Search Results (69)

Lycoris plants are known for their diverse flower colors, but the molecular mechanisms behind these variations remain unclear. In this study, we first used the CIELAB system to precisely measure flower color. We objectively defined the petals of Lycoris sprengeri as blue-purple (Bp) and compared them with the white petals of Lycoris longituba (W) and the red petals of Lycoris radiata var. pumila (R). Metabolomic analysis showed that specific kaempferol glycosides, including kaempferol-3-O-sophoroside and lonicerin, accumulated significantly in the blue-purple petals. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that genes related to flavonoid biosynthesis were generally more active in the colored petals (Bp and R). However, different expression patterns of key hydroxylase genes created a metabolic split. Specifically, the blue-purple petals showed high expression of LrF3′5′H (directing synthesis toward delphinidin) and LrFLS (promoting kaempferol accumulation), whereas the red petals mainly expressed LrF3′H (leading to cyanidin synthesis). Further investigation identified LrWRKY70 as a core transcription factor highly correlated with these flavonoid pathway genes. Crucially, we discovered a new long non-coding RNA, LncRNA401, located downstream of the LrWRKY70 antisense strand. It showed a strong positive correlation with LrWRKY70. Functional verification through transient overexpression demonstrated that LncRNA401 significantly increased the expression of LrWRKY70. This, in turn, broadly activated downstream flavonoid biosynthesis genes, including LrCHS, LrF3′5′H, LrFLS, and LrDFR. This cascade ultimately promoted the synthesis of anthocyanins and kaempferol derivatives, resulting in the unique blue-purple phenotype. Our results reveal a novel LncRNA401-LrWRKY70 regulatory module. This module plays a key role in metabolic reprogramming for flower color formation in Lycoris, providing important insights into plant secondary metabolism and valuable targets for breeding specific flower colors. Full article

South African universities remain shaped by unresolved colonial inheritances and a deepening neoliberal turn that privileges measurable outputs, competition, and narrow definitions of merit. Within this landscape, Black academics and students often encounter institutional cultures that regulate belonging and constrain transformation. While accounts of the neoliberal university have been richly documented, less attention has been given to mentorship as an everyday institutional practice through which such regimes are reproduced and contested, particularly within professional training contexts. This paper offers a State of the Academy Address through the perspectives of two Black early-career clinical psychologists in academia. Drawing on collaborative autoethnography, a qualitative approach in which researchers use their own lived experiences as data to examine broader cultural patterns, and reflexive thematic analysis (a method of identifying and interpreting patterns of meaning across qualitative data) of structured reflective dialogues, we examine how emerging scholars attempt to re-make academic life through refusal and care. Two themes are presented: promoting mentorship while rejecting gatekeeping, and the tension between knowledge production and scholarly development under metric-driven performativity. The paper appreciates the notions of relationality and relational ethics, which are central to Ubuntu philosophy. Additionally, by centering a Freirean commitment to critical consciousness and empowerment, we argue that mentorship can function as an everyday agency that challenges exclusionary traditions, even as output pressures narrow scholarly formation and deepen the vulnerability of early-career academics. We conclude with implications for policy and practice across departmental, institutional, and sector levels, including the formal recognition of mentorship in workload models, protections for early-career academics against exploitative workload practices, and broader promotion and performance criteria that recognise relational labour, collaborative scholarship, and community-engaged knowledge production. Full article

Bisphenol compounds (BPs), widely utilized in industrial production, have raised significant concerns within the scientific community due to their high environmental risks, which pose serious threats to human health and ecological security. Consequently, numerous researchers have dedicated efforts to developing advanced technologies to address BPs pollution. In this study, bibliometric analysis was employed to visually analyze 13,639 publications related to BPs removal from 1994 to 2023, aiming to elucidate the development status, research hotspots, and frontier trends in BPs removal technologies. The consistent upward trend in annual publication numbers underscores the ongoing expansion and deepening of research in this field, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences emerging as the most prominent contributing institution. Keywords burst analysis revealed that advanced oxidative degradation has become a predominant research focus among BPs removal technologies (removal efficiency ranging between 80 and 100). It is anticipated that future research on BPs removal will likely concentrate on developing more efficient and cleaner technologies, emphasizing sustainability and environmental friendliness. Overall, this study offers an objective and comprehensive overview of the research landscape in BPs removal technologies, providing a valuable reference and insightful suggestions for future researchers in the field. Full article

Driven by cleaner energy demands, environmental regulations, and technological advances, coal science is rapidly evolving, creating the need to understand its transition and transformation within the global energy research landscape. Building upon earlier national- and topic-specific bibliometric studies, this study presents a comprehensive long-term global bibliometric analysis of coal research (1975–2024), based on 272,370 Web of Science records, applying the Cross-Disciplinary Publication Index (CDPI), the Technology–Economic Linkage Model (TELM), VOSviewer, and Excel to assess research growth, structural shifts, and interdisciplinary integration. Results show that coal research is dominated by articles (74%) with publication output peaking at ~19,500 in 2024, reflecting fluctuations in global coal prices due to energy transition market dynamics. CDPI results highlight Energy & Fuels (0.83), Chemical Engineering (0.80), Environmental Sciences (0.77), Materials Science (0.74), and Geosciences (0.66), showing coal’s central role across technology, environment, and geological research domains and revealing a clear shift toward sustainability-oriented and advanced material applications. China leads output (122,130 publications), with strong contributions from the China University of Mining and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, while the USA, Australia, and Europe maintain strong international collaboration networks. The evolution of coal research can be divided into three major phases: conventional mining, coal preparation, combustion, and coalbed methane commercialization (1975–2004; ~64,000 publications); integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies (2005–2014; ~58,707 publications); and a recent phase dominated by by-product valorization, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), and digital technologies (AI, IoT, ML) (2015–2024; ~146,174 publications). Contemporary coal research spans three interconnected domains: energy supply (≈36% of global electricity generation and ~15 Gt CO₂ emissions), resource and geoscience applications (including large-scale fly ash utilization and critical element recovery), and environmental and health impacts related to greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. The findings demonstrate that coal science is transitioning from a conventional fossil fuel-centered discipline toward an integrated, interdisciplinary energy research field, emphasizing emission reduction, resource efficiency, digitalization, and circular economy applications, thereby extending prior bibliometric studies through unprecedented temporal coverage, global scope, and the combined application of CDPI and TELM frameworks, providing critical insights for future energy strategies and policy development. Full article

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently revised its guidelines on pediatric obesity treatment to recommend that primary care providers offer anti-obesity medications to patients based on age and body mass index. Anti-obesity medications like glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are efficacious in lowering body mass index (BMI) and improving metabolic health, including in children. However, although the landscape for medication production and insurance coverage is rapidly evolving, these medications can be difficult to access due to cost, lack of insurance coverage, and supply chain issues. Compounded versions of GLP-1 RAs offer the benefits of providing lower cost and higher availability alternatives to FDA-approved versions. But they include risks associated with less regulated medications. This paper identifies the risks and benefits of compounded GLP-1 RA use in the pediatric population, particularly considering structural inequities in obesity burden and treatment, and offers recommendations for pediatricians to ethically and equitable address compounded GLP-1 RA use with their patients and their families. Full article

This study explored the relationship between endophytic bacterial communities and the accumulation of the bioactive lignan, magnolin, in the flower buds of three important species: Magnolia biondii, Magnolia denudata, and Magnolia liliiflora. We employed 16S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the diversity and composition of endophytic bacteria and used high-performance liquid chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) to quantify magnolin content. Our results revealed significant differences in bacterial diversity and community structure among the three host species, with Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria being the dominant phyla. Notably, the abundance of specific genera, such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus, showed a significant positive correlation with magnolin concentrations. These findings suggest a potential link between specific endophytic taxa and the biosynthesis of magnolin, providing novel insights for improving the medicinal value of Magnolia plants through microbial regulation. This research lays a foundation for future studies on harnessing endophytic microorganisms to enhance the production of valuable secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. Full article

Road density is a key indicator of human activity, causing habitat loss and fragmentation. Soil fungi, essential for ecosystem functioning, are sensitive bioindicators. Yet their responses to road density in urban green spaces are poorly characterized. Here, we analyzed the composition of the dominant fungal community, examined both the direct and indirect effects of road density on soil fungal communities, and identified specialist species. Focusing on Shanghai, China, a rapidly urbanizing city, we considered both edaphic factor and the road network. Through machine learning and Spearman correlation regression analyses, we quantified the relative importance of road density and edaphic factor in shaping fungal community composition and employed occupancy-specificity modeling to identify specialist taxa. Our results revealed that Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, Rozellomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Glomeromycota were the dominant phyla, accounting for 93% of the retrieved ITS sequences. Road density was found to be the primary driver of fungal community composition, followed by soil lead and potassium concentrations. Notably, opportunistic pathogens (Acremonium spp.) correlated positively with road density (p < 0.001). Specialist species in high-density areas were primarily pathotrophic fungi, while saprotrophic fungi dominated in low-density areas. These findings highlight the need for urban planning strategies to mitigate the ecological impact of road density. Full article

Fractional Vegetation Cover (FVC) is an important parameter to reflect vegetation growth and describe plant canopy structure. This study integrates both active and passive remote sensing, capitalizing on the complementary strengths of optical and radar data, and applies various machine learning algorithms to retrieve FVC. The results demonstrate that, for FVC retrieval, the optimal combination of optical remote sensing bands includes B2 (490 nm), B5 (705 nm), B8 (833 nm), B8A (865 nm), and B12 (2190 nm) from Sentinel-2, achieving an Optimal Index Factor (OIF) of 522.50. The LiDAR data of ICESat-2 imagery is more suitable for extracting FVC than that of GEDI imagery, especially at a height of 1.5 m, and the correlation coefficient with the measured FVC is 0.763. The optimal feature variable combinations for FVC retrieval vary among different vegetation types, including synthetic aperture radar, optical remote sensing, and terrain data. Among the three models tested—multiple linear regression, random forest, and support vector machine—the random forest model outperformed the others, with fitting correlation coefficients all exceeding 0.974 and root mean square errors below 0.084. Adding LiDAR data on the basis of optical remote sensing combined with machine learning can effectively improve the accuracy of remote sensing retrieval of vegetation coverage. Full article

Rapid urban development has exacerbated heat events. Vulnerable groups, due to deficiencies in physical functions and social support, often face higher health risks and survival pressures during heat events. Effectively identifying and assessing the heat risks they face and developing effective management strategies still pose many challenges. This study develops a heat risk assessment model based on the “hazard–accessibility–vulnerability” framework, incorporating circuit theory modeling to assess the health benefits of ventilation corridors for vulnerable populations and identifying high-temperature risk areas to better support science-based planning. The results show the following: (1) The urban heat island levels in the study area were classified based on the mean-standard deviation method, identifying that high-level heat islands account for 14.2% of the total area, with surface temperatures in urban built-up areas being significantly higher than in rural areas. (2) Based on the circuit theory model, 54 ventilation corridors were identified and 12 major corridors and 42 minor corridors were determined. (3) Based on the thermal risk assessment model, five residential areas covering 1.45 km² were identified as having the highest thermal risk, and 5.68 km² of residential areas had an imbalance between the ventilation demand and ventilation supply for vulnerable populations. This study innovatively assesses the health benefits of urban ventilation corridors from a social equity perspective and proposes urban renewal strategies such as introducing ventilation corridors, adjusting building layouts, enhancing green infrastructure, and promoting cooling technologies, offering new insights for future research. Full article

The Three-North Shelter Forest Program (TNSFP) is a large-scale ecological restoration project that has attracted worldwide attention. It covers 4.069 million km² across 13 provinces in northern China, including northwestern, north-central, and northeastern regions. Bibliometric analysis provides a structural overview of the research in this field and offers insights into key research fronts. We conducted a literature review of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) from 1990 to 2024 using HistCite for a comprehensive literature analysis and CiteSpace for visualizing research trends and co-citation networks. Based on the literature data from the WoSCC, we performed a bibliometric visualization review of the TNSFP. We observe a rising trend in research on the TNSFP, with the number of publications steadily increasing, especially after 2011. Remote Sensing emerged as the leading journal during the study period, accounting for 8.84% of the total publications. China is the leading contributor to research in this field, comprising 99.32% of the publications, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) being the primary research institution, accounting for 36.05%. Research on the TNSFP is interdisciplinary, with Environmental Sciences serving as its primary focus. Ecological restoration and climate change are likely to be the main trends in future research. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the TNSFP’s research landscape, offering insights that can inform policy decisions, guide future research directions, and support on-the-ground conservation and afforestation strategies. Full article

Private gardens during the Song Dynasty are an important component of classical Chinese garden design. However, existing research predominantly focuses on architectural forms and construction techniques, with insufficient systematic exploration of the overall spatial layout, the typological evolution of garden architecture, and the underlying driving forces behind these changes. Based on the 400 private garden records from the Complete Collection of Song, Song-era notes, poems, and paintings, this study employs methods from cliometrics and iconology to quantitatively analyse historical materials to systematically trace the evolution of spatial layouts, architectural types, architectural construction, and interior furnishings in Song private gardens while delving into the causes of these changes. The findings reveal a significant increase in the application of “elevated and terraced layouts” in Southern Song private gardens. The rise of unique architectural types, such as boat-shaped buildings, academies, and high buildings with a collection of books, is closely tied to the scholar-official culture, advancements in printing technology, the influence of Neo-Confucianism, and government support for private education. Southern Song architectural techniques saw significant advancements in response to climatic changes, featuring diversified roof forms, upturned eaves, detachable doors and windows, and elevated platforms. The invention of modular furniture, such as the Yanji table, exemplifies the ingenuity of Song designers in adapting to shrinking living spaces. This paper is the first to systematically reveal the evolution of private garden architecture in the Song Dynasty, particularly the emergence of unique architectural types. It offers a new perspective for understanding the influences of society, culture, and environment on landscape architecture in the Song Dynasty, providing valuable historical insights for the study of Ming–Qing garden architecture and contemporary landscape design practices. Full article

This paper presents a comparative study of the spatial characteristics of academies in China and Korea, focusing on BaiLuDong Academy in China and Tosan Academy in Korea. It examines the cultural philosophies and practical differences in the spatial expression of Confucianism between the two countries. BaiLuDong Academy embodies the Confucian ideals of simplicity and solemnity through its modest architectural style and rigorous spatial organization. The integration of mountain–water siting with enclosed courtyard arrangements reflects the Confucian scholar’s pursuit of self-cultivation and social order. In contrast, Tosan Academy, while grounded in Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucian teachings, incorporates local architectural traditions to form a more open and flexible spatial configuration. Its emphasis on harmony with the natural environment represents a localized reinterpretation of Confucian values. As a spatial embodiment of ideology, the academy serves as a medium through which Confucian values are materialized in architectural form. The spatial characteristics of Chinese and Korean academies reveal the adaptability and evolution of Confucian thought across different cultural contexts. Full article

Using anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO₂) as a feedstock for the production of synthetic fuel has gained significant attention in recent years. Among the various CO₂ conversion pathways, the production of synthetic natural gas via CO₂ methanation holds promise because of its potential for both carbon recycling and renewable energy storage. Nickel (Ni) and ruthenium (Ru) are the dominant metals employed as catalysts in the CO₂ methanation reaction. This review summarizes the research landscape of Ni- and Ru-based catalysts over the last ten years. Bibliometric analysis revealed that China has the highest number of publications, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the foremost academic institution, and the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy is the leading journal in this area of research. The publication trend revealed that research on Ni-based catalysts is published at almost four times the rate of Ru-based catalysts. Despite growth in research, problems with catalyst stability and kinetics still exist. The latest research on various catalytic systems, including supported, bimetallic, and single-atom catalysts and the fundamental challenges associated with the CO₂ methanation process are reviewed. This review provides a new angle for future studies on catalysts based on non-noble Ni and noble Ru metals and opens the way for additional research in this area. Full article

Under growing recognition of the need to restore marine ecosystems and promote the sustainable use of ocean resources, this research delves into an analysis of studies on artificial reefs in the marine environment spanning from 1996 to 2024 to explore how they have evolved in supporting biodiversity growth and fishery management while also promoting ecosystem sustainability over time. Using tools like CiteSpace 6.3. R1 and VOSviewer 1.6.18, a total of 586 research publications were examined to pinpoint authors, current trends in research, and emerging focal points. This study highlights the roles played by countries such as the United States, China, and Australia, as well as esteemed institutions, like NOAA and the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Sciences leading the field. In this field of study, there are topics like restoring the environment to its natural state and making fisheries more sustainable by creating habitats with diverse structures and elements; this shows how artificial reef research involves different areas of expertise working together for a common goal. The findings suggest a trend towards using tools such as ecofriendly materials and 3D printing to improve the design and ecological functionality of reefs. However, some challenges still exist, such as conducting assessments on the long-term effects on the environment and finding a balance between promoting biodiversity and meeting the needs of people in terms of economic aspects. This research highlights the importance of countries working together and adapting their strategies to ensure that artificial reefs play a role in protecting marine life and using ocean resources in a sustainable way. By charting out the existing knowledge landscape, this study lays the groundwork for research endeavors focused on tackling these obstacles and propelling the field forward. Full article

In recent years, rapid urbanization in China has driven cities to expand uncontrollably into surrounding rural areas. Within the global context of ecological restoration, protecting and rehabilitating natural spaces have become key issues in landscape design. The concept of rewilding, rooted in wilderness philosophy, has gained significant attention. This article explores the background, significance, and theoretical foundations of rewilding urban ecological spaces using the woodland area of Heqing Country Park in Shanghai as a case study. It examines the feasibility, methods, and strategies for implementing rewilding in urban settings, considering both natural and human-influenced activities, with a focus on minimizing human intervention. This approach enhances biodiversity, promotes the sustainable development of ecosystems, and helps the park maintain its rural character despite its tourist appeal. Four years after the project’s implementation, research data show that the richness of native plant species, the diversity of bird species, and insect populations have exceeded those of the previously maintained forest. Moreover, the rewilding landscapes have supported the natural succession of habitat communities, leading to a stable and revitalized ecosystem. The landscape improvements and visitor experiences have been highly positive. The reconstruction strategy developed in this project is expected to inform future ecological initiatives, such as country parks, promoting the harmonious development of human and natural environments and serving as a model for creating urban ecosystems where both can coexist sustainably. Full article