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The Va (also called "Wa") people are an ethnic minority living mainly in the southwest of Yunnan Province This study was conducted to obtain the genetic information and forensic statistical parameters of 15 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci included in the AmpFlSTR®Identifiler™ kit (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) in the Yunnan Va population, with a view to enriching the genetic databases of the Chinese Va population. A total of 508 unrelated Chinese Va individuals were genotyped with this 15 STR kit, the genetic polymorphisms and associated forensic parameters were calculated. The genetic relationships between Chinese Va and 26 other Chinese populations were also evaluated. All of the STR loci reached the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium after Bonferroni correction. A total of 159 alleles were observed with allele frequencies ranging from 0.000984 to 0.606299. The combined discrimination power (CDP) and the cumulative probability of excluding (CPE) of the 15 STR loci were 0.999 999 999 999 999 988 126 and 0.999 995 734, respectively. Our results indicated that the geographically adjacent or ethnically close populations showed a higher genetic affinity. The results of this study will enrich the forensic databases of the Chinese Va population and could be applied in forensic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at Yunnan’s theatrical, overly professionalized minority folksong and dance performances at the 2007 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Yunnan’s presentation presents an opportunity to explore the way a provincial government culturally and spatially imagines its governed administrative territory through ethnic performing arts on a global stage. The article argues that Yunnan’s image crafting is not only structured by the politics of international artistic exchange. It can also be viewed as a global extension of the Yunnan provincial government’s provincial identity project and economic development scheme back home. Its strategy, described as “the artifying of politics” by one of Yunnan’s cultural officials, reveals how ethnic performing arts are programmed to aestheticize Yunnan as a place and economic–cultural brand in this context, and, thus, how the Yunnan government manages both the politicization of art and the aestheticization of politics in order to carry out its economic agenda by way of aesthetic experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coals of Early Carboniferous Wanshoushan Formation in northeast Yunnan, southwest China are enriched in Li, Cu, Zn, Ge, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, In, Pb, Th, and U (the red and orange columns) and depleted in B, F, and Hg (the green columns). The most enriched element is Li and its concentration is almost 9 times as much as the average of the worldwide coals. The patterns of rare earth elements in the coals of Wanshoushan Formation in east Yunnan (A, B, and C) are similar to that of the bauxite of Jiujialu Formation and Dazhuyuan Formation in West Guizhou (D), which indicates they probably have the same provenance. [Display omitted] • The Lower Carboniferous coal in the northeast Yunnan, China is enriched in kinds of critical elements, especially in Li, and the concentration coefficient of Li reaches 8.92. • The major minerals in the coal and host rock samples were kaolinite, quartz, pyrite, illite, jarosite, boehmite, alum (K), and gypsum, with authigenic minerals. • The distribution pattern of trace elements in the coals of the Wanshoushan Formation, Lower Carboniferous in the northeast Yunnan and in the bauxites of the Jiujialu and Dazhuyuan Formations,also Lower Carboniferous in the central-north Guizhou are similar, and their provenance is the underlying Cambrian–Ordovician carbonate rocks. The Middle and Lower Carboniferous sedimentary sequences in the central and western parts of Guizhou, southwest China, are enriched in bauxite, and are characterized by increased levels of the critical element Li. In the adjacent area (northeastern Yunnan), the Lower Carboniferous sequences contain coal seams. Whether these coal seams are enriched in Li, and the provenance affinity between the bauxites and these coal seams are still unclear. In this study, the mineralogy and geochemistry of the C1 coal seam in the Wanshoushan Formation, Lower Carboniferous sedimentary sequences, Zhaotong Mining Area, northeastern Yunnan Province, were investigated. The results showed that the major minerals in the C1 coal seam are clay minerals, Al-bearing minerals, quartz, pyrite, and so on, most of which are of authigenic origin. This coal seam was enriched in Li, Cu, Zn, and so on with the Li concentration coefficient reaching to 8.92. The trace elements in the C1 coal seam of the Wanshoushan Formation and the elements in the bauxites of the Jiujialu and Dazhuyuan Formations were similar, and their provenance was the underlying Cambrian - Ordovician carbonate rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lemon is an important economic crop in the world and can bloom several times each year. The Dehong prefecture of Yunnan province is one of the main lemon-producing areas in China, and is a suitable area for planting high-quality lemons in China. However, the hot and rainy summers in Yunnan are not conducive to flower bud differentiation, which leads to low lemon yield. Therefore, normal flower bud differentiation is important to guarantee lemon production and quality. In this study, we selected some lemon trees for a pot experiment, and we sprayed the lemon leaves with gibberellin and paclobutrazol to regulate lemon flower formation. We set four separate concentration gradients for each regulator: 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/L. The PBZ concentration gradients were 200, 400, 600, and 1200 mg/L. After the experiment, we determined and analyzed the morphological index and fruit quality of the lemon trees. The results showed that under the same cultivation and management conditions, spraying paclobutrazol substantially inhibited the growth of lemon shoots, increased the fruit setting rate, and improved the fruit yield. However, gibberellin considerably reduced the number of lemon flowering branches and promoted the vegetative growth of the lemons. When the concentration of paclobutrazol was 600 mg/L, the amount of lemon fruits reached the maximum, which remarkably increased the titratable acid and soluble solids contents of the fruit and ultimately increased the fruit quality compared with the control. Altogether, selecting the appropriate concentration of regulators to control the flowering and fruit setting of fruit trees is important and has value in guiding actual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new isobenzofurans, 5-(methoxymethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-furo[3,4-h]chromen-7(9H)-one (1) and 5-(2-methoxyethyl)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-furo[3,4-h]chromen-7(9H)-one (2), together with two known isobenzofurans (3 and 4), were isolated from the roots of Yunnan local sun cured tobacco. Their structures were determined by means of HR-ESI-MS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic studies. Compounds 1–4 were tested for their anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (anti-MRSA) activity. The results revealed that compound 4 showed strong inhibition with IZD of 16.5 ± 2.2. Compounds 1–3 also showed good inhibition with IZD of 13.6 ± 2.0, 14.0 ± 2.3, and 11.8 ± 1.6 mm, respectively. Compounds 1–4 were also tested for their antioxidant activity, and they showed good antioxidant activity with IC50 value of 4.38, 4.57, 4.46, and 4.28 μg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spectrum-STI model, structured by sub-groups within a population, was used in a workshop in Yunnan, China, to estimate provincial trends in active syphilis in 15 to 49-year-old adults. Syphilis prevalence data from female sex workers (FSW), men who have sex with men (MSM), and lower-risk women and men in Yunnan were identified through literature searches and local experts. Sources included antenatal care clinic screening, blood donor screening, HIV/STI bio-behavioural surveys, sentinel surveillance, and epidemiology studies. The 2017 provincial syphilis prevalence estimates were 0.26% (95% confidence interval 0.17–0.34%) in women and 0.28% (0.20–0.36%) in men. Estimated prevalence was 6.8-fold higher in FSW (1.69% (0.68–3.97%) than in lower-risk women (0.25% (0.18–0.35%)), and 22.7-fold higher in MSM (5.35% (2.74–12.47%) than in lower-risk men (0.24% (0.17–0.31%). For all populations, the 2017 estimates were below the 2005 estimates, but differences were not significant. In 2017 FSW and MSM together accounted for 9.3% of prevalent cases. These estimates suggest Yunnan's STI programs have kept the overall prevalence of syphilis low, but prevalence remains high in FSW and MSM. Strengthening efforts targeting FSW and MSM, and identification of other risk populations e.g. among heterosexual men, are critical to reduce syphilis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survival strategy and ecophysiological process of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis), in which water-use efficiency (WUE) represents a vital indicator linking the carbon and water cycles, are mediated by phenology and can be severely affected by a low fruit-set rate and cold stress. However, the phenology-related WUE and its temporal variation as well as its responses to site heterogeneity in rubber plantations remain poorly understood. In this study, we used a four-year (2013–2016) continuous dataset of biometric survey, sap flow and phenology of rubber trees to examine the WUE in response to phenological changes and cold stress. The planting density and stand age, factors exhibiting a considerable difference and contributing to site heterogeneity, were explored to reveal their effects on the WUE of rubber plantations in Yunnan Province of Southwest China. Unexpectedly, the response of the WUE to phenological changes was characterized by the peak value (2.73±0.59 g C kg−1 H 2 O) that occurred simultaneously with the fruiting period (P f), and the WUE values during the P f were significantly higher than that of other phenological periods (P <0.01), indicating that the survival strategy adopted by the rubber trees to cope with the low fruit-set rate as well as cold stress during the defoliation period (P d) and adapt to the local climate might be very effective. However, this effectiveness might be reduced to some extent, since the WUE was significantly affected by the planting density (df =2, F -value=11.51) and stand age (df =3, F -value=22.84) indicated by one-way analysis of variance (P <0.01). These findings can provide a deeper understanding for the adaptation strategies to adverse climate and the cultivation and management of rubber plantations. [Display omitted] • The annual life cycle of rubber trees was divided into four phenological periods. • Water-use efficiency (WUE) revealed the survival strategy of rubber trees. • Maximum WUE values occurred simultaneously with the fruiting period (P f). • The planting density and stand age significantly affected the WUE. • Increases in the planting density tended to decrease the WUE of rubber trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) Pb–Zn deposits have a common host-rock lithofacies sequence known as the hydrothermal dolomite (HTD) facies; however, the spatial and temporal relationships between dolomitization and Pb–Zn mineralization remain unclear. In this paper, we report a detailed cathodoluminescence (CL) study on the HTD facies of the No. II orebody in the Maoping Pb–Zn deposit in northeastern Yunnan Province, southwestern China. The results indicate that the dolomite in the Carboniferous limestone is part of a spectrum of hydrothermal mineral deposits, and the diagenesis and mineralization processes, in which the acidity of fluids played an important role, can be divided into six steps. A dolomite prototype formed during the first and second steps. In the third step, acid fluids produced by sulfide precipitation interacted with the dolomite prototype, resulting in dissolution and alteration, thus forming cavities. The fluid that formed during the first three steps flowed along open tensional faults. Dolomitization in the first step covered most of the region of later mineralization and gradually extended toward the center of the orebody. In the fourth and fifth steps, vugs and fractures were the main pathways for fluids, with only a small volume of fluid in the fifth step. Dedolomitization occurred in the sixth step and vugs were filled mostly by calcite. However, the fact that voids are present in only a small number of vugs is indicative of fluid exhaustion. Dolomite with growth zoning is characteristic of precipitation by ore-forming fluids accompanied by pulsed filling. There is no significant correlation between vugs and the locus of mineralization. Rather, the vugs indicate that the ore-forming fluids had passed through them, and the locus of massive ore formation was the center of the migrating fluid body. The saddle dolomite was deposited during pauses in sulfide precipitation. Cathodoluminescent zonation of HTD can be used as an aid in understanding the ore-forming process and for mineral prospecting in the Maoping deposit and other MVT deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Through comprehensive GO and KEGG pathway analyses of RNA-Seq data, 71 DEGs containing transcription factor and defense response genes were identified in pepper plants after being infected with TZSV. • The RT-qPCR analysis was performed to further validate RNA-Seq data, and the genes BBC_22506, BBC_18917, BBC_30037, and BBC_33017 were speculated to be associated with HR. • The two genes BBC_22506 and BBC_18917 might participate in HR when TZSV infects the PI152225 pepper, and therefore they might inhibit viral infection. Tomato zonate spotvirus (TZSV) often incurs significant losses in many food and ornamental crops in Yunnan province, China, and the surrounding areas. The pepper (Capsicum chinense PI152225)can develop hypersensitive resistance following infection with TZSV, through an as yet unknown mechanism. The transcriptome dataset showed a total of 45.81 GB of clean data were obtained from six libraries, and the average percentage of the reads mapped to the pepper genome was over 90.00 %. A total of 1403 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained after TZSV infection, including 825significantly up-regulated genes and 578 down-regulated genes. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses indicated that most up-regulated DEGs were involved in basal defenses. RT-qPCR, and virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) were used preliminarily to identifyBBC_22506 and BBC_18917, among total of 71 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), that play a key role in mediating the auxin-induced signaling pathway that might take part in hypersensitive response (HR) conferred resistance to viral infection in pepper (PI152225) byTZSV. This is the first study on the mechanism of auxin resistance, involved in defense responses of pepper against viral diseases, which lay the foundation for further study on the pathogenic mechanism of TZSV, as well as the mechanism of resistance to TZSV, in peppers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of an epidemic outbreak of a powdery mildew disease on mulberry in Yunnan province, China, is reported. Its symptoms are characteristic for powdery mildews and visible as white pathches covering the abaxial surfaces of leaves leading to chlorosis and necrosis. The pathogen is morphologically barely distinguishable from Phyllactinia moricola. However, it exhibits several new morphological characteristics which 2-3 conidia could be formed in short chains at the apex of the conidiophores and the conidia could produce two germ tubes in any position. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS sequences show that the pathogen has a close genetic relationship with P. moricola and Ph. broussonetiae-kaempferi, two species on hosts belonging to family Moraceae. However, the ITS differences between Japanese sequences and the Chinese sequence derived from mulberry are greater than expected for a single species and suggest a cryptic species in China, but the present data are not sufficient for a final conclusion. Therefore, the Morus powdery mildew in Yunnan can currently only be classified as Phyllactinia sp. Morphological features, including conidial germination pattern of this powdery mildew are described in detail, and the local climatic conditions of the disease are analysed, which will provide the base for finding an effective method, including bio-control, to control the disease under local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the relationship between climate variables, East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and large outbreaks of dengue in China. We constructed ecological niche models (ENMs) to analyse the influence of climate factors on dengue occurrence and predict dengue outbreak areas in China. Furthermore, we formulated a generalised additive model (GAM) to quantify the impact of the EASM on dengue occurrence in mainland China from 1980 to 2016. Mean Temperature of Coldest Quarter had a 62.6% contribution to dengue outbreaks. Southern China including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Yunnan provinces are more vulnerable to dengue emergence and resurgence. In addition, we found population density had a 68.7% contribution to dengue widely distribution in China using ENMs. Statistical analysis indicated a dome-shaped association between EASM and dengue outbreak using GAM, with the greatest impact in the South-East of China. Besides, there was a positive nonlinear association between monthly average temperature and dengue occurrence. We demonstrated the influence of climate factors and East Asian summer monsoon on dengue outbreaks, providing a framework for future studies on the association between climate change and vector-borne diseases. • The temperature explained 62.6% of the variation in dengue outbreak risk. • The south of China areas including Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Yunnan provinces were more vulnerable to a high risk of dengue infection. • Climate factors and EASM influenced on dengue outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]