Contribution Of Environmental Factors Research Articles

Spatial distribution of benthic taxonomic and functional diversity in the Yellow River Basin: From ecological processes to associated determinant factors

One of the fundamental objectives in ecology is to investigate the ecological processes and associated factors governing the abundance and spatial distribution patterns of biodiversity. However, the reaction of biological communities to environmental degradation remains relatively unknown, even for ecologically crucial communities like macroinvertebrates in aquatic ecosystems. Here, we sampled 117 locations to quantify relative contributions of geographical and environmental factors, including water quality, land use, climate, and hydrological factors, to determine the absolute and relative compositions of macroinvertebrate communities and their spatial distribution in the Yellow River Basin (YRB), the sixth-longest river system on Earth. We assessed relative roles of species sorting and dispersal in determining macroinvertebrate community structure along YRB. Our results demonstrated that alpha and beta diversity indices showed an increase from the up- to low-reaches of YRB. The middle and low-reaches exhibited elevated species diversity and both regions exhibited relatively stable community compositions. The biodiversity of macroinvertebrates was influenced by a combination of geographical factors and environmental variables, with environmental factors predominantly serving as the principal determinants. Results of multiple linear regression and variance decomposition showed that the effect of environmental factors was approximately three times greater than that of spatial factors. These findings provide support for the hypothesis that species sorting, driven by environmental gradients, plays a significant role in shaping the community structure of macroinvertebrates in running water ecosystems at the basin scales. Moreover, the factors contributing to substantial shifts in biodiversity across different segments of YRB indicate that distinct river sections have been influenced by varying stressors, with downstream areas being more susceptible to the impacts of water pollution and urbanization resulting from human activities.

Gestational hypothyroxinemia induces ASD-like phenotypes in behavior, proinflammatory markers, and glutamatergic protein expression in mouse offspring of both sexes

Gestational hypothyroxinemia induces ASD-like phenotypes in behavior, proinflammatory markers, and glutamatergic protein expression in mouse offspring of both sexes

Analysing the Cyanobacterial PipX Interaction Network Using NanoBiT Complementation in Synechococcus elongatus PCC7942.

The conserved cyanobacterial protein PipX is part of a complex interaction network with regulators involved in essential processes that include metabolic homeostasis and ribosome assembly. Because PipX interactions depend on the relative levels of their different partners and of the effector molecules binding to them, in vivo studies are required to understand the physiological significance and contribution of environmental factors to the regulation of PipX complexes. Here, we have used the NanoBiT complementation system to analyse the regulation of complex formation in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 between PipX and each of its two best-characterized partners, PII and NtcA. Our results confirm previous in vitro analyses on the regulation of PipX-PII and PipX-NtcA complexes by 2-oxoglutarate and on the regulation of PipX-PII by the ATP/ADP ratio, showing the disruption of PipX-NtcA complexes due to increased levels of ADP-bound PII in Synechococcus elongatus. The demonstration of a positive role of PII on PipX-NtcA complexes during their initial response to nitrogen starvation or the impact of a PipX point mutation on the activity of PipX-PII and PipX-NtcA reporters are further indications of the sensitivity of the system. This study reveals additional regulatory complexities in the PipX interaction network, opening a path for future research on cyanobacteria.

Patterns of Tadpole β Diversity in Temperate Montane Streams.

Understanding the spatial variation and formation mechanism of biological diversity is a hot topic in ecological studies. Comparing with α diversity, β diversity is more accurate in reflecting community dynamics. During the past decades, β diversity studies usually focused on plants, mammals, and birds. Studies of amphibian β diversity in montane ecosystems, in particular, tadpoles, are still rare. In this study, Mount Emei, located in southwestern China, was selected as the study area. We explored the tadpole β diversity in 18 streams, based on a two-year survey (2018-2019). Our results indicated a high total β diversity in tadpole assemblages, which was determined by both turnover and nestedness processes, and the dominant component was turnover. Both the total β diversity and turnover component were significantly and positively correlated with geographical, elevational, and environmental distances, but no significant relationship was detected between these and the nestedness component. Moreover, the independent contributions of river width, current velocity, and chlorophyll α were larger than that of geographical and elevational distance. Overall, tadpole β diversity was determined by both spatial and environmental factors, while the contribution of environmental factors was larger. Future studies can focus on functional and phylogenetic structures, to better understand the tadpole assembly process.

Tissue-specific nonheritable influences drive endometrial immune system variation.

Although human twin studies have revealed the combined contribution of heritable and environmental factors in shaping immune system variability in blood, the contribution of these factors to immune system variability in tissues remains unexplored. The human uterus undergoes constant regeneration and is exposed to distinct environmental factors. To assess uterine immune system variation, we performed a system-level analysis of endometrial and peripheral blood immune cells in monozygotic twins. Although most immune cell phenotypes in peripheral blood showed high genetic heritability, more variation was found in endometrial immune cells, indicating a stronger influence by environmental factors. Cytomegalovirus infection was identified to influence peripheral blood immune cell variability but had limited effect on endometrial immune cells. Instead, hormonal contraception shaped the local endometrial milieu and immune cell composition with minor influence on the systemic immune system. These results highlight that the magnitude of human immune system variation and factors influencing it can be tissue specific.

Emerging Role of Environmental Epitranscriptomics and RNA Modifications in Parkinson's Disease.

Environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions play a critical role in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the relatively large contribution of environmental risk factors in the overwhelming majority of PD cases has been widely neglected in the field. A "PD prevention agenda" proposed in this journal laid out a set of research priorities focused on preventing PD through modification of environmental risk factors. This agenda includes a call for preclinical studies to employ new high-throughput methods for analyzing transcriptomics and epigenomics to provide a deeper understanding of the effects of exposures linked to PD. Here, we focus on epitranscriptomics as a novel area of research with the potential to add to our understanding of the interplay between genes and environmental exposures in PD. Both epigenetics and epitranscriptomics have been recognized as potential mediators of the complex relationship between genes, environment, and disease. Multiple studies have identified epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, associated with PD and PD-related exposures in human studies and preclinical models. In addition, recent technological advancements have made it possible to study epitranscriptomic RNA modifications, such as RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A), and a handful of recent studies have begun to explore epitranscriptomics in PD-relevant exposure models. Continued exploration of epitranscriptomic mechanisms in environmentally relevant PD models offers the opportunity to identify biomarkers, pre-degenerative changes that precede symptom onset, and potential mitigation strategies for disease prevention and treatment.

How much do conservation cropping practices mitigate runoff and soil erosion under Western European conditions: A focus on conservation tillage, tied ridging and winter cover crops

AbstractConservation farming practices are known for their capacity to mitigate runoff and erosion, but the magnitude of their effectiveness is highly variable across studies. In order to better understand the contribution of environmental and management factors to their effectiveness, up to 37 studies reporting 271 individual trials were collated for a quantitative review regarding 3 common conservation agriculture‐related practices, at the plot scale and in a Western European context. Two different methods suitable for hierarchically structured data sets were used for the meta‐analyses—hierarchical nonparametric bootstrapping and linear random effects models—, yielding nearly identical average outcomes but differing in terms of confidence intervals. We found that, on average, winter cover crops reduce cumulative seasonal (autumn‐winter) runoff by 68% and soil losses by 72% compared with a bare soil. The occurrence and intensity of stubble tillage on the control plot is a key explanatory variable for the mitigation effect of winter cover crops. In potato crops, tied ridging reduces cumulative seasonal (spring–summer) runoff by a mean of 70% and soil erosion by 92%. Conservation (non‐inversion) tillage techniques alleviate cumulative seasonal overland flow by 27% and associated sediments losses by 66%, but strong evidence of publication bias was detected for this farming practice, probably leading to an overestimation of its effectiveness. These mitigation effects are shown to be much greater for spring crops than for winter crops, and to increase with time since ploughing was stopped. The type of conservation tillage scheme strongly affects the ability to attenuate surface flows. Intensive non‐inversion tillage systems relying on repeated use of (powered) tillage operations appear to be the least effective for reducing both water and sediment losses. The best performing scheme against runoff would be a deep (non‐inversion) tillage (−61%), while against erosion it would be a no‐till system (−82%). Although several explanatory factors were identified, there remains a high (unexplained) variability between trials effect sizes, thus not attributable to pure sampling variability. Meanwhile, this review provides farm advisors or policy makers with guidance on the contexts in which implementation of such conservation practices should be supported so as to maximize expected benefits.

The relative contribution of environmental factors and human factors on driving cessation among older people in South Korea

The relative contribution of environmental factors and human factors on driving cessation among older people in South Korea

Familial aggregation and heritability of childhood-onset and adult-onset type 1 diabetes: a Swedish register-based cohort study

Type 1 diabetes in children is known to be highly heritable, but much less is known about the heritability of adult-onset type 1 diabetes. Thus, our objective was to compare the familial aggregation and heritability of type 1 diabetes in adults and children. This Swedish nationwide register-based cohort study included individuals born from Jan 1, 1982, to Dec 31, 2010, identified through the Medical Birth Register who were linked to their parents, full siblings, half siblings, and cousins through the Multi-Generation Register (MGR). We excluded multiple births, deaths within the first month of life, individuals who could not be linked to MGR, or individuals with contradictory information on sex. Information on diagnoses of type 1 diabetes was retrieved by linkages to the National Diabetes Register and National Patient Register (1982-2020). Individuals with inconsistent records of diabetes type were excluded. We estimated the cumulative incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) of type 1 diabetes in adults (aged 19-30 years) and children (aged 0-18 years) by family history of type 1 diabetes and the heritability of adult-onset and childhood-onset type 1 diabetes based on tetrachoric correlations, using sibling pairs. 2 943 832 individuals were born in Sweden during the study period, 2 832 755 individuals were included in the analysis of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes and 1 805 826 individuals were included in the analysis of adult-onset type 1 diabetes. 3240 cases of adult-onset type 1 diabetes (median onset age 23·4 years [IQR 21·1-26·2]; 1936 [59·7%] male and 1304 [40·2%] female) and 17 914 cases of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (median onset age 9·8 years [6·2-13·3]; 9819 [54·8%] male and 8095 [45·2%] female) developed during follow-up. Having a first-degree relative with type 1 diabetes conferred an HR of 7·21 (95% CI 6·28-8·28) for adult-onset type 1 diabetes and 9·92 (9·38-10·50) for childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. The HR of developing type 1 diabetes before the age 30 years was smaller if a first-degree relative developed type 1 diabetes during adulthood (6·68 [6·04-7·39]) rather than during childhood (10·54 [9·92-11·19]). Similar findings were observed for type 1 diabetes in other relatives. Heritability was lower for adult-onset type 1 diabetes (0·56 [0·45-0·66]) than childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (0·81 [0·77-0·85]). Adult-onset type 1 diabetes seems to have weaker familial aggregation and lower heritability than childhood-onset type 1 diabetes. This finding suggests a larger contribution of environmental factors to the development of type 1 diabetes in adults than in children and highlights the need to identify and intervene on such factors. Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Swedish Diabetes Foundation, and the China Scholarship Council.

Climate and soil stressed elevation patterns of plant species to determine the aboveground biomass distributions in a valley-type Savanna.

Extreme environments such as prolonged high temperatures and droughts can cause vulnerability of vegetation ecosystems. The dry-hot valleys of Southwestern China, known for their extremely high annual temperature, lack of water, and unique non-zonal "hot island" habitat in the global temperate zone, provide exceptional sites for studying how plant adapts to the prolonged dry and hot environment. However, the specific local biotic-environment relationships in these regions remain incompletely elucidated. The study aims to evaluate how valley-type Savanna vegetation species and their communities adapt to long-term drought and high-temperature stress environments. The study investigated the changes in species diversity and communities' aboveground biomass of a valley-type Savanna vegetation along an elevation gradient of Yuanmou dry-hot valley in Jinsha River basin, southwest China. Subsequently, a general linear model was utilized to simulate the distribution pattern of species diversities and their constituent biomass along theelevation gradient. Finally, the RDA and VPH mothed were used to evaluate the impacts and contributions of environmental factors or variables on the patterns. The field survey reveals an altitudinal gradient effect on the valley-type Savanna, with a dominant species of shrubs and herbs plants distribution below an elevation of 1700m, and a significant positive relationship between the SR, Shannon-Wiener, Simpson, and Pielou indices and altitudes. Relatively, the community aboveground biomass did not increase significantly with elevation, which was mainly due to a decreased biomass of herbaceous plants along the elevation. Different regulators of shrub-herbaceous plant species and their functional groups made different elevation patterns of species diversity and aboveground biomass in valley-type Savannas. Herbaceous plants are responsible for maintaining species diversity and ensuring stability in the aboveground biomass of the vegetation. However, the influence of shrubs on aboveground biomass became more pronounced as environmental conditions varied along the altitudinal gradient. Furthermore, species diversity was mainly influenced by soil and climatic environmental factors, whereas community biomass was mainly regulated by plant species or functional groups. The study demonstrates that the spatial pattern of valley-type Savanna was formed as a result of different environmental responses and the productive capacity of retained plant species or functional groups to climate-soil factors, highlighting the value of the Yuanmou dry-hot Valley as a microcosm for exploring the intricate interactions between vegetation evolution and changes in environmental factors.

Towards interpretable machine learning for observational quantification of soil heavy metal concentrations under environmental constraints

Monitoring heavy metal concentrations in soils is central to assessing agricultural production safety. Satellite observations permit inferring concentrations from spectrum, thereby contributing to the prevention and control of soil heavy metal pollution. However, heavy metals exhibit weak spectral responses, particularly at low and medium concentrations, and are predominantly influenced by other soil components. Machine learning (ML)-driven modelling can produce predictions but lacks interpretability. Here, we present an interpretable ML framework for concentration quantification modelling and investigated the contributions of spectral and environmental factors—pH and organic carbon—to the estimation of metals with multiple concentration gradients, as analysed through SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) data derived from four learning-based scenarios. The results indicated that scenarios SHC (spectral, pH, and organic carbon) and SH (spectral and pH) were the most optimal for chromium (Cr) [RPD = 1.42, Adj R2 = 0.62], and cadmium (Cd) [RPD = 1.80, Adj R2 = 0.80]. Under environmental constraints, the spectral predictability for Cr and Cd was improved by 67 % and 87 %, respectively. We concluded that interpretable modelling, utilising both spectral and soil environmental factors, holds significant potential for estimating heavy metals across concentration gradients. It is recommended that samples with higher organic carbon content and lower pH be selected to enhance Cr and Cd predictions. An advanced grasp of interpretable predictions facilitates earlier warning of heavy metal contamination and guides the formulation of robust sampling strategies.

Genetic confounding in the association of early motor development with childhood and adolescent exercise behavior

IntroductionEarly motor development has been found to be a predictor of exercise behavior in children and adolescents, but whether this reflects a causal effect or confounding by genetic or shared environmental factors remains to be established.MethodsFor 20,911 complete twin pairs from the Netherlands Twin Register a motor development score was obtained from maternal reports on the timing of five motor milestones. During a 12-year follow-up, subsamples of the mothers reported on the twins’ ability to perform seven gross motor skills ability (N = 17,189 pairs), and weekly minutes of total metabolic equivalents of task (MET) spent on sports and exercise activities at age 7 (N = 3632 pairs), age 10 (N = 3735 pairs), age 12 (N = 7043 pairs), and age 14 (N = 3990 pairs). Multivariate phenotypic and genetic regression analyses were used to establish the predictive strength of the two motor development traits for future exercise behavior, the contribution of genetic and shared environmental factors to the variance in all traits, and the contribution of familial confounding to the phenotypic prediction.ResultsSignificant heritability (h2) and shared environmental (c2) effects were found for early motor development in boys and girls (h2 = 43-65%; c2 = 16-48%). For exercise behavior, genetic influences increased with age (boys: h2age7 = 22% to h2age14 = 51%; girls: h2age7 = 3% to h2age14 = 18%) paired to a parallel decrease in the influence of the shared environment (boys: c2age7 = 68% to c2age14 = 19%; girls: c2age7 = 80% to c2age14 = 48%). Early motor development explained 4.3% (p < 0.001) of the variance in future exercise behavior in boys but only 1.9% (p < 0.001) in girls. If the effect in boys was due to a causal effect of motor development on exercise behavior, all of the factors influencing motor development would, through the causal chain, also influence future exercise behavior. Instead, only the genetic parts of the regression of exercise behavior on motor development were significant. Shared and unique environmental parts of the regression were largely non-significant, which is at odds with the causal hypothesis.ConclusionNo support was found for a direct causal effect in the association between rapid early motor development on future exercise behavior. In boys, early motor development appears to be an expression of the same genetic factors that underlie the heritability of childhood and early adolescent exercise behavior.

To what extent can we predict variation of bryophyte and tracheophyte community composition at fine spatial scale along an elevation gradient?

Mounting evidence points to the need for high-resolution climatic data in biodiversity analyses under global change. As we move to finer resolution, other factors than climate, including other abiotic variables and biotic interactions play, however, an increasing role, raising the question of our ability to predict community composition at fine scales. Focusing on two lineages of land plants, bryophytes and tracheophytes, we determine the relative contribution of climatic, non-climatic environmental drivers, spatial effects, community architecture and composition of one lineage to predict community composition of the other lineage, and how our ability to predict community composition varies along an elevation gradient. The relationship between community composition of one lineage and 68 environmental variables at 2-25 m spatial resolution, architecture and composition of the other lineage, and spatial factors, was investigated by hierarchical and variance partitioning across 413 2x2m plots in the Swiss Alps. Climatic data, although significant, contributed less to the model than any other variable considered. Community composition of one lineage, reflecting both direct interactions and unmeasured (hidden) abiotic factors, was the best predictor of community composition of the other lineage. Total explained variance substantially varied with elevation, underlining the fact that the strength of the species composition-environment relationship varies depending on environmental conditions. Total variance explained increased towards high elevation up to 50 %, with an increasing importance of spatial effects and vegetation architecture, pointing to increasing positive interactions and aggregated species distribution patterns in alpine environments. In tracheophytes, an increase of the contribution of non-climatic environmental factors was also observed at high elevation, in line with the hypothesis of a stronger environmental control under harsher conditions. Further improvements of our ability to predict changes in plant community composition may involve the implementation of historical variables and higher-resolution climatic data to better describe the microhabitat conditions actually experienced by organisms.

The relative contribution of environmental and spatial factors on the composition of assemblages of Chironomidae (Insecta, Diptera) in Atlantic Forest springs

ABSTRACT Environmental and spatial factors can affect the distribution of aquatic insect metacommunities. In tropical springs, few studies have been conducted on the subject, especially regarding the influence of spatial variables. Our main objective was to assess the influence of environmental and spatial factors on the composition of Chironomidae assemblages in 48 pristine springs in different watersheds in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. This is the first study of the composition of Chironomids assemblages in springs in the Neotropical region. A single time in the dry season, three samples of the substrate at each spring were collected with a hand net. To assess the importance of environmental and/or spatial predictors of the composition of the Chironomidae metacommunities Partial redundancy analysis was performed. The results show that environmental variables explained little of the composition of Chironomids assemblages in Atlantic Forest springs. The local environmental factors selected by the model were dissolved oxygen, conductivity and plant cover, and the spatial factors selected were PCNM 1 and PCNM 6. Most of the variation in the Chironomidae assemblage remained unexplained by the partial redundancy models. Our results suggest the influence of temporal and spatial variables on the structure of metacommunities of Chironomidae in tropical springs.

Eutrophication modifies the relationships between multiple facets of macroinvertebrate beta diversity and geographic distance in freshwater lakes

AbstractAimUnderstanding the distance–decay relationship (DDR) has been considered important because it reflects a combination of several ecological processes such as dispersal limitation and environmental sorting. However, effects of human disturbances on DDR are poorly known, especially in freshwater lakes. This study is aimed to examine how anthropogenic eutrophication modified the relationships between three facets (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic) of macroinvertebrate beta diversity and geographic and environmental distances across 30 freshwater lakes.LocationThe Yangtze River floodplain, China.MethodsWe used Mantel tests to examine the relationships between multiple facets of assemblage dissimilarities (overall beta diversity, replacement and richness difference components) and geographic and environmental distances. Distance‐based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) and associated variation partitioning procedures were applied to explore the relative contributions of environmental and spatial factors on the three facets of beta diversity.ResultsWe found that none of the three beta diversity facets was related to geographic distance, but all were significantly related to environmental distance, mainly mirroring eutrophication‐related variables. Based on the variation partitioning approach, the macroinvertebrate assemblages examined were almost exclusively structured by environmental factors associated with eutrophication, while spatial variables had a negligible effect. Nevertheless, the different facets of beta diversity did not decrease (i.e., no homogenization trend) in lake groups showing the highest eutrophication levels, implying complex influences of anthropogenic disturbances in driving homogenization or differentiation in assemblage compositional dissimilarity.Main ConclusionsOur findings suggested that the high degrees of eutrophication acted as an environmental filter to significantly modify the spatial distance–decay relationships, possibly via decreasing the importance of dispersal limitation in shaping macroinvertebrate assemblages in the studied lakes. Given the sensitivity of beta diversity patterns to eutrophication we found in this study, we recommend that the role of anthropogenic disturbances should be incorporated into research on general ecological patterns like the DDR.

A health inequality analysis of childhood asthma prevalence in urban Australia.

Long-standing health inequalities in Australian society that were exposed by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic were described as "fault lines" in a recent call to action by a consortium of philanthropic organizations. With asthma a major contributor to childhood disease burden, studies of its spatial epidemiology can provide valuable insights into the emergence of health inequalities early in life. The aims of this study were to characterize the spatial variation of asthma prevalence among children living within Australia's 4 largest cities and quantify the relative contributions of climatic and environmental factors, outdoor air pollution, and socioeconomic status in determining this variation. A Bayesian model with spatial smoothing was developed to regress ecologic health status data from the 2021 Australian Census against groups of explanatory covariates intended to represent mechanistic pathways. The prevalence of asthma in children aged 5 to 14 years averages 7.9%, 8.2%, 8.5%, and 7.6% in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, respectively. This small inter-city variation contrasts against marked intracity variation at the small-area level, which ranges from 6% to 12% between the least and most affected locations in each. Statistical variance decomposition on a subsample of Australian-born, nonindigenous children attributes 66% of the intracity spatial variation to the assembled covariates. Of these covariates, climatic and environmental factors contribute 30%, outdoor air pollution contributes 19%, and areal socioeconomic status contributes the remaining 51%. Geographic health inequalities in the prevalence of childhood asthma within Australia's largest cities reflect a complex interplay of factors, among which socioeconomic status is a principal determinant.

Использование многофакторного анализа данных в оценке состояния предварительного и последующего возобновления сосняков после выборочных рубок

A research of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of regeneration after the first selective felling with an intensity of 20 to 50 % in pine forests of the northern part of the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe has been carried out. Some of the plantations were covered by a ground fire 5 to 10 years before the felling. The aim of this research is a generalized analysis of the regeneration state in view of the forest type, the density of forest stand and exposure to fire before felling, as well as the disturbance of soil cover, the state of forest live cover and the microclimatic conditions in the felling areas. The methods of principal component analysis as well as correlation analysis and variance analysis for individual characteristics have been used. The advantages of multivariate data analysis using the method of principal component analysis for obtaining more information on the contribution and combined effects of various environmental factors on pine regeneration in felling areas are shown. The share of explained variance of the considered factors has equaled 87 %. The most significant factors for pine regeneration have turned out to be the type of forest (felling area) and exposure to fire. The second place in terms of importance has been taken by the density of forest stand before felling and the intensity of felling. Of the factors mediated by them, illumination intensity and soil moisture have turned out to be important. Based on the characteristics of the 4 main components, 2 options for combining the main factors for better regeneration of plantations have been established: 1) the large initial density of mature forest stands, as well as the moderate development of mosses and grasses in forest live cover make it possible to choose any felling intensity (within the studied limits), preferably in combination with preliminary burning of a part of the litter (or partial soil mineralization) 5 years before moderately-high or high intensity felling, 2) in case of lower initial density of the forest stand in forest types with significant development of forest live cover, preliminary burning of part of the litter or mineralization of the soil and the choice of a lower intensity of the the first felling (up to 20 %) are required. Analysis of the variability of linear increases in height-and-age groups of undergrowth confirmed the conclusions drawn from the analysis of the quantity and quality of regeneration, showed differences in the response of different groups of undergrowth to changes in microclimatic conditions in felling areas. The similarity of the northern forest-steppe with the southern taiga in terms of pine regeneration conditions has been noted. The results of the study can be used to clarify the requirements for felling and achieve better regeneration of pine forests.

Contribution of herd management, biosecurity, and environmental factors to the risk of bovine tuberculosis in a historically low prevalence region

Eradication of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in certain historically low-prevalence regions remains elusive. A complete characterisation of the husbandry practices, biosecurity, and environment where farms are located is crucial to implement targeted in-farm risk mitigation protocols. Here, a detailed survey performed in 94 dairy cattle farms located in Navarra, a low-prevalence region of Spain between 2016 and 2020 was carried out. Data on 73 biosecurity, farm-, and environmental-level factors potentially associated with the risk of bTB occurrence were evaluated using an ordinal logistic regression model: farms were classified based on their prevalence index, a score linked to each farm to account for the severity and recurrence of bTB cases: 22.3% of the farms had a score of 1, 21.3% a score of 2, 26.6% a score of ≥ 3, and 29.8% were negative herds. A statistically significant association between a higher prevalence index and the frequency of badger sightings along with the lease of pastures to sheep during Winter was identified. Farms that detected badgers on a monthly to daily basis in the surroundings and those that leased pastures for sheep flocks during Winter were four [odds ratio, 95% CI (4.3; 1.1–17.5)] and three (3.1; 1.0–9.9) times more likely to have the highest prevalence index, respectively (predicted probabilityprevalence index≥3 = 0.7; 95% CI 0.3–0.9). Conversely, farms that used a vehicle to transport animals from holdings to pastures were less likely (0.1; <0.1–0.3) to present higher levels of prevalence index compared with farms that used none (on foot). Results suggested that the combined effect of farm- and environmental-level risk factors identified here may be hampering disease eradication in Navarra, highlighting the need to implement targeted protocols on farms and grazing plots. An increased awareness of monitoring sheep and wildlife in direct or indirect contact with cattle herds in historically low bTB prevalence areas should be raised.

[Chemical Characteristics of Shallow Groundwater in the Yellow River Diversion Area of Henan Province and Identification of Main Control Pollution Sources].

The northern plain of Henan in the lower reaches of the Yellow River is an area where the Yellow River is frequently diverted. The shallow groundwater quality in this area is poor， and many types of components have been found to be exceeding the limit value； however， the contribution of various environmental factors to water quality needs to be further quantified. In order to clarify the genesis of water quality of shallow groundwater in the study area， 330 groups of shallow groundwater samples were collected via a regional water quality survey. The evolution of shallow groundwater quality in the Yellow River diversion area of northern Henan was revealed using the principal component-absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression （PCA-APCS-MLR） model. The results showed that the components with a shallow groundwater excess rate greater than 10% in descending order were manganese， iron， total hardness， total dissolved solids， sodium， fluoride， arsenic， chloride ions， sulfate， and ammonium. In particular， the excess rate of manganese reached 76%. The four factors of dissolution enrichment， native origin of soil， redox conditions， and agricultural activities were identified as the main reasons for poor groundwater quality， which accounted for 71.24% of the cumulative interpretation rate of variance. In addition， the recharge from the surface water also influenced the groundwater quality. The effects of dissolution between the water and aquifer matrix and redox condition in the aquifer of the Yellow River dried-riverway like Xinxiang were significantly enhanced， resulting in the increasing concentration of iron， arsenic， total hardness， TDS， and other components in groundwater. Fluoride enrichment was caused by dissolution enrichment， the origin of the soil， and lateral replenishment of the Yellow River. Groundwater with high manganese concentration was widely affected by the soil matrix. Nitrate pollution of the groundwater was caused by the extensive use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural activities in individual areas.

Recent progress and major gaps in the vaccine development for African swine fever.

The swine industry across the globe is recently facing a devastating situation imparted by a highly contagious and deadly viral disease, African swine fever. The disease is caused by a DNA virus, the African swine fever virus (ASFV) of the genus Asfivirus. ASFV affects both wild boars and domestic pigs resulting in an acute form of hemorrhagic fever. Since the first report in 1921, the disease remains endemic in some of the African countries. However, the recent occurrence of ASF outbreaks in Asia led to a fresh and formidable challenge to the global swine production industry. Culling of the infected animals along with the implementation of strict sanitary measures remains the only options to control this devastating disease. Efforts to develop an effective and safe vaccine against ASF began as early as in the mid-1960s. Different approaches have been employed for the development of effective ASF vaccines including inactivated vaccines, subunit vaccines, DNA vaccines, virus-vectored vaccines, and live attenuated vaccines (LAVs). Inactivated vaccines are a non-feasible strategy against ASF due to their inability to generate a complete cellular immune response. However genetically engineered vaccines, such as subunit vaccines, DNA vaccines, and virus vector vaccines, represent tailored approaches with minimal adverse effects and enhanced safety profiles. As per the available data, gene deleted LAVs appear to be the most potential vaccine candidates. Currently, a gene deleted LAV (ASFV-G-∆I177L), developed in Vietnam, stands as the sole commercially available vaccine against ASF. The major barrier to the goal of developing an effective vaccine is the critical gaps in the knowledge of ASFV biology and the immune response induced by ASFV infection. The precise contribution of various hosts, vectors, and environmental factors in the virus transmission must also be investigated in depth to unravel the disease epidemiology. In this review, we mainly focus on the recent progress in vaccine development against ASF and the major gaps associated with it.