Elevated CO2, Warming and Drought Differentially Impact Reproductive and Vegetative Economic Traits in Two Grassland Species.

Background And Aims: Since the Industrial Revolution, rising atmospheric CO₂, warming, and more frequent droughts have significantly impacted ecosystems. While the response of leaf functional traits to these climate change factors have been widely studied, reproductive traits remain relatively understudied, despite their key role in the diversification and distribution of flowering plants. Here, we investigated how elevated CO₂, warming, drought, and their interactions affect floral, leaf and seed traits in two model grassland species.

Construction of an Ag-functionalized structural color hydrogel sensor for colorimetric detection of glutathione.

An Ag-functionalized structural color hydrogel (Ag-SCH) sensor is constructed for colorimetric detection of glutathione (GSH). The hydrogel is prepared by using the coordination of Ag and 1-vinylimidazole (1-VI) as cross-linking network. GSH acts as a competitive ligand to break the coordination between Ag and 1-VI, leading to the expansion and structural color change of the hydrogel.

Emission characteristics of full-volatility organic compounds from China's aluminum-products industry and their impacts on secondary organic aerosol and ozone potentials.

China's aluminum-products industry, a large-scale consumer of industrial paints, is a potentially significant source of full-volatility organic compounds (F-VOCs). However, the emission characteristics of F-VOCs, including VOCs, intermediate-, semi-, and low-volatility organic compounds (I/S/LVOCs), and their role in ozone formation potentials (OFP), and secondary organic aerosol formation potentials (SOAP) remain unclear. In this study, we collected in-field samples from three industrial paints (solvent-based, water-based and powder paints) at spraying and drying processes, and treatment devices to analyze the emission characteristics of F-VOCs, OFP, SOAP.

Reproduction, metabolic enzyme activity, and metabolomics in earthworms Eisenia fetida exposed to different polymer microplastics.

Plastics degradation generates microplastics (MPs), posing a risk to soil function and organisms. Currently, the impact of MPs derived from different polymers remains poorly understood. In this study, the effects of three polymers (polypropylene (PP), polylactic acid (PLA), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT)) were investigated at environmentally relevant levels (0, 0.

Ecological Momentary Assessment as a Measure of Intervention Change: Evaluation in 4 Digital Mental Health Trials.

Background: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is increasingly being incorporated into intervention studies to acquire a more fine-grained and ecologically valid assessment of change. The added utility of including relatively burdensome EMA measures in a clinical trial hinges on several psychometric assumptions, including that these measure are (1) reliable, (2) related to but not redundant with conventional self-report measures (convergent and discriminant validity), (3) sensitive to intervention-related change, and (4) associated with a clinically relevant criterion of improvement (criterion validity) above conventional self-report measures (incremental validity).

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change of conventional self-report versus EMA measures of rumination improvement.

Contrasting age-dependent leaf acclimation strategies drive vegetation greening across deciduous broadleaf forests in mid- to high latitudes.

Increasing leaf area and extending vegetation growing seasons are two primary drivers of global greening, which has emerged as one of the most significant responses to climate change. However, it remains unclear how these two leaf acclimation strategies would vary across forests at a large spatial scale. Here, using multiple satellite-based datasets and field measurements, we analysed the temporal changes (Δ) in maximal leaf area index (LAI) and length of the growing season (LOS) from 2002 to 2021 across deciduous broadleaf forests (DBFs) in the middle to high latitudes.

Adjusting the management of the Antarctic krill fishery to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Antarctic krill () is the central prey species in the Southern Ocean food web, supporting the largest and fastest-growing fishery in the region, managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). Climate change is threatening krill populations and their predators, while current catch limits do not take into account climate variability or krill population dynamics. In 2024, CCAMLR was unable to renew its spatial catch limits, highlighting the urgent need for improved management of the krill fishery to prevent any harm to the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

Avian influenza spillover into poultry: environmental influences and biosecurity protections.

With the continued spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), understanding the complex dynamics of virus transfer at the wild - agriculture interface is paramount. Spillover events (i.e.

Psychological experiences of young end stage renal disease patients awaiting kidney transplantation: A qualitative study.

Objectives: End stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major disease that seriously threatens the health of young people, and kidney transplantation is an effective treatment method to improve its prognosis.Young ESRD patients at a critical stage of life development often face significant physical and psychological challenges while waiting for kidney transplantation. Their psychological state directly affects treatment compliance and transplantation outcomes.

Augmenting water quality resilience in water distribution systems: A stress-driven model for ice slurry pigging optimisation strategy.

Pipeline cleaning is essential for maintaining water quality and safeguarding public health within water distribution networks. Although ice slurry pigging is widely adopted due to its effectiveness and environmental advantages, challenges remain in accurately quantifying cleaning efficacy and optimising maintenance intervals. This study develops a stress-driven wall material removal model calibrated using field-measured turbidity data, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of cleaning effectiveness based on post-cleaning shear resistance.

Dual-emission center ratiometric fluorescence probes based on biomass carbon dots for metal ions detection in water and three-level anti-counterfeiting.

Background: In the contemporary era of rapid digital advancement, information security is closely associated with our daily life. From personal information to state secrets, all domains are intricately linked with information. Consequently, the significance of information security has garnered growing attention from an ever-increasing number of individuals.

C/N-Driven Synergies: Earthworms optimize CO/NO mitigation and soil quality in floral waste recycling.

The expansion of floriculture has increased the need for sustainable floral waste management to support agricultural carbon neutrality. This study assessed the impact of carnation, lily, and rose straw amendments (with varying C/N ratios, lignin, and cellulose) on GHG emissions and soil quality with earthworm (Eisenia fetida). Controlled microcosm experiments were conducted to examine the effects of straw types and earthworms on CO and NO fluxes, as well as soil properties, enzyme activities, and microbial functions.

Unraveling ozone formation sensitivity to ambient VOCs and NOx at urban and mountain sites in a typical city of eastern China.

Ozone (O) is a primary pollutant affecting air quality in China, whose formation rate was non-linearly based on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). A comprehensive understanding of the key drivers governing O formation and its sensitivity to precursor variations presents a persistent research challenge, stemming from the complex interplay of underlying photochemistry, meteorology, and topography. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted synchronous measurements of O and its precursors at both an urban (JPU) and a mountain (LM) site in a typical city in eastern China, enabling concurrent evaluation of O formation sensitivity and diagnostic analysis of its underlying mechanisms.

The Moderating Effect of Atypical Events on the Relationship Between Heart Rate and Stress in Medical Residents Working in an Intensive Care Unit: Longitudinal, Observational Daily Diary Study.

Background: Residency is a critical period in a physician's training, characterized by significant physical, cognitive, and emotional demands that make residents highly susceptible to stress and associated negative health outcomes. While physiological signals such as heart rate have been explored as potential biomarkers of stress, their predictive utility in high-stress environments such as the intensive care unit (ICU) remains inconclusive, especially when factoring in atypical events that can further exacerbate resident stress levels.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between daily average heart rate (AHR) and perceived stress among ICU residents and examine the moderating effect of atypical events on this relationship.

Making Restoration Effective for Dynamic Coastal Wetlands.

To halt and reverse the trends of ecosystem loss and degradation under global change, nations globally are promoting ecosystem restoration. Restoration is particularly crucial to coastal wetlands (including tidal marshes, mangrove forests, and tidal flats), which are among the most important ecosystems on Earth but have been severely depleted and degraded. In this review, we explore the question of how to make restoration more effective for coastal wetlands in light of the often-overlooked dynamic nature of these transitional ecosystems between land and ocean.

Evaluation and Diagnosis of Regional Ammonia Emission Inventory in the Pearl River Delta Using Multisite NH Observations and Model Simulations.

Ammonia (NH) has attracted increasing attention for its reduction potential in fine particulate matter mitigation, yet current NH emission inventories involve substantial uncertainties. Previous bottom-up NH inventories are usually constrained by satellite observations, deposition measurements, or isotopic analysis and still lack careful validation at fine regional scales. This study develops a novel diagnostic framework combining multisite NH observations across the Pearl River Delta (PRD) with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model simulations and machine learning techniques to evaluate and refine a regional NH inventory.

Physiological responses in free-ranging Asian elephant populations living across human-production landscapes.

Monitoring the physiology of elephants living in human-production landscapes has become increasingly important for understanding how they cope with various challenges that affect their overall fitness. We assessed physiological stress by measuring faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) levels and metabolic states using faecal triiodothyronine (fT3) across three free-ranging Asian elephant populations (one in Central India and two in Northeastern India) whose home ranges encompass varying extents of disturbance in human-production landscapes. We present landscape disturbance metrics to characterize variations in fragmentation and anthropogenic pressures across the study landscapes and use faecal carbon and nitrogen (C/N) ratio as a proxy for dietary quality, with higher C/N values indicating poorer-quality diets.

Molecular mechanisms of lignin biosynthesis in Chimonanthus praecox: Morphological, physiological, transcriptomic, and functional gene analysis.

Chimonanthus praecox, an economically important tree species that is native to China, is widely cultivated as a woody cut flower and is highly demanded by consumers worldwide. The development and utilization of lignin can further enhance its economic value. However, there is currently no research on lignin biosynthesis in C.

Assessment for seawall modifications to mitigate land crabs roadkills from field experiments and agent-based modeling.

The seawalls and roads between the habitats and intertidal zone impede the migration of land crabs to their spawning sites and increase the risk of roadkill in Gaomei Wetland. A pilot project aimed at mitigating roadkill risk involved modifying the landside of the seawalls from vertical to sloped. The effectiveness of the seawall modification needs to be further assessed.

Spatial heterogeneity of microbial community structure and its environmental drivers in surface sediments of Erhai Lake.

As a crucial plateau freshwater lake in Yunnan Province, China, Erhai Lake exhibits distinct environmental heterogeneity driven by its unique watershed characteristics and human activities, significantly influencing sediment microbial communities. This study investigated the spatial relationships between environmental factors and microbial community structures in surface sediments from the eastern, western, and northern shores using redundancy analysis (RDA) and Spearman correlation analysis. Results revealed that pH, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total organic carbon (TOC), and redox potential (Eh) were key drivers of microbial community divergence.

Dog-Stranger Interactions Can Facilitate Canine Incursion into Wilderness: The Role of Food Provisioning and Sociability.

Most research on domestic dog () behavior has focused on pets with restricted movement. However, free-ranging dogs exist in diverse cultural contexts globally, and their interactions with humans are less understood. Tourists can facilitate unrestricted dog movement into wilderness areas, where they may negatively impact wildlife.

Epifaunal Assemblages of the Fan Mussel (Mollusca: Bivalvia) in the Sea of Marmara.

Dense aggregations of species in the family Pinnidae give soft substrata a specific characterization. They may influence the biological and physical properties of the surrounding sediments. Bottom-trawl samplings performed in the Sea of Marmara revealed populations of a large pinnid species, particularly at depths of 40-45 m in soft substrata.

Applying Deep Learning to Quantify Drivers of Long-Term Ecological Change in a Swedish Marine Protected Area.

In this study, we trained an object-detection model to classify 17 benthic invertebrate taxa in archived footage of a study site on the northern west coast of Sweden (a wall section of the Koster Fjord) within the Swedish marine protected area Kosterhavet National Park. The model displayed a mean average precision score of 0.738 and was applied to footage from 1997 to 2023, generating a dataset of 72,369 occurrence records.

Integrating heavy metal concentration and slope gradient for ecological risk assessment in mountainous regions: insights from China's Dabie Mountain region.

Soil heavy metal (HM) contamination has emerged as a critical global ecological issue. This study examines the distribution and ecological risks of ten HMs (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Co, Cd, As, Hg, and Mn) in the soils of the Dabie Mountain region, a hotspot for severe soil erosion in China. Results show that slope gradient influences the spatial distribution of HMs, with steep slopes (>10°) exhibiting higher Pb and Cd concentrations compared to gentle (<5°) and moderate slopes (5-10°).

Determining microbial extracellular alkaline phosphatase activity in seawater based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Microbial extracellular alkaline phosphatase (ALP) plays a significant role in marine phosphorus cycle. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to accurately and rapidly measure ALP activity (APA) in seawater. However, the applications of the existing APA measurement methods are constrained by cumbersome pre-processing, lengthy measurement times, and the influence of colored substances or suspended particles in seawater samples, which limit our accurate understanding of the marine phosphorus cycle.