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Objectives. This study explores the effects of temperature steps on thermal responses to understand abrupt temperature shifts faced by heat-exposed workers during winter. Methods. Three temperature step changes with three phases (S20: 20–40–20 °C, S30: 10–40–10 °C, S40: 0–40–0 °C) were conducted. Phase 1 took 30 min, phase 2 took 60 min and phase 3 took 40 min. Eleven participants remained sedentary throughout the experiment, and physiological responses, thermal perception and self-reported health symptoms were recorded. Results. In temperature up steps, steady skin temperature and sweating onset were delayed, and heart rate dropped by 10 bpm from S20 to S40. In temperature down steps to cold conditions, individuals transitioned from thermal comfort to discomfort and eventually cold strain. Blood pressure increased in temperature down steps, correlating with temperature step magnitudes. Thermal responses to temperature steps of equal magnitude but opposite directions were asymmetries, which weakened as step magnitude increased. Thermal perceptions responded faster than physiological changes after temperature steps, while self-reported health symptoms lagged behind physiological responses. Conclusions. These findings contribute to expanding basic data to understand the effects of temperature step magnitude and direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gut microbiota is significantly influenced by altitude. However, the dynamics of gut microbiota in relation to altitude remains undisclosed. Methods: In this study, we investigated the microbiome profile of 610 healthy young men from three different places in China, grouped by altitude, duration of residence, and ethnicity. We conducted widely targeted metabolomic profiling and clinical testing to explore metabolic characteristics. Results: Our findings revealed that as the Han individuals migrated from low altitude to high latitude, the gut microbiota gradually converged towards that of the Tibetan populations but reversed upon returning to lower altitude. Across different cohorts, we identified 51 species specifically enriched during acclimatization and 57 species enriched during deacclimatization to high altitude. Notably, Prevotella copri was found to be the most enriched taxon in both Tibetan and Han populations after ascending to high altitude. Furthermore, significant variations in host plasma metabolome and clinical indices at high altitude could be largely explained by changes in gut microbiota composition. Similar to Tibetans, 41 plasma metabolites, such as lactic acid, sphingosine-1-phosphate, taurine, and inositol, were significantly elevated in Han populations after ascending to high altitude. Germ-free animal experiments demonstrated that certain species, such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which exhibited altitude-dependent variations in human populations, might play crucial roles in host purine metabolism. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the dynamics of gut microbiota and host plasma metabolome with respect to altitude changes, indicating that their dynamics may have implications for host health at high altitude and contribute to host adaptation. 88DwbBo5LkUszxYCpXiUg_ Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zoysiagrass is a valuable low maintenance warm‐season turfgrass. Nitrogen management is one of the most important management practices that affect colour retention and winter hardiness. However, the N cycling during seasonal senescence and its interaction with low temperature acclimation are not well‐understood. The objective of this experiment was to understand the initiation of senescence as affected by environmental signals and the contribution of chlorophyll and protein degradation to N metabolites. Two commercial cultivars ('Meyer' and 'Zenith'), seven wild accessions of Z. japonica, one wild accession of Z. matrella, and one wild accession of Z. pacifica from China were tested. Mature plants were exposed to four sequential environmental conditions to simulate fall shortening light photoperiods and decreasing temperatures as low as 0°C. Major N containing compounds and key enzymes in N metabolism during the senescence and low temperature acclimation were measured. The results showed that accessions of zoysiagrass from low latitudes had higher chlorophyll retention and lower N recycle (low soluble protein and NH4‐N) than those from higher latitudes in a simulated late fall, indicating that different mechanisms were responsible for the senescence and low temperature acclimation. In general, chlorophyll and soluble protein concentration decreased during the senescence which led to an increase of total free amino acids, especially glutamine, prior to the low temperature dormancy. The changes in N metabolism and the N uptake were also reflected in the decrease of NO3‐N and increase of NH4‐N, as well as relevant enzyme activities in the key steps. The signal and regulation mechanism in N cycling during the seasonal senescence and acclimation requires further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neoporphyra haitanensis, a major marine crop native to southern China, grows in the harsh intertidal habitats of rocky coasts. The thallus can tolerate fluctuating and extreme environmental stresses, for example, repeated desiccation/rehydration due to the turning tides. It is also a typical model system for investigating stress tolerance mechanisms in intertidal seaweed. The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors play important roles in the regulation of plants' responses to environmental stress stimuli. However, little information is available regarding the bZIP family in the marine crop Nh. haitanensis. Results: We identified 19 bZIP genes in the Nh. haitanensis genome and described their conserved domains. Based on phylogenetic analysis, these 19 NhhbZIP genes, distributed unevenly on the 11 superscaffolds, were divided into four groups. In each group, there were analogous exon/intron numbers and motif compositions, along with diverse exon lengths. Cross-species collinearity analysis indicated that 17 and 9 NhhbZIP genes were orthologous to bZIP genes in Neopyropia yezoensis and Porphyra umbilicalis, respectively. Evidence from RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data showed that the majority of NhhbZIP genes (73.68%) exhibited transcript abundance in all treatments. Furthermore, genes NN 2, 4 and 5 showed significantly altered expression in response to moderate dehydration, severe dehydration, and rehydration, respectively. Gene co-expression network analysis of the representative genes was carried out, followed by gene set enrichment analysis. Two NhhbZIP genes collectively responding to dehydration and rehydration and their co-expressing genes mainly participated in DNA repair, DNA metabolic process, and regulation of helicase activity. Two specific NhhbZIP genes responding to severe dehydration and their corresponding network genes were mainly involved in macromolecule modification, cellular catabolic process, and transmembrane transport. Three specific NhhbZIP genes responding to rehydration and their co-expression gene networks were mainly involved in the regulation of the cell cycle process and defense response. Conclusions: This study provides new insights into the structural composition, evolution, and function of the NhhbZIP gene family. Our results will help us to further study the functions of bZIP genes in response to dehydration and rehydration in Nh. haitanensis and improve Nh. haitanensis in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bamboo grasshopper, Ceracris kiangsu Tsai, is a serious pest of bamboo in China and Southeast Asia, and it overwinters as eggs for a period of up to 9 mo. Despite its importance, cold tolerance has not been thoroughly examined in this species. Thus, the present study investigated the low-temperature tolerance of overwintering eggs collected in the field, particularly the effects of rapid cold-hardening (RCH) and cold acclimation (ACC) on egg survival, and changes in the cryoprotectant contents. The supercooling point of overwintering eggs collected from the field was −23.9 °C, and their survival rate after exposure to −22 °C for 6 h was 26.6%, thereby suggesting that the cold tolerance strategy employed by C. kiangsu is freeze avoidance. After exposure to 0 and 4 °C for 12 and 24 h, or 0, 4, and 8 °C for 5 days, the survival rate of eggs subjected to −22 °C increased to approximately 50%, with significant effects of RCH and ACC. The glycerol levels in RCH and ACC treated eggs were also significantly higher than those in the control group, but the protein and trehalose contents were either reduced or not significantly altered. These results indicate that glycerol functions as a low molecular weight cryoprotectant in C. kiangsu eggs, and that RCH and ACC treatment facilitate its accumulation, thereby enhancing cold tolerance. Furthermore, the correlation between RCH and ACC was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High altitude acclimatization and disease have been the centerpiece of investigations concerning human health at high altitude. Almost all investigations have focused on either understanding and ameliorating high altitude disease or finding better methods of acclimatization/training at high altitude. The aspect of altitude de-induction/de-acclimatization has remained clouded despite the fact that it was documented since the first decade of twentieth century. A few recent studies, particularly in China, have stated unanimously that high altitude de-acclimatization involved multiple observable clinical symptoms ranging from headache to abdominal distention. These symptoms have been collectively referred to as "high altitude de-acclimatization syndrome" (HADAS). However, computational omics and network biology centric investigations concerning HADAS are nascent. In this study, we focus on the quantitative proteo-informatics, especially network biology, of human plasma proteome in individuals who successfully descended from high altitude areas after a stay of 120 days. In brief, the protein list was uploaded into STRING and IPA to compute z-score based cut-offs which were used to analyze the directionality and significance of various identified protein networks as well as the proteins within them. Relevant upstream regulators extracted using computational strategies were also validated. Time-points till the 180th day of de-induction have been investigated to comparatively assess the changes in the plasma proteome and protein pathways of such individuals since the 7th day of arrival at altitude. Our investigation revealed extensive effects of de-induction on lipid metabolism, inflammation and innate immune system as well as coagulation system. This novel study provides a conceptual framework for formulating therapeutic strategies to ease the symptoms of HADAS during de-acclimatization. Such strategies should focus on normalization of lipid metabolism, inflammatory signaling and coagulation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming and biological invasion can interact to affect ecosystems, and the results of such interactions depend on whether invaders show physiological advantages in their responses to warming environments as compared with native species after the establishment and local adaptation. However, it has rarely been evaluated.The present study compared the heat tolerance of a globally invasive turtle, the red‐eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans, and two co‐occurring native turtle species in China, the Chinese soft‐shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis and Chinese pond turtle Mauremys reevesii, after acclimation in the same thermal environment. The expression patterns of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), multiple heat shock proteins (HSPs) and telomere reverse transcriptase (TERT), and changes in relative telomere length (RTL) were then evaluated in liver and muscle of turtles under thermal stress.The results showed that T. scripta elegans had greater physiological resistance to heat than the co‐occurring native turtle species, and that this higher tolerance was accompanied by a higher temperature induction of the peak expression of inducible HSPs in liver and a higher onset temperature for the main inducible HSPs in muscle. During thermal stress, T. scripta elegans showed a better ability to maintain the expression levels of TERT under extremely hot conditions, whereas high temperatures inhibited TERT in muscles of native turtle species. Meanwhile, thermal stress did not cause telomere erosion in any of the three turtle species and some treatments can lead to slightly longer telomeres in T. scripta elegans or M. reevesii.Overall, the invasive turtle species showed higher heat tolerance and physiological advantages in enduring hot weather in comparison to the co‐occurring native turtle species. This may favour these invaders in situations of climate warming. Our study highlights the role of physiological adaptations displayed by invaders in achieving advantages over native species under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Castanopsis hystrix is a major community-building species in the top communities of southern subtropical China, with a high natural regeneration capacity. However, excessive logging and the introduction of exotic tree species have substantially reduced the area of natural forest patches of Castanopsis hystrix, and seedling regeneration is essential for the long-term continuation of Castanopsis hystrix populations. To explore the effects of light intensity on the seedling emergence and early growth of Castanopsis hystrix, shading experiments were conducted under four shading treatments (0%, 40%, 60%, and 80%). The growth, biomass accumulation, and distribution, the quality index of seedlings, the morphology and structure of the root systems of seedlings, and the leaf chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence properties of seedlings under different shading treatments were analyzed. The results displayed the following: (1) Shade intensity impacts growth of Castanopsis hystrix seedlings and biomass allocation, with optimal results observed at 60% shade, leading to the promotion of organic matter production in leaves and the limitation of stem growth. (2) Using a multi-indicator composite index, it was determined that seedling quality for Castanopsis hystrix peaks at 60% shade intensity. (3) Shade significantly impacts the morphology and structure of Castanopsis hystrix's root system, with most root characteristics peaking at 60% shade, indicating a substantial increase in root development compared to no-shade conditions. (4) The D-values indicated the most suitable shade intensity for seedling growth to be 60%, suggesting that Castanopsis hystrix seedlings are sensitive to light and excessive light can be detrimental to their growth. (5) The 60% shade treatment showed the maximum values of chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics and photochemical activity, with variations in energy conversion efficiency and dissipation reflected in parameters like photochemical burst coefficient (qP), photochemical burst coefficient (qN), the actual photometric yield of PSII under light acclimation (YII), and the maximum photosynthetic electron transport rate in photoinhibition (ETR), thereby supporting seedling growth and maintaining the normal function of photosynthetic organs. In conclusion, 60% shade treatment can effectively improve the growth and photosynthetic characteristics of Castanopsis hystrix seedlings and promote the accumulation of nutrient elements, ultimately promoting their growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coptis plants (Ranunculaceae) contain high levels of isoquinoline alkaloids and have a long history of medicinal use. Coptis species are of great value in pharmaceutical industries and scientific research. Mitochondria are considered as one of the central units for receiving stress signals and arranging immediate responses. Comprehensive characterizations of plant mitogenomes are imperative for revealing the relationship between mitochondria, elucidating biological functions of mitochondria and understanding the environmental adaptation mechanisms of plants. Here, the mitochondrial genomes of C. chinensis, C. deltoidea and C. omeiensis were assembled through the Nanopore and Illumina sequencing platform for the first time. The genome organization, gene number, RNA editing sites, repeat sequences, gene migration from chloroplast to mitochondria were compared. The mitogenomes of C. chinensis, C. deltoidea and C. omeiensis have six, two, two circular-mapping molecules with the total length of 1,425,403 bp, 1,520,338 bp and 1,152,812 bp, respectively. The complete mitogenomes harbors 68-86 predicted functional genes including 39-51 PCGs, 26-35 tRNAs and 2-5 rRNAs. C. deltoidea mitogenome host the most abundant repeat sequences, while C. chinensis mitogenome has the largest number of transferred fragments from its chloroplasts. The large repeat sequences and foreign sequences in the mitochondrial genomes of Coptis species were related to substantial rearrangements, changes in relative position of genes and multiple copy genes. Further comparative analysis illustrated that the PCGs under selected pressure in mitochondrial genomes of the three Coptis species mainly belong to the mitochondrial complex I (NADH dehydrogenase). Heat stress adversely affected the mitochondrial complex I and V, antioxidant enzyme system, ROS accumulation and ATP production of the three Coptis species. The activation of antioxidant enzymes, increase of T-AOC and maintenance of low ROS accumulation in C. chinensis under heat stress were suggested as the factors for its thermal acclimation and normal growth at lower altitudes. This study provides comprehensive information on the Coptis mitogenomes and is of great importance to elucidate the mitochondrial functions, understand the different thermal acclimation mechanisms of Coptis plants, and breed heattolerant varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The chrysomelid beetle Agasicles hygrophila is an effective natural enemy used in the biocontrol of the invasive weed Alternanthera philoxeroides. However, few studies have focused on the cold acclimation of A. hygrophila. We investigated the effects of exposure to different sub-lethal low temperatures for different durations on biological indices of adult male and female A. hygrophila and subsequently selected an appropriate acclimation temperature to enhance low-temperature tolerance. We found that A. hygrophila can acclimate to the cold and that this acclimation can enhance the cold tolerance of this beetle at −10 °C. Moreover, an appropriate acclimation temperature and time were found to enhance the survival and longevity of captive-bred A. hygrophila adults, which has ecological relevance for the biological control of A. philoxeroides in cold areas of northern China. Agasicles hygrophila Selman and Vogt is used in the biological control of the invasive weed Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. However, with the northward establishment of A. philoxeroides in China, the weak adaptivity of A. hygrophila to cold weather has resulted in the ineffective control of A. philoxeroides in northern China. Cold acclimation can significantly enhance insect cold tolerance, enabling them to cope with more frequent climate fluctuations. To improve the biological control efficacy of A. hygrophila in cold climates, we compared the effects of rapid cold hardening and acclimation on A. hygrophila under laboratory conditions. On initially transferring adults from 26 to −10 °C for 2 h, mortality reached 80%. However, when pre-exposed to 0 °C for 2 h and then transferred to −10 °C for 2 h, adult mortality was reduced to 36.67%. These findings indicate that cold acclimation can enhance the cold tolerance of A. hygrophila under laboratory conditions. However, the beneficial cold acclimation effects waned after more than 15 min of recovery at 26 °C. Exposure to 15 °C for 24 h or gradual cooling from 0 to −10 °C at 1 °C·min−1 also induced cold acclimation, indicating that long-term cold and fluctuating cold acclimation are also potentially effective strategies for enhancing low-temperature tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interpretative phenomenological analysis explored the experiences of former Chinese international students trained as counselors in a United States‐based program (n = 9), both with respect to training and work experiences upon returning to China. Themes included strong counselor identity, struggles with adapting to mental health policies in China, and complications acclimating to training in the United States. Suggestions for educators include emphasis on international education and adjustments to hiring practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Host‐related microbiota are critically important for the adaptation/acclimation of hosts to changing environments, but how environmental factors and host characteristics shape the microbial communities remains largely unknown. We investigated the effects of temperature on habitat‐forming macroalgae and their associated bacterial communities. Three Sargassum species (S. horneri, S. fusiforme, and S. thunbergii) and seawater samples were sampled in Gouqi Island, China, and these macroalgal samples were incubated at different temperatures (10, 20, and 27°C) for 7 d. Bacterial communities were identified from the 16S rRNA gene V3–V4 regions. The algae‐associated bacterial communities of the field samples were significantly different from seawater, implying host specificity. During laboratory incubation, decreased physiological status (photosynthetic rate and oxidative stress response) was detected for all the species at 10°C, especially with regard to S. horneri and S. fusiforme. For each host, associated bacterial communities at 20 and 27°C clustered closely, and these were separated from samples at 10°C based on constrained PCoA analyses. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance revealed that algae‐associated bacterial communities were more affected by host species (23.3%) than by temperature (2.48%) during laboratory incubation. The changes in bacterial community composition may be influenced by algae metabolites, which should be tested in a future study. These results further contribute to our understanding of algal microbiome changes in response to environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A total of 51 known miRNAs and 95 novel miRNAs were identified from the nine small RNA libraries. • 6 down-regulated DE miRNAs responded to the hypo-salinity stress. • 1 up-regulated and 5 down-regulated DE miRNAs responded to the hyper-salinity stress. • 931 and 768 potential target genes were respectively predicted from the hypo- and hyper-salinity stress. • Genes involved in the vesicle-mediated transport and metal ion binding responded to the hypo-salinity stress. • Genes related to the signal transduction and metabolic process responded to the hyper-salinity stress. The Hong Kong oyster, Crassostrea hongkongensis , is a significant bivalve species with economic importance. It primarily inhabits the estuarine intertidal zones in southern China, making it susceptible to salinity fluctuations. Consequently, investigating the molecular mechanisms governing salinity regulation in C. hongkongensis is essential. In this study, we conducted miRNA-seq on C. hongkongensis to compare miRNA expression differences under varying salinities (5‰, 25‰, and 35‰). The miRNA sequencing revealed 51 known miRNAs and 95 novel miRNAs across nine small RNA libraries (S5, S25, and S35). Among these miRNAs, we identified 6 down-regulated differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in response to hypo-salinity stress (5‰), while 1 up-regulated DE miRNA and 5 down-regulated DE miRNAs were associated with hyper-salinity stress (35‰). Additionally, we predicted 931 and 768 potential target genes for hypo- and hyper-salinity stress, respectively. Functional gene annotation indicated that the target genes under hypo-salinity stress were linked to vesicle-mediated transport and metal ion binding. Conversely, those under hyper-salinity stress were primarily involved in signal transduction and metabolic processes. These findings have provided insights into the regulatory role of miRNAs, their potential target genes and associated pathways in oyster hypo- and hyper-salinity stress, which establish a foundation for future studies on the roles of miRNAs in salinity acclimation mechanisms in C. hongkongensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) leaf copes well with cold winters in southeastern China. However, until now, there has been almost no research on its adaptation mechanisms to cold weather. Herein, we found that the Moso bamboo leaf has evolved several anatomical structures that may play a role in enhancing its cold tolerance. These structures include fewer fusiform cells, smaller bulliform cells, lower stomata density and many more trichomes, as well as lower relative water content than in the leaf of a cold-sensitive bamboo species, Bambusa ventricosa. Untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed that the winter leaf of Moso bamboo had 10- to 1000-fold higher stress-resistant metabolites such as glutathione, trehalose and ascorbic acid than the leaf of B. ventricosa on both warm and cold days. In contrast to the leaves that grew on a warm day, some metabolites such as glutathione and trehalose increased dramatically in the leaves of Moso bamboo that grew on a cold day. However, they unexpectedly decreased in the leaf of B. ventricosa growing at cold temperatures. Transcriptome analysis revealed a cold stress response network that includes trehalose, glutathione, flavonoid metabolism, DNA repair, reactive oxygen species degradation, stress-associated genes and abiotic stress-related plant hormones such as jasmonic acid, abscisic acid and ethylene. The potential mediator transcription factors, such as EREBP, HSF, MYB, NAC and WRYK, were also significantly upregulated in Moso bamboo leaves growing at cold temperatures. Interestingly, many newly identified genes were involved in the transcriptome of the winter leaf of the Moso bamboo. Most of these new genes have not even been annotated yet. The above results indicate that the Moso bamboo leaf has evolved special histological structures, metabolic pathways and a cold stress-tolerant transcriptome to adapt to the cold weather in its distribution areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acclimation to abiotic stress plays a critical role in insect adaption and evolution, particularly during extreme climate events. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are evolutionarily conserved molecular chaperones caused by abiotic and biotic stressors. Understanding the relationship between thermal acclimation and the expression of specific HSPs is essential for addressing the functions of HSP families. This study investigated this issue using the Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis, one of the most important corn pests in China. The transcription of HSP genes was induced in larvae exposed to 33°C. Thereafter, the larvae were exposed to 43°C, for 2 h, and then allowed to recover at 27 C for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h. At the recovery times 0.5–4 h, most population tolerates less around 1–3 h than without recovery (at 0 h) suffering continuous heat stress (43 C). There is no difference in the heat tolerance at 6 h recovery, with similar transcriptional levels of HSPs as the control. However, a significant thermal tolerance was observed after 8 h of the recovery time, with a higher level of HSP70. In addition, the transcription of HSP60 and HSC70 (heat shock cognate protein 70) genes did not show a significant effect. HSP70 or HSP90 significantly upregulated within 1–2 h sustained heat stress (43 C) but declined at 6 h. Our findings revealed extreme thermal stress induced quick onset of HSP70 or HSP90 transcription. It could be interpreted as an adaptation to the drastic and rapid temperature variation. The thermal tolerance of larvae is significantly enhanced after 6 h of recovery and possibly regulated by HSP70. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese fir, Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook, is an essential fast-growing timber species that is widely distributed in southern China, producing timber with high economic value. Understanding the climate sensitivity of the tree species and its intra-specific variation would help us to estimate the potential climatic adaptation of the Chinese fir. Consequently, we developed radial growth (tree-ring, earlywood and latewood width) and wood density (earlywood, latewood, minimum and maximum density) chronologies for the period 1981–2013 to evaluate whether Chinese fir provenances varied in their tree-ring characteristics and the strength of their responses to seasonal and monthly climate variables. The results showed that more climatic information was obtainable from the trees' radial growth than from their wood densities. Moreover, the wood density variables provided additional information about seasonal precipitation, which could not be found in tree-ring widths. Specifically, radial growth was highly sensitive to spring and fall temperature, whereas the wood density (particularly that of maximum density) was mainly limited by spring precipitation. Importantly, each tree-ring chronology of Chinese fir provenances varied in the intensity of its response to climate variables, reflecting population acclimation via genetic adaptation or plasticity to local conditions. By providing a theoretical basis for the climate–growth relationships of Chinese fir provenance within a subtropical climate, one can evaluate future climate change impacts on forests and the feedback of forest systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Different temperatures, air humidity, soil moisture content, and light intensity had significant effects on the photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of Distylium chinense from heterogeneous habitats. • D. chinense adopted different photosynthetic acclimation patterns and species-specific water use strategies under heterogeneous habitats. • D. chinense adjusted leaf area, specific leaf area, stomatal conductance, photochemical quenching coefficient and non-photochemical quenching to photochemically fix and store more carbon to meet their needs for growth under heterogeneous habitats. Distylium chinense is an evergreen dominant shrub with strong adaptability under heterogeneous habitats, including natural riparian zone (NRZ), anti-seasonal water level fluctuation zone (ASWLFZ), and no water level fluctuation zone (NWLFZ) in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR) in China. In order to understand the photosynthetic ecological adaptability and habitat adaptation strategies of D. chinense under heterogeneous habitats, its photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were investigated. The results showed that photosynthetic characteristics were significantly different among heterogeneous habitats (p <0.05). The PSII potential activity and PSII maximum photochemical efficiency (F v /F m) of D. chinense in the ASWLFZ were the highest among heterogeneous habitats. Non-photochemical quenching coefficient (qN) in the NWLFZ was higher than that in the NRZ and ASWLFZ (p <0.05). Stepwise regression analysis showed that water use efficiency and stomatal conductance were correlated with specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area and leaf dry weight. Regression curve fitting and canonical correspondence analysis revealed that light intensity, soil water content, air humidity and temperature were the main factors affecting photosynthetic characteristics and leaf functional traits. Our results evidenced that D. chinense adapted to the high water content and low light intensity environments, especially in the valley waterfall habitats, by increasing stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate, reducing SLA and maintaining moderate qN and F v /F m with adopting a profligate water use pattern to improve photosynthetic productivity. Therefore, D. chinense has a wide photosynthetic acclimation to different environments, which provided baseline information for the conservation and ecological restoration in the newly formed hydro-fluctuation zone and other similar degenerative riparian ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low light and drought often limit the growth and performance of Masson pines (Pinus massoniana) in the subtropical forest ecosystem of China. We speculated that stress-induced defensive secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids and terpenoids, might influence the growth of Masson pines, considering the existence of tradeoffs between growth and defense. However, the mechanisms of Masson pines responsive to low light and drought at the levels of these two metabolites remain unclear. In the present work, the compositions of flavonoids and terpenoids, as well as their biosynthetic pathways, were revealed through metabolome and transcriptome analyses, respectively, coupled with a study on carbon allocation using a 13CO2-pulse-labeling experiment in two-year-old seedlings under low light (LL), drought (DR), and their combined stress (DL) compared to a control (CK). A total of 35 flavonoids and derivatives (LL vs. CK: 18; DR vs. CK: 20; and DL vs. CK: 18), as well as 29 terpenoids and derivatives (LL vs. CK: 23; DR vs. CK: 13; and DL vs. CK: 7), were differentially identified in the leaves. Surprisingly, most of them were decreased under all three stress regimes. At the transcriptomic level, most or all of the detected DEGs (differentially expressed genes) involved in the biosynthetic pathways of flavonoids and terpenoids were downregulated in phloem and xylem under stress treatments. This indicated that stress treatments limited the production of flavonoids and terpenoids. The reduction in the 13C allocation to stems might suggest that it is necessary for maintaining the growth of Masson pine seedlings at the whole-plant level by attenuating energetic resources to the biosynthetic pathways of flavonoids and terpenoids when facing the occurrence of adverse environments. Our results provide new insight into understanding the acclimation strategy of Masson pines or other conifers in adverse environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns in functional diversity of organisms at large spatial scales can provide insight into possible responses to future climate change, but it remains a challenge to link large‐scale patterns at the population or species level to their underlying physiological mechanisms at the individual level. The climate variability hypothesis predicts that temperate ectotherms will be less vulnerable to climate warming compared with tropical ectotherms, due to their superior acclimatization capacity. However, metabolic acclimatization occurs over multiple levels, from the enzyme and cellular level, through organ systems, to whole‐organism metabolic rate (from this point forwards biological hierarchy). Previous studies have focused on one or a few levels of the biological hierarchy, leaving us without a general understanding of how metabolic acclimatization might differ between tropical and temperate species. Here, we investigated thermal acclimation of three species of Takydromus lizards distributed along a broad latitudinal gradient in China, by studying metabolic modifications at the level of the whole organism, organ, mitochondria, metabolome, and proteome. As predicted by the climate variability hypothesis, the two temperate species T. septentrionalis and T. wolteri had an enhanced acclimation response at the whole organism level compared with the tropical species T. sexlineatus, as measured by respiratory gas exchange rates. However, the mechanisms by which whole organism performance was modified was strikingly different in the two temperate species: widespread T. septentrionalis modified organ sizes, whereas the narrowly distributed T. wolteri relied on mitochondrial, proteomic and metabolomic regulation. We suggest that these two mechanisms of thermal acclimatization may represent general strategies used by ectotherms, with distinct ecological costs and benefits. Lacking either of these mechanisms of thermal acclimatization capacity, the tropical species is likely to have increased vulnerability to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C-repeat binding factors (CBFs) are transcription factors that are known to play important roles in plant cold acclimation. They are highly conserved in most higher plants. Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) is an herb native to China and Kazakhstan and is well-known for its production of rubber silk with industrial and economic value. To understand cold acclimation mechanisms, we conducted a genome-wide discovery of the CBF family genes in TKS and revealed ten CBF genes. A bioinformatic analysis of the CBF genes was carried out to analyze the phylogenetic relationship, protein conservative motifs, protein physicochemical properties, gene structure, promoter cis-acting elements, and the gene expression patterns under cold acclimation and control conditions. It was found that most of these genes were highly responsive at the late stage of cold acclimation, indicating that they play important roles in the cold acclimation processes of TKS. This study provides a theoretical basis for the study of the molecular functions of the CBF gene family in TKS, and a useful guidance for the genetic improvement of the cold tolerance traits of TKS and other plants, including crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter rapeseed (Brassica rapa L.) is an important oilseed crop in northwest China. Freezing stress severely limits its production and geographical distribution, and frequent extreme freezing events caused by climate change are increasing the chances of winter freeze-injury. However, the underlying mechanism of B. rapa response to freezing stress remains elusive. Here, B. rapa genome (v3.0) was used as a reference for the comparative transcriptomic analysis of Longyou 6 and Tianyou 2 (strong and weak cold tolerance, respectively) under different freezing stress. Before and after freezing stress, 5,982 and 11,630 unique differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between two cultivars were identified, respectively. After freezing stress, the GO terms in Tianyou 2 were mainly involved in "macromolecule biosynthetic process", and those in Longyou 6 were involved in "response to stimulus" and "oxidoreductase activity". Morphological and physiological results indicated that Longyou 6 retained a higher basal freezing resistance than Tinayou 2, and that cold acclimation could strengthen the basal freezing resistance. Freezing stress could activate the MAPK signal cascades, and the phosphorylation level of Longyou 6 showed a higher increase in response to freezing treatment than Tianyou 2. Based on our findings, it was speculated that the cell membrane of B. rapa perceives external signals under freezing stress, which are then transmitted to the nucleus through the cold-activated MAPK cascades and Ca2+-related protein kinase pathway, thus leading to activation of downstream target genes to enhance the freezing resistance of B. rapa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change could negatively alter plant ecosystems if rising temperatures exceed optimal conditions for obtaining carbon. The acclimation of plants to higher temperatures could mitigate this effect, but the potential of subtropical forests to acclimate still requires elucidation. We used space-for-time substitution to determine the photosynthetic and respiratory-temperature response curves, optimal temperature of photosynthesis (T opt), photosynthetic rate at T opt, temperature sensitivity (Q 10), and the rate of respiration at a standard temperature of 25°C (R 25) for Pinus taiwanensis at five elevations (1200, 1400, 1600, 1800, and 2000 m) in two seasons (summer and winter) in the Wuyi Mountains in China. The response of photosynthesis in P. taiwanensis leaves to temperature at the five elevations followed parabolic curves, and the response of respiration to temperature increased with temperature. T opt was higher in summer than winter at each elevation and decreased significantly with increasing elevation. Q 10 decreased significantly with increasing elevation in summer but not winter. These results showed a strong thermal acclimation of foliar photosynthesis and respiration to current temperatures across elevations and seasons, and that R 25 increased significantly with elevation and were higher in winter than summer at each elevation indicating that the global warming can decrease R 25. These results strongly suggest that this thermal acclimation will likely occur in the coming decades under climate change, so the increase in respiration rates of P. taiwanensis in response to climatic warming may be smaller than predicted and thus may not increase atmospheric CO2 concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulva prolifera green tides, one of the greatest marine ecological disasters, originate in the southern Yellow Sea of China and obtain the highest biomass in Haizhou Bay (latitude around 35° N) during northward drift. U. prolifera shows different morphologies from southern Haizhou Bay (SH) to northern Haizhou Bay (NH). Owing to the distinct nutrient environments between SH and NH, we hypothesized that thalli in NH with poor nutrients increased the surface area to volume ratio (SA:VOL) to better absorb nutrients. Here, we tested this hypothesis by comparing the SA:VOL of thalli in SH and NH. The results showed that the thalli in NH had a lower SA:VOL than those in SH, and SA:VOL had positive relationships with temperature and nutrients, contrary to the general hypothesis. The novel results suggested that morphological differences of U. prolifera were the result of developmental state rather than environmental acclimation. Indicators of reproduction (reproductive allocation ratio) were negatively related to variation in tissue contents of C, N, P, and crude protein, whereas indicators of growth (tissue contents of C, N, P, and crude protein) showed significant positive influences on SA:VOL. The results indicated that a trade‐off relationship between reproduction and growth existed in the northward drift. All the results suggested that physiological functional traits affected morphological variation of U. prolifera in different environmental conditions during the drifting of green tides. This study presents new insights into the opportunist species nature of U. prolifera through morphological variation and associated functional consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hylurgus ligniperda invaded Shandong, China, through imported forest timber, posing a threat to China's forest health. Exotic insects with broad environmental tolerance, including low temperatures, may have a better chance of surviving the winters and becoming invasive. Understanding the cold-tolerance strategies of H. ligniperda may help to design sustainable pest management approaches. In this study, we aim to investigate the cold-tolerance ability and relevant physiological indicators in overwintering H. ligniperda adults to determine any possible overwintering strategies. Supercooling points (SCPs) for adults H. ligniperda differed significantly across months and reached the lowest level in the mid- and post-overwintering period, the minimum SCPs -6.45 ± 0.18 °C. As the cold exposure temperature decreased, the survival rate of adults gradually decreased, and no adult survived more than 1 day at -15 °C, and the LLT50 for 1 day was -7.1 °C. Since H. ligniperda adults can survive internal ice formation, they are freeze-tolerant insects. Throughout the overwintering period, the SCPs and the water, protein, sorbitol, and glycerol content in adults decreased initially and then increased. We reported significant correlations between total protein, sorbitol, trehalose, and glycerol content in the beetles and SCPs. Glycogen, lipid, protein, trehalose, and sorbitol content in adult beetles may directly affect their cold-tolerance capacity and survival during winter. This study provides a physiological and biochemical basis for further study of metabolism and cold-tolerance strategies in H. ligniperda adults, which may help predict population dynamics and distribution potential of pests., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Individual heating systems, such as the air-source heat pump (ASHP) air-conditioner or floor heating (FH), are usually used by people living in the hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) zone of China to heat indoor climates in the winter. However, little research has been conducted in the HSCW zone on the thermal comfort difference between indoor climates heated by ASHP air-conditioners and those heated by floor heating, as well as how occupants adapt to different indoor climates. We conducted a comparative field experiment in ASHP-heated and FH-heated apartments in Nanjing to investigate how different types of heating systems influence the thermal sensation of occupants, and we conducted a comparative field experiment in ASHP-heated office buildings and naturally ventilated teaching buildings in Shanghai to investigate how occupants adapt to different indoor thermal environments. Indoor environmental parameters and body surface temperatures were measured using instruments, and occupants' thermal sensation, activity level, and clothing were evaluated using the questionnaire. The results show that floor heating improves thermal comfort by raising foot temperature compared to the ASHP air-conditioner, and that occupants become acclimatized to different indoor climates by adjusting neutral operative temperature. According to the findings, there is no need to overheat the indoor environment in the HSCW zone because occupants can adapt to their experienced thermal environment and it is critical to maintain warm foot temperature in the cool/cold indoor environment., (© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to International Society of Biometeorology.)

Cold is a common problem that limits the distribution of Camellia. Camellia japonica (Naidong) is the northernmost species of camellia in China, which is a Tertiary remnant species that can adapt to large changes in temperature. An analysis of the transcriptional response of C. japonica (Naidong) to cold is very important for the planting and distribution of camellia. In this study, the rate of H₂O₂ levels, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll and sugar content had a higher degree of cold response during 12–72 h period, than other periods (0–12h, 72h–120h) in C. japonica (Naidong) response to cold treatment. We constructed the first full-length C. japonica (Naidong) transcriptome and identified 4544 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A weighted gene coexpression network analysis showed that carbon metabolism, lipid metabolism, and transcription factors played important roles in the resistance of C. japonica (Naidong) to cold stress, and three hub transcription factor regulatory networks were constructed. In addition, overexpressing CjRAV1 led to cold sensitivity in Arabidopsis thaliana , thus CjRAV1 likely plays a negative regulatory role during cold stress in Camellia japonica. This study deepens our understanding of the regulatory mechanism of C. japonica (Naidong) under cold stress and will benefit genetic improvement of camellia. • The first systematic Camellia japonica full-length transcriptome was analyzed and new genes were obtained. • Transcription factors and genes associated with carbon and lipid metabolism were differentially expressed under cold stress. • Overexpression of CjRAV1 led to low temperature sensitivity in Arabidopsis thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐release dispersal of reintroduced animals refers to the process of successful colonization and failed settlement. To ensure the establishment and persistence of a reintroduced population, the impacts of different factors on the post‐release dispersal of captive‐bred animals must be assessed. In this article, we focused on two reintroduced Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) populations in Shaanxi Province, China. We applied multiple approaches to evaluate the effects of age, body weight, sex, timing of release, size of acclimatization cages for rewilding, and duration of acclimatization on the survival rate of released populations. The results showed that the survival capacity of released individuals was negatively correlated with their age in Ningshan County (Spearman, r = −0.344, p = 0.03, n = 41). The released ibises in Ningshan and Qianyang County had an average dispersal direction of 210.53° ± 40.54° (Rayleigh's z test: z = 7.881 > z0.05, p < 0.01, n = 13) and 27.05° ± 2.85° (Rayleigh's z test: z = 5.985 > z0.05, p < 0.01, n = 6), respectively, suggesting that the dispersal tended to clump in one direction in both sites. The MaxEnt modeling results indicated that the most significant environmental factor responsible for breeding site selection in Ningshan County was paddy field. In Qianyang County, precipitation affects nest site selection through influencing food availability. In conclusion, the evaluation framework used in this study can serve as an example for developing conservation priorities on the landscape scale for more animal reintroductions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotypic plasticity is an adaptive mechanism used by organisms to cope with environmental fluctuations. Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai) are large-scale farmed in the temperate area of northern China and in the warmer waters of southern China. RNA-seq and comparative transcriptomic analysis here were performed to determine if the northern and southern populations have evolved divergent plasticity and if functional differences are associated with protein synthesis and growth-related biological progress. The DNA methylation (5mC) landscape of H. discus hannai from the two populations using whole genomic bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), exhibited different epigenetic patterns. The southern population had significant genomic hypo-methylation that may have resulted from long-term acclimation to heat stress. Combining 790 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 7635 differentially methylated genes (DMGs), we found that methylation within the gene body might be important in predicting abalone gene expression. Genes related to growth, development, transduction, and apoptosis may be regulated by methylation and could explain the phenotypic divergence of H. discus hannai. Our findings not only emphasize the significant roles of adaptive plasticity in the acclimation of H. discus hannai to high temperatures but also provide a new understanding of the epigenetic mechanism underlying the phenotypic plasticity in adaptation to climate change for marine organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sargassum horneri (Turner) C. Agardh is a genus of brown algae and plays an important role in marine ecosystem. However, the inhabiting area of S. horneri has been decreasing sharply in China. To understand the photoacclimation and photoregulation strategies of S. horneri in responses to temperature and light, S. horneri was cultured under different temperatures [18°C (LT) and 26°C (HT)] and light intensities [60 µmol(photon) m-2 s-1 (LL) and 120 µmol(photon) m-2 s-1 (HL)] for 7 d, and then the chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters were measured. The results showed that the maximum electron transfer rate occurred at low temperature and high light (LT-HL) condition. The high temperature was the predominant factor for causing inhibition of PSII, lowering the effective quantum yield of PSII, and reducing the nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). However, high light could improve the photoprotective ability via enhancing the NPQ. On the other hand, a strong linear relationship was observed between NPQ and the electron transport efficiency (a); the increase of NPQ could reduce the a value and avoid damage from high light stress to PSII. Therefore, S. horneri was found to be well adapted to grow under LT-HL conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phylogeographic studies showed that house mice (Mus musculus) originated in the Himalayan region, while common rats (Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus) come from the lowlands of China and India. Accordingly, it has been proposed that its origins gave mice, but not rats, the ability to invade ecological niches at high altitudes (pre-adaptation). This proposal is strongly supported by the fact that house mice are distributed throughout the world, while common rats are practically absent above 2,500 m. Considering that the ability of mammals to colonize high-altitude environments (>2,500 m) is limited by their capability to tolerate reduced oxygen availability, in this work, we hypothesize that divergences in the ventilatory, hematological, and metabolic phenotypes of mice and rats establish during the process of acclimatization to hypoxia (Hx). To test this hypothesis male FVB mice and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to Hx (12% O2) for 0 h (normoxic controls), 6 h, 1, 7, and 21 days. We assessed changes in ventilatory [minute ventilation (VE), respiratory frequency (f R), and tidal volume (VT)], hematological (hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration), and metabolic [whole-body O2 consumption (VO2) and CO2 production (VCO2), and liver mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) parameters]. Compared to rats, results in mice show increased ventilatory, metabolic, and mitochondrial response. In contrast, rats showed quicker and higher hematological response than mice and only minor ventilatory and metabolic adjustments. Our findings may explain, at least in part, why mice, but not rats, were able to colonize high-altitude habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilling stress (CS) is an important limiting factor for the growth and development of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) in winter in South China. However, little is known about how the passion fruit responds and adapts to CS. In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing of cold-susceptible cultivar Huangjinguo (HJG) and cold-tolerant cultivar Tainong 1 (TN1) under normal temperature (NT) and CS conditions, and a total of 47,353 unigenes were obtained by seven databases. Using differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) analysis, 3,248 and 4,340 DEGs were identified at two stages, respectively. The Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were mainly related to phosphorylation, membrane protein, and catalytic activity. In Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, the unigenes of plant-pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal transduction and fatty acid metabolism were enriched. Then, the 12,471 filtered unigenes were clustered into eight co-expression modules, and two modules were correlated with CS. In this two modules, 32 hub unigenes were obtained. Furthermore, the unigenes related to CS were validated using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). This work showed that the expression levels of CS-related unigenes were very different in two passion fruit cultivars. The results provide information for the development of passion fruit with increased chilling tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a large agricultural country, livestock manure is both agricultural waste and resources. Among the many treatment processes, solid-state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) to produce biogas is one of the effective measures to realize its resource utilization and solve environmental pollution. While high total solid (TS) content causing a reduction of methane yields or failure of digestion process because the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) resulted in the inhibition of methanogens. At present, the research on volatile fatty acids (VFAs) mainly focuses on the aspects of co-substrate for digestion, leachate recirculation and external buffer material to increase biogas production. The inoculum has an important impact on the tolerance of intermediate metabolites and the start-up time of anaerobic fermentation. Previous research mainly focuses on microbial acclimation and feedstock/inoculum (F/I) ratio under the premixing inoculation method (fermentation after mixing the inoculum and substrate), while the exploration of different inoculation methods for SS-AD and the correlation between the dynamic changes of microbial community structure and metabolites (such as VFAs) need to be studied in depth. In this paper, the biogas production performance and micro-ecological succession law of pig manure and maize straw in layer inoculation and premixing inoculation fermentation were compared. A pilot-scale laboratory experiment was performed in a self-made vertical plexiglass reactor with a total volume of 11 L under feedstock/inoculum ratio=25% in SS-AD process (TS=20%). The result showed that, the first peak of TVFAs mass concentration in layer inoculation system reached 33.0 mg/g on the day 15, and had a greater decline until the end of fermentation. The mass concentration of TVFAs in premixing inoculation system was varied in the range of 29.2-38.5 mg/g on days 15-78. The cumulative specific methane yield (SMY) of layer inoculation fermentation reached 211.5 mL/g is the highest. CH4 yield in layer inoculation system was mucher higher than in premixing inoculation even with the same substrate, which indicated that layer inoculation can lead to the comsuption of VFAs over time, make the process run effectively, and reduce the startup time. The SMY of premixing inoculation was under 1.0 mL/g-VS during the whole experiment. In layer inoculation system, the biogas CH4 content ranged from 54.0% to 66.0% after day 20. The CH4 content in premixing inoculation fermentation showed a rapid increase after 52 days of digestion and reached 58.1% on day 78. High-throughput sequencing results showed that hydrogenotrophic methanogen was the dominant methane production pathway during SS-AD of different inoculation methods. Layer inoculation can increase the richness and diversity of microorganisms in the fermentation system, and the community structure is more stable than premixing inoculation. The results of cluster analysis on microbial diversity showed that the difference both layer inoculation and premixing inoculation system showed good similarity in the bacteria and archaea samples of stage I~II and stage III~IV. Further analysis showed that the main environmental factor affecting layer inoculation and premixing inoculation are acetic acid and pH, respectively. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for alleviating the VFAs inhibition of SS-AD of livestock and poultry farming waste and increasing methane yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The underrepresentation of human genomic resources from Southern Chinese populations limited their health equality in the precision medicine era and complete understanding of their genetic formation, admixture, and adaptive features. Besides, linguistical and genetic evidence supported the controversial hypothesis of their origin processes. One hotspot case was from the Chinese Guangxi Pinghua Han people (GPH), whose language was significantly similar to Southern Chinese dialects but whose uniparental gene pool was phylogenetically associated with the indigenous Tai-Kadai (TK) people. Here, we analyzed genome-wide SNP data in 619 people from four language families and 56 geographically different populations, in which 261 people from 21 geographically distinct populations were first reported here., Results: We identified significant population stratification among ethnolinguistically diverse Guangxi populations, suggesting their differentiated genetic origin and admixture processes. GPH shared more alleles related to Zhuang than Southern Han Chinese but received more northern ancestry relative to Zhuang. Admixture models and estimates of genetic distances showed that GPH had a close genetic relationship with geographically close TK compared to Northern Han Chinese, supporting their admixture origin hypothesis. Further admixture time and demographic history reconstruction supported GPH was formed via admixture between Northern Han Chinese and Southern TK people. We identified robust signatures associated with lipid metabolisms, such as fatty acid desaturases (FADS) and medically relevant loci associated with Mendelian disorder (GJB2) and complex diseases. We also explored the shared and unique selection signatures of ethnically different but linguistically related Guangxi lineages and found some shared signals related to immune and malaria resistance., Conclusions: Our genetic analysis illuminated the language-related fine-scale genetic structure and provided robust genetic evidence to support the admixture hypothesis that can explain the pattern of observed genetic diversity and formation of GPH. This work presented one comprehensive analysis focused on the population history and demographical adaptative process, which provided genetic evidence for personal health management and disease risk prediction models from Guangxi people. Further large-scale whole-genome sequencing projects would provide the entire landscape of southern Chinese genomic diversity and their contributions to human health and disease traits., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Diatoms are a type of photosynthetic phytoplankton that can acclimate to the light level of their environment. Diatoms from different habitats exhibit different photoacclimation characteristics; those from relatively low-light intensity habitats present relatively high photosynthetic activity, high light-harvesting pigment (Chla) content, and low xanthophyll content. Conversely, diatoms from high-light intensity environments have lower photosynthetic activity, less Chla content, and efficient xanthophyll cycling. Hence, diatoms can maintain high growth and photosynthetic activity within a wide range of light intensities. Whether the mechanisms of such adaptability are a consequence of biological photoacclimation to different light intensities or interspecific differences is unknown. Here, we show that differences in photoacclimation ability are more significant than species differences. We found similar species compositions in low- and high-light habitats of the Hanjiang River, China; however, there were remarkable differences in rapid light-response curve parameters. The photoacclimation of algae and trends in their photosynthetic activity can be estimated by rapid detection techniques. We isolated three diatom species common to both habitats and grew them under various light intensities, finding that they have an excellent ability to acclimate to local light conditions. Diatoms can use physiological strategies to handle light fluctuations, but only for short periods. Our results provide a theoretical basis for controlling algal blooms through light management. With knowledge of the photoacclimation characteristics of diatoms and according to the availability of local water conservancy facilities, it is possible to use light management to control diatom blooms more efficiently than with conventional techniques, thereby reducing water usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the demand of salmon market, Chinese scientists and entrepreneurs are working on salmon mariculture far offshore in the Yellow Sea, China. Rainbow, steelhead trout and Atlantic salmon were selected as the main culture species. The aims of the present study were as follows: (a) investigate the effect of the salinity acclimation method on the growth, osmoregulation and energy budget in two forms of Oncorhynchus mykiss, rainbow and steelhead trout and (b) explore the optimal size of steelhead trout for the seawater entry. In trial I, rainbow (mean = 99.44 g) and steelhead trout (mean = 99.01 g) were reared for 40 days after undergoing salinity acclimation at three rates: an abrupt increase in salinity from 0 to 30 g/L (T30); an abrupt increase in salinity to 14 g/L, followed by a daily increase of 2 g/L (T2) or 6 g/L (T6) until reaching 30 g/L; and no salinity exposure (control treatment) (T0). In trial II, steelhead trout with body weights of approximately 100 and 400 g were cultured for 60 days with two treatments, T0 and T2, and the specific growth rate (SGR) was calculated every 10 days. In trial I, in both kinds of fish, the optimal growth performance, survival rate, osmoregulation and energy budget were observed in the T0 treatment, followed by the T2 treatment. These results indicate that O. mykiss with a body weight of approximately 100 g can adapt to sea water with a gradual transition (T2), but they are still not suitable for the seawater entry because of low growth. Based on the recorded SGRs in trial II, our formulated regression formula revealed that approximately 200 g is the optimal size of steelhead trout for the transition to sea water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been an active debate among ecologists about the mechanisms of ephemeral response of soil respiration to climate change. The key questions are whether soil microbes would reduce their physiological rates (thermal acclimation) under a warmer temperature regime，and what are the mechanisms. Using a long‐term warming field experiment, we explored the thermal acclimation of soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) in a temperate steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia, China. A thermal acclimation mechanism, namely change in lipid composition of soil microbes, was also tested in this study. Our results showed that 6 years of warming treatment had significantly decreased soil mass‐specific respiration (substrate Rmass), indicating soil Rh would acclimate to long‐term warming. In addition, we found that this thermal acclimation presented type II acclimation, because experimental warming significantly decreased substrate Rmass but not the Q10 values. Furthermore, we also found that long‐term experimental warming had already increased the carbon numbers of the fatty acids in soil microbial membranes at the community level. In summary, our results indicated that soil Rh could acclimate to global warming via modifying cell membrane constitutions and these mechanisms would play vital roles in the near future. Highlights: Soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) acclimated to long‐term warming in a steppe ecosystem.Soil Rh followed type II acclimation as warming decreased substrate Rmass but did not change Q10.Experimental warming increased the carbon number of the fatty acids in soil microbial membranes.Soil Rh can acclimate to global warming via shifting the lipid constitute of microbial membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomacea canaliculata, a freshwater snail from South America, has rapidly established natural populations from south to north subtropical region in China, since its original introductions in the 1980s. Low temperature in winter is a limiting factor in the geographic expansion and successfully establishment for apple snail populations. There have been some studies on population level of low temperature tolerance for P. canaliculata, yet little is quantified about its life‐history traits in responses to cold temperatures. Whether these responses vary with the acclimation location is also unclear. We investigated the survivorship and longevity of P. canaliculata in responses to cold temperatures and examine whether these responses vary with the location and snail size. We hypothesized that survival of the snails depends on their shell height and the level of low temperature, and P. canaliculata population from the mid-subtropical zone may exhibit the highest viability over the cold thermal range.We sampled P. canaliculata populations from five latitude and longitude ranges of subtropical China: Guangzhou population in southernmost (SM‐GZ), three populations of Yingtan (MR‐YT), Ningbo (MR‐NB), Ya'an (MR‐YA) in midrange, and Huanggang population in northernmost (NM‐HG) subtropical zone. For each P. canaliculata population, survival and longevity at six cold acclimation temperature levels (12, 9, 6, 3, 0, and −3°C) were quantified, and the effects of location and shell height were examined.The MR‐YA population from mid-subtropical zone of China exhibited the highest survival rate and prolonged survival time regardless of the temperature acclimation treatments, whereas the SM‐GZ population from southern subtropical was the most sensitive to cold temperatures, particular temperatures below 9°C. No individuals of the SM‐GZ population could survive after stressed for 30 days (3°C), 5 days (0°C) and 2 days (−3°C), respectively. For each experimental P. canaliculata population held at 3, 0, and −3°C, individuals with intermediate shell height of 15.0–25.0 mm had significantly higher survivals.The results highlight a request of a more thorough investigation on acclimation responses in each of the life table demographic parameters for P. canaliculata, and pose the question of whether natural selection or some genetic changes may have facilitated adaptation in invasive locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we tested whether larvae brooded by the reef coral Pocillopora damicornis from a naturally extreme and highly variable environment are preadapted to cope with predicted increases in temperature and pCO2. We exposed larvae to two temperatures (29 vs. 30.8 °C) crossed with two pCO2 levels (~ 500 vs. ~ 1000 μatm) in a full-factorial experiment for 5 d. Larval performance was assessed as dark respiration (RD), net and gross photosynthesis (PN and PG, respectively), survival, settlement, and the activity of carbonic anhydrase (CA), the central enzyme involved in photosynthesis. The results showed that RD was unaffected by either elevated temperature or pCO2, while elevated temperature and/or pCO2 stimulated PN and PG and increased the ratios of PN to RD, indicating a relatively higher autotrophic capacity. Consequently, larval survivorship under elevated temperature and/or pCO2 was consistently 14% higher than that under the control treatment. Furthermore, elevated temperature and pCO2 did not affect host CA activity, but synergistically enhanced symbiont CA activity, contributing greatly to the stimulated photosynthetic capacity. These results suggest that brooded larvae of P. damicornis larvae from Luhuitou may be preadapted to cope with projected warming and ocean acidification. More generally, it appears that corals from highly variable environments may have increased resilience to the widespread climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungiidae have shown increased thermal adaptability in coral reef ecosystems under global warming. This study analyzes the evolutionary divergence and microbial communities of Fungiidae in the Sanjiao Reef of the southern South China Sea and explores the impact of coral evolution radiation and microbial dynamics on the heat tolerance of Fungiidae. The results found that Cycloseris was an ancient branch of Fungiidae, dating back approximately 147.8953 Mya, and Fungiidae differentiated into two ancestral clades (clades I and II) before 107.0312 Ma. Fungiidae exhibited specific symbioses with the Cladocopium C27 sub-clade. Notably, the Cladocopium C1 sub-clade has a high relative abundance in clade I, whereas the heat-tolerant Cladocopium C40 and C3u sub-clades subdominante in clade II. Regarding bacterial communities, Cycloseris costulata , the earliest divergent species, had higher bacterial β-diversity, while the latest divergent species, Lithophyllon scabra , displayed lower bacterial α-diversity and higher community stability. Beneficial bacteria dominante Fungiidae's bacterial community (54%). The co-occurrence network revealed that microbial networks in clade II exhibited lower complexity and greater resilience than those in clade I. Our study highlights that host evolutionary radiation and microbial communities shaped Fungiidae's thermal tolerance. The variability in subdominant Symbiodiniaceae populations may contribute to interspecific differences in thermal tolerance along the evolutionary branches of Fungiidae. The presence of abundant beneficial bacteria may further enhance the thermal ability of the Fungiidae. Furthermore, the later divergent species of Fungiidae have stronger heat tolerance, possibly driven by the increased regulation ability of the host on the bacterial community, greater microbial community stability, and interaction network resistance.IMPORTANCECoral reefs are facing significant threats due to global warming. The heat tolerance of coral holobionts depends on both the coral host and its microbiome. However, the association between coral evolutionary radiation and interspecific differences in microbial communities remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of evolutionary radiation and microbial community dynamics in shaping the thermal acclimation potential of Fungiidae in the Sanjiao Reef of the southern South China Sea. The study's results suggest that evolutionary radiation enhances the thermal tolerance of Fungiidae. Fungiidae species that have diverged more recently have exhibited a higher presence of heat-tolerant Symbiodiniaceae taxa, more stable bacterial communities, and a robust and resilient microbial interaction network, improving the thermal adaptability of Fungiidae. In summary, this study provides new insights into the thermal adaptation patterns of corals under global warming conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Clematis crassifolia and Clematis cadmia Buch.-Ham. ex Hook.f. & Thomson are herbaceous vine plants native to China. C. crassifolia is distributed in shaded areas, while C. cadmia mostly grows in bright, sunny conditions in mountainous and hilly landscapes. To understand the potential mechanisms involved in the irradiance responses of C. crassifolia and C. cadmia, we conducted a pot experiment under three irradiance treatments with natural irradiation and two different levels of shading. Various growth, photosynthetic, oxidative and antioxidative parameters and the relative expression of irradiance-related genes were examined. In total, 15 unigenes were selected for the analysis of gene expression. The exposure of C. crassifolia to high irradiance resulted in growth inhibition coupled with increased levels of chlorophyll, increased catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activity and increased expression of c144262_g2, c138393_g1 and c131300_g2. In contrast, under high irradiance conditions, C. cadmia showed an increase in growth and soluble protein content accompanied by a decrease in the expression of c144262_g2, c133872_g1, and c142530_g1, suggesting their role in the acclimation of C. cadmia to a high-irradiance environment. The 15 unigenes were differentially expressed in C. crassifolia and C. cadmia under different irradiance conditions. Thus, our study revealed that there are essential differences in the irradiance adaptations of C. crassifolia and C. cadmia due to the differential physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying their irradiance responses, which result from their long-term evolution in contrasting habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Caohai has experienced extensive Microcystis blooms in recent years, and to improve its water quality, the local government carried out a series of water control measures. To better understand the dynamics of both pelagic and benthic Microcystis and their characteristics in Lake Caohai, we conducted a 1-year investigation from December 2015 to December 2016 to gain a seasonal outlook on the distribution and dynamics of cell abundance, colony size and intracellular microcystins (MCs) of Microcystis. The results indicated that the Microcystis bloom occupied primarily the northeastern region and then moved gradually from lakeshore to lake center. The perennial southwesterly winds and the water inflow from northeast to southwest in Lake Caohai determined the spatiotemporal distribution of pelagic Microcystis. Benthic Microcystis was mainly distributed in the northeastern region in summer, occupied the lake center in autumn and then occupied the southeastern region in winter, determined by the sedimentation of pelagic Microcystis and the death of benthic Microcystis. Small colonies (20–60 μm) overwintered more easily in both water column and sediment. The concentrations of intracellular toxin of benthic Microcystis were observed to be significantly higher than those of pelagic Microcystis. This might be because Microcystis synthesized large amount of MCs to acclimate to an unfavorable benthic environment. This knowledge on the dynamics of Microcystis expands our understanding of mechanisms underpinning the formation of Microcystis blooms. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the seasonal transpiration and physiological responses of two dominant coexisting tree species, Schima superba and Michelia macclurei, to manipulated precipitation patterns in a subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest of South China, in which an ambient control treatment (BC), a drier dry and wetter wet season treatment (DD), and an extended dry and wetter wet season treatment (ED) were applied. Tree water use and associated ecophysiological characters, such as the daily whole tree transpiration (EL), intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), Huber values (As : Al), and utilization proportions from different water sources were determined during the period from October 2012 to September 2013. For both tree species, no significant difference in transpiration among the three treatments was observed in the wet season, but a relatively stronger decrease of transpiration occurred under DD and ED treatments during the later dry season. Moreover, the higher transpiration of M. macclurei and its advantage of utilizing the shallow water derived from light rainfall under dry condition suggested that M. macclurei was more competitive in this subtropical forest. M. macclurei was inclined to adopt a drought-avoidance strategy, whereas S. superba that could uptake deeper soil water was more likely to be drought tolerant. The different spatial and temporal patterns of water use, together with the contrasting water use strategies, could partly explain the current coexistence of the two tree species. Their varying performance under different water conditions implies possible shifts in species dominance within the forest community that were potentially stimulated under future precipitation change scenarios from a long-term perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic characteristics of modern marine finance are the coexistence of policy finance and commercial finance, openness and exclusiveness, and the combination of industry and finance and financial agglomeration complement each other. Modern marine financial instruments include bank loans and credit guarantees, marine funds, corporate bonds and asset acclimatization, financial leasing and marine insurance. At present, China is facing great opportunities to develop marine finance. It is suggested that the Chinese government should support the establishment of marine financial element aggregation zones and promote the rapid rise of China's marine financial industry in the mode of ''three funds, one bank and one think tank''. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bamboo grasshopper, Ceracris kiangsu Tsai, is a pest of bamboos and widely distributed in China from high temperature plains to low temperature plateaus. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the transcriptome of C. kiangsu. Approximately 129,314,084 reads were generated using an Illumina sequencing. De novo assembly yielded 39,013 unigenes with an average length of 987 bp. Based on sequence similarity searches with known proteins, a total of 19,769 (50.67%) unigenes were identified. Of these annotated unigenes, 2114 and 11,412 unigenes were assigned to clusters of orthologous groups and gene ontology, respectively. Furthermore, 2128 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified in the unigenes Differences were observed in gene expression after hypothermic stress, with the most up-regulated genes including heat shock protein genes (Hsps) and genes involved in ATP-binding. The down-regulation of genes involved in the catalytic activity of metabolic mechanisms was also observed. The obtained transcriptome information revealed the ability of C. kiangsu to build cold-tolerance after exposed to a mild low temperature and the transcriptional responses elicited by hypothermic stress. • This is the first study to characterize the complete transcriptome of C. kiangsu. • After hypothermic stress, differentially expressed genes are observed, with the most up-regulated genes including Hsp genes. • The ability of C. kiangsu to build cold-tolerance after exposed to a mild low temperature is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the hypoxia tolerance capacities of fish in response to a range of temperatures which they often experience in aquaculture. We selected six cyprinids in the Yangtze River that were closely related in their phylogeny and widely used in the Chinese aquaculture industry as experimental animals: juvenile qing bo Spinibarbus sinensis , Chinese bream Parabramis pekinensis , grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus , big head carp Aristichthys nobilis , silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and common carp Cyprinus carpiovar Jian. We measured individual metabolic rate (ṀO 2) and calculated the routine metabolic rate (RMR), Q 10 and critical oxygen tension (P crit) after two weeks of acclimation at either 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 °C. Gill morphology was also examined. A variety of P crit responses was observed: the P crit increased (qing bo), decreased (Chinese bream and grass carp) or was conserved (big head carp, silver carp and common carp) with increasing acclimation temperatures (10 - 30 °C). Apparent thermal-induced gill remodeling was found in three (grass carp, big head carp and silver carp) of the six cyprinids studied, with common carp also exhibiting some degree of gill structure modification. RMR was positively correlated with P crit at temperatures ranging from 10 to 30 °C in qing bo and big head carp; however, such significant correlation was not found in the remaining cyprinids, possibly due to their gill remodeling potential during thermal changes and thus an increased lamellar surface area at higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA) and carbonic anhydrase (CA) are ion transporters that play important roles in osmotic pressure balance in crustaceans. Oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) is one of the most economically important shrimps in China. This species can live in freshwater and low-salt water, but the molecular mechanism of salinity regulation is unclear. In this study, full-length cDNAs of M. nipponense α-NKA and CA were obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR (GenBank accession numbers MH378774 and MH827971, respectively), and characterised. Full-length cDNAs of Mnα-NKA (3778 bp) and MnCA (1407 bp) contain open reading frames of 3030 bp and 930 bp, respectively, encoding polypeptides of 1009 and 930 amino acids. Bioinformatic analysis showed that Mnα-NKA and MnCA harbour the representative features of NKAs and CAs, and share high homology with orthologs in other crustaceans. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed that Mnα-NKA and MnCA were expressed in various tissues, with highest expression in posterior gills and hepatopancreas. Both Mnα-NKA and MnCA were up-regulated in response to salinity acclimation, but expression patterns differed. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism regulating salinity acclimation in M. nipponense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution in metropolitan soils poses significant risks to human health and the entire ecosystem. Effective mitigation strategies and technologies are crucial for addressing these environmental issues. Fast-growing trees are an essential part of phytoremediation projects all over the world and provide long-term ecological benefits to mankind. This study assessed the lead tolerance and phytoremediation potential of a fast-growing soapberry tree species (Sapindus mukorossi) in moderately contaminated soil. Two independent experiments were conducted to assess its tolerance at (i) germination level and (ii) prolonged growth stage. In the germination experiments, seeds were exposed to lead (II) nitrate Pb (NO₃)₂ at various concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 μM) for 120 days. Results showed significant differences in germination time, germination index, seedling vigor index, energy of germination, final germination, germination inhibition, seedling height and root/shoot weight compared to the control experiments. In the prolonged growth experiments, seedlings were grown for six months in soils amended/spiked with different Pb concentrations (T 0  = 0, T 1  = 20, T 2  = 50, T 3  = 100, T 4  = 150 and T 5  = 200 mg kg -1 soil) and their biomass was determined. The highest biomass achieved in six months (T 0 : 12.62 g plant -1 ), followed by (T 1 : 12.33 g plant -1 ), (T 2 : 12.42 g plant -1 ), (T 3 : 11.86 g plant -1 ), (T 4 : 10.86 g plant -1 ) and (T 5 : 10.06 g plant -1 ) respectively. S. mukorossi showed no visible signs of Pb toxicity over a six-month period. During six months of exposure, the total Pb content in S. mucrossi tissues were classified as roots > leaves > stems. The highest cumulative absorption of Pb occurred between the fourth and fifth months of exposure. Maximum transfer factor (TF) was detected during the fourth month ranging from 0.888 to 1.012 for the different Pb concentrations. Furthermore, the growth behavior, lead accumulation, bioconcentration factors (BCF) and tolerance index (TI) indicated that S. mucrossi may tolerate moderate Pb concentrations for longer periods. These findings suggest that S. mukorossi may be deployed for long-term phytoremediation coupled with urban forest applications in the future., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

GPS tracking has been increasingly used for wildlife studies in recent decades, but its performance has not been fully assessed, especially for newly developed lightweight transmitters. We assessed the performance of eight GPS transmitters developed in China by attaching them to Crested Ibises Nipponia nippon confined to two acclimation cages mimicking real habitats. We calculated the distance between GPS locations and the centroid of the cages as the positioning error, and used the 95% (95th percentile) positioning errors to define the accuracy. The positioning success averaged 92.0%, which is much higher than that of previous studies. Locations were not evenly distributed by Location Class (LC), with the LC A and B locations accounting for 88.7%. The observed 95% positioning error in the locations of LC A (9-39 m) and B (11-41 m) was quite accurate, while up to 6.9-8.8% of poor-quality locations were detected in LC C and D with >100mor even >1;000mpositioning error. Positioning success and accuracy were different between the test sites, probably due to the difference in vegetation structure. Thus, we argue that the tested transmitters could provide a large proportion of high-quality data for fine-scale studies, and a number of poor- quality locations that need attention. We suggest that the HPOD (horizontal dilution of precision) or PDOP (positional dilution of precision) be reported instead of the LC as a measurement of location accuracy for each location to ensure identification and filtering of implausible locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The responses of Chinese pear plantations to rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration ([CO 2 ]) and drought are crucial for accurately estimating pear production and forest carbon sink of China under future climate change. Here, we investigated the effect of CO 2 enrichment on plant growth and leaf photosynthesis of Chinese pear trees grown under full irrigation and different levels of drought. We identified that leaf photosynthetic capacity and stomatal conductance increased by high [CO 2 ] acclimation. However, such positive effects disappeared when drought occurred, especially under moderate and severe drought. This down-regulation of high [CO 2 ] acclimation responses in leaf photosynthesis by drought was mainly caused by the decline in stomatal diffusional efficiency, thinner mesophyll tissues and smaller mesophyll cells. The decrease of stomatal diffusional efficiency was further caused by the reduced stomatal density and decreased regularity of stomatal distribution pattern under drought. Moreover, the down-regulation of those positive acclimation responses was relevant with the declines of carboxylation and photochemical efficiency of Rubisco, which was confirmed by the down-regulated expression levels of Rubisco coding genes. Overall, our results demonstrated that drought dampened the positive acclimation responses of leaf photosynthesis to elevated [CO 2 ] by modifying stomatal morphology and distribution, leaf anatomy, and Rubisco gene expression. Therefore, under future climate change where CO 2 enrichment is coupled with higher frequency of drought events, drought limitations should be incorporated into the current coupled climate-carbon models to avoid overestimation of the positive responses of Chinese pear plantations to elevated [CO 2 ] and to accurately predict forest carbon sequestration. • Leaf photosynthesis of Chinese pear seedlings were increased by high [CO2] acclimation. • Drought dampened the positive acclimation responses of leaf photosynthesis to elevated [CO2]. • This dampening effects could be explained by changes in stomatal traits, leaf anatomy, and Rubisco gene expression. • Current model projections may overestimate the positive responses of plantation carbon sinks to enriched atmospheric [CO2]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal adaptation of migrants is a continuous dynamic process which involves the adaptation of migrants to new thermal environment with their natural heat acclimation in original residence; however, this process has rarely been systematically investigated. This study explored whether the thermal comfort of migrants was significantly different from that of the local people during a short-term migration. Furthermore, whether the evolution of migrants' acclimation was developmental or reversible was also discussed. The survey was conducted in summer and included an adaptive investigation in Qionghai for eight days and a de-adaptation research in Xi'an for four days. Seven migrants who grew up in the northern China without any experiences of the southern lifestyle were recruited in a tracking field survey. The natural adaptation of the indigenes in Qionghai was also investigated as the control group. Comparison of indoor physical parameters and thermal subjective evaluation between the migrants and indigenes aided in systematical investigation of the time dependent adaptive level and preferred environment. The results showed that although thermal responses of migrants were significantly different from those of natives in the first and second day of migration, which then followed a trend similar to that of natives. Migrants were more sensitive and adaptive to high humidity environment. This study indicates that consideration of the thermal adaptive trend is definitely required when an indoor thermal environment is attempted to be designed for migrants. The results can be the basis of indoor environment design for migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]