Primary Environmental Factors Research Articles

Three decades post-reforestation has not led to the reassembly of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities associated with remnant primary forests.

The negative effects of deforestation can potentially be ameliorated through ecological restoration. However, reforestation alone may not reassemble the same ecological communities or functions as primary forests. In part, this failure may be owed to forest ecosystems inherently involving complex interactions among guilds of organisms. Plants, which structure forest food webs, rely on intimate associations with symbiotic microbes such as root-inhabiting mycorrhizal fungi. Here, we leverage a large-scale reforestation project on Hawai'i Island underway for over three decades to assess whether arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities have concurrently been restored. The reference ecosystem for this restoration project is a remnant montane native Hawaiian forest that provides critical habitat for endangered birds. We sampled soils from 12 plots within remnant and restored forest patches and characterized AM fungal communities using high-throughput amplicon sequencing. While some AM fungal community metrics were comparable between remnant and restored forest (e.g. species richness), other key characteristics were not. Specifically, community membership and the identity of AM fungal keystone species differed between the two habitat types, as well as the primary environmental factors influencing community composition. Remnant forest AM fungal communities were strongly associated with soil chemical properties, especially pH, while restored forest communities were influenced by the spatial proximity to remnant forests. We posit that combined, these differences in soil AM fungal communities could be negatively affecting the recruitment of native plant hosts and that future restoration efforts should consider plant-microbe interactions as an important facet of forest health.

Primary environmental factors controlling gully distribution at the local and regional scale: An example from Northeastern China

Gully erosion is the main cause of global land degradation. The factors controlling gully erosion at watershed scale have been extensively studied, but the spatial pattern of gullies and their primary environmental factors are unclear. In order to explore the primary factors at the regional scale of over thousands of square kilometers, 34 sample areas were selected in northeastern China and 10 environmental factors were proposed. Based on gully interpretations from high-resolution Google Earth images and spatial analysis, kernel density estimation (with polyline features), and correlation analysis, the results show that the maximum kernel density (KD) of the 34 sample areas ranged from 0.11 to 87.16, and there were significant positive correlations between the average KD and the maximum value and standard deviation. At the regional scale, topography (relief amplitude, slope, surface roughness, surface incision, and elevation with correlation coefficients (ρ) of 0.60, 0.59, 0.57, 0.48, and 0.41 respectively) was the primary environmental factor, with a significant positive correlation with KD. The correlation coefficients of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (ρ = 0.32), annual precipitation (ρ = 0.19), and soil (silt, sand, and clay content with ρ of 0.139, −0.117, and 0.085, respectively) decreased successively with the KD. At sample area scale, there were six areas with weak correlations between environmental factors and KD, 20 areas with topographic factors, six areas with annual precipitation, and two areas with NDVI as the primary factor. The correlation between soil texture and KD was low. There were different positive or negative correlations between the environmental factors and KD. The spatial distribution of gullies in northeastern China is heterogeneous, and the primary environmental factors were diverse. This study will help to understand the spatial pattern and formation mechanism of gullies at large scale.

The effect of temperature on physiology, toxicity and toxin content of the benthic dinoflagellate Coolia malayensis from a seasonal tropical region

Coolia malayensis is one of the commonly found benthic dinoflagellates in Hong Kong which can produce biotoxins and threaten the early life stages of marine invertebrates. Seawater temperature has been recognized as one of the primary environmental factors that affect the formation of harmful algal blooms. The present study evaluated the responses of C. malayensis, including growth, toxicity and toxin content (putative analogues of okadaic acid and azaspiracids), after exposure to a range of seven different temperatures (i.e., 16°C, 18°C, 20°C, 22°C, 24°C, 26°C, and 28°C). The highest algal density and specific growth rate were recorded at 24°C. Significantly higher Fv/Fm (maximum quantum yield of PSII) and total phaeo-pigment values were observed in the exponential growth phase at 28°C. The toxicity of the algal extract, which was assessed by the lethality rate of Artemia larvae, increased with temperature. The highest toxin content was detected at the second highest temperature treatment, i.e., 26°C. Overall, temperature had significant effects on the physiological activities and toxicity of C. malayensis. This study has raised attention to the potentially increasing risks posed by toxic benthic dinoflagellates during heat waves in coastal waters.

Impact of Climate Change on the Distribution of Euscaphis japonica (Staphyleaceae) Trees

Analyzing the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems and individual species is of great significance for incorporating management responses to conservation policy development. Euscaphis japonica (Staphyleaceae), a small tree or deciduous shrub, is distributed among the open forests or mountainous valleys of Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and southern China. Meanwhile, it is also used as a medicinal and ornamental plant. Nonetheless, the extents of E. japonica forest have gradually shrunk as a result of deforestation, together with the regional influence of climate change. The present study employed two methods for modeling species distribution, Maxent and Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Prediction (GARP), to model the potential distribution of this species and the effects of climate change on it. Our results suggest that both models performed favorably, but GARP outperformed Maxent for all performance metrics. The temperate and subtropical regions of eastern China where the species had been recorded was very suitable for E. japonica growth. Temperature and precipitation were two primary environmental factors affecting the distribution of E. japonica. Under climate change scenarios, the range of suitable habitats for E. japonica will expand geographically toward the north. Our findings may be used in several ways such as identifying currently undocumented locations of E. japonica, sites where it may occur in the future, or potential locations where the species could be introduced and so contribute to the conservation and management of this species.

Concentration estimation of dissolved oxygen in Pearl River Basin using input variable selection and machine learning techniques

Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration is an essential index for water environment assessment. Here, we present a modeling approach to estimate DO concentrations using input variable selection and data-driven models. Specifically, the input variable selection technique, the maximal information coefficient (MIC), was used to identify and screen the primary environmental factors driving variation in DO. The data-driven model, support vector regression (SVR), was then used to construct a robust model to estimate DO concentration. The approach was illustrated through a case study of the Pearl River Basin in China. We show that the MIC technique can effectively screen major local environmental factors affecting DO concentrations. MIC value tended to stabilize when the sample size >3000 and EC had the highest score with an MIC >0.3 at both of the stations. The variable-reduced datasets improved the performance of the SVR model by a reduction of 28.65% in RMSE, and increase of 22.16%, 56.27% in R2, NSE, respectively, relative to complete candidate sets. The MIC-SVR model constructed at the tidal river network performed better than nontidal river network by a reduction of approximately 63.01% in RMSE, an increase of 62.36% in NSE, and R2 >0.9. Overall, the proposed technique was able to handle nonlinearity among environmental factors and accurately estimate DO concentrations in tidal river network regions.

Assessment of Genetic Aspects of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver and Premature Cardiovascular Events.

Recent evidence has demonstrated a strong interplay and multifaceted relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the major cause of death in patients with NAFLD. NAFLD also has strong associations with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. In this comprehensive review, we aimed to overview the primary environmental and genetic risk factors of NAFLD, and CVD and also focus on the genetic aspects of these two disorders. NAFLD and CVD are both heterogeneous diseases with common genetic and molecular pathways. We have searched for the latest published articles regarding this matter and tried to provide an overview of recent insights into the genetic aspects of NAFLD and CVD. The common genetic and molecular pathways involved in NAFLD and CVD are insulin resistance (IR), subclinical inflammation, oxidative stress, and atherogenic dyslipidemia. According to an investigation, the exact associations between genomic characteristics of NAFLD and CVD and casual relationships are not fully determined. Different gene polymorphisms have been identified as the genetic components of the NAFLDCVD association. Some of the most documented ones of these gene polymorphisms are patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3), transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2 (TM6SF2), hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13), adiponectin-encoding gene (ADIPOQ), apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR), leptin receptor (LEPR), sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), membrane-bound O-acyltransferase domain-containing 7 (MBOAT7), and mutation in DYRK1B that substitutes cysteine for arginine at position 102 in kinase-like domain. Further cohort studies with a significant sample size using advanced genomic assessments and next-generation sequencing techniques are needed to shed more light on genetic associations between NAFLD and CVD.

Evaluating ecological health in the middle-lower reaches of the Hanjiang River with cascade reservoirs using the Planktonic index of biotic integrity (P-IBI)

Operation of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in the Hanjiang River, China, has made the environmental health downstream of the Danjiangkou Reservoir an important issue for people living along the river. This study used the Planktonic Index of Biotic Integrity (P-IBI) including phytoplankton and zooplankton to evaluate riverine ecological health in an area with cascade reservoirs. Plankton and water samples from 19 sampling sites were collected along the middle-lower reaches of the Hanjiang River in Nov. 2017 and July 2018. To further verify the reliability of the P-IBI results, they were compared with the Saprobic Index (SI) and Comprehensive Water Quality Identification Index (CWQII). Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to evaluate correlations and variability between P-IBI, SI, CWQII, candidate metrics, and primary environmental factors in the dry and wet seasons. The results showed that the ecological health of the aquatic ecosystem was ‘fair’ in status, oligotrophic, and class II (wet season)-class III (dry season) as evaluated by the IBI, SI, and CWQII, respectively. The ecosystem during the wet season was in better health than that in the dry season: based on CWQII, water quality at 63% of sites was in class III during the dry season, while 79% of sites were in class II in the wet season; and 11% more sites had IBI-A values (the mean values of Phyto-IBI and Z-IBI) less than 3 IBI scores (indicating “fair” status) in the dry season compared to the wet season. Ecological conditions were also poorer in the reservoir backwater area. The main driving forces impacting aquatic ecosystem in the study area were pollutant emissions and dam impacts. This study demonstrated that the P-IBI is a potential tool for evaluating riverine ecological health in areas with cascade reservoirs.

Combined high light and heat stress induced complex response in tomato with better leaf cooling after heat priming

Light and temperature are two primary environmental factors for plant growth and development. The response of plants to multiple stresses of high light intensity and heat stress are complex. The priming effects of high light and heat stress on improving heat tolerance of plants need to be further illuminated. This study aimed to explain the effect of high light intensity, high temperature and their combination on tomato and clarify the response of tomato to heat stress after priming. Tomato plants were treated under control, high light, heat stress and the combination for the first-round treatments, followed by recurring heat stress as the second-round treatments. For the first-round treatments, the net photosynthetic rate (PN) of the plants at individual high light and individual high temperature on day four significantly increased and decreased, respectively, as compared with control. Combined stress caused significant reduction in Fv/Fm (maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II) and chlorophyll content as well as increase in carotenoids and carbohydrates content. No significant difference in the PN was observed in tomato with and without priming; however, heat priming did improve the heat avoidance ability by increasing evaporation and decreasing leaf temperature. Overall, the high light affected the physiological response of tomatoes at heat stress. The tomato plants developed their defense systems including chlorophyll loss and synthesis of carotenoids to protect themselves from multiple stresses. Our work provided new insights into the understanding of plants response to high light and heat stress.

Genome-wide identification of cold responsive transcription factors in Brassica napus L

BackgroundCold stress is one of the primary environmental factors that affect plant growth and productivity, especially for crops like Brassica napus that live through cold seasons. Till recently, although a number of genes and pathways involved in B. napus cold response have been revealed by independent studies, a genome-wide identification of the key regulators and the regulatory networks is still lack. In this study, we investigated the transcriptomes of cold stressed semi-winter and winter type rapeseeds in short day condition, mainly with the purpose to systematically identify the functional conserved transcription factors (TFs) in cold response of B. napus.ResultsGlobal modulation of gene expression was observed in both the semi-winter type line (158A) and the winter type line (SGDH284) rapeseeds, in response to a seven-day chilling stress in short-day condition. Function analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed enhanced stresses response mechanisms and inhibited photosynthesis in both lines, as well as a more extensive inhibition of some primary biological processes in the semi-winter type line. Over 400 TFs were differentially expressed in response to cold stress, including 56 of them showed high similarity to the known cold response TFs and were consistently regulated in 158A and SGDH284, as well as 25 TFs which targets were over-represented in the total DEGs. A further investigation based on their interactions indicated the critical roles of several TFs in cold response of B. napus.ConclusionIn summary, our results revealed the alteration of gene expression in cold stressed semi-winter and winter ecotype B. napus lines and provided a valuable collection of candidate key regulators involved in B. napus response to cold stress, which could expand our understanding of plant stress response and benefit the future improvement of the breed of rapeseeds.

Phytoplankton in the heavy sediment-laden Weihe River and its tributaries from the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains: community structure and environmental drivers.

The Weihe River Basin plays an indispensable role in the water environment and water ecological balance in Northwest China and the lower reaches of the Yellow River. In the context of river ecosystems being affected by climate change and human activities, phytoplankton, as primary producers in food webs, serve as an important ecological indicator of environmental change. As such, systematic surveys on the water environment and phytoplankton were carried out in the Weihe River mainstem and its five tributaries from the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains from October to November 2017 and April to May 2018. In total, 154 species of phytoplankton belonging to 69 genera were identified in the heavy sediment-laden mainstem, with an average density and biomass of 177.57*104 cellL-1 and 6.53mgL-1, respectively. Furthermore, a total of 207 species of phytoplankton belonging to 81 genera were identified in the five tributaries originating in the Qinling Mountains, with an average density and biomass of 80.98*104 cellL-1 and 1.90mgL-1, respectively. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was employed to analyze the relationship between phytoplankton communities and environmental factors. The results of data screening and Monte Carlo sequencing tests revealed that water temperature (WT), dissolved oxygen (DO), and nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) were the primary environmental factors affecting the distribution and abundance of phytoplankton in the Weihe River mainstem. WT, flow velocity (V), pH, conductivity (Cond), and NO2--N predominantly structured the phytoplankton communities in the Weihe River tributaries. The results of this study are useful for the ecological management and conservation of the mainstem and tributaries of the Weihe River Basin.

Durability of RC Structures against Carbonation-Induced Corrosion under the Impact of Climate Change

The factors associated with concrete carbonation can be classified in three major categories of environmental factors, concrete's internal-structural factors, and construction-operation conditions. Climate change is expected to cause gradual change in many primary environmental factors, which may accelerate reinforcement corrosion in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Studies show that CO2 concentration in the atmosphere may rise from 379 ppm in 2005 to 1,000 ppm in 2100. Hence, adoption of suitable measures to protect exposed RC members against carbonation-induced corrosion is essential for countering the future environmental effects which, in turn, requires further investigation on the effect of critical structural factors, such as water-cement ratio and cement content in the concrete mix design, and construction-operation factors, such as concrete cover depth and surface protection, on the durability of RC members. In this study, these factors were investigated through Monte Carlo simulation. The results showed that slight adjustments in some structural and operational factors can significantly reduce the risk of corrosion initiation and ultimately improve the durability of concrete members against corrosion. The effect of each parameter on the probability of corrosion initiation during the design life of a RC structure was analyzed and interpreted using numerical examples.

Heavy grazing over 64 years reduced soil bacterial diversity in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Canada

Grazing is one of the most widespread grassland management strategies. However, the effects of over six decades of different grazing intensities on soil bacterial community composition in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains are uncertain. We analyzed the bacterial community composition in soil samples collected in both summer and fall, 64 years after a long-term grazing intensity study was initiated in 1949. Grazing intensity treatments were (i) 0 animal-unit months (AUM) ha−1, (ii) 2.4 AUM ha−1 and (iii) 4.8 AUM ha−1, which represented the control, moderate and heavy grazing intensities, respectively. The evenness and diversity indices decreased with heavy grazing intensity relative to the other treatments in both summer and fall. In summer and fall, heavy grazing significantly shifted the bacterial community composition compared to the other treatments. Heavy grazing intensity significantly decreased the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Chlorobi, Nitrospirae and Proteobacteria, but significantly increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria. Principal Coordinate Analyses revealed that available nitrogen, moisture content, total nitrogen and organic carbon were the primary environmental factors affecting the soil bacterial community composition. This study suggests that the effects of grazing on soil bacterial community composition are largely dependent on changes in soil physicochemical properties induced by the intensity of grazing over periods of six decades.

The Influence on Contaminant Bioavailability and Microbial Abundance of Lake Hongze by the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

The world famous South-to-North Water Transfer Project was built to alleviate serious water shortages in northern China. Considering that lake Hongze is an important freshwater lake in this region, analyzing the influence of water diversion on typical contaminant bioavailability and microbial abundance could aid in achieving a good overall understanding of hydrodynamic variation. Accordingly, in situ high-resolution measurements of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and next-generation high-throughput sequencing were combined in order to survey Lake Hongze and determine the relationship between environmental factors and microbial communities. The DGT method effectively obtained more than the 85% of bioavailable concentrations of the corresponding contaminants; the results showed that labile P, S, Fe, As, and Hg concentrations were higher in areas influenced by water transfer. Moreover, the relative abundance and alpha diversity of the sampling sites distributed in the water transfer area differed significantly from other sites. The pH, conductivity, and labile Mn, As, and P were shown to be the primary environmental factors affecting the abundance and diversity of microbes. With the exception of bioturbation-affected sites controlled by labile Mn and pH, sites distributed in the water diversion area were most affected by As and conductivity, with little spatial discrepancy. Furthermore, site 2, with higher bioturbation abundance, and site 10, with stronger hydrodynamics, had low alpha diversity compared to the other sites. Consequently, the bioavailability of typical contaminants such as P, S, As, Hg, Fe, Mg, Cd, Pb, and Mn, as well as the diversity and abundance of microbial in the sites influenced by the water diversion, were significantly different to the other sites. Thus, the impacts of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project on participant lakes were non-negligible overall in the investigation.

Analysis of Macrobenthic Communities in a Post-Mining Sulphur Pit Lake (Poland)

The objective of the study was to define the primary environmental factors affecting the composition of the macrobenthic community in an abandoned open cast sulphur mine pit lake that had been filled with water from a nearby river. We investigated habitats at various depths and the macrobenthic communities; samples were collected by scuba divers. Although rush and submerged vegetation in the subsaline pit lake was abundant and provided potentially good habitat conditions for mayflies, caddisflies, coleopterans, or damselflies, the native insects were scarce. The taxa do not have many representatives in waters with elevated salinity, so those present in the Machów pit lake were mainly euryhaline species. Chironomids were the most abundant macroinvertebrates in shallower zones, whereas non-native zebra mussels were the quantitatively dominant taxon in deep-water zones. Moreover, these non-native mussels were the dominant biomass of invertebrates at all sites in all seasons. The current composition of the invertebrate assemblage was probably primarily determined by the salinated water, which limited the abundance of native species and gave non-native species an edge.

Distribution and environmental correlations of picoeukaryotes in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard) during the summer

Picoeukaryotes are numerous in the summer in the High-Arctic fjord Kongsfjorden, in western Spitsbergen, Svalbard. However, little research has been conducted on the community structure and diversity of picoeukaryotes. We conducted a detailed investigation of the distribution and environmental correlations of picoeukaryotes in Kongsfjorden in July 2012, using 454-pyrosequencing of 18S rDNA and redundant analysis. Eight classes were classified with proportions larger than 1%. These were Mamiellophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Spirotrichea, Telonemea, Cryptophyceae, Bolidophyceae, Picomonadea and Dictyochophyceae. Five genera were classified, with Micromonas (55.6%) and Bathycoccus (7.8%) as the dominant genera. The diversity and composition of the picoeukaryote community were very distinct in different water masses sampled in the water column (i.e., vertically), but were not distinct from station to station (i.e., horizontally). Biodiversity was greater in the Atlantic waters than in glacial waters. Mamiellophyceae, Bolidophyceae, Picomonadea and Dictyochophyceae had significantly different distributions (p < 0.01) in the three water masses (surface water, intermediate water and transformed Atlantic Water). Nitrogen, salinity and temperature were the first three primary environmental factors shaping the community structure of picoeukaryotes.

Fungal Community Composition and Potential Depth-Related Driving Factors Impacting Distribution Pattern and Trophic Modes from Epi- to Abyssopelagic Zones of the Western Pacific Ocean.

Fungi play an important role in cycling organic matter and nutrients in marine ecosystems. However, the distribution of fungal communities in the ocean, especially the vertical distribution along depth in the water column, remained poorly understood. Here, we assess the depth-related distribution pattern of fungal communities along the water column from epi- to abyssopelagic zones of the Western Pacific Ocean using internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) metabarcoding. Majority of the assigned OTUs were affiliated to Ascomycota, followed by three other minor phyla (Basidiomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Mucoromycota). The epipelagic zone harbored a higher OTU richness with distinct fungal communities as compared with meso-, bathy-, and abyssopelagic zones. Across the whole water column, depth appears as a key parameter for both fungal α- and β-diversity. However, when the dataset was split into the upper (5-500m) and deeper (below 500m) layers, no significant correlation was observed between depth and community compositions. In the upper layer, temperature and dissolved oxygen were recognized as the primary environmental factors shaping fungal α- and β- diversity. By parsing fungal OTUs into ecological categories, multi-trophic mode of nutrition was found to be more prevalent with increasing depth, suggesting a potential adaptation to the extreme conditions of the deep sea. This study provides new and meaningful information on the depth-stratified fungal diversity, community structure, and putative ecological roles in the open sea.

Mesopontine cholinergic inputs to midbrain dopamine neurons drive stress-induced depressive-like behaviors

Stressful life events are primary environmental factors that markedly contribute to depression by triggering brain cellular maladaptations. Dysregulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons has been causally linked to the appearance of social withdrawal and anhedonia, two classical manifestations of depression. However, the relevant inputs that shape these dopamine signals remain largely unknown. We demonstrate that chronic social defeat (CSD) stress, a preclinical paradigm of depression, causes marked hyperactivity of laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) excitatory neurons that project to the VTA. Selective chemogenetic-mediated inhibition of cholinergic LDTg neurons prevent CSD-induced VTA DA neurons dysregulation and depressive-like behaviors. Pro-depressant outcomes are replicated by pairing activation of LDTg cholinergic terminals in the VTA with a moderate stress. Prevention of CSD outcomes are recapitulated by blocking corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 within the LDTg. These data uncover a neuro-circuitry of depressive-like disorders and demonstrate that stress, via a neuroendocrine signal, profoundly dysregulates the LDTg.

Distribution and Driving Factors of Forest Swamp Conversions in a Cold Temperate Region.

Forest swamps are widely distributed in cold temperate regions, with important landscape and ecological functions. They are prone to conversion caused by complex factors. Forest swamp conversions involve forest swamping, meadow swamping, water body swamping, and conversion to farmland. An understanding of the landscape characteristics and primary environmental factors driving forest swamp conversions is imperative for exploring the mechanism of forest swamp conversions. We investigated the landscape characteristics of forest swamp conversions and quantified the relative importance of environmental factors driving these conversions for the period from 1990 to 2015 in the Great Xing’an Mountains of China. We found that forest swamping displayed high patch numbers (34,916) and density (8.51/100 ha), commonly occurring at the edge of large areas of forests. Meadow swamping was localized with low patch numbers (3613) and density (0.88/100 ha) due to lack of water recharge from ground water. Water body swamping had complex shapes (perimeter area ratio mean = 348.32) because of water table fluctuations and helophyte growth during this conversion process. Conversions to farmland presented fairly regular (perimeter area ratio mean = 289.91) and aggregated (aggregation index = 67.82) characteristics affected by agricultural irrigation and management. We found that climatic and geomorphic factors were relatively important compared to topographic factors for forest swamp conversions. Negative geomorphic conditions provided the waterlogging environment as a precondition of swamp formation. Sufficient precipitation was an important source of water recharge due to the existence of permafrost regions and long-term low temperature reduced the evaporation of swamps water and the decomposition rate of organisms. These wet and cold climatic conditions promoted forest swamp development in cold temperate regions. Humans exerted a relatively important role in forest swamping and conversions to farmland. Fire disturbance and logging accelerated the conversion from forest to swamp. This study provides scientific information necessary for the management and conservation of forest swamp resources in cold temperate regions.

Macrophage Phagocytosis and Allergen Avoidance in Children With Asthma.

Background and Objective: Airway macrophages perform the crucial functions of presenting antigens, clearing pathogens, and apoptotic cells. Macrophage phagocytosis is increased in adults with mild asthma and allergen exposure is known to activate macrophages. However, it is not clear whether the mechanism behind this is due to a primary defect or environmental factors such as allergen or lipopolysaccaride (LPS) exposure. Our aim was to assess the phagocytic function of airway macrophages in children with mild to moderate asthma after residence in a low allergen\\LPS environment at high altitude.Methods: Sputum induction was performed in children with asthma at baseline and after residence for a 3 weeks' period at a high-altitude asthma center that has very low ambient allergen levels. The markers of eosinophilic inflammation (including percentage of macrophage cytoplasm with red hue) and phagocytosis of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled, heat-killed Staphylococcus aureus by airway macrophages was analyzed. Internalized bacteria were quantified using confocal microscopy.Results: The median bacterial count [mean (standard deviation)] per macrophage was significantly lower [39.55 (4.51) vs. 73.26 (39.42) (p = 0.006)] after residence at high altitude. No association was observed between markers of eosinophilic inflammation and bacterial phagocytosis.Conclusions: The results suggest that the mechanism behind the enhanced phagocytosis of bacteria in childhood asthma may be secondary to allergen or possibly LPS exposure.

Quantitative phosphoproteomics reveals GTBP-1 regulating C.elegans lifespan at different environmental temperatures

Temperature is one of the primary environmental factors that affect aging, in which protein phosphorylation is an important regulator. Currently, the understanding of phosphorylation events in regulatory networks during aging has remained rather limited. Herein, the phosphoproteomes of C.elegans of different age groups cultured at 20 °C (natural aging) and 25 °C (accelerated aging) were analyzed. Through using the iTRAQ-labeled phosphoproteomics method, 2375 phosphoproteins and 9063 phosphosites were identified. Volcano plots illustrated that 208 proteins during natural aging and 130 proteins during accelerated aging, were significantly changed. Gene ontology and pathway analysis revealed that these proteins were mainly involved in translation, development, metabolisms, and animal behavior processes. Moreover, our results uncovered those kinases CK2, MAPK and CAMK2 might play important roles in aging regulation. Functional experiments confirm that the candidated phosphoprotein GTBP-1 could regulate C.elegans lifespan at 20 °C or 25 °C and is more resistant to heat and oxidative stresses. In summary, our results provided an important resource for future studies of protein phosphorylation in worms. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD009661.