Advances in research and utilization of botanical pesticides for agricultural pest management in Inner Mongolia, China.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicines not only cure human diseases, but also play an important role as insecticides. Compared with conventional chemical agents, traditional Chinese herbal medicines are characterized by low toxicity, low residues, and being eco-friendly, and they have become a research hotspot. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have tremendous flexibility and indefinite potential. Therefore, this paper reviewed the types of insecticides belonging to traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia, China, including their traditional uses, secondary metabolites, biological activities, action mechanisms, application methods, and development status. In addition, the most relevant issues involved in the development of traditional Chinese herbal medicines was discussed. We believe that traditional Chinese herbal medicines can be better implemented and developed; such that its other advantages, such as an insect repellent, can be promoted. Moreover, this study lays a solid foundation for further research on traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia, China.

Nonnegligible Contribution of Nonlymphoid Tissue to Viral Reservoir During the Short-Term Early cART in SIVmac239-Infected Chinese Rhesus Macaques.

HIV/AIDS cannot be cured because of the persistence of the viral reservoir. Because of the complexity of the cellular composition and structure of the human organs, HIV reservoirs of anatomical site are also complex. Recently, although a variety of molecules have been reported to be involved in the establishment and maintenance of the viral reservoirs, or as marker of latent cells, the research mainly focuses on blood and lymph nodes. Now, the characteristics of the viral reservoir in tissue are not yet fully understood. In this study, various tissues were collected from SIVmac239-infected monkeys, and the level of total SIV DNA, SIV 2-LTR DNA, and cell-associated virus RNA in them were compared with character of the anatomical viral reservoir under early treatment. The results showed that short-term combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) starting from 3 days after infection could significantly inhibit viremia and reduce the size of the anatomical viral reservoir, but it could not eradicate de novo infections and ongoing replication of virus. Moreover, the effects of early cART on the level of total SIV DNA, SIV 2-LTR DNA, and cell-associated virus RNA in different tissues were different, which changed the size distribution of viral reservoir in anatomical site. Finally, the contribution of nonlymphoid tissues, especially liver and lung, to the viral reservoir increased after treatment, while the contribution of intestinal lymphoid to the viral reservoir significantly reduced. These results suggested that early treatment effectively decreased the size of viral reservoir, and that the effects of cART on the tissue viral reservoir varied greatly by tissue type. The results implied that persistent existence of virus in nonlymphoid tissues after short-term treatment suggested that the role of nonlymphoid tissues cannot be ignored in development strategies for AIDS therapy.

Dipolar Chemical Bridge Induced CsPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells with 21.86 % Efficiency.

CsPbI3 perovskite receives tremendous attention for photovoltaic applications due to its ideal band gap and good thermal stability. However, CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) significantly suffer from photovoltage deficits because of serious interfacial energy losses within the PSCs, which to a large extent affects the photovoltaic performance of PSCs. Herein, a dipolar chemical bridge (DCB) is constructed between the perovskite and TiO2 layers to lower interfacial energy losses and thus improve the charge extraction of PSCs. The results reveal that the DCB could form a beneficial interfacial dipole between the perovskite and TiO2 layers, which could optimize the interfacial energetics of perovskite/TiO2 layers and thus improve the energy level alignment within the PSCs. Meanwhile, the constructed DCB could also simultaneously passivate the surface defects of perovskite and TiO2 layers, greatly lowering interfacial recombination. Consequently, the photovoltage deficit of CsPbI3 PSCs is largely reduced, leading to a record efficiency of 21.86 % being realized. Meanwhile, the operation stability of PSCs is also largely improved due to the high-quality perovskite films with released interfacial tensile strain being obtained after forming the DCB within the PSCs.

Impact of pupil and defocus ring intersection area on retinal defocus.

PURPOSE: With the rising prevalence of myopia, especially among the young, orthokeratology (Ortho-K) stands out as a promising approach, not only to reduce myopia but also to control the progression of axial length (AL). This study examined how the intersection area between the pupil and defocus ring influenced retinal defocus and axial growth after Ortho-K. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted with 100 participants (100 eyes). Both AL and the refraction difference value (RDV), that is, the peripheral refractive error measured with respect to the central value after wearing Ortho-K lenses, were determined. Subjects were categorised into two groups based on the size of the intersection area after 3 months of lens wear: Group A (<4.58 mm2 ) and Group B (≥4.58 mm2 ). RESULTS: Group B demonstrated significantly lower changes in AL and RDV at 30-40° and 40-53° compared with Group A after 3 months of lens wear (all p < 0.05). After 6 months of lens wear, Group B showed significantly lower changes in AL and RDV in the 40-53° region compared with Group A (all p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that as the intersection area increased, the changes in AL and RDV at 0-53°, 30-40° and 40-53° eccentricity decreased after both 3 and 6 months of lens wear (all p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A larger intersection area between the pupil and defocus ring within a certain time period can cause a greater amount of myopic defocus at 30-53° from the fovea. The results suggest that a larger intersection area might lead to more effective control of axial growth.

The salt-tolerance of perennial ryegrass is linked with root exudate profiles and microflora recruitment.

Salinity poses a significant threat to plant growth and development. The root microbiota plays a key role in plant adaptation to saline environments. Nevertheless, it remains poorly understood whether and how perennial grass plants accumulate specific root-derived bacteria when exposed to salinity. Here, we systematically analyzed the composition and variation of rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria, as well as root exudates in perennial ryegrass differing in salt tolerance grown in unsterilized soils with and without salt. Both salt-sensitive (P1) and salt-tolerant (P2) perennial ryegrass genotypes grew better in unsterilized soils compared to sterilized soils under salt stress. The rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria of both P1 and P2 had lower alpha-diversity under salt treatment compared to control. The reduction of alpha-diversity was more pronounced for P1 than for P2. The specific root-derived bacteria, particularly the genus Pseudomonas, were enriched in rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria under salt stress. Changes in bacterial functionality induced by salt stress differed in P1 and P2. Additionally, more root exudates were altered under salt stress in P2 than in P1. The content of important root exudates, mainly including phenylpropanoids, benzenoids, organic acids, had a significantly positive correlation with the abundance of rhizosphere and endophytic bacteria under salt stress. The results indicate that the interactions between root-derived bacteria and root exudates are crucial for the salt tolerance of perennial ryegrass, which provides a potential strategy to manipulate root microbiome for improved stress tolerance of perennial grass species.

Deep neural network with self-attention based automated determination system for treatment zone and peripheral steepened zone in Orthokeratology for adolescent myopia.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to develop an automatic model based on deep learning techniques for determining the Treatment Zone (TZ) and Peripheral Steepened Zone (PSZ) following Orthokeratology (OK) treatment. METHODS: A total of 1346 corneal topography maps were included in the study. A deep neural network based on the Segformer architecture was constructed to automatically detect TZ and PSZ. The model was optimized and trained multiple times, and the areas of TZ, PSZ, and TZ decentration were calculated based on the segmentation results. RESULTS: The mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of the overall segmentation results of the model reached over 97% after multiple training with different optimization methods, and the IoU for the TZ and PSZ segmentation tasks were 98.08% and 94.54% in test set, respectively. Moreover, the model demonstrated high consistency with the expert annotation for the TZ segmentation, while a significant difference was found in the PSZ segmentation and expert annotation due to several interference factors. CONCLUSION: This study presents an efficient and repeatable system for clinical research, based on a deep neural network that accurately determines TZ and PSZ after OK treatment using the Segformer architecture. However, further deployment validation may be necessary.

New Quasi-Solid-State Li-SPAN Battery Enhanced by In Situ Thermally Polymerized Gel Polymer Electrolytes.

A lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is a promising candidate for an electrochemical energy-storage system. However, for a long time, it suffered from the "shuttle effect" of the intermediate products of soluble polysulfides and safety issues concerning the combustible liquid electrolyte and lithium anode. In this work, sulfide polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is employed as a solid cycled cathode to resolve the "shuttle effect" fundamentally, a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) based on poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) is matched to the SPAN cathode to minimize the safety concerns, and finally, a quasi-solid-state Li-SPAN battery is combined by an in situ thermal polymerization strategy to improve its adaptability to the existing battery assembly processes. The PEGDA-based GPE achieved at 60 °C for 40 min ensures little damage to the in situ battery, a good electrode-electrolyte interface, a high ionic conductivity of 6.87 × 10-3 S cm-1 at 30 °C, and a wide electrochemical window of 4.53 V. Ultimately, the as-prepared SPAN composite exerts a specific capacity of 1217.3 mAh g-1 after 250 cycles at 0.2 C with a high capacity retention rate of 89.9%. The combination of the SPAN cathode and in situ thermally polymerized PEGDA-based GPE provides a new inspiration for the design of Li-SPAN batteries with both high specific energy and high safety.

Observation of peripheral refraction in myopic anisometropia in young adults.

AIM: To investigate the differences in retinal refraction difference values (RDVs) of adult patients with myopic anisometropia compared with those without myopic anisometropia, and to investigate the relationship between ocular biometric measurements and relative peripheral refraction. METHODS: This clinical observation study included 130 patients with myopia (-0.25 to -10.00 D) between October 2022 and January 2023 aged between 18 and 40y. The patients were divided into anisometropia (n=63; difference in binocular anisometropia ≥1.00 D) and non-anisometropia (n=67; difference in binocular anisometropia <1.00 D) groups accordingly. Ocular biometric measurements were performed by optical biometrics and corneal topography to assess the steep keratometry (Ks), flap keratometry (Kf), axial length (AL), corneal astigmatism (CYL; Ks-Kf), surface regularity index (SRI), surface asymmetry index (SAI), and central corneal thickness (CCT). The RDV was measured at five retinal areas from the fovea to 53 degrees (RDV-0-10, RDV-10-20, RDV-20-30, RDV-30-40, and RDV-40-53), the total RDV (TRDV) of 53 degrees, and four regions, including RDV-superior, RDV-inferior, RDV-temporal, and RDV-nasal. An analysis of Spearman correlation was carried out to examine the correlation between RDV and the spherical equivalent (SE) and ocular biological parameters. RESULTS: Within RDV-20-53, both groups showed relative hyperopic defocus, and the increase in RDV corresponds to the increase in eccentricity. In the myopic anisometropia group, the TRDV, RDV-20-53, RDV-superior, and more myopic eyes had significantly higher RDV-temporal values than less myopic eyes. (P<0.05). In the non-anisometropia group, there was no significant difference in the RDV between the more and less myopic eyes at different eccentricities (P>0.05). There was a negative correlation between SE and TRDV (r=-0.205, P=0.001), RDV-20-53 (r=-0.281, -0.183, -0.176, P<0.05), RDV-superior (r=-0.251, P<0.001), and RDV-temporal (r=-0.230, P<0.001), a negative correlation between CYL and RDV-10-30 (r=-0.147, -0.180, P<0.05), and a negative correlation between SRI and RDV-0-20 (r=-0.190, -0.170, P<0.05). AL had a positive correlation with RDV-20-30 (r=0.164, P=0.008) and RDV-temporal (r=0.160, P=0.010). CONCLUSION: More myopic eyes in patients with myopic anisometropia show more peripheral hyperopic defocus. Diopter and corneal morphology may affect peripheral retinal defocus.

Retinal Vascular Oxygen Saturation in a Sample of Chinese Myopic Adults.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the normal retinal vascular oxygen saturation and to elucidate the factors affecting it or associated with it in a Chinese population. Methods: This was a population-based observational cross-sectional study. Chinese myopic adults aged 18 to 45 years old were enrolled. Spherical equivalent (SE) and ocular biometry, including average keratometry (K), central corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, and axial length, were measured. The retinal arteriolar (SaO2) and venous (SvO2) oxygen saturation were measured after pupil dilatation. Results: A total of 1373 participants were enrolled, and the mean age, SE, SaO2, and SvO2, were 26.31 ± 6.93 years, -6.40 ± 3.12 D, 93.47% ± 1.58%, and 63.08% ± 4.46%, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, SaO2, SvO2, and retinal arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference (AVD) were significantly correlated with age (ß = 0.077, P = 0.006 for SaO2 and ß = 0.080, P = 0.006 for AVD) and SE (ß = 0.220, P < 0.001 for SaO2; ß = 0.131, P < 0.001 for SvO2; and ß = -0.050, P = 0.048 for AVD, respectively). Higher SaO2 was associated with larger K values (ß = 0.094, P = 0.001). Conclusions: SaO2 increased with older age, lower myopia, and larger K values, older age was associated with higher SaO2 and AVD, and SvO2 decreased with the deepening of myopia. Our present study provided normative values for healthy Chinese myopic adults with different myopic refractive errors.

Multi-Parameter Optimization of Rubidium Laser Optically Pumped Magnetometers with Geomagnetic Field Intensity.

Rubidium laser optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) are widely used magnetic sensors based on the Zeeman effect, laser pumping, and magnetic resonance principles. They measure the magnetic field by measuring the magnetic resonance signal passing through a rubidium atomic gas cell. The quality of the magnetic resonance signal is a necessary condition for a magnetometer to achieve high sensitivity. In this research, to obtain the best magnetic resonance signal of rubidium laser OPMs in the Earth's magnetic field intensity, the experiment system of rubidium laser OPMs is built with a rubidium atomic gas cell as the core component. The linewidth and amplitude ratio (LAR) of magnetic resonance signals is utilized as the optimization objective function. The magnetic resonance signals of the magnetometer experiment system are experimentally measured for different laser frequencies, radio frequency (RF) intensities, laser powers, and atomic gas cell temperatures in a background magnetic field of 50,765 nT. The experimental results indicate that optimizing these parameters can reduce the LAR by one order of magnitude. This shows that the optimal parameter combination can effectively improve the sensitivity of the magnetometer. The sensitivity defined using the noise spectral density measured under optimal experimental parameters is 1.5 pT/Hz1/2@1 Hz. This work will provide key technical support for rubidium laser OPMs' product development.

Changes in relative peripheral refraction and optical quality in Chinese myopic patients after small incision lenticule extraction surgery.

PURPOSE: To observe changes in retinal refraction difference values (RDV) and aberrations after small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery and evaluate their correlations. METHODS: This study recruited 112 patients (112 eyes) who underwent SMILE for myopia. Participants were classified into the Low and Moderate Myopia group (LM, -0.50 to -6.0 D) and High Myopia group (HM, >-6.0 D) according to the central spherical equivalent (SE). RDVs in the five retinal eccentricities from 0° to 10°, 10° to 20°, 20° to 30°, 30° to 40°, and 40° to 53° are recorded as RDV-(0-10), RDV-(10-20), RDV-(20-30), RDV-(30-40), and RDV-(40-53), respectively; additionally, RDVs have four sectors, i.e., RDV-Superior (RDV-S), RDV-Inferior (RDV-I), RDV-Temporal (RDV-T), and RDV-Nasal (RDV-N). With a 3-month follow-up, changes in RDV (ΔRDV) and changes in aberrations [Δtrefoil, Δcoma, Δspherical aberration (SA), and Δtotal higher-order aberrations (HOA)] after surgery were recorded. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in total RDV (TRDV), RDV-(0-53), RDV-S, RDV-I, RDV-N, trefoil, coma, and SA between the two groups before SMILE surgery. However, after SMILE, hyperopic defocus values [TRDV, RDV-(20-53), RDV-S, RDV-T, and RDV-N] in the LM group and hyperopic defocus values [TRDV, RDV-(20-53), RDV-S, and RDV-N] in the HM group were significantly lower at 3 months postoperatively than preoperatively, and the RDV-(40-53), RDV-S, and RDV-N were lower in the HM group than in the LM group. Aberrations [trefoil (vertical), coma, and HOA] in the LM group and aberrations (trefoil, coma, SA, and HOA) in the HM group were significantly higher at 3 months postoperatively than preoperatively, and the coma, trefoil(horizontal), SA, and HOA were higher in the HM group than in the LM group. In the multivariate analysis, ΔRDV-(40-53) was significantly correlated with ΔSA, and ΔRDV-T and ΔRDV-N were significantly correlated with Δcoma (horizontal). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that SMILE reduces retinal peripheral hyperopic defocus but introduces some higher-order aberrations, especially in people with high myopia refractive errors.

Research progress of natural plant polysaccharides inhibiting inflammatory signaling pathways and regulating intestinal flora and metabolism to protect inflammatory bowel disease.

Natural plant polysaccharides are macromolecular substances with a wide range of biological activities. They have a wide range of biological activities, especially play an important role in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. The molecular weight of polysaccharides, the composition of monosaccharides and the connection of glycosidic bonds will affect the therapeutic effect on inflammatory bowel disease. Traditional Chinese medicine plant polysaccharides and various types of plant polysaccharides reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-17, increase the level of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10, regulate NF-κB signaling pathway, and NLRP3 inflammasome to relieve colitis. At the same time, they can play a protective role by regulating the balance of intestinal flora in mice with colitis and increasing the abundance of probiotics to promote the metabolism of polysaccharide metabolites SCFAs. This review summarizes the research on the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease by many natural plant polysaccharides, and provides a theoretical basis for the later treatment of polysaccharides on inflammatory bowel disease.

Transcription factor TCF-1 regulates the functions, but not the development, of lymphoid tissue inducer subsets in different tissues.

Lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi) cells, a subset of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), play an essential role in the formation of secondary lymphoid tissues. However, the regulation of the development and functions of this ILC subset is still elusive. In this study, we report that the transcription factor T cell factor 1 (TCF-1), just as GATA3, is indispensable for the development of non-LTi ILC subsets. While LTi cells are still present in TCF-1-deficient mice, the organogenesis of Peyer's patches (PPs), but not of lymph nodes, is impaired in these mice. LTi cells from different tissues have distinct gene expression patterns, and TCF-1 regulates the expression of lymphotoxin specifically in PP LTi cells. Mechanistically, TCF-1 may directly and/or indirectly regulate Lta, including through promoting the expression of GATA3. Thus, the TCF-1-GATA3 axis, which plays an important role during T cell development, also critically regulates the development of non-LTi cells and tissue-specific functions of LTi cells.

Grazing practices affect phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacterial communities of Kobresia humilis by altering their network stability.

The primary utilization strategy for meadow grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is livestock grazing. This practice is considered as one of the major drivers of plant-associated bacterial community construction and changes in soil properties. The species of Kobresia humilis is considered as the most dominant one in grasslands. However, how different grazing practices affect the phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacterial communities of K. humilis is unknown. To address this issue, the effects of the grazing enclosure (GE), single-species grazing (YG and SG, representing yak only and sheep only, respectively), and different ratios of grazing (ratio of yak to sheep is 1:2, 1:4, and 1:6, represented by MG1:2, MG1:4, and MG1:6, respectively) on the dominant plant of K. humilis, it's phyllosphere and rhizosphere bacteria, and soil properties were investigated using artificially controlled grazing and grazing enclosure. Our data showed that grazing enclosure enhanced vegetation coverage, and rhizosphere bacterial richness and diversity, while reduced plant number and bacterial network stability of K. humilis. The NO3--N, K+, and Cl- concentrations were lower under grazing compared to GE. SG reduced the concentration of NH4+-N, TN, K+, and Na+ compared to YG. Moderate grazing intensity had a lower relative abundance of the r-strategists (Bacteroidota and Gammaproteobacteria) with higher bacterial network stability. Yak and sheep grazing showed reversed impacts on the bacterial network stability between the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of K. humilis. Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota were identified in the molecular ecological network analysis as keystone taxa in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere networks, respectively, under all treatments. This study explained why sheep grazing has more adverse effects on grazing-tolerant grass species, K. humilis, than yak grazing, and will contribute to a better understanding of the impacts of different grazing practices and grazing enclosure on alpine grassland ecosystems on the QTP.

α1-Adrenergic receptor-PKC-Pyk2-Src signaling boosts L-type Ca2+ channel CaV1.2 activity and long-term potentiation in rodents.

The cellular mechanisms mediating norepinephrine (NE) functions in brain to result in behaviors are unknown. We identified the L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) CaV1.2 as a principal target for Gq-coupled α1-adrenergic receptors (ARs). α1AR signaling increased LTCC activity in hippocampal neurons. This regulation required protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated activation of the tyrosine kinases Pyk2 and, downstream, Src. Pyk2 and Src were associated with CaV1.2. In model neuroendocrine PC12 cells, stimulation of PKC induced tyrosine phosphorylation of CaV1.2, a modification abrogated by inhibition of Pyk2 and Src. Upregulation of LTCC activity by α1AR and formation of a signaling complex with PKC, Pyk2, and Src suggests that CaV1.2 is a central conduit for signaling by NE. Indeed, a form of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) in young mice requires both the LTCC and α1AR stimulation. Inhibition of Pyk2 and Src blocked this LTP, indicating that enhancement of CaV1.2 activity via α1AR-Pyk2-Src signaling regulates synaptic strength.

Genomic Evidence for the Nonpathogenic State in HIV-1-Infected Northern Pig-Tailed Macaques.

HIV-1 is a highly host-specific retrovirus that infects humans but not most nonhuman primates. Thus, the lack of a suitable primate model that can be directly infected with HIV-1 hinders HIV-1/AIDS research. In the previous study, we have found that the northern pig-tailed macaques (NPMs) are susceptible to HIV-1 infection but show a nonpathogenic state. In this study, to understand this macaque-HIV-1 interaction, we assembled a de novo genome and longitudinal transcriptome for this species during the course of HIV-1 infection. Using comparative genomic analysis, a positively selected gene, Toll-like receptor 8, was identified with a weak ability to induce an inflammatory response in this macaque. In addition, an interferon-stimulated gene, interferon alpha inducible protein 27, was upregulated in acute HIV-1 infection and acquired an enhanced ability to inhibit HIV-1 replication compared with its human ortholog. These findings coincide with the observation of persistently downregulated immune activation and low viral replication and can partially explain the AIDS-free state in this macaque following HIV-1 infection. This study identified a number of unexplored host genes that may hamper HIV-1 replication and pathogenicity in NPMs and provided new insights into the host defense mechanisms in cross-species infection of HIV-1. This work will facilitate the adoption of NPM as a feasible animal model for HIV-1/AIDS research.

Exploring pharmaphylogeny from multiple perspectives: a case study on Lithospermeae.

Lithospermeae Dumort., a tribe under the subfamily Boraginoidae, is a perennial herb containing approximately 470 species under 26 genera, primarily distributed in temperate and tropical regions. To gain a deeper understanding of the medicinal plants of Lithospermeae and better protect and develop plant medicinal resources, the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and traditional use of Lithospermeae with medicinal value were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out based on the internal transcribed spacer sequence. Through spatial analysis and the species distribution model, the spatial distribution pattern of Lithospermeae medicinal plants was analyzed. Meanwhile, the relevant targets and pathways involved in the pharmacological effects of commonly used medicinal plants were predicted using network pharmacology to further explore the genetic origin of Lithospermeae and enrich the pharmaphylogeny of medicinal plants. In this study, the chemical composition, traditional efficacy, and modern pharmacological activity of Lithospermeae were collected for the first time and analyzed in combination with the geographical distribution model, molecular phylogeny, and network pharmacology. Based on our findings, the pharmaphylogeny of Lithospermeae was preliminarily discussed, providing the scientific basis for basic research regarding Lithospermeae. Concurrently, this study explored the relationship between the development of the regional medicinal plant industry and the protection of biodiversity. Furthermore, our findings provide direction and theoretical guidance for the study of the phylogenetic relationships in medicinal plants and the development of Lithospermeae medicinal plant resources.

Complex ecological and socioeconomic impacts on medicinal plant diversity.

Medicinal plant diversity (MPD) is an important component of plant diversity. Over-collection based on medicinal and economic value has the potential to damage the stability of the regional ecosystem. It is important to understand the current distribution of MPD and the factors influencing it. However, it is still unclear whether environmental and socioeconomic conditions have an impact on their distribution. We selected the Inner Mongolia as a representative study area which covers a wide area, accounting for 12.29% of China's national land area and 0.79% of the world's land area. At the same time, the region is a long-standing traditional medicinal area for Mongolians in China. Therefore, the region is significantly influenced by changes in environmental factors and socio-economic factors. We used 9-years field survey of the distribution of medicinal plants in Inner Mongolia for assessing the distribution of MPD as influenced by environmental and socioeconomic activities by combining spatial analyses, species distribution models, and generalized additive models. The results from the spatial analysis show that the western region of Inner Mongolia is the main cold spot area of the MPD, and the central-eastern and northeastern regions of Inner Mongolia are the main hot spot areas of the MPD. At the same time, the distribution of cold spots and hot spots of MPD is more obvious at large spatial scales, and with the refinement of spatial scales, the cold spots in scattered areas are gradually revealed, which is indicative for the conservation and development of MPD at different spatial scales. Under the future climate change of shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP), areas with high habitat suitability for medicinal plants remain mainly dominated by the Yellow River, Yin Mountains, and Greater Khingan Range. Notably, the SSP245 development pathway remains the most significant concern in either long- or short-term development. The nonlinear relationship between the driving factors of MPD at different spatial scales shows that temperature, precipitation and socioeconomic development do have complex effects on MPD. The presence of a certain temperature, altitude, and precipitation range has an optimal facilitation effect on MPD, rather than a single facilitation effect. This complex nonlinear correlation provides a reference for further studies on plant diversity and sustainable development and management. In this study, the spatial distribution of medicinal plant resources and the extent to which they are driven by ecological and socioeconomic factors were analyzed through a macroscopic approach. This provides a reference for larger-scale studies on the environmental and socioeconomic influences on the distribution of plant resources.

Promoting the Development of Astragalus mongholicus Bunge Industry in Guyang County (China) Based on MaxEnt and Remote Sensing.

To provide high-quality Astragalus mongholicus Bunge to domestic and foreign markets and maintain sustainable development of the A. mongholicus industry, Firstly, we evaluated the impact of environmental factors and planting areas on the A. mongholicus industry. The maximum entropy method (MaxEnt) was utilized to simulate the suitability distribution of A. mongholicus and establish the relationship between the active component contents of A. mongholicus and ecological factors through linear regression analysis. The random forest algorithm was subsequently used to perform feature selection and classification extraction on Sentinel-2 imagery covering the study area. Furthermore, the planting, processing, and sales of A. mongholicus in Guyang County were investigated, and the roles of stakeholders in the value chains were analyzed. The results demonstrated that precipitation of the warmest quarter, minimum temperature of the coldest month, standard deviation of seasonal temperature changes, range of mean annual temperature, and mean diurnal range [mean of monthly (max temp - min temp)] were the five environmental variables that contributed the most to the growth of A. mongholicus. The most influential factor on the distribution of high-quality A. mongholicus was the mean temperature of the coldest quarter. The classification results of image features showed that the planting areas of A. mongholicus was consistent with the suitable planting areas predicted by MaxEnt, which can provide data support to the relevant departments for the macro development of the A. mongholicus industry. In the production of A. mongholicus, 10 value chains were constructed, and the study demonstrated that the behavior of stakeholders, target markets, and the selected planting area had a significant impact on the quality of A. mongholicus.