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Ecosystem degradation is a global problem that poses a significant threat to the sustainable development of human societies, particularly in developing countries, such as China. In response, China has implemented a series of ecological restoration (ER) policies over recent years. However, significant regional developmental disparities, pronounced spatial heterogeneity of ecological issues, and substantial historical debt for ER in China present considerable obstacles and financial burdens to the effective implementation of ER strategies. Delineating ER zones and assessing the ER benefits are essential for developing effective ER strategies and implementing ER projects. In this study, we constructed a comprehensive framework for ER utilizing the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model, quantified the urbanization levels, ecological state, and restoration costs in Zhejiang Province to delineate ER zones, integrated the patch-generating land use simulation model with the ecosystem service value assessment method to quantify the benefits of ER, and ultimately developed tailored ER strategies. The results showed that: (1) The pattern of urbanization levels was characterized by high levels in the northeast and low levels in the southwest, which constrated with the ecological state. The areas of high restoration costs were located in the northeastern and southeastern regions, and the areas of low restoration costs were situated in the southwestern region. (2) The rate of construction land expansion is significantly curtailed under the ER scenario compared to the natural development scenario in 2035, while forest areas have seen effective protection and an increase from the levels of 2020. (3) The ER policy is projected to generate ecological benefits totaling CNY 8.23 billion by 2035, substantially reducing the rate of ecosystem degradation. (4) Zhejiang Province is divided into five zones at the county scale: ecological autonomous protection zone, ecological core protection zone, ecological priority restoration zone, ecological control zone, and moderate development zone. Strategies have been devised based on the forecasted benefits of ER, offering valuable insights into ecological management. These findings aim to enhance the understanding of ER and support the development and implementation of regional ecological policies.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) across various countries have contributed to safeguarding coastal and marine environments. Despite these efforts, marine non-native species (NNS) continue to threaten biodiversity and ecosystems, even within MPAs. Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on the inventories, distribution patterns, and effect factors of NNS within MPAs. Here we show a database containing over 15,000 occurrence records of 2714 marine NNS across 16,401 national or regional MPAs worldwide. To identify the primary mechanisms driving the occurrence of NNS, we utilize model selection with proxies representing colonization pressure, environmental variables, and MPA characteristics. Among the environmental predictors analyzed, sea surface temperature emerged as the sole factor strongly associated with NNS richness. Higher sea surface temperatures are linked to increased NNS richness, aligning with global marine biodiversity trends. Furthermore, human activities help species overcome geographical barriers and migration constraints. Consequently, this influences the distribution patterns of marine introduced species and associated environmental factors. As global climate change continues to alter sea temperatures, it is crucial to protect marine regions that are increasingly vulnerable to intense human activities and biological invasions.

Background: The diagnostic yield of radial endobronchial ultrasound (r-EBUS) for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) varies between studies and is affected by multiple factors. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of r-EBUS, and to explore the factors influencing the diagnostic yield of r-EBUS in patients with PPLs. Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched to identify relevant studies that used r-EBUS for diagnosing PPLs from the date of inception to Dec 2022. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 15.1. Results: An analysis of 46 studies with a total of 7252 PPLs was performed. The pooled diagnostic yield of r-EBUS was 73.4 % (95 % CI: 69.9%–76.7 %), with significant heterogeneity detected among studies (I2 = 90 %, P 2 cm in size, malignant in type, solid in appearance on computerized tomography (CT), present in bronchus sign, the within probe location, and the addition of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) were associated with increased diagnostic yield, whereas use of a guide sheath (GS), bronchoscopy type, and a multimodality approach failed to influence the outcome. The pooled incidence rates of overall complications, pneumothorax and moderate and severe bleeding were 3.1 % (95 % CI: 2.1%–4.3 %), 0.4 % (95 % CI: 0.1%–0.7 %) and 1.1 % (95 % CI: 0.5%–2.0 %), respectively. Conclusions: r-EBUS has an appreciable diagnostic yield and an excellent safety manifestation when used to deal with PPLs.

Coordinating the relationship between new-type urbanization (NTU) and carbon emission (CE) reduction has emerged as a primary strategic objective in China. However, previous studies on this subject have predominantly focused on the unidirectional impact of NTU on CE, neglecting their spatio-temporal characteristics and the potential for a decoupling relationship. Focusing on the county-level areas in Zhejiang Province, this study establishes an evaluation system for measuring NTU and investigates the spatio-temporal characteristics and evolving decoupling relationship of NTU and CE from 2007 to 2021, along with the influencing factors. The results are shown as follows: (1) CE levels in Zhejiang's counties are predominantly higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest, with minimal temporal fluctuations. Concurrently, the collective NTU in these counties has witnessed a rapid increase, with a growing disparity in NTU levels and a concentration of higher NTU primarily in the northern regions. (2) From 2007 to 2021, the decoupling relationship between NTU and CE in Zhejiang's counties evolved from suboptimal to significantly improved, ultimately achieving continuous optimization, with the proportion of counties in the “strong decoupling II” category increasing to 60.7% in the final phase. (3) The most significant influencing factors for decoupling evolved from economic NTU predominance in 2007 to societal NTU in 2012, and further progressed to population NTU in 2022. (4) Informed by the types of decoupling and evolutionary factors, we propose strategies and implications aimed at fostering the high-quality, synergistic development of NTU and CE. These findings provide theoretical and empirical underpinnings for the high-quality attainment of NTU and the dual carbon objectives in China.

Induction of cancer cell ferroptosis has been proposed as a potential treatment in several cancer types. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a key role in promoting tumor malignant progression and therapy resistance. However, the roles and mechanisms of TAMs in regulating tumor ferroptosis is still unexplored and remains enigmatic. This study shows ferroptosis inducers has shown therapeutic outcomes in cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. TAMs have been found to suppress cervical cancer cells ferroptosis. Mechanistically, macrophage-derived miRNA-660-5p packaged into exosomes are transported into cancer cells. In cancer cells, miRNA-660-5p attenuates ALOX15 expression to inhibit ferroptosis. Moreover, the upregulation of miRNA-660-5p in macrophages depends on autocrine IL4/IL13-activated STAT6 pathway. Importantly, in clinical cervical cancer cases, ALOX15 is negatively associated with macrophages infiltration, which also raises the possibility that macrophages reduce ALOX15 levels in cervical cancer. Moreover, both univariate and multivariate Cox analyses show ALOX15 expression is independent prognostic factor and positively associated with good prognosis in cervical cancer. Altogether, this study reveals the potential utility of targeting TAMs in ferroptosis-based treatment and ALOX15 as prognosis indicators for cervical cancer.

Toxic elements, such as Cd and Pb are of primary concern for soil quality and food security owing to their high toxicity and potential for bioaccumulation. Knowledge of the spatial variability of Cd and Pb in soil–rice systems across the landscape and identification of their driving factors are prerequisites for developing appropriate management strategies to remediate or regulate these hazardous contaminants. Considering the role of rice (Oryza sativa) as a dietary staple in China, this study aimed to examine the distribution patterns and drivers of Cd and Pb in tropical soil–rice systems across Hainan Island. To achieve this goal, 229 pairs of representative paddy soil and rice samples combined with a set of environmental covariates at the island scale were systematically analyzed. Arithmetic mean values (AMs) of Cd and Pb in rice were 0.080 and 0.199 mg kg−1, and exceeded the standard limits by 27.1% and 22.7%, respectively. We found that the AMs of Cd and Pb concentrations in paddy soil were 0.294 and 43.0 mg kg−1. Additionally, Cd in 29.26% of soil samples and Pb in 11.35% of soil samples exceeded the risk screening value for toxic elements. The enrichment factor generally showed that soil Cd and Pb on Hainan Island were both moderately enriched. Results obtained from both Spearman's correlation and stepwise regression analyses suggest that the concentrations of soil Cd and Pb are significantly influenced by the soil Na and Fe concentrations. Specifically, an increment of 1 g kg−1 in soil Na caused a rise of soil Cd and Pb by 57.1 mg kg−1 and 34.4 mg kg−1, respectively, while an increase of 1 g kg−1 in soil Fe resulted in a rise by 25.0 mg kg−1 and 14.5 mg kg−1. Similarly for rice grains, an increment of 1 g kg−1 in soil Ca resulted in a rise of rice Pb by 30.8 mg kg−1, whereas an increase of 1 g kg−1 in soil Mg led to a decrease in rice Pb by 14.8 mg kg−1. However, no significant correlation between soil Se and rice Cd concentrations was found. Furthermore, the result of geographically weighted regression revealed that the impacts of soil Na, Ca, Fe, and Mg on rice Cd were more significant in the western region, whereas the effects of soil Na and Fe on rice Pb were stronger in the northeastern region. This study provides new insights for the identification of factors influencing the distribution and accumulation of Cd and Pb in tropical island agroecosystems.

Under the background of global climate change, the role of carbon storage in mitigating the increase of atmospheric CO2 concentrations is of paramount importance. However, land use and land cover change (LULC) resulting from urban sprawl disturbs the level and distribution of carbon storage. This study aims to explore the spatiotemporal variability of carbon storage and the correlations between that and urban development for China’s 369 cities in 2000, 2010, and 2020. The InVEST model and several multiple linear regression models are employed and the results show that: (1) Cities in western China sequester a large amount of carbon (maximum greater than 2000 TgC) and only some of them, from 2010 to 2020, can maintain a positive change in carbon storage. The rest of China shows a negative change, but a higher carbon storage per area (maximum greater than 0.01 TgC/km2 in the east). Moran's I shows that such variability has a significant spatial autocorrelation. (2) The intensification of the population, the growth of economy, and urbanization are the main factors influencing carbon storage, which are not only reflected on the national scale but also have different local characteristics in different regions. Cities in China's inland regions (e.g., western, some central, and northeastern China), most of which are developing cities, show more diversified impacts of their urban development on carbon storage. However, in developed cities, mostly concentrated in the eastern region, such impacts and variations show a more unified trend. Considering that environmental policy is often a national action, therefore, to strengthen the carbon sequestration capacity of cities, it is necessary to formulate not only a unified leading policy from the national level but also the practical policies of local governments of cities that match their development stages.

This paper develops a numerical model to describe the bottom ash cooling process based on an actual power plant. By means of computational fluid dynamics, the influence of adjusting the operating parameters of the dry bottom ash removal system was investigated. The heat exchange enhancement effect and the resulting consequences were comprehensively considered. After comparing its results with the measured values, the model is considered valid. The numerical results indicate that: increasing air volume is an effective method to reduce ash discharge temperature but not desirable; the ash discharge temperature decreased from 452.47 K to 446.27 K, but the air outlet temperature also decreased by 6.05 K. Increasing the running speed of the conveyor belt is an ideal measure; the heat recovery coefficient improves by 7.53% as the speed increases from 0.046 m/s to 0.0766 m/s. In addition, a dry bottom ash removal system with a specific structure has rated ash handling capacity; its design should fully consider the amount of bottom ash discharge. Adjusting the operating mode may not significantly reduce the ash discharge temperature without other losses. The results provide a reference for designing and adjusting subsequent bottom ash sensible heat utilization equipment.

Oasis vegetation contains a variety of ecological functions and can quickly indicate changes in the environment. According to the vegetation dynamics of natural oasis, this study constructed a natural oasis ecological vulnerability assessment model (NOEV) The model is based on Pressure-Sensitivity-Resilience framework, combined with redundancy analysis, minimum cumulative resistance model, and ecological risk sensitivity index to effectively assess the ecological vulnerability of natural oasis. The results showed that human activities, represented by the expansion of farmland and population growth, were the main factors affecting the vegetation dynamics of natural oasis in the last 30 years, and their contribution to the change of vegetation area is 42.08%. In the temporal dynamics, a serie of economic and environmental policies implemented by the government after the 21st century have promoted the recovery of vegetation. Vulnerability decreased on the whole oasis but increased in some local areas during 2005–2020. In the spatial dynamics, the transition zone of vulnerability from high to low occurred, it a distance of approximately 30 km from an artificial oasis located also in the area. We suggest that the governments should set up an ecological buffer zone in this area and implement different environmental protection policies inside and outside the buffer zone. Few vulnerability assessment models have been constructed for oasis ecosystems, and the NOEV model constructed in this study helps to formulate more direct and effective policy recommendations for the government's ecological protection and restoration work.

The concentrations of trace elements in agricultural soils directly affect the ecological security and quality of agricultural products. A comprehensive study aimed at quantitatively analyze the effects of anthropogenic and natural environmental factors on the spatial distribution of heavy metals (HMs) and selenium (Se) in agricultural soils in a typical grain producing area of China. Factors considered in this study were parent rock, soil physicochemical properties, topography, precipitation, mine activity, and vegetation. Results showed that the median values of Zn, Cd, Cr, and Cu of 111 topsoil samples exceeded the background values of Guangxi province but were lower than the relevant national soil quality standards, and 85% of soil samples were classified as having rich Se levels (0.40 −3.0 mg kg−1). The potential ecological risk index of soil heavy metals as a whole was low, with Cd in 9% of the samples posing moderate ecological risk. The concentrations of heavy metals and Se were relatively high in soils from shale rock. Soil properties, mainly Fe2O3 and Mn played a dominant role on soil HMs and Se concentrations. Based on GeoDetector, we found that the interaction effects of two factors on the spatial differentiation of soil HMs and Se were greater than their sum effect. Among the factors, Mn enhanced the explanatory power of the model the most when interacting with other factors for soil Zn; the greatest interactive effect was between distance from mining area and Mn for Cd (q = 0.70); Fe2O3 significantly promoted the spatial differentiation of soil Cr, Cu and Se when interacting with other factors (q > 0.50). These findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors that drive the distribution of HMs and Se in agricultural soils.

This study investigated the bioaccumulation and transfer of heavy metals including Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil-crop system in Lhasa, and assessed the health risks of the edible part of the crops. The results showed that the average values of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were 0.15, 44.55, 24.68, 532.40, 22.47, 38.18 and 73.99 mg kg−1 in natural soil, and 0.16, 46.93, 38.45, 559.13, 23.23, 40.03 and 83.29 mg kg−1 in cultivated soil, respectively. Highland barley and wheat had the strongest ability to accumulate Zn in grain, the BCF values were 0.24 and 0.27, respectively, significant differences in the distribution of metal contents in crop root, stem, leaf and grain were observed. Root presented larger accumulation capacity in most metals, Zn and Cu was easily transferred in the plant organs, most metals in this study presented difficult to migrate from root to grain. The transfer peak of most metals in soil-crop system appeared from stem to leaf. The concentrations of Cr and Mn in crop grains could be predicted according to the multiple linear regression models. THQ and HI values of heavy metals in edible parts of both highland barley and wheat were below the safety threshold of 1, indicating no detrimental effects posed to adults health. This study helps to understand the accumulation and transfer of heavy metals in soil-crop system in plateau region.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for animals and humans, and it is present in many different forms with different levels of bioaccessibility in food. Based on the maldistribution of Se and overall low level of Se dietary intake in China, an integrated study was conducted in this thesis to provide references for the regulation of Se nutrition. An in vitro simulation test was used to monitor the concentration effects, the impacts of dietary supplement combinations on the bioaccessibility of Se were examined in rice, and a model animal experiment (in vivo) was used to evaluate the practicability of the Se nutrition regulation scheme. The main results were as follows: the bioaccessibility of Se was effectively increased by 30 mg·d−1 VE (VE), 300 mg·d−1 VC + 300 μg·d−1 VB9 (VC+VB9) and 30 mg·d−1 VE + 300 mg·d−1 VC + 300 μg·d−1 VB9 (3IN1) (P

ABSTRACT: The genotype VII Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine has begun to replace the traditional genotype II NDV vaccine and is widely used in the commercial poultry of China. However, the effect of homologous and heterogeneous anti-NDV serum on the evolution of prevalent NDV is unknown. To understand the effect of genotype II and VII anti-NDV serum on the evolution of genotype VII NDV strains, ZJ1 (waterfowl origin) and CH/SD/2008/128 (ND128; chicken origin) were used for serial passage of 30 generations in DF-1 cells without anti-NDV serum or with genotype II and VII anti-NDV serum independently. The F and HN genes of the 2 viruses were amplified for the 10th, 20th, and 30th generations of each serial passage group and compared with their respective original viruses. We found that there was only one mutation at position 248 in the F gene of ZJ1 due to the serum pressure of genotype VII anti-NDV. Similarly, mutations at residue 527 of the F gene, and position 9 and 319 of the HN gene of ND128 were noted in both anti-NDV serum groups. The results show that the nonsynonymous (NS)-to-synonymous (S) ratio of the F gene of ZJ1 virus was 1.6, and for the HN gene, it was 2.5 in the anti-II serum group. In the anti-VII serum group, the NS/S ratio for the F gene was 2.1, and for the HN gene, it was 2.5. The NS/S ratio of the F gene of the ND128 virus was 0.8, and for the HN gene, it was 3 in the anti-II serum group. Furthermore, the NS/S ratio of the F gene was 0.8, and the HN gene was 2.3 in the anti-VII group. Taken together, our findings highlight that there was no significant difference in the variation of protective antigens in genotype VII NDV under the selection pressure of homologous and heterogeneous genotype NDV inactivated vaccines.

Background: The relationship between tuberculosis (TB), one of the leading infectious causes of death worldwide, and the microbiome, which is critical for health, is poorly understood. Methods: To identify potential microbiome-host interactions, profiling of the oral, sputum and stool microbiota [n = 58 cases, n = 47 culture-negative symptomatic controls (SCs)] and whole blood transcriptome were done in pre-treatment presumptive pulmonary TB patients. This was a cross-sectional study. Microbiota were also characterised in close contacts of cases (CCCs, n = 73) and close contacts of SCs (CCSCs, n = 82) without active TB. Findings: Cases and SCs each had similar α- and β-diversities in oral washes and sputum, however, β-diversity differed in stool (PERMANOVA p = 0•035). Cases were enriched with anaerobes in oral washes, sputum (Paludibacter, Lautropia in both) and stool (Erysipelotrichaceae, Blautia, Anaerostipes) and their stools enriched in microbial genes annotated as amino acid and carbohydrate metabolic pathways. In pairwise comparisons with their CCCs, cases had Megasphaera-enriched oral and sputum microbiota and Bifidobacterium-, Roseburia-, and Dorea-depleted stools. Compared to their CCSCs, SCs had reduced α-diversities and many differential taxa per specimen type. Cases differed transcriptionally from SCs in peripheral blood (PERMANOVA p = 0•001). A co-occurrence network analysis showed stool taxa, Erysipelotrichaceae and Blautia, to negatively co-correlate with enriched “death receptor” and “EIF2 signalling” pathways whereas Anaerostipes positively correlated with enriched “interferon signalling”, “Nur77 signalling” and “inflammasome” pathways; all of which are host pathways associated with disease severity. In contrast, none of the taxa enriched in SCs correlated with host pathways. Interpretation: TB-specific microbial relationships were identified in oral washes, induced sputum, and stool from cases before the confounding effects of antibiotics. Specific anaerobes in cases’ stool predict upregulation of pro-inflammatory immunological pathways, supporting the gut microbiota's role in TB. Funding: European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership, South African-Medical Research Council, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.