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Climate change can exacerbate pest population growth, posing significant threats to ecosystem functions and services, social development, and food security. Risk assessment is a valuable tool for effective pest management that identifies potential pest expansion and ecosystem dispersal patterns. We applied a habitat suitability model coupled with priority protection planning software to determine key monitoring areas (KMA) for tree insect pest risks under climate change and used forest ecoregions and nature reserves to assess the ecological risk of insect pest invasion. Finally, we collated the prevention and control measures for reducing future pest invasions. The KMA for tree insect pests in our current and future climate is mainly concentrated in eastern and southern China. However, with climate change, the KMA gradually expands from southeastern to northeastern China. In the current and future climate scenarios, ecoregions requiring high monitoring levels were restricted to the eastern and southern coastal areas of China, and nature reserves requiring the highest monitoring levels were mainly distributed in southeastern China. Tree insect pest invasion assessment using ecoregions and nature reserves identified that future climates increase the risk of pest invasions in forest ecoregions and nature reserves, especially in northeastern China. The increased risk and severity of tree insect pest invasions require implementing monitoring and preventative measures in these areas. We effectively assessed the pest invasion risks using forest ecoregions and nature reserves under climate change. Our assessments suggest that monitoring and early prevention should focus on southeastern and northeastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invasion of alien woody species may have broad ecological, economic, and health impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity under climate change. Previous studies showed that disrupting the biodiversity conservation mechanisms in protected areas can seriously threaten natural ecosystems and the protection of rare and endangered species in such protected areas. However, there is currently no standard for evaluating the invasion risk of woody plants under climate change when establishing national parks in China. Therefore, we used a species distribution model to evaluate the invasion risk of 250 invasive alien woody species in potential national park sites in Xinjiang under climate change. The results indicated that the probability of forest invasion in the potential Altai Kanas National Park was determined to be significantly higher than that of the average level in Xinjiang nature reserves, both under current and future climate conditions. At the same time, the probability of invasive woody species invading coniferous forests, broad‐leaved forests, and grassland ecosystems is higher in the Altai Kanas and Tianshan potential national parks. We found that Acer negundo, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Amorpha fruticose in potential parks in Xinjiang have higher invasion potential and thus require heightened vigilance to stop their spread. This study contributes to the monitoring and management of national parks and provides an actionable foundation for protecting ecosystem functions and minimizing the potential risk of invasive alien species under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect pests pose a significant threat to alpine ecosystems, especially under rapid environmental change conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the effects of environmental factors on insect pest risks and provide methods for pest management in alpine regions. Habitat heterogeneity and topographic variation are the indicators of insect pest risks. However, few studies have explored the effects of habitat heterogeneity and topographic variation on insect pest risks in alpine regions. We used species distribution modeling (i.e., maxent modeling) to project the distributions of insect pests in this alpine region based on occurrence records. Then, we delineated the high-risk areas for insect pests based on the species distributions under a conceptual risk framework using Zonation software for different ecoregional types. We determined the alpine conifer and mixed forests of the Nujiang Langcang Gorge, the conifer forests of the Qilian Mountains, and the shrublands and meadows of Southeast Tibet as the key areas requiring monitoring for insect pests in Qinghai province based on the scoring of insect pest risk rank with >0.7. Habitat heterogeneity and topographic variation could be developed as indicators of risk exposure to insect pests in alpine regions. Our study suggests that the prevention and control of insect pests should be conducted in areas with high habitat heterogeneity and topographic roughness in alpine regions. We provided new insights into the application of species distribution modeling based on habitat heterogeneity and topographic variation. The results of our study indicate that habitat heterogeneity and topographic variation should be considered for improving pest management effectiveness in alpine regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species distribution models (SDMs) based on fine-scale environmental data may reduce the uncertainty in predicting species distributions. However, many scientists have also projected the robust potential distributions of species using environmental data of different scales and found that the potential distributions modeled using SDMs are scale dependent. This may be due to the impact of the scale effect on species richness (as well as on multi-species distributions). To eliminate the impact of the scale effect, we aim to develop an improved method to integrate different scales into species distribution models. We use protected areas as the study regions and propose the hypothesis that there is a spatial element to the threat of invasive species for protected areas under climate change. We use Maxent to compute the current and future invasion ability and invasion inequality of invasive species for protected areas based on the potential distributions of species across different scales to evaluate the risk of invasive species. We find that an increase in the number of present records could reduce the accuracy of SDMs. There is a significant linear relationship between the fine-scale and coarse-scale risk of invasive species of alien plants in protected areas, and an appropriate scale should thus be selected to assess species risk based on this linear relationship of invasive risk. There is a significant relationship between the potential of IAPS to invade protected areas and the invasion inequality of IAPS in protected areas across all scales, and 5.0 arcminutes is the most appreciate scale to evaluate the risk of IAPS for protected areas under climate change based on principal component analysis. We provide new insights into the use of species distribution models coupled with different spatial scales to analyze the regional risks associated with species and to assess regional biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Intussusception is one of the most common abdominal emergencies in early children. Intussusception recurs in 8–20% of children after successful nonoperative reduction. The aim of this study was to explore the ultrasound findings to predict risk of recurrence in pediatric intussusception after air enema reduction. Methods: A total of 336 intussusception children were followed up for 1 year after received successful air enema reduction. They were divided into the recurrent group and the non‐recurrent group. The differences of clinical characteristics, ultrasonic features, and laboratory tests were analyzed by univariate analyses and the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Sixty‐five children with recurrent intussusception were identified. There were statistically significances in the diameter of the mass, in the presence or absence of enlarged lymph nodes out of the sleeve, and in the sleeve between recurrent and non‐recurrent groups (P <.05). Other ultrasonic features, clinical characteristics, and blood parameters had no differences (P >.05). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard model showed that the diameter of the mass and abdominal lymph nodes may be the risk factors of intussusception recurrence (HR = 1.395, 95% CI: 1.045~1.863 and HR = 2.078, 95% CI: 1.118~3.865, P <.05). The cut‐off value of mass diameter was 2.55 cm, above which recurrence is more likely. Conclusions: Intussusception recurrence was prone with greater mass diameter (>2.55 cm) and enlarged abdominal lymph nodes. Although these ultrasound findings for recurrence do not necessarily reduce the rate of recurrence, it can predict the recurrent possibility, and help the emergency physicians to be more vigilant in these children and better counsel parents upon discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive tree species threaten ecosystems, natural resources, and managed land worldwide. Land cover has been widely used as an environmental variable for predicting global invasive tree species distributions. Recent studies have shown that consensus land cover data can be an effective tool for species distribution modelling. In this paper, consensus land cover data were used as prediction variables to predict the distribution of the 11 most aggressive invasive tree species globally. We found that consensus land cover data could indeed contribute to modelling the distribution of invasive tree species. According to the contribution rate of land cover to the distribution of invasive tree species, we inferred that the cover classes of open water and evergreen broadleaf trees have strong explanatory power regarding the distribution of invasive tree species. Under consensus land cover changes, invasive tree species were mainly distributed near equatorial, tropical, and subtropical areas. In order to limit the damage caused by invasive tree species to global biodiversity, human life, safety, and the economy, strong measures must be implemented to prevent the further expansion of invasive tree species. We suggest the use of consensus land cover data to model global invasive tree species distributions, as this approach has strong potential to enhance the performance of species distribution modelling. Our study provides new insights into the risk assessment and management of invasive tree species globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endothelium-dependent dilatation is a predictor for vascular function. NADPH oxidase-derived O2– can inactivate nitric oxide and induce vascular injury. Method: The crude ethanolic extract of Lysimachia christinae Hance were separated out 4 fractions of different olarities by petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol (NB), and aqueous. The endothelial integrity was appraised by vascular tension measurement. Dihydroethidium was utilized to observe the vascular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Western-blot was adopted to detect protein expression. Results: Among the 4 fractions of L. christinae Hance, the NB fraction showed the most potent capacity of promoting endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation and inhibiting ROS formation in aortic rings, which were likely attributed by suppressing the expression of NAD(P)H oxidase subunit (gp91phox, p47phox, and p67phox) and enhancing the phosphorylation of endothelial NOS in vascular tone. Conclusions: These results suggest that the NB fraction possess the strongest vascular pharmacological activities among the crude ethanolic extract of L. christinae Hance, which may help us for purifying bioactive constituents and discovering new drugs from this herb in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appendage regeneration relies on the formation of blastema, a heterogeneous cellular structure formed at the injury site. However, little is known about the early injury-activated signaling pathways that trigger blastema formation during appendage regeneration. Here, we provide compelling evidence that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-activated casein kinase 2 (CK-2), which has not been previously implicated in appendage regeneration, triggers blastema formation during leg regeneration in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana . After amputation, CK-2 undergoes rapid activation through ERK-induced phosphorylation within blastema cells. RNAi knockdown of CK-2 severely impairs blastema formation by repressing cell proliferation through down-regulating mitosis-related genes. Evolutionarily, the regenerative role of CK-2 is conserved in zebrafish caudal fin regeneration via promoting blastema cell proliferation. Together, we find and demonstrate that the ERK-activated CK-2 triggers blastema formation in both cockroach and zebrafish, helping explore initiation factors during appendage regeneration.

Objective: To analyze the clinical and ultrasonic characteristics of breast sclerosing adenosis (SA) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and construct a predictive nomogram for SA., Materials and Methods: A total of 865 patients were recruited at the Second Hospital of Shandong University from January 2016 to November 2022. All patients underwent routine breast ultrasound examinations before surgery, and the diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination following the operation. Ultrasonic features were recorded using the Breast Imaging Data and Reporting System (BI-RADS). Of the 865 patients, 203 (252 nodules) were diagnosed as SA and 662 (731 nodules) as IDC. They were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set at a ratio of 6:4. Lastly, the difference in clinical characteristics and ultrasonic features were comparatively analyzed., Result: There was a statistically significant difference in multiple clinical and ultrasonic features between SA and IDC ( P <0.05). As age and lesion size increased, the probability of SA significantly decreased, with a cut-off value of 36 years old and 10 mm, respectively. In the logistic regression analysis of the training set, age, nodule size, menopausal status, clinical symptoms, palpability of lesions, margins, internal echo, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) grading, and resistance index (RI) were statistically significant ( P <0.05). These indicators were included in the static and dynamic nomogram model, which showed high predictive performance, calibration and clinical value in both the training and validation sets., Conclusion: SA should be suspected in asymptomatic young women, especially those younger than 36 years of age, who present with small-size lesions (especially less than 10 mm) with distinct margins, homogeneous internal echo, and lack of blood supply. The nomogram model can provide a more convenient tool for clinicians., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Li, Wei, Pang, Ni, Wu, Xiao, Zhang and Zhang.)

Background: The Rex shunt was widely used as the preferred surgical approach for cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) in children that creates a bypass between the superior mesenteric vein and the intrahepatic left portal vein (LPV). This procedure can relieve portal hypertension and restore physiological hepatopetal flow. However, the modified procedure is technically demanding because it is difficult to make an end-to-end anastomosis of a bypass to a hypoplastic LPV. Many studies reported using a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit to resolve this problem. However, the feasibility of umbilical vein recanalization for a Rex shunt has not been fully investigated., Aim: To investigate the efficacy of a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit for a Rex shunt on CTPV in children by ultrasonography., Methods: A total of 47 children who were diagnosed with CTPV with prehepatic portal hypertension in the Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, were enrolled in this study. Fifteen children received a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit for a Rex shunt surgery and were enrolled in group I. Thirty-two children received the classic Rex shunt surgery and were enrolled in group II. The sonographic features of the two groups related to intraoperative and postoperative variation in terms of bypass vessel and the LPV were compared., Results: The patency rate of group I (60.0%, 9/15) was significantly lower than that of group II (87.5%, 28/32) 7 d after (on the 8 th d) operation ( P < 0.05). After clinical anticoagulation treatment for 3 mo, there was no significant difference in the patency rate between group I (86.7%, 13/15) and group II (90.6%, 29/32) ( P > 0.05). Moreover, 3 mo after (at the beginning of the 4 th mo) surgery, the inner diameter significantly widened and flow velocity notably increased for the bypass vessels and the sagittal part of the LPV compared to intraoperative values in both shunt groups ( P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two surgical groups 3 mo after surgery ( P > 0.05)., Conclusion: For children with hypoplastic LPV in the Rex recessus, using a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit for a Rex shunt may be an effective procedure for CTPV treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors state that they have nothing to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2020. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Treatment for breast cancer is mainly performed by surgical resection of primary tumors and chemotherapy. However, after tumor invasion and metastases, breast cancer is hard to control. Clarification of the pathogenic mechanisms would be helpful to the prognosis or therapy for the breast cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical and prognostic implications of legumain protein Materials and Methods: In this study, we examined mastectomy specimens from 114 breast cancer and matching, 26 adjacent non-cancerous tissues using immunohistochemistry., Results: The results indicated that positive expression of legumain protein in breast cancer was 51.8 % (59/114) and the positive expression of legumain protein in adjacent non-cancerous tissue was 11.5% (3/26). It appeared to be related with lymph node metastasis of breast cancer (p=0.02) and correlation analysis indicated that legumain expression was correlated positively with the estrogen receptor (ER) and mutant-type p53 expression (both p<0.05). Positive legumain expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival time in breast cancer patients (log-rank p<0.01). Multivariate survival analysis suggested that the positive legumain expression was an independent predictor of poorer overall survival in patients with breast cancer (HR=0.24; 95%CI 0.11-0.65, p=0.03)., Conclusions: Legumain might be a new potential biomarker for breast cancer, which may reflect the prognosis and overall survival.