Early Members Research Articles

Review of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2024

WITH an impressive 34,000 members, attendees from more than 160 countries worldwide, and a record number of early career members, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2024 was one to be remembered. Taking place in the vibrant and historical Vienna, Austria, from 7th–11th September, the Congress featured dozens of symposia, lectures, abstract presentations, and scientific posters from experts in the field, discussing all of the hottest topics in respiratory medicine, as well as the latest breaking research into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, and much more.

Postcranial anatomy of Dsungaripterus weii (Pterosauria: Ornithocheiroidea) from the Lower Cretaceous of Wuerho, China

ABSTRACT Ornithocheiroidea was a globally diverse group of pterosaurs during the Cretaceous. However, well-documented ornithocheiroids are highly derived, hampering our understanding on the morphological evolution of this clade. Dsungaripterus weii Young, 1964 from the Lower Cretaceous Tugulu Group (Valanginian) of the Junggar Basin is an iconic early member of Ornithocheiroidea. Dsungaripterus is known from numerous three-dimensionally preserved specimens, ranging from isolated bones to partially articulated individuals. Here we provide a comprehensive description of the postcranium of Dsungaripterus. We find that Dsungaripterus has many autapomorphies in the postcranial skeleton parallelling its unique skull, including the asynchronous fusion between the sacrum and pelvis and a posterodorsal fossa of the humerus with a paper-thin bone wall. Dsungaripterus also displays some plesiomorphic features of Ornithoecheiroidea, for example, limb bones with relatively thick bone walls, variably reduced pneumatic features in cervical vertebrae and appendicular skeletons, absence of spinoprezygapophyseal and spinopostzygapophyseal ridges in middle-series cervical vertebrae, at least one metacarpal articulating with the distal syncarpal, and a distally displaced adductor ridge on the femur. Additionally, Dsungaripterus possesses some unexpected features possibly convergent with other members of Ornithocheiroidea. Although the postcranial skeletons of Dsungaripterus are represented by osteologically mature specimens, notable morphological variation is present. Functional reconstructions of several aspects of the postcranial skeleton of Dsungaripterus are elucidated, including the arrangement of the metacarpophalangeal region during terrestrial locomotion. Niche partitioning between the two dsungaripterids from the Tugulu Group of Wuerho, Dsungaripterus and Noripterus, is supported by their distinct dentitions, neck morphology, and limb proportions.

Beyond Technique: Maggie’s Story of Determination, Resilience and Growth Through SFBT and a Focus on the Therapeutic relationship.

This paper provides insights and reflections on the use of Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) over 16 months to assist a client with both a complicated history and complex needs. However, this is not a typical case study. The purpose of this paper is not to provide details about SFBT or a detailed analysis of the conversation within the sessions, but rather to provide perspectives from each of the people involved: the client (Maggie), the clinician (David), and the mother (Kate). Each of these people have expertise in their own right, but Kate has a fourth and very unique perspective as one of the early team members of the Brief Family Therapy Centre of Milwaukee in the 1980’s. In this paper, we will refer directly to sessions as well as emails and activities that occurred between sessions. Our aim is to show that SFBT is an approach that can be used in long-term therapy and in complex situations, emphasising that a flexible and tailored approach is required, and that the therapeutic relationship is an integral part of the therapy.

Depositional and diagenetic controls on the reservoir quality of marginal marine sandstones: An example from the Early Devonian subbat member, jauf formation, northwest Saudi Arabia

The reservoir quality of marginal marine sandstones can vary significantly across different depositional lithofacies. This variation is primarily due to differences in depositional processes and subsequent diagenetic alterations occurring during various stages of burial. To address this issue, this study focuses on the Early Devonian Subbat sandstones of the Jauf Formation, which serve as an important analogue for subsurface gas reservoirs and have potential for CO2 sequestration. An integrated approach was employed, including field observations, petrography, geochemical analyses, and petrophysical analyses, to investigate the impact of depositional and diagenetic processes on reservoir quality. The findings indicate that the sandstones range from poorly to well sorted, very fine to medium-grained arkosic and quartz arenites that were deposited in a range of environments including shoreface-to-offshore transition zones, wave-dominated deltas, fluvial and tidal estuarine channels. The sandstones experienced both shallow and deep burial diagenesis, while key diagenetic events affecting reservoir quality include compaction, carbonate cementation, the formation of authigenic clays (kaolinite, illite, and chlorite), quartz overgrowth, and the dissolution of unstable feldspar and mica grains. Authigenic pore-filling cements and grain-coating clays significantly influence reservoir quality. The effect of quartz cementation was minimal where illite and/or chlorite coatings are well-developed. Mechanical compaction is more pronounced in the shoreface-to-offshore transition compared to the estuarine channels likely due to the higher detrital matrix content (21.7–35%, avg. 26.7%). The well-sorted fluvial to estuarine channel sandstones exhibit the best reservoir quality, with porosity ranging from 15.9% to 25.5% (average 20.4%) and permeability between 433.8 mD and 1261.2 mD (average 720 mD). This high reservoir quality is attributed to the low detrital matrix content (0–1%, average 0.2%) and limited pore-filling cements. In comparison, the moderately sorted, wave-dominated delta sandstones have lower porosity (5.3–11.2%, average 8.2%) and permeability (17.8–80 mD, average 42.8 mD), despite a relatively higher detrital matrix content (0–11.5%, average 2.8%). The poorly sorted shoreface-to-offshore transition sandstones exhibit the lowest reservoir quality, with porosity ranging from 1% to 2% (average 1.5%) and permeability between 0.3 and 1.1 mD (average 0.7 mD). These variations in reservoir quality among different depositional facies are primarily linked to depositional factors (sorting and detrital clay matrix) and shallow to deep burial diagenetic processes (compaction and cementation). A comprehensive understanding of these processes can enhance reservoir quality prediction in the Jauf Formation and similar reservoirs elsewhere.

In Honour of Brian MacWhinney: A Personal Account

While this volume and the writings have made it amply clear what significant contributions Professor Brian MacWhinney has made to the field at large, in this afterword, we begin with a senior member of our author team (Ping Li, PL) followed by a mid-career member (Helen Zhao, HZ) and an early career member (Zhe Gao, ZG), to provide our personal accounts of Brian not only as a leading scholar but also as a role model who touches and changes people’s lives.

Evolution of left–right asymmetry in side-resting (pleurothetic) bivalves: a test of genes as leaders or followers

ABSTRACT Side-resting (pleurothetic) lifestyles evolved independently many times across the Bivalvia in free-lying, byssally attached and cementing lineages. Within some species individuals lie indifferently on either their right or left side (randomly pleurothetic), whereas in others they lie consistently on one side (left-pleurothetic or right-pleurothetic). Morphological differences between valves (asymmetries) typically accompany this behaviour, so it can be studied widely across living and fossil bivalves. Because direction of asymmetry is rarely inherited in cases of random asymmetry, any evolutionary transition from randomly pleurothetic to fixed (left or right) qualifies as a case of ‘genes as followers’. Origins of left-pleurothetic or right-pleurothetic taxa directly from upright (orthothetic) ancestors would represent examples of ‘genes as leaders’. I therefore surveyed pleurothetic lifestyles across the Bivalvia. By mapping pleurothetic states onto a comprehensive phylogenetic tree that included both living and fossil families, I assessed the prevalence of these alternate modes of evolution. Various lines of evidence were also used to hypothesize phylogenetic relations within the Chamidae—the only living bivalve family exhibiting all three pleurothetic states. Randomly pleurothetic forms (direction not inherited) arose from orthothetic ancestors about half as often as fixed pleurothetic forms (direction is inherited). Unlike many other animal groups, fixed pleurothetic forms rarely arose from randomly pleurothetic ancestors, suggesting a ‘genes as leaders’ mode of evolution was most prevalent. However, many fascinating examples of randomly pleurothetic forms among Upper Ordovician and Silurian bivalves suggest that evolutionary transitions from random to fixed may have been more common. Also, randomly pleurothetic forms were short-lived in some fossil lineages, which would reduce the likelihood of them being detected. Hopefully, this preliminary analysis will motivate further study of (1) phylogenetic relations of key groups like the Chamidae, and basal Limida, Ostreida and Pterioidea, and (2) morphological variation among early members of other pleurothetic bivalve groups.

COVID-19 pandemic & neurosciences in India- the CoINstudy: Impact of the pandemic on research related to the neurosciences.

Background & objectives We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19-related disruptions on ongoing and future projects related to neuroscience research and young researchers in India. Methods We conducted a countrywide online survey using a structured, self-administered questionnaire involving medical trainees, post-doctoral fellows, PhD students, early career faculty members and basic neuroscience researchers. The purpose was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the respondents' ongoing/planned research activities and capture their concerns related to future research. Results Five hundred and four valid responses were analyzed. More than three-fourths of the respondents were in their early careers - 64.1 per cent were resident doctors, and 19.8 per cent were early career consultants. Maximum responses were received from respondents working in neurology (228; 45.2%), followed by psychiatry (192; 38.1%) and neurosurgery (49; 9.7%). More than three-fourths [83.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.8-0.867] of the respondents reported that the pandemic had affected their research. About one-third of the respondents (171; 33.9%) reported delays in completing research studies. Respondents adapted to the pandemic's circumstances by making methodological changes in their research (155; 30.8%). Most respondents (301; 59.6%) reported being diverted from their traditional work settings to COVID-19-related clinical services. Respondents conducting prospective studies and randomized controlled trials and those diverted to COVID-related services were significantly more likely to report the adverse research impact. Interpretation & conclusions In our survey, an overwhelming majority of the respondents reported that the pandemic adversely impacted their study. This trend was independent of sex, designation, and research output of individual subjects. The serious impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on neurosciences research warrants the attention and concerted efforts of the research supervisors, institutional heads, funding agencies and other stakeholders.

Smectogenic asymmetric naphthalene derived chalcones: Self-assembling behaviour and DFT studies

A series of new naphthalene derived asymmetric benzoates incorporating chalcone unit NPCH-(2–16) have been synthesized and investigated for their self-assembling behaviour. The naphthalene end of molecules linked to decyloxy long chain whereas the other end possess systematically substituted chalcone unit connected through ester and imine linking mesogenic units. New molecules have been found to exhibit smectogenic behaviour investigated by POM (polarising optical microscopy) and DSC (differential scaling calorimetry) investigations. Early members (C1 and C7) showed enantiotropic smectic-A (SmA) behaviour, whereas molecules with C8 and C10 showed enantiotropic SmA along with monotropic smectic-C (SmC) also during cooling scans. All afterwards molecules (C12-C16) with longer alkyl chains tend to exhibit enantiotropic SmC mesophase. For one of the representative compounds, the presence of mesophase was confirmed by VT-XRD (variable temperature X-ray-crystallography) analysis. Additionally, the density functional theory (DFT) method has been applied to provide an in-depth analysis of the relationship between the computed structural (length, aspect ratio) and electronic (dipole moment, polarizability) variables and the mesomorphic behaviour of investigated compounds.

The Barfly and the Beatnik: the literary relationship of Charles Bukowski and Kay ‘Kaja’ Johnson

ABSTRACT This article examines Charles Bukowski and Kay ‘Kaja’ Johnson’s literary relationship. Despite Bukowski’s outsider status within the literary world, he corresponded widely with literary figures, including Johnson. Johnson was an early and active member of the Beat Generation who has largely been overlooked in literary histories. Recently scholarly interest in Johnson and her works , including her correspondence with Bukowski, has increased. However, due to the lack of primary sources and biographical information relating to Johnson, these scholarly works have understandably contained minor errors. This article aims to correct these errors, provide a fuller account of the Bukowski-Johnson relationship, and explore how it influenced, and was represented in, their respective literary productions.

Muslim Family Methods on the Negative Impact of Digital Technology Advances in the Era of Industry 4.0 on Children Aged 4-7 in Surakarta

The impact of technology on people's lives is enormous, because of the impact of social change that is felt by the whole layer of society, both in the city and in the countryside, not only among adults but also among early children. If the use of technology is inappropriate, then it will bring problems to the lives of the community and in particular make the old people. The study aims to learn about the Muslim family methods regarding the impact of technological advances in the era of Industry 4.0 on early childhood in Surakarta. The method used in this research is qualitative descriptive which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion. The study finds that the methods applied by the majority of 10 Muslim families regarding the negative impact of digital technology advances in the era of Industry 4.0 on children aged 4-7 in Surakarta, are preventive methods, methods of surveillance, freeing children to play outdoors with peers, selective in choosing appropriate applications for children, being a good example for kids, and giving time limits for children to use technology. In conclusion, this research illuminates the proactive steps taken by Muslim families in Surakarta to navigate the challenges posed by technological advancements. By adopting a range of preventive measures and promoting a balanced approach, these families strive to ensure a positive impact on the lives of their early childhood members amidst the ever-evolving landscape of Industry 4.0.

Comparison of Early Marriage Age in Bangladesh, Ghana, Iraq and Indonesia

Early marriage is marriage before the age of 18 for either boys or girls. Early marriage can be influenced by customs, beliefs and religion. Customs in some areas lead to girls marrying much older men and have occurred in parts of Indonesia, especially in rural and inland areas. This study aims to examine the socio-cultural factors that drive the incidence of early marriage. The main methods in this research are qualitative ethnography and Narrative review. From the literature review research analyzed, there are several factors that influence early marriage, namely knowledge, education, socio-culture, income, economy, social norms, parents, gender, ethnicity, age, menarche, attitudes, media exposure, premarital pregnancy, family members, religion, adulthood phenomena, employment, peer influence, poverty, parental role, stigma, region and place of residence. This can be used as a reference for midwives in providing services by searching the literature through PubMed, NCBI, and Semantic Scholar. Of the several factors that influence early marriage, studies conducted in Bangladesh, Ghana, Iraq, Indonesia and other countries show that early marriage is still a major problem for the welfare of women from these four countries. Measures that can help address the problem of early marriage include improving access and quality of education, changing social norms that support early marriage, and empowering women to make decisions.

Coumarin Schiff base derivatives with 4′-alkoxy biphenyl-4-carboxaldehyde: Synthesis, mesomorphic studies and DFT calculations

Two homologous series of coumarin Schiff base derivatives with 4′-alkoxy biphenyl-4-carboxaldehyde have been designed and synthesized. All the compounds were analyzed IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI-MS and CHN analysis followed by mesomorphic properties polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. In the first homologous series BPS(6–16), Schiff base of 7-alkoxy-3-aminocoumarin with 4′-alkoxy biphenyl-4-carboxaldehyde, alkoxy chain length was varied systematically at both end of the molecules such as n = 6,8,10,12,14,16. In this series, BPS(6–10) (n = 6,8,10) exhibited enantiotropic nematic(N) and smectic C (SmC) mesophase and turned to monophasic on increasing the chain length n = 12,14,16 in BPS(12–16) with stable SmC mesophase. While in the second homologous series 10BPU(2–16), systemic variation of alkoxy chain length was carried out at coumarin end only (n = 2–18) and 4′-decyloxy-biphenyl-4-carboxaldehyde was used for Schiff base formation. In the this series, early member of the series with n = 2,3 showed enantiotropic very stable (∼ 145 °C) nematic mesophase, while N as well as SmC mesophase were observed for n = 4–8 at, whereas with increase of chain length stability of nematic mesophase was decreased and that of SmC was increased. Higher membered analogous 10BPU(12–16) exhibited SmC mesophase with stability in the rage of 130–160 °C. VT-XRD analysis was also confirmed the tilted SmC mesophase in this class of compounds. For both the series, all compounds were studied for the DFT calculations as well as literature molecules with similar variations. Based on the calculated structural (length, aspect ratio) and electronic (dipole moment, polarizability) parameters were correlated with mesomorphic behaviour observed for literature compounds and compounds from both the series followed by the detailed discussion.

The impact of apicobasal ridges on dental load-bearing capacity in aquatic-feeding predatory amniotes

AbstractApicobasal ridges are longitudinal ridges of enamel that are particularly common in several clades of aquatic-feeding predatory amniotes, including Plesiosauria, Ichthyosauria, Mosasauridae, Crocodylia, and Spinosauridae, as well as some early members of Cetacea. Although the repeated evolution of these dental ridges in unrelated clades suggests an adaptive benefit, their primary function in feeding is debated. Hypothesized functions range from increasing tooth strength to improving prey puncture or removal efficiency, but these have never been quantitatively tested. This study utilizes finite element analysis (FEA) to assess the impact of apicobasal ridges upon tooth crown strength in aquatic-feeding amniotes. Drawing on morphometric data from fossilized tooth crowns, a set of digital models was constructed to calculate the performance of smooth and ridged tooth variants under simulated bite force loadings. The similarities in overall stress distribution patterns across models of the same tooth shape, regardless of the presence or morphology of ridges, indicate that apicobasal ridges have little impact on stress reduction within the tooth crown. Ultimately, these findings suggest that apicobasal ridges have a minimal role in improving crown strength and form a framework for future research into the remaining hypotheses.

Asymmetric naphthalene centred bis-ester Schiff base: Self-assembling behaviour and DFT approach

New asymmetric 2,6-disubstituted naphthalene embedded Schiff base-bis esters NEKE-(2–18) synthesized and investigated for their mesomorphic behaviour. One end of naphthalene has been substituted by decyloxy long chain whereas the other end connected with imine-bis ester aromatic core with terminal long chains. New molecules have been found to exhibit polymorphic behaviour with good thermal stability and enhanced mesophase stability upon POM (polarising optical microscopy) and DSC (differential scaling calorimetry) investigations. Early members (C2 and C3) showed nematogenic behaviour along with SmA (smectic-A) mesophase, whereas molecules with C4 and C5 showed only SmA phase. Compounds with C6 and C7 showed monotropic SmC (smectic-C) upon cooling whereas molecules from C8-to-C18 exhibited enantiotropic SmC along with SmA mesophase. The presence of mesophase has been confirmed by VT-XRD (variable temperature X-ray-crystallography) analysis. For comparison and better understanding, the mesomorphic data of compounds from literature has been compared. The DFT (density functional theory) calculations were performed on both new compounds and structurally analogous molecules found in literature. A detailed discussion was carried out regarding the correlation between the mesomorphic behaviour observed in new compounds and literature, and the computed structural (length, aspect ratio) and electronic (dipole moment, polarizability) variables.

Status quo and influencing factors of multiprofessional and multidisciplinary teamwork for early mobilization in mechanically ventilated patients in ICUs: A multi-centre survey study.

To understand the status quo of multiprofessional and multidisciplinary collaboration for early mobilization of mechanically ventilated patients in Chinese ICUs and identify any factors that may influence this practice. A multi-centre cross-sectional survey. From October to November 2022, the convenience sampling method was used to select ICU multiprofessional and multidisciplinary early mobility members (including physicians, nurses and physiotherapists) from 27 tertiary general hospitals in 14 provinces, cities and autonomous regions of China. They were asked to complete an author-developed questionnaire on the status of collaboration and the Assessment of Inter-professional Team Collaboration Scale. A multiple linear regression model was used to analyse the factors associated with the level of collaboration. Physicians, nurses and physiotherapists mostly suffered from the lack of normative protocols, unclear division of responsibilities and unclear multiprofessional and multidisciplinary teams when using a collaborative approach to early activities. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the number of ICU patients managed, the existence of norms and processes, the attitude of colleagues around them, the establishment of a team, communication methods and activity leaders were significant influences on the level of collaboration among members of the multiprofessional and multidisciplinary early activities. The collaboration of multiprofessional and multidisciplinary early activity members for mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU remains unclear, and the collaboration strategy needs to be constructed and improved, taking into account China's human resources and each region's economic development level. This study investigates the collaboration status of multiprofessional and multidisciplinary activity members from the perspective of teamwork, analyses the reasons affecting the level of collaboration and helps to develop better teamwork strategies to facilitate the implementation of early activities. The participants in this study were multiprofessional and multidisciplinary medical staff who performed early activities for ICU patients.

Exploring Data Collection Priorities of Community Partners in Early Psychosis Care.

Learning health care networks can significantly improve the effectiveness, consistency, and cost-effectiveness of care delivery. As part of a data harmonization process, incorporation of the perspectives of community partners to maximize the relevance and utility of the data is critical. A mixed-methods focus group study was conducted with early psychosis program providers, leadership, service users, and family members to explore their priorities regarding data collection in early psychosis care. Focus group transcripts were analyzed through thematic analysis. Twenty-two focus groups comprising 178 participants were conducted across 10 early psychosis programs. Participants considered functioning, quality of life, recovery, and symptoms of psychosis as key outcomes to assess, although variation by participants' roles was also evident. Participants emphasized the clinical utility of assessing a broad range of predictors of care outcomes, favored a broad conceptualization of the constructs assessed, and indicated a preference for client-reported measures. Participants also emphasized the importance of surveys adopting a recovery-oriented, strengths-based approach. Large-scale aggregation of health care data collected as part of routine care offers opportunities for research and may have a positive impact on care delivery and quality improvement activities. However, these benefits are contingent on the data being both relevant and accessible to those who deliver and receive such care. This study highlights an approach that may inform the development of core assessment batteries used, optimizing the utility of such data for all community partners.

The Psychology Club, Zürich, Switzerland

ABSTRACT Audrey Punnett interviews Andreas Schweizer who served as president of the Psychology Club Zürich from 2006 to 2022. They discuss his introduction to Jung through sandplay as a teen and then delve into the history of the Psychology Club, its founding as a consequence of Jung’s separation from Freud, the early members who influenced the Club, membership requirements, challenges it has faced over the years, including a renovation of the house itself at Gemeindestrasse 27. Not only are there lectures and other events at the Club, but also it provides a community for Jungians.

Aminoglycoside resistance genes in early members of the Acinetobacter baumannii ST78A (SMAL, Italian clone) reside in an IS26-bounded island in the chromosome.

The Acinetobacter baumannii isolate called SMAL, previously used to determine the structures of capsular polysaccharide and lipooligosaccharide, was recovered in Pavia, Italy in 2002 among the collection of aminoglycoside-resistant isolates designated as SMAL type. This type was later called the Italian clone, then ST78. ST78 isolates are now widely distributed. To establish the resistance gene complement and the location and structure of acquired resistance regions in early members of the Italian/ST78 clone. The draft genome of SMAL2002 was assembled from Illumina MiSeq reads. Contigs containing resistance genes were joined and located in the chromosome using PCR with custom primers. The resistance profile was determined using disc diffusion. SMAL2002 is an ST78A isolate and includes three aminoglycoside resistance genes, aadB (gentamicin, kanamycin, tobramycin) aphA1 (kanamycin, neomycin) and aac(6')-Ian (amikacin, kanamycin, tobramycin). The aadB gene cassette is incorporated at a secondary site in a relative of the aphA1-containing, IS26-bounded pseudo-compound transposon, PTn6020. The aac(6')-Ian gene is in an adjacent IS26-bounded structure that includes sul2 (sulphonamide) and floR (florfenicol) resistance genes. The two pseudo-compound transposons overlap and are in the chromosomal hutU gene flanked by an 8 bp target site duplication. Although aac(6')-Ian was not noticed previously, the same genes and structures were found in several available draft genomes of early ST78A isolates. This study highlights the importance of correlating resistance profiles with resistance gene content. The location of acquired resistance genes in the SMAL2002 chromosome represents the original location in the ST78A lineage of ST78.

Diversifying Away from Extractives: The Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese Capital and Industrialisation in the Kyrgyz Republic

With its infrastructural offer and emphasis on connectivity, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promises to support developing countries aiming to industrialise. The literature on industrialisation has identified a key role for infrastructure, markets and the state. This article looks at the case of Kyrgyzstan, one of the early members of the initiative, to understand the circumstances under which the BRI can facilitate manufacturing growth. Notwithstanding the presence of accessible markets and financial support for infrastructure, Kyrgyzstan has made limited headway in its industrialisation agenda. This can be attributed to the particular political economy of Kyrgyzstan, which predominantly relies on extracting rent from the mining and other sectors and consequently fails to allocate resources towards industrialisation. Though purportedly interested in revitalising the industrial sector, Kyrgyz politicians have primarily focused on extractive industries, hence impeding diversification and industrialisation efforts.

The Early Devonian Xitun Vertebrate Fauna in South China inhabited a shallow marine environment with changing salinity

The Early Devonian Xitun Vertebrate Fauna, represented by early members of crown sarcopterygians, such as Youngolepis , Diabolepis , Psarolepis , Achoania and Styloichthys , is mainly hosted in the Xitun Formation in the Qujing area, East Yunnan of China. Despite numerous research articles describing taxa from this famous Lochkovian fauna and its sedimentary and tectonic environments, there is no objective and coherent interpretation of the palaeoenvironment in which these early vertebrates lived. Based on detailed field geological investigation in recent years in the surrounding areas of Qujing City and measurements from the Xitun Formation section, this paper focuses on the analysis of some geochemistry indices of major, trace and rare earth elements to accurately elucidate the sedimentary environment of the Xitun Formation and deepen our understanding of the relationship between Early Devonian fishes and the environment. The analyses of the sensitive geochemistry indices of depositional and tectonic settings, sedimentary provenance, weathering, palaeoclimate, palaeosalinity and palaeoredox conditions indicate that the Lower Devonian Xitun Formation in East Yunnan was mainly deposited in a shallow marine setting with three phases of seawater–freshwater influx under a warm and humid climate, and a stable, oxygen-rich condition, which promoted the flourishing of Early Devonian marine fishes. Supplementary material: Data on the major (Table A), trace (Table B) and rare earth (Table C) elements are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.7020642 Thematic collection: This article is part of the Chemical Evolution of the Mid-Paleozoic Earth System and Biotic Response collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/chemical-evolution-of-the-mid-paleozoic-earth-system