Water content estimation of conifer needles using leaf-level hyperspectral data.

Water is a crucial component for plant growth and survival. Accurately estimating and simulating plant water content can help us promptly monitor the physiological status and stress response of vegetation. In this study, we constructed water loss curves for three types of conifers with morphologically different needles, then evaluated the applicability of 12 commonly used water indices, and finally explored leaf water content estimation from hyperspectral data for needles with various morphology.

Lab-on-fiber: laser-induced micro-cavity for a relative humidity measurement.

The lab-on-fiber design philosophy is the foundation for creating high-performance integrated fiber sensors. Hence, this Letter proposes an ultra-compact Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based on a laser-induced micro-cavity (LIMC-FPI) on a fiber end for measuring relative humidity. To our knowledge, this novel approach, named the fiber-end photopolymerization (FEP) technique, is applied to create a micro-cavity.

Highly-sensitive temperature sensor based on photopolymerized-waveguide embedded Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

Biology, medicine, and chemistry all rely heavily on highly sensitive optical fiber temperature sensors. To the best of our knowledge, this research introduces a unique design framework for high-performance fiber temperature sensors that helps eliminate the all-fiber interferometers' sensitivity bottleneck. A section of photopolymerized waveguide is embedded in a typical Mach-Zehnder interferomenter framework with multimode fiber-single mode fiber-multimode fiber (MSM) structure.

Temporal and spatial variations and influencing factors of gross primary productivity in Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve, China.

Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve (CNR) is a typical temperate forest ecosystem, and gross primary production (GPP) of which is closely related to topography and climate change. Research on the spatio-temporal variations and influencing factors of GPP in the CNR is of great significance for assessing growth status of vegetation and the quality of ecological environment. We calculated GPP in CNR using the vegetation photosynthesis model (VPM), and analyzed the influences of slope, altitude, temperature, precipitation, and total radiation.

Exoskeleton type long-period fiber grating for cross-talk-resistance single-parameter measurement.

This paper proposes a new, to the best of our knowledge, design framework of long-period fiber grating (LPFG) sensors resistant to multi-parameter cross talk. A section of hollow quartz capillary (HQC), which acts as an exoskeleton, is periodically merged with a single-mode fiber (SMF) by the arc-discharge method. The mechanical stress in the SMF is released while the thermal stress is enhanced after a high-temperature fusion process.

Microtopography mediates the climate-growth relationship and growth resilience to drought of plantation in the hilly site.

Understanding the factors affecting the growth of plantation forests can reduce the loss of economic and ecological values caused by plantation forest subhealth. Plantation forests are widely distributed in hilly areas with microtopographic features. Microtopography influences climatic factors associated with plant growth, during not only general time but also extreme events like droughts.

Fluorination of Polyethylenimines for Augmentation of Antibacterial Potency via Structural Damage and Potential Dissipation of Bacterial Membranes.

The rise of drug-resistant bacteria (e.g., methicillin-resistant , MRSA) has continued, making the ″super-bugs″ a formidable threat to global health.

[Water use efficiency and leaf nutrient characteristics of five major tree species in broadleaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountains, China].

Water use efficiency (WUE) of five dominant tree species (, , , , and ) was estimated using the stable carbon isotope method in a broadleaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountains. Leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents were measured to analyze nutrient utilization of the dominant species. The relationship between WUE and leaf nutrient contents was systematically assessed.

Autotrophic respiration modulates the carbon isotope composition of soil respiration in a mixed forest.

Carbon isotopic composition of soil respired CO (soil δC) has been regarded as a good indicator of the linkages between aboveground processes and soil respiration. However, whether δC of autotrophic or heterotrophic component of soil respiration dominates the temporal variability of total soil δC was rarely examined by previous studies. In this study, carbon isotopic composition of atmospheric CO (δC) and soil δC in control (with roots) and trenched (without roots) plots were measured in a temperated mixed forest.

Seawater exposure causes hydraulic damage in dying Sitka-spruce trees.

Sea-level rise is one of the most critical challenges facing coastal ecosystems under climate change. Observations of elevated tree mortality in global coastal forests are increasing, but important knowledge gaps persist concerning the mechanism of salinity stress-induced nonhalophytic tree mortality. We monitored progressive mortality and associated gas exchange and hydraulic shifts in Sitka-spruce (Picea sitchensis) trees located within a salinity gradient under an ecosystem-scale change of seawater exposure in Washington State, USA.

[Characteristics of water use efficiency in a succession series of broadleaved Korean pine forests in Changbai Mountain, China.].

Water use efficiency (WUE) is an objective indicator of plant water use, the research of which is helpful to understand the carbon-water coupling mechanism in terrestrial ecosystems. We investigated WUE of dominant tree species in the succession series of broad-leaved Korean pine forests in Changbai Mountain (middle-aged poplar-birch secondary forest, mature poplar-birch secondary forest, broad-leaved Korean pine forest) by using stable carbon isotope technology. The WUE of three forests under different succession stages decreased in order of broad-leaved Korean pine forest > middle-aged poplar-birch secondary forest > mature poplar-birch secondary forest.

Reference carbon cycle dataset for typical Chinese forests via colocated observations and data assimilation.

Chinese forests cover most of the representative forest types in the Northern Hemisphere and function as a large carbon (C) sink in the global C cycle. The availability of long-term C dynamics observations is key to evaluating and understanding C sequestration of these forests. The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network has conducted normalized and systematic monitoring of the soil-biology-atmosphere-water cycle in Chinese forests since 2000.

[Effects of water and nitrogen stress on water utilization of dominant species in broadleaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountain, China].

The aggravation of global nitrogen deposition may change plant water utilization and affect plant growth. Understanding the changes of vegetation water consumption under nitrogen deposition is of great significance for simulating and predicting the evolution of each component of forest hydrological cycle. We used the hydrogen and oxygen isotope tracer method to analyze water consumption source, quantity and law of (Qm), (Fm) and (Ta), the dominant species in broadleaved Korean pine forest of Changbai Mountain, under different add amounts of nitrogen [low nitrogen addition group (11.

[Applications of compound-specific isotope analysis in tree non-structural carbohydrates research: A review.].

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) can precisely determine the carbon isotopic composition (δC) of specific compounds in a complex substrate. The δC values in tree non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) compounds, . sugars, organic acids, and sugar alcohols, measured via CSIA could help tracing the newly assimilated photosynthate during carbon transfer and exchange with atmosphere.

Responses of functional traits to seven-year nitrogen addition in two tree species: coordination of hydraulics, gas exchange and carbon reserves.

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has been observed to impact plant structure and functional traits in terrestrial ecosystems. Although the effect of N deposition on plant water use has been well-evaluated in laboratories and in experimental forests, the linkages between water and carbon relations under N deposition are unclear. Here, we report on hydraulics, gas exchange and carbon reserves of two broad-leaved tree species (Quercus mongolica and Fraxinus mandshurica) in mature temperate forests after a seven-year experiment with different levels of N addition (control (CK), low (23 kg N ha-1 yr-1), medium (46 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and high (69 kg N ha-1 yr-1)).

Photocatalytic degradation of microcystin-LR by modified TiO photocatalysis: A review.

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), the most toxic and commonly encountered cyanotoxin, is produced by harmful cyanobacterial blooms and potentially threatens human and ecosystems health. Titanium dioxide (TiO) photocatalysis is attracting growing attention and has been considered as an efficient, environmentally friendly and promising solution to eliminate MC-LR in the aquatic ecosystems. Over recent decades, scientific efforts have been directed towards the understanding of fundamentals, modification strategies, and application potentials of TiO photocatalysis in degrading MC-LR.

Effects of nitrogen additions on mesophyll and stomatal conductance in Manchurian ash and Mongolian oak.

The response of plant CO diffusion conductances (mesophyll and stomatal conductances, g and g) to soil drought has been widely studied, but few studies have investigated the effects of soil nitrogen addition levels on g and g. In this study, we investigated the responses of g and g of Manchurian ash and Mongolian oak to four soil nitrogen addition levels (control, low nitrogen, medium nitrogen and high nitrogen) and the changes in leaf anatomy and associated enzyme activities (aquaporin (AQP) and carbonic anhydrase (CA)). Both g and g increased with the soil nitrogen addition levels for both species, but then decreased under the high nitrogen addition level, which primarily resulted from the enlargements in leaf and mesophyll cell thicknesses, mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular space per unit leaf area and stomatal opening status with soil nitrogen addition.

[Variation characteristics of NDVI and its response to climatic change in the growing season of Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve during 2001 and 2018].

To understand the dynamics of temperate forest in Northeast Asia and its response to climate change under the scenario of global change, we examined the temporal and spatial changes of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and their correlation with temperature and precipitation of Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve in the growing season during 2001 and 2018, based on the remote sensing database of MODIS with a resolution of 250 m, land surface temperature data with a resolution of 1 km and meteorological data in the studied and surrounding area. The results showed that, in the growing season of 2001-2018, the averaged NDVI value of the study area was 0.711.

Association between type 2 diabetes and cancer incidence in China: data in hospitalized patients from 2006 to 2013.

Background: Evidence of a role for type 2 diabetes in overall cancer risk is limited in ethnic Chinese populations. We therefore investigated whether there is an association between diabetes and cancer incidence.

Methods: All type 2 diabetes and cancer hospitalized patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between 2006.

Multiyear Measurements on ΔO of Stream Nitrate Indicate High Nitrate Production in a Temperate Forest.

Nitrification is a crucial step in ecosystem nitrogen (N) cycling, but scaling up from plot-based measurements of gross nitrification to catchments is difficult. Here, we employed a newly developed method in which the oxygen isotope anomaly (ΔO) of nitrate (NO) is used as a natural tracer to quantify in situ catchment-scale gross nitrification rate (GNR) for a temperate forest from 2014 to 2017 in northeastern China. The annual GNR ranged from 71 to 120 kg N ha yr (average 94 ± 10 kg N ha yr) over the 4 years in this forest.

Divergences in hydraulic conductance and anatomical traits of stems and leaves in three temperate tree species coping with drought, N addition and their interactions.

Drought and nitrogen (N) addition have been shown to affect tree hydraulic traits, but few studies have been made on their interactions across species with different wood types or leaf forms. We examined the responses of hydraulic conductance and xylem anatomical traits of Quercus mongolica (ring porous with simple leaves), Fraxinus mandshurica (ring porous with compound leaves) and Tilia amurensis (diffuse porous with simple leaves) to drought, N addition and their interactions. Drought stress decreased current-year xylem-specific conductivity in stems (Ksx) and leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf ), but N addition affected Ksx and Kleaf differently among species and watering regimes.

[Relationship between tree ring δC and net primary productivity of Pinus koraiensis in Changbai Mountain, China].

Carbon isotope in tree ring is an effective indicator of climate and environmental change. However, few studies have analyzed the indication effect of tree ring carbon isotope on net primary productivity (NPP) of forests. Based on meteorological factors of growing seasons, we analyzed the variation trend and the relationship between the tree ring δC chronosequence of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) and net primary productivity (NPP) of Korean pine in Changbai Mountain.

Antimicrobial Peptide-Conjugated Hierarchical Antifouling Polymer Brushes for Functionalized Catheter Surfaces.

Catheter-related infection is a great challenge to modern medicine, which causes significant economic burden and increases patient morbidity. Hence, there is a great requirement for functionalized surfaces with inherently antibacterial properties and biocompatibility that prevent bacterial colonization and attachment of blood cells. Herein, we developed a strategy for constructing polymer brushes with hierarchical architecture on polyurethane (PU) via surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP).

Effects of soil rewatering on mesophyll and stomatal conductance and the associated mechanisms involving leaf anatomy and some physiological activities in Manchurian ash and Mongolian oak in the Changbai Mountains.

The recoveries of mesophyll (g) and stomatal conductance to CO (g) after soil rewatering have received considerable attention in recent years, but the recovery mechanisms involving leaf anatomy and physiological activities are poorly understood. Moreover, it is also unclear whether leaf gas-phase conductance (g) or liquid-phase conductance (g) is the main factor promoting g recovery. By simultaneously using gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence, we measured the recoveries of g and g in saplings of Manchurian ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.

Biodegradable Antibacterial Polymeric Nanosystems: A New Hope to Cope with Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

The human society is faced with daunting threats from bacterial infections. Over decades, a variety of antibacterial polymeric nanosystems have exhibited great promise for the eradication of multidrug-resistant bacteria and persistent biofilms by enhancing bacterial recognition and binding capabilities. In this Review, the "state-of-the-art" biodegradable antibacterial polymeric nanosystems, which could respond to bacteria environments (e.