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Sensor nodes are widely distributed in the Internet of Things and communicate with each other to form a wireless sensor network (WSN), which plays a vital role in people's productivity and life. However, the energy of WSN nodes is limited, so this paper proposes a two-layer WSN system based on edge computing to solve the problems of high energy consumption and short life cycle of WSN data transmission and establishes wireless energy consumption and distance optimization models for sensor networks. Specifically, we propose the optimization objective of balancing load and distance factors. We adopt an improved sparrow search algorithm to evenly distribute sensor nodes in the system to reduce resource consumption, consumption, and network life. Through the simulation experiment, our method is illustrated, effectively reducing the network's energy consumption by 26.8% and prolonging the network's life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] In this work, we report a novel MoS x /Mn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S composite catalyst that has been designed and fabricated by in situ coupling MoS x nanoclusters with 1D Mn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S nanorods for photocatalytic H 2 production. The catalyst features a 1D nanostructure with MoS x nanoclusters uniformly dispersed along the Mn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S nanorod. It was found that an intimate interface is built between MoS x nanoclusters and Mn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S nanorods thanks to the facile in situ photoreduction route, which contributes to a high-efficiency interfacial charge separation. The resulting MoS x /Mn 0.3 Cd 0.7 S photocatalyst shows a dramatically enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic H 2 production activity compared with the control samples, owing to more efficient spatial charge separation as well as enriched active sites. This work is expected to provide an optimized structure model for rational design and constructing novel, inexpensive, efficient and stable cocatalyst/metal sulfide photocatalyst systems for H 2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Chloro-2-pentanone (5C2P) and its derivatives are widely utilized in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry. A new catalytic approach was proposed to convert 3-acetyl-1-propanol to 5C2P using bis(trichloromethyl)carbonate (triphosgene, BTC) as the efficient chlorine source. Various qualitative and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance techniques (1H, 13C NMR), especially 1D selective gradient total correlation spectroscopy (Sel-TOCSY) and 2D heteronuclear single quantum correlation (1H-13C HSQC) were used in the process. The reaction conditions, such as temperature, time, mole ratio, solvent as well as initiator were optimized. Experiment results showed that the yield of 5C2P reached a maximum of 97.93% in 1,2-dichloroethane at 80 °C after 2 h under the initiation of N,N-dimethylacetamide, and the optimal molar ratio of 3-acetyl-1-propanol to BTC was 1:0.4. The reaction mechanism was proposed and confirmed accordingly. Interestingly, an intermediate product of 1-(dimethylamino)ethyl carbonochloridate was observed, and its chemical structure was characterized by both Sel-TOCSY and 1H-13C HSQC. This study enriched the catalytic reaction ways for the preparation of 5C2P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid increase of smart Internet of Things (IoT) devices, edge networks generate a large number of computing tasks, which require edge-computing resource devices to complete the calculations. However, unreasonable edge-computing resource allocation suffers from high-power consumption and resource waste. Therefore, when user tasks are offloaded to the edge-computing system, reasonable resource allocation is an important issue. Thus, this paper proposes a digital-twin-(DT)-assisted edge-computing resource-allocation model and establishes a joint-optimization function of power consumption, delay, and unbalanced resource-allocation rate. Then, we develop a solution based on the improved whale optimization scheme. Specifically, we propose an improved whale optimization algorithm and design a greedy initialization strategy to improve the convergence speed for the DT-assisted edge-computing resource-allocation problem. Additionally, we redesign the whale search strategy to improve the allocation results. Several simulation experiments demonstrate that the improved whale optimization algorithm reduces the resource allocation and allocation objective function value, the power consumption, and the average resource allocation imbalance rate by 12.6%, 15.2%, and 15.6%, respectively. Overall, the power consumption with the assistance of the DT is reduced to 89.6% of the power required without DT assistance, thus, improving the efficiency of the edge-computing resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo-fungus agroforestry management is an ecological model of sustainable production of moso bamboo forest, and Stropharia rugosoannulata has been widely planted in moso bamboo forest. However, little attention has been paid to soil fauna community in bamboo-fungus agroforestry system. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the response of soil fauna communities to agroforestry management, and to explore the relationships between soil fauna communities and soil properties. An experiment with 0, 1, 2 and 3 years of planting was carried out in an existing moso bamboo forest. The community composition of soil meso- and micro-fauna was investigated, and the soil properties were determined. Results showed that a total of 2968 individuals of soil meso- and micro-fauna, belonging to 8 classes and 13 groups were detected. The group number and density of soil fauna was highest right and then decreased. Planting Stropharia rugosoannulata in moso bamboo forest increased the density of dominant groups, but did not change its composition. Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H), Margalef richness index (D) and Density-Group diversity index (DG) were the highest one year after planting the fungus, while Simpson dominance index (C) was the lowest in the meantime. Contents of soil moisture (SMC), organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) increased first and then decreased with the increase of planting years, peaking at 1 year after planting, while the pH value continued to increase. Responses of soil fauna community were associated with soil physicochemical properties. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that SOM was the main environmental factor driving the variation of soil fauna community, followed by TP and TN. In conclusion, planting Stropharia rugosoannulata in moso bamboo increased the diversity and abundance of soil fauna communities due to its contribution to abundance of organic matter and supply of nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to investigate the allelopathic effects of sesame extracts of on seed germination of moso bamboo, and to isolate and identify the potential allelochemicals. A factorial design with three organs (root, stem and leaf) and five concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg mL−1) was carried out. Seeds of moso bamboo were soaked in sesame extracts to investigate their germination and growth. The allelochemicals were isolated and identified using the high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) system. The germination indices of the same organ decreased with the increase of extract concentrations, while the mean germination time increased, picking at the concentration of 100 mg mL−1. The radicle length and plumule length decreased, while the ratio of radicle length to plumule length increased. The allelopathy inhibition effect increased with the increase of extract concentrations, and it was significantly higher at the concentration of 100 mg mL−1 than that of 25 mg mL−1. The synthesis effect increased with the increase of extract concentrations, and it was significantly higher in leaf than root and stem. Chemical analyses identified 9 allelochemicals species (mostly phenolics and alkaloids) in the aqueous extracts. These results indicated that aqueous extracts of sesame caused the delay in seed germination and growth of moso bamboo, and phenolics and alkaloids in the aqueous extracts maybe the major reasons for the observed inhibition effects of sesame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency-domain passivity theory offers an effective way to assess the stability of inverters in a complex grid. In this article, a unified impedance model, suitable for either inverter current control (ICC) or grid current control (GCC) of LCL-type grid-connected inverters with observer-based capacitor current feedback active damping, is built to facilitate the passivity-based stability assessment and controller parameter design. With the passivity analysis, it is found that when the antiresonant frequency of LCL filter is in certain ranges, i.e., (0.056 $\omega _s$ , 0.20 $\omega _s$) for ICC and (0.046 $\omega _s$ , 0.23 $\omega _s$) for GCC, all frequencies’ passive output admittance of the inverter can be achieved via proposed parameter design guidelines. Due to the utilization of the observer and all frequencies’ passive output admittance property, not only extra current sensors for active damping can be saved, but also the inverter can be connected and stably operated in a grid regardless of the grid impedance. The validity of the theoretical analysis and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by using experimental results on a laboratory prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tautomer distribution of GlcNAc in D 2 O or DMSO‑ d 6 was investigated by NMR techniques. • The tautomer distribution of GlcNAc in common solvents for biorefinery was studied. • Zn2+and Sn4+ promoted the conversion of α-pyranose to β-pyranose. • Amino acid ionic liquids increase the proportion of β-pyranose in DMSO‑ d 6. The tautomer structure of monosaccharides plays an important role in its conversion and utilization, which is mainly manifested in the selectivity of the product and the reaction mechanism. The tautomer distributions of N -acetyl- D -glucosamine (GlcNAc), a natural nitrogen-containing monosaccharide were investigated by quantitative 1H NMR (1H qNMR) and 13C NMR (13C qNMR) at 298 K under the condition commonly utilized for biorefinery. Catalysts used for biorefinery, i.e. BaCl 2 , KCl, ZnCl 2 , MgCl 2 , B(OH) 3 , SnCl 4 ·5H 2 O and amino acid ionic liquid were introduced into D 2 O or DMSO‑ d 6 to explore the tautomer distributions of GlcNAc. The introduction of ZnCl 2 and SnCl 4 ·5H 2 O promoted the conversion of α-pyranose to β-pyranose. The introduction of amino acid ionic liquid has little effect on the percentage of tautomers in D 2 O. However, when the amino acid ionic liquid, such as [Thr]Cl, was introduced into DMSO‑ d 6 , the proportion of β-pyranose increased to 29.06%, compared with no catalyst introduced. Besides, we also studied the tautomer distributions of GlcNAc in commonly utilized reaction solvents for biorefinery, such as N,N -dimethylformamide, N , N -dimethylacetamide, N -methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, ethylene and glycerol. In these solvents, the proportion of β-pyranose in N,N -dimethylformamide and glycerol was reduced to 25.84% and 38.38%, respectively. This study provides the basic experimental data of tautomer distributions of GlcNAc, and guided the conversion and utilization of GlcNAc in the future. Graphical abstract [Display omitted]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on Gymnostomiella vernicosa var. acuminata, a new variety of moss from Taihang Mountain Range in China. It says that the Gymnostomiella vernicosa is somewhat similar to the species of Splachnobryum plants in terms of areolation and leaf shapes. It also discusses the ecology and distribution of Gymnostomiella vernicosa in China.

With the fuzzy boundary between normal and abnormal video data, which cannot be well distinguished by most methods, anomaly detection in video requires better characterization of the data. First we give a convolution-enhanced self-attentive video auto-encoder based on the U-Net architecture, which can extract richer image features. Secondly we design a dual-scale feature clustering structure for this encoder, which simultaneously compresses the channel and spatial structure features of the image to represent the features to obtain good coding characteristics and expand the boundary between normal and abnormal data. We also verify that our approach is equivalent to a class of auto-encoders for memory-guided learning. Finally, in the reconstruction task, since video auto-encoders are capable of triggering temporal time leakage phenomena that can lead to network performance degradation, we propose an anomaly score computation paradigm for video auto-encoders that utilizes the average frame anomaly score of a video clip to compute the first frame anomaly score in that video clip. Extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets show that our method outperforms most existing methods on large datasets with complex patterns. The code will be published at the following link: Anomaly-detection-guided-by-clustering-learning • We propose a self-encoder that uses a convolutional enhancement of the attention mechanism. • We proposes a two-scale depth clustering module based on K-means algorithm. The module works by constrained encoder, which is helpful to distinguish abnormal data from normal data. • We give an anomaly detection paradigm applied to the video encoder reconstruction task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entanglement transmission is utilized widely in quantum communication. In this paper we establish a model, which characterizes the performance of entanglement state passing through the composite free space channel. This free space channel is compounded with atmosphere, sea surface and underwater channel. Based on the model, the entanglement photon pairs transmitted through composite channel are simulated. Simulation results show that the beam wandering, the incident angle of the beam on the sea surface, the concentration of chlorophyll in the seawater and other factors will lead to the degradation of the entanglement and these factors have a nonlinear relationship with transmittance. Moreover, the increase of the chlorophyll concentration is found to be a relatively heavy impact on the entanglement. In addition, expanding the aperture size of the receiving telescope will improve entanglement. The research of this paper has momentous meaning to the transmission of quantum entanglement in free space. What's more, the results have an extremely vital reference value for quantum communications in diverse natural environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telocytes (TCs) are distinctive interstitial cells due to their characteristic structures and heterogeneity. They are suggested to participate in tissue repair/regeneration. TCs have been identified in many organs of various mammals. However, data on TCs in lower animals are still very limited. In this work, TCs were identified in the myocardium of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The structural relationships between TCs and neighbouring cell types were measured using the ImageJ (FiJi) morphometric software. TCs with slender Tps (telepodes) were located around cardiomyocytes (CMC). TEM revealed TCs with long Tps in the stroma between CMC. The homocellular tight junctions were observed between the Tps. The Tps were also very close to the neighbouring CMC. The distance between Tps and CMC was 0.15 ± 0.08 μm. Notably, Tps were observed to adhere to the periphery of the satellite cells. The Tps and the satellite cells established heterocellular structural connections by tight junctions. Additionally, Tps were frequently observed in close proximity to mast cells (MCs). The distance between the Tps and the MCs was 0.19 ± 0.09 μm. These results confirmed that TCs are present in the myocardium of the bullfrog, and that TCs established structural relationships with neighbouring cell types, including satellite cells and MCs. These findings provide the anatomical evidence to support the note that TCs are involved in tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas the presence of flowers on ornamental flowering plants is essential for their identification via traditional methods, ornamental flowering plants cannot be reliably identified in non‐flowering stages likewise. Here, DBALM (DNA Barcodes–Leaf Morphology), a new approach that combines DNA barcoding data with micromorphological features of the leaf epidermis and that is not limited by the flowering stage, was used to identify 16 evergreen rhododendron cultivars. First, the sequences of DNA barcodes, ITS, matK, psbA‐trnH, and rbcL, were obtained from the DNA of leaves. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to clarify the groupings among all the samples based on the four markers. Then, microscopic features of the leaf epidermis were used to further distinguish individuals from the same clade. DNA barcoding permitted the 16 cultivars to be divided into eight groups. The microscopic features of the leaf epidermis permitted cultivars within the same clade to be distinguished. The matK + psbA‐trnH combination was the most effective barcode combination in this study. In addition, the new primer matK‐Rh_R was designed, and it increased the amplification rate of evergreen rhododendron cultivars to 100%. In sum, DBALM was capable of accurately identifying the 16 evergreen rhododendron cultivars using data collected from a single leaf in the vegetative growth stage. This method can greatly facilitate the identification and breeding of ornamental flowering plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, research on the evolution of heterogeneous combat networks (HCNs) mainly focuses on the modeling process, with little attention paid to the impact of changes in network topology on operational capabilities. Link prediction can provide a fair and unified comparison standard for network evolution mechanisms. This paper uses link prediction methods to study the evolution of HCNs. Firstly, according to the characteristics of HCNs, a link prediction index based on frequent subgraphs (LPFS) is proposed. LPFS have been demonstrated on a real combat network to be superior to 26 baseline methods. The main driving force of research on evolution is to improve the operational capabilities of combat networks. Adding the same number of nodes and edges, 100 iterative experiments demonstrate that the evolutionary method (HCNE) proposed in this paper outperforms random evolution and preferential evolution in improving the operational capabilities of combat networks. Furthermore, the new network generated after evolution is more consistent with the characteristics of a real network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haplodontium zangiiX.R.Wang & J.C.Zhao, a new moss species from Xizang, China, is described and illustrated. Previously, specimens ofH. zangiihave been identified asMielichhoferia himalayanaMitt. However,H. zangiiis distinctly different fromM. himalayanain having excurrent costae with short awns (vslong denticulate awns), short-pyriform capsules, 0.8–1 mm (vslong-pyriform capsules, 2.5–3 mm), and densely papillose exostome teeth (vssmooth or vertically striped exostome teeth).Haplodontium zangiiis similar toH. macrocarpum(Hook.) J.R.Spence, which was traditionally placed inMielichhoferiaNees & Hornsch. asM. macrocarpa(Hook.) Bruch & Schimp. The main differences betweenH. zangiiandH. macrocarpumare in the morphology of the leaves, capsules, guide cells, and stomata.Mielichhoferia himalayanaand another Chinese species ofMielichhoferia,M. sinensisDix., are also transferred toHaplodontiumHampe, a new genus in the bryoflora of China, asH. himalayanum(Mitt.) X.R.Wang & J.C.Zhao andH. sinensis(Dix.) X.R.Wang & J.C.Zhao. A morphological comparison and a key to the three species ofHaplodontiumin China as well as toH. macrocarpum, a species that is likely to be found in China, are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using NMR technology with the aid of ESI-mass spectroscopy to investigate the reaction of the dehydration of GlcNAc into 3A5AF and propose the reasonable mechanism. [Display omitted] • [AMim]Cl and B(OH) 3 synergistically catalyze GlcNAc to produce 3A5AF. • The interaction between the catalysts and GlcNAc was explored by 1H, 13C &35Cl chemical shift titration. • The reaction intermediates Chromogen I and Chromogen III were detected by NMR and ESI-MS. • The reaction mechanism and path were proposed through NMR results and DFT calculations. This study proposed that the preparation of 3-acetamido-5-acetylfuran (3A5AF), a versatile platform molecule, from N -acetyl- d -glucosamine (GlcNAc) catalyzed by boric acid (B(OH) 3) and 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMim]Cl). Herein, the mechanism was investigated by primary nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. The catalytic interactions between [AMim]Cl/B(OH) 3 and GlcNAc were investigated by 1H, 13C &35Cl chemical shift titration. In addition, 13C 1 -labelled GlcNAc and various NMR techniques were exploited to characterize the reaction at the molecular level and detect the reaction intermediates. The results revealed that the chloride ion and the boron complex of GlcNAc with B(OH) 3 probably play crucial roles and are responsible for a synergic catalytic effect in the process. The intermediates, 2-acetamido-2,3-dideoxy- d - erythro -hex-2-enofuranose (Chromogen I) and 3-acetamido-5-(1′,2′-dihydroxyethyl)furan (Chromogen III), were recognized by NMR and further confirmed with the aid of ESI-mass spectroscopy. On the basis of these studies a reaction pathway could be proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge in extracting high-quality DNA from bryophytes is the treatment of bryophyte material in the field. The existing and commonly used treatment methods in the field have several shortcomings. Natural drying methods can lead to DNA breaks. In addition, it is highly cumbersome to carry large quantities of silica gel in the field due to its weight and high risk of contamination among samples. In this study, we explored more convenient drying methods to treat bryophyte specimens and promote more efficient DNA recovery. The quantity and quality of genomic DNA extracted from every bryophyte species using different drying methods, including hot-air drying methods (150°C, 80°C, and 40°C), natural drying method, and silica gel drying method, were measured. Spectrophotometry, electrophoresis, and PCR amplification were performed to assess the effects of different drying methods. The results of total DNA purity, total DNA concentration, PCR success, and OD 260/230 ratios suggested that the hot-air drying (40–80°C) was the best method. The morphological comparison revealed that hot-air drying at 40°C and 80°C exerted no significant adverse effects on plant morphology and taxonomic studies. Thus, this method prevents rapid DNA degradation and silica gel pollution and saves the workforce from carrying large amounts of silica gel to the field. Several inexpensive devices, such as portable hairdryers, fan heaters, and electric blankets, are available that can be easily carried to the field for drying molecular specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on topics related to Pohlia nutans (Hedw.) Lindb. bryophyte. Topics mentioned include the several species of Pohlia nutans, the effects of climate to Pohlia, and its germination behaviour. Also mentioned are the characteristics of laminal cells of Pohlia, the plant growth, and the study of Pohlia nutans in China.

• Ultrathin 2D Al-MOF nanosheets were synthesized by a solvothermal method. • The presence of a mixed solvent and sulfate ion is critical to the formation of the specific 2D Al-MOF. • Ther ultrathin morphology is beneficial for the exposure of active sites and mass/electron transport. • The optimized Al-MOF exhibited high catalytic activity with almost no overpotential and high selectivity for 2e− ORR to H 2 O 2. Electrochemical transformation from oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) is one of the promising green techniques to synthesis H 2 O 2. However, due to the competing two processes of 2e− and 4e−ORR with different products, designing and synthesizing highly selective and active 2e− ORR electrocatalysts for H 2 O 2 production is fundamentally and practically important. In this work, we used a simple solvothermal method and self-template strategy to create ultrathin 2D Al-MOF nanosheets for efficient electrocatalytic synthesis of H 2 O 2 by 2e− ORR. The presence of a mixed solvent and sulfate ion is critical to the formation of the specific structure. Naturally, their ultrathin morphology and abundant mesoporous formation leads to the sufficient exposure of electrochemically active sites and high mass/electron transfer capability. Therefore, the Al-MOF NSs show excellent electrocatalytic performance for 2e− ORR. The optimized Al-MOF NSs-1 exhibited the best ORR catalytic performance with almost no overpotential and high selectivity for 2e− ORR to H 2 O 2 (94 %–98 %) in a wide range of low potentials in alkaline electrolyte. Meanwhile, the high reaction rate of 2.56 molg cat −1h−1 for H 2 O 2 production has also been achieved at 0.6 V. Furthermore, the Al-MOF NSs-1 enable to catalyze H 2 O 2 production with excellent durability and selectivity after long-term stability test (10,000 cycles) and 11 h of potentiostatic electrolysis. The present study indicates the promising application of metal organic frameworks (MOFs) materials in H 2 O 2 electrochemical synthesis. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological soil crusts (BSCs) in the Gurbantunggut Desert, the largest fixed and semi-fixed desert in China, feature moss-dominated BSCs, which play an indispensable role in sand fixation. Syntrichia caninervis Mitt. (S. caninervis) serves as one of the most common species in BSCs in the desert. In this study we examined the morphological structure of S. caninervis from leafy gametophyte to protonema using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We also examined the relationships between the morphological structure of S. caninervis and environmental factors. We found that: (1) this moss species is commonly tufted on the sand surface, and its leaves are folded upwards and twisted around the stem under dry conditions; (2) the cells on both upper and lower leaf surfaces have C-shaped dark papillae, which may reflect sunlight to reduce the damage from high temperature; (3) the leaf costa is excurrent, forming an awn with forked teeth; and (4) the protonema cells are small and thickset with thick cell walls and the cytoplasm is highly concentrated with a small vacuole. In addition, we also found that the protonema cells always form pouches on the tip of the mother cells during the process of cell polarization. Our results suggest that S. caninervis has, through its life cycle, several morphological and structural characteristics to adapt to dry environmental conditions. These morphological features of S. caninervis may also be found in other deserts in the world due to the world-wide distribution of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utility of elevational gradients as tools to test either ecological hypotheses and delineate elevation‐associated environmental factors that explain the species diversity patterns is critical for moss species conservation. We examined the elevational patterns of species richness and evaluated the effects of spatial and environmental factors on moss species predicted a priori by alternative hypotheses, including mid‐domain effect (MDE), habitat complexity, energy, and environment proposed to explain the variation of diversity. Last, we assessed the contribution of elevation toward explaining the heterogeneity among sampling sites. We observed the hump‐shaped distribution pattern of species richness along elevational gradient. The MDE and the habitat complexity hypothesis were supported with MDE being the primary driver for richness patterns, whereas little support was found for the energy and the environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with the attenuated total reflectance technique was used to identify Rhodobryum roseum from its four adulterants. The FTIR spectra of six samples in the range from 4000 cm−1 to 600 cm−1 were obtained. The second-derivative transformation test was used to identify the small and nearby absorption peaks. A cluster analysis was performed to classify the spectra in a dendrogram based on the spectral similarity. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to classify the species of six moss samples. A cluster analysis with PCA was used to identify different genera. However, some species of the same genus exhibited highly similar chemical components and FTIR spectra. Fourier self-deconvolution and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) were used to enhance the differences among the species with similar chemical components and FTIR spectra. Three scales were selected as the feature-extracting space in the DWT domain. The results show that FTIR spectroscopy with chemometrics is suitable for identifying Rhodobryum roseum and its adulterants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Umbilical hernia is a common abdominal complication in cirrhotic patients with ascites. Our study aimed to evaluate the correlation of umbilical hernia with the volume of ascites. Methods Cirrhotic patients that underwent axial abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scans at our hospital between June 2012 and June 2014 were eligible. All CT images were reviewed to confirm the presence of umbilical hernia. The volume of ascites was estimated by five-point method. Results One hundred and fifty-seven patients were enrolled into this study. Among them, 101 patients had ascites and 6 patients had umbilical hernia. Alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and serum sodium were significantly lower in patients with umbilical hernia (P = 0.008, P = 0.011, respectively). Child-Pugh scores and the volume of ascites were significantly higher in patients with umbilical hernia (P = 0.03, P < 0.0001, respectively). Correlation analysis demonstrated that the volume of ascites, Child-Pugh scores, and blood ammonia had positive correlations with umbilical hernia ( r = 0.4579, P < 0.0001; r = 0.175, P = 0.03; r = 0.342, P = 0.001, respectively) and that serum sodium had a negative correlation with umbilical hernia ( r = -0.203, P = 0.011). In patients with ascites ≥2000 mL, only AKP was significantly associated with umbilical hernia (P = 0.0497). No variables were significantly associated with umbilical hernia in a subgroup analysis of patients matched according to the volume of ascites. Conclusions The volume of ascites has a positive correlation with umbilical hernia. However, the factors associated with umbilical hernia in patients with severe ascites remain unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming has created opportunities and challenges for the survival and development of species. Determining how climate change may impact multiple ecosystem levels and lead to various species adaptations is necessary for both biodiversity conservation and sustainable biological resource utilization. In this study, we employed Maxent to predict changes in the habitat range and altitude of Polygala tenuifolia Willd. under current and future climate scenarios in China. Four representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5) were modeled for two time periods (2050 and 2070). The model inputs included 732 presence points and nine sets of environmental variables under the current conditions and the four RCPs in 2050 and 2070. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to evaluate model performance. All of the AUCs were greater than 0.80, thereby placing these models in the “very good” category. Using a jackknife analysis, the precipitation in the warmest quarter, annual mean temperature, and altitude were found to be the top three variables that affect the range of P. tenuifolia. Additionally, we found that the predicted highly suitable habitat was in reasonable agreement with its actual distribution. Furthermore, the highly suitable habitat area was slowly reduced over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use change is the second main reason for carbon (C) emissions after fossil fuel combustion, and it is recognized as an important driving force for soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil nitrogen (N) dynamics. Conversion of the secondary forest to Chinese fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata [Lamb.] Hook) and Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys heterocycla [Carr] Mitford cv. Pubescens ) plantations represents one of the most important land use changes in subtropical China. However, the effects of these land use changes on the SOC and N stocks were not well documented. Therefore, in this study soil samples were collected in a secondary forest, a 17-year Chinese fir and a 18-year Moso bamboo plantation after the conversion from the secondary forest in November 2013, and total SOC and N concentrations were measured. Total SOC and N concentrations decreased with soil depth over the 0–50 cm in three land uses, and they were significantly higher in the secondary forest than those of Chinese fir and Moso bamboo plantations; however, these concentrations were not significantly different between Chinese fir and Moso bamboo plantations. Top soil (0–10 cm) stored one third of total SOC and N stocks. SOC and N stocks in the secondary forest were significantly higher than those of Chinese fir and Moso bamboo plantations with values of 203.68, 127.34 and 118.25 t·ha − 1 for SOC stock and 9.24, 5.10 and 6.35 t·ha − 1 for N stock. The results indicated that converting the secondary forest to Chinese fir and Moso bamboo plantations significantly decreased the SOC and N stocks over 0–50 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of a literature survey and examination of specimens, we believe that the identification of three species of propaguliferous Pohlia in China, Pohlia flexuosa, Pohlia proligera, and Pohlia leucostoma needs to be clarified. Pohlia flexuosa has two differing types of propagule: one short and oblong and the other long and thread-like; both propagules have inconspicuous leaf primordia, and can occur on the same stem. Propagules of P. proligera are shortly clavate to long vermicular, with one to three unicellular or multicellular prong-like leaf primordia arising at the apex of the propagule, and the leaf primordia are approximately one-fourth of the total length of the propagules. Pohlia leucostoma has long filiform propagules, with two or three short peg-like leaf primordia about one-tenth of total propagule length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]