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Wood structural timbers at three locations (eave, beam frame, and column) were exploited to elucidate the deterioration state and mechanism of historical timber structures from the Yunnan Military Academy (Kunming, Yunnan Province). The morphological structures, physical and mechanical characteristics, and chemical components were measured to illustrate the deterioration state and elucidate the degradation mechanism. The results demonstrated that the deterioration of structural timbers was closely dependent on their locations in the architecture. The outside eave was in the worst deterioration state, which was caused by natural factors (ultraviolet rays, rain, and fungi), resulting in severe distortion of wood structures and a significant reduction in basic density and compressive strength. Significant carbohydrate losses that occurred in the eave and beam frame were mainly contributed by the brown rot fungi, predominantly due to the frequently wet condition and humid environment. Moreover, column structures were mainly attacked by insects (weevils) due to their location near the ground, accordingly in an obvious decline in mechanical properties. Collectively, structural timbers exhibited different deterioration states contributed by the degradation mechanism, predominantly influenced by their locations in architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunling cattle (YL) is a recently developed beef breed harboring a quarter of Yunnan ancestral cattle genome, spanning over past 30 years. Compared with Diqing cattle (DQ), a Yunnan native cattle breed, YL presents various advantages, including rapid growth and exquisite meat quality. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these phenotypic differences are not clearly understood. To further identify the candidate genes responsible for the quality of the meat in the muscle, longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was used for RNA-Seq analysis. A total of 508 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in YL (adjusted p-value <0.01 and log2FoldChange >1), of which 243 were up-regulated and 265 were down-regulated. Functional association analysis showed that the identified DEGs mainly enriched the lipid and fat metabolism pathways. Moreover, it was also observed that several fat-related genes were differentially expressed in both cattle breeds, including three up-regulated genes (MOGAT1, ACSM3, PLPP2) and two down-regulated genes (ADIG, GPAT3). In addition, alternative splice analysis was also performed revealing an important 9–11 exon skipping variation of GPAM gene (crucial for beef marbling) in YL, which is three times higher than that in DQ, suggesting that this variation might have played the central role in the 'snow beef' effect in YL. We believe that our results will help in understanding the mechanism of muscle development and promote the further breeding programs in YL cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunnan Province is one of the rich biodiversity hotspots with abundant resources of lignicolous freshwater fungi. A total of 281 species of lignicolous freshwater fungi from 1986 to the present in Yunnan Province. They are mostly distributed in the classes Dothideomycetes and Sordariomycetes, a few species in the Eurotiomycetes and Leotiomycetes, and rarely reported in Orbiliomycetes and Pezizomycetes. Lignicolous freshwater fungi can decompose lignocellulose substrates and release energy and nutrients, and thus playing an important role in freshwater environment. This study briefly reviewed the biodiversity and taxonomic status of lignicolous freshwater fungi in Yunnan, the ecological functions of lignicolous freshwater fungi, factors affecting community distribution, application status, and research difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species of tooth-plated lungfishes, Dianodipterus huizeensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Qujing Formation (late Eifelian, Middle Devonian) of Huize County, Qujing, north-eastern Yunnan, China. It differs from other lungfishes in the small proportion of the tooth-bearing part on the pterygoid (less than one-quarter), the extensively developed anteromedial edentulous portion of the pterygoid, and tooth rows few in number (only four). Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Dianodipterus is more plesiomorphic than Dipterus, yet crownward of Melanognathus. As the ninth Devonian lungfish genus from China, the new taxon displays a novel schema of lungfish dentition and increases the diversity of early lungfishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black-boned chickens (Gallus domesticus, herein abbreviated BBCs) are well known for their unique appearance and medicinal properties and have a long breeding history in China. However, the genetic diversity and demographic history of BBCs remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed 844 mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequences, including 346 de novo sequences and 498 previously published sequences from 20 BBC breeds. We detected a generally high level of genetic diversity among the BBCs, with average haplotype and nucleotide diversities of 0.917 ± 0.0049 and 0.01422, respectively. Nucleotide diversity was highest in populations from Southwest China (0.01549 ± 0.00026), particularly in Yunnan Province (0.01624 ± 0.00025). Significant genetic divergence was detected between most breeds, particularly between Yunnan chickens and those from all other provinces. Haplogroups F and G had the highest levels of genetic diversity and were restricted to Southwest China, particularly Yunnan Province. Based on neutrality tests and mismatch distribution analyses, we did not obtain evidence for rapid population expansions and observed similar demographic histories in BBCs and local non-BBCs. Our results suggest that Chinese BBCs have complex breeding histories and may be selected in situ from local domestic chickens. These results improve our understanding of the genetic heritage and breeding histories of these desirable chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous cropping maca systems are widespread in Yunan Province, China. However, the relationships between continuous cropping maca systems and microbes are not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of continuous cropping maca systems (Maca with 0, 1, 2, and 3 years of continuous cultivation) on the soil microbial community. The results showed that the soil organic matter, total N, total P, and total K contents, as well as maca fresh and dry weight, decreased significantly with increased continuous cropping years. Interestingly, qPCR analysis showed that the bacterial and fungal abundance (DNA levels) decreased and active bacterial and fungal abundance (RNA levels) increased with cropping years from the first to the third cropping (p < 0.05). Moreover, the abundance of actinomycetes in the CK soil was significantly higher than that in the other maca soils. In addition, the continuous cropping system resulted in rich diversity in the fungal structure and had little effects on the bacterial and actinomycete communities. Acidobacteria (50%) and Ascomycota (58.3%) were detected in the continuous cropping maca soils. Based on the present results, continuous cropping of maca not exceeding two years could be optimal to maintain soil nutrition and microbial community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the performance and utility of the Climate Hazard Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) dataset for monitoring drought over Yunnan Province, China. First, several statistical metrics were used to evaluate the CHIRPS data against 122 gauge observations acquired during 1981–2015. Then, the variation of drought was investigated further based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) over multiple timescales. The results showed the following: (1) the CHIRPS data performed well in terms of monthly precipitation estimation (CC = 0.89, RMSE = 44.26, and MAE = 27.89), albeit with slight overestimation of total precipitation (Bias = 2.9%). Moreover, the CHIRPS data were found adequate in capturing the spatial distribution of precipitation. (2) The CHIRPS-based SPI was shown to be able to capture the occurrence and characteristics of drought events, suggesting that the CHIRPS dataset could be used as an alternative precipitation source for monitoring drought. (3) On the annual scale, it was found that the regions affected most frequently by drought are areas in central, western, and southern parts of Yunnan Province. High frequency of drought occurrence was observed in both spring and winter. Moreover, the results revealed a widespread drying trend over Yunnan Province during 1981–2015, especially in autumn and winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species Tetrataenium yunnanense is a medicinal herb exhibiting excellent anti-tumor activity in vitro and mainly distributed in northwest Yunnan, China. The assembled genome is 142,739 base-pairs (bp) in size, with one large single-copy region of 99,975 bp and one small single-copy region of 17,375bp separated by two inverted repeats of 25,386 bp. The genome contains a total of 121 genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 8 rRNAs and 35 tRNAs. Furthermore, phylogenomic estimation indicated that two individuals of T. yunnanense could be clustered into an obvious lineage and failed to recover the two Tetrataenium species (T. yunnanense and T. candicans) as a monophyletic group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camellia mingii is a recently described and critically endangered new species from Southeast Yunnan Province, China. Genetic information of C. mingii would provide guidance for the conservation of this wild yellow camellia. Here, we reported and characterized its complete chloroplast (cp) genome using Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The total chloroplast genome size was 156,806 bp, including inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,020 bp, separated by a large single copy (LSC) and a small single copy (SSC) of 86,536 and 18,230 bp, respectively. A total of 132 genes, including 37 tRNA, eight rRNA, and 87 protein-coding genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that C. mingii was closely related to the clade containing C. huana and C. impressinervis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exostoma gaoligongense is an endemic glyptosternine catfish distributed in the Nujiang River drainage, Yunnan Province, China, with few published genetic information. In this study, we sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of E. gaoligongense, which was circular, 16529 bp in length, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, one replication origin and one control region. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that E. gaoligongense had the closest relationship with its congener E. labiatum. They clustered with the clade containing most genera of glyptosternine catfishes and then cluster with the more primitive genera Glaridoglanis and Glyptosternon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium pseudotenellum is an endangered species in Orchidaceae, which is distributed in Yunnan of China and Vietnam. Here, we report the complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence and its genome features of D. pseudotenellum. The cp genome sequence of D. pseudotenellum was 149,114 bp in length with 37.4% GC content. It presented a typical quadripartite structure including a large single-copy region (LSC, 84,262 bp), a small single-copy region (SSC,12,786 bp), and two inverted repeat regions (IRA and IRB, 26,033 bp, each). The cp genome encoded 125 genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. The phylogenetic analysis was conducted based on 72 protein-encoding genes from D. pseudotenellum and other 19 Dendrobium species, with 4 species of Cymbidium and Pleione as outgroup. It turned out that D. pseudotenellum was a sister to D. exile. This chloroplast genome would be helpful for the phylogeny and conservation of Dendrobium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Fosbergia shweliensis was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 154,717 bp in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 84,747 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 18,230 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 25,870 bp. The genome contains 130 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 36 transfer RNA genes. Further phylogenomic analysis showed that F. shweliensis was close to Coffea genus in the family Rubiaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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High sex ratio at birth due to son preference has been known in China historically, but it was thought this phenomenon would diminish with modernisation. The aim of this study was to investigate abortion decisions and reported sex ratios at birth in the context of successive family planning policies in Huaning County, Yunnan Province, in China. Abortion patterns and reported sex ratios at birth of a random sample of 1,336 women aged 15–64 were analysed for the period 1980–2000, in relation to parity and sex of previous children. There was a male bias in the abortion pattern during the 1980s, but by the end of the 1990s most pregnancies of women with two children were being terminated. Sex ratio at birth rose from 107 in 1984–87 to 110 between 1988–2000 in Huaning. While women's reproductive decisions were influenced by son preference over the whole period, the means used to ensure a son differed with changing family planning policies. We conclude that rising sex ratios in the context of falling fertility and modernisation is an alarming socio–demographic issue, which defies historical experience. Assumptions that discrimination against girls would diminish with economic development and female education have proven simplistic. Action is urgently needed to reduce and mitigate the effects of discrimination against girls. Résumé La Chine enregistre depuis longtemps un rapport de masculinité élevé en raison de la préférence pour les fils, mais on pensait que ce phé nomè ne diminuerait avec la modernisation. Cette é tude a analysé les dé cisions d'avorter et les rapports déclarés de masculinité à la naissance, dans le contexte des politiques successives de planification familiale dans le comté de Huaning, province du Yunnan, en Chine. Elle a é tudié les avortements et les rapports de masculinité à la naissance sur un é chantillon de 1336 femmes de 15-64 ans sur la pé riode 1980-2000, par rapport à la parité et au sexe des enfants pré cé dents. Pendant les anné es 80, les décisions d'avorter révélaient une partialité en faveur des garçons, mais à la fin des années 90, la plupart des mè res de deux enfants interrompaient leur grossesse. À Huang, le rapport de masculinité à la naissance est passé de 107 entre 1984–87 à 110 entre 1988–2000. Pendant toute la période étudiée, les décisions des femmes étaient influencées par la préférence pour les fils, mais les moyens employés pour s'assurer un garçon variaient avec l'évolution des politiques de planification familiale. La hausse des rapports de masculinité, face à la baisse de la fécondité et la modernisation, est un phénomène socio-démographique inquiétant, qui dé fie l'expérience historique. Il était simpliste de penser que la discrimination à l'égard des filles diminuerait avec le développement économique et l'éducation des filles et il faut agir d'urgence pour réduire les effets de cette discrimination. Resumen En China se ha sabido por años que hay preferencia por hijos varones pero se pensó que este fenó meno disminuira con la modernizació n. Este estudio investigó el aborto y las proporciones de sexos entre los recién nacidos en las politicas de planificació n familiar en Huaning, Yunnan, en China. Se analizaron las decisiones para abortar y las proporciones de sexos entre recié n nacidos en una muestra aleatoria de 1,336 mujeres de 15 a 64 años entre 1980 y 2000, en relación con la paridad y el sexo de los hijos anteriores. Durante los años 80, se experimentó un sesgo hacia el sexo masculino en los abortos, pero a fines de los años 90, las mujeres con dos hijos decidian abortar. En Huang, la proporción de varones recié n nacidos aumentó de 107 por cada 100 niñas entre 1984–87 a 110 niños por cada 100 niñas entre 1988–2000. A pesar de que durante todo este período las decisiones de las mujeres fueron influenciadas por su preferencia por tener un varó n, los medios utilizados para garantizar su nacimiento cambiaron con las polí t́icas de planificación familiar. El aumento en la proporción de varones entre recién nacidos en una fecundidad declinante y la modernización es un aspecto sociodemográ fico alarmante que desafíà la experiencia histórica. Fue simple pensar que la discriminación contra las niñas disminuiríà con el desarrollo econó mico y la formación de las mujeres. Es apremiante la necesidad de tomar medidas para disminuir y atenuar los efectos de la discriminació n contra las niñas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the energy and economic flow of six types of homegardens in Sanjia village, SW China. Our study showed that the energy input of six types of homegardens averaged 99.11-175.65x1010J/ha, the energy output was 102.30-159.83x1010J/ha and the ratio of input/output ranged between 1:0.880-1:1.416. The ratios of input to output of homegardens that prioritized cultivation of crops were higher than for homegardens that prioritized animal husbandry or other economic activities. The economic ratio of input/output of six types of homegardens varied between 1:0.997-1:1.376 and the economic output ranged between 2480.0-10131.5 RMB/yr. We concluded that the homegarden systems of Sanjia village ate high in the input and output of energy and cash flow, and can provide a basis for designing models of farm economy in rural subtropical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blastus auriculatus, a shrub sparsely distributed in Yunnan, China, occurs only in bamboo forests at an elevation of below 200 m. It is categorized as 'Critically Endangered (CR)' in China Biodiversity Red List. In addition, the phylogenetic position of Blastus within the Melastomataceae family is still unclear. This study generated the complete chloroplast genome sequence of B. auriculatus with aims to provide genetic resources for conservation genetics and to reslove the phylogenetic position of Blastus. The size of the chloroplast genome of B. auriculatus is 155,981 bp, including a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,955 bp and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 16,434 bp, separated by a pair of identical inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 26,796 bp each. The chloroplast genome contains a total of 125 genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that B. auriculatus is closest to Barthea barthei among species in Melastomataceae with available chloroplast genome sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]