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Arable soils are crucial for national development and food security; therefore, contamination of agricultural soils from potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a global concern. In this study, we collected 152 soil samples for evaluation. Considering the contamination factors and using the cumulative index and geostatistical methods, we investigated the contamination levels of PTEs in Baoshan City, China. Using principal component analysis, absolute principal component score-multivariate linear regression, positive matrix factorization, and UNMIX, we analyzed the sources and quantitatively estimated their contributions. The average Cd, As, Pb, Cu, and Zn concentrations were 0.28, 31.42, 47.59, 100.46, and 12.36 mg/kg, respectively. The Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations exceeded the corresponding background values for Yunnan Province. The combined receptor models showed that natural and agricultural sources contributed primarily to Cd and Cu and As and Pb inputs, accounting for 35.23 and 7.67% pollution, respectively. Industrial and traffic sources contributed primarily to Pb and Zn inputs (47.12%). Anthropogenic activities and natural causes accounted for 64.76 and 35.23% of soil pollution, respectively. Industrial and traffic sources contributed 47.12% to pollution from anthropogenic activities. Accordingly, the control of industrial PTE pollution emissions should be strengthened, and awareness should be raised to protect arable land around roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tax is the main source of national and regional income, and the efficiency of tax collection and administration is of great significance to the sustainable development. In order to improve the efficiency of tax collection and administration in the less developed regions of western China due to the slow economic development, the low volume of tax revenue, and the high cost of tax collection and administration, this study extends the two-stage DEA model to the case of asymmetric two-stage efficiency values and analyzes the tax collection and administration efficiency of Yunnan Province by the improved model. The results show that the average value of tax collection and administration efficiency of Yunnan Province in 2020 is 0.944, and the overall efficiency values of tax collection and administration in most of the states and cities are within the range of 0.8–1.0. The overall tax collection and administration efficiency of Yunnan Province is relatively ineffective and can be improved. This study also makes relevant suggestions on how to improve the efficiency of organizations to promote the sustainable development of regions and the nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many land-use patterns have been established to restore vegetation and eliminate poverty in the karst area in southwest China, the ecosystem services (ESs) of these patterns are still not fully understood. To compare the differences in seven typical monoculture patterns and three agroforestry patterns, their ESs and tradeoffs were analyzed within the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Framework. Compared with the local traditional corn pattern, the marigold pattern improved provisioning, regulating, and cultural services by >100%. The pomegranate pattern provided far more provisioning services than the other patterns. The apple + soybean intercropping pattern reduced regulating services, and eventually, its Total ESs (TES) and ecosystem multifunctionality index (EMF) also decreased. Cultural services will be enhanced by the introduction of fruit trees, as well as intercropping. Orange + peach had the greatest negative tradeoffs between provisioning and regulating services (P-R), provisioning and supporting services (P-S), and provisioning and cultural services (P-C), which indicates that the provisioning services urgently require improvement. Peach + pumpkin intercropping decreased the negative tradeoffs of P-R, P-S, and P-C (all > 10%), while pomegranate + grass intercropping increased the negative tradeoffs of R-S and R-C (all > 100%). Our results suggest that all six of these patterns are worthy of promotion but the pomegranate pattern should be given priority. Among the three intercropping patterns studied herein, the apple + soybean pattern should be redesigned to improve performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic growth and human activities challenge the regional harmony of the economy and environment. Based on an evaluation of ecological carrying capacity (ECC), we have constructed a three‐dimensional trade‐off model for socially harmonious development for the Sichuan and Yunnan regions in southwest China. The results demonstrate that there is a continuous increase in socioeconomic coordination (SEC; slope > 0.23) and a change in the ECC in the study area, characterized by subtle fluctuations from 2000 through 2008. This was primarily due to the loss of resource and environment carrying capacity wiping out the profits of SEC. Significant government aid during the postdisaster reconstruction and more attention being paid to the environment in policy resulted in a faster increase in ECC (slope > 0.38) from 2008 to 2016. Based on this trade‐off model, managers could deeply understand the relationship between resources, the economy, and ecology. Summary for Managers Ecological environment protection is increasingly crucial in Sichuan and Yunnan regions as they feel the effects of climate change and human activities.The three‐dimensional trade‐off model measuring socially coordinated development is a modified multiobjective, decision‐making model.Based on this trade‐off model, managers could, understand the relationship between resources, the economy, and ecology.It can help manage our environmental assets and plan ecological conservation, to ensure that the environment maintains its capacity to serve the societal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South China indigenous pigs are famous for their superior meat quality and crude feed tolerance. Saba and Baoshan pigs without saddleback were located in the high-altitude area of Yunnan Province, while Tunchang and Ding'an pigs with saddleback were located in the low-altitude area of Hainan Province. Although these pigs are different in appearance, the underlying genetic differences have not been investigated. In this study, based on the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes of 124 samples, both the cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) and the fixation index (FST) statistic were used to identify potential signatures of selection in these pig breeds. We found nine potential signatures of selection detected simultaneously by two methods, annotated 22 genes in Hainan pigs, when Baoshan pigs were used as the reference group. In addition, eleven potential signatures of selection detected simultaneously by two methods, annotated 24 genes in Hainan pigs compared with Saba pigs. These candidate genes were most enriched in GO: 0048015~phosphatidylinositol-mediated signaling and ssc00604: Glycosphingolipid biosynthesis—ganglio series. These selection signatures were likely to overlap with quantitative trait loci associated with meat quality traits. Furthermore, one potential selection signature, which was associated with different coat color, was detected in Hainan pigs. These results contribute to a better understanding of the underlying genetic architecture of South China indigenous pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bent branches are commonly utilized in cut roses to enhance commercial flower quality through increased nutrient production and biomass. However, the ideal number of bent branches concerning crop water productivity remains unknown. The experiment was conducted in Jinning, Yunnan, in 2022 with total of three growth periods with 1–3 bent branches. Sap flow of a commercial branch was measured using the heat ratio method to assess rose transpiration and crop water productivity during each growth period. Across three harvests, cut roses with three bent branches increased plant height by 87.9% compared to those with one bent branch (217 cm). The Fresh weight of cut roses with three bent branches was 63.6 g shoot−1, 135% more than with one bent branch. The roses with three branches produced 56% more high-grade (grade A and grade B) shoots than in other treatments. Daily transpiration in roses with three bent branches was 4.09 mm d−1 across three harvests, which was 115% higher than in one bent branch. The economic value in three bent branches was 54% higher than in two bent branches and 120% higher than in one bent branch. Crop water productivity in three bent branches across three periods was 14.7 kg m−3, which was 84.7% higher than in two bent branches and 167% than in one bent branch. Our results help farmers to optimize irrigation of cut rose in greenhouse conditions and could be used in improving rose models by quantifying transpiration at crop level. • Determined sap flow and plant transpiration of cutting rose in greenhouse directly. • Number of bent branches of cut rose affected flower yield and quality. • Transpiration and water use efficiency of cut rose differed with the number of bent branches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rushan is a traditional dairy product consumed by the Bai people in the Yunnan Province of China, and its production still follows the traditional procedure of backslopping. However, how the microbial composition of raw materials and processing shape the microorganisms in rushan have not been systemically reported. In this study, high-throughput sequencing technique was applied to analyze the microbial compositions of raw milk, fresh rushan, curd whey, acid whey, and dry rushan at the phylum, family, genus, and Lactobacillus species levels. The results indicated that Lactobacillus , Lactococcus , and Streptococcus were dominant genera in rushan, whereas Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens and Lactobacillus helveticus were the 2 abundant species at the Lactobacillus species level. The network analysis indicated that raw milk mainly contributed to the microbial diversity of rushan, whereas acid whey made a great contribution to shaping the relative abundance of microbes in rushan and dramatically increased acid-producing genera, such as Lactobacillus and Acetobacter. The variation in microbial composition led to an increase in the relative abundance of pathways related to energy supply, acid production, fatty acid accumulation, cysteine, methionine, and lysine accumulation. The volatile profile of rushan was rich in esters and acids, and the high relative abundance of Lactobacillus might be associated with reduction of amino acid metabolism, degradation of unpleasant flavored xylene, and accumulation of decanoic, dodecanoic, and tetradecanoic acids in the products. The accumulation of medium long-chain fatty acids might result from the relative abundance of FabF , FabZ , and FabI , particularly from Lactobacillus amylolyticus and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]