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In the high-light environment, young leaves accumulate anthocyanins as a photoprotection strategy. However, anthocyanin biosynthesis-related enzymes gene sequence is still unknown in the leaves of subtropical forest plants. There are thus few reports on the relationship between the expression level of these genes and photoprotection. In this study, Machilus chinensis and Castanopsis chinensis were taken as plant material in a subtropical forest. Non-full-length nucleotide sequences of chalcone synthase, dihydroflavonol 4-reductase, anthocyanin synthase, and ß-tubulin gene were obtained by homologous and electronic cloning. The expression of those genes was verified and analyzed, and some physiological indicators were measured. The anthocyanin content and anthocyanin synthesisrelated gene expression in the young leaves of C. chinensis were significantly higher than that of M. chinensis. Although young leaves of M. chinensis did not accumulate anthocyanins, they showed higher antioxidants and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). This study indicates that anthocyanins, antioxidants, and NPQ together mediate the positive effects on photoadaptation in young leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf senescence is an important event in the plant life cycle. Ethylene and ascorbic acid (AsA) both regulate the leaf senescence process. The role of endogenous AsA in ethylene-induced leaf senescence was explored in two independent endogenous AsA changing Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. The line vtc2-1 with a single base change in VTC was AsAdeficient mutant; the GLDH-overexpressing line (GLDHOE) driven by the CaMV 35S promoter was AsA-overaccumulating mutant. After spraying 600 µM ethephon for 6 d, vtc2-1 showed the most serious leaf chlorosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, chlorophyll breakdown, Rubisco degradation, and had the highest expression level of senescenceassociated genes (SAGs), such as SAG12, SAG13, SAG20, and SAG21 among the three lines. In contrast, GLDHOE maintained the highest photosynthetic pigments contents, Rubisco content, antioxidant capacity, and the lowest expression of SAG2, SAG20, and SAG21 among the three lines. Taken together, we conclude that endogenous AsA can delay ethyleneinduced senescence by scavenging ROS and inhibiting SAGs expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Onchocerciasis in camels is caused by adult Onchocerca spp. and results in great economic losses to the camel industry. However, only a few studies on Onchocerca have been conducted, especially regarding the intermediate host and vector(s). In the present study, 192 camels were examined from December and January during 2013 and 2016, and the filarial larvae suspected to be Onchocerca spp. were further identified. Furthermore, aquatic dipteran insects in the living environment of camels were collected from May to September between 2013 and 2017 and dissected. Eventually, onchocercal lesions were observed in 95 of 192 (49%) camels and the captured insects were classified into 49 species from 42 genera in 21 families, among which 18 species were newly recorded in Inner Mongolia and 14 were haematophagous species. The filarial larvae were found in Culicoides puncticollis and identified as Onchocerca fasciata, indicating that C. puncticollis is the vector of O. fasciata in Inner Mongolia. These findings provide an estimate of onchocerciasis infection in camels and an alternative method of identifying insects and screening vectors using molecular methods. Important data are also provided for the diagnosis and control of onchocerciasis, thereby further filling the gap in knowledge regarding transmission vectors in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase change thermal control method is now widely used in aircraft thermal protection due to its high energy density, constant temperature control, flexible operation, and many other advantages.1-6 However, thermal conductivity of most current phase change materials is low in phase transition process.7-10 This paper will add high thermal nanoparticles to phase change material in order to enhance the thermal conductivity, which, however, has some problems, such as settlement in the macro, reunion at the micro, etc. These problems also influence the improvement of the thermal conductivity. In view of this, a dispersing agent was introduced to these phase change materials, and then the mixed solution was subjected to ultrasonic dispersion. According to the test results, this treatment was effective in maximizing thermal conductivity of the composite phase change materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthocyanins and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) are two important tools that provide photoprotection in plant leaves. In order to understand how plants use these tools for acclimation to changing seasonal conditions, we investigated pigments, antioxidative capacity, and photosynthesis in leaves of an evergreen tree (Acmena acuminatissima) in two contrasting seasons. Young leaves of A. acuminatissima appeared in distinct colors, being light green in summer and red in winter due to the presence of anthocyanins. In the winter young leaves, anthocyanins contributed less than 2% to the antioxidant pool. In the summer, young leaves had higher NPQ than that of mature leaves, but in the winter, they did not derive any NPQ-related advantage over mature leaves. These results suggest that the accumulation of anthocyanins in young leaves in the winter may compensate for the insufficient photoprotection afforded by NPQ and that anthocyanins function as a light attenuator to protect the photochemical apparatus against excess light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the Wetland and Wetland CH4 Intercomparison of Models Project (WETCHIMP) that was created to evaluate the simulation of large-scale wetland characteristics and their associated methane (CH4) emissions. In WETCHIMP, there were three methods were used to estimate wetland extent, that were based on wetland distribution maps, prognostic relations between hydrological states that were based on satellite observations, and hydrological mass balances.