The Guangdong-Macao Intensive Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Intensive Cooperation Zone) has emerged as a pivotal economic hub, attracting Macao residents and enterprises. However, disparities in contract-related rules between the zone and Macao have led to legal challenges. This article delves into a comparative study of contract laws between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Macao. Analyzing key facets such as pacta sunt servanda, freedom of contract, principle of equity, contract form, principles of interpretation, and termination of contract, the study identifies nuanced differences. Recognizing the imperative of aligning contract laws for the Intensive Cooperation Zone’s development, the article advocates for a unified legal environment. To achieve this, the author proposes a model contract law that prioritises the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) as the basis. Notably, Macao’s contract-related rules should govern aspects not covered by the CISG given the policy trend in the Intensive Cooperation Zone. The proposed model law serves as a foundation for legislative reform, aiming to address the existing disparities and promote the Intensive Cooperation Zone’s economic growth.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as tetracyclines, are used to treat and manage a range of infectious disorders. Since the kidneys are the primary organs responsible for excreting tetracyclines, clinicians should refrain from prescribing them to patients who have renal failure. Tetracyclines are one of the clinical waste products of today. One of the biggest problems in the field of pollution of the environment today is the persistence of different pharmaceutical residues, drug residues, pesticides, and metal ion species of the new-generation pollutants in surfaces and groundwater. In the present work, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-CuO nanoparticles (CMC-CuO NPs) were synthesized using CuO NPs within different amounts of CMC (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 g) at 85 °C. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by XRD, FT IR, SEM, and TG-DTA analysis. According to XRD and SEM, the crystallize size and morphology influenced the dosage of CMC. FT-IR analysis confines the layer of CMC to the CuO nanoparticle surface. TG-DTA results indicated that the CMC content of CMC-CuO NPs was between the range of 69% and 75% by weight. The effects of some parameters such as initial concentration, pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time on the adsorption of tetracycline from aqueous model solutions on CMC-CuO NPs were investigated with batch studies. It was found that the removal of tetracycline was obtained about 80% with optimized parameters of 10 mg/L concentration, 180 min contact time, 5 pH, and 0.3 g/25 mL dose. The synthesized CMC-CuO NPs nanocomposite may be a promising material for the removal of tetracycline in environmental pollution and toxicology.

Publications overestimating the medical and ecological sequels of a slight anthropogenic increase in the radiation background have been reviewed recently with examples of different organs and pathological conditions. The overestimation contributed to the strangulation of atomic energy. The use of nuclear energy for electricity production is on the agenda today due to the increasing energy needs of humankind. Apparently, certain scientific writers acted in the interests of fossil fuel producers. Health risks and environmental damage are maximal for coal and oil, lower for natural gas, and much lower for atomic energy. This letter is an addition to previously published materials, this time focused on studies of cataracts in radiation-exposed populations in Russia. Selection and self-selection bias are of particular significance. Apparently, the self-reporting rate correlates with dose estimates and/or with professional awareness about radiation-related risks among nuclear workers or radiologic technologists, the latter being associated with their work experience/duration and hence with the accumulated dose. Individuals informed of their higher doses would more often seek medical advice and receive more attention from medics. As a result, lens opacities are diagnosed in exposed people earlier than in the general population. This explains dose-effect correlations proven for the incidence of cataracts but not for the frequency of cataract surgeries. Along the same lines, various pathological conditions are more often detected in exposed people. Ideological bias and the trimming of statistics have not been unusual in the Russian medical sciences. It is known that ionizing radiation causes cataracts; however, threshold levels associated with risks are understudied. In particular, thresholds for chronic and fractionated exposures are uncertain and may be underestimated.

Beta macrocarpa, Guss is an interesting species showing very low germination rates. The leading objectives of this work were to investigate the dormancy mechanism and to find methods to break dormancy in order to achieve rapid, uniform and high germination. Macro and micro-morphologic analyses were performed by stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed two fruit coats. The yellow external coat or persistent perianth coat (PPC) was accrescent with 5 erect segments contiguous to the operculum of the seed capsule. This coat forms spongy layers (50 to 300 µm thick) that could be eliminated manually. The narrow internal coat or pericarp or achene coat (AC) forms woody joined seed capsules, each presenting a pressed operculum that cannot be manually opened. This coat was not adherent to seeds and was composed of compressed cells (50 to 200 µm thick) which form pockets for salt cristal. Seeds were lentiform (1 to 2 mm diameter and 0.5 to 0.8 mm thick) and highly fragile. The embryo was whitish surrounded peripherally by the perisperm with two highly developed cotyledons and radical. Polyphenol concentrations in both coats showed that after 4 months of collection, total polyphenol concentrations were 4-fold higher in the pericarp than in the persistent perianth. However, after one year, this parameter decreases significantly in the pericarp, whereas, it increases to a larger extent in the perianth. Different germination tests indicated that the pericarp provides a chemical and a physical resistance to seed germination during the first 4 months of the experiment after collection. The chemical dormancy was released to higher levels of total polyphenol compounds that inhibited seed germination and seedling growth. However, the physical dormancy was associated with the hardness of this intern coat which caused a mechanical resistance to radicle emergence. After one year of storage, total polyphenol pericarp concentration decreased notably, and chemical resistance disappeared, whereas the physical one persisted. Consequently, one year of storage pericarp removal is sufficient to break this exogenous dormancy.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of single and mixed infections of nematode (Meloidogyne javanica), fungus (Fusarium oxysporum) and bacterium (Xanthomonas axonopodis) on nodulation and pathological parameters of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterrenea (L.) Verdc.) in field condition. Nematode infested field was used while other pathogens were obtained from diseased plants. The Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was adopted in a 5 × 9 × 5 factorial design (5 blocks, 9 treatments and 5 replicates per treatments) resulting in 225 experimental units. In each experimental unit, three seeds were sown to a depth of 5cm and thinned to one plant per planting hole after germination at day 7. Treatments were inoculated into test plant following standard methods. As a result, the control treatment recorded the highest number of nodules (64.0 ± 6.91), followed by bacterium (45.2 ± 5.11) while N + F + B had the lowest number of root nodules (23.4 ± 2.42). Simultaneous treatment (N + F + B) gave the highest percentage reduction in nodulation (63.44%), followed by treatment N + F7 (56.25%). Fungus treatment recorded the highest mean wilted plants (3.8 + 0.20) followed by N + F7 treatment (3.40 + 0.40). Gall formation in the nematode treatment increased proportionately by 56.33% as the highest recorded, followed by treatment N + F7 with 50.0%. Treatment N + F7 had the highest reproduction factor (Rf) value of 9.30 followed by nematode (8.30), N + B7 (7.40), N + F + B (6.80) and N + F14 (6.50). Zero (0) Rf value was recorded in fungus, bacterium and control treatments. The observed differences in nodulation and pathological parameters among the treatments are significant (P < 0.05). The data provided in this work is important in the control of the three pathogens affecting the productivity of Bambara nut. Formulation of a single protectant should be designed to have potent effects on the three pathogens to achieve effective protection and good production of Bambara nut.

The augmentation of firm performance via customer concentration is particularly indispensable for organizational evolution. Both trade credit financing and financing constraints play pivotal roles in the nexus between customer concentration and performance. This research constructs a moderated mediation model to rigorously investigate the impact of customer concentration on firm performance, positing trade credit financing as the mediating variable and financing constraints as the moderating variable. The relevant hypotheses are evaluated empirically using panel data compiled from listed manufacturing firms in China over the period 2013–2020, yielding 8 firm-year observations. The empirical outcomes denote that customer concentration exerts a positive influence on firm performance, albeit having a negative impact on trade credit financing. Trade credit financing serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between customer concentration and manufacturing firm performance. Financing constraints are found to positively moderate the mediating role of trade credit financing in the relationship between customer concentration and firm performance. This research broadens the understanding of the implications of customer relationships on trade credit financing and performance, thereby enriching the knowledge base for managing a firm’s financing channels more effectively.