental Preferences.

Green development is necessary for China to carry out high-quality economic development. As an important institutional arrangement in the vertical government structure, fiscal decentralization supports regional green development. Local government environmental preferences indicate local environmental protection awareness and affect the process of regional green development to a certain extent. Based on the review of relevant theories and literature, this study conducts an empirical analysis based on Chinese provincial panel data from 2007 to 2019 using a two-way fixed effects model and a panel threshold model. Both revenue decentralization and expenditure decentralization have a U-shaped nonlinear relationship with the green development efficiency calculated by the superefficiency SBM model, which includes undesirable output. Neither factor has a positive effect on green development efficiency at this stage, while local government environmental preferences are positively connected to green development efficiency. Furthermore, a moderating effect is observed in the relationship between fiscal decentralization and green development efficiency. Under the same level of revenue decentralization or expenditure decentralization, the stronger the environmental preferences of the local authority are, the higher the green development efficiency. This moderating effect is more significant in coastal areas than inland areas. Further research reveals a threshold for the moderating effect of local government environmental preferences on fiscal decentralization on green development. When the environmental preferences of local government are below the threshold, both revenue decentralization and expenditure decentralization significantly inhibit the improvement in green development efficiency. After the threshold is passed, the negative effects of both on green development efficiency are markedly curtailed. Then, the government performance appraisal system should be further optimized, fiscal decentralization reform should be strengthened, local financial investment in environmental protection should be expanded, and synergistic regional development should be promoted. China's green development should be promoted to an advanced stage.