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Fragaria nilgerrensis is a wild strawberry species widely distributed in southwest China and has strong ecological adaptability. Akihime (F. × ananassa Duch. cv. Akihime) is one of the main cultivated strawberry varieties in China and is prone to infection with a variety of diseases. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze and compare the soil and root microbiomes of F. nilgerrensis and Akihime. Results indicate that the wild species F. nilgerrensis showed higher microbial diversity in nonrhizosphere soil and rhizosphere soil and possessed a more complex microbial network structure compared with the cultivated variety Akihime. Genera such as Bradyrhizobium and Anaeromyxobacter, which are associated with nitrogen fixation and ammonification, and Conexibacter, which is associated with ecological toxicity resistance, exhibited higher relative abundances in the rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere soil samples of F. nilgerrensis compared with those of Akihime. Meanwhile, the ammonia-oxidizing archaea Candidatus Nitrososphaera and Candidatus Nitrocosmicus showed the opposite tendencies. We also found that the relative abundances of potential pathogenic genera and biocontrol bacteria in the Akihime samples were higher than those in the F. nilgerrensis samples. The relative abundances of Blastococcus, Nocardioides, Solirubrobacter, and Gemmatimonas, which are related to pesticide degradation, and genus Variovorax, which is associated with root growth regulation, were also significantly higher in the Akihime samples than in the F. nilgerrensis samples. Moreover, the root endophytic microbiomes of both strawberry species, especially the wild F. nilgerrensis, were mainly composed of potential biocontrol and beneficial bacteria, making them important sources for the isolation of these bacteria. This study is the first to compare the differences in nonrhizosphere and rhizosphere soils and root endogenous microorganisms between wild and cultivated strawberries. The findings have great value for the research of microbiomes, disease control, and germplasm innovation of strawberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar radiation triggers atmospheric nitrous acid (HONO) photolysis, producing OH radicals, thereby accelerating photochemical reactions, leading to severe secondary pollution formation. Missing daytime sources were detected in the extensive HONO budget studies carried out in the past. In the rural North China Plain, some studies attributed those to soil emissions and more recent studies to dew evaporation. To investigate the contributions of these two processes to HONO temporal variations and unknown production rates in rural areas, HONO and related field observations obtained at the Gucheng Agricultural and Ecological Meteorological Station during spring and autumn were thoroughly analyzed. Morning peaks in HONO frequently occurred simultaneously with those of ammonia (NH3) and water vapor both during spring and autumn, which were mostly caused by dew and guttation water evaporation. In spring, the unknown HONO production rate revealed pronounced afternoon peaks exceeding those in the morning. In autumn, however, the afternoon peak was barely detectable compared to the morning peak. The unknown afternoon HONO production rates were attributed to soil emissions due to their good relationship to soil temperatures, while NH3 soil emissions were not as distinctive as dew emissions. Overall, the relative daytime contribution of dew emissions was higher during autumn, while soil emissions dominated during spring. Nevertheless, dew emission remained the most dominant contributor to morning time HONO emissions in both seasons, thus being responsible for the initiation of daytime OH radical formation and activation of photochemical reactions, while soil emissions further maintained HONO and associated OH radial formation rates at a high level, especially during spring. Future studies need to thoroughly investigate the influencing factors of dew and soil emissions and establish their relationship to HONO emission rates, form reasonable parameterizations for regional and global models, and improve current underestimations in modeled atmospheric oxidation capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous acid (HONO), a vital precursor of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals (OH), has been extensively investigated to understand its characteristics and formation mechanisms. However, discerning fundamental mechanisms across diverse environments remains challenging. This study utilizes measurements from Mount Lao, a coastal mountain in eastern China, and an observation-based chemical box model (OBM) to examine HONO budgets and their subsequent impacts on atmospheric oxidizing capacity. The model incorporates additional HONO sources, including direct emissions, heterogeneous conversions of NO 2 on aerosol and ground surfaces, and particulate nitrate photolysis. The observed mean HONO concentration was 0.46 ± 0.37 ppbv. The updated model reproduced daytime HONO concentrations well during dust and photochemical pollution events. During dust events, daytime HONO formation was dominated by photo-enhanced heterogeneous reactions of NO 2 on aerosol surfaces (> 50 %), whereas particulate nitrate photolysis (34 %) prevailed during photochemical pollution events. Nevertheless, the model uncovers a significant unidentified marine HONO source in a "sea case", with its HONO production rate reaching up to 0.70 ppbv h -1 at noon. Without considering this unidentified source, an extraordinarily high photolysis coefficient of nitrate and/or a heterogeneous uptake coefficient of NO 2 would be required to match observed HONO concentrations. This missing marine HONO source affected the peak O 3 production rate and OH radical concentration by 36 % and 28 %, respectively, at the observation site. Given the limited HONO observation data in coastal and marine settings, the unidentified HONO source may cause an underestimation of the atmosphere's oxidizing capacity. This study highlights the necessity for further investigation of the role of HONO in atmospheric chemistry in coastal and marine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Camrelizumab combined with rivoceranib has been proven effective for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). However, their higher prices than sorafenib could impose a substantial economic burden on patients., Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of the combination of camrelizumab and rivoceranib versus sorafenib as first-line therapy for patients with uHCC from the perspective of the US and Chinese payers., Method: Using data from the CARES-310 trial, a partitioned survival model (PSM) was developed, considering the perspectives of the US and Chinese payers. The model employed a 15-year time horizon and a biweekly cycle. Direct medical costs and utility data were collected from previous studies and open-access databases. Primary outcomes included quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Price simulations, sensitivity analyses, and subgroup analyses were conducted., Results: The ICER for the US and China was $122,388.62/QALY and $30,410.56/QALY, respectively, falling below the willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds of $150,000/QALY for the US and $35,898.87/QALY for China. Price simulations indicated the cost-effectiveness of camrelizumab plus rivoceranib when the price of camrelizumab (200 mg) remained below $6275.19 in the US and $558.09 in China. The primary determinant of cost-effectiveness in both regions was the cost of camrelizumab., Conclusion: The combination of camrelizumab and rivoceranib is a cost-effective first-line therapy for uHCC in both the US and China. Lowering their prices could significantly influence their cost-effectiveness and accessibility to patients. These findings will guide clinicians in treating uHCC and help decision-makers formulate value-based drug pricing strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Endophytes are essential in plant succession and evolution, and essential for stress resistance. Coralloid root is a unique root structure found in cycads that has played a role in resisting adverse environments, yet the core taxa and microbial community of different Cycas species have not been thoroughly investigated. Using amplicon sequencing, we successfully elucidated the microbiomes present in coralloid roots of 10 Cycas species, representing all four sections of Cycas in China. We found that the endophytic bacteria in coralloid roots, i.e., Cyanobacteria, were mainly composed of Desmonostoc_PCC-7422, Nostoc_PCC-73102 and unclassified_f__Nostocaceae. Additionally, the Ascomycota fungi of Exophiala, Paraboeremia, Leptobacillium, Fusarium, Alternaria, and Diaporthe were identified as the core fungi taxa. The Ascomycota fungi of Nectriaceae, Herpotrichiellaceae, Cordycipitaceae, Helotiaceae, Diaporthaceae, Didymellaceae, Clavicipitaceae and Pleosporaceae were identified as the core family taxa in coralloid roots of four sections. High abundance but low diversity of bacterial community was detected in the coralloid roots, but no significant difference among species. The fungal community exhibited much higher complexity compared to bacteria, and diversity was noted among different species or sections. These core taxa, which were a subset of the microbiome that frequently occurred in all, or most, individuals of Cycas species, represent targets for the development of Cycas conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Endophytes and their host plants have co-evolved for a very long time. This relationship has led to the general recognition of endophytes as a particular class of microbial resources. R. pseudoacacia 'Hongsen' is drought- and barren-resistant species that can be grown in both the north and south of China, efficiently addresses the ecological issues caused by China's 'southern eucalyptus and northern poplar. Up to date, cultured-dependent studies are available for the R. pseudoacacia nitrogen-fixing and other endophytes. Therefore, the present research studied the R. pseudoacacia 'Hongsen,' microbiome in detail by high-throughput sequencing and culture dependant. Methods: This study examined microbial species and functional diversity in Robinia pseudoacacia 'Hongsen' using culture-dependent (isolation) and culture-independent techniques. Results: A total of 210 isolates were isolated from R. pseudoacacia 'Hongsen.' These isolates were clustered into 16 groups by the In Situ PCR (IS-PCR) fingerprinting patterns. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the representative strain of each group revealed that these groups belonged to 16 species of 8 genera, demonstrating the diversity of endophytes in R. pseudoacacia 'Hongsen'. 'Bacillus is the most prevalent genus among all the endophytic bacteria. High-throughput sequencing of endophytic bacteria from R. pseudoacacia 'Hongsen' of the plant and the rhizosphere soil bacteria showed that the bacterial populations of soil near the root, leaf, and rhizosphere differed significantly. The microbial abundance decreased in the endophytes as compared to the rhizosphere. We observed a similar community structure of roots and leaves. With and without root nodules, Mesorhizobium sp. was significantly different in R. pseudoacacia 'Hongsen' plant. Discussion: It was predicted that R. pseudoacacia 'Hongsen' plant endophytic bacteria would play a significant role in the metabolic process, such as carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, membrane transport, and energy metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dust direct radiative effect (DDRE) can modify the near‐surface air temperature, which can in turn influence dust emission. However, the feedback mechanism of DDRE on dust emission is poorly understood. In this study, the influence of DDRE on dust emission in Taklimakan Desert (TD) was investigated using comprehensive ground‐based observations. The results show that the near‐surface air temperature significantly decreased as a result of DDRE, corresponding to dust emission enhanced. Statistically, the contributions of DDRE to dust emission during light, moderate, and heavy dusty episodes were 5.0% (3.6%), 5.2% (2.8%), and 6.1% (3.3%) in spring (summer), respectively. From the perspective of mechanism, DDRE can induce an increase in air density by cooling the near‐surface, causing an enhancement of aerodynamic drag, promoting dust emission in TD. Such positive feedback of DDRE on dust emission may be a potential contributor to improving the dust emission scheme of numerical modeling in the future. Plain Language Summary: Taklimakan Desert (TD) is a significant dust source in China and East Asia, providing abundant dust aerosols that are suspended in the atmosphere over Tarim Basin. Currently, the feedback mechanism of the radiative effect of suspended dust on dust emission is poorly understood. By combining comprehensive ground‐based observations with reanalysis data, we investigated the influence of dust direct radiative effect (DDRE) on dust emission in TD. Due to the DDRE, the near‐surface air temperature during light, moderate and heavy dust pollution episodes decreased by 7.01 (4.38), 7.28 (3.51), and 8.50 K (4.06 K) in spring (summer), respectively. Such a distinct cooling effect decreased the threshold wind speed, leading to dust emission enhanced in TD. The contributions of DDRE to dust emission were 5.0%–6.1% (2.8%–3.6%) in spring (summer). According to the physical mechanism of sand movement, the near‐surface cooling effect caused by DDER induced an increase in air density, leading to the enhancement of aerodynamic drag, which resulted in more dust particles leaving from the surface. Therefore, DDER is responsible for the promotion of dust emissions in TD. The results are beneficial for improving dust emission schemes in future modeling. Key Points: Dust direct radiative effect (DDRE) and air pressure are presented as quadratic functionsContributions of DDRE to dust emission are 5.0%–6.1% (2.8%–3.6%) in spring (summer)Enhancement of aerodynamic drag is the primary cause of dust emission increased [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The soil bacteria promote the circulation conversion of lake nutrients and play an important role in maintaining the balance of the lake ecosystem. Few studies have investigated the association of seasonal variation in bacteria and environmental factors in inland freshwater lake wetlands. Nansi Lake is a large shallow freshwater lake in northern China. It is an important hub of the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Methods: In this study, bacterial 16S rRNA genes were used to analyze the variation of soil bacterial community diversity in Nansi Lake Wetland and its influencing factors in different seasons. Results: It is showed that the phylum, family, and genus with the largest relative abundance in the soil of Nansi Lake Wetland are Proteobacteria, Nitrosomonadaceae, and MND1, respectively. There were significant seasonal differences in soil bacterial diversity in Nansi LakeWetland, which was significantly higher in summer than in winter. Seasonal variation in environmental factors was significantly correlated with the variation in bacterial communities. Temperature and the content of available phosphorus may be the key factors influencing seasonal variation in bacterial diversity. Discussion: The results of this study further enhance our understanding of the relationship between bacterial community diversity and environmental factors in the lake wetland ecosystem, which can provide scientific data for the conservation of Nansi Lake Wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous acid (HONO), a vital precursor of atmospheric hydroxyl radicals (OH), has been extensively investigated to understand its characteristics and formation mechanisms. However, discerning fundamental mechanisms across diverse environments remains challenging. This study utilizes measurements from Mount Lao, a coastal mountain in eastern China, and an observation-based chemical box model to examine HONO budgets and their subsequent impacts on atmospheric oxidizing capacity. The model incorporates additional HONO sources, including direct emissions, heterogeneous conversions of NO2 on aerosol and ground surfaces, and particulate nitrate photolysis. The observed mean HONO concentration was 0.46 ± 0.37 ppbv. The updated model well reproduced daytime HONO concentrations during dust and photochemical pollution events. During dust events, daytime HONO formation was dominated by photo-enhanced heterogeneous reactions of NO2 on aerosol surfaces (>50 %), whereas particulate nitrate photolysis (34 %) prevails during photochemical pollution events. Nevertheless, the model uncovers a significant unidentified marine HONO source in the "sea case", with its HONO production rate reaching up to 0.70 ppbv h–1 at noon. Without considering this unidentified source, an extraordinarily high photolysis coefficient of nitrate and/or heterogeneous uptake coefficient of NO2 would be required to match observed HONO concentrations. This missing HONO source affected the peak O3 production rate and OH radical concentration by 36 % and 28 %, respectively. Given the limited HONO observations data in coastal and marine settings, the unidentified HONO source may cause an underestimation of the atmosphere's oxidizing capacity. This study highlights the necessity for further investigation of the role of HONO in atmospheric chemistry in coastal and marine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether social support, pension benefits, and medical insurance coverage are related to cognitive function and decline among older rural Chinese adults and whether depressive symptoms represented a pathway linking these factors with cognitive function. Data are taken from three waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N = 5,135). Cognitive function is assessed with episodic memory and depressive symptoms are assessed with the 10-item CESD Scale. Social support (intergenerational financial transfers, weekly contact with children, perceived availability of future support, and living arrangements), pension benefits, and medical insurance coverage are self-reported measures. Multilevel linear regression models are employed. Intergenerational financial transfers, perceived availability of future support, and pension income are associated with higher levels of cognitive function. Living with others, perceived availability of future support, medical insurance coverage, and pension income are associated with a slower risk of cognitive decline. Depressive symptoms mediated the association between perceived availability of future support, living with others, pension income and level of cognitive function and the link between perceived availability of future support, pension income, and cognitive decline. The findings suggested these modifiable factors should be taken into account when screening older adults for possible cognitive impairment and decline. Early interventions may also be helpful by expanding social resources and reducing psychological distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo shoot (Phyllostachys pubescens) is mainly cultivated in China and Japan. It represents a reservoir of micro and macronutrients and contains a high amount of proteins, essential amino acids, phenolic acids, sterols, and fibers. Thank to these compounds, several beneficial health effects have been attributed to the bamboo shoot. This review is aimed at discussing a collection of research papers on Bamboo shoot in pharmaceutical and food fields. A particular focus is addressed to the chemical profile, the different biological activities, the different uses, the traditional recipes, the methods of conservation and the treatments of the shoot. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a comprehensive review that is focused exclusively on the applications of the shoot of bamboo Phyllostachys pubescens in different fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Plant invasion can profoundly alter ecosystem processes driven by microorganisms. The fundamental mechanisms linking microbial communities, functional genes, and edaphic characteristics in invaded ecosystems are, nevertheless, poorly understood. Methods: Here, soil microbial communities and functions were determined across 22 Amaranthus palmeri (A. palmeri) invaded patches by pairwise 22 native patches located in the Jing-Jin-Ji region of China using high-throughput amplicon sequencing and quantitative microbial element cycling technologies. Results: As a result, the composition and structure of rhizosphere soil bacterial communities differed significantly between invasive and native plants according to principal coordinate analysis. A. palmeri soils exhibited higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and Nitrospirae, and lower abundance of Actinobacteria than native soils. Additionally, compared to native rhizosphere soils, A. palmeri harbored a much more complex functional gene network with higher edge numbers, average degree, and average clustering coefficient, as well as lower network distance and diameter. Furthermore, the five keystone taxa identified in A. palmeri rhizosphere soils belonged to the orders of Longimicrobiales, Kineosporiales, Armatimonadales, Rhizobiales and Myxococcales, whereas Sphingomonadales and Gemmatimonadales predominated in the native rhizosphere soils. Moreover, random forest model revealed that keystone taxa were more important indicators of soil functional attributes than edaphic variables in both A. palmeri and native rhizosphere soils. For edaphic variables, only ammonium nitrogen was a significant predictor of soil functional potentials in A. palmeri invaded ecosystems. We also found keystone taxa in A. palmeri rhizosphere soils had strong and positive correlations with functional genes compared to native soils. Discussion: Our study highlighted the importance of keystone taxa as a driver of soil functioning in invaded ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reform of the environmental management system and policy optimization is key to promoting green technology innovation. However, empirical studies on environmental monitoring decentralization are limited. As a result, this paper analyzes the impacts of environmental decentralization and environmental regulation on green technology innovation using China's 30 provincial administrative panel data ranging from 2008 to 2017. The study outcome denotes that environmental decentralization is not conducive to green technology innovation. Similar effects are also found for environmental administration decentralization, environmental supervision decentralization, and environmental monitoring decentralization. Secondly, there is a U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green technology innovation. With the strengthening of environmental administrative decentralization and environmental supervision decentralization, environmental regulation has a significant positive role in promoting green technology innovation. Furthermore, environmental decentralization reduces the inhibitory effect of environmental regulation on green technology innovation in the eastern and central regions. Environmental decentralization does not play a regulatory role in the impact of environmental regulation on green technology innovation in economically developed areas. Lastly, the impact of environmental regulation on green technology innovation shows significant threshold characteristics with the change in environmental decentralization, in which there is an optimal threshold interval for environmental decentralization. The study concluded with an important reference value for determining reasonable levels of environmental decentralization among different regions and improving relevant environmental regulation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium and magnesium are major nutrient elements of plants, and both play an important role in plant growth and development. Pinus massoniana and P. hwangshanensis are important afforestation tree species in barren mountains in China. However, observation and research on calcium and magnesium nutrition of dominant forest species in China are still limited. This study determined the concentration of calcium and magnesium in needles for two species from five sites in East China by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). We then explored the inter- and intra-population variation pattern of calcium and magnesium and their relationship with environmental factors. There were significant differences in traits among populations. The strongest factors, which impacted the variation of calcium and magnesium concentration, were elevation and individual differences, respectively. Element concentration was correlated to environmental factors such as longitude, latitude, elevation, and mean annual temperature. The results of this study can be helpful for a better understanding of tree growth, population survival, and forest succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Meteorology Administration chemistry model Chinese Unified Atmospheric Chemistry Environment (CUACE) is online integrated into the mesoscale operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) model (GRAPES_Meso5.1) and aerosol‐cloud‐radiation interaction is achieved to establish the first version (V1) of chemistry‐weather (CW) interacted model GRAPES‐Meso5.1/CUACE CW V1. The most polluted winter 2016–2017 is selected to study the meteorology impacts on haze/fog prediction, the impact of aerosol‐radiation, aerosol‐cloud and CW interaction (ARI, ACI, CWI) on haze/fog prediction and NWP. Single way model without CWI displays reasonable PM2.5 and visibility prediction in general. However, modeled PM2.5 peaks are underestimated and visibility valleys are overestimated during haze/fog pollution, the underestimation of relative humidity (RH) contributes major to this misestimation; CWI model cut the negative bias of PM2.5 peaks and the positive bias of visibility valleys. The improvement of 5 and 3 km low visibility by CWI during severe haze/fog period is more obvious than that of 10 km, which just compensates for the largest deficiency in low visibility prediction related with severe haze/fog by single way model; The NWP including sea level pressures, RH, temperature, wind speed are also improved by CWI from surface to upper troposphere; ARI contributes larger to the predicted PM2.5,visibility and NWP improvement than that of ACI, their relative contributions varies with model vertical height and the overlapping condition of cloud and aerosols. Due to the joint contribution of RH and PM2.5, CWI's improving on visibility is larger than PM2.5. This study illustrates the importance of including CWI in air quality prediction model. Plain Language Summary: Double way atmospheric chemistry model considering complete aerosol‐radiation‐cloud interaction is the hot and difficult issue in climate, weather and air quality (AQ) modeling. Focusing on better prediction of haze/fog pollution in China, the first version (V1) of chemistry‐weather (CW) interacted model GRAPES‐Meso5.1/CUACE CW V1 is established by online coupling the Chinese Meteorology Administration CUACE chemistry model with the updated operational mesoscale weather model GRAPES_Meso5.1 and the further completion of aerosol‐cloud‐radiation interaction in it. The meteorology impacts on haze/fog prediction including PM2.5 and visibility is discussed. The impacts of aerosol‐cloud interaction (ACI), aerosol radiation interaction (ARI) and the both (CWI) on haze/fog prediction and mesoscale NWP is further studied. The study results shows that the important impacts of relative humidity on high PM2.5 and low visibility and the improving of PM2.5, low visibility prediction and NWP by ARI, ACI and CWI during haze/fog episode, indicating the importance of CW model in better AQ prediction and NWP in polluted region. Key Points: An online chemistry‐weather (CW) interacted GRAPES_Meso5.1/Chinese Unified Atmospheric Chemistry Environment CW V1.0 model with aerosol‐radiation‐cloud interaction is establishedSingle way model shows basic reasonable haze/fog prediction including visibility and PM2.5 in most polluted subregions in ChinaCW Interaction improves PM2.5, visibility and numerical weather prediction from surface to upper troposphere to varying degree [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse radiation (If) is one of important variables determining photosynthetic rate and carbon uptake of forest ecosystems. However, the responses of gross primary productivity (GPP) and light use efficiency (LUE) to diffuse fraction (DF) are still poorly understood. We used a 6-year dataset of carbon flux at a warmtemperate mixed plantation site in North China to explore the impacts of DF on GPP and LUE. During 2011-2017, ecosystem apparent quantum yield (α) and photosynthesis at photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of 1800 µmol m-2 s -1 (P1800) on cloudy days were 63% and 17% higher than on clear days, respectively. Under lower vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and air temperature (Ta) conditions, canopy photosynthesis was significantly higher on cloudy skies than on clear skies. On half-hourly scale, increased DF enhanced α and P1800. Daily GPP peaked at a median DF (=0.5), while daily LUE significantly increased with DF (p<0.01). Both GPP and LUE were mainly controlled directly by DF and PAR. DF had an indirect effect on LUE and GPP mainly through PAR. At high DF levels (>0.5), the increase in LUE did not make GPP enhancement. The direct effect of DF on GPP and LUE under lower Ta and VPD was more sensitive than under higher Ta and VPD. When DF was incorporated into the MichaelisMenten model, it performed well in the GPP estimation, and the determination coefficient increased by 32.61% and the root mean square error decreased by 25.74%. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating DF into carbon sequestration estimation in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Pesticide Science / Nongyaoxue Xuebao is the property of Chinese Journal of Pesticide Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cyberbullying perpetration (CP) is a common and devastating network deviation behavior. Some parenting factors for CP have been identified, but few studies have examined the correlation between perceived maternal/paternal acceptance (PMA/PPA) and CP, and the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relation are also largely unknown. Thus, by using a cross-sectional designed questionnaire survey of 4,206 adolescents (M = 16.41 years, SD = 0.77), the current study examined the relationship between PMA/PPA and CP, as well as the mediating effect of materialism and the moderating effects of father/mother-child attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance in this relation. The results showed that PMA/PPA was protective factors of CP. The moderated mediation models showed that materialism played a partial mediation role in the relationship between PMA/PPA and CP. Moreover, the direct association of PMA/PPA with CP was exacerbated by stronger father/mother-child attachment anxiety, in contrast, it was weakened by stronger father/mother-child attachment avoidance. Besides, both father/mother-child attachment anxiety and father/mother-child attachment avoidance strengthened the direct relationship between materialism and CP, and further strengthened the indirect association of PMA/PPA with CP. This study highlighted the importance of uncovering the link between perceived parental acceptance and adolescents' CP and emphasized the underlying mechanisms, which are of great significance for the prevention and intervention of adolescents' CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel swine enteric alphacoronavirus, swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS‐CoV), related to Rhinolophus bat CoV HKU2 in the subgenus Rhinacovirus emerged in southern China in 2017, causing diarrhoea in newborn piglets, and critical questions remain about the pathogenicity, cross‐species transmission and potential animal reservoirs. Our laboratory's previous research has shown that SADS‐CoV can replicate in various cell types from different species, including chickens. Here, we systematically explore the susceptibility of chickens to a cell‐adapted SADS‐CoV strain both in vitro and in vivo. First, evidence of SADS‐CoV replication in primary chicken cells, including cytopathic effects, immunofluorescence staining, growth curves and structural protein expression, was proven. Furthermore, we observed that SADS‐CoV replicated in chicken embryos without causing gross lesions and that experimental infection of chicks resulted in mild respiratory symptoms. More importantly, SADS‐CoV shedding and viral distribution in the lungs, spleens, small intestines and large intestines of infected chickens were confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The genomic sequence of the original SADS‐CoV from the pig source sample in 2017 was determined to have nine nucleotide differences compared to the cell‐adapted strain used; among these were three nonsynonymous mutations in the spike gene. These results collectively demonstrate that chickens are susceptible to SADS‐CoV infection, suggesting that they are a potential animal reservoir. To our knowledge, this study provides the first experimental evidence of cross‐species infection in which a mammalian alphacoronavirus is able to infect an avian species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of nitrous acid (HONO) have been observed in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of China in recent years, contributing to an elevated atmospheric oxidation capacity due to the production of OH through HONO photolysis. We investigated the budget of HONO at an urban site in Guangzhou from 27 September to 9 November 2018 using data from a comprehensive atmospheric observation campaign. During this period, measured concentrations of HONO were 0.02 to 4.43 ppbv, with an average of 0.74 ± 0.70 ppbv. An emission ratio (HONO/NOx) of 0.9 ± 0.4 % was derived from 11 fresh plumes. The primary emission rate of HONO at night was calculated to be between 0.04 ± 0.02 and 0.30 ± 0.15 ppbv h -1 based on a high-resolution NO x emission inventory. Heterogeneous conversion of NO 2 on the ground surface (0.27 ± 0.13 ppbv h -1), primary emissions from vehicle exhaust (between 0.04 ± 0.02 and 0.30 ± 0.15 ppbv h -1 , with a middle value of 0.16 ± 0.07 ppbv h -1), and the homogeneous reaction of NO + OH (0.14 ± 0.30 ppbv h -1) were found to be the three largest sources of HONO at night. Heterogeneous NO 2 conversion on aerosol surfaces (0.03 ± 0.02 ppbv h -1) and soil emission (0.019 ± 0.009 ppbv h -1) were two other minor sources. Correlation analysis shows that NH 3 and the relative humidity (RH) may have participated in the heterogeneous transformation of NO 2 to HONO at night. Dry deposition (0.41 ± 0.31 ppbv h -1) was the main removal process of HONO at night, followed by dilution (0.18 ± 0.16 ppbv h -1), while HONO loss at aerosol surfaces was much slower (0.008 ± 0.006 ppbv h -1). In the daytime, the average primary emission Pemis was 0.12 ± 0.02 ppbv h -1 , and the homogeneous reaction POH+NO was 0.79 ± 0.61 ppbv h -1 , larger than the unknown source PUnknown (0.65 ± 0.46 ppbv h -1). Similar to previous studies, PUnknown appeared to be related to the photo-enhanced conversion of NO 2. Our results show that primary emissions and the reaction of NO + OH can significantly affect HONO at a site with intensive emissions during both the daytime and nighttime. Uncertainty in parameter values assumed in the calculation of HONO sources can have a strong impact on the relative importance of HONO sources at night, and could be reduced by improving knowledge of key parameters such as the NO 2 uptake coefficient. The uncertainty in the estimated direct emission can be reduced by using emission data with higher resolution and quality. Our study highlights the importance of better constraining both conventional and novel HONO sources by reducing uncertainties in their key parameters for advancing our knowledge of this important source of atmospheric OH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the Chinese Loess Plateau, the development of the paleosol S3 that was formed during the MIS‐9 interglacial is weaker than some other paleosol units such as the S4 soil that was formed during the MIS‐11 interglacial, suggesting relatively drier climate condition during MIS‐9. By contrast, in Tajikistan of southern central Asia, the S3 is the most developed soil over the past 800 ka, indicating relatively warm and humid climate conditions. The difference in the paleosol formation and the MIS‐9 climate between monsoonal China and central Asia is intriguing. In this study, we combine loess records from monsoonal China and central Asia as well as climate simulation results to understand the spatial difference of the MIS‐9 climate in particular in comparison with the climate of MIS‐11. Our results show that under the combined effects of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and insolation, the simulated effective moisture conditions between northern China and southern central Asia are consistent with the loess records. Insolation leads to much more annual mean precipitation than GHG during MIS‐9 in southern central Asia, explaining a much wetter MIS‐9 there. By contrast, both insolation and GHG lead to more annual mean precipitation and evaporation during MIS‐9 in northern China, leading only to a slight difference in the effective moisture between MIS‐9 and MIS‐11. In addition, compared to MIS‐11, the higher insolation and GHG concentration during MIS‐9 generate an anomalous atmospheric circulation pattern similar to negative phase of North Atlantic Oscillation, favoring precipitation increase in southern central Asia. Key Points: Insolation leads to more annual mean precipitation of MIS‐9 than CO2 in southern central Asia, explaining a much wetter MIS‐9 than MIS‐11Both insolation and CO2 lead to more precipitation and evaporation of MIS‐9 in northern China, causing a slightly drier MIS‐9 than MIS‐11Higher insolation and CO2 during MIS‐9 lead to precipitation increase in southern central Asia via anomalous atmospheric circulation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A robust empirical literature suggests that the development of one's political ideology is the product of an "elective affinity" between the discursive, socially constructed elements of ideological belief systems and the psychological constraints, motives, and interests of those who are drawn to those belief systems. However, most studies which support this elective affinity theory have been conducted in the West. In the present study, we tested the theory in China to see whether elective affinities between psychological traits and political ideology are more likely to be universal. Across a nationally representative sample (N = 509), we found initial support for the characterization of the left‐right divide in China, albeit in reverse. Namely, the "liberal Right in China mostly evinces traits of the psychological Left in the West (e.g., lower intolerance of ambiguity), while the "conservative Left" mostly evinces traits of the psychological right in the West (e.g., higher system justification). Epistemic motives were most reliably related to political ideology, while existential and relational motives were more mixed; economic and political aspects of ideology were more closely linked to psychological traits than social/cultural aspects. The present findings provide an extension of existing theory and opportunities for further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) Science Plan, released in 2015, addressed a need for a holistic system understanding and outlined the most urgent research needs for the rapidly changing Arctic-boreal region. Air quality in China, together with the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants, was also indicated as one of the most crucial topics of the research agenda. These two geographical regions, the northern Eurasian Arctic-boreal region and China, especially the megacities in China, were identified as a "PEEX region". It is also important to recognize that the PEEX geographical region is an area where science-based policy actions would have significant impacts on the global climate. This paper summarizes results obtained during the last 5 years in the northern Eurasian region, together with recent observations of the air quality in the urban environments in China, in the context of the PEEX programme. The main regions of interest are the Russian Arctic, northern Eurasian boreal forests (Siberia) and peatlands, and the megacities in China. We frame our analysis against research themes introduced in the PEEX Science Plan in 2015. We summarize recent progress towards an enhanced holistic understanding of the land–atmosphere–ocean systems feedbacks. We conclude that although the scientific knowledge in these regions has increased, the new results are in many cases insufficient, and there are still gaps in our understanding of large-scale climate–Earth surface interactions and feedbacks. This arises from limitations in research infrastructures, especially the lack of coordinated, continuous and comprehensive in situ observations of the study region as well as integrative data analyses, hindering a comprehensive system analysis. The fast-changing environment and ecosystem changes driven by climate change, socio-economic activities like the China Silk Road Initiative, and the global trends like urbanization further complicate such analyses. We recognize new topics with an increasing importance in the near future, especially "the enhancing biological sequestration capacity of greenhouse gases into forests and soils to mitigate climate change" and the "socio-economic development to tackle air quality issues". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the summer of 2018, a comprehensive field campaign, with measurements on HONO and related parameters, was conducted at the foot (150 m a.s.l.) and the summit of Mt. Tai (1534 m a.s.l.) in the central North China Plain (NCP). With the implementation of a 0-D box model, the HONO budget with six additional sources and its role in radical chemistry at the foot station were explored. We found that the model default source, NO + OH, could only reproduce 13 % of the observed HONO, leading to a strong unknown source strength of up to 3 ppbv h -1. Among the additional sources, the NO 2 uptake on the ground surface dominated (∼ 70 %) nighttime HONO formation, and its photo-enhanced reaction dominated (∼ 80 %) daytime HONO formation. Their contributions were sensitive to the mixing layer height (MLH) used for the parameterizations, highlighting the importance of a reasonable MLH for exploring ground-level HONO formation in 0-D models and the necessity of gradient measurements. A Δ HONO /Δ NO x ratio of 0.7 % for direct emissions from vehicle exhaust was inferred, and a new method to quantify its contribution to the observations was proposed and discussed. Aerosol-derived sources, including the NO 2 uptake on the aerosol surface and the particulate nitrate photolysis, did not lead to significant HONO formation, with their contributions lower than NO + OH. HONO photolysis in the early morning initialized the daytime photochemistry at the foot station. It was also a substantial radical source throughout the daytime, with contributions higher than O 3 photolysis to OH initiation. Moreover, we found that OH dominated the atmospheric oxidizing capacity in the daytime, while modeled NO 3 appeared to be significant at night. Peaks of modeled NO 3 time series and average diurnal variation reached 22 and 9 pptv, respectively. NO 3 -induced reactions contribute 18 % of nitrate formation potential (P (HNO 3)) and 11 % of the isoprene (C 5 H 8) oxidation throughout the whole day. At night, NO 3 chemistry led to 51 % and 44 % of P (HNO 3) or the C 5 H 8 oxidation, respectively, implying that NO 3 chemistry could significantly affect nighttime secondary organic and inorganic aerosol formation in this high-O 3 region. Considering the severe O 3 pollution in the NCP and the very limited NO 3 measurements, we suggest that besides direct measurements of HO x and primary HO x precursors (O 3 , HONO, alkenes, etc.), NO 3 measurements should be conducted to understand the atmospheric oxidizing capacity and air pollution formation in this and similar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domain size can have significant impact on regional modeling results, but few studies examined the sensitivities of simulated aerosol impact to regional domain size. This study investigates the regional modeling sensitivities of aerosol impact on the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) to domain size. The simulations with two different domain sizes demonstrate consistently that aerosols induce the cooling of the lower troposphere that leads to the anticyclone circulation anomalies and thus the weakening of EASM moisture transport. The aerosol-induced adjustment of monsoonal circulation results in an alternate increase and decrease pattern of precipitation over China. Domain size has a great influence on the simulated meteorological fields. For example, the simulation with larger domain size produces weaker EASM circulation, which also affects aerosol distributions significantly. This leads to the difference of simulated strength and area extent of aerosol-induced changes of lower-tropospheric temperature and pressure, which further results in different distributions of circulation and precipitation anomalies over China. For example, over southeastern China, aerosols induce the increase (decrease) of precipitation from the smaller-domain (larger-domain) simulation. Different domain sizes consistently simulate an aerosol-induced increase in precipitation around 30 ∘ N over eastern China. This study highlights the important influence of domain size on regional modeling results of aerosol impact on circulation and precipitation, which may not be limited to East Asia. More generally, this study also implies that proper modeling of meteorological fields with appropriate domain size is one of the keys to simulating robust aerosol climatic impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant secondary metabolites (SMs) play a crucial role in plant defense against pathogens and adaptation to environmental stresses, some of which are produced from medicinal plants and are the material basis of clinical efficacy and vital indicators for quality evaluation of corresponding medicinal materials. The influence of plant microbiota on plant nutrient uptake, production, and stress tolerance has been revealed, but the associations between plant microbiota and the accumulation of SMs in medicinal plants remain largely unknown. Plant SMs can vary among individuals, which could be partly ascribed to the shift in microbial community associated with the plant host. In the present study, we sampled fine roots and rhizosphere soils of Sophora flavescens grown in four well-separated cities/counties in China and determined the taxonomic composition of rhizosphere bacterial communities using Illumina 16S amplicon sequencing. In addition, the association of the rhizosphere bacterial microbiota with the accumulation of alkaloids in the roots of S. flavescens was analyzed. The results showed that S. flavescens hosted distinct bacterial communities in the rhizosphere across geographic locations and plant ages, also indicating that geographic location was a larger source of variation than plant age. Moreover, redundancy analysis revealed that spatial, climatic (mean annual temperature and precipitation), and edaphic factors (pH and available N and P) were the key drivers that shape the rhizosphere bacterial communities. Furthermore, the results of the Mantel test demonstrated that the rhizosphere bacterial microbiota was remarkably correlated with the contents of oxymatrine, sophoridine, and matrine + oxymatrine in roots. Specific taxa belonging to Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi were identified as potential beneficial bacteria associated with the total accumulation of matrine and oxymatrine by a random forest machine learning algorithm. Finally, the structural equation modeling indicated that the Actinobacteria phylum had a direct effect on the total accumulation of matrine and oxymatrine. The present study addresses the association between the rhizosphere bacterial communities and the accumulation of alkaloids in the medicinal plant S. flavescens. Our findings may provide a basis for the quality improvement and sustainable utilization of this medicinal plant thorough rhizosphere microbiota manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbidites have been regarded as an important sedimentary infilling component in both oceans and lakes, but limited studies have been performed on the mechanisms governing the initiation and development of lacustrine turbidite systems. The present study offers unique insight into the controls and potential extent of ancient lacustrine turbidite systems by an investigation of the Triassic Ordos Lake, where a large turbidite system had been traced across >25 653 km2. This article shows by comparison that the Triassic Ordos Lake turbidite system is larger than all known modern and ancient lacustrine counterparts. The exceptionally large intracontinental sag basin provided a relatively unconfined environment for the development of the turbidite system, explaining its vast extent. Extraordinary flood events formed during the Carnian Pluvial Episode facilitated continuous sediment supply into the turbidite system, supporting its accumulation. Lacustrine flood‐related turbidity currents travelled as sediment‐laden turbulent flows, showing an increase in the proportion of suspended‐load deposits and a decrease in the proportion of bed‐load deposits downstream from the river mouth. Five architectural elements have been revealed, reflecting a distinctive assemblage of erosional bedforms and depositional bedforms in channel‐lobe systems, and their recognition criteria were established. This study changes the traditional understanding of lacustrine turbidite systems, generally interpreted as having smaller sizes, and demonstrates likewise in the lacustrine realm, that extreme flood events can generate a world‐class deep‐water turbidite system, which can even be comparable with its submarine counterparts. This study also confirms that the combination of low‐gradient slopes and a long‐lived, mixed‐load, prograding fluvial feeder system can produce exceptionally large‐scale deep‐lake flood‐related turbidites. Furthermore, it has implications for the prediction of facies and reservoir quality in ancient lacustrine turbidite systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates international students' acculturation attitude preference and the influence factors (i.e., gender, duration in China, host and English proficiency, adult attachment style and social ties) on each acculturation attitude (i.e, integration, assimilation, separation and marginalization attitude) in China. A group of 229 international students within China responded online. Results from cluster analysis based on process model of acculturation revealed that, integration was the most prevalent acculturation attitude of international students in China. Additionally, logistic regressions analysis indicated that duration in China was negatively associated with adoption of separation and marginalization attitude also higher level of English proficiency predicted the preference of marginalization attitude. However, Chinese proficiency was positively associated with integration attitude adoption, host ties were positively and significantly associated with adoption of assimilation and integration attitude, but negatively associated with the usage of marginalization attitude. Lastly, avoidance attachment was found negatively associating with the integration attitude. This study provides valuable insights for international student education policymakers to assist international students in order to adapt to a new environment quickly and effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model predictions with measured nitrous acid (HONO) concentrations in Beijing, China, for December 2015. The model with the existing HONO chemistry in CMAQ severely underestimates the observed HONO concentrations with a normalized mean bias of - 97 %. We revise the HONO chemistry in the model by implementing six additional heterogeneous reactions in the model: the reaction of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) on ground surfaces, the reaction of NO 2 on aerosol surfaces, the reaction of NO 2 on soot surfaces, the photolysis of aerosol nitrate, the nitric acid displacement reaction, and the hydrochloric acid displacement reaction. The model with the revised chemistry substantially increases HONO predictions and improves the comparison with observed data with a normalized mean bias of - 5 %. The photolysis of HONO enhances daytime hydroxyl radical by almost a factor of 2. The enhanced hydroxyl radical concentrations compare favorably with observed data and produce additional sulfate via the reaction with sulfur dioxide, aerosol nitrate via the reaction with nitrogen dioxide, and secondary organic aerosols via the reactions with volatile organic compounds. The additional sulfate stemming from revised HONO chemistry improves the comparison with observed concentration; however, it does not close the gap between model prediction and the observation during polluted days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has become a worldwide epidemic. There are several studies that have concentrated on the prevalence rate of children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID), whereas data on such a population on the mainland of China remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence rate of overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents with ID on China's mainland. Methods: This study employed a cross‐sectional design to examine the body weight status of 1873 children and adolescents (ages 6–18 years old) with ID in 35 special education schools. Body mass index was calculated, and the concepts of overweight and obesity were defined according to the standard of the Working Group for Obesity in China. Results: Data indicated that 18.2% (95% CI: 16.5%–20.0%) of children and adolescents with ID were overweight and 14.4% (95% CI: 12.8%–16.0%) were obese. Boys with ID were more likely to be overweight than girls with ID (OR = 1.48[95% CI: 1.13–1.94], P < 0.05). Children and adolescents with Down syndrome or autism spectrum disorder had a trend to be classified as overweight (OR = 1.76[95% CI: 1.22–2.54], P < 0.05; OR = 1.57[95% CI: 1.17–2.09], P < 0.05, respectively) or obesity (OR = 1.82[95% CI: 1.23–2.69], P < 0.05; OR = 1.40 [95% CI: 1.02–1.93], P < 0.05, respectively) compared with those with ID without these conditions. Moreover, children and teenagers with ID living in urban areas had a predisposition to be overweight (OR = 2.16[95% CI: 1.14–4.09], P < 0.05) or obese (OR = 3.25[95% CI: 1.41–7.50], P < 0.05) relative to those who lived in rural areas. Conclusion: Results indicated that in China, the prevalence rate of overweight and obesity among school‐aged children and adolescents with ID was remarkably high. Therefore, future research should make every effort to focus on reducing and preventing overweight and obesity of this population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Steady-state analysis on production systems, especially serial lines with rigid production mode, have been carried out in a large amount of research literature. With the development of the advanced manufacturing technologies, as well as the national strategies, for example, Made in China 2025, real-time performance evaluation, prediction, production management, and efficient control of systems with flexible production mode are gradually becoming important issues. Under the assumption of assembly systems with small batch-based production tasks, we develop a mathematical model for the real-time performance analysis of such systems with the geometric machine reliability model, which is applicable in many manufacturing environments. The formulas for real-time performance analysis are derived first using the Markovian approach for three-machine assembly systems. Then, based on the idea of decomposition and aggregation, an algorithm with high accuracy and efficiency for system real-time performance approximation is proposed. Finally, the decomposition and aggregation-based real-time analysis approach is extended to the generalized assembly systems. Note to Practitioners—As the concept of manufacturing intelligence being proposed and promoted, system flexibility appears frequently in production in recent years. A flexible production refers to the implementation of small batch-based production with multitype of products on the same production line, by quick setup or machine adjustments. The steady-state analysis method that is traditionally used might be not applicable in this case since most of the production process is in transient state. An approximation-based analytical method, for real-time performance evaluation of assembly systems with small batch-based production tasks and with machines having the geometric reliability model, is proposed. The algorithm developed in this article can be utilized by production managers and engineers, with which the real-time performance of the systems can be predicted with high accuracy. It can also provide assistance for decision-making on activities of production control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human astrovirus (HAstV) is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus and is the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis. However, despite its prevalence, astroviruses still remain one of the least studied enteroviruses. In this study, we sequenced 11 classical astrovirus strains from clinical samples collected in Shenzhen, China from 2016 to 2019, analyzed their genetic characteristics, and deposited them into GenBank. We conducted phylogenetic analysis using IQ-TREE software, with references to astrovirus sequences worldwide. The phylogeographic analysis was performed using the Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis Sampling Trees program, through Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling. We also conducted recombination analysis with the Recombination Detection Program. The newly sequenced strains were categorized as HAstV genotype 1, which is the predominant genotype in Shenzhen. Phylogeographic reconstruction indicated that HAstV-1 may have migrated from the United States to China, followed by frequent transmission between China and Japan. The recombination analysis revealed recombination events within and across genotypes, and identified a recombination-prone region that produced relatively uniform recombination breakpoints and fragment lengths. The genetic analysis of HAstV strains in Shenzhen addresses the current lack of astrovirus data in the region of Shenzhen and provides key insights to the evolution and transmission of astroviruses worldwide. These findings highlight the importance of improving surveillance of astroviruses., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Medical Virology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Asian dust is an important source of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles (INPs). However, the freezing activity of airborne Asian dust, especially its sensitivity to particle size, is poorly understood. In this study we report the first INP measurement of size-resolved airborne mineral dust collected during East Asian dust events. The measured total INP concentrations in the immersion mode ranged from 10 -2 to 10 2 L -1 in dust events at temperatures between -25 and -5 ∘ C. The average contributions of heat-sensitive INPs at three temperatures, -10 , -15 , and -20 ∘ C, were 81±12 %, 70±15 %, and 38±21 %, respectively, suggesting that proteinaceous biological materials have a substantial effect on the ice nucleation properties of Asian airborne mineral dust at high temperatures. The dust particles which originated from China's northwest deserts are more efficient INPs compared to those from northern regions. In general, there was no significant difference in the ice nucleation properties between East Asian dust particles and other regions in the world. An explicit size dependence of both INP concentration and surface ice-active-site density was observed. The nucleation efficiency of dust particles increased with increasing particle size, while the INP concentration first increased rapidly and then leveled, due to the significant decrease in the number concentration of larger particles. A new set of parameterizations for INP activity based on size-resolved nucleation properties of Asian mineral dust particles were developed over an extended temperature range (-35 to -6 ∘ C). These size-dependent parameterizations require only particle size distribution as input and can be easily applied in models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the scourge of the COVID-19 pandemic, college students' learning engagement has become a key issue in universities and society. Guided by the theories of existential positive psychology and social perception, we explored the positive effect of a growth mindset on learning engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1,040 college students from universities in Henan Province of China effectively completed online questionnaires. The results showed that growth mindset was positively related to learning engagement and negatively associated with perceived COVID-19 event strength and perceived stress; perceived COVID-19 event strength was positively related to perceived stress, while perceived COVID-19 event strength and perceived stress were negatively associated with learning engagement. Growth mindset affected learning engagement through three indirect paths: the mediating role of perceived COVID-19 event strength, the mediating role of perceived stress, and the serial mediating role of both perceived COVID-19 event strength and perceived stress. The results indicated that the growth mindset could contribute to college students' learning engagement through the roles of perceived COVID-19 event strength and perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study advances the understanding of the mechanism underlying the relationship between growth mindset and college students' learning engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the findings of the study have important implications for promoting college students' learning engagement during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black carbon (BC) forms an important component of particulate matter globally, due to its impact on climate, the environment and human health. Identifying and quantifying its emission sources are critical for effective policymaking and achieving the desired reduction in air pollution. In this study, we present the first direct measurements of urban BC fluxes using eddy covariance. The measurements were made over Beijing within the UK-China Air Pollution and Human Health (APHH) winter 2016 and summer 2017 campaigns. In both seasons, the mean measured BC mass (winter: 5.49 ng m -2 s -1 , summer: 6.10 ng m -2 s -1) and number fluxes (winter: 261.25 particles cm -2 s -1 , summer: 334.37 particles cm -2 s -1) were similar. Traffic was determined to be the dominant source of the BC fluxes measured during both seasons. The total BC emissions within the 2013 Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC) are on average too high compared to measured fluxes by a factor of 58.8 (winter) and 47.2 (summer). Only a comparison with the MEIC transport sector shows that emissions are also larger (factor of 37.5 in winter and 37.7 in summer) than the measured flux. Emission ratios of BC / NO x and BC / CO are comparable to vehicular emission control standards implemented in January 2017 for gasoline (China 5) and diesel (China V) engines, indicating a reduction of BC emissions within central Beijing, and extending this to a larger area would further reduce total BC concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SARS Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019, leading to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that continues to cause significant global mortality in human populations. Given its sequence similarity to SARS-CoV, as well as related coronaviruses circulating in bats, SARS-CoV-2 is thought to have originated in Chiroptera species in China. However, whether the virus spread directly to humans or through an intermediate host is currently unclear, as is the potential for this virus to infect companion animals, livestock, and wildlife that could act as viral reservoirs. Using a combination of surrogate entry assays and live virus, we demonstrate that, in addition to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the Spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 has a broad host tropism for mammalian ACE2 receptors, despite divergence in the amino acids at the Spike receptor binding site on these proteins. Of the 22 different hosts we investigated, ACE2 proteins from dog, cat, and cattle were the most permissive to SARS-CoV-2, while bat and bird ACE2 proteins were the least efficiently used receptors. The absence of a significant tropism for any of the 3 genetically distinct bat ACE2 proteins we examined indicates that SARS-CoV-2 receptor usage likely shifted during zoonotic transmission from bats into people, possibly in an intermediate reservoir. Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 receptor usage to the related coronaviruses SARS-CoV and RaTG13 identified distinct tropisms, with the 2 human viruses being more closely aligned. Finally, using bioinformatics, structural data, and targeted mutagenesis, we identified amino acid residues within the Spike–ACE2 interface, which may have played a pivotal role in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in humans. The apparently broad tropism of SARS-CoV-2 at the point of viral entry confirms the potential risk of infection to a wide range of companion animals, livestock, and wildlife. A study using a combination of surrogate entry assays and live virus suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may have a broad host-range, revealing that the virus's spike protein can use a broad range of host ACE2 receptors to enter cells and that the sequence of this protein might have changed during the zoonotic jump into humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the global ratio between the dead and the survivors is approximately 1 to 10, which has put humanity on high alert and provided strong motivation for the intensive search for vaccines and drugs. It is already clear that if we follow the most likely scenario, which is similar to that used to create seasonal influenza vaccines, then we will need to develop improved vaccine formulas every year to control the spread of the new, highly mutable coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In this article, using well-known RNA viruses (HIV, influenza viruses, HCV) as examples, we consider the main successes and failures in creating primarily highly effective vaccines. The experience accumulated dealing with the biology of zoonotic RNA viruses suggests that the fight against COVID-19 will be difficult and lengthy. The most effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 will be those able to form highly effective memory cells for both humoral (memory B cells) and cellular (cross-reactive antiviral memory T cells) immunity. Unfortunately, RNA viruses constantly sweep their tracks and perhaps one of the most promising solutions in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is the creation of 'universal' vaccines based on conservative SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences (antigen-presenting) and unmethylated CpG dinucleotides (adjuvant) in the composition of the phosphorothioate backbone of single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides (ODN), which can be effective for long periods of use. Here, we propose a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on a lasso-like phosphorothioate oligonucleotide construction containing CpG motifs and the antigen-presenting unique ACG-containing genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2. We found that CpG dinucleotides are the most rare dinucleotides in the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and other known human coronaviruses, and hypothesized that their higher frequency could be responsible for the unwanted increased lethality to the host, causing a 'cytokine storm' in people who overexpress cytokines through the activation of specific Toll-like receptors in a manner similar to TLR9-CpG ODN interactions. Interestingly, the virus strains sequenced in China (Wuhan) in February 2020 contained on average one CpG dinucleotide more in their genome than the later strains from the USA (New York) sequenced in May 2020. Obviously, during the first steps of the microevolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population, natural selection tends to select viral genomes containing fewer CpG motifs that do not trigger a strong innate immune response, so the infected person has moderate symptoms and spreads SARS-CoV-2 more readily. However, in our opinion, unmethylated CpG dinucleotides are also capable of preparing the host immune system for the coronavirus infection and should be present in SARS-CoV-2 vaccines as strong adjuvants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The configuration of multifunctional cultivated land is critical for its protection. Although studies on multifunctional cultivated land have been conducted, there is a lack of information regarding the spatiotemporal characteristics and tradeoff synergy relationship of cultivated‐land functions at the same time on a nonadministrative unit scale. The purpose of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics and the tradeoff synergy areas from the perspective of multifunctional cultivated land for efficient use of land resources to minimize the conflict between people and nature. The fuzzy optimization model and spatial autocorrelation analysis method were used to study spatial distribution characteristics and the tradeoff synergy spatial patterns, respectively. The results showed that (a) the implementation of different improvement measures for the spatial distribution characteristics of cultivated‐land functions could also accelerate the coordinated development of cultivated‐land functions, (b) multiple functions of cultivated land not only had a synergy trend in time, but they also had a heterogeneity and fluctuation in spatial distribution, providing a direction for the new development or management pattern of cultivated land, and (c) results on the multifunctional evaluation and tradeoff synergy relationship of cultivated land provided the foundation for determining the short‐board function and upgrading direction of cultivated land. At the grid scale, the evolution of functional distribution characteristics and functional relationships are helpful for decision‐makers to implement accurately farmland protection policies and formulate farmland regulation rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous acid (HONO) in the core city of the Central Plains Economic Region in China was measured using an ambient ion monitor from 9 to 31 January 2019. Measurement time intervals were classified into the following periods in accordance with the daily mean values of PM 2.5 : clean days (CDs), polluted days (PDs), and severely polluted days (SPDs). The HONO concentrations during CD, PD, and SPD periods were 1.2, 2.3, and 3.7 ppbv, respectively. The contributions of the homogeneous reaction, heterogeneous conversion, and direct emissions to HONO sources varied under different pollution levels. The mean values of the net HONO production of the homogeneous reaction (POH+NOnet) in CD, PD, and SPD periods were 0.13, 0.26, and 0.56 ppbv h -1 , respectively. The average conversions of NO2 (CHONO) in CD, PD, and SPD periods were 0.72×10-2 , 0.64×10-2 , and 1.54×10-2 h -1 , respectively, indicating that the heterogeneous conversion of NO2 was less important than the homogeneous reaction. Furthermore, the net production of the homogeneous reaction may have been the main factor in the increase of HONO under high- NOx conditions (i.e., when the concentration of NO was higher than that of NO2) at nighttime. Daytime HONO budget analysis showed that the mean values of the unknown source (Punknown) during CD, PD, and SPD periods were 0.26, 0.40, and 1.83 ppbv h -1 , respectively. The values of POH+NOnet , CHONO , and Punknown in the SPDs period were comparatively larger than those in other periods, indicating that HONO participated in many reactions. The proportions of nighttime HONO sources also changed during the entire sampling period. Direct emissions and a heterogeneous reaction controlled HONO production in the first half of the night and provided a contribution that is larger than that of the homogeneous reaction. The proportion of homogenization gradually increased in the second half of the night due to the steady increase in NO concentrations. The hourly level of HONO abatement pathways, except for OH + HONO, was at least 0.22 ppbv h -1 in the SPDs period. The cumulative frequency distribution of the HONOemission/HONO ratio (less than 20 %) was approximately 77 %, which suggested that direct emission was not important. The heterogeneous HONO production increased when the relative humidity (RH) increased, but it decreased when RH increased further. The average HONO/NOx ratio (4.9 %) was more than twice the assumed globally averaged value (2.0 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by a germline mutation in the STK11 gene. It is characterized by mucocutaneous pigmentation, gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyps, and cancer predisposition. Aims. We aimed to summarize the main clinical and genetic features of Chinese PJS patients and assessed the genotype-phenotype correlations. Methods. Thirty-eight patients clinically diagnosed with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome were included in this study from 2016 to 2019. Combined direct sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification tests were used to detect germline heterogeneous STK11 mutations. RNA sequencing was performed in polyps of PJS patients and control groups to evaluate the difference in expression of STK11. The genotype-phenotype correlations were calculated by Kaplan-Meier analyses. Results. All 26 probands and 12 affected relatives had germline heterogeneous STK11 mutations among which 8 variants were novel. Individuals with missense mutations had their first surgery and other symptoms significantly later than individuals with null mutations. Conclusion. This study expanded the spectrum of STK11 gene mutations and further elucidated individuals with null mutations of STK11 typically had an earlier onset of PJS symptoms and needed earlier management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, corporate hypocrisy has become a phenomenon that cannot be ignored in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practice (Wagner et al., 2009) and has thus become a concern for management scholars (Cho and Lee, 2019). Using smartPLS, based on attribution theory, this paper takes 28 Chinese listed enterprises as examples to explore the influence of CSR motivation on its communication and implementation, as well as the impact of CSR implementation and promotion on consumers' perception of corporate hypocrisy. The research finds a negative correlation between value-driven motivation and corporate hypocrisy and a positive correlation of performance-driven motivation and stakeholder-driven motivation with corporate hypocrisy. The theoretical contribution of this paper is mainly reflected in the following four aspects. (1) It describes the scale of CSR implementation research and enriches the measurement tools of CSR implementation. (2) It enriches and expands research results in the field of CSR motivation perception. From the perspective of CSR and attribution theory, this study explores the influence of consumers' perception of CSR motivation on CSR communication and CSR implementation. (3) It supplements research results in the field of corporate hypocrisy. The influence of CSR communication and CSR implementation on corporate hypocrisy is clarified. (4) It clarifies the impact of CSR communication on CSR implementation so as to help enterprises better match CSR communication strategy and CSR implementation in practice and reduce consumers' perception of corporate hypocrisy. It is suggested that enterprises find their own positioning on CSR motivation, which provides a reference with which enterprises can make better decisions on CSR communication strategy after implementing CSR behavior and provides empirical evidence for the research on CSR motivation perception and corporate hypocrisy in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sphagnum -associated microbiomes are crucial to Sphagnum growth and peatland ecological functions. However, roles of rare species in bacterial communities across Sphagnum compartments are poorly understood. Here the structures of rare taxa (RT) and conditionally abundant and rare taxa (CART) from Sphagnum palustre peat (SP), S. palustre ectosphere (Ecto) and S. palustre endosphere (Endo) were investigated in the Dajiuhu Peatland, central China. Our results showed that plant compartment effects significantly altered the diversities and structures of bacterial communities. The Observed species and Simpson indices of RT and CART in alpha diversity significantly increased from Endo to SP, with those of Ecto in-between. The variations of community dissimilarities of RT and CART among compartments were consistent with those of whole bacterial communities (WBC). Network analysis indicated a non-random co-occurrence pattern of WBC and all keystone species are affiliated with RT and CART, indicating their important role in sustaining the WBC. Furthermore, the community structures of RT and CART in SP were significantly shaped by water table and total nitrogen content, which coincided with the correlations between WBC and environmental factors. Collectively, our results for the first time confirm the importance of rare species to bacterial communities through structural and predicted functional analyses, which expands our understanding of rare species in Sphagnum -associated microbial communities in subalpine peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coupling of the bivariate copula function and likelihood function was utilized for parameter estimation in precipitation frequency analysis. In this method, data of various lengths in a homogeneous region were incorporated into a multivariate framework. Therefore, the information contained in one series can be employed to improve the accuracies of the design values of other series. Annual precipitation data collected from 36 stations in the Guanzhong region, China, were used as a case study. To obtain more reliable estimates, the stationarity and serial independence of each series were tested first. Then, the entire study region was divided into four homogeneous sub-regions, and frequency analyses were carried out in each sub-region. Two measures, the standard error of fit (SEF) and the maximum absolute relative deviation (MARD), were used to compare the goodness-of-fit of the copula-based composite likelihood approach with the univariate method. Results showed that the SEF and MARD values of the design precipitation values obtained from the copula-based composite likelihood approach were lower than those from the univariate method, and the decrease became more significant for stations with a shorter series in the bivariate composite case. Therefore, this study indicates the advantage of the use of a copula-based composite likelihood approach for improving the accuracy of design precipitation values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence supports predictive roles of adult attachment orientations for the maintenance of social networking site (SNS) addiction, but the underlying mechanisms are mostly unknown. Based on attachment theory, this study explored whether online social support and the fear of missing out mediated the relationship between insecure attachment and social networking site addiction among 463 college students in China. A questionnaire was used to collect data using the Experience in Close Relationship Scale—Short Form, online social support scale, fear of missing out scale, and Chinese Social Media Addiction Scale. The results showed that online social support and fear of missing out mediated the relationship between anxious attachment and social networking site addiction in parallel paths and serially, and online social support negatively mediated the relationship between avoidant attachment and social networking site addiction. Theoretically, the present study contributes to the field by showing how insecure attachment is linked to SNS addiction. Practically, these findings could aid in future studies on SNS addiction prevention and interventions. Limitations of the present study were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric aerosols scatter or absorb a fraction of the incoming solar radiation to cool or warm the atmosphere, decreasing surface temperature and altering atmospheric stability to further affect the dispersion of air pollutants in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). In the present study, simulations during a persistent and heavy haze pollution episode from 5 December 2015 to 4 January 2016 in the North China Plain (NCP) were performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) to comprehensively quantify contributions of aerosol shortwave radiative feedback (ARF) to near-surface (around 15 m above the ground surface) PM 2.5 mass concentrations. The WRF-Chem model generally performs well in simulating the temporal variations and spatial distributions of air pollutants concentrations compared to observations at ambient monitoring sites in the NCP, and the simulated diurnal variations of aerosol species are also consistent with the measurements in Beijing. Additionally, the model simulates the aerosol radiative properties, the downward shortwave flux, and the PBL height against observations in the NCP well. During the episode, ARF deteriorates the haze pollution, increasing the near-surface PM 2.5 concentrations in the NCP by 10.2 µ g m -3 or with a contribution of 7.8 % on average. Sensitivity studies have revealed that high loadings of PM 2.5 attenuate the incoming solar radiation reaching the surface to cool the low-level atmosphere, suppressing the development of the PBL, decreasing the surface wind speed, further hindering the PM 2.5 dispersion, and consequently exacerbating the haze pollution in the NCP. Furthermore, when the near-surface PM 2.5 mass concentration increases from around 50 to several hundred µ g m -3 , ARF contributes to the near-surface PM 2.5 by more than 20 % during daytime in the NCP, substantially aggravating the heavy haze formation. However, when the near-surface PM 2.5 concentration is less than around 50 µ g m -3 , ARF generally reduces the near-surface PM 2.5 concentration due to the consequent perturbation of atmospheric dynamic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a relatively serious condition which seriously reduces patient quality of life. However, the pathogenesis of steroid-induced ONFH is still unclear. In recent years, more scholars have found that the pathogenesis of steroid-induced ONFH is related to susceptibility factors such as MMPs/TIMPs system. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between MMP2 and MMP10 gene polymorphisms and steroid-induced ONFH in Chinese Han population. Methods. Six SNPs in MMP2 and two SNPs in MMP10 were genotyped using Agena MassARRAY RS1000 system from 286 patients of steroid-induced ONFH and in 309 healthy controls. The association between MMP2 and MMP10 polymorphisms and steroid-induced ONFH risk were estimated by the Chi-squared test, genetic model analysis, haplotype analysis, and stratification analysis. The relative risk was estimated by odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Result. We found that the minor TG allele of rs470154 in MMP10 was associated with an increased risk of steroid-induced ONFH (OR = 1.45, 95% CI, 1.03 – 2.05, p = 0.032). In the genetic model analysis, we found that rs2241146 in MMP2 gene and rs470154 in MMP10 gene showed a statistically significant association with increased risk of steroid-induced ONFH. The six SNPs (rs470154, rs243866, rs243864, rs865094, rs11646643, and rs2241146) showed a statistically significant association with different clinical phenotypes. Conclusion. Our results verify that genetic polymorphisms of MMP2 and MMP10 contribute to steroid-induced ONFH susceptibility in the population of Chinese Han population, and our study provides new insights into the role that MMP2 and MMP10 plays in the mechanism of ONFH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the atmospheric oxidative capacity (AOC) in forested high mountain areas adjacent to the photochemistry-active Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in southern China, one-month online observations of isoprene and its oxidation products methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) and methacrolein (MACR) were conducted at a national background station in Nanling Mountains in summer 2016. The results showed that the observed daytime isoprene levels (377±46 pptv) were significantly lower in comparison with other forest sites within and outside China, although the sampling site was surrounded with subtropical evergreen broad-leaved trees which are strong isoprene emitters. Also, high daytime (MVKCMACR) = isoprene ratios (1.9±0.5) were observed. Based on the observations, we hypothesized that the lower isoprene levels in the study forest might be attributable to a strong AOC in relation to the elevated regional complex air pollution. In further data analyses, high site-level concentrations of daytime OH (7.3±0.5 x 106 molecules cm-3) and nighttime NO3 radicals (6.0±0:5±108 molecules cm-3) were estimated by using a photochemical box model incorporating the master chemical mechanism (PBM-MCM), and high regional mixing ratios of OH (19.7±2.3 x 106 molecules cm-3/ during 09:00-15:00 LT were also obtained by applying a parameterization method with measured aromatic hydrocarbons. And besides, high initial mixing ratios (1213±108 pptv) and short atmospheric reaction time (0.27 h) of isoprene during the day were derived by a sequential reaction approach. All these indicate that isoprene was rapidly and highly oxidized in this forest, which supports our hypothesis. The study suggests that the complex air pollution in the PRD may have significantly elevated the background AOC of the adjacent forests, and probably affects the regional air quality and ecological environment in the long term. The feedback of forest ecosystems to the increasing AOC in southern China warrants further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]