Southern Part Of China Research Articles

First record of the rare moth Amana angulifera Walker, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Epicopeiidae) from India since the 19th century

Amana angulifera Walker, 1855, a diurnal moth belonging to the family Epicopeiidae, was described from India based on a previously collected specimen. Though type locality was omitted in the original description, in the last decade of the 19th century, the habitat of the moth was mentioned to be Khasi Hills of the present Meghalaya state of India. It is also recorded from Yunnan in southern part of China. After a gap of more than a century, this paper reports the presence of the species again from India, this time in the Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China, filling a sampling gap within its distribution range. Further study of the moth in this region is recommended to fill the sampling gaps and assess its life cycle, population trends, abundance, phenological responses and inter-specific interactions with plants so that conservation measures may be taken up accordingly.

Novel nomograms for predicting the risk of low distal bone strength: development and validation in a Chinese population-based observational study

BackgroundThis study aims to develop nomogram models based on the speed of sound (SOS) measurements results along with demographic information to predict the risk of low bone strength (LBS) of radius appropriate to the Chinese population of a broad age spectrum.MethodsA population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 outpatient clinics located in Zhejiang, the southern part of China. A total of 38,699 participants from 2013 to 2017 were included. Baseline measurements included SOS of the distal radius and clinical risk factor evaluation. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate prognosis and identify independent predictive factors, which were then utilized to establish nomograms for predicting the low bone strength of radius. The discrimination and calibration of nomograms were validated using the calibration plots, the decision curve analysis (DCA), and the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC).ResultsA total of 19,845 of the 38,904 participants ranged in age from 10 to 88 years were selected in this process. LBP nomogram model 1 was constructed based on age, weight, height, BMI, and gender. LBP nomogram model 2 was constructed based on age, height, BMI, and gender. The AUCs for model 1 and model 2 were 0.838 (95% CI: 0.832–0.844) and 0.837 (95% CI: 0.831–0.843), respectively. High-quality calibration plots and DCA in nomogram models were noticed, indicated that the constructed nomogram models were clinically useful.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that the nomograms established in this study could effectively evaluate the high-risk population groups of distal radius fracture in China.

Effect of cropland withdrawal on soil organic carbon in China, 1990–2018

AbstractSoil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the most important soil attributes responsible for the sustainable maintenance of soil quality. In recent years, cropland withdrawal (CWD) (i.e., conversion into natural landscapes) in China has become a remarkable phenomenon of land use changes, driven by the spontaneous cropland abandonment by rural households and government‐led conversion of cropland to forest and grassland. The CWD may affect SOC content and storage in China. Therefore, this study estimated the variation in SOC caused by CWD between 1990 and 2018 based on the grid data of land use and soil organic matter (SOM). The results showed that CWD had a significant effect on SOC. (1) From 1990 to 2018, the total area of CWD was about 358 × 103 km2, an area that represented about 20% of the total area of cropland in China in 1990. In addition, within the total area of CWD, the proportions represented by the conversion of cropland to forest and grassland were the highest, reaching 58% and 39%, respectively. The former was mainly distributed in the southern part of China, especially in the southwestern mountainous area. The latter was largely concentrated in the northern part of China, especially in the Loess Plateau; (2) From 1990 to 2018, the average SOC content of CWD increased by about 10%, representing an increase of 193 Tg in soil organic carbon storage (SOCS). This is equivalent to six times the carbon emissions from agricultural land in China in 2019; (3) Among eight agricultural regions in China, the middle‐lower Yangtze Plain had the largest area of CWD, which accounted for 19.9% of the total CWD of the whole country.

Comprehensive transcriptome analysis reveals heat-responsive genes in flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis) using RNA sequencing.

Flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis Tsen et Lee, 2n=20, AA) is a vegetable species in southern parts of China that faces high temperatures in the summer and winter seasons. While heat stress adversely impacts plant productivity and survival, the underlying molecular and biochemical causes are poorly understood. This study investigated the gene expression profiles of heat-sensitive (HS) '3T-6' and heat-tolerant (HT) 'Youlu-501' varieties of flowering Chinese cabbage in response to heat stress using RNA sequencing. Among the 37,958 genes expressed in leaves, 20,680 were differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 1, 6, and 12h, with 1,078 simultaneously expressed at all time points in both varieties. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified three clusters comprising 1,958, 556, and 591 down-regulated, up-regulated, and up- and/or down-regulated DEGs (3205 DEGs; 8.44%), which were significantly enriched in MAPK signaling, plant-pathogen interactions, plant hormone signal transduction, and brassinosteroid biosynthesis pathways and involved in stimulus, stress, growth, reproductive, and defense responses. Transcription factors, including MYB (12), NAC (13), WRKY (11), ERF (31), HSF (17), bHLH (16), and regulatory proteins such as PAL, CYP450, and photosystem II, played an essential role as effectors of homeostasis, kinases/phosphatases, and photosynthesis. Among 3205 DEGs, many previously reported genes underlying heat stress were also identified, e.g., BraWRKY25, BraHSP70, BraHSPB27, BraCYP71A23, BraPYL9, and BraA05g032350.3C. The genome-wide comparison of HS and HT provides a solid foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms of heat tolerance in flowering Chinese cabbage.

A potential tool for predicting epidemic trends and outbreaks of scrub typhus based on Internet search big data analysis in Yunnan Province, China.

Scrub typhus, caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, is a neglected tropical disease. The southern part of China is considered an important epidemic and conserved area of scrub typhus. Although a surveillance system has been established, the surveillance of scrub typhus is typically delayed or incomplete and cannot predict trends in morbidity. Internet search data intuitively expose the public's attention to certain diseases when used in the public health area, thus reflecting the prevalence of the diseases. In this study, based on the Internet search big data and historical scrub typhus incidence data in Yunnan Province of China, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and ARIMA with external variables (ARIMAX) model were constructed and compared to predict the scrub typhus incidence. The results showed that the ARIMAX model produced a better outcome than the ARIMA model evaluated by various indexes and comparisons with the actual data. The study demonstrates that Internet search big data can enhance the traditional surveillance system in monitoring and predicting the prevalence of scrub typhus and provides a potential tool for monitoring epidemic trends of scrub typhus and early warning of its outbreaks.

Seasonal Characteristics of Atmospheric PM2.5 in an Urban Area of Vietnam and the Influence of Regional Fire Activities

This study investigated the seasonal variation and chemical characteristics of atmospheric PM2.5 at an urban site in Hanoi City of Vietnam in summer (July 2020) and winter (January 2021) periods. The study results showed that the average value of daily PM2.5 concentrations observed for the winter period was about 3 times higher than the counterpart for the summer period. The concentrations of major species in atmospheric PM2.5 (SO42−, NH4+, K+, OC and EC) measured during the winter period were also significantly higher than those during the summer period. The contribution of secondary sources to the measured OC (the largest contributor to PM2.5) was larger than that of primary sources during the winter period, compared to those in the summer period. The correlation analysis among anions and cations in PM2.5 suggested that different sources and atmospheric processes could influence the seasonal variations of PM2.5 species. The unfavorable meteorological conditions (lower wind speed and lower boundary layer height) in the winter period were identified as one of the key factors contributing to the high PM2.5 pollution in this period. With the predominance of north and northeast winds during the winter period, the long-range transport of air pollutants which emitted from the highly industrialized areas and the intensive fire regions in the southern part of China and Southeast Asia region were likely other important sources for the highly elevated concentrations of PM2.5 and its chemical species in the study area.

Drought index revisited to assess its response to vegetation in different agro-climatic zones

A combination of in-situ climatic variables and remote sensing data could provide dynamic information that facilitates to get effective dryness or wetness situations for planetary ecosystems. Thus, the traditional standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) was revisited by drought index (DI) using satellite soil moisture data and land surface evapotranspiration from Penman-Monteith-Leuning Version 2 (PML_V2) datasets to assess the dryness over 2417 station’s grid points in China. DI was compared with the self-calibrating Palmer drought severity index (scPDSI), SPEI and composite drought index (CDI) for three major land cover classes (croplands, grasslands, and forests) area. The independent evaluation was carried out using sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (vegetation photosynthesis), and normalized difference vegetation index datasets including crop yield. Results exhibited that DI performance was comparable with CDI than scPDSI and SPEI to capture the impact of drought on vegetation photosynthesis. Vegetation productivity assessed by NDVI was significantly affected by dryness in the northern and southern part of China using DI, CDI and scPDSI and compared to SPEI. DI displayed a positive correlation with wheat, maize, and rice yield. Revisited drought index showed significant results for vegetation productivity but still necessitate future work to improve DI for agricultural drought research.

The first report of Lasiodiplodia theobromae causing leaf spot on Illicium verum in China.

Star anise (Illicium verum) production is an important industry in parts of southern China (Wang et al. 2011). The production of star anise (cultivar Dahong) was seriously affected by a leaf spot disease during the summer of 2020 in Rong County, Guangxi province, China. Approximately 20% to 30% of the trees (n = 200, 15-16 years old) had obvious leaf spots on more than 80% of the leaves. Local growers had to cut down the seriously diseased trees. Symptomatic samples were collected and sent to us at the end of August 2021. A single brown-edged round gray spot appeared on each leaf. The spot was ~20 mm in diameter. The margin was cut into 5 mm pieces, then disinfested with 3% NaOCl for 30 s, 75% ethanol for 30 s and sterile deionized water for 1 min before dried and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium at 25°C in the dark. A total of 25 fungal isolates were obtained (isolation rate 82%). Genomic DNAs was extracted from the mycelia of these isolates and three diagnostic regions including ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990), EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999) and Bt2a/Bt2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995) were amplified. The colony morphology on PDA and the sequences of the five isolates BJ20-1, BJ20-4, BJ20-5, BJ20-7, BJ20-8 were identical. Fungal colonies had light gray mycelium and black pigment on PDA. The average colony growth rate was 4.25±0.31 cm per day and no spores were produced. Sequences of the representative isolate BJ20-1 were deposited in GenBank (Accession nos. OK483326, OL547596 and OL547597). BLASTn search indicated high identity 99.6%, 98.58% and 100% to ITS (AY640255), EF1-α (AY640258), and β-tubulin (KU887532) of Lasiodiplodia theobromae, respectively. Combined phylogenetic analysis using MEGAX (Kumar et al. 2018) clustered BJ20-1 and L. theobromae CBS164.96 in one clade. To test pathogenicity, 2-years-old healthy I. verum trees (cultivar Dahong) maintained in a greenhouse were inoculated. Leaves were surface sterilized with 70% ethanol. One PDA plug (5mm in diameter) was placed on each wound acupunctured with a sterile needle pick. Ten PDA plugs with mycelial of BJ20-1 growing 7 days on it were inoculated on five leaves. Four sterile PDA plugs placed on two leaves served as controls. All the plugs were removed from the leaves the day after inoculation. The experiment was repeated three times. At 1 day post-inoculation (DPI), brown expanding lesions were observed on the inoculated leaves. At 7 DPI, a mature ellipse of necrosis formed with 18±4 mm in diameter with black pycnidia in the center. Conidia were observed in the pycnidia. The immature conidia were thick-walled, hyaline, aseptate and ellipsoid, measuring 20 - 25.2 × 11 - 13 μm (n = 25). The mature conidia were dark brown with one central septum, measuring 24.3 - 27 × 13 - 14 μm (n = 25). At 10 DPI, the control leaves remained asymptomatic. Re-isolation was successful from the spot on the inoculated leaves. The colony morphology and molecular identification of the re-isolations were all the same as that of BJ20-1. In conclusion, the morphological and molecular evidence consistently indicated these isolates were L. theobromae. Koch's postulates were fulfilled that L. theobromae was pathogenic on star anise. Although L. theobromae has been reported to cause leaf spot disease on Camellia sinensis (Bao et al, 2021), Kadsura longipedunculata (Fan et al, 2020) and Broussonetia papyrifera (Luo et al, 2020), etc., this is the first report of L. theobromae causing leaf spot on I. verum in China. Due to the leaf spot disease resulting in serious yield reduction on star anise, accurate pathogen identification in this study would significantly improve the control of the leaf spot disease on star anise.

Ensemble modeling to predict the impact of future climate change on the global distribution of Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata

Climate change is one of the significant factors influencing global species redistribution. As a result, a better understanding of the species' possible range change in future climate conditions is needed. Therefore, this study compiles global geographic occurrence data of a wild olive sub-species, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidate, and projected potential distribution models in current and future climate scenarios. This study using ensemble modeling predicted that the species will undergo a significant decrease in habitat suitability under future climatic conditions with a contraction ranging from ca. 41 and 42% under RCP4.5 2050 and to about 56 and 61% under RCP8.5 2070 for committee averaging and weighted mean, respectively. More specifically, there will be a decrease in habitat suitability in regions of the southeastern part of the United States in North America; coastal regions in South America; coastal regions in the majority of eastern Africa; coastal parts of Spain, France, Italy, and Greece in Europe; coastal parts of Yemen and Saudi Arabia; the southeastern parts of Pakistan and the southern part of China in Asia; and southwestern and eastern parts of Australia when compared to current habitat suitability. The results of this ensemble modeling could be extremely valuable in identifying cultivation hotspots for the effective restoration and protection of this olive lineage under future climatic conditions.

Circadian Rhythm Regulates Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Inhibits Al-Induced Programmed Cell Death in Peanut.

Peanut is among the most important oil crops in the world. In the southern part of China, peanut is highly produced; however, the arable land is acidic. In acidic soils, aluminum (Al) inhibits plant growth and development by changing the properties of the cell wall and causing the disorder of the intracellular metabolic process. Circadian rhythm is an internal mechanism that occurs about every 24 h and enables plants to maintain internal biological processes with a daily cycle. To investigate the effect of photoperiod and Al stress on the Al-induced programmed cell death (PCD), two peanut varieties were treated with 100 μM AlCl3 under three photoperiodic conditions (8/16, SD; 12/12, ND; 16/8 h, LD). The results show that Al toxicity was higher in ZH2 than in 99-1507 and higher under LD than under SD. Root length decreased by 30, 37.5, and 50% in ZH2 and decreased by 26.08, 34.78, and 47.82% in 99-1507 under SD, ND, and LD, respectively, under Al stress. Photoperiod and Al induced cell death and ROS production. MDA content, PME activity, and LOX activity increased under SD, ND, and LD, respectively, under Al stress both in ZH2 and 99-1507. APX, SOD, CAT, and POD activities were higher under SD, ND, and LD, respectively. Al stress increased the level of AhLHY expression under SD and ND but decreased it under LD in both ZH2 and 99-1507. Contrastingly, AhSTS expression levels increased exponentially and were higher under SD, LD, and ND, respectively, under Al stress. Our results will be a useful platform to research PCD induced by Al and gain new insights into the genetic manipulation of the circadian clock for plant stress response.

Seasonal Variation of Midgut Bacterial Diversity in Culexquinquefasciatus Populations in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China.

Simple SummaryMosquito midgut microbiota has become an interesting field in mosquito vector biology, as it has been shown to form an integral part of the mosquito life history. But less is known about seasonal variation of midgut bacterial diversity of Culex quinquefasciatus. Our results illustrate that the Bacteroidetes (Bacterial Phyla) communities have been well observed in autumn and winter seasons, suggesting that this might participate in the nutritional supply of adult mosquitoes when temperatures drop. This discovery provides a new perspective for the control of Cx. quinquefasciatus to reduce the transmission of diseases. There is much sufficiently practical significance to reduce the density of Cx. quinquefasciatus in autumn and winter when their activities are weakened, which is of absolute benefit to human beings and the natural environment.Culex quinquefasciatus, one of the most significant mosquito vectors in the world, is widespread in most parts of southern China. A variety of diseases including Bancroft’s filariasis, West Nile disease, and St. Louis encephalitis could be transmitted by the vector. Mosquitoes have been shown to host diverse bacterial communities that vary depending on environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall. In this work, 16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze the seasonal variation of midgut bacterial diversity of Cx. Quinquefasciatus in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China. Proteobacteria was the dominant phylum, accounting for 79.7% (autumn), 73% (winter), 80.4% (spring), and 84.5% (summer). The abundance of Bacteroidetes in autumn and winter was higher than in others. Interestingly, Epsilonbacteraeota, which only exists in autumn and winter, was discovered accidentally in the midgut. We speculated that this might participate in the nutritional supply of adult mosquitoes when temperatures drop. Wolbachia is the most abundant in autumn, accounting for 31.6% of bacteria. The content of Pantoea was highest in the summer group, which might be related to the enhancement of the ability of mosquitoes as temperatures increased. Pseudomonas is carried out as the highest level in winter. On the contrary, in spring and summer, the genus in highest abundance is Enterobacter. Acinetobacter enriches in the spring when it turns from cold to hot. By studying the diversity of midgut bacteria of Cx. quinquefasciatus, we can further understand the co-evolution of mosquitoes and their symbiotic microbes. This is necessary to discuss the seasonal variation of microorganisms and ultimately provide a new perspective for the control of Cx. quinquefasciatus to reduce the spread of the diseases which have notably vital practical significance for the effective prevention of Cx. quinquefasciatus.

Enhanced Muscle Fibers of Epinephelus coioides by Myostatin Autologous Nucleic Acid Vaccine.

Epinephelus coioides is a fish species with high economic value due to its delicious meat, high protein content, and rich fatty acid nutrition. It has become a high-economic fish in southern parts of China and some other Southeast Asian countries. In this study, the myostatin nucleic acid vaccine was constructed and used to immunize E. coioides. The results from body length and weight measurements indicated the myostatin nucleic acid vaccine promoted E. coioides growth performance by increasing muscle fiber size. The results from RT-qPCR analysis showed that myostatin nucleic acid vaccine upregulated the expression of myod, myog and p21 mRNA, downregulated the expression of smad3 and mrf4 mRNA. This preliminary study is the first report that explored the role of myostatin in E. coioides and showed positive effects of autologous nucleic acid vaccine on the muscle growth of E. coioides. Further experiments with increased numbers of animals and different doses are needed for its application to E. coiodes aquaculture production.

The impacts of the East Asian subtropical westerly jet on weather extremes over China in early and late summer

Summer weather extremes (e.g., heavy rainfall, heat waves) in China have been linked to anomalies of summer monsoon circulations. The East Asian subtropical westerly jet (EASWJ), an important component of the summer monsoon circulations, was investigated to elucidate the dynamical linkages between its intraseasonal variations and local weather extremes. Based on EOF analysis, the dominant mode of the EASWJ in early summer is characterized by anomalous westerlies centered over North China and anomalous easterlies centered over the south of Japan. This mode is conducive to the occurrence of precipitation extremes over Central and North China and humid heat extremes over most areas of China except Northwest and Northeast China. The centers of the dominant mode of the EASWJ in late summer extend more to the west and north than in early summer, and induce anomalous weather extremes in the corresponding areas. The dominant mode of the EASWJ in late summer is characterized by anomalous westerlies centered over the south of Lake Baikal and anomalous easterlies centered over Central China, which is favorable for the occurrence of precipitation extremes over northern and southern China and humid heat extremes over most areas of China except parts of southern China and northern Xinjiang Province. The variability of the EASWJ can influence precipitation and humid heat extremes by driving anomalous vertical motion and water vapor transport over the corresponding areas in early and late summer.摘要东亚副热带西风急流是影响中国极端天气的重要原因之一, 然而之前的研究主要关注整个夏季急流的变率, 对其早夏和晚夏变率的区别及其对极端天气的影响关注较少. 本文研究了早夏和晚夏东亚副热带西风急流季节内变化特征的区别, 以及这种区别带来的极端天气的差异及其可能的动力学机制. 研究结果表明, 相比于早夏, 晚夏急流季节内变化中心位置偏西偏北, 通过改变垂直运动和水汽输送可以影响极端降水和湿热浪在相应区域的发生概率.

Population Prediction of Chinese Prefecture-Level Cities Based on Multiple Models

In recent years, the population growth rate has been gradually declining in China. As the population problem becomes increasingly significant, the accurate prediction of population development trends has become a top priority, used to facilitate national scientific planning and effective decision making. Based on historical data spanning a period of 20 years (1999–2018), this article presents predictions of the populations of 210 prefecture-level cities using the Malthusian model, Unary linear regression model, Logistic model, and Gray prediction model. Furthermore, because the gray prediction model exhibited the highest degree of accuracy in formulating predictions, this study uses the model to predict and analyze future population development trends. The results reveal that the population gap between cities is gradually widening, and the total urban population shows a pattern of rising in middle-tier cities (second-tier cities and third-tier cities) and declining in high-tier cities (first-tier cities and new first-tier cities) and low-tier cities (fourth-tier cities and fifth-tier cities). From the viewpoint of geographical distribution, the population growth rate is basically balanced between the northern part and the southern part of China. In addition, the population growth of the high-tier cities is gradually slowing while the low-tier cities are experiencing a negative growth of population, but middle-tier cities are experiencing skyrocketing population growth. From the viewpoint of regional development, although the development of regional integration has been strengthened over the years, the radiative driving effect of large urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas is relatively limited.

Measurement report: Characterization and source apportionment of coarse particulate matter in Hong Kong: insights into the constituents of unidentified mass and source origins in a coastal city in southern China

Abstract. Coarse particulate matter (i.e. PM with an aerodynamic diameter between 2.5 and 10 µm – PM2.5 and PM10 – or PMcoarse) has been increasingly recognized for its importance in PM10 regulation because of its growing proportion in PM10 and the accumulative evidence for its adverse health impact. In this work, we present comprehensive PMcoarse speciation results obtained through a 1-year-long (January 2020–February 2021) joint PM10 and PM2.5 chemical speciation study in Hong Kong, a coastal and highly urbanized city in southern China. The annual average concentration of PMcoarse is 14.9 ± 8.6 µg m−3 (± standard deviation), accounting for 45 % of PM10 (32.9 ± 18.5 µg m−3). The measured chemical components explain ∼75 % of the PMcoarse mass. The unexplained part is contributed by unmeasured geological components and residue liquid water content, supported through analyses by positive matrix factorization (PMF) and the thermodynamic equilibrium model ISORROPIA II. The PMcoarse mass is apportioned to four sources resolved by PMF, namely soil dust/industrial and coal combustion, construction dust/copper-rich emissions, fresh sea salt, and an aged sea salt factor containing secondary inorganic aerosols (mostly nitrate). The PMcoarse concentration and source composition exhibit a distinct seasonal variation, a result mainly driven by the source areas the air masses have travelled through as revealed by back-trajectory analysis. In summer when the site is dominated by marine air mass, PMcoarse is the lowest (average = 8.1 µg m−3) and sea salt the largest contributor (47 %), followed by the two dust factors (36 % in total). In winter when the site receives air mass mainly from the northern continental region, PMcoarse concentration triples (24.8 µg m−3), with the two dust factors contributing three quarters of the aerosol mass. The potential dust source areas are mapped using the concentration-weighted trajectory technique, showing either the Greater Bay Area or the greater part of southern China as the origin of fugitive dust emissions leading to elevated ambient PMcoarse loadings in Hong Kong. This study, the first of this kind in our region, provides highly relevant guidance for other locations with similar monitoring needs. Additionally, the study findings point to the need for further research on the sources, transport, aerosol processes, and health effects of PMcoarse.

Predicting the possibility of African horse sickness (AHS) introduction into China using spatial risk analysis and habitat connectivity of Culicoides

African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating equine infectious disease. On 17 March 2020, it first appeared in Thailand and threatened all the South-East Asia equine industry security. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out risk warnings of the AHS in China. The maximum entropy algorithm was used to model AHS and Culicoides separately by using climate and non-climate variables. The least cost path (LCP) method was used to analyze the habitat connectivity of Culicoides with the reclassified land cover and altitude as cost factors. The models showed the mean area under the curve as 0.918 and 0.964 for AHS and Culicoides. The prediction result map shows that there is a high risk area in the southern part of China while the habitats of the Culicoides are connected to each other. Therefore, the risk of introducing AHS into China is high and control of the border area should be strengthened immediately.

Changes in wind energy potential over China using a regional climate model ensemble

The goal of carbon neutrality provides a new opportunity for the development of renewable energy, especially for wind power. In this paper, 11 regional climate models (RCMs) including CORDEX-EA and PRECIS at two different resolutions are used to evaluate the performance in simulating the spatio-temporal characteristics for wind speed and energy potential from 1981 to 2005. The results show that most models can reproduce the spatio-temporal patterns, and the simulation of the eastern region is better than that of the western region. Besides, most of the higher-resolution models had better simulation performance for spatial-temporal patterns and inter-annual variation. Then, the weighted multi-model ensemble is used to project the changes of the wind speed and the wind power density over China's mainland during the mid-21st century under the RCP8.5 scenario. In future, a decrease in wind speed is projected by most RCMs over China, although some regions, such as the southern parts of China, are projected to have more wind energy potential. The percentage variation of annual mean wind speed will remain in the range of ±4%. The wind power density will decrease in the north and the largest decrease will be found in the northwest. However, the annual mean wind power density in the southeast China will have an increase of 2.21% in the middle of this century. The inter-annual variation of the wind power density in most regions will increase by more than 20%. However, intra-annual variation in the wind power density is likely to decrease in most regions of China, ranging from about −20% to −50%.

Assessment of the impact of “dual-carbon” goal on future changes in air pollution and climate in China

<p indent=0mm>Carbon neutrality refers to achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing CO₂ emissions is one of the major ways to achieve carbon neutrality and control air temperature rise. So far, numerous countries have pledged their goals of achieving carbon neutrality. In September 2020, China proposed a national dual-carbon goal and the associated timeline to achieve peak carbon and carbon neutrality. Therefore, how the proposal will lead to future changes in air quality and climate in China is of great interest. In the context of the dual-carbon goal, a series of emission reduction policies for different types of industries will be implemented to achieve CO₂ reductions. As a result, emissions of other pollutants will be reduced as well. Furthermore, future global climate change is also one of the main concerns. Most previous studies have focused on one single impacting factor without consideration of the dual-carbon goal. While carbon neutrality is an inevitable global trend, studies of its implication on air quality and climate change in China are still rare. Considering both regional emissions and global climate change will help predict future climate. Taking the dual-carbon goal into account will help adjust current emission reduction policies. In this study, we simulate the impacts of both regional emissions and global climate change in the future on China’s air quality and climate in the future under the dual-carbon goal scenario using a regional climate-ecology coupled model RegCM-Chem-YIBs, based on the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP4.5) climate scenario and China’s 2030 emission data based on dynamics projection model (DPEC). Numerical simulations for present climate and present emissions, present climate and future emissions, and future climate and future emissions were performed. The comparison between the three sets of simulations provides how future regional emission reduction and global climate change will affect air pollution and climate in 2030. The study shows that, compared with 2015, the concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), ozone (O₃), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) in China will decrease by approximately 36.8, <sc>19.8 μg m⁻³</sc> and <sc>1.9 ppm</sc> in 2030, respectively, under the combined effect of future regional emissions and global climate change. The temperature in the southern part of China will increase significantly, with an increase between 0.5 and <sc>1.5 K.</sc> Precipitation and clouds decrease by <sc>1−2 mm d⁻¹</sc> and <sc>3%−6%,</sc> respectively. The temperature in the northern part decreases slightly, generally below <sc>1 K.</sc> Precipitation and clouds increase by approximately 2 mm d⁻¹ and 6%, respectively. Overall, regional emission changes have a larger impact on PM_2.5, O₃ and CO₂ concentrations, which are the main influencing factors for future air quality changes, while global climate change has a greater impact on temperature, clouds and precipitation. Emission reduction policies under the dual-carbon target will significantly reduce air pollution, but may exacerbate warming at the surface because these policies will inevitably diminish the cooling effect of particulate matter. The mitigation of climate change will require GHG (greenhouse gas) and air pollution synergistic emission reduction policies and worldwide cooperation.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of the Prevalence and Pattern of Multimorbidity in Older Chinese Adults.

BackgroundMultimorbidity presents an enormous problem to societal and healthcare utilization under the context of aging population in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Currently, systematic studies on the profile of multimorbidity and its characteristics among Chinese elderly are lacking. We described the temporal and spatial trends in the prevalence of multimorbidity and explored chronological changes of comorbidity patterns in a large elderly population survey.MethodsData were extracted from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS) conducted between 1998 and 2018 in a random selection of half of the counties and city districts. All the elderly aged 65 and older were included in the survey of eight waves. We used 13 investigated chronic diseases to measure the prevalence of multimorbidity by means of geography, subpopulation, and chronological changes. The patterns of multimorbidity were assessed by computing the value of relative risk (RR indicates the likelihood of certain diseases to be associated with multimorbidity) and the observed-to-expected ratio (O/E indicates the likelihood of the coexistence of a multimorbidity combination).ResultsFrom 1998 to 2018, the prevalence of multimorbidity went from 15.60 to 30.76%, increasing in the fluctuation across the survey of eight waves (p for trend = 0.020). Increasing trends were observed similarly in a different gender group (p male = 0.009; p female = 0.004) and age groups among female participants (p~80 = 0.009; p81−90 = 0.004; p91−100 = 0.035; p101~ = 0.018). The gap in the prevalence of multimorbidity between the north and the south was getting narrow across the survey of eight waves. Hypertension was the highest prevalent chronic condition while diabetes was most likely to coexist with other chronic conditions in the CLHLS survey. The most frequently occurring clusters were hypertension and heart disease, hypertension and cataract, and hypertension and chronic lung disease. And, the cancer, TB, and Parkinson's disease cluster took the domination of O/E rankings over time, which had a higher probability of coexistence in all the multimorbidity combinations.ConclusionsThe prevalence of multimorbidity has been increasing nationwide, and more attention should be paid to a rapid growth in the southern part of China. It demands the effective diagnosis and treatment adopted to the highly prevalent comorbidities, and strategies and measures were adjusted to strongly relevant clusters.

The SNARE Protein CfVam7 Is Required for Growth, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Response, and Pathogenicity of Colletotrichum fructicola.

The tea-oil tree Camellia oleifera is native to China and is cultivated in many parts of southern China. This plant has been grown for over 2,000 years, mainly for its high-quality cooking oil. Anthracnose is the main disease of tea-oil tree and results in a huge loss annually. Colletotrichum fructicola is a major pathogen causing anthracnose on tea-oil tree. In a previous study, we characterized that the bZIP transcription factor CfHac1 controlled the development and pathogenicity of C. fructicola. Here, we identified and characterized the function of CfVAM7 gene, which was significantly downregulated at the transcriptional level in the ΔCfhac1 strain under dithiothreitol stress. Targeted gene deletion revealed that CfVam7 is important in growth, pathogenicity, and responses to endoplasmic reticulum-related stresses. Further analysis revealed that CfVam7 is required for appressorium formation and homotypic vacuole fusion, which are important for fungal pathogen invasion. Cytological examinations revealed that CfVam7 is localized to vacuole membranes in the hyphal stage. The Phox homology (PX) and SNARE domains of CfVam7 were indispensable for normal cellular localization and biological function. Taken together, our results suggested that CfVam7-mediated vacuole membrane fusion promotes growth, stress response, and pathogenicity of C. fructicola.