Molecular phylogenetics of the Umbelopsis genus-identification of new species and evaluation of their oil application value.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to reconstruct the evolutionary framework of the genus Umbelopsis by using modern taxonomic strategies and evaluating the quality of oil and prospective uses of three distinct species. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three species of Umbelopsis were identified based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic evidence obtained from three genes (ITS, LSU, and ACT). A new species of Umbelopsis was described and illustrated, and subsequently named U. ophiocordycipiticola. The characteristics of U. ophiocordycipiticola exhibited sporangia with a diameter ranging from 8 to 17 µm. and sporangiospores that were oval to ellipsoidal in shape, irregularly angular, with dimensions of ∼1.9-2.9 × 1.7-3.0 µm. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to examine the composition of fatty acids. Notably, U. ophiocordycipiticola showed a significantly higher oil content of 50.89% in dry cell weight (DCW) compared to U. vinacea and U. ramanniana. The mean proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in U. ophiocordycipiticola was 32.38%, and the maximum levels of γ-linolenic acid (GLA), arachidonic acid (ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in U. ophiocordycipiticola were found to be 14.51, 0.24, 0.54, and 0.53%, respectively. The biodiesel quality from all three species complied with applicable standards set by the American Association for Testing and Materials (ASTM 6751) and the Brazilian National Petroleum Agency (ANP 255). CONCLUSIONS: The establishment of a novel species, U. ophiocordycipiticola, was strongly supported by morphological and molecular evidence. Umbelopsis ophiocordycipiticola exhibited a high-value PUFA content. Additionally, three Umbelopsis species demonstrated good quality for biodiesel production.

Compositional and functional diversities of core microbial communities in wild and artificial Ophiocordyceps sinensis.

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is an entomogenous fungus, and its wildlife resource is very insufficient, as it is widely traded as a natural health product. The artificial culture of O. sinensis is a remarkably effective progress in addressing the problem. Adding microorganisms may improve the process of artificial culture. To analyse the composition and function of the microbial community, high-throughput sequencing was used to explore the microbial community inhabiting wild and artificial O. sinensis and surrounding soil. Significant differences in the microbial communities across groups were revealed by the PCoA analysis. There were 51 fungal and 598 bacterial operational taxonomic units only being assigned to the fruiting bodies of wild O. sinensis (Wf) by the Venn diagram. From the LEfSe analysis, 39 fungal taxa and 75 bacterial taxa were enriched in Wf. Enzymes that were highly abundant in the core fungi were involved in physiological metabolic processes. Metabolic pathways were dominated in the core bacteria, followed by environmental information processing. The core microorganisms, with the marked differences between Wf and the other three groups, were essential for wild O. sinensis. Functional analysis verified their involvement in the growth, development, and infection of O. sinensis. These core microorganisms may be a valuable resource for the artificial culture of O. sinensis.

Fertility experiences and later-life cognitive function among older adults in China.

OBJECTIVES: The relationship between fertility history and human health has long fascinated scholars; however, whether there is a link between number of children and cognitive function in older adults remains unclear. We investigated the associations between parity and the timing of first and last births with the cognitive function of older adults over 65. METHODS: The mini-mental state examination (MMSE) was selected as a tool to measure cognitive function. We analyzed data on 5847 older adults in rural and urban communities in China from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey using ordinary least squares. To further explore the transmission mechanism, we also conducted a mediating effect analysis. RESULTS: We found a negative association between number of children and cognitive function in older adults. Compared with older adults with four children, the MMSE scores of older adults with more than five children decreased significantly, and the score of older adults with zero to three children increased. Further, a late age at first birth (≥35) and a late age at last birth (≥35) were negatively associated with cognitive function. We also found that the associations between parity and cognition might be partly explained by variations in health. CONCLUSION: Our analyses provided evidence from China to support the link between fertility history and cognitive function that has been observed in previous international studies: We suggest that high parity (≥5) is negatively associated with cognitive function.

Comparison of Widely Targeted Metabolomics and Untargeted Metabolomics of Wild Ophiocordyceps sinensis.

The authors of this paper conducted a comparative metabolomic analysis of Ophiocordyceps sinensis (OS), providing the metabolic profiles of the stroma (OSBSz) and sclerotia (OSBSh) of OS by widely targeted metabolomics and untargeted metabolomics. The results showed that 778 and 1449 metabolites were identified by the widely targeted metabolomics and untargeted metabolomics approaches, respectively. The metabolites in OSBSz and OSBSh are significantly differentiated; 71 and 96 differentially expressed metabolites were identified by the widely targeted metabolomics and untargeted metabolomics approaches, respectively. This suggests that these 71 metabolites (riboflavine, tripdiolide, bromocriptine, lumichrome, tetrahymanol, citrostadienol, etc.) and 96 metabolites (sancycline, vignatic acid B, pirbuterol, rubrophen, epalrestat, etc.) are potential biomarkers. 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde, arginine, and lumichrome were common differentially expressed metabolites. Using the widely targeted metabolomics approach, the key pathways identified that are involved in creating the differentiation between OSBSz and OSBSh may be nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, thiamine metabolism, riboflavin metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis. The differentially expressed metabolites identified using the untargeted metabolomics approach were mainly involved in arginine biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism. The purpose of this research was to provide support for the assessment of the differences between the stroma and sclerotia, to furnish a material basis for the evaluation of the physical effects of OS, and to provide a reference for the selection of detection methods for the metabolomics of OS.

Image learning to accurately identify complex mixture components.

The study of complex mixtures is very important for exploring the evolution of natural phenomena, but the complexity of the mixtures greatly increases the difficulty of material information extraction. Image perception-based machine-learning techniques have the ability to cope with this problem in a data-driven way. Herein, we report a 2D-spectral imaging method to collect matter information from mixture components, and the obtained feature images can be easily provided to deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for establishing a spectral network. The results demonstrated that a single CNN trained end-to-end from the proposed images can directly accomplish synchronous measurement of multi-component samples using only raw pixels as inputs. Our strategy has some innate advantages, such as fast data acquisition, low cost, and simple chemical treatment, suggesting that it can be extensively applied in many fields, including environmental science, biology, medicine, and chemistry.

Machine learning for total organic carbon analysis of environmental water samples using high-throughput colorimetric sensors.

Due to the complexity of nonlinear reactions, the analysis of environmental samples often relies on expensive equipment as well as tedious and time-consuming experimental procedures. Currently, the efficient machine learning (ML) strategy based on big data offers some new insights for the analysis of complex components in the environmental field. In this study, ML was applied for the analysis of total organic carbon (TOC). We prepared a special colorimetric sensor (c-sensor) by inkjet printing. The sensor reacted with water samples in a high-throughput process, producing characteristic patterns to map TOC information in water samples. To quickly acquire TOC information on c-sensors, a ML model was proposed to describe the relationship between the c-sensor and TOC value. According to this study, the c-sensor and ML can be effectively applied to TOC information analysis of environmental water samples, which provides convenience for environmental research. It is foreseeable that ML has a broad prospect of application in environmental research.

Association between Dietary Potassium Intake and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Advanced Hepatic Fibrosis in U.S. Adults.

Introduction: The correlation between potassium and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is currently still poorly understood. We conducted this study to explore the correlation between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD, as well as advanced hepatic fibrosis (AHF). The study also sought to identify any potential interactions. Methods: The data employed in this study were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) program, encompassing a period from 2007 to 2018. Employing the multiple logistic regression analysis, we evaluated the association of dietary potassium intake with NAFLD and AHF. Subsequently, stratification analysis, based on demographic variables, was constructed so as to assess the stability of the results. In addition, potential interaction effects were assessed by interaction tests. Results: A total of 9443 participants were included in the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 50.4 years, and their daily mean dietary potassium and vitamin C intake was 2556.49 mg and 82.93 mg, respectively. Following comprehensive statistical analyses, the findings indicated a negative correlation between dietary potassium intake and both NAFLD and AHF. Participants in Q4 group with dietary potassium intake exhibited a 31% and 42% reduction in the odds of developing NAFLD and AHF, respectively, in comparison to Q1 group. An interaction effect of dietary vitamin C intake was observed in the association between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD. The results imply that high dietary vitamin C intake augment the inverse relationship between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD. Conclusion: Dietary potassium intake was found to have an inverse association with the odds of both NAFLD and AHF. The association between dietary potassium intake and NAFLD was amplified by the presence of vitamin C in the diet.

Mitogenomics, phylogeny and morphology reveal two new entomopathogenic species of Ophiocordyceps (Ophiocordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) from south-western China.

Ophiocordyceps encompasses over 300 species, demonstrating a wide range of morphological features, hosts and habitats within its species diversity. In this study, two novel species in Ophiocordyceps were revealed parasitising Hepialidae larva buried in soil. Ophiocordycepsalbastroma was morphologically characterised by white stromata, solitary and cylindrical conidiogenous cells and smooth ovoid or ellipsoidal conidia. Ophiocordycepsnigristroma was characterised by woody and dark brown stromata, monophialidic, swollen base and lageniform conidiogenous cells and smooth fusiform or oval conidia. The two new species formed a separate clade, respectively, based on the phylogenetic analyses of a combined dataset including nrSSU, nrLSU, rpb1, rpb2, and tef-1α, as well as a dataset of mitochondrial 14 protein coding genes (PCGs). They were all closely grouped with O.sinensis. The mitochondrial genomes of them were first reported. Their mitogenomes were all typical of circular molecules, with positive AT and GC skew, similar GC content, similar genetic composition, similar codon usage and conservative gene positions. However, the length of the mitogenomes varied. Changes in the length of the genes were the leading cause of changes in the length of mitochondrial genome of Ophiocordyceps. The discovery and identification of new Ophiocordyceps species and analysis their mitochondrial genomes may serve as foundations for phylogeny and diversity research within the genus Ophiocordyceps.

Species diversity and major host/substrate associations of the genus Akanthomyces (Hypocreales, Cordycipitaceae).

Akanthomyces, a group of fungi with rich morphological and ecological diversity in Cordycipitaceae (Ascomycota, Hypocreales), has a wide distribution amongst diverse habitats. By surveying arthropod-pathogenic fungi in China and Southeast Asia over the last six years, nine Akanthomyces spp. were found and identified. Five of these were shown to represent four known species and an undetermined species of Akanthomyces. Four of these were new species and they were named A.kunmingensis and A.subaraneicola from China, A.laosensis from Laos and A.pseudonoctuidarum from Thailand. The new species were described and illustrated according to the morphological characteristics and molecular data. Akanthomycesaraneogenus, which was isolated from spiders from different regions in China, Thailand and Vietnam, was described as a newly-recorded species from Thailand and Vietnam. The phylogenetic positions of the nine species were evaluated, based on phylogenetic inferences according to five loci, namely, ITS, nrLSU, TEF, RPB1 and RPB2. In this study, we reviewed the research progress achieved for Akanthomyces regarding its taxonomy, species diversity, geographic distribution and major host/substrate associations. The morphological characteristics of 35 species in Akanthomyces, including four novel species and 31 known taxa, were also compared.

Multi-locus molecular phylogenetic analysis reveals two new species of Amphichorda (Bionectriaceae, Hypocreales).

Amphichorda has been previously accepted as a member of the Cordycipitaceae and currently it is considered a member of the Bionectriaceae. The substrates of Amphichorda were complex and varied, being mainly animal faeces. This study reports two new species of Amphichorda from Yunnan Province in south-western China. Based on the five-gene (nrSSU, nrLSU, tef-1α, rpb1 and rpb2) sequence and ITS data phylogenetic analysis, two new species, namely A.excrementa and A.kunmingensis, are proposed and a detailed description of the new species is provided. Amphichordaexcrementa and A.kunmingensis were isolated from animal faeces in the park. The morphological characteristics of two novel species and seven known species in Amphichorda are also compared.

MGDA-assisted plant washing agent for improving the removal of Cd and Cu from farmland soils.

Utilizing plant extracts for soil washing is a promising and cost-efficient strategy to permanently remove toxic metals from farmland soils. However, the efficiency of current plant extracts in heavy metals removal is constrained by the need of excessively high liquid-solid ratios (>10:1), which limits their practical application in the farmland soils. To address this challenge, we developed a novel binary washing agent consisting of Fructus mume residue extract (RPM) and methylglycinediacetate acid (MGDA). Through optimization experiments, we determined an optimal composition of 50 g L-1 RPM and 0.34 g L-1 MGDA (RPMG3), which exhibited a remarkable synergistic effect on the removal of Cd and Cu from two polluted farmland soils. Compared to the single use of RPM or MGDA, RPMG3 increased metal removal efficiency by 44.6%-303.8% in the alkaline dryland soil and 55.8%-141.9% in the slightly acidic paddy soil, at an optimum liquid-solid ratio of 2:1. The contents of soil Cd and Cu can be reduced to below the risk screening values via acid activation, metal ion exchange, and complexation of functional groups. Moreover, the potential ecological risks associated with Cd in the soils were significantly mitigated due to the decrease in exchangeable and reducible Cd fractions following RPMG3 washing. Additionally, RPM and RPMG3 washing led to enhancements in soil organic carbon and nutrient concentrations, as well as increased activities of soil enzymes including catalase, urease, and ß-glucosidase. Notably, RPMG3 washing exhibited the most pronounced promotion effect on wheat seed germination and growth. Taken together, the binary complex of RPMG3 demonstrates potential as an environmentally friendly green washing agent capable of in reducing heavy metals from farmland soil with great efficiency, even at low liquid-solid ratios.

Suppression of bladder cancer growth by adeno-associated virus vector-mediated combination of HSV-TK and endostatin in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Gene therapy may offer a new tool for the treatment of bladder cancer. Previously, we have shown a significant antitumor effect in bladder cancer xenografts in a nude mouse model using intratumoral herpes simplex virus thymidine (HSV-TK) and endostatin gene monotherapy. OBJECTIVES: Given the high vascularity of human bladder cancer and the ability of HSV-TK or endostatin monotherapy to eradicate the tumors, we decided to test a novel combination of cytotoxic and antiangiogenic gene therapy using HSV-TK and endostatin adeno-associated viruses (AAV) in vitro. METHODS: We constructed the plasmid AAV-TK-IRES-Endostatin (pAAV-TIE) and packaged the AAV particles containing gene fragments of HSV-TK and endostatin. The combination anticancer effect of recombinant AAV-TIE (rAAV-TIE) was measured in vitro while rAAV-HSV-TK and rAAV-Endostatin were used as control groups. RESULTS: The inverted terminal repeat sequences were amplified using only one primer and the fragment between two ITRs of pAAV-TIE measuring about 4 kb, which indicated a stable sequence of pAAV-TIE. Three clear bands representing the AAV capsid proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3 could be seen on both lanes against a very low background, which demonstrated that chloroform extraction could effectively extract contaminants from rAAV stock without significant loss of the rAAV. In vitro, our results found that the transduction efficiency, measured from GFP-transduced tumors, was about 62%. The combination therapy led to an obvious apoptosis of bladder tumor cells compared with single HSV-TK or endostatin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the inhibition of angiogenesis using endostatin gene transfer, together with the cytotoxic HSV-TK gene therapy, resulted in a significant antitumor effect in vitro compared to the single gene based therapy in BTCC.

Potent antitumor activity of the combination of HSV-TK and endostatin by adeno-associated virus vector for bladder cancer in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Gene therapy may offer a new tool for the treatment of bladder cancer. Previously, we have shown a significant antitumor effect in bladder cancer xenografts in a nude mouse model using intratumoral herpes simplex virus thymidine (HSV-TK) and endostatin gene monotherapy. METHODS: Given the high vascularity of human bladder cancer and the ability of HSV-TK or endostatin monotherapy to eradicate the tumors, we decided to test a novel combination of cytotoxic and antiangiogenic gene therapy using intratumorally delivered HSV-TK and endostatin adeno-associated viruses (AAV). We constructed plasmid AAV-TK-IRES-Endostatin (pAAV-TIE) and packaged the AAV particles containing gene fragments of HSV-TK and endostatin. The combined anticancer effect of recombinant AAV-TIE (rAAV-TIE) was measured in vivo with rAAV-HSV-TK and rAAV-Endostatin as the control groups. RESULTS: The inverted terminal repeat sequence was amplified using only one primer and the fragment between two ITRs of pAAV-TIE measuring about 4 kb, which indicated a stable sequence of pAAV-TIE. Three clear bands representing the AAV capsid proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3 could be seen on both lanes against a very low background, which demonstrated that chloroform extraction could effectively extract contaminants from rAAV stock without significant loss of the rAAV. In vivo, our results showed that the tumors in mice injected with the rAAV-TIE not only took significantly longer to emerge but also that their growth, once established, was significant slower than that of tumors grown with single HSV-TK or endostatin treated animals. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that the inhibition of angiogenesis using endostatin gene transfer, together with the cytotoxic HSV-TK gene therapy, resulted in a significant antitumor effect compared to the single gene based therapy in BTCC.

The mechanism of action of Ophiocordyceps sinensis mycelia for prevention of acute lung injury based on non-targeted serum metabolomics.

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a fungus with medicinal value in treating lung diseases, but no study has reported how to prevent acute lung injury using this fungus. The mice were divided into normal, model, positive control, and O. sinensis groups to observe lung histopathological sections and transmission electron microscopy, along with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining to closely identify structural differences resulting from destruction between the groups. The results of the H&E staining showed that, compared with the normal group, the model group showed alveolar collapse. Compared with the model group, the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the alveolar cavity of the O. sinensis group was significantly reduced. Mitochondrial plate-like cristae were observed in type II alveolar cells of the normal group, with normal coloration of the mitochondrial matrix. Type II alveolar cells in the model group showed obvious edema. The statuses of type II alveolar cells in the O. sinensis and positive groups were similar to that in the normal group. Twenty-nine biomarkers and 10 related metabolic pathways were identified by serum metabolomics screening. The results showed that O. sinensis mycelia had a significant effect on the prevention of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation.

Phylogeny and systematics of the genus Clonostachys.

Introduction: Clonostachys, a genus with rich morphological and ecological diversity in Bionectriaceae, has a wide distribution among diverse habitats. Methods and Results: In the present study, a phylogenetic framework is reconstructed for the family Bionectriaceae focusing on Clonostachys through increased taxon-sampling using the nrLSU sequence. Through surveying Clonostachys in China, Vietnam, and Thailand over the past 3 years, seven Clonostachys spp. were found and identified. Two new species, C. chuyangsinensis and C. kunmingensis, are described and illustrated based on morphological characteristics and molecular data. The phylogenetic positions of the seven species were evaluated based on four genomic loci (ITS, nrLSU, TUB2, and TEF1). Discussion: Moreover, the genetic divergence comparisons of Clonostachys species for three markers (ITS, TUB2, and TEF1) are also provided. The results indicated that the TEF1 sequence data provided the best resolution for distinguishing species of Clonostachys, followed by sequence data for the TUB2 and ITS regions.

Uncovering anti-influenza mechanism of Ophiocordyceps sinensis using network pharmacology, molecular pharmacology, and metabolomics.

Ophiocordyceps sinensis is a precious Chinese traditional herb with a long medicinal history. This study used UPLC-MS metabolomics to explore and compare the metabolic profiles of the stroma (OSBSz), sclerotium (OSBSh), and mycelium (OSBS) of O sinensis to analyze their differential metabolites and identified potential active components. Then combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking to explore the mechanism of differential metabolites with anti-influenza properties. The results indicate that the stroma, sclerotium, and mycelium showed significant differences in metabolites. The key pathways for differential metabolites were butanoate metabolism, thiamin metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, citrate cycle, and arginine biosynthesis. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified potential targets, including SRC, RHOA, HSP90AA1, VEGFA, ITGB1, PRKCA, and ITGA1, and the key protective pathways in-volved PI3K-Akt, HIF-1, influenza A, and Coronavirus disease 2019. The molecular docking results showed that the core metabolite D-(-)-glutamine has high binding affinity with SRC, RHOA, and EGFR, re-flecting the multi-component and multi-target network system of O sinensis. In short, the combination of metabonomics, network pharmacology and macromolecular docking technology provides a new way to explore the anti-influenza research of O sinensis. This is undoubtedly an important theoretical support for the clinical application of O sinensis in the future.

Molecular Phylogeny and Morphology Reveal Cryptic Species in the Cordyceps militaris Complex from Vietnam.

The Cordyceps militaris complex, which is a special group in the genus Cordyceps, is rich in species diversity and is widely distributed in nature. Throughout the investigations of arthropod-pathogenic fungi in the national reserves and in Vietnam parks, collections of C. militaris attacking lepidopteran pupae or larvae were located in the soil and on the leaf litter. The phylogenetic analyses of the combined nrSSU, nrLSU, TEF, RPB1, and RPB2 sequence data indicated that the fungal materials collected in Vietnam belonged to C. militaris and two hidden species in the C. militaris complex. The phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons presented here strongly supported the descriptions of C. polystromata and C. sapaensis as new taxa as well as C. militaris as a known species. The morphological characteristics of 11 species in the C. militaris complex, which included two novel species and nine known taxa, were also compared.

Protective Effects of Bacillus subtilis HH2 against Oral Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Beagles.

This study evaluated the protective effect of Bacillus subtilis HH2 on beagles orally challenged with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). We assessed the physiological parameters and the severity of diarrhea, as well as the changes in three serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM), plasma diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactate (D-LA), and the fecal microbiome. Feeding B. subtilis HH2 significantly reduced the severity of diarrhea after the ETEC challenge (p < 0.05) and increased serum levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM (p < 0.01). B. subtilis HH2 administration also reduced serum levels of DAO at 48 h after the ETEC challenge (p < 0.05), but no significant changes were observed in D-LA (p > 0.05). Oral ETEC challenge significantly reduced the richness and diversity of gut microbiota in beagles not pre-fed with B. subtilis HH2 (p < 0.05), while B. subtilis HH2 feeding and oral ETEC challenge significantly altered the gut microbiota structure of beagles (p < 0.01). Moreover, 14 days of B. subtilis HH2 feeding reduced the relative abundance of Deinococcus-Thermus in feces. This study reveals that B. subtilis HH2 alleviates diarrhea caused by ETEC, enhances non-specific immunity, reduces ETEC-induced damage to the intestinal mucosa, and regulates gut microbiota composition.

Template-free preparation of carbon nitride hollow spheres with adjustable sizes for photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

Carbon nitride hollow spheres (CNHS) with adjustable sizes were successfully fabricated via a template-free supramolecular pre-assembly strategy, in which melamine-cyanuric acid (MCA) hollow spheres were constructed through hydrogen bonds. A feasible formation mechanism was proposed, which coupled an inside-out Ostwald ripening with the supramolecular pre-assembly process. Interestingly, the sizes of MCA could be manipulated by changing the pre-assembly temperature. Consequently, the sizes of CNHS were adjustable. The optimal CNHS exhibited excellent photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate (98.6 µmol/h) in the visible-light region, which was approximately 11 times higher than that of bulk carbon nitride calcined by melamine. The significantly improved performance was due to the contributions including: the unique architectures with remarkable light absorption ability, high electrical conductivity, relatively narrowed band gap, fast charge separation. This work provides a facile template-free supramolecular pre-assembly strategy to fabricate carbon nitride hollow spheres with adjustable sizes for the first time.

Anthropogenic pollutants could enhance aridity in the vicinity of the Taklimakan Desert: A case study.

With the intensification of human activities, the mixture of anthropogenic pollutants and natural dust aerosols in the vicinity of the Taklimakan Desert (TD) has become a new uncertainty in the weather and climate system. In this study, using a Weather Research and Forecasting model version 4.0 with the Thompson aerosol-aware microphysics scheme, we investigated the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on clouds and precipitation in an atmospheric environment with abundant dust aerosols in the vicinity of the TD. Our findings indicate that anthropogenic aerosols can increase cloud droplet number concentrations in the vicinity of the TD, and the maximum percentage increase can reach 50 %. In addition, the effective radius of water clouds decreases significantly due to anthropogenic aerosols, which means that more numerous but smaller cloud droplets are formed with enhanced anthropogenic aerosol loading under a dusty background. Meanwhile, anthropogenic aerosols can decrease raindrops below 650 hPa, graupel and snow particles, causing less precipitation in the dusty atmosphere surrounding the TD. Furthermore, the anthropogenic aerosol-induced changes in daily precipitation accumulation are also large, with a regionally averaged maximum reduction of up to 4.2 %. Therefore, anthropogenic aerosols are an important factor that exacerbates aridity in the vicinity of the TD, and there is an urgent need to control anthropogenic pollutants around the TD.