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In July and August of 2022, unprecedented and long-lasting heatwaves attacked central and eastern China (CEC); and the most affected area was in the Yangtze River (YR) basin. The extreme heatwaves and associated drought and wildfire had significant social impacts, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Observational analysis indicates that the heatwaves were regulated by anomalous anticyclone in the mid-upper troposphere over northern CEC. Specifically, the easterly anomalies at the southern flank of the anticyclone caused air isentropic sliding and transported low moist enthalpy (cold and dry) air to the YR basin, contributing to anomalous sinking motions and extreme heatwaves. In comparison, heatwaves were more serious in August than in July due to stronger upper-level anomalous anticyclone and associated easterlies. Importantly, different mechanisms were responsible for the heatwaves in the two months. In July, the relatively weaker anticyclonic anomaly over northern CEC was dominated by the forcing of diabatic heating over northwestern South Asia (NWSA), corresponding with the record-breaking rainfall in and around Pakistan. In August, a powerful anticyclonic condition for the CEC heatwaves originated from an extreme silk road pattern (SRP), superposing the effect of NWSA diabatic heating due to persistent downpour. We notice that another upstream anticyclonic node in the SRP also created heatwaves in Europe. Therefore, the CEC extreme heat was actually associated with other concurrent extremes over the Eurasian continent through large-scale atmospheric teleconnections in 2022.

Past assessments of coupled climate models have indicated that precipitation extremes are expected to intensify over Southeast Asia (SEA) under the global warming. Here, we use outputs from 15 climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) to evaluate projected changes in precipitation extremes for SEA at the end of the 21st century. The results suggest that CMIP6 multi-model ensemble medians show better performances in characterizing precipitation extremes than individual models. Projected changes in precipitation extremes linked to rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (represented by the latest proposed Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) increase significantly over the Indochina Peninsula and the Maritime Continent. Substantial changes in the number of very heavy precipitation days (R20mm) and the intensity of daily precipitation (SDII) indicate that such locally heavy rainfall is likely to occur over a short time and that more precipitation extremes over SEA are probable in a warmer future. This is consistent with projections from the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment and CMIP5 models. The present study reveals the high sensitivity of the precipitation extremes over SEA, and highlights the importance of constrained anthropogenic GHG emissions in an ambitious mitigation scenario.

An obvious long‐term drying trend in recent early springs (February–March–April) is observed over southeastern China (SEC). Here, we attribute this drying to the weakened subtropical westerlies and deflected by the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Climatologically, the low‐level southwesterlies at the southeastern margin of the TP, a branch of the upstream subtropical westerly jet deflected by the TP terrain, bring water vapor to SEC and the southerlies move upward over SEC mainly through isentropic gliding mechanism, inducing persistent precipitation in early spring. However, the subtropical westerlies weakened significantly in recent decades due potentially to the decreased Eurasian snow cover. Consequently, an easterly trend appears along the southern margin of the TP with anomalous northeasterlies over SEC. These northeasterlies suppress both moisture supply and upward motions over SEC, and reduce regional early spring precipitation. Our results highlight the interaction between the TP terrain and the weakened subtropical westerlies that leads to the drying SEC. Plain Language Summary Spring precipitation in southeastern China (SEC) is a major rainband during the pre‐flood season in East Asia, which is significant for agricultural production and social economy. However, in the recent few decades, a robust long‐term drying trend has occurred over SEC in early spring. In this study, we propose a new mechanism for the decreased SEC precipitation and highlight the important influence of the weakened subtropical westerlies and their interaction with the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Deflected by the TP large terrain, the upstream weakened subtropical westerlies induce weakened westerlies and southwesterlies along the southern and southeastern margins of the TP, respectively. As a result, the weakened southwesterlies at the southeastern TP not only reduce the moisture transport downstream, but also suppress the ascending motions over SEC through the isentropic gliding mechanism. Both the water vapor and atmospheric circulation conditions finally induce the drying SEC in recent early springs. Key Points An early spring drying trend has occurred in southeastern China (SEC), much of this can be attributed to the weakened subtropical westerlies Deflected by the Tibetan Plateau (TP), the weakened subtropical westerlies decelerate downstream westerlies along the TP's southern margin The decelerated westerlies at the southeastern TP suppress moisture supply and rising motions over SEC, both processes cause the drying SEC

Mitochondrial biogenesis requires coordinated expression from both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. To understand the consequences of mitochondrial genome loss, we generated a mitochondrial DNA-depleted line (crm−) in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii via long-term ethidium bromide treatment. We then examined how mtDNA disruption affects mitochondrial ultrastructure, chloroplast function, and the mitochondrial transcription termination factor (mTERF) gene family. Our results reveal that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with severe organelle remodeling, including mitochondrial elongation, matrix condensation, and cristae collapse. Consequently, mitochondria reduce the electron sink capacity which appears to over-reduce the chloroplast electron transport chain, correlating with causing damage to photosystem II (PSII), as indicated by higher plastoquinone PQ redox state and PSII excitation pressure and lower non-photochemical quantum yield [Y(NPQ)]. Furthermore, we identified and characterized eight nuclear-encoded mTERF genes in C. reinhardtii (CrmTERFs). Phylogenetic analysis grouped them into three clades with potential functional conservation. Collinearity analysis suggested potential evolutionary relationships between mTERF genes in Chlamydomonas and Marchantia polymorpha. Gene ontology annotation linked CrmTERFs to transcription termination and RNA biosynthesis regulation. Additionally, in silico prediction identified twelve putative miRNAs targeting seven of the eight CrmTERFs, with CrmTERF3 as the only exception, providing candidates for future experimental validation. This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the nuclear encoded mTERF gene family in Chlamydomonas and demonstrates that mtDNA loss is correlated with mTERF genes expression, as well as mitochondrial structure and chloroplast photoprotective impairments. These findings suggest a potential role for CrmTERFs in mitochondrial retrograde signaling and organellar crosstalk, though functional validation is required to establish causality.

N-type sulfide semiconductors are promising photocatalysts due to their broad visible-light absorption, facile synthesis and chemical diversity. However, photocorrosion and limited electron transport in one-step excitation and solid-state Z-scheme systems hinder efficient overall water splitting. Liquid-phase Z-schemes offer a viable alternative, but sluggish mediator kinetics and interfacial side reactions impede their construction. Here we report a stable Z-scheme system integrating n-type CdS and BiVO₄ with a [Fe(CN)₆]³⁻/[Fe(CN)₆]⁴⁻ mediator, achieving 10.2% apparent quantum yield at 450 nm with stoichiometric H₂/O₂ evolution. High activity reflects synergies between Pt@CrO x and Co 3 O 4 cocatalysts on CdS, and cobalt-directed facet asymmetry in BiVO₄, resulting in matched kinetics for hydrogen and oxygen evolution in a reversible mediator solution. Stability is dramatically improved through coating CdS and BiVO 4 with different oxides to inhibit Fe 4 [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3 precipitation and deactivation by a hitherto unrecognized mechanism. Separate hydrogen and oxygen production is also demonstrated in a two-compartment reactor under visible light and ambient conditions. This work unlocks the long-sought potential of n-type sulfides for efficient, durable and safe solar-driven hydrogen production. N-type sulfides are attractive solar-to-hydrogen photocatalysts but have faced challenges with overall water splitting. Here, the authors report that tailored surfaces and cocatalysts enable sulfides to achieve efficient, stable, and safe production of separate streams of stoichiometric hydrogen and oxygen.

The South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) is a significant monsoon system that exerts a profound impact on climate and human livelihoods. According to 38 models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6, the SASM circulation is projected to weaken significantly under global warming as seen in the weakened low-level westerly wind over the northern tropical Indian Ocean; however, the associated climate dynamics is still under debate. Here, we identify that the weakened low-level westerly wind is closely related to the enhanced latent heating over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), which corresponds with increased summer precipitation in the future. The intensified TP latent heating triggers an anomalous meridional circulation with ascending motions over the plateau and descending motions to the south, leading to an anomalous low-level anticyclone over the northern tropical Indian Ocean. This anticyclone greatly weakens the prevailing low-level westerlies of the SASM through easterly anomalies at the anticyclone’s southern flank. Moisture budget analysis further reveals that increased atmospheric water vapor, rather than the vertical dynamic component, makes the largest contribution to the increased precipitation over the TP. This result confirms that the enhanced TP latent heating is a driver of atmospheric circulation change and contributes to weakening the SASM circulation.

Hydroxyl Radical Protein Footprinting is a powerful tool to probe protein higher-order structure, protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. It is mostly performed in vitro, but recent advances have extended its use to live cells, nematodes, and 3D cultures. However, to the best of our knowledge, application in living mammalian tissues has not been accomplished. Here, we present the successful use of radical protein footprinting (RPF) in mammalian whole blood from wild-type and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice. Using persulfate photoactivated with the FOX Photolysis System, we achieve effective protein labeling without significant disruption to blood cell morphology. An optimized quenching protocol eliminates background labeling. We report oxidative modifications for the eleven most abundant proteins detected, revealing disease-associated conformational changes in multiple proteins. We validate that in-blood RPF identifies changes in protein structure resulting from complement activation and increased transferrin iron saturation in T2DM mice. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of RPF in mammalian blood and create opportunities for structural proteomics in preclinical models and clinical samples. Radical protein footprinting reveals protein structure and interactions, but has not – to the best of the authors knowledge - been applied in whole blood. Here, authors demonstrate in-blood footprinting in mice, uncovering diabetes-associated protein conformational changes that were validated by orthogonal assays.

In eukaryotes, mRNA metabolism requires a sophisticated signaling system. Recent studies have suggested that polyadenylate tail may play a vital role in such a system. The poly(A) tail used to be regarded as a common modification at the 3′ end of mRNA, but it is now known to be more than just that. It appears to act as a platform or hub that can be understood in two ways. On the one hand, polyadenylation and deadenylation machinery constantly regulates its dynamic activity; on the other hand, it exhibits the ability to recruit RNA-binding proteins and then interact with diverse factors to send various signals to regulate mRNA metabolism. In this paper, we outline the main complexes that regulate the dynamic activities of poly(A) tails, explain how these complexes participate polyadenylation/deadenylation process and summarize the diverse signals this hub emit. We are trying to make a point that the poly(A) tail can metaphorically act as a “flagman” who is supervised by polyadenylation and deadenylation and sends out signals to regulate the orderly functioning of mRNA metabolism.

The alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a potential platform for recombinant protein expression in the future due to various advantages. Dozens of C. reinhardtii strains producing genetically engineered recombinant therapeutic protein have been reported. However, owing to extremely low protein expression efficiency, none have been applied for industrial purposes. Improving protein expression efficiency at the molecular level is, therefore, a priority. The 3′-end poly(A) tail of mRNAs is strongly correlated with mRNA transcription and protein translation efficiency. In this study, we identified a canonical C. reinhardtii poly(A) polymerase (CrePAPS), verified its polyadenylate activity, generated a series of overexpressing transformants, and performed proteomic analysis. Proteomic results demonstrated that overexpressing CrePAPS promoted ribosomal assembly and enhanced protein accumulation. The accelerated translation was further verified by increased crude and dissolved protein content detected by Kjeldahl and bicinchoninic acid (BCA) assay approaches. The findings provide a novel direction in which to exploit photosynthetic green algae as a recombinant protein expression platform.

Wildfires in the Arctic are accelerating ecosystem damage and increasing global carbon emissions. Siberia, a major Arctic wildfire hotspot, is shaped by both local weather and distant climate influences. Here we use climate reanalysis data and numerical model experiments to show that summer wildfires in Siberia are strongly influenced by rainfall patterns over the Tibetan Plateau, one of the Northern Hemisphere’s largest summer heat sources. A dipole in Tibetan Plateau rainfall—wetter in the west, drier in the east—coincides with more fires in central Siberia and fewer in the east. This pattern alters high-altitude winds, shifting the jet stream northward and generating air flow changes that create favorable fire conditions across Siberia. Model experiments support a causal link. The resulting carbon dioxide emissions can match annual emissions from all Nordic countries. These findings highlight an overlooked driver of Arctic wildfires and improve our understanding of their role in the global carbon cycle. Wildfires intensify in central but weaken in eastern Siberia when midsummer precipitation is above normal in western Tibet and below normal in the east, leading to a northward shift of the jet stream, based on climate reanalysis data and numerical model experiments