Search

Viruses often usurp host machineries for their amplification, but it remains unclear if hosts may subvert virus proteins to regulate viral proliferation. Here, we show that the 17K protein, an important virulence factor conserved in barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) and related poleroviruses, is phosphorylated by host GRIK1-SnRK1 kinases, with the phosphorylated 17K (P17K) capable of enhancing the abundance of virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) and thus antiviral RNAi. Furthermore, P17K interacts with barley small RNA-degrading nuclease 1 (HvSDN1) and impedes HvSDN1-catalyzed vsiRNA degradation. Additionally, P17K weakens the HvSDN1-HvAGO1 interaction, thus hindering HvSDN1 from accessing and degrading HvAGO1-carried vsiRNAs. Importantly, transgenic expression of 17K phosphomimetics (17K

Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) is the most widely distributed tick species globally and plays a major role in tick-borne pathogen transmission among canine populations. The microbial community of this tick has not been characterized previously in Nigeria. Thus, in this study, the bacterial diversity in R. sanguineus collected from two states in Nigeria was explored using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing (IonS5TM XL sequencing platform). Three hundred genera (although 18 groups belong to unidentified genera) of bacteria belonging to 22 phyla were detected after pooling and sequencing, indicating a diverse bacterial community profile. At the phylum level, Actinobacteria (47.39%) was the most abundant phylum in the Benue state samples, followed by Proteobacteria (43.87%) and Firmicutes (8.21%), whereas Fusobacteria (38.14%) was the most abundant phylum in Plateau state samples, followed by Bacteroidetes (17.57%) and Firmicutes (17.54%). Proteobacteria accounts for 17% of samples from Plateau state. In general, Cetobacterium (35.86%) was the most abundant genus, followed by an unidentified genus under Corynebacteriaceae (29.94%) and Stenotrophomonas (19.52%). Coxiella spp., one common endosymbiont found in various tick species, was present in R. sanguineus. This study provides a baseline of knowledge of the bacterial microbiome of R. sanguineus in Nigeria. Nonpathogenic bacteria species were prevalent, and not much is known about their role. Thus, their composition, functional, and ecologic implications merit further investigation because this will aid in the subsequent management of ticks and tick-borne diseases.

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) have raised an increasing public concern due to their harmful impacts. To explore the occurrence and distribution of OPPs in southeastern China marginal seas (SCMS), a sampling campaign was carried out from East China Sea (ECS) to South China Sea (SCS). A total of 33 OPPs are quantified with the ΣOPPs concentrations ranging from 4.73 to 14.15 ng/L. Higher ΣOPPs concentrations in the surface seawater from the estuaries of Yangtze River, Minjiang River, and Pearl River than those at other sampling sites indicates that riverine emissions are the principal sources of OPPs in SCMS. Different compositions of OPPs in ECS and SCS highlight the different priority of use categories for OPPs in China coastal region. In addition, the vertical diffusion and upwelling ocean currents play critical roles in the redistribution of OPPs in SCMS. For the first time, the ΣOPPs mass inventories in surface seawater of ECS and SCS are estimated at 8.51 and 11.26 t, respectively. Although the current ecological risk of OPPs is at low level in surface seawater of SCMS, the long-term use and bio-accumulative potential point to the necessity for the normalized monitoring of OPPs in China.

Summary Powdery mildew disease, elicited by the obligate fungal pathogen Blumeria graminis f.sp. tritici (Bgt), causes widespread yield losses in global wheat crop. However, the molecular mechanisms governing wheat defense to Bgt are still not well understood.Here we found that TuACO3, encoding the 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase functioning in ethylene (ET) biosynthesis, was induced by Bgt infection of the einkorn wheat Triticum urartu, which was accompanied by increased ET content. Silencing TuACO3 decreased ET production and compromised wheat defense to Bgt, whereas both processes were enhanced in the transgenic wheat overexpressing TuACO3.TuMYB46L, phylogenetically related to Arabidopsis MYB transcription factor AtMYB46, was found to bind to the TuACO3 promoter region in yeast‐one‐hybrid and EMSA experiments. TuMYB46L expression decreased rapidly following Bgt infection. Silencing TuMYB46L promoted ET content and Bgt defense, but the reverse was observed when TuMYB46L was overexpressed.Hence, decreased expression of TuMYB46L permits elevated function of TuACO3 in ET biosynthesis in Bgt‐infected wheat. The TuMYB46L‐TuACO3 module regulates ET biosynthesis to promote einkorn wheat defense against Bgt. Furthermore, we found four chitinase genes acting downstream of the TuMYB46L‐TuACO3 module. Collectively, our data shed a new light on the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat defense to Bgt.

Due to the complexity of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) target tracking scenarios, tracking drift caused by target occlusion is common and has no suitable solution. In this paper, an occlusion-resistant target tracking algorithm based on the correlated filter tracking model is proposed. First, instead of the traditional target tracking model that uses single template matching to locate the target, we locate the target by finding the optimal match based on multiple candidates templates matching. Then, in order to increase the accuracy of matching, we use the self-attentive mechanism for feature enhancement. We experiment our proposed algorithm on datasets OTB100 and UAV123, respectively, and the results show that the tracking accuracy of our algorithm outperforms the traditional correlated filtered target tracking model. In addition, we have also tested the anti-occlusion performance of our proposed algorithm on some video sequences in which the target is occluded. The results show that our proposed algorithm has a certain resistance to occlusion, especially in the UAV tracking scenario.

We studied 19 targets currently using organochlorine pesticides (CUOCPs) from 98 samples in the Western Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea collected in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The samples were analyzed using a novel High-throat/High-volume Solid-Phase Extraction method. Eighteen individual CUOCPs were above the method detection limits. The levels of ∑

Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative soil-dwelling bacillus that causes melioidosis, a frequently fatal infectious disease, in tropical and subtropical regions. Previous studies have identified the overall genetic and evolutionary characteristics of B. pseudomallei on a global scale, including its origin and transmission routes. However, beyond its known hyperendemicity foci in northern Australia and Southeast Asia, the distribution and genetic characteristics of B. pseudomallei in most tropical regions remain poorly understood, including in southern China. Here, we sequenced the genomes of 122 B. pseudomallei strains collected from Hainan, an island in southern China, in 2002–2018, to investigate the population structure, relationships with global strains, local epidemiology, and virulence and antimicrobial-resistance factors. A phylogenetic analysis and hierarchical clustering divided the Hainan strains into nine phylogenic groups (PGs), 80 % of which were concentrated within five major groups (group 1: corresponding to minor sequence types [STs], 12.3 %; group 3: ST46 and ST50, 31.1 %; group 9: ST58, 13.1 %; group 11: ST55, 8.2 %; group 15: mainly ST658, 15.6%). A phylogenetic analysis that included global strains suggested that B. pseudomallei in Hainan originated from Southeast Asian countries, transmitted in multiple historical importation events. We also identified several mutual transmission events between Hainan and Southeast Asian countries in recent years, including three importation events from Thailand and Singapore to Hainan and three exportation events from Hainan to Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan island. A statistical analysis of the temporal distribution showed that the Hainan strains of groups 3, 9, and 15 have dominated the disease epidemic locally in the last 5 years. The spatial distribution of the Hainan strains demonstrated that some PGs are distributed in different cities on Hainan island, and by combining phylogenic and geographic distribution information, we detected 21 between-city transmission events, indicating its frequent local transmission. The detection of virulence factor genes showed that 56 % of the Hainan strains in group 1 encode a B. pseudomallei -specific adherence factor, boaB, confirming the specific pathogenic characteristics of the Hainan strains in group 1. An analysis of the antimicrobial-resistance potential of B. pseudomallei showed that various kinds of alterations were identified in clinically relevant antibiotic resistance factors, such as AmrR, PenA and PBP3, etc. Our results clarify the population structure, local epidemiology, and pathogenic characteristics of B. pseudomallei in Hainan, providing further insight into its regional and global transmission networks and improving our knowledge of its global phylogeography.

In order to solve the problem of low accuracy of fault diagnosis algorithms caused by increased network dynamics, this paper proposes a dynamic network fault diagnosis algorithm under 5G network slices. By calculating the failure credibility of each link, a clustering algorithm is used to cluster the symptoms to correct the false symptoms. When constructing the fault propagation model, the time slice t is added to the fault propagation model, thereby depicting different network models in different time slices. Finally, locate the fault by solving the original state and current state of the faulty node. The experimental part compares the algorithm of this paper with the existing algorithm, and verifies that the algorithm of this paper improves the performance of the fault diagnosis algorithm.

Juvenile hormone (JH) acts as a gonadotrophic hormone stimulating insect vitellogenesis and oogenesis. Paracellular transport of yolk proteins through intercellular channels (patency) in the follicular epithelium is a developmentally regulated and evolutionarily conserved process during vitellogenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying patency opening are poorly understood. Using the migratory locust Locusta migratoria as a model system, we report here that JH-regulated remodeling of zonula adherens (ZA), the belt-like adherens junction maintaining physical linking between follicle cells controlled the opening of patency. JH triggered phosphorylation of Partitioning defective protein 3 (Par3) via a signaling cascade including G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), small GTPase Cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) and atypical Protein kinase C (aPKC). Par3 phosphorylation resulted in its disassociation from β-Catenin, the cytoplasmic partner of ZA core component E-Cadherin. Release of Par3 from the β-Catenin/E-Cadherin complex caused ZA disassembly at tricellular contacts, consequently leading to patency enlargement. This study provides new insight into how JH stimulates insect vitellogenesis and egg production via inducing the opening of paracellular route for vitellogenin transport crossing the follicular epithelium barrier.

In this study, we reported the occurrence of eight organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) in the East China Sea. Forty samples were collected and analysed with a high volume solid phase extraction method (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE) in the early summer of 2020. All the target OPPs were detected in the surface water at one or more stations in the East China Sea, and the concentrations of ΣOPPs were in the range 0.0775–3.09 ng/L (mean: 0.862 ± 0.624 ng/L). Terbufos sulfone and fenthion were the main pollutants in this area, probably resulting from pesticide use in China and other countries. The off-shore input from coastal regions was suggested to be a major source of OPP pollution in the East China Sea, and the movement of ocean currents played an important role in their transportation because around 0.86 t OPPs passed through the Tsushima Strait from the East China Sea each month. An ecological risk assessment showed that these OPPs presented a high risk to species in the East China Sea, whereas they posed no health risk to humans under both the median and high exposure scenario.

Twenty-eight samples of surface seawater were collected from the West Pacific Ocean during 2019 using a high-volume solid-phase extraction with high-throughput organic analysis (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE) method, and concentrations of 10 organophosphate ester flame retardants and plasticizers (OPEs) were determined. The total OPE concentration in the samples was 3.02–48.4 ng L−1 (mean 25.0 ± 10.5 ng L−1), with tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) being the largest contributor. Cluster analysis results showed off-shore input from the coast of East and Southeast Asia was an important source of these chemicals. Tri-p-tolyl phosphate (TpTP) should also be considered for long-term monitoring, because of its high detection frequency. Results of a risk assessment indicated low ecological risk to species in the West Pacific Ocean for TPhP and ΣOPEs. Hazard quotients (HQs) were all

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are typical industrial additives widely applied in various industrial and household products, but they may pollute drinking water. In the present study, the occurrence of OPEs in drinking water was analyzed. For this purpose, 25 drinking water samples were collected from households in 25 cities in China. The concentrations of OPEs were accurately determined according to a high-throughput organic analysis testing combined with high-volume solid phase extraction (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE) technique. Through this technique, nine OPEs were detected, with spiked recoveries from 77% to 101%, and their total concentrations (ΣOPEs) ranging from 46.8 to 251 (average 126) ng L−1. The detection frequencies of the selected OPEs determined via Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE were 88.0%–100%, which are much higher than those previously reported. The limit of detections of the OPEs was low at 20 L). OPEs in drinking water presented a decreasing trend from cities in coastal provinces to inland cities of China. Redundancy analysis showed that the concentrations of OPEs in drinking water were significantly influenced by economic–demographic influencing factors. The non-carcinogenic and lifetime carcinogenic risks (non-CR and CR) of the analyzed OPEs in drinking water were negligible for urban residents in China.

Plants have developed sophisticated strategies to coordinate growth and immunity, but our understanding of the underlying mechanism remains limited. In this study, we identified a novel molecular module that regulates plant growth and defense in both compatible and incompatible infections. This module consisted of BZR1, a key transcription factor in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling, and EDS1, an essential positive regulator of plant innate immunity. We found that EDS1 interacts with BZR1 and suppresses its transcriptional activities. Consistently, upregulation of EDS1 function by a virulent Pseudomonas syringae strain or salicylic acid treatment inhibited BZR1-regulated expression of BR-responsive genes and BR-promoted growth. Furthermore, we showed that the cytoplasmic fraction of BZR1 positively regulates effector-triggered immunity (ETI) controlled by the TIR-NB-LRR protein RPS4, which is attenuated by BZR1's nuclear translocation. Mechanistically, cytoplasmic BZR1 facilitated AvrRps4-triggered dissociation of EDS1 and RPS4 by binding to EDS1, thus leading to efficient activation of RPS4-controlled ETI. Notably, transgenic expression of a mutant BZR1 that accumulates exclusively in the cytoplasm improved pathogen resistance without compromising plant growth. Collectively, these results shed new light on plant growth-defense coordination and reveal a previously unknown function for the cytoplasmic fraction of BZR1. The BZR1-EDS1 module may be harnessed for the simultaneous improvement of crop productivity and pathogen resistance.

High demands for but strict regulatory measures on Organophosphorus Flame Retardants (OPFRs) have resulted in mainland China transitioning from the region that imports OPRFs to one that exports these substances. Simultaneously, large quantities of terrigenous OPFRs have been exported to adjacent seas by the major river systems, particularly the Yangtze River. This study examined the presence of ten OPFRs in China's adjacent seas. High levels of OPFRs were observed in seas south of mainland China, with Tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and Tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) dominant. The terrigenous OPFRs were redistributed by the ocean surface currents, with OPFRs tending to accumulate in regions with lower current speed. The producers of OPFRs are mainly distributed along the Haihe, Yellow, and Yangtze river systems. The application of OPFRs to electric vehicle charging stations, charging connectors, and 5G infrastructure in the Chinese mainland will likely drive rapid growth in OPFR related industry in the future. The diffusion trend map of OPFR indicated that the Bohai Sea and the central northern Yellow Sea are at high risk of ecological damage in the spring. The offshore region of the north of the South China Sea tended to aggregate more OPFRs in summer. Regions of the OPFR aggregation effect were at a higher risk of ecological damage.

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) are among the most commonly used pesticides worldwide. However, these compounds pose a serious threat to aquatic environments. Here, thirty-seven pesticides and eight degradation products were determined in surface water samples from Tai Lake, East China, using a high-volume solid phase extraction technique (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE). Surface water was pumped in-situ through a portable sampler, and OPPs in the water retained on the Hi-volume SPE adsorption column, finally extracted for analysis. This technique efficiently reduced the detection limits to below 0.3 ng/L. In total, 40 out of 45 OPP congeners were detected, which far exceeded the amount of OPPs in previous studies. The total concentration of OPPs ranged between 101.4 and 1530 ng/L (median: 378.9 ng/L). Parathion exhibited the highest concentration (median: 112.0 ng/L), followed by paraoxon-methyl (median: 90.3 ng/L), as well as carbophenothion, fenthion, and mevinphos. Agricultural areas were more polluted than residential and industrial regions. However, degradation products persisted in residential and industrial waters. The ecological risks of OPPs in these areas were estimated based on the risk quotient index (RQ). Parathion, fenthion, carbophenothion, and tolclofos-methyl occurred at high-risk levels, and the levels of degradation products were also non-trivial. Our findings thus indicated that OPP degradation products pose a potential threat to natural environments and should therefore be closely monitored.

To explore the genetic diversity of Yersinia pestis in Erenhot, China, and their relationship with Mongolia strains, we collected and sequenced three Y. pestis strains from Erenhot, China, in 2018. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of three Y. pestis bv. Medievalis strains belonging to the 2.MED phylogroup that were circulating in Meriones unguiculatus populations., To explore the genetic diversity of Yersinia pestis strains in Erenhot, China, and their relationship with Mongolian strains, we collected and sequenced three Y. pestis strains from Erenhot, China, in 2018. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of three Y. pestis bv. Medievalis strains belonging to the 2.MED phylogroup that were circulating in Meriones unguiculatus populations.

Here, we report the draft genome sequences of two Yersinia pestis bv. Antiqua strains, belonging to the 3.ANT phylogroup, that were isolated in Mongolia and were circulating in marmot populations.

Large-scale field investigations of 7 legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the surface seawater and atmosphere from East Asia to the high Arctic Ocean were completed in 2017 and 2016. Seawate...

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), a superfamily of integral transmembrane proteins regulate a variety of physiological processes in insects. Juvenile hormone (JH) is known to stimulate Vitellogenin (Vg) synthesis in the fat body, secretion into the hemolymph and uptake by developing oocytes. However, the role of GPCRs in JH-dependent insect vitellogenesis and oocyte maturation remains elusive. In the present study, we performed transcriptomic analysis and RNA interference (RNAi) screening in vitellogenic females of the migratory locust Locusta migratoria. Of 22 GPCRs identified in ovarian transcriptome, LGR4, OR-A1, OR-A2, Mthl1, Mthl5 and Smo were most abundant in the ovary. By comparison, mAChR-C expressed at higher levels in the fat body, whereas Oct/TyrR, OARβ, AdoR and ADGRA3 were at higher expression levels in the brain. Our RNAi screening demonstrated that knockdown of six GPCRs resulted in defective phenotypes of Vg accumulation in developing oocytes, accompanied by blocked ovarian development and impaired oocyte maturation. While LGR4 and Oct/TyrR appeared to control Vg synthesis in the fat body, OR-A1, OR-A2, mAChR-C and CirlL regulated Vg transportation and uptake. The findings provide fundamental evidence for deciphering the regulatory mechanisms of GPCRs in JH-stimulated insect reproduction.

Background China’s industrial wastewater pollution control policy urgently needs to change from government enforcement to market economy incentive, especially in regions with mature market economic conditions and improved legislative basis like Yangtze River Delta. The economic principles of Water Emissions Trading policy are to achieve a win–win situation in which pollution could be controlled meanwhile abatement costs are minimized. Existing regulations lack rules and restrictions for cross-industrial wastewater emission trading, nevertheless not all wastewater from various industrial sectors are suitable for emissions trading with each other. This study attempted to determine tradable levels of wastewater emissions rights within the selected 10 industries based on the similarity of wastewater composition. Results The result is presented in a tradable level matrix. It shows that of all industrial wastewater, the most suitable for emissions trading are, respectively, Textile and Paper Production, Manufacture of General Purpose Machinery and Manufacture of Transport, and then Chemistry Production and Pharmaceuticals. Conclusion Generally, this paper provides a systematic calculation method according to the similarity analysis to formulate cross-industrial wastewater emissions trading for policy reference. At the end of the article, a rationality analysis of the domestic wastewater emissions trading pilot programs was made. Even though the current wastewater emissions trading situation is not up to expectations, individual enterprises actively achieved emission reductions to play as the supply sides in the wastewater emissions trading under economic incentive from such a policy.

Background The Yangtze Estuary acts as gateways where microplastics transport from freshwater into marine environments, with one of the largest discharge volumes in the world. The occurrence of microplastics in surface water and sediments of the Yangtze Estuary has been reported. However, little is known about microplastics in and around Chongming Island in the estuary. In this study, the distribution of microplastics in surface water and sediments of Chongming Island was investigated and compared in different environmental medium. Results Abundances of microplastics in surface water and sediments were in the ranges of 0–259 items m− 3 and 10–60 items kg− 1 dry weight, respectively. Microplastics were more abundant in the surface water of the Yangtze River shores than in the inland rivers (p 72%) were Conclusion This is the first study to focus on microplastics in inland watercourses on Chongming Island and along the Yangtze River’s shores in both phases. There were differences between the island and estuary in composition and density due to the distinct vertical mixing processes. The in situ filtration of surface water (100 L) sampling method was well employed in various freshwater environments and free of plastic materials in front of the filter, analysis results of which provided an important baseline reference for evaluating microplastic pollution in the Yangtze Estuary.

Additional file 1: Table S1. Sampling information and analysis results of all sampling sites in the Yangtze Estuary. Table S2. Detailed information of non-plastic particles found on the filter. Table S3. Comparison of different sized MPs. Table S4. Component matrix of surface water data. Table S5. Component matrix of sediment data. Table S6. Density information of identified polymers in this study. Figure S1. Map of sampling sites. Figure S2. Flow diagram of sample’s transportation. Figure S3. Component plot of surface water data. Figure S4. Component plot of sediment data

A single-celled green algaCoccomyxagreatwallensisShunan Cao & Qiming Zhou,sp. nov., isolated from a specimen of Antarctic lichenPsoromahypnorum(Vahl) Gray, is described and illustrated based on a comprehensive investigation of morphology, ultrastructure, ecology and phylogeny. The cells ofC.greatwallensisare ovoid to long ellipsoidal and measured 3–5 µm × 6–12 µm. The new species has distinct ITS rDNA and SSU rDNA sequences and differs from the phylogenetic closely related speciesC.antarctica,C.arvernensisandC.viridisin cell size, distribution and habitat.

Triticum urartu (AA, 2n = 2x = 14), a wild grass endemic to the Fertile Crescent (FC), is the progenitor of the A subgenome in common wheat. It belongs to the primary gene pool for wheat improvement. Here, we evaluated the yellow rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, Pst) reactions of 147 T. urartu accessions collected from different parts of the FC. The reactions varied from susceptibility to strong resistance. In general, there were more accessions with stronger resistance to race CYR33 than to CYR 32. In most cases the main form of defense was a moderate resistance characterized by the presence of necrotic/chlorotic lesions with fewer Pst uredinia on the leaves. Forty two accessions displayed resistance to both races. Histological analysis showed that Pst growth was abundant in the compatible interaction but significantly suppressed by the resistant response. Gene silencing mediated by Barley stripe mosaic virus was effective in two T. urartu accessions with different resistance responses, indicating that this method can expedite future functional analysis of resistance genes. Our data suggest that T. urartu is a valuable source of resistance to yellow rust, and represents a model for studying the genetic, genomic and molecular basis underlying interaction between wheat and Pst. Keywords: Common wheat, Disease resistance, Gene silencing, Puccinia striiformis

The bioaccumulative, persistent and toxic properties of long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) resulted in strict regulations on PFAAs, especially in developed countries. Consequently, the industry manufacturing of PFAAs shifts from long-chain to short-chain. In order to better understand the pollution situation of PFAAs in marine environment under this new circumstance, the occurrence of 17 linear PFAAs was investigated in 30 surface seawater samples from the North Pacific to Arctic Ocean (123°E to 24°W, 32 to 82°N) during the sixth Chinese Arctic Expedition in 2014. Total concentrations of PFAAs (∑PFAAs) were between 346.9 pg per liter (pg/L) to 3045.3 pg/L. The average concentrations of ∑PFAAs decreased in the order of East China Sea (2791.4 pg/L, n = 2), Sea of Japan (East Sea) (832.8 pg/L, n = 6), Arctic Ocean (516.9 pg/L, n = 7), Chukchi Sea (505.2 pg/L, n = 4), Bering Sea (501.2 pg/L, n = 8) and Sea of Okhotsk (417.7 pg/L, n = 3). C4 to C9 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were detected in more than 80% of the surface water samples. Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) was the most prevalent compound and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was the second abundant homolog. The concentration of individual PFAAs in the surface seawater of East China Sea was much higher than other sampling seas. As the spatial distribution of PFAAs in the marine environment was mainly influenced by the river inflow from the basin countries, which proved the large input from China. Furthermore, the marginal seas of China were found with the greatest burden of PFOA comparing the pollution level in surface seawater worldwide. PFBA concentration in the surrounding seas of China was also high, but distributed more evenly with an obvious increase in recent years. This large-scale monitoring survey will help the improvement and development of PFAAs regulations and management, where production shift should be taken into consideration.

With the recent restrictions of the use of high-toxic organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), other OCPs with possibly lower toxicities have become increasingly popular, herein referred to as the currently used organochlorine pesticides (CUOCPs). Drinking water is one of the most valuable resources for the preservation of life, and it is susceptible to pollution by CUOCPs. However, there are no existing data on the occurrence and human exposures to CUOCPs in drinking water, thus there are growing concerns over the potential health hazards of these undetected chemicals. In this study, an emerging high-throughput organic analysis testing combined with a high-volume solid-phase extraction technique was utilized to explore the potential presence and human exposures to the CUOCPs in two types of drinking water (namely, tap water (TW) and bottled water (BW)) samples from eight cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, China. The study overcomes the deficiencies of recent investigations on the trace/ultra-trace organic pollution of drinking water. The results reveal that the total concentrations of the eighteen target CUOCPs (Σ18CUOCPs) in the TW and BW samples were 2.68–11.7 ng L–1 (mean 6.11 ± 2.20 ng L–1) and 0.63–2.75 ng L–1 (mean 1.37 ± 0.64 ng L–1), respectively. The concentrations of most of the detected CUOCPs in BW were significantly lower than those in TW, indicating generally lower CUOCP pollution levels in BW. This is possibly related to the higher source-water quality and more advanced treatment processes for BW production. Meanwhile, the concentrations of the ΣCUOCPs in TW from the urban areas of the studied cities were generally higher than those from the suburban areas. This was mainly attributed to the concentrations of the dominant CUOCPs in TW, such as tetradifon and dichlobenil. However, with the rapid urbanization of the cities, the concentrations of other individual CUOCPs in TW showed no significant differences between the samples from the urban and suburban areas. Besides, the estimated daily intake of the CUOCPs from TW was approximately 0.5 ng (kg of body weight (bw))−1 d−1 for males and females, which is considerably higher than the corresponding approximate value for BW (∼0.1 ng (kg of bw)−1 d−1). Thus, the study revealed that the harmful exposure to CUOCPs was lower in BW than in TW.

We examined per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in air from eight cities, and in water from six drinking-water treatment plants (DWTPs), in central eastern China. We analyzed raw and treated water samples from the DWTPs for 17 ionic PFASs with high-performance liquid chromatography/negative-electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/(-)ESI-MS/MS), and analyzed the gas and particle phases of atmospheric samples for 12 neutral PFASs by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) were the dominant compounds in drinking water, and fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) dominated in atmospheric samples. Of all the compounds in the treated water samples, the concentration of PFOA, at 51.0 ng L

With priorities to reach a carbon emission peak and integrated development involving ecological demonstration, a systematic evaluation on the energy efficiency and internal discrepancies of wastewater treatment plants in the Yangtze River Delta region is needed. In this study, a slacks-based measure data envelopment analysis model was applied to quantify the relative energy efficiency of 270 regional wastewater treatment plants. Based on the score of relative energy efficiency, the internal discrepancies of the region were identified through a method combining spatial and sensitivity analysis. Although the wastewater treatment plants had met the pollutant limits of discharge standards, the result of data envelopment analysis showed that 253 wastewater treatment plants were inefficient (with efficiency scores less than 1) due to input excess or output shortfall, indicating substantial potential for improving the energy efficiency. Besides, binary logistic regression demonstrated the significant impact from explanatory factors including designed capacity (104 m3/d), loading rate (%), influent ratio of chemical oxygen demand to total nitrogen, and influent concentration (mg/L) of chemical oxygen demand. Moreover, with regards to regional discrepancies, proportion of efficient wastewater treatment plants for Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui differs significantly. The area surrounding Taihu Lake was recognized as the trough of the Yangtze River Delta region in terms of the relative energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants. This paper would give a reference for optimization of wastewater treatment plants in the study area and the evaluation framework on internal discrepancies might also be useful for other regions worldwide.

Eighteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in benthos collected onboard the 'Snow Dragon' in the Northern Bering Sea Shelf and Chukchi Sea Shelf during the 6th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE 2014). Σ18PAHs for all biota samples ranged from 34.2 to 128.1 ng/g dry weight (dw), with the highest concentration observed in fish muscle (Boreogadus saida) samples close to St. Lawrence Island. The PAH composition pattern was dominated by the presence of lighter 3 ring (57%) and 2 ring (28%) PAHs, indicating oil-related or petrogenic sources as important origins of PAH contamination. Concentrations of alkyl-PAHs (1-methylnaphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene) were lower than their parent PAH (naphthalene) in all biological tissue, and their percentage also decreased significantly (p

Endosulfan I, II, and sulfate were detected in the atmosphere and surface seawater on a global scale during three Chinese National Arctic-Antarctic Research Expeditions in 2016 and 2017. Concentrations of the three species displayed seasonal variations in seawater in the Northern Hemisphere but remained steadily low on Antarctic coasts. Endosulfan sulfate was predominant in the Northern Hemisphere, whereas isomer I was more abundant in the Southern Hemisphere. Endosulfan was detected in the atmosphere over the western Pacific Ocean but rarely in the central Arctic and North Atlantic oceans. Its concentration in seawater increased with increasing latitude in the Southern Ocean. Although fugacity ratios indicate a strong potential for deposition of endosulfan, air-seawater exchange may be slow, as suggested by the large differences between atmospheric and seawater concentrations. Ocean current endosulfan loads varied markedly between seasons. Three-day backward trajectories indicate that Northeast Asia is the major source of atmospheric endosulfan in the western Pacific Ocean, whereas the central Arctic and North Atlantic oceans are affected more by local air masses.

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are ubiquitous and toxic environmental pollutants, and have recently attracted much research attention. However, their occurrence in tapwater and the associated potential health risks have not been thoroughly studied. This work examined 26 household tapwater samples collected in 26 Chinese cities during August and September 2019. Concentrations of 79 SVOCs, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polychlorobenzenes (CBs), were determined using an emerging method of high throughput organic analysis testing combined with high volume solid phase extraction (Hi-throat/Hi-volume SPE). Total concentrations of PAHs, PCBs, OCPs, and CBs were in the ranges 8.70–103 ng L−1 (average 42.1 ng L−1), 61.6–434 pg L−1 (average 274 pg L−1), 13.1–266 pg L−1 (average 59.8 pg L−1), and 3.5–83.0 pg L−1 (average 13.8 pg L−1), respectively. PAHs were the dominant SVOCs, with concentrations 10–100 times those of PCBs, OCPs, and CBs. All the studied SVOCs had concentrations deemed acceptable by Chinese national tapwater standards. These measured SVOCs displayed little spatial variation across China, but were significantly correlated with the size of the economy and population of each city. The human non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the studied SVOCs in Chinese tapwater are negligible.

The single celled green alga Coccomyxaantarctica Shunan Cao & Qiming Zhou, sp. nov. was isolated from the Antarctic torrential lichen Usneaaurantiacoatra (Jacq.) Bory. It is described and illustrated based on a comprehensive study of its morphology, ultrastructure, ecology and phylogeny. C.antarctica is a lichenicolous alga which has elongated cells and contains a parietal chloroplast as observed under the microscope. C.antarctica is clearly different from other species by phylogenetic analysis (ITS rDNA and SSU rDNA sequences), also it differs from its phylogenetic closely species C.viridis by its larger cell size.

Aiming at the characteristics of large volume, fast storage and interaction speed of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) freight data, a new real-time storage optimization method for UAV freight stream data based on HBase is designed. In this paper, we introduce the JavaNIO non-blocking communication technology to reduce system overhead, and adopts a multi-queue thread pool mechanism of priority dynamic switching to solve the problem of high concurrent transaction processing. Finally, the data is stored in parallel to the HBase cluster server using the row key optimization strategy and the multi-source data queue partition strategy. The experimental results show that compared with the native HBase method, the storage performance of the system is greatly improved, and it has a good performance of high concurrent transaction processing.

We investigated the distribution of 17 individual per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in 42 surface water samples collected from the East and South China Seas (7.0-36.0°N, 110.0°N-123.0°E). Concentrations of 7 individual PFASs, including perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPA), perfluorohexanoate (PFHxA), perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA), were quantified in the East China Sea, but only concentrations of PFOA and FOSA were quantified in the South China Sea. The total concentrations of the 17 PFASs ranged from 181 to 2658pg/L in the East China Sea and from 62 to 494pg/L in the South China Sea. We also show that river fluxes and ocean currents had a strong influence on the distribution of PFASs in the East China Sea. Using ArcGIS 10.1, we show how ocean currents control the spatial distribution of PFOA in the central South China Sea.

The respiratory rhythms of Japanese medaka is considered to be an efficient indicator for monitoring water quality since they are sensitive to chemicals and can be measured directly from the movement of fish gill tissue generated by their breathe. However, few methods have been established to measure the feature of small free-swimming fish intuitively. In this article, a method is proposed to measure the influence of the pollution to the Japanese medaka's respiratory rhythms with computer vision technology in real time. In order to get the images which contains the complete gill tissue remotely and steadily, a special object container and an experiment platform are designed. With the aim of capturing Japanese medaka's respiratory rhythms in real time, a set of image processing algorithms such as the color distribution table, Support Vector Machine (SVM), adaptive boosting (Adaboost) and mathematical morphology are applied. Then, in order to verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the whole method, fourteen groups of Japanese medakas are respectively exposed to copper ions solutions with different concentrations of 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 mg/L for 48 h. The comparison between the human eyes observation and the above method indicates that the data obtained through the method is generally accurate. We found that the respiratory rate of Japanese medaka showed a downward trend initially when exposed in the copper ions solution, afterwards fluctuated repeatly arounding the lower rate, before death, the respiratory rate rised slowly for a while. With the increase of concentration, this trend will be more obvious. But the above phenomenon is absolutely different from that in the standard dilution water. Moreover, the two kinds of special respiratory rhythm of medakas poisoning were discovered. This method can be widely applied to study some toxic substances' effects on Japanese medaka's respiratory rhythms and to assess the degree of risk of the water environment.

Effects of two acaricides, permethrin and amitraz, with different modes of action, on gas exchange and water balance of the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum , were examined using a flow-through carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water vapor analyzer. Untreated adult female ticks exhibited a distinct discontinuous gas exchange pattern (DGEP) with no measurable water loss. Similarly, ticks with acetone (a solvent) showed little change in gas exchange and water loss. Topical treatment of ticks with a lethal dose of permethrin caused immediate major water loss and long-lasting high frequency DGEP, with increased amplitude of CO 2 release. A small water loss spike was observed for each CO 2 release. Treatment of ticks with amitraz abolished the DGEP and elicited a long-lasting continuous gas exchange pattern, indicating significantly increased tick metabolism. No detectable water loss was observed during amitraz-elicited continuous gas exchange. Treatment of ticks with a mixture of sub-lethal doses of permethrin and amitraz caused a similar initial major water loss, as in permethrin-treated ticks, followed by a second period of water loss activity at 10–14 h after treatment. Mixture of the two acaricides caused immediate onset of major chaotic CO 2 release activities with a significantly elevated baseline CO 2 emission level. The standard metabolism rate (SMR, VCO 2 ) of acetone-treated ticks (0.452 μl h −1 ) was similar to that of the untreated ticks (0.461 μl h −1 ). Compared to untreated control ticks, permethrin-, amitraz-, and the acaricide mixture-treated ticks exhibited significantly increased SMR (1.054, 1.392 and 1.520 μl h −1 respectively ( P 2 gas exchange and water balance in A. americanum ticks. The data also revealed subtle differences between permethrin and amitraz in their effects on tick metabolism, specifically gas exchange and water loss. In addition, the study may provide insight into the modes of action of these two acaricides in tick physiology. The results may also help understand the mechanism of synergism between permethrin and amitraz that was reported previously in other ticks and insects.

Seasonal abundance and activity of all the three post-embryogenic stages of Haemaphysalis longicornis, both feeding and free-living phases, were evaluated over a period of 2 years, from February 2008 to January 2010, in North China. Feeding ticks were removed weekly from head and ears of domestic sheep and the attachment sites of this tick were assessed co-instantaneously; free-living ticks were collected weekly in four habitat types by flag-dragging. The results suggested that H. longicornis mainly resides in shrubs and completes one generation per year with population attrition between stages. Infestation of nymphs was detected from March to September with highest peak between late April and early May; adults were detected from April to September with highest peak between late June and July, and an overwintering male population was found during late September to March; infestation of larvae was observed from June to October and peaked between middle August and early September. Most of this tick (91%) attached to head and ears of hosts. Additionally, we captured rodents from April to September 2008, but only a negligible number of nymphs were detected. This result suggested that rodents are not the principal hosts for this tick in the study area.

The development and biological characteristics of Haemaphysalis longicornis were investigated under field conditions in Xiaowutai National Natural Reserve Area, North China. Unfed larvae, nymphs and adults were fed on rabbits and exposed to daylight. Three free-living stages were allowed to develop in field plot selected in a tick natural habitat. The host seeking behavior and seasonal occurrence were observed. Haemaphysalis longicornis were active from mid March to mid October. The premoult period of nymphs and preoviposition of females were regulating phases of their life cycle. The developmental durations of eggs, larvae and adults were constant under field conditions regardless when the development started. The oviposition periods in May and June were statistically shorter than those in July and August. The daily oviposition patterns of females engorged in May and June demonstrated unobvious peak, which differed from those engorged in July and August. The daily oviposition peak of the latter occurred on the 4th day of oviposition. Moreover, a positive correlation was found between the mass of the laid egg and the body weight of engorged females (r = 0.62, P < 0.001). The female reproductive efficiency indices were 2.9, 6.1, 10.5 and 9.0 in May, June, July and August, respectively. The mean weight (3.33 mg) of engorged nymphs molting to females was significantly higher than that (2.35 mg) of those molting to males (P < 0.001), but the body weights of both sexes were overlapping.