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• The LCPCP has significantly reduced the carbon intensity of pilot cities. • Secondary-industry-heavy locations reduced carbon more effectively. • The LCPCP achieved carbon emission reductions through technological innovation. • The mechanism of technological innovation was mainly concentrated in the eastern region. • Our findings assist policymakers create better climate governance and low-carbon economic development. The low-carbon pilot cities policy (LCPCP) aims to stimulate economic growth and ensure the attainment of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets to address climate change. China issued the LCPCP in 2010 and steadily expanded the size of its pilot zones. This study builds a quasi-natural experiment based on China's LCPCP and a difference-in-difference model employing urban carbon intensity data over a 10-year period beginning in 2007 to examine the implementation repercussions of the LCPCP. According to the findings, the LCPCP has significantly reduced the carbon intensity of pilot cities. Additionally, an analysis of heterogeneity suggests that the LCPCP is more prevalent in regions with higher concentrations of secondary industries. Moreover, the mechanism reveals that the decarbonization program reduces carbon intensity through technological innovation, particularly in eastern China. In conclusion, our findings provide strong support for the operation and promotion of China's LCPCP as well as guidance and support for China's goal of reducing carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty impedes children's executive function (EF). Therefore, it is necessary to mitigate the negative effect of poverty by developing efficient interventions to improve poor children's cognitive function. In three studies, we examined whether high‐level construals can improve EF among poor children in China. In Study 1, we observed a positive relationship between family socioeconomic status and children's EF, which was moderated by construal level (n = 206; Mage = 9.71; 45.6% girls). In Study 2a, we experimentally induced high‐ versus low‐level construals and found that poor children with high‐level construals exhibited better EF than those with low‐level construals (n = 65; Mage = 11.32; 47.7% girls). However, the same intervention did not affect the performance of affluent children in Study 2b (n = 63; Mage = 10.54; 54% girls). Moreover, we found that the interventional effects of high‐level construals improved the ability of children living in poverty to make healthy decisions and delayed gratification in Study 3 (n = 74; Mage = 11.10; 45.9% girls). These findings may have implications for using high‐level construals as an effective intervention to improve poor children's EF and cognitive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current literature on Christian mission universities in Modern China (1840–1949) pays specific attention to their efforts to adapt to the intellectual and political context of their time. Through extensive archival works, we contribute to this research orientation by documenting the academic activities of the first Catholic university in China, Université l'Aurore (1903–1952) in Shanghai. Established and managed by the French Jesuits, Université l'Aurore exemplified the mission's tradition of evangelization through science education. Its pedagogical arrangements, selection of teachers, and moral education showed high levels of professionalism and almost no religious influence. The Jesuits, who took as their motto, "to find God in all things", believed that their scientific excellence could indirectly promote the Catholic spirit among future Chinese intellectuals and elites. Thanks to their strategy of indirect evangelization, not only did Université l'Aurore survive in a period when the government imposed draconic restrictions on mission entities in the name of "educational sovereignty", it also contributed to the modernization of China's education and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adverse impact of a low family socioeconomic status (SES) on rural-to-urban migrant children's academic achievement has been widely demonstrated. However, knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying this relationship is limited. The current study aimed to examine the potential mediating effects of educational expectations and the moderating effects of subjective SES on the relationship between family SES and academic achievement among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. A sample of 321 rural-to-urban migrant adolescents (48.2% girls; mean age = 11.73 years, SD = 1.16 years) was recruited in China. The results indicated that migrant adolescents' educational expectations mediated the relationship between family SES and academic achievement. In addition, the link between family SES and educational expectations was weak among adolescents with higher levels of subjective SES. These findings suggest that subjective SES serves as a protective factor buffering the negative effects of a low family SES on migrant adolescents' academic achievement through educational expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The five major power generation corporations dominate the power industry in China, and play vital roles in China's carbon trading scheme. Under this circumstance, this paper studies the allocation of carbon emission quotas to China's five major power generation corporations based on the fairness and efficiency principles, which proves the primary prerequisite for setting up the national carbon market. Specifically, a bi-level programming model is developed to optimally allocate carbon emission quotas to the corporations, and then a zero sum gains data envelopment analysis (ZSG-DEA) model is adopted to evaluate the efficiency of the allocation so as to adjust towards the optimal solution. The results indicate that power generation has significantly positive influence on the allocation of carbon emission quotas. Moreover, the difference between the sum of optimal carbon emissions and the sum of carbon quotas allocated is 1.431 billion tons, which implies that the emission reduction potential of the five major power generation corporations is tremendous. Finally, the bi-level model in this paper can well capture the context of China's power industry and provide effective results for the allocation of carbon quotas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas sp. QTF5 was isolated from the continuous permafrost near the bitumen layers in the Qiangtang basin of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in China (5,111 m above sea level). It is psychrotolerant and highly and widely tolerant to heavy metals and has the ability to metabolize benzoic acid and salicylic acid. To gain insight into the genetic basis for its adaptation, we performed whole genome sequencing and analyzed the resistant genes and metabolic pathways. Based on 120 published and annotated genomes representing 31 species in the genus Pseudomonas, in silico genomic DNA-DNA hybridization (<54%) and average nucleotide identity calculation (<94%) revealed that QTF5 is closest to Pseudomonas lini and should be classified into a novel species. This study provides the genetic basis to identify the genes linked to its specific mechanisms for adaptation to extreme environment and application of this microorganism in environmental conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public health insurance for China’s children is analyzed using an equity analysis framework and compared to US public health insurance for low-income children. Four dimensions of comparisons are addressed: fairness of financial support, equal treatment for equal need, equality of access to services, and equality of health outcomes. Secondary data from China and US government statistics were used for the comparisons. Recommendations to strengthen China’s health insurance for children include lower out-of-pocket expenses, standardized data collection and management, qualified nurse practitioners providing rural health care, and explicit coverage requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To decompose or transform the toxic and refractory reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate and improve the biodegradability, 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air were developed to treat RO concentrate obtained from an amino acid production plant in northern China. First, their operating conditions were optimized thoroughly. Furthermore, 5 control experiments were setup to confirm the superiority of 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air and synergistic reaction between Fe/Cu/air and Fenton. The results suggest that the developed method could obtain high COD removal (65.1%) and BOD 5 /COD ratio (0.26) due to the synergistic reaction between Fe/Cu/air and Fenton. Under the optimal conditions, the influent and effluent of 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air and 5 control experiments were analyzed by using UV, FTIR, EEM and LC, which confirm the superiority of 1stFe/Cu/air-Fenton-2ndFe/Cu/air. Therefore, the developed method in this study is a promising process for treatment of RO concentrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew caused by Podosphaera xanthii is an important disease of melon, and race 2F is the predominant race in most areas of China. Resistance to P. xanthii race 2F in melon K7-1 was controlled by a dominant gene, designated Pm- 2F, in a 106-member population of recombinant inbred lines derived from K7-1× susceptible K7-2. Using bulked segregant analysis with molecular markers, we have identified two polymorphic simple sequence repeats (SSR) to determine that Pm- 2F is located on linkage group II. Comparative genomic analyses using mapped SSR markers and the cucumber genome sequence showed that the melon chromosomal region carrying Pm- 2F is homologous to a 288,223 bp genomic region on cucumber chromosome (chr) 1. The SSR markers on chr 1 of cucumber, SSR02734, SSR02733 and CS27 were found linked with Pm- 2F. Comparative mapping showed that two SSR markers (SSR02734 and CMBR8) flanked the Pm- 2F locus and two nucleotide binding site-leucine-rich repeat resistance genes were identified in the collinear region of cucumber. A cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) marker was developed from the sequence of resistance genes and it delimits the genomic region carrying Pm- 2F to 0.8 cM. The evaluation of 165 melon accessions and 13 race differential lines showed that the newly developed CAPS (CAPS- Dde I) marker can be used as a universal marker for effective marker assisted selection in melon powdery mildew resistance breeding. The putative resistance gene cluster provides a potential target site for further fine mapping and cloning of Pm- 2F. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three new flavonoid glycosides (1–3) and nineteen known compounds (4–22) were isolated from the aqueous ethanolic extract of the seed of Oroxylum indicum. The structures of 1–3 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Antioxidant activities of all the isolated compounds were evaluated using a DPPH and an ORAC assay. Compounds 3, 5–7, 9 and 12 exhibited potent antioxidant activity in the DPPH assay, while compounds 3–15 showed potent antioxidant capacity in the ORAC assay, and seven antioxidant flavonoids (4–6, 8, 9, 11, 12) were detected as the main ingredients in the methanolic extract of seed of O. indicum using an HPLC analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Three new water-soluble alkaloids (1–3) together with twelve known compounds (4–15) have been isolated from the water extract of leaves of Suregada glomerulata. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis and chemical method. Compounds 1–3 were evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase and HIV-1 replication. However, no significant activities were found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Multi-point monitoring based on FBG sensor arrays has been proposed and implemented. • Evolution process of clay layer weakening has been detected and demonstrated. • Survival rate of FBG is illustrated and suggestions to ensure which is also provided. A large area of thick unconsolidated stratum layer overlying the coal seam of eastern China, which brought the regional disaster prevention issue under the circumstance of unconsolidated layer settlement triggered by mining activities. In this paper, the multi-point monitoring system based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors array was implemented into the deep unconsolidated layer to realize a long-term ground monitoring, which investigated the compression process of ground rock layers at different burial depths and revealed the mechanical weakening characteristics of clay. The deformation characteristics of the aquifers were analyzed, including a sand layer, gravel layer, and clay water barrier, as well as the weakening characteristics of the clay layer aquifer. The monitoring results of the FBG sensing system show that unconsolidated layer settlement usually occurs in thick and stable aquifers and adjacent clay layers, and the peripheral part of the deep clay layer in contact with the aquifer will become a weakened zone. The clay layer at such locations should also be a key monitoring layer with increasing depth. The survival rate of FBG sensors were discussed to propose the suggestions of system installation. These findings could provide important guidance for predicting the unconsolidated layer settlement process and for the timely implementation of governance measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been present globally for more than three years, and cross-border transmission has played an important role in its spread. Currently, most predictions of COVID-19 spread are limited to a country (or a region), and models for cross-border transmission risk assessment remain lacking. Information on imported COVID-19 cases reported from March 2020 to June 2022 was collected from the National Health Commission of China, and COVID-19 epidemic data of the countries of origin of the imported cases were collected on data websites such as WHO and Our World in Data. It is proposed to establish a prediction model suitable for the prevention and control of overseas importation of COVID-19. Firstly, the SIR model was used to fit the epidemic infection status of the countries where the cases were exported, and most of the r2 values of the fitted curves obtained were above 0.75, which indicated that the SIR model could well fit different countries and the infection status of the region. After fitting the epidemic infection status data of overseas exporting countries, on this basis, a SIR-multiple linear regression overseas import risk prediction combination model was established, which can predict the risk of overseas case importation, and the established overseas import risk model overall P <0.05, the adjusted R2 = 0.7, indicating that the SIR-multivariate linear regression overseas import risk prediction combination model can obtain better prediction results. Our model effectively estimates the risk of imported cases of COVID-19 from abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household income predicts early adolescents' cognitive development. However, the mechanism underlying this association and protective factors are unclear. This study assessed one-year longitudinal data to examine whether perceived discrimination mediated the association between household income and executive function and the moderating role of shift-and-persist. 344 early adolescents in rural China were included in the study (mean = 10.88 years, SD = 1.32 years, girls: 51.74%). The latent variable model revealed that household income predicted early adolescents' cognitive flexibility and working memory in the subsequent year through perceived discrimination. Shift-and-persist moderated the negative effects of perceived discrimination on cognitive flexibility: perceived discrimination impeded cognitive flexibility only among early adolescents with low shift-and-persist. The findings highlight perceived discrimination in the relation between household income and early adolescents' executive function and underscore the protective role of shift-and-persist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the associations between dietary factors and breast cancer (BC) molecular subtypes. The retrospective cases were confirmed by pathological diagnosis with breast cancer were gathered in two major hospitals in Xuzhou city, China, from 2015 to 2016. These cases were classified by the meeting standard of 13th St Gallen: luminal A, luminal B, Her‐2 overexpression, and triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes. A 1:2 paired retrospective case–control study with 210 cases and 420 controls was conducted to evaluate individual dietary intake, by food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and estimate odds ratios (ORs), by the Cox regression model. For overall breast cancer patients, the more frequency of red meat (OR = 1.002, 95% CI = 1.001–1.004) and salted food (OR = 1.003, 95% CI = 1.001–1.005) were statistically significantly associated with a greater risk of breast cancer. Beans (OR = 0.997, 95% CI = 0.995–0.999), white meat (OR = 0.993, 95% CI = 0.989–0.997), aquatic products (OR = 0.990, 95% CI = 0.984–0.996), vegetables (OR = 0.999, 95% CI = 0.999–0.999), fruit (OR = 0.998, 95% CI = 0.997–0.999), and green tea (OR = 0.997, 95% CI = 0.994–0.999) were significantly associated with a lower risk of breast cancer. For luminal breast cancer patients, beans (OR = 0.997, 95% CI = 0.994–0.999), white meat (OR = 0.992, 95% CI = 0.987–0.997), green tea (OR = 0.995, 95% CI = 0.991–0.999), and milk (OR = 0.998, 95% CI = 0.996–0.999) were protective factors. While for nonluminal breast cancer, red meat was not included in the equation, and beans (OR = 0.989, 95% CI = 0.981–0.997), white meat (OR = 0.989, 95% CI = 0.981–0.998), vegetables (OR = 0.998, 95% CI = 0.997–0.999), and milk (OR = 0.994, 95% CI = 0.989–0.999) still showed a significantly reduced risk of nonluminal breast cancer. Different dietary factors revealed different effects on the etiology of breast cancer. Red meat may be a specific risk factor for luminal‐type breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tiantangshan tin‐polymetallic deposit, located in the Nanling Range of South China, is a medium‐sized polymetallic deposit found in the region in recent years. The deposit is hosted within volcanic rocks, and the orebodies occur in the cupola and outer contact zone of the concealed quartz porphyry, as well as the altered fracture zone of the volcanic rocks close to the intrusive contact. In light of field evidence and petrographic observations, the mineralization can be divided into four stages: greisenization stage (stage I), quartz–cassiterite–wolframite stage (stage II), quartz–fluorite–cassiterite–sulfides stage (stage III), and post‐ore stage (stage IV). Three types of fluid inclusions are present in the hydrothermal topaz, quartz, and fluorite, including H2O‐rich (W‐type, WL‐ and WV‐ subtypes), CO2‐bearing (C‐type), and solid‐bearing (S‐type). Four stages of fluid evolution are observed by detailed fluid inclusion studies: (a) Stage I fluids are trapped under two‐phase immiscible condition, as evidenced by the coexistence of primary aqueous (W‐type) and aqueous‐carbonic (C‐type) fluid inclusions preserved in topaz and quartz; the fluid inclusions display homogenization temperatures of 378–448°C and salinities of 6.0–17.5 wt.% NaCl equiv. (b) Similarly, fluid inclusions in stage II quartz also record immiscible condition, as identified by the coexistence of W‐type and C‐type fluid inclusions with lower homogenization temperatures (308–400°C) and salinities (1.8–14.5 wt.% NaCl equiv.). (c) Stage III fluids are characterized by the coexistence of widespread WL‐subtype, minor S‐type, and rare WV‐subtype fluid inclusions, with similar homogenization temperatures (230–369°C) but contrasting salinities (0.5–39.5 wt.% NaCl equiv.), which indicates an episode of fluid boiling occurred in this stage. (d) Stage IV marks the end of the hydrothermal system characterized by the lower temperatures (175–298°C) and salinities (0.2–3.9 wt.% NaCl equiv.) W‐type fluid inclusions trapped. Microthermometry and H–O isotopes indicate that the early ore‐forming fluids (in stage I) exsolved from the granitic magma and underwent progressive mixing with meteoric water during subsequent ore‐forming process (in stages III and IV). The water–CO2 fluid immiscibility is the main mechanism of cassiterite and wolframite precipitation, while fluid boiling and mixing are probably thought to be the dominant mechanisms for the deposition of sulfide at Tiantangshan. 40Ar/39Ar dating of hydrothermal biotite intergrown with cassiterite shows that tin‐polymetallic mineralization occurred at ~133 Ma which is coeval with the hidden intrusions. Taken together, these lines of evidence confirm that the Tiantangshan deposit is a magmatic hydrothermal greisen–quartz–vein type tin‐polymetallic deposit that formed in the lithospheric extension and thinning setting associated with the postsubduction Paleo‐Pacific Plate tectonic regime that influenced South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As a potentially life‐threatening condition, myasthenia gravis (MG) has limited epidemiological studies on mortality. We aim to provide demographic distribution, geographical variation, and temporal trend of MG‐related mortality in China. Methods: The national population‐based analysis was conducted based on records derived from the National Mortality Surveillance System of China. All deaths related to MG were identified from 2013 to 2020, and MG‐related mortality was evaluated by sex, age, location, and year. Results: A total of 4224 deaths were related to MG during 2013–2020, and the median age at death of MG was 59.45 years, significantly lower than that in the general population (75.47 years, P < 0.05). In 2020, the age‐standardized mortality rate of MG was 1.86 per million people and markedly higher in males than in females (2.37 vs. 1.31 per million). The mortality rate per million was lower than 1 in young children, peaking at 2.83 only in males (vs. 0.36 in females) aged 10–19 years, and substantially increased with age, reaching the highest rate of 13.31 for males and 10.58 for females aged 80 years and older. Geographical disparity across China was observed with the highest age‐standardized mortality rate in Southwest (2.53 per million). From 2013 to 2020, MG‐related mortality rate showed an increasing trend with the average annual percentage change of 3.5% (95% CI, 1.4–5.6). The notable increases occurred in age 10–19 years and over 70 years. Interpretation: In China, MG‐related mortality was notably high among adolescent males and the elderly. The increasing death burden due to MG highlight challenges to disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the transformation of accumulated phosphorus (P) is vital for P management. However, previous studies are limited to a few sites in Chinese agroecosystems. In this study, to investigate the temporal-spatial differences of transformation from accumulated P to available P (determined by the Olsen method), a dataset was assembled based on 91 national long-term experimental sites across China in the recent 31 years (1988–2018). A boosted regression tree (BRT) and a structural equation model (SEM) were used to analyze the factors influencing the transformation. The results showed that the transformation from accumulated P to available P in South China (1.97 mg kg−1) was significantly higher than that in other regions (0.69–1.22 mg kg−1). Soil properties were the main driving factors with a relative contribution of 81.8%, while climate and management practices explained 7.8% and 10.4% of the variations, respectively. Furthermore, SEM analysis revealed that the soil organic matter (SOM) could positively and directly affect the transformation, whereas the soil pH, soil silt content, and P fertilizer had negative and direct effects on it. For the first time, this study analyzed the transformation from soil accumulated P to available P at a national scale and at multiple sites and quantified the contribution of the main influencing factors. These results help to predict the soil available P content across different agroecosystems based on the input amount of P fertilizer, contributing to the regional precise management of P fertilizer application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, hydrofracture technology is mainly used for shale gas exploration and exploitation, and the effect of volume fracturing is tightly linked to the mechanical properties (including anisotropy and brittleness) of shale. Meanwhile, Sichuan Basin is also an important area for unconventional natural gas exploration and development in China. This work analyzed mineral composition and microstructure of outcrop shale matrix in Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation through XRD test, slice observation, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). How anisotropy affects shale deformation, strength and failure characteristics at different bedding angles (0°, 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90°) under diverse confining pressures (0 MPa, 25 MPa, 50 MPa, 75 MPa, and 100 MPa) in conventional uniaxial/triaxial experiments were discussed. The acoustic emission (AE) evolution was introduced to reveal the cracks closure and propagation of Longmaxi Formation shale and qualitatively characterized the brittleness of the shale. What's more, based on the existing brittleness index, this study proposed an indicator BInew that considers the shape of the stress–strain curve before and after the peak stress to evaluate the brittleness of the Longmaxi Formation shale. The index BInew can better describe the changes of brittleness with confining pressure and bedding angle. Finally, this work elaborately explained the relationship between AE characteristics, brittleness, and failure modes of shale. AE characteristics can not only qualitatively characterize shale brittleness but also show the failure process and modes of shale samples. Change of failure modes rests with the difference in brittleness and also reflects the level of brittleness. The change of brittleness with failure modes can be expressed as shear along bedding plane (Sh-Al) > splitting through bedding plane (Sp-Th) > conjugate shear failure (Co-Sh) > shear along bedding plane (Sh-Al) > shear through bedding plane (Sh-Th). Highlights: Uniaxial/triaxial compression and acoustic emission (AE) monitoring of Longmaxi formation shale were carried out. Influence of anisotropy of shale on mechanical properties under different confining pressures was analyzed. Different brittleness indexes were used to evaluate the brittleness of shale, and a new brittleness index was established. Relationship between AE characteristics, brittleness, and failure modes of shale was discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sauropterygia is the largest, most successful group of Mesozoic marine diapsids, spanning from the late Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous. Plesiomorphic for sauropterygians, pachypleurosauroids are important for our understanding on the early evolution of this group. Here, we present a new pachypleurosaurid, Luopingosaurus imparilis gen. et sp. nov., based on an exceptionally preserved skeleton from the early Middle Triassic Luoping Lagerstätte in Yunnan, China. The discovery documents the first long-snouted pachypleurosaurid with an unexpected hyperphalangy in the manus, providing new insights into the morphological diversification, ecological adaption and biogeographic evolution of this clade. The discovery further indicates that there is a morphological divergence between short-snouted (brevirostrine) keichousaurids and relatively long-snouted (longirostrine) pachypleurosaurids, which was probably driven by ecological specializations related to feeding and foraging. Additionally, an evolutionary trend towards the reduction of the ratio of the hyoid length to mandibular length (HM ratio) is recognized in pachypleurosauroids. This reduction of HM ratio, associated with the increase of the snout length, might implicate a gradual recession of suction feeding in pachypleurosauroid evolution. Phylogenetic studies incorporating Luopingosaurus recover European pachypleurosaurids as successive sister groups to Chinese derived pachypleurosaurids, supporting a western Tethyan origin for this family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is a typical arboreal group-living Old World primate. While limb preference has been extensively studied in this species, limb preference consistency has not yet been explored. Here, based on 26 R. roxellana adults, we investigated whether individuals exhibit consistent motor biases in manual- (e.g., unimanual feeding and social grooming) and foot-related (e.g., bipedal locomotion) tasks and whether limb preference consistency is influenced by increased social interactions during social grooming. Results showed no consistency in the direction or strength of limb preference among tasks, except for lateral strength in handedness for unimanual feeding and footedness in the initiation of locomotion. Population-level foot preference was only found among right-handers. Marked lateral bias was found in unimanual feeding, indicating that it may be a sensitive behavioural measure for assessing manual preference, especially for provisioned populations. This study not only improves our understanding of the relationship between hand and foot preference in R. roxellana but also reveals potential differential hemispheric regulation of limb preference and the influence of increased social interaction on handedness consistency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is an important region for both ecological and economic growth in China, and a healthy and stable ecological environment is fundamental to achieving high-quality development. Investigating the spatio-temporal changs of vegetation carbon sinks in the YRB is necessary to improve understanding of the regional carbon cycle. This study analyzed the YRB using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The basin was divided into sections based on ecological function regionalization schemes. We applied Theil-Sen median trend analysis and Spearman correlation analysis, along with the lasso regression model, to examine the NPP's temporal and spatial patterns and its driving factors in these regions. The objective was to examine the NPP' s temporal and spatial patterns and its driving factors in these regions, identifying commonalities within regions and differences between regions, while analyzing in a targeted manner the lack of vegetation carbon sequestration in ecological areas. This study highlighted the importance of ecological engineering in ecological civilization and carbon neutrality, providing scientific theoretical support and a decision-making basis for the realization of carbon neutrality. The research results indicate significant upward trends (p <0.001) in both the average annual NPP (AANPP) growth rate (57.98%) and the total annual NPP (TANPP) growth rate (41.9%) in the YRB from 2001 to 2020. The multi-year average NPP (MYANPP) exhibit a spatial distribution with high values in the south and low values in the north. The spatial distribution of NPP exhibits notable spatial aggregation and heterogeneity, where regions demonstrating improvement trends constitute 93.01% of the area, and approximately 79.73% of this region displays low volatility. A high-value area is concentrated in the Agroecological Zone of the Fenwei Basin (I-11), the Loess Plateau Agriculture and Grassland Ecological Zone (I-12), and the Qinba Mountains Deciduous and Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest Ecological Zone (I-15), with significant spatial differences. Temperature, precipitation, and forests are the foremost elements affecting NPP in the YRB, exhibiting positive correlations. Conversely, farmland displays negative correlations. Overall, NPP shows an increasing trend in all ecological function areas, and the NPP of the YRB shows a trend of improvement as a whole, as the ecological environment of the YRB has improved significantly. • Significant differences in NPP were observed among ecological functional zones. • The vegetation condition of the Yellow River Basin has been improved continuously. • Population, temperature, precipitation, forest were the main driving factor of NPP. • The average annual NPP and the total annual NPP increased significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model for Olsen-P (extracted by 0.5 mol L −1 NaHCO 3 at pH 8.5) accumulation in soils, established using several experimental field sites, has not been validated by a large scale dataset. In the present study, a long-term (maximally 24 years), large-scale, regional soil monitoring dataset consisting of 58 sites from four provinces (Hebei, Henan, Shandong and Shanxi) of the main wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)–maize ( Zea mays L.) rotation production areas in China was used to validate the developed model for Olsen-P accumulation in soils for both inorganic and organic P fertilization. The results showed that with fertilizer P application rates of 56.3–103 kg P ha −1 , total wheat–maize yields between 12.3 and 13.1 t ha −1 were obtained with net gains of 21.7–77.9 kg P ha −1 yr −1 in the soils in these areas. The accumulation of Olsen-P in the P-fertilized soils above the initial soil Olsen-P contents could be predicted by fertilizer P application rates (including organic and inorganic P sources), crop yields and soil pH. According to the model, the mean accumulation rate of Olsen-P in the main wheat–maize rotation areas of China was 1.29 mg kg −1 yr −1 , which was close to the measured mean value of 1.14 mg kg −1 y −1 . The soil Olsen-P accumulation model could provide a valuable predictive tool, decreasing the frequency of Olsen-P monitoring in soils and improving soil phosphorus management for both agricultural production and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To study the influence of hyperbilirubinemia on indexes of neonatal kidney function. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted September 2019 to March 2020 in Neonatology Department of Xuzhou Central Hospital. Neonates with gestational age ≥ 35 weeks and aged ≤ 7 days were included and divided into mild, moderate, and severe groups according to total serum bilirubin level. Epidemiologic and demographic data and daily urine output were recorded. Total serum bilirubin, serum creatinine, serum cystatin C, serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), urine NGAL, and kidney injury molecule-1 were tested before and 12~18 h after phototherapy. Parameters of kidney function were compared between groups. Results: Fifty-three, 52, and 49 neonates were included in the mild, moderate, and severe groups, respectively. Urine NGAL was higher in severe (1.36 ± 0.24 μg/L) compared to moderate (1.22 ± 0.19 μg/L) and mild groups (1.16 ± 0.19 μg/L), and differences were statistically significant (P = 0.004 and < 0.001, respectively). Urine NGAL was not significantly different between moderate and mild groups (P > 0.05). No significant differences in other kidney function indexes were observed between the three groups (all P > 0.05). Significant reduction in urine NGAL levels 12~18 h after stopping phototherapy was found in severe group ((1.17 ± 0.28) μg/L vs. (1.35 ± 0.23) μg/L, P < 0.001). Urine NGAL positively correlated with total serum bilirubin (r = 0.575, P < 0.001). Among all cases, neither serum creatinine nor daily urine output met neonatal acute kidney injury diagnostic criteria. Conclusion: Severe hyperbilirubinemia may temporarily impair renal tubular reabsorption functions in full-term and near-term neonates, which is likely reversible. However, it has little effect on glomerular filtration function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlations between a low family socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescents' poor academic outcomes have been widely documented. However, the mechanisms through which family SES is associated with adolescents' academic achievement are not well understood. Therefore, this study examined the mediating roles of different types of parental involvement (i.e., parental school-based involvement, academic socialization, and home-based involvement) and the moderating role of adolescents' subjective social mobility in the relationships between family SES and academic achievement by using multisource data. The valid sample consisted of 842 adolescents ( X ¯ age = 12.28 years, 40.97% girls) who were recruited from five township public schools in China. The results indicated that all three types of parental involvement partially mediated the relationships between family SES and adolescents' Chinese and math achievement; parental school-based involvement had the strongest mediating effects, followed by academic socialization, and home-based involvement had the lowest mediating effects. Moreover, the path from parental home-based involvement to Chinese achievement in the mediation model was moderated by the adolescents' subjective social mobility. In conclusion, parental involvement is an important mediating mechanism through which a low family SES impedes adolescents' academic achievement, and adolescents' subjective social mobility can play a buffering role in the relationship between parental home-based involvement and Chinese achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomy of woody bamboo presents many difficulties due to its long blooming interval and complex morphological variation. Whether the current taxonomy reflects genuine species divergence within woody bamboo is an intriguing question. The Fargesia spathacea Franch. complex comprises 15 closely related species with a sympatric distribution in China. Their classification has long been controversial because only a handful of vegetative traits are available, providing a good opportunity to explore the evolutionary relationships and genetic differentiation in woody bamboo. Here, we present a study involving 750 individuals from 39 representative populations in the F. spathacea complex using 14 simple sequence repeat markers. We found varying degrees of genetic diversity across populations of the F. spathacea complex (He = 0.07–0.81) and largely negative F‐values at the population level, implying an excess of heterozygotes in the populations. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all populations were divided into two major groups (clusters A and B), with the majority of the 15 species representing distinct genetic lineages. Based on population genetic analysis along with morphological evidence, we confirmed the identity of three species (F. decurvata J. L. Lu, F. spathacea, and F. murielae Gamble) and suggested the invalidation of four other species (F. scabrida T. P. Yi, F. robusta T. P. Yi, F. denudata T. P. Yi F. murielae (Gamble) T. P. Yi, and F. nitida (Mitford) Keng f. ex T. P. Yi). The delimitation of the remaining eight species has yet to be explored. The analysis of ecological factors and spatial autocorrelation suggested that altitudinal differences might account for the distinct genetic divergence between the two major groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the driving forces of urban flood variations is important for better formulating future management strategies. This study explores the changes in urban drainage indicators (i.e., catchment area, imperviousness, pipe length and capacity) in historical urbanization and their impacts on urban flood from multiple spatio-temporal scales. By employing a GIS-based processing module, a SWMM-based flood modelling and a statistical analysis, we identify the indicators with significant changes and explore the causal relationships between the indicators and flood volumes in a case study in Northern China. Results showed a clear distinction in drainage indicators at different spatial scales. Flood volume is more sensitive to urban development and drainage performance in urban center. Our regression models explained over 85% of the historical flood variations for all spatial scales at the 90% confidence level. The study contributes to a better discussion of urban flood vs. urbanization patterns and drainage characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on social capital and stakeholder theories, this study examined the impact mechanism of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on technological innovation performance from the mediating effect of corporate social capital (CSC) and the moderating effect of market competition intensity. Moreover, with the development of environmentalism, the sustainable impact of environmental responsibility in the process of technological innovation is examined. First, Poisson panel regression is used to investigate the non-linear impact of CSR on technological innovation performance based on the data of 277 manufacturing companies in China from 2013 to 2018. Our results show that CSR has an inverted U-shaped impact on technological innovation performance and effectively promote technological innovation performance at a certain critical threshold. However, it will negatively influence technological innovation performance when the critical threshold is exceeded. Second, based on social capital theory, CSC is regarded as a mediator variable in the impact of CSR on technological innovation performance. Enterprises can accumulate CSC by implementing CSR, which then promotes technological innovation performance. Third, market competition intensity negatively regulates the effect of CSR on technological innovation performance. The impact of CSR in promoting technological innovation is further weakened when market competition intensity is high. Finally, given that the sustainable development of environment and technological innovation, the research demonstrated that the impact of environmental CSR on technological innovation is consistent with the impact of CSR. • The impact of CSR on technological innovation performance has an inverted U-shaped relationship. • CSC plays the mediating effect between CSR and technological innovation performance. • Intensive market competition could hinder technological innovation performance. • Emphasize the importance of environmental CSR in technological innovation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fasciola hepatica is an important zoonotic parasite that causes fasciolosis in a broad range of animals. No information is available about the prevalence of F. hepatica in Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), an endangered species in the world. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of fasciolosis in Père David's deer in the Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve, Jiangsu province, China. Results: In this study, 142 fecal samples from Père David's deer were analyzed for F. hepatica by microscopy and nest-PCR. Only one sample was positive for F. hepatica according to microscopy examination, while 18 of 142 (12.68, 95%CI: 2.841–22.45%) samples were positive for F. hepatica according to nest-PCR results. Conclusions: This is the first report of prevalence of F. hepatica in Père David's deer. The prevalence data indicated that F. hepatica was also present in this endangered animal, which may cause a potential threat to this precious species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low family socio‐economic status (SES) is usually associated with children's poor academic achievement, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are less understood. Aims: The present study examined the mediating role of parental academic involvement and the moderating role of parental subjective social mobility in this relationship with cross‐sectional data. Sample and methods: A total of 815 fourth‐ to sixth‐grade children were recruited from five elementary schools in China. Family SES (measured by parents' education, parents' occupation and family income) and parental subjective social mobility were obtained directly from parents, parental academic involvement was reported by children, and information on children's academic achievement was collected from their teachers. Results: The results showed that (1) both family SES and parental academic involvement were positively correlated with children's Chinese and math achievement, (2) parental academic involvement mediated the relationships between family SES and children's Chinese and math achievement, and (3) parental subjective social mobility moderated the path from family SES to parental academic involvement. The models of children's Chinese and math achievement showed that the association between family SES and parental academic involvement was weak among children's parents who reported high levels of subjective social mobility. Conclusions: These findings suggest that there is a pathway from family SES to children's academic achievement through parental academic involvement and that this pathway is dependent on the level of parental subjective social mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human gut microbiota is affected by genetic and environmental factors. It remains unclear how host genetic and environmental factors affect the composition and function of gut microbiota in populations living at high altitudes. We used a metagenome-wide analysis to investigate the gut microbiota composition in 15 native Tibetans and 12 Hans living on the Tibetan Plateau. The composition of gut microbiota differed significantly between these two groups (P < 0.05). The Planctomycetes was the most abundant phyla both in native Tibetans and in Hans. Furthermore, the most relatively abundant phyla for native Tibetans were Bacteroidetes (15.66%), Firmicutes (11.10%), Proteobacteria (1.32%), Actinobacteria (1.10%), and Tenericutes (0.35%), while the most relatively abundant phyla for Hans were Bacteroidetes (16.28%), Firmicutes (8.41%), Proteobacteria (2.93%), Actinobacteria (0.49%), and Cyanobacteria (0.21%). The abundance of the majority of genera was significantly higher in Tibetans than in Hans (P < 0.01). The number of microbial genes was 4.9 times higher in Tibetans than in Hans. The metabolic pathways and clusters of orthologous groups differed significantly between the two populations (P < 0.05). The abundance of carbohydrate-active enzyme modules and antibiotic resistance genes was significantly lower in Tibetans compared to Hans (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that different genetic factors (race) and environmental factors (diets and consumption of antibiotics) may play important roles in shaping the composition and function of gut microbiota in populations living at high altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the reform and opening-up, China's CO2 emissions have increased dramatically, and it has become the world's largest CO2 emission and primary energy consumption country. The manufacturing industry is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emission, and determining the drivers of CO2 emissions are essential for effective environmental policy. China is also a vast transition economy with great regional differences. Therefore, based on the data of China's provincial panel from 2000 to 2013 and the improved STIRPAT model, this paper studies the impact of economic growth, foreign direct investment (FDI) and energy intensity on China's manufacturing carbon emissions through the fixed-effect panel quantile regression model. The results show that the effects of economic growth, FDI and energy intensity on carbon emissions of the manufacturing industry are different in different levels and regions, and they have apparent heterogeneity. In particular, economic growth plays a decisive role in the CO2 emissions of the manufacturing industry. Economic growth has a positive impact on the carbon emissions of the manufacturing industry; specifically, a higher impact on high carbon emission provinces. Besides, FDI has a significant positive effect on the upper emission provinces of the manufacturing industry, which proves that there is a pollution paradise hypothesis in China's manufacturing industry, but no halo effect hypothesis. The reduction of energy intensity does not have a positive effect on the reduction of carbon emissions. The higher impact of the energy intensity of upper emission provinces on carbon emissions from their manufacturing industry, shows that there is an energy rebound effect in China's manufacturing industry. Finally, our study confirms that China's manufacturing industry has considerable space for emission reduction. The results also provide policy recommendations for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hosted by volcaniclastics of the Carboniferous Dahalajunshan Formation, the Songhu iron deposit is located in the central segment of the Awulale metallogenic belt, Chinese Western Tianshan. Mineralization and alteration are structurally controlled by orogen-parallel NWW-striking faults. Integrating with mineralogical and stable isotopic analyses based on paragenetic relationships, two types of iron mineralization have been identified. The deuteric mineralization (Type I) represented by brecciated, banded, and disseminated-vein ores juxtaposed with potassic-calcic alteration in the inner zone, which was formed from a magmatic fluid generated during the late stages of regional volcanism. In contrast, the volcanic-hydrothermal mineralization (Type II) is characterized by hydrothermal features occurring in massive and agglomerated ores with abundant sulfides, and was generated from the magmatic fluid with seawater contamination. Two volcaniclastic samples from the hanging and footwall of the main orebody yield zircon U-Pb ages of 327.8 ± 3.1 and 332.0 ± 2.0 Ma, respectively, which indicate Middle Carboniferous volcanism. Timing for iron mineralization can be broadly placed in the same epoch. By reviewing geological, mineralogical, and geochemical features of the primary iron deposits in the Awulale metallogenic belt, we propose that the two types of iron mineralization in the Songhu iron deposit are representative regionally. A summary of available geochronological data reveals Middle-Late Carboniferous polycyclic ore-related volcanism, and nearly contemporaneous iron mineralization along the belt. Furthermore, petro-geochemistry of volcanic-volcaniclastic host rocks indicates that partial melting of a metasomatized mantle wedge under a continental arc setting could have triggered the continuous volcanic activities and associated metallogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To survey the epidemiological characteristics and clinical features on epilepsy in eight ethnic groups in Yunnan province of China. Methodes The investigation was based on the WHO questionnaire and ICBERG screening questionnaire. This study was performed through random cluster sampling and door-to-door survey. Results A total of 76,302 individuals from eight ethnic groups were surveyed. The crude prevalence of epilepsy ranged from 1.2/1000 to 6.5/1000 in the eight ethnic groups, and the age-adjusted prevalence of epilepsy was from 2.1/1000 to 7.3/1000. The prevalence of active epilepsy varied from 1.0/1000 to 5.2/1000 in the eight ethnic groups, and the age-adjusted prevalence of active epilepsy was from 1.8/1000 to 6.7/1000. The age peak for seizures was below twenty, the patients of 61.1%-95.0% suffered from generalized seizures and 5%-21.2% had partial seizures. More than 60% of the cases in five ethnic groups, and the frequency of seizures were more than 10 events per year. More than 50% in other three ethnic groups, and the seizures had occurred less than 10 events per year. The treatment gap for active epilepsy ranged from 43.7% to 100.0% among the eight ethnic groups, while the natural remission rate varied from 5.6% to 21.0%. Conclusion There were both disparity and similarity in the epidemiological and clinical features of epilepsy in different ethnic group communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions among soil bacteria occur widely and play important roles in the maintenance of soil functions. Long-term fertilization management practices have distinct effects on soil fertility and the soil microbial activity and community, which are closely associated with soil microbial interactions. Red soil is typically low-productivity soil in South China. Chemical nitrogen fertilization caused serious soil acidification and low-productivity (defined as the acidified soil group, Ac), whereas the application of lime to the acidified soil increased the soil pH (defined as the quicklime improvement soil group, Qlime). Long-term manure or fallow treatment maintained the soil pH and increased the soil fertility (defined as the high-productivity potential soil group, HPP). A molecular ecological network analysis method was used to analyze 454 pyrosequencing data of bacterial communities from the HPP, Ac and Qlime soils. Several major differences were observed among the three constructed networks. First, the HPP network contained the largest ratio of positive to negative correlations, whereas the Ac network contained the smallest. Second, the HPP and Ac networks shared only 8.67% of their operational taxonomic units (OTUs), whereas Ac and Qlime shared 27.04%. Third, the HPP network contained the most “module hubs” (A set of OTUs that have strong interactions or common functions are grouped as a “module” in network analysis. These OTUs are called “nodes”. And the nodes with high connectivity to many other nodes within the same module are “module hubs”.), whereas Ac contained the fewest. These results demonstrated that the bacterial community of HPP was a better organized or a better operated community than Ac and that quicklime application helped to order the bacterial community. By comparing the topological roles of nodes in different networks, we proposed that there should be more module hubs in the networks of higher-productivity soils and hypothesized that these OTUs could be indicators of high-productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emergence of multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (M/XDR-TB) is a major hurdle for TB control programs especially in developing countries like China. Resistance to fluoroquinolones is high among MDR-TB patients. Early diagnosis of MDR/pre-XDR-TB is essential for lowering transmission of drug-resistant TB and adjusting the treatment regimen.Methods: Smear-positive sputum specimens (n = 186) were collected from Wuhan Institute for Tuberculosis Control. The DNA was extracted from the specimens and run through a Sanger sequencing assay to detect mutations associated with MDR/pre-XDR-TB including the rpoB core region for rifampicin (RIF) resistance; katG and inhA promoter for isoniazid (INH) resistance; and gyrA for fluoroquinolone (FQ) resistance. Sequencing data were compared to phenotypic Lowenstein-Jensen (L-J) proportion method drug susceptibility testing (DST) results for performance analysis.Results: By comparing the mutation data with phenotypic results, the detection rates of MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB were 84.31% (43/51) and 83.33% (20/24), respectively. The sequencing assay illustrated good sensitivity for the detection of resistance to RIF (96.92%), INH (86.89%), FQ (77.50%). The specificities of the assay were 98.35% for RIF, 99.20% for INH, and 97.26% for FQ.Conclusions: The sequencing assay is an efficient, accurate method for detection of MDR-TB and pre-XDR-TB from clinical smear-positive sputum specimens, should be considered as a supplemental method for obtaining early DST results before the availability of phenotypic DST results. This could be of benefit to early diagnosis, adjusting the treatment regimen and controlling transmission of drug-resistant TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An UPLC–MS/MS method based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) was developed for simultaneous determination of 15 β-lactams in pork muscle. Muscle tissue was blended with Oasis HLB adsorbent. A column made from the sorbent/muscle tissue matrix was washed with hexane, after which β-lactams was eluted with acetonitrile/water (50:50, v/v ) both containing 0.1% formic acid. The final extract was evaporated, and reconstituted into acetonitrile/water (10:90, v/v ) for the analysis of UPLC-MS/MS. The correlation coefficient ( r 2 ) with each matrix-matched calibration curve is higher than 0.99. Limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) of β-lactams were ranged from 0.02 to 0.63 μg kg −1 and 0.07–0.97 μg kg −1 , respectively. At the fortified levels, mean recoveries of all compounds were ranged from 92 to 111%, and the RSDs were lower than 12%. The method was accurate and reproducible, being successfully applied to the monitoring of 15 β-lactams in pork muscles obtained from the Chinese market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Petal spurs in Aquilegia kansuensis, A. rockii, A. semicalcarata and A. ecalcarata have different lengths and nectary structures. • Early petal development is similar, and petals undergo delayed development, resulting in different mature petals via developmental remodeling. • There is no obvious one-to-one correspondence between spur length and pollinators in the four species of Aquilegia , and abiotic factors may be an important explanation for spur lengths in our study. The diversification of spur length in Aquilegia is often thought to be driven by pollinators. In this study, the morphology and pollination biology of four sympatric Aquilegia species distributed in China with different petal spur lengths were investigated through scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, and field observations and measurements. The morphology and spur lengths of the four Aquilegia species differed: Aquilegia kansuensis has long incurved spurs (14.82 ± 0.18 mm), A. rockii has long straight spurs (16.34 ± 0.18 mm), A. semicalcarata has short slender spurs (5.16 ± 0.17 mm), and A. ecalcarata is effectively spurless (1.20 ± 0.03 mm). Early petal development was similar among the species; petals undergo initiation and delayed development, resulting in mature petals with different spur lengths and morphologies via developmental remodeling. The long spurs of A. kansuensis and A. rockii were derived from an increased cell number and anisotropic cell expansion, with well-developed secretory tissue forming at the spur bottom. No secretory tissue formed in the spurs of A. semicalcarata and A. ecalcarata , even though their cell number increased. Although their spur morphology and nectary structure show considerable differences, the pollination systems of the four species are similar. Rhingia campestris is the dominant pollinator of A. kansuensis, A. semicalcarata , and A. ecalcarata , whereas Pipiza familiaris is the dominant pollinator of A. rockii. Both R. campestris and P. familiaris forage for pollen when visiting flowers. Given that the four species studied differ in spur length but are all pollinated by short proboscid pollinators, there is no obvious one-to-one correspondence between spur length and pollinator mouthpart length in A. rockii, A. kansuensis, A. semicalcarata and A. ecalcarata , which is similar to the pattern in the European Aquilegia alpina , and abiotic factors may be an important explanation for spur lengths in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, numerous studies have evaluated the effect of plant function diversity on ecosystem functions such as productivity and soil nutrient status. We performed a redundancy analysis (RDA) to examine the relationship between plant functional diversity, productivity and soil nitrogen in a chronosequence of abandoned fields in sub-alpine meadow in the eastern part of the Tibet Plateau, China. We found that along the secondary succession sequence, legume richness and aboveground biomass significantly increased and both were positively correlated with total species richness (S) and aboveground biomass (T-bio). This pattern suggests that legume richness increases community productivity. In addition, we found that total aboveground biomass, legume and grass richness were positively correlated with soil microbial nitrogen (MBN), the ratio of microbial nitrogen to soil total nitrogen (MBN/TN) and the ratio of soil organic carbon and soil total nitrogen (C/N), whereas they were negatively correlated with soil total nitrogen (TN), organic carbon (Corg), and microbial carbon (MBC). Contrary to our predictions grasses such as Stipa grandis, Scirpus tripueter, Koeleria cristata were more closely associated with MBN, MBN/TN than legumes such as Oxytropis ochrocephala, Thermopsis lanceolate and Astragalus polycladus. The late-successional grass Kobresio humilis had a stronger positive correlation with NH4-N as compared to the legumes and NO3-N was not associated with any legume species. This suggests that the grasses and legumes have a synergetic positive influence on the ecosystem properties, especially nitrogen. Therefore, in this N-limited, plant community diversity of both legumes and grasses has a strong influence on ecosystem changes during succession. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With most large carnivore populations and habitats suffering massive declines across the world, efforts to restore their populations in the wild are of high conservation priority. China attaches great importance to protecting Amur tigers and has made considerable progress towards this goal, but most efforts have been focused on the single Laoyeling landscape. Here we assess all four major forested landscapes (including Laoyeling, Zhangguangcailing, Wandashan and Lesser Khinghan Mountains) that may be suitable for tigers in northeast China. Between 2013 and 2018, in total 55 wild Amur tigers were recorded through camera trap surveys and 30 individuals were identified through genetic analyses. The finite rate of increase of the population in the Laoyeling landscape, the only landscape with a breeding population, fluctuated greatly, but averaged 1.51. Total habitat used by Amur tigers during this period amounted to 47,813 km2. We estimated that based on density and home range sizes in nearby Russia, these landscapes could support 310 tigers, including 119 resident breeding females. However, prey density, especially of preferred prey, was extremely low, and likely a primary constraint to population recovery in landscapes other than Laoyeling, especially the Wandashan and Lesser Khingan Mountains landscapes. To achieve the goal of a large meta-population of Amur tigers across northeast Asia, in addition to prey restoration, we recommend extensive landuse planning, reducing anthropogenic impacts, improving ecology connectivity, and extensive international cooperation, as well as a feasibility assessment for introducing orphaned cubs as a means of speeding recovery in landscapes without breeding females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is an emblematic endangered species and regarded as a national treasure, toxoplasmosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease for wild animals. Little is known about the prevalence of antibodies to this parasite in Père David's deer. In this study, sera from 43 wild Père David's deer, from Dafeng nature reserve China were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by MAT. The investigation showed that antibodies to toxoplasma were detected in 8 of 43 (18.60%, 95% CI 6.97–30.24) samples. Seroprevalence ranged from 15.00% to 21.74% between the different genders, but the difference was not significant according to SPSS analysis (P > 0.05). This report of seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii in Père David's deer provides basic data of T. gondii infection data, which is important for controlling and preventing toxoplasmosis in Père David's deer. • Firstly reported T. gondii infection in the Père David's deer in Dafeng reserve. • The prevalence of T. gondii in serum samples from Père David's deer was 18.6%. • This result is an alert about the potential risk in Père David's deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]