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The Tibetan Plateau (TP), the Third Pole of the world, has experienced significant warming over the past several decades. Previous studies have mostly relied on station-observed air temperature (Ta), reanalysis data, and remotely sensed land surface temperature (LST) to analyze the warming trend over the TP. However, the uneven distribution of stations, the poor spatial resolution of reanalysis data, and the differences between LST and Ta may lead to biased warming rates. This paper first maps Ta over the TP from 2001 to 2020 based on multi-source remote sensing data, and then quantifies the spatio-temporal variations of remotely sensed Ta and elevation dependent warming (EDW) of this region. The monthly mean Ta is estimated using machine learning (ML) method year by year, and its accuracy is validated based on station-observed Ta. The coefficient of determination (R2 ranges from 0.97 to 0.98 and the mean absolute error (MAE) ranges from 1.01 to1.04 °C. The remotely sensed Ta is used to analysis warming trend and EDW over the TP. The overall warming trend of the TP during 2001–2020 is 0.17 ℃/10a, and warming mainly distributed in the eastern TP, central TP and western Kunlun Mountains. Among the four seasons, autumn shows the most significant warming, tripling the annual warming rate. Winter shows a significant cooling trend, with the warming rate of -0.18 ℃/10a. The study also reveales the existence of EDW at both the annual and seasonal scales. This paper suggests the potential of remotely sensed Ta in global warming study, and also provides an improved understanding of climate warming over the TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to provide physicians with insights into the clinical manifestations and outcomes of children and young adolescents experiencing sleep terrors following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: We enrolled patients who developed new onset sleep terrors after SARS-CoV-2infection fromDecember2022to April 2023 in the Xijing hospital, Xi'an, China. Results: We enrolled six patients who experienced sleep terrors following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Out of these patients, five were children and only one was an adolescent, with a mean age of 9 years. Neuroimaging results were negative for all cases. Sleep terrors occurred during both the active course of COVID-19 illness and the recovery period in all patients. Symptoms included crying or screaming in terror, hyperactivity, inappropriate behavior and periods of mental confusion during sleep. These episodes typically occurred 40 min to 1 h after falling asleep. EEG monitoring confirmed two patients' episodes occurred during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stage 3 sleep. The duration of sleep terrors ranged from 3mines to30 mines, with each patient experiencing 3–4 to 30–40 instances. Initially, the frequency of episodes was highest at 3–4 times per night, gradually decreasing to once a night, then once a week, until complete disappearance. No medical intervention was required. Clinical follow-up ranged from 6 to 12 months, with spontaneous remission occurring within 1 week to 2 months for different patients. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection may precipitate acute sleep terrors in children and adolescents. The course of these sleep terrors is generally benign, with all patients achieving spontaneous complete remission over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many countries employed digital contact tracing to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the contribution of cospace-time interaction (i.e., individuals who shared the same space and time) to transmission and to super-spreading in the real world has seldom been systematically studied due to the lack of systematic sampling and testing of contacts. To address this issue, we utilized data from 2230 cases and 220,878 contacts with detailed epidemiological information during the Omicron outbreak in Beijing in 2022. We observed that contact number per day of tracing for individuals in dwelling, workplace, cospace-time interactions, and community settings could be described by gamma distribution with distinct parameters. Our findings revealed that 38% of traced transmissions occurred through cospace-time interactions whilst control measures were in place. However, using a mathematical model to incorporate contacts in different locations, we found that without control measures, cospace-time interactions contributed to only 11% (95%CI: 10%–12%) of transmissions and the super-spreading risk for this setting was 4% (95%CI: 3%–5%), both the lowest among all settings studied. These results suggest that public health measures should be optimized to achieve a balance between the benefits of digital contact tracing for cospace-time interactions and the challenges posed by contact tracing within the same setting. Digital contact tracing was widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable identification of incidental 'cospace-time' interactions with people who were not close contacts. Here the authors evaluate the effectiveness of digital contact tracing using data from Beijing, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adults with restless sleep disorder (RSD) have never been studied clinically and polysomnographically. This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestation, duration, and distribution of sleep-related movements in adult patients with restless sleep disorder. Patients who had performed VPSG from Jan 2021 to Jan 2022 and met the diagnosis criteria of RSD were enrolled in the study. Patients' bed partners were also interviewed or telephoned in identifying this disorder. Scoring of movements during sleep was according to the diagnosis criteria of RSD and scoring of large muscle group movements during sleep proposed by the International RLS Study Group in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The clinical manifestation, the distribution of sleep stage as well as the types and duration of the movements were carefully recorded and analyzed. We included ten patients in the study with a mean age of 27.6 years (range 22–38). There was a male prevalence in adults with RSD. The study highlighted the findings from video-polysomnography, which indicated frequent sleep-related movements occurring throughout the Night. These movements were most prominent during N1 and N2 sleep stage, followed by REM sleep, while fewer movements were observed during N3 sleep. Adults with RSD experienced significant daytime functioning impairments, including non-refreshing sleep, daytime fatigue/sleepiness, and mood disturbance. Two of the patients in the study were diagnosed with anxiety and depression, further underscoring the impact of RSD on mental health. Adult patients also suffer from severe RSD, and the RSD that originates in childhood tends to persist into adulthood. In these cases, longer duration of the disease and poor sleep quality may be associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric comorbidities. Our cases represent an objectively documented type of RSD in younger adult patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the influence of hyperglycemia on motor symptoms, especially axial signs, and potential mechanisms related to insulin resistance (IR) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PWP). Methods: According to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, PWP were divided into the low-HbA1c and the high-HbA1c groups. Demographic information, glucose metabolism-related variables, Hoehn-Yahr stage, and motor function were compared between the two groups. Correlations between levels of HbA1c and the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA)-IR and motor function in PWP were further analyzed. Results: HbA1c level was significantly and positively correlated with the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III score, axial signs subscore, the Timed Get Up and Go test time, the center of pressure displacement of standing with eyes open and closed, and significantly and negatively correlated with the 10-m walk test comfortable gait speed. HOMA-IR level was significantly and negatively correlated with 10-m walk test comfortable gait speed, but not with others. Conclusions: PWP with high HbA1c showed worse axial symptoms, including dysfunction of automatic walking, dynamic balance, and postural control than those with low HbA1c. In PWP, the effects of hyperglycemia on automatic walking speed may be associated with the IR-related mechanisms, and the effects on dynamic balance and postural control may be related to mechanisms other than IR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the secondary metabolites derived from Streptomyces sp. Scsio 41396, a strain of bacteria found in mangrove soil. The researchers isolated and purified seven compounds using chromatography and evaluated their inhibitory activities against pancreatic lipase, acetylcholinesterase, and neuraminidase. Compound 1 showed strong inhibitory activity against neuraminidase and notable inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase, while compound 3 displayed significant inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase. The article provides detailed information about the extraction, isolation, and identification of the compounds, as well as their chemical properties and inhibitory activities. Molecular docking studies revealed the interactions of compound 1 with specific amino acid residues in the active site of neuraminidase. The research was supported by grants and the authors acknowledged the assistance of individuals in recording spectroscopic data. [Extracted from the article]

While high-efficiency photocatalysts have been extensively researched, there is still a scarcity of reports focusing on enhancing the practical application conditions of low-cost engineering photocatalysts. In this study, a 13.8-L continuous streamer catalytic reactor was developed utilizing low-cost self-made TiO2/ACF photocatalyst. Employing the Box-Behnke response surface method, the study assessed the reactor's efficiency in treating organic wastewater using methylene blue (MB) as the model pollutant. The TiO2/ACF photocatalysis was characterized by XRD, EDS, and SEM, and the results showed that the nano-TiO2 was uniformly loaded with the surface of activated carbon fibers in a lamellar form. Results indicated that with a single cycle time of 134 min and a catalyst amount of 95 cm × 95 cm, the average decolorization rate for 3 mg/L MB wastewater was 90.63%, following quasi-second-order kinetics. The MB wastewater's decolorization efficiency swiftly reached 89.8% within the initial 120 min, maintaining around 90% during continuous 600-min treatment. The optimal catalyst condition was identified, enhancing photodegradation efficiency of MB organic molecules. The developed photocatalytic equipment exhibited high efficiency and stability in degrading low-concentration organic molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Giardia duodenalis is an important intestinal parasitic protozoan that infects several vertebrates, including humans. Cattle are considered the major source of giardiasis outbreak in humans. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and multilocus genotype (MLG) of G. duodenalis in Shanxi, and lay the foundation for the prevention and control of Giardiosis. Methods and Results: DNA extraction, nested polymerase chain reaction, sequence analysis, MLG analysis, and statistical analysis were performed using 858 bovine fecal samples from Shanxi based on three gene loci: β-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi). The overall prevalence of G. duodenalis was 28.3%, while its prevalence in Yingxian and Lingqiu was 28.1% and 28.5%, respectively. The overall prevalence of G. duodenalis in dairy cattle and beef cattle was 28.0% and 28.5%, respectively. G. duodenalis infection was detected in all age groups evaluated in this study. The overall prevalence of G. duodenalis in diarrhea and nondiarrhea samples was 32.4% and 27.5%, respectively, whereas that in intensively farmed and free-range cattle was 35.0% and 19.9%, respectively. We obtained 83, 53, and 59 sequences of bg, gdh, and tpi in G. duodenalis, respectively. Moreover, assemblage A (n = 2) and assemblage E (n = 81) by bg, assemblage A (n = 1) and assemblage E (n = 52) by gdh, and assemblage A (n = 2) and assemblage E (n = 57) by tpi were identified. Multilocus genotyping yielded 29 assemblage E MLGs, which formed 10 subgroups. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report cattle infected with G. duodenalis in Shanxi, China. Livestock-specific G. duodenalis assemblage E was the dominant assemblage genotype, and zoonotic sub-assemblage AI was also detected in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drop-on-demand inkjet technology has played an irreplaceable role in various cutting-edge fields in the gaseous environment, which relies on the acoustic waves in the channel to dispense droplet. The droplet diameter is about 20–100 µm and is difficult to be further reduced. For the emerging high-resolution inkjet technology in a liquid environment based on the confined interface vibration triggered by acoustic waves in the printhead, the droplet size can be 10 times smaller than the orifice, which can also be facilely regulated. However, the residual vibrations of the confined interface will dispense secondary droplets when the stimulation is significant, interfering the uniformity of the printing results. Herein, a strategy that can regulate the interface behavior by manipulating the acoustic waves in the channel is proposed, which can achieve a significant main vibration while the residual vibrations are effectively suppressed. A mathematical model is constructed based on the experimental phenomenon to explain how the interface behavior is regulated. The influence of echo time on the interface vibrations, the mechanisms of how the residual vibrations affect the subsequent main vibration and primary droplet are revealed. This work provides a theoretical guidance for regulating droplet size and improving the printing resolution of inkjet in a liquid environment by regulating the acoustic waves in the channel, and demonstrates its practical application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cellulose Synthase gene (CS) superfamily and COBRA-like (COBL) gene family are essential for synthesizing cellulose and hemicellulose, which play a crucial role in cell wall biosynthesis and the hardening of plant tissues. Our study identified 126 ZbCS and 31 ZbCOBL genes from the Zanthoxylum bungeanum (Zb) genome. Phylogenetic analysis and conservative domain analysis unfolded that ZbCS and ZbCOBL genes were divided into seven and two subfamilies, respectively. Gene duplication data suggested that more than 75% of these genes had tandem and fragment duplications. Codon usage patterns analysis indicated that the ZbCS and ZbCOBL genes prefer ending with A/T base, with weak codon preference. Furthermore, seven key ZbCS and five key ZbCOBL genes were identified based on the content of cellulose and hemicellulose and the expression characteristics of ZbCS and ZbCOBL genes in various stages of stipule thorns. Altogether, these results improve the understanding of CS and COBL genes and provide valuable reference data for cultivating Zb with soft thorns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we explore how and when abusive supervision may dampen two types of voice behavior: promotive and prohibitive voice. Drawing on social cognitive theory, we propose that employee voice self-efficacy (VSE) may mediate the negative relationships between abusive supervision and promotive/prohibitive voice. Furthermore, according to the conservation of resources theory, we argue that employees' psychological resilience may buffer the negative indirect effects of abusive supervision on the two voice behaviors via follower VSE. Third, we propose that employees' moral disengagement propensity (MDP) may attenuate the moderating effects of resilience, such that the buffering effects of resilience may occur only when MDP is low. We tested our conditional process model with time-lagged and multisource data collected from 656 employees and 99 supervisors in China. The results largely supported our hypotheses. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium spp. are key gastrointestinal protists in humans and animals worldwide. Infected cattle are considered the main source of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in humans. However, little is known about the genetic makeup of Cryptosporidium populations in Shanxi province, China. We analyzed 858 fecal samples collected from farms in Shanxi. The presence of Cryptosporidium spp. was determined via polymerase chain reaction and subsequent sequence analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene as well as restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Cryptosporidium parvum was subtyped following sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene (gp60). The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium in cattle was 11.19%, with a prevalence of 13.30% and 8.67% in Lingqiu and Yingxian, respectively. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium in dairy and beef cattle was 10.78% and 11.50%, respectively. Cryptosporidium infection was detected across all analyzed age groups. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium in diarrhea and nondiarrhea samples was 18.24% and 9.72%, respectively, whereas that in intensively farmed and free-range cattle was 17.40% and 3.41%, respectively. We identified five Cryptosporidium species, with C. andersoni being the dominant species. Further, two cases of mixed infections of Cryptosporidium species were detected. All identified C. parvum isolates belonged to the subtype IIdA17G1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search-engine-based surveillance methods for the early warning and prediction of infectious diseases cannot achieve search engine keywords automatic filtering and real-time updating, lead to powerless for the early warning of emerging infectious diseases. The aim of this study is to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) method for search-engine-based surveillance to improve the early warning ability for emerging infectious diseases. The 32 keywords (444 million search queries) that may be related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak was collected from December 18, 2019 to February 11, 2020 from Baidu's search engine database. The graph convolution network (GCN) model was used to select search engine keywords automatically, and then, multiple linear regression was performed to explore the relationship between the daily query frequencies of keywords and daily new cases. The GCN model was used to automatically select keywords. The prediction trend of the GCN model was highly consistent with the true curve with a mean absolute error of 81.65. Three keywords including "epidemic", "mask" and "coronavirus" were selected. The selection keywords in the search queries were highly correlated with the daily number of confirmed cases (r = 0.96, 0.94, and 0.89; P < 0.01). An abnormal initial peak (3.05 times the normal volume) in queries appeared on December 31, 2019, which could have served as an early warning signal for an outbreak. Of particular concern, 17.5% of query volume originated from the Hubei Province, 51.15% of which was from Wuhan City. The coefficients of determination (R2) of our constructed model were 0.88, 0.88, 0.84, 0.77, 0.77, 0.75, 0.73, and 0.73 for a time lag of 0–7 days, respectively, using selection keywords. The model we constructed was used in the Beijing Xinfadi outbreak as an independent test dataset, which successfully predicted the daily numbers of cases for the following days and detected an early signal during the Beijing Xinfadi outbreak (R2 = 0.79). In this paper search-engine-based surveillance based on the AI method was established for the early detection of the COVID-19 epidemic for the first time. The model achieves automatic filtering and real-time updating of search engine keywords and can effectively detect the early signals of emerging infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Integrated root phenotypes and transcriptome analysis have revealed key candidate genes responsible for maize root growth and development in potassium deficiency. Potassium (K) is a vital macronutrient for plant growth, but our understanding of its regulatory mechanisms in maize root system architecture (RSA) and K+ uptake remains limited. To address this, we conducted hydroponic and field trials at different growth stages. K+ deficiency significantly inhibited maize root growth, with metrics like total root length, primary root length, width and maximum root number reduced by 50% to 80% during early seedling stages. In the field, RSA traits exhibited maximum values at the silking stage but continued to decline thereafter. Furthermore, K deprivation had a pronounced negative impact on root morphology and RSA growth and grain yield. RNA-Seq analysis identified 5972 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 17 associated with K+ signaling, transcription factors, and transporters. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed 23 co-expressed modules, with enrichment of transcription factors at different developmental stages under K deficiency. Several DEGs and transcription factors were predicted as potential candidate genes responsible for maize root growth and development. Interestingly, some of these genes exhibited homology to well-known regulators of root architecture or development in Arabidopsis, such as Zm00001d014467 (AtRCI3), Zm00001d011237 (AtWRKY9), and Zm00001d030862 (AtAP2/ERF). Identifying these key genes helps to provide a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing maize root growth and development under nutrient deficient conditions offering potential benefits for enhancing maize production and improving stress resistance through targeted manipulation of RSA traits in modern breeding efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is variability in the spectral band thresholds for snow cover recognition using remote sensing in different regions and for complex terrains. Using Fengyun-3B Visible and Infra-Red Radiometer (FY-3B VIRR) satellite data, we applied random forest (RF) methodology and selected 13 feature variables to obtain snow cover. A training set was generated, containing approximately 1 million snow and nonsnow samples obtained in China from the snow monitoring reports issued by the National Satellite Meteorological Centre and four snow cover products from the Interactive Multi-sensor Snow and Ice Mapping System (IMS), the FY-3B Multi-Sensor Synergy (MULSS), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover product (MYD10A1), and the National Cryosphere Desert Data Center (NCDC). This training set contained many different samples of cloud types and snow under forest cover to help effectively distinguish snow and clouds and improve the recognition rate of snow under forest cover. Then, two RF snow cover recognition models were constructed for the snow and nonsnow seasons and they were used to conduct daily snow cover recognition in China from 2011 to 2020. The results show that the RF models constructed based on FY-3B VIRR data have good recognition performance for shallow snow, understory snow, and snow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The recognition accuracy against weather stations and the spatial consistency with the IMS product are better than the MULSS, MYD10A1, and NCDC products. The overall accuracy of the RF product is 90.6%, and the recall rate is 93.8%. The omission and commission errors are 6.2% and 11.1%, respectively. Unlike other existing snow cover algorithms, the established RF model skips the complicated atmospheric correction and cloud identification processes and does not involve external auxiliary data; thus, it is more easily popularized and operationally applicable to generating long-time series snow cover products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-stain-negative, strictly aerobic, motile, slightly curved rod-shaped bacterium with multiple flagella, designated strain EGI 63088T, was isolated from a bulk soil of Kalidium foliatum, collected from Wujiaqu in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, PR China. The optimal growth temperature, salinity, and pH for strain EGI 63088T growth were 30 °C, 3% (w/v) NaCl and 8, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain EGI 63088T showed the highest sequence similarities to Halomonas heilongjiangensis 9-2T (97.94%), H. lysinitropha 3(2)T (97.51%), and H. daqiaonensis CGMCC 1.9150T (97.08%). The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between the strain EGI 63088T and H. heilongjiangensis 9-2T were 89.03 and 41.10%, respectively. The DNA G + C content of the genome for strain EGI 63088T was 66.3 mol%. The most prevalent antibiotic resistance and virulence-related genes in Halomonas genomes were Streptomyces cinnamoneu EF-Tu mutant, pilT, and cheY, respectively. The predominant fatty acids of strain EGI 63088T were summed feature 8 (C18: 1ω6c and/or C18: 1ω7c), summed feature 3 (C16: 1ω6c and/or C16: 1ω7c), and C16: 0; its major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-9 (Q-9), and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylethanolamine. According to the above results, strain EGI 63088T is considered a novel species of the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas flagellata sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is EGI 63088T (= KCTC 92047T = CGMCC 1.19133T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New alkaloid, (E)-2-(hydroxyimino)-4-methylpentanamide (1) and a new cyclopentano[b] pyridine, 4-hydroxy-7-methyl-6,7-dihydro-5H-cyclopenta[c]pyridin-5-one (2), together with ten known compounds (3–12) were isolated from the mangrove soil-derived fungus Arthrinium sp. SCSIO 41305. Extensive spectroscopic analysis and X-Ray crystallographic analysis were used to elucidate the structure of (E)-2-(hydroxyimino)-4-methylpentanamide (1), including its absolute configuration. All the isolated compounds (1–12) were evaluated for their antimicrobial and enzyme inhibitory activities against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), neuraminidase (NAs), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Among them, compounds 1 and 3 exhibited strong neuraminidase inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 12.04, 1.92 µmolL−1 (IC50 20 µmolL−1 for oseltamivir acid), while compounds 5, 6, 8, and 10 showed moderate neuraminidase inhibitory activity, and compounds 6–10 displayed weak enzyme inhibitory activities against PI3K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how the explicitly anti-prosocial and anti-pro-environmental speech by political elites affects firms' environmental and social (E&S) performance. Using the case of the Donald J. Trump (DJT) campaign for president in the United States when he gave out controversial and inflammatory remarks, including those regarding E&S issues, we find that local firms' E&S performance decreased significantly in the year following DJT's presidential campaign rally compared with firms in other geographic areas where there was no DJT's presidential campaign event. A further test indicates that the change in firms' E&S performance can be driven by DJT remarks' influence on local social norms shift. Furthermore, we show that the post-rally decrease of local firms' E&S performance is more pronounced for local firms that operate primarily locally or local firms that are more sensitive to political uncertainty. Taken together, these findings indicate that political events such as political elites giving remarks can affect firms' E&S performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ligia exotica is a marine isopod that inhabits intertidal areas and exhibits transitional adaptations for the evolution to a land-based lifestyle. People in southern Chinese coastal areas use it as a traditional Chinese medicine with anti-inflammatory effects. The species is of unique value for microbiological research; however, the anti-inflammatory activities of L. exotica have lacked scientific validation, and few studies have evaluated the diversity and anti-inflammatory activity of L. exotica symbionts. In this study, 29 endosymbiotic bacteria were obtained from L. exotica that represented four bacterial phyla, 11 families, and 13 genera. Among the isolates, GXIMD07922 (Vibrio sp.), GXIMD07953 (Paracoccus sp.), and GXIMD07927 (Halomonas sp.) represent potentially new species. Six of the strains (GXIMD07836, GXIMD07913, GXIMD07918, GXIMD07884, GXIMD07904, and GXIMD07972) inhibited NO production in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The results from this study indicate that bacterial populations endosymbiotic with L. exotica are a promising and diverse resource for the discovery of novel anti-inflammatory secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical investigation of the marine-derived fungus Epicoccum sorghinum GXIMD02001 has led to the isolation of a new compound, 3-chloro-2,5-dihydroxybenzyl acetate (1), together with three known compounds, 3-chlorogentisyl alcohol (2), 2-chloro-6-(methoxymethyl)benzene-1,4-diol (3), and (R)-mevalonolactone (4). Compounds 1–3 exhibited weak antibacterial activity with MIC values of 7.81–125 μg·mL–1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In clinical practice, the underlying pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) remains unknown. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have good biological properties and can be used as biological marker. Rehabilitation as a third treatment alongside drug and surgery has been shown to be clinically effective, but biomarkers of rehabilitation efficiency at genetic level is still lacking. In this study, we identified differentially expressed circRNAs in peripheral blood exosomes between PD patients and health controls (HCs) and determined whether these circRNAs changed after rehabilitation, to explore the competing RNA networks and epigenetic mechanisms affected. We found that there were 558 upregulated and 609 downregulated circRNAs in PD patients compared to HCs, 3398 upregulated and 479 downregulated circRNAs in PD patients after rehabilitation compared to them before rehabilitation, along with 3721 upregulated and 635 downregulated circRNAs in PD patients after rehabilitation compared to HCs. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that differentially expressed circRNAs may affect the stability of the cellular actin backbone and synaptic structure by influencing the aggregation of α-synuclein (a-syn). We selected two circRNAs overexpressed in PD patients for validation (hsa_circ_0001535 and hsa_circ_0000437); the results revealed that their expression levels were all reduced to varying degrees (p < 0.05) after rehabilitation. After network analysis, we believe that hsa_circ_0001535 may be related to the aggregation of a-syn, while hsa_circ_0000437 may act on hsa-let-7b-5p or hsa-let-7c-5p through sponge effect to cause inflammatory response. Our findings suggest that rehabilitation can mitigate the pathological process of PD by epigenetic means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our investigation for bioactive compounds from the deep-sea-derived fungi, we studied the secondary metabolites of a I Fusarium i sp. Eight compounds, including four alkyl benzaldehyde derivatives, 2-( I E i -1-heptenyl)-3,6-dihydroxy-5-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)benzaldehyde ( B 1 b ) [[4]], isotetrahydroauroglaucin ( B 2 b ) [[5]], 2-(1 I E i ,3 I E i -heptadienyl)-3,6-dihydroxy-5-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)benzaldehyde ( B 3 b ) [[4]], eurotiumide A ( B 4 b ) [[6]], one unsaturated fatty acid, 3-hydroxyhexadeca-4( I E i ),6( I Z i )-dienoic acid ( B 5 b ) [[7]], and three diketopiperazine derivatives (preechinulin ( B 6 b ) [[8]], (+)-neoechinulin A ( B 7 b ) [[8]], (-)-neoechinulin A ( B 8 b ) [[8]]) were isolated. To the best of our knowledge, compounds B 4 b and B 5 b were first reported to have inhibitory effects on LPS-induced NO release in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cell lines. NO release in macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was evaluated by the previous method [[10]]. [Extracted from the article]

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Codon usage bias (CUB) reveals the characteristics of species and can be utilized to understand their evolutionary relationship, increase the target genes' expression in the heterologous receptor plants, and further provide theoretic assistance for correlative study on molecular biology and genetic breeding. The chief aim of this work was to analyze the CUB in chloroplast (cp.) genes in nine Elaeagnus species to provide references for subsequent studies. The codons of Elaeagnus cp. genes preferred to end with A/T bases rather than with G/C bases. Most of the cp. genes were prone to mutation, while the rps7 genes were identical in sequences. Natural selection was inferred to have a powerful impact on the CUB in Elaeagnus cp. genomes, and their CUB was extremely strong. In addition, the optimal codons were identified in the nine cp. genomes based on the relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU) values, and the optimal codon numbers were between 15 and 19. The clustering analyses based on RSCU were contrasted with the maximum likelihood (ML)-based phylogenetic tree derived from coding sequences, suggesting that the t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding clustering method was more appropriate for evolutionary relationship analysis than the complete linkage method. Moreover, the ML-based phylogenetic tree based on the conservative matK genes and the whole cp. genomes had visible differences, indicating that the sequences of specific cp. genes were profoundly affected by their surroundings. Following the clustering analysis, Arabidopsis thaliana was considered the optimal heterologous expression receptor plant for the Elaeagnus cp. genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an accurate method for evaluating the fit of earphones, which could be used for establishing a linkage between interference/gap values with human perception. Seven commercial CAD software tools stood out and were explored for the analysis of the deviation between earphone and ear. However, the current deviation analysis method remains to be improved for earphone fit evaluation due to excessive points in the calculation (Geomagic Wrap and Siemens NX), lack of value on interference (Geomagic Control X), computation boundary required (Rapidform XOR/Redesign), repetitive computation with same points and inclined calculation line segment or even invalid calculation (Solidworks, Creo). Therefore, an accurate deviation analysis algorithm was promoted, which calculated the deviation between earphone and ear exactly and classified the interference set and gap set precisely. There are five main procedures of this algorithm, which are point cloud model pre-processing, the generation of distance vectors, the discrimination of interference set and gap set, the discrimination of validity, and statistical analysis and visualization. Furthermore, the usability and validity of the deviation analysis algorithm were verified through statistical analysis and comparing visual effects based on the earphone-wearing experiment. It is certified that the deviation analysis algorithm is appropriate for earphone fit evaluation and the eight indexes of this algorithm were proved to be related to subjective comfort scores. It is meaningful for ear-worn product fit analysis, design, and development phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate functional limit problem for path of a Brownian sheet, Chung's functional law of the iterated logarithm for a Brownian sheet is obtained. The main tool in the proof is large deviation and small deviation for a Brownian sheet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the urban spatial landscape (USL) pattern affect the land surface urban heat islands (SUHIs) and canopy urban heat islands (CUHIs)? Based on satellite and meteorological observations, this case study compares the impacts of the USL pattern on SUHI and CUHI in the central urban area (CUA) of Beijing using the satellite land-surface-temperature product and hourly temperature data from automatic meteorological stations from 2009 to 2018. Eleven USL metrics—building height (BH), building density (BD), standard deviation of building height (BSD), floor area ratio (FAR), frontal area index (FAI), roughness length (RL), sky view factor (SVF), urban fractal dimension (FD), vegetation coverage (VC), impervious coverage (IC), and albedo (AB)—with a 500-m spatial resolution in the CUA are extracted for comparative analysis. The results show that SUHI is higher than CUHI at night, and SUHI is only consistent with CUHI at spatial—temporal scales at night, particularly in winter. Spatially, all 11 metrics are strongly correlated with both the SUHI and CUHI at night, with stronger correlation between most metrics and SUHI. VC, AB, and SVF have the greatest impact on both the SUHI and CUHI. High SUHI and CUHI values tend to appear in areas with BD ⩾ 0.26, VC ⩽ 0.09, AB ⩽ 0.09, and SVF ⩽ 0.67. In summer, most metrics have a greater impact on the SUHI than CUHI; the opposite is observed in winter. SUHI variation is affected primarily by VC in summer and by VC and AB in winter, which is different for the CUHI variation. The collective contribution of all 11 metrics to SUHI spatial variation in summer (61.8%) is higher than that to CUHI; however, the opposite holds in winter and for the entire year, where the cumulative contribution of the factors accounts for 66.6% and 49.6%, respectively, of the SUHI variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating urban spatial landscape (USL) parameters into refined climate environment assessment is important. By taking the central urban area (CUA) of Xi'an, China as an example, this study develops an evaluation method based on Urban Climatic Map (UCMap) technology. We define surface urban heat island intensity (SUHI) and surface ventilation potential coefficient (VPC), which can effectively reflect local urban climate. Based on SUHI and VPC, we analyze the influences of seven typical USL metrics including building height (BH), building density (BD), floor area ratio (FAR), sky view factor (SVF), frontal area index (FAI), surface roughness length (RL), and vegetation cover (VC). Then, we construct a comprehensive evaluation model and create an urban climate zoning map on a 100-m resolution. The climate optimization on the map is performed for configuration of possible ventilation corridors and identification of associated control indicators. The results show that the main factors affecting SUHI in the CUA of Xi'an are VC and BD, which explain 87.9% of the variation in SUHI, while VPC explains 50% of the variation in SUHI. The main factors affecting VPC are BH, FAR, FAI, and RL, all of which contribute to more than 95% of the variation in VPC. The evaluation model constructed by SUHI, VPC, and VC can divide the CUA into climate resource spaces, climate preservation spaces, climate sensitive spaces, and climate restoration spaces. On this basis, a ventilation corridor network of 3 level-1 corridors (each over 500 m wide), 6 level-2 corridors (each over 500 m wide) and 13 level-3 corridors (each over 50 m wide) is established. Meanwhile, the main quantitative control indicators selected from the USL metrics are proved to be capable of ensuring smooth implementation of the planned corridors at different levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new oxygenated tricyclic cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) alkaloid, asperorydine Q (1), along with seven known compounds, namely, asperorydines O (2) and J (3), speradine H (4), cyclopiamides A (5) and H (6), saadamysin (7), and pyrazinemethanol (8), were isolated from the coral-associated Aspergillus flavus GXIMD 02503. The structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis. Compounds 1–5 and 7–8 exhibited potent inhibition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) with the IC50 values ranging from 6.5 to 21.8 µmol L−1. In addition, the most potent one, pyrazinemethanol (8), dose-dependently suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation without obvious cytotoxicity in bone marrow macrophages cells (BMMCs), suggesting it is a promising lead compound for the treatment of osteolytic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of chromium (Cr) and antimony (Sb) from aquatic environments is crucial due to their bioaccumulation, high mobility and strong toxicity. In this work, a composite adsorbent consisting of Ti(OH)n(4−n)+ and polyaniline (PANI) was designed and successfully synthesized by a simple and eco-friendly method for the uptake of Cr(VI) and Sb(V). The synthetic PANI/TiO2 composites exhibited excellent adsorption capacities for Cr(VI) and Sb(V) (394.43 mg/g for Cr(VI) and 48.54 mg/g for Sb(V)), wide pH applicability and remarkable reusability. The adsorption of Cr(VI) oxyanions mainly involved electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding and anion-π interactions. Based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and FT-IR analysis, the adsorption sites were shown to be hydroxyl groups, amino/imino groups and benzene rings. Sb(V) was adsorbed mainly through hydrogen bonds and surface complexation to form Ti-O-Sb complexes. The formation of Cr-O-Sb in the dual system demonstrated the synergistic adsorption of Cr(VI) and Sb(V). More importantly, because of the different adsorption sites, the adsorption of Cr(VI) and Sb(V) occurred independently and was enhanced to some extent in the dual system. The results suggested that PANI/TiO2 is a promising prospect for practical wastewater treatment in the removal of Cr(VI) and Sb(V) from wastewater owing to its availability, wide applicability and great reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves are unique ecosystems that exist at the transition from land to oceans, harbor diverse bacterial communities and represent an important natural secondary metabolite resource that can be used to find and study diverse bioactive substances. However, the diversity and activities of cultivable bacteria associated with true mangrove trees remain poorly understood, especially within such habitats of the Beibu Gulf. In this study, we investigated the diversity of cultivable bacteria from Avicennia marina and Sonneratia apetala mangrove tree habitats within the Beibu Gulf to explore anti-aging activity of bacterial secondary metabolites. The recovered bacterial isolates belonged to 3 phyla, 25 families, 32 genera, and 40 species. Among these isolates, eight bacterial strains can significantly prolong the lifespan of the Caenorhabditis elegans N2 strain, and fourteen bacterial strains represent potentially new species within the genera Paracoccus, Sphingomonas, Teredinibacter, Novosphingobium, Pseudohoeflea, Acuticoccus, Actinotalea, Agromyces, Janibacter, Nocardia, Pseudokineococcus, Quadrisphaera, Demequina, and Rossellomorea. Of the newly identified strains, Actinotalea sp. (GXIMD7865) and Janibacter sp. (GXIMD7641) were isolated from S. apetala, they produced secondary metabolites with significant anti-aging activity, as it was shown in an experimental model with the use of Caenorhabditis elegans. These results demonstrate that mangrove ecosystems may have a high potential for synthesizing secondary metabolites with anti-aging activity from native bacterial populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One new natural alkaloid, chaetominine B (1), together with twenty known compounds was isolated from the South China Sea cold-seep-derived fungus Talaromyces helicus SCSIO41311. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and ECD calculation, as well as comparing with previous literatures. Among them, twelve compounds showed potent NO inhibitory activities and two of them, azaspirofurans A (13) and fumiquinones B (21), exhibited NO inhibitory effects more than the positive control eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) with IC50 values of 9.65 and 15.54 μM, respectively. Moreover, compound 13 attenuated LPS-induced imbalance of cytokines release such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-4, and IL-10. Additionally, the NMR data and absolute configuration of compound 20 were first reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the satellite data used to estimate terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) in China are predominantly from foreign satellites, and very few studies have based their estimates on data from China's Fengyun satellites. Moreover, despite their importance, the influence of land cover types and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on NPP estimation has not been clarified. This study employs the Carnegie—Ames—Stanford approach (CASA) model to compute the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and the maximum light use efficiency suitable for the main vegetation types in China in accordance with the finer resolution observation and monitoring-global land cover (FROM-GLC) classification product. Then, the NPP is estimated from the Fengyun-3D (FY-3D) data and compared with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NPP product. The FY-3D NPP is also validated with existing research results and historical field-measured NPP data. In addition, the effects of land cover types and the NDVI on NPP estimation are analyzed. The results show that the CASA model and the FY-3D satellite data estimate an average NPP of 441.2 g C m−2 yr−1 in 2019 for China's terrestrial vegetation, while the total NPP is 3.19 Pg C yr−1. Compared with the MODIS NPP, the FY-3D NPP is overestimated in areas of low vegetation productivity and is underestimated in high-productivity areas. These discrepancies are largely due to the differences between the FY-3D NDVI and MODIS NDVI. Compared with historical field-measured data, the FY-3D NPP estimation results outperformed the MODIS NPP results, although the deviation between the FY-3D NPP estimate and the in-situ measurement was large and may exceed 20% at the pixel scale. The land cover types and the NDVI significantly affected the spatial distribution of NPP and accounted for NPP deviations of 17.0% and 18.1%, respectively. Additionally, the total deviation resulting from the two factors reached 29.5%. These results show that accurate NDVI products and land cover types are important prerequisites for NPP estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As commonly used components in rotating machinery, rolling element bearings (REBs) can fail due to complex working conditions and high-speed rotation. The failure of bearings may cause great damage. It is necessary to identify the faults of bearings to prevent property losses and heavy casualties. This paper proposes a fault diagnosis approach based on improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN) and Bayesian network. The intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) extracted by ICEEMDAN algorithm are applied to construct feature vectors based on the energy entropy, and then the fault diagnosis model of the bearing is constructed by Bayesian network. The influence of load and sampling frequency on diagnostic accuracy of the bearing with different fault types is studied in this paper. And the research results show that the ICEEMDAN-BN method can improve the uncertainty reasoning ability and accuracy of the developed fault diagnosis model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bacterial isolate (BGMRC 2046T) was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Zoysia matrella collected from the Beibu Gulf of China. The results of a polyphasic taxonomic study revealed that this strain belongs to a member of the genus Stappia with the characteristics of Gram-stain-negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive, motile, short rod-shaped. The strain grew at 20–37 °C (optimal, 28 °C), pH 6.0–9.0 (optimal, pH 7.0), and 1–7% (w/v) optimal, NaCl (1–3%). A phylogenetic evaluation based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that this strain fall into the family Stappiaceae, being most closely related to Stappia indica CGMCC 1A01226T (95.8% sequence similarity), Stappia stellulata DSM 5886T (95.1%), and Stappia taiwanensis DSM 23284T (94.4%). The major cellular fatty acid, respiratory quinone and polar lipids were all detected from new species (BGMRC 2046T), that shows the chemical characteristics of BGMRC 2046T. The major polar lipids were two unidentified ninhydrin positive phospholipids, four unidentified phospholipids, and one unidentified lipid. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 4.78 Mbp and a G + C content of 60.8%. Pairwise comparison of the genomes of the new strain BGMRC 2046T and the three most closely related strains resulted in gANI values was lower than 75% and a digital DNA-DNA hybridization values was lower than 24%. The strain possessed genes encoding choline uptake and conversion to betaine gene clusters. The results of the polyphasic taxonomic study showed that strain BGMRC 2046T represents a new species of the genus Stappia. The name Stappia sediminis sp. nov. is proposed for the species with the type strain BGMRC 2046T (= KCTC52115T = CGMCC1.17425T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is an ideal crop for remediation in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil in farmland. The main objective of this study was focused on the combined effects of four nitrogen forms (urea, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrate fertilizer), four pH levels (5, 6, 7, 8), and three water levels (low water, middle water, high water) on Cd speciation and characteristics of Cd uptake by rapeseed. A pot experiment was conducted at the Xindu Experimental Park in Sichuan Province, China. Experimental results indicated that the interaction effects of pH and nitrogen forms, three factors on Cd speciation (except organic-bound Cd and exchangeable Cd), were significant and the interaction effects of pH and nitrogen forms on Cd uptake by rapeseed also was significant only under the condition of planting rapeseed. The higher the water level was or the lower the pH value was, the better the repair effect rapeseed to Cd was. High water significantly increased the stem Cd content by 11.89% and 29.55% through significantly increasing the content of exchangeable Cd by 23.40% and 52.63%, respectively, compared with middle water and low water as planting rapeseed, and pH 5 significantly increased the stem Cd content, total Cd enrichment coefficients, bio-availability coefficient, and Cd removal rate by 24.45~40.33%, 49.45~76.62%, 60.00~166.67%, and 16.67~26.00%, respectively, through significantly increasing the content of exchangeable Cd by 37.78~113.79%, compared with pH 7 and pH 8 as the significant decreasing of carbonate-bound Cd, bound to Fe–Mn oxide, and content of organic-bound Cd and residual Cd. Ammonium nitrate also significantly increased total Cd enrichment coefficients, bio-availability coefficient, and Cd removal rate by 45.63~138.10%, 21.05~109.09%, and 40.00~77.50%, respectively, compared with other three nitrogen forms as good growth and Cd resistance of rapeseed. Path analysis structural equation modeling revealed that content of exchangeable Cd and residual Cd had significant and direct path coefficients with variances in stem Cd content of rapeseed. Combined with the safety of edible oil, the best management practices for optimal remediation efficiency of rapeseed to Cd-contaminated soil were ammonium nitrate fertilizer, pH = 5, and high water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhangjiakou is an important wind power base in Hebei Province, China. The impact of its wind farms on the local climate is controversial. Based on long-term meteorological data from 1981 to 2018, we investigated the effects of the Shangyi Wind Farm (SWF) in Zhangjiakou on air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and precipitation using the anomaly or ratio method between the impacted weather station and the non-impacted background weather station. The influence of the SWF on land surface temperature (LST) and evapotranspiration (ET) using MODIS satellite data from 2003 to 2018 was also explored. The results showed that the SWF had an atmospheric warming effect at night especially in summer and autumn (up to 0.95°C). The daytime air temperature changes were marginal, and their signs were varying depending on the season. The annual mean wind speed decreased by 6%, mainly noted in spring and winter (up to 14%). The precipitation and relative humidity were not affected by the SWF. There was no increase in LST in the SWF perhaps due to the increased vegetation coverage unrelated to the wind farms, which canceled out the wind farm-induced land surface warming and also resulted in an increase in ET. The results showed that the impact of wind farms on the local climate was significant, while their impact on the regional climate was slight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines has helped mitigating SARS-CoV-2 spread, but more equitable allocation of vaccines is necessary to limit the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of additional variants of concern. We have developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on Newcastle disease virus (NDV) that can be manufactured at high yields in embryonated eggs. Here, we show that the NDV vector expressing an optimized spike antigen (NDV-HXP-S) is a versatile vaccine inducing protective antibody responses. NDV-HXP-S can be administered intramuscularly as inactivated vaccine or intranasally as live vaccine. We show that NDV-HXP-S GMP-produced in Vietnam, Thailand and Brazil is effective in the hamster model. Furthermore, we show that intramuscular vaccination with NDV-HXP-S reduces replication of tested variants of concerns in mice. The immunity conferred by NDV-HXP-S effectively counteracts SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice and hamsters. Here the authors show that a Newcastle disease virus based COVID-19 vaccine expressing a stabilized spike protein induces protective immunity in small animal models and reduces replication of variants of concerns. This vaccine candidate can be produced by influenza virus vaccine manufactures around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the meteorological data (2009–2018) acquired by high-density automatic meteorological stations in the central urban area (CUA) of Beijing, this study adopted an urban-rural ratio method to construct a qr to quantify the impact of urbanization on the spatial and temporal distribution of specific humidity (q). And the urban morphological parameters such as building height (BH), building density (BD), floor area ratio (FAR), sky view factor (SVF), and land surface parameters including vegetation coverage (VC) and impervious coverage (IC) with 500-m spatial resolution in CUA were calculated, and furthermore, the relationships between the six spatial layout parameters and another indicator, urban heat island (UHI) intensity, and qr were studied. The results show that q of CUA is 81~114% of that of the suburbs, and the urban dry island (UDI) effect and urban wet island (UWI) effect coexist throughout the year. The maximum UDI occurs during autumn daytime and the maximum UWI appears at night in winter. The UDI effect is prone to occur in areas with VC < 11%, IC >85%, BH > 15 m, and BD > 24%, while the UWI effect is more likely to appear in areas with VC > 35% and FAR < 0.3. The contributions of the six urbanization parameters to the spatial change of qr in different time periods are 6.2 to 33.5%, and VC is the largest (33.5%), followed by BD (31.9%) and SVF (29.9%), and the main factor affecting the annual average qr is BD with the contribution of 18.9%. Compared with the urbanization parameters, the UHI is more important and the contribution to the change of q can be up to 35.7%. The results show that these spatial layout parameters are not sufficient to explain the main change in q, and more other parameters need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Gram-stain-negative, catalase- and oxidase-positive, motile, short rod-shaped bacterium designated BGMRC 6574T was isolated from stems of Aegiceras corniculatum collected from Hainan province, China. The strain grew at 25–37 °C (optimal at 28 °C), pH 5.0–10.0 (pH 7.0), and 3–8% (w/v) NaCl (3%). Based on the 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis, the strain was closely related to Pararhizobium haloflavum MCCC 1K03228T (96.45% sequence similarity). The novel strain showed an average nucleotide identity value and a digital DNA–DNA hybridization of 72.62 and 27.1%, respectively, to P. haloflavum MCCC 1K03228T based on draft genome sequences. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 64.7 mol%. The major respiratory quinone was Q-10. The strain possessed genes putatively encoding choline uptake and conversion to betaine gene clusters. The extract significantly delayed the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans compared to the control (P < 0.05). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, seven unidentified phospholipids, three unidentified ninhydrin-positive phospholipids, and two unidentified lipids. The major cellular fatty acid was C19:0 cyclo ω8c. The results of a polyphasic taxonomic study showed that strain BGMRC 6574T represents a new species of the genus Pararhizobium, and it was named Pararhizobium mangrovi sp. nov. The type strain is BGMRC 6574T (=KCTC 72636T = CGMCC 1.16783). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain BGMRC 2036T was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Bruguiear gymnorrhiza collected from the Beibu Gulf of China. Optimum growth occurred at 28 °C, pH 7.0, and under the conditions of 3–5% (w/v) NaCl. The phylogenetic comparisons of 16S rRNA gene sequences displayed that strain BGMRC 2036T was closely related to Martelella limonii NBRC109441T (96.6% sequence similarity), M. mediterranea CGMCC 1.12224T (96.5%), M. lutilitoris GH2-6T (96.5%), M. radicis BM5-7T (96.2%), and M. mangrove BM9-1T (95.9%), M. suaedae NBRC109440T (95.8%). The phylogenomic tree based on the up-to-date bacterial core gene set indicated that the strain BGMRC 2036T form a clade formed with members of the genera Martelella. The major polar lipids include phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphotidylinositol, two unidentified phospholipids, and three unidentified ninhydrin positive phospholipids. The major respiratory quinone is Q-10, which is similar to those of genera Martelella. The main cellular fatty acids are C18:1ω7c, C16:0, and C12:0 aldehyde. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 4.99 Mbp and a G + C content of 62.3 mol%. Pairwise comparison of the genomes of the new strain BGMRC 2036T and the three reference strains M. endophytica YC 6887T, M. mediterranea CGMCC 1.12224T, and M. mangrovi USBA-857 indicated that gANI value was lower than 81% and a digital DNA–DNA hybridization value was lower than 27%. The strain BGMRC 2036T possessed genes putatively encoding riboflavin synthesis and flavodoxin A polyphasic taxonomic study suggested that strain BGMRC 2036T represented a novel species belonging to the genus Martelella, and it was named Martelella alba sp. nov. The type strain is BGMRC 2036T (=KCTC 52121T =NBRC 111908T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Gram-negative, motile, aerobic rod-shaped bacterium designated BGMRC 2031T was isolated from mangrove sediment collected from Guangxi Province, China. Optimal growth occurred at 28 °C and pH 7.0–8.0 in the presence of 1% (w/v) NaCl. Alignment based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain BGMRC 2031T is most closely related to Sodalis praecaptivus HS1T (95.6%, sequence similarity), followed by Biostraticola tofi DSM 19580T (95.5%), Sodalis glossinidius DSM 16929T (95.4%), and Brenneria goodwinii FRB141T (94.9%) sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain BGMRC 2031T formed a distinct branch in a robust cluster and revealed that strain BGMRC 2031T, genera Biostraticola and Sodalis, formed a novel family-level clade in the order Enterobacterales. The novel strain showed an average nucleotide similarity of 74.7%, 74.2%, and 73.1% for S. praecaptivus HS1T, S. glossinidius DSM 16929T, and B. tofi DSM 19580T, respectively. The genomes of the BGMRC 2031T shared the presence of a riboflavin synthesis gene cluster. The menaquinones of strain BGMRC 2031T were MK-8 and Q-8, which were similar to those of genus Biostraticola. The major fatty acids (> 10%) were C16:0 (19.9%), summed feature 2 (iso-C16:1 and/or C14:0 3-OH, 18.10%), summed feature 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c, 15.3%), C12:0 (13.9%), C17:0 cyclo (11.4%), and C14:0 (10.4%). The main polar lipids were phosphatidyl methylethanolamine, phosphatidyl glycerol, diphosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidyl inositol, one unidentified phospholipid, and one unknown polar lipid. The G+C content of strain BGMRC 2031T was 55.4%. Strain BGMRC 2031T could extend the mean lifespan and maximum lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by 4.5% and 12.5%, respectively. Overall, the results of this study indicate that BGMRC 2031T is a novel species in a new genus, for which the name Bruguierivorax albus gen. nov. sp. nov. is proposed, and the type of strain is designated as BGMRC 2031T (= NBRC 111907T = KCTC 52119T). In addition, a novel family, Bruguierivoracaceae fam. nov., is proposed to accommodate the genera Bruguierivorax, Biostraticola, and Sodalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind corridor blueprints are an essential reference for climate planning that takes into account zones of fresh cold air, air channels as well as heat island alleviation zones. This article addresses the matter of how to plan urban wind corridors more efficiently by proposing a "ventilation potential coefficient" (VPC) as well as providing an index for natural cold sources. The study additionally proposes a surface urban heat island (SUHI) index as a means of evaluating the severity of the heat island effect. Based on these three indexes, a new method of categorizing urban climatic zones, called "Climatopes", is developed. Using the above methods, data from 2016 meteorological observation stations and Landsat8 satellites, as well as urban planning materials and basic geographical information on a scale of 1:2000 are used to create an Urban Climate Analysis Map (UCAnMap) and formulate a plan for the construction of wind corridors in the urban centre of Ji'nan. The results reveal that the intensity of urban heat islands in Ji'nan is closely related to a lack of natural cold sources, the specific layout of different types of land use as well as poor planning of urban "function zones". Moreover, there is a significant correlation between the VPC and other factors such as surface roughness length, building height, the density of building frontal area and floor area ratios. The potential wind corridors could also be determined based on the VPC. Based on an UCAnMap composed of 11 Climatopes and background wind environments, this article ascertains that it would be possible to construct a network of 3 Level One corridors (each over 500 m wide) and 11 Level Two corridors (each over 80-m wide). Additionally, regulatory measures and protective legislation are proposed for the corridors, as well as for the city's overall development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]