Jiangxi Agricultural University

Hibernation enables animals to survive extreme environments, yet gut microbiome dynamics across the full hibernation cycle remain poorly understood, particularly in chiropterans with unique physiological traits. This study aimed to precisely characterize seasonal microbial succession in wild Rhinolophus sinicus using 16S rRNA gene sequencing across 6 physiological stages, with a focus on taxonomic and functional shifts linked to hibernation-associated fasting and post-hibernation activity. Alpha diversity followed a pronounced V-shaped trajectory, declining during hibernation and recovering only gradually—remaining suppressed in the early active stage and rebounding markedly by mid–late active stages. Beta diversity revealed a clear separation between hibernation and active phases, with physiological stage explaining 34.9% of community variation. At the phylum level, Pseudomonadota was the dominant taxon during hibernation, while Bacillota became the most abundant phylum in the active period. At the genus level, Yokenella was the core genus in the hibernation stage, and Lactococcus was the dominant genus in the active period. Functional predictions showed enrichment of lipid and amino acid metabolism during hibernation, supporting energy maintenance under fasting, while active-phase microbiota were oriented toward carbohydrate metabolism, matching increased energy demands. Our findings demonstrate that hibernation drives directional restructuring of the gut microbiota in R. sinicus, offering new insights into microecological strategies underlying bat survival under extreme conditions.

Abstract Heliopora (subclass Octocorallia, order Scleralcyonacea, family Helioporidae), commonly known as the “blue coral,” represents the only reef‐building lineage within Octocorallia. The genus shows diverse growth forms of branching, encrusting, and laminar types, which leads to ambiguities in traditional morphology‐based taxonomy. Here, we investigated the diversity of Heliopora species in the South China Sea (SCS) and their phylogenetic relationships across the Indo–Pacific using integrated morphological and phylogenomic approaches. Whole‐genome resequencing of 52 colonies from the SCS islands, combined with published data from 244 samples worldwide, revealed three distinct clades: H. coerulea , H. hiberniana , and a previously undescribed lineage. Morphological analyses characterized the new lineage with a blue skeleton, a short columnar to encrusting growth form, large autopores with 12–15 pseudosepta, absence of worm tubes, and elaborated coenchymal echinulations. These features contrast with the long‐branching to lobate H. coerulea and the white‐skeletoned H. hiberniana . Based on its unique morphology and distinct phylogenetic position, we describe this lineage as a new species: Heliopora chinensis sp. nov. It is distributed mainly in the SCS islands, Taiwan of China, and the Ryukyu Islands. Meanwhile, global research and citizen science records suggest that H. hiberniana is restricted to the lower latitudes of Indo–Pacific Ocean, whereas H. coerulea occurs broadly across the Indo–Pacific. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of integrating phylogenomics and morphology to resolve coral systematics, uncover cryptic species diversity, and provide new insights into speciation, diversification, and conservation of corals, thus providing a critical taxonomic basis for informing future conservation strategies for coral reef ecosystems.

In recent years, many excellent feminist films have emerged in China. This study takes the film Her Story directed by Shao Yihui as the object to analyze how it integrates musical narrative and feminism to build a unique female music narrative system. The film uses sound montage and distinctive music inserts. Music and other means present the life difficulties and emotional exploration processes faced by three women of different ages. Music has become a key medium for them to self-examine, realize emotional catharsis, establish connections with each other and even achieve empowerment. The study analyzes the dual metaphorical function of music in the film and how to help female characters achieve self-expression and growth. It also explores the setting of male characters as “voiceless people” in the film. The study believes that the musical narrative in Her Story expands the dimension of feminist films in Chinese films and provides a new model for the interpretation of contemporary women’s films.

Acrossocheilus fasciatus is a stream-dwelling Barbinae fish with attractive striped appearance and high commercial values. In this study, we assembled the mitogenomes of 128 A. fasciatus individuals from eight different geographic populations and analyzed their nucleotide variations and genetic differences. A total of 904 non-redundant SNPs and four InDel sites were identified in these geographic populations compared with the reference mitogenome. The results of phylogenetic analysis and divergence time estimation revealed that QingYiJiang River (QYJ) population exhibits significant genetic differences and diverged about 1.36 Mya from other geographic populations, suggesting that QYJ population may have evolved into a distinct species.