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Paulownia fortunei, one of the world's fastest growing timber tree species, is universally applied with fertilizer as a management approach to meet the nutrient requirements for efficient cultivation. The substantial effects of fertilizer on soil microorganisms in Paulownia plantations have been empirically tested; however, the successive chronosequence of soil microbial carbon and nitrogen functional genes under different fertilizer application durations remains limited. The objective of this study was to explore the characteristics of soil microorganisms involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling and greenhouse gas (GHG) production under different fertilizer application durations. Different fertilizer treatments, i.e., the short-term group (SG) versus the long-term group (LG), and durations were applied to subtropical plantations in southern China and compared with zonal evergreen broad-leaved forests. Results showed that fertilizer treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of Acidobacteriota and the expression of nirK and nosZ. The functional groups that dominated metabolism in SG and LG treatments belonged to Actinobacteria and Acidobacteriota, respectively, suggesting that the nutrient preference of microorganisms in forest soil may change from copiotrophs to oligotrophs with increasing fertilizer application duration. Correlation network analysis showed that the communities that dominated the carbon and nitrogen cycles belonged to Actinobacteria and Acidobacteriota, respectively, and were closely related to ammonium nitrogen and available iron. Actinobacteria and Acidobacteriota were likely the major taxa that affected soil GHG production under different fertilizer application durations. We concluded that long-term fertilizer use changed the preference of microbial nutrient uptake into recalcitrant nutrients, and the sensitivity of the microbial community to nutrients gradually decreased with increasing fertilizer application time. The dominant Actinobacteria affected soil carbon and nitrogen cycles largely by stimulating denitrification to increase the release of nitrous oxide, which might lead to the loss of nitrogen components and the intensification of the GHG effect with increasing fertilizer application time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characterization of natural fungal diversity impacts our understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes and can lead to novel bioproduct discovery. Russula and Lactarius, both in the order Russulales, represent two large genera of ectomycorrhizal fungi that include edible as well as toxic varieties. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses, including nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the 28S large subunit of ribosomal RNA (LSU), the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (RPB2), the ribosomal mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU), and the translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1-α) gene sequences, we here describe and illustrate two new species of Russula and one new species of Lactarius from southern China. These three new species are: R. junzifengensis (R. subsect. Virescentinae), R. zonatus (R. subsect. Crassotunicatae), and L. jianyangensis (L. subsect. Zonarii). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica diagenesis has been proved to significantly affect rock composition and fabric. However, it still needs to be clarified how silica diagenesis affects the mechanical properties of shales. To further investigate this impact, we collected shale samples from the Upper Ordovician Wufeng and the Lower Silurian Longmaxi formations, southeast Sichuan Basin. The total organic carbon (TOC) content, mineralogical composition, and major oxide concentrations were measured to characterize the shale composition. Thin-section observations and high-resolution imaging techniques were used to characterize the rock fabric and identify quartz types. The Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and the measured hardness were used to characterize the shale mechanical properties. Four major lithofacies were identified, namely, siliceous shale, siliceous-argillaceous mixed shale, silty mudstone, and argillaceous shale. Three types of authigenic quartz in the Wufeng-Longmaxi formations were observed, namely, quartz overgrowth, matrix-dispersed microquartz, and microquartz aggregates. Matrix-dispersed microquartz is typically mixed with clay matrix, while microquartz aggregates typically coexist with migrated organic matter. The combined analysis of Fe–Al–Mn ternary diagram, cross-plots of Si versus Al, Rb versus K 2 O, and TOC content versus excess silica demonstrate that the dominant silica source of quartz cementation is biogenic. The cross-plot of excess silica contents versus Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and hardness suggest that silica diagenesis significantly affects the mechanical properties of shale rocks. Microquartz aggregates greatly contribute to shale brittleness, while detrital quartz minimally affects shale brittleness if the detrital quartz was enclosed by ductile clay minerals. • Four quartz types were identified in the Wufeng-Longmaxi shales. • Silica cementation could significantly enhance shale rock mechanical properties. • The organic-rich siliceous shale typically manifests the best brittleness behavior. • The evolution patterns of silica diagenesis in different lithofacies were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic epigenetic changes during hibernation occur in some hibernating rodents, but these changes are poorly understood in hibernating bats. Populations of the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) in north China hibernate and provide an opportunity to study how epigenetic markers and modifiers differ in the active and torpid states of a chiropteran. We used fluorescence-labeled methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (F-MSAP) and qRT-PCR techniques to determine changes in the global DNA methylation levels and mRNA expression levels of methylation-related proteins. These included DNA methyltransferase (DNMTs), methyl-CpG-binding proteins (MBPs, including MBDs, UHRFs, and zinc-finger protein family) in active and torpid R. ferrumequinum. In the torpid state, both the relative global methylation and the relative mRNA expression levels of some DNMTs and MBPs, including dnmt3b and zbtb4 , increased significantly compared to the expression levels of these in the active state. These changes may involve methylation or assist in regulation of a particular subset of genes according to hibernation status. This indicates that epigenetic mechanisms may exist and facilitate the hibernation process of R. ferrumequinum. [Display omitted] • The global DNA methylation level increased in torpid state. • Some MBPs showed higher mRNA expression levels in hibernation. • Epigenetic marker and modifiers may facilitate the hibernation of the great horseshoe bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate patients' preference and the attitude towards physician attire in an internal medicine clinic in China. Methods. This study was conducted from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021 in a tertiary care hospital in China. We surveyed 126 patients in the hospital with 6 sets of pictures of commonly worn physician attires in the hospital setting with a two-part questionnaire. The first part listed respondent demographics to collect basic information. The second part of the questionnaire was administered to adult patients who received care in the internal medicine clinics (outpatients). Survey forms collected demographic data (age, gender, patient age, education, marital status, and employment status), asked questions regarding 6 specific attires (scrubs, scrubs and white coat, casual, casual and white coat, business suit, and formal and white coat), and behavioral items (professional, responsible, reliable, knowledgeable, succession rate, and medical safety), finally, to assess the preference of attire on overall perception. Results. Scrubs and white coat scored the highest through 6 domains about physicians' attire (professional, reliable, responsible, knowledgeable, medical safety, and succession rate, p < 0.05 for all comparisons). A casual suit without a white coat was the least preferred across the surveyed attributes. There was a significant preference gap between wearing a white coat and not wearing a white coat (p < 0.001). Physician attire to white coat was considered as more professional, reliable, responsible, knowledgeable, having greater medical safety, and a higher success rate than attires without white coat. Conclusion. Patients felt that the physician wearing a white coat was better than other attires. Scrubs and white coat was the most popular attire. Hospital or related authorities may promote the standardized wearing of white coats, leading in a greater patient-physician relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: White‐nose syndrome, a disease that is caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans, has threatened several North America bat species with extinction. Recent studies have shown that East Asian bats are infected with P. destructans but show greatly reduced infections. While several factors have been found to contribute to these reduced infections, the role of specific microbes in limiting P. destructans growth remains unexplored. We isolated three bacterial strains with the ability to inhibit P. destructans, namely, Pseudomonas yamanorum GZD14026, Pseudomonas brenneri XRD11711 and Pseudomonas fragi GZD14479, from bats in China. Pseudomonas yamanorum, with the highest inhibition score, was selected to extract antifungal active substance. Combining mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy analyses, we identified the active compound inhibiting P. destructans as phenazine‐1‐carboxylic acid (PCA), and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 50.12 μg ml−1. Whole genome sequencing also revealed the existence of PCA biosynthesis gene clusters. Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis identified volatile organic compounds. The results indicated that 10 ppm octanoic acid, 100 ppm 3‐tert‐butyl‐4‐hydroxyanisole (isoprenol) and 100 ppm 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol (BHA) inhibited the growth of P. destructans. These results support that bacteria may play a role in limiting the growth of P. destructans on bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The main factors influencing the formation process of saline submarine groundwater are summarized. • The submarine aquifer in this study area is the extension of the terrestrial brine (or saline water) aquifer to marine environments. • Paleoclimatic characteristics is the main factors for the formation of submarine saline water (or brine) in southern Laizhou Bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PAH records in Liaodong Bay provides the first detailed reconstruction of industrial activities;. • PAH variations can be divided into four episodes linked to industrialization process since 1815. • Dominant PAH sources of Northeast China shift from wood to coal and petroleum over time;. • PAH fluxes could be used to track the trend for regional anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are excellent tracers for fossil fuel combustion, natural fires and petroleum contamination, and have been widely used for reconstructing past wildfires and industrial activities at a variety of time scales. Here, for the first time, we obtain a high resolution (annual to decadal scale) record of PAHs from two parallel marine sediment cores from the Liaodong Bay, Northeastern China to reconstruct the industrial activities, spanning the past ∼ 200 years from 1815 to 2014. Our data indicate that PAH variations can be divided into four episodes: I) low (probably near background) PAHs from natural fires and domestic wood combustion during the pre-industrial period from 1815 to 1890; II) slightly increased (but with large fluctuations) PAH concentrations derived from intermittent warfare during the World War (1891–1945) and increased industrial activities after 1946 (1946–1965); III) a period of stagnation and, in some cases, reduction in PAHs during the "Cultural Revolution" (1966 to 1979); and IV) a rapid and persistent rise in PAHs post 1979 linked to fast economic development, with PAH concentrations doubled from 1979 to 2014. Changes in PAH distributions demonstrate major shifts in the dominant types of fuels over time from vegetation/wood, to coal and wood, followed by coal and petroleum (including vehicle emissions) over the past 200 years. We find that PAH records also show similar trend to domestic economy and the estimated regional Anthropocene CO 2 emissions from industrial activities, suggesting sedimentary PAH fluxes could be used as an indirect and qualitative proxy to track the trend for regional anthropogenic CO 2 emissions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]