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Abstract Casuarina equisetifolia trees are used as windbreaks in subtropical and tropical coastal zones, while C. equisetifolia windbreak forests can be degraded by seawater atomization (SA) and seawater encroachment (SE). To investigate the mechanisms underlying the response of C. equisetifolia to SA and SE stress, the transcriptome and metabolome of C. equisetifolia seedlings treated with control, SA, and SE treatments were analyzed. We identified 737, 3232, 3138, and 3899 differentially expressed genes (SA and SE for 2 and 24 h), and 46, 66, 62, and 65 differentially accumulated metabolites (SA and SE for 12 and 24 h). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that SA and SE stress significantly altered the expression of genes related to plant hormone signal transduction, plant–pathogen interaction, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways. The accumulation of metabolites associated with the biosynthetic pathways of phenylpropanoid and amino acids, as well as starch and sucrose metabolism, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis were significantly altered in C. equisetifolia subjected to SA and SE stress. In conclusion, C. equisetifolia responds to SA and SE stress by regulating plant hormone signal transduction, plant–pathogen interaction, biosynthesis of phenylpropanoid and amino acids, starch and sucrose metabolism, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways. Compared with SA stress, C. equisetifolia had a stronger perception and response to SE stress, which required more genes and metabolites to be regulated. This study enhances our understandings of how C. equisetifolia responds to two types of seawater stresses at transcriptional and metabolic levels. It also offers a theoretical framework for effective coastal vegetation management in tropical and subtropical regions.

Resources scarcity is prevalent in natural microbial communities, affecting both biodiversity and coexistence. However, its intricate impacts on community assembly remain incompletely understood. In this study, we examined the bacterial community assembly processes in low-resource soil patches along the sandy coast of Southern China, focused on the relative importance of abiotic and biotic factors. Our study revealed a slightly decreasing trend in bacterial community similarity with increasing geographic distance, whereas the spatial heterogeneity of soil resource availabilities, including total nitrogen (TN), ammonium (NH4+-N), and total phosphorus (TP), explained 75 % of the total variation in the soil bacterial community. Nitrogen was identified as the primary limiting resource, playing a key role in shaping the composition of bacterial communities. Notably, elevated N availability did not alleviate N limitations or promote biodiversity. Instead, it led to deterministic community assembly processes by increasing the overall demand for N and intensifying negative biological interactions among taxa. These processes favored the selection of specific communities dominated by highly competitive species with overlapping niches. Our findings offer novel insights into the biogeographic patterns of soil bacterial communities, highlighting how resource availability shapes their compositions and has potential ecological implications, including effects on seedling establishment and the resilience of belowground communities to disturbances.

Abstract Objective The connection between triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and stroke risk is controversial. Our goal was to explore this relationship in individuals aged 45 and older enrolled in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Methods Our analysis encompassed 10,164 participants from the CHARLS cohorts. We applied the Cox proportional-hazards regression model to evaluate the potential correlation between the TG/HDL-C ratio and stroke incidence. Using a cubic spline function and smooth curve fitting within the Cox model allowed us to unearth a possible non-linear pattern in this relationship. We also conducted thorough sensitivity and subgroup analyses to deepen our understanding of the TG/HDL-C ratio’s impact on stroke risk. Results Adjusting for various risk factors, we observed a significant link between the TG/HDL-C ratio and increased stroke risk in individuals aged 45 and above (HR: 1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.05, P = 0.0426). The relationship appeared non-linear, with an inflection at a TG/HDL-C ratio of 1.85. Ratios below this threshold indicated a heightened stroke risk (HR: 1.28, 95% CI 1.06–1.54, P = 0.0089), while ratios above it did not show a significant risk increase (HR: 1.01, 95% CI 0.98–1.04, P = 0.6738). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of these findings. Notably, non-smokers exhibited a stronger correlation between the TG/HDL-C ratio and stroke risk compared to past and current smokers. Conclusion Our investigation revealed a significant, yet non-linear, association between the TG/HDL-C ratio and the incidence of stroke among individuals aged 45 and above. Specifically, we found that stroke risk increased in correlation with TG/HDL-C ratio below the threshold of 1.85. These insights may guide healthcare providers in advising and developing more effective strategies for stroke prevention in this demographic.

Abstract Background and objective This study comprehensively evaluates the distribution patterns and antimicrobial resistance profiles of urinary pathogens in Preoperative midstream urine cultures collected from patients with urinary calculi in China over the last two decades. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of 41 studies was conducted. A systematic search across various databases, including Wanfang Data, CNKI, SinoMed, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science, was carried out, covering the time period from 2002 to 2022. Using R 4.2.1 software, a meta-analysis was performed to assess heterogeneity using Cochran’s Q test and the I2 statistic. Results In the analysis of preoperative midstream urine cultures from Chinese patients with urinary calculi, gram-negative bacteria dominated at 69%, with Escherichia coli (43%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (8%), Proteus mirabilis (6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5%), Acinetobacter baumannii (3%), and Enterobacter cloacae (4%) being prominent. Gram-positive organisms included Enterococcus faecalis (9%), Enterococcus faecium (5%), and Staphylococcus aureus (4%). Over time, proportions of Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus decreased, while Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa increased. Notably, Escherichia coli proportion reduced from 37 to 33% within the last two decades. Antimicrobial resistance analysis indicated declining resistance in E. coli (e.g., co-trimoxazole from 73 to 55%, gentamicin from 64 to 40%), but rising resistance in piperacillin and cefotaxime (34–60%). Enterococcus faecalis exhibited increasing resistance to ampicillin (5–69%), gentamicin (59–94%), and tetracycline (77–89%) over time, while resistance to levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin notably decreased (72–16% and 49–8%, respectively). Conclusion Over the past two decades, the proportion of gram-negative bacteria was declined, while the proportion of gram-positive bacteria increased. Escherichia coli remained the most common pathogen in the urine culture of patients with urinary calculi in China and the resistance of Escherichia coli to commonly used antibiotics increased. Clinicians should select appropriate antibiotics according to the results of urine culture and drug sensitivity test to reduce the occurrence of antibiotic resistance.

1. Abstract: Objective: Bladder cancer is one of the most prominent malignancies affecting the urinary tract, characterized by a poor prognosis. Our previous research has underscored the pivotal role of m6A methylation in the progression of bladder cancer. Nevertheless, the precise relationship between N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulation of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and bladder cancer remains elusive. Methods: This study harnessed sequencing data and clinical records from 408 bladder cancer patients in the TCGA database. Employing R software, we conducted bioinformatics analysis to establish an m6A-lncRNA co-expression network. Analyzing the differences between high and low-risk groups, particularly at the immunological level, and subsequently investigating the primary regulatory factors of these lncRNA, validating the findings through experiments, and exploring their specific cellular functions. Results: We identified 50 m6A-related lncRNA with prognostic significance through univariate Cox regression analysis. In parallel, we employed a LASSO-Cox regression model to pinpoint 11 lncRNA and calculate risk scores for bladder cancer patients. Based on the median risk score, patients were categorized into low-risk and high-risk groups. The high-risk cohort exhibited notably lower survival rates than their low-risk counterparts. Further analysis pointed to RBM15 and METTL3 as potential master regulators of these m6A-lncRNA. Experimental findings also shed light on the upregulated expression of METTlL3 and RBM15 in bladder cancer, where they contributed to the malignant progression of tumors. The experimental findings demonstrated a significant upregulation of METTL3 and RBM15 in bladder cancer specimens, implicating their contributory role in the oncogenic progression. Knockdown of METTL3 and RBM15 resulted in a marked attenuation of tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, which was concomitant with a downregulation in the cellular m6A methylation status. Moreover, these results revealed that RBM15 and METTL3 function in a synergistic capacity, positing their involvement in cancer promotion via the upregulation of m6A modifications in long non-coding RNAs. Additionally, this study successfully developed an N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU)-induced rat model of in situ bladder carcinoma, confirming the elevated expression of RBM15 and METTL3, which paralleled the overexpression of m6A-related- lncRNAs observed in bladder cancer cell lines. This congruence underscores the potential utility of these molecular markers in in vivo models that mirror human malignancies. Conclusion: This study not only offers novel molecular targets,but also enriches the research on m6A modification in bladder cancer, thereby facilitating its clinical translation.

Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of childbearing age. The etiology of PCOS is multifactorial, and current treatments for PCOS are far from satisfactory. Recently, an imbalanced autonomic nervous system (ANS) with sympathetic hyperactivity and reduced parasympathetic nerve activity (vagal tone) has aroused increasing attention in the pathogenesis of PCOS. In this paper, we review an innovative therapy for the treatment of PCOS and related co-morbidities by targeting parasympathetic modulation based on non-invasive transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (ta-VNS). In this work, we present the role of the ANS in the development of PCOS and describe a large number of experimental and clinical reports that support the favorable effects of VNS/ta-VNS in treating a variety of symptoms, including obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, inflammation, microbiome dysregulation, cardiovascular disease, and depression, all of which are also commonly present in PCOS patients. We propose a model focusing on ta-VNS that may treat PCOS by (1) regulating energy metabolism via bidirectional vagal signaling; (2) reversing insulin resistance via its antidiabetic effect; (3) activating anti-inflammatory pathways; (4) restoring homeostasis of the microbiota-gut-brain axis; (5) restoring the sympatho-vagal balance to improve CVD outcomes; (6) and modulating mental disorders. ta-VNS is a safe clinical procedure and it might be a promising new treatment approach for PCOS, or at least a supplementary treatment for current therapeutics.

Abstract Casuarina equisetifolia is drought tolerant, salt tolerant, and able to grow in barren environments. It is often used to reduce wind damage, to prevent sand erosion, and to help establish plant communities in tropical and subtropical coastal zones. To determine the basis for its drought tolerance, we conducted transcriptomic and metabolic analyses of young branchlets under a non-drought treatment (D_0h) and 2-, 12-, and 24-h-long drought treatments (D_2h, D_12h, and D_24h). A total of 5033 and 8159 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in D_2h/D_0h and D_24h/D_0h. These DEGs were involved in plant hormone signal transduction, jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. A total of 148 and 168 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified in D_12h/D_0h and D_24h/D_0h, which were mainly amino acids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. In conclusion, C. equisetifolia responds to drought by regulating plant hormone signal transduction and the biosynthesis of JA, flavonoid, and phenylpropanoid. These results increase the understanding of drought tolerance in C. equisetifolia at both transcriptional and metabolic levels and provide new insights into coastal vegetation reconstruction and management.

Abstract Background Correct perioperative antibiotic strategies are crucial to prevent postoperative infections during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We aimed to compare the realistic antibiotic strategies applied in China with current urological guidelines. Methods Between April and May 2020, urologists from China were invited to finish an online cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire was designed according to the current urological guidelines and literatures. Results 3393 completed responses were received. 61.1% (2073/3393) respondents had urological experience of more than 10 years. 72.4% urologists chose multiple-dose antibiotics for patients with both negative urine culture (UC-) and negative urine microscopy (UM-) preoperatively. Respondents in central China (OR = 1.518; 95% CI 1.102–2.092; P = 0.011), east China (OR = 1.528; 95% CI 1.179–1.979; P = 0.001) and northeast China (OR = 1.904; 95% CI 1.298–2.792; P = 0.001) were more likely to prescribe multiple-dose antibiotic for UC-UM- patients. Notably, the respondents who finished PCNL exceeded 100 cases per year were in favor of single-dose administration (OR = 0.674; 95% CI 0.519–0.875; P = 0.003). There are only 8.3% urologists chose single-dose antibiotic for UC-UM+ patients, whereas 65.5% administered antibiotics for 1–3 days. Meanwhile, for UC+ patients, 59.0% of the urologists applied antibiotics shorter than 1 week, and only 26.3% of the urologists carried out routine re-examination of UC. Moreover, postoperative antibiotics were frequently prescribed for 3–6 days (1815; 53.5%). Finally, although 88.2% urologists considered stone culture important for management of postoperative antibiotics as the guideline recommended, only 18.5% performed it routinely. Conclusions The antibiotic strategies are different between current practice in China and the urological guidelines. The dissimilarities suggested that further studies should be conducted to investigate the reasons of the differences and standardize the application of antibiotics.

Abstract Infections are regarded as the most severe complication associated with human health, which are urgent to be solved. Stimuli‐responsive materials are appealing therapeutic platforms for antibacterial treatments, which provide great potential for accurate theranostics. In this review, the advantages, the response mechanisms, and the key design principles of stimuli‐responsive antibacterial materials are highlighted. The biomedical applications, the current challenges, and future directions of stimuli‐responsive antibacterial materials are also discussed. First, the categories of stimuli‐responsive antibacterial materials are comprehensively itemized based on different sources of stimuli, including external physical environmental stimuli (e.g., temperature, light, electricity, salt, etc.) and bacterial metabolites stimuli (e.g., acid, enzyme, redox, etc.). Second, structural characteristics, design principles, and biomedical applications of the responsive materials are discussed, and the underlying interrelationships are revealed. The molecular structures and design principles are closely related to the sources of stimuli. Finally, the challenging issues of stimuli‐responsive materials are proposed. This review will provide scientific guidance to promote the clinical applications of stimuli‐responsive antibacterial materials.

With global climate change, atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and drought have been well documented to cause substantial challenges for tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. Here, we conducted an experiment that measured the physiological responses of the seedlings of three dominant tree species (Tabebuia chrysantha, Elaeocarpus sylvestris, and Bischofia javanica) of the evergreen broad-leaved forests in South China under control (CT), drought stress (D), N addition (N), and drought stress plus N addition (N+D). We found that N addition significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content, abscisic acid (ABA) content, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), but significantly increased the content of proline (PRO), and the activities of ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), and glutamine synthetase (GS) in the three species under D. Meanwhile, we also found that under drought conditions, N addition promoted the leaf transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs), and light-saturated net photosynthetic rate (Amax) of the three species. These results indicate that N addition can enhance the drought tolerance of the three species by osmotic adjustment and protecting the photosystem. However, the enhancement in Amax and E will cause plants to face more severe drought conditions, especially B. javanica (large tree species). This study helps to explain why the evergreen broad-leaved forests in South China are gradually degrading to shrublands in recent decades.

AimTo evaluate the association between the apolipoprotein B/A1 ratio (ApoB/ApoA1) and metabolic and endocrine parameters in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).MethodsThis study was a secondary analysis of the Acupuncture and Clomiphene for Chinese Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome trial (PCOSAct), and 957 subjects with available ApoB and ApoA1 measurements were included. Tests for linear trends and linear regression were used to assess the relation between the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and metabolic and endocrine parameters. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between the ratio and risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance (IR). The receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to determine the predictive value of the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio for MetS and IR.ResultsThe results showed that the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio was positively associated with waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance, high free testosterone, high free androgen index, alanine transferase, aspartate transferase, and higher prevalence of MetS and IR, but was negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein and sex hormone-binding globulin after adjusting for age and body mass index. Logistic regression showed that compared with the ApoB/ApoA1 ratio in first quartile, those in the fourth quartile demonstrated a higher risk of MetS (OR: 24.48, 95%CI: 8.54–70.15, P trend

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has emerged as a promising scaffold fabrication strategy for tissue engineering with excellent control over scaffold geometry and microstructure. Nanobiomaterials as bioinks play a key role in manipulating the cellular microenvironment to alter its growth and development. This review first introduces the commonly used nanomaterials in tissue engineering scaffolds, including natural polymers, synthetic polymers, and polymer derivatives, and reveals the improvement of nanomaterials on scaffold performance. Second, the 3D bioprinting technologies of inkjet-based bioprinting, extrusion-based bioprinting, laser-assisted bioprinting, and stereolithography bioprinting are comprehensively itemized, and the advantages and underlying mechanisms are revealed. Then the convergence of 3D bioprinting and nanotechnology applications in tissue engineering scaffolds, such as bone, nerve, blood vessel, tendon, and internal organs, are discussed. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of convergence of 3D bioprinting and nanotechnology are proposed. This review will provide scientific guidance to develop 3D bioprinting tissue engineering scaffolds by nanotechnology.

Weighted average temperature (Tm) plays a crucial role in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) precipitable water vapor (PWV) retrieval. Aiming at the poor applicability of the existing Tm models in Europe, in the article, we used observations from 48 radiosonde stations over Europe from 2014 to 2020 to establish a weighted average temperature model in Europe (ETm) by the nonlinear least squares estimation method. The ETm model takes into account factors such as ground temperature, water vapor pressure, latitude, and their annual variation, semiannual variation and diurnal variation. Taking the Tm obtained from the radiosonde data by the integration method in 2021 as the reference value, the accuracy of the ETm model was evaluated and compared with the commonly used Bevis model, ETmPoly model, and GPT2w model. The results of the 48 modeled stations showed that the mean bias and root mean square (RMS) values of the ETm model were 0.06 and 2.85 K, respectively, which were 21.7%, 11.5%, and 31.8% higher than the Bevis, ETmPoly, and GPT2w-1 (1° × 1° resolution) models, respectively. In addition, the radiosonde data of 12 non-modeling stations over Europe in 2021 were selected to participate in the model accuracy validation. The mean bias and RMS values of the ETm model were –0.07 and 2.87 K, respectively. Compared with the Bevis, ETmPoly, and GPT2w-1 models, the accuracy (in terms of RMS values) increased by 20.5%, 10.6%, and 35.2%, respectively. Finally, to further verify the superiority of the ETm model, the ETm model, and other Tm models were applied to the GNSS PWV calculation. The ETm model had mean RMSPWV and RMSPWV/PWV values of 0.17 mm and 1.03%, respectively, which were less than other Tm models. Therefore, the ETm model has essential applications in GNSS PWV over Europe.

The stability of surrounding rock is the basic guarantee of underground space engineering safety. The large deformation of a roadway’s surrounding rock is a very common phenomenon during the underground excavation of coal mine roadways or coal mining, especially in deep soft rock mining roadways. With the increase in mining depth and mining stress, it is very important to prevent disasters caused by surrounding rock deformation. This work aims to conduct an optimization design of roadway support for deep soft rock in coal mines using a full-space synergy control technology. FLAC3D-based orthogonal numerical experiments are adopted to study the influence of bolt parameters and plastic yield zone variation on the deformation of roadway surrounding rock, which provides a basis for optimizing the support design of coal mine roadways. According to the results of the numerical analysis, the optimal support parameters are determined as 20 mm, 2.2 m and 700–900 mm for diameter, length and interval of the bolt, respectively. Finally, the determined bolt-shotcrete net beam support scheme from the full-space synergy control idea is used in a study case. Results illustrate that this study can provide reliable guidance for the stability control of deep soft rock roadways in mining fields under high stress, and it can work well to keep the surrounding rock deformation within the safe limits.

Purpose: To evaluate the chemical composition of double-J stent encrustation and to assess risk factors associated with their development.Materials and Methods: Patients who had double-J stents removed between July 2016 and June 2017 were recruited for this study prospectively. The clinical features of the patients were recorded and the composition of encrustation material was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy.Results: Encrustments from a total of 372 double-J stents were collected. The mean age of patients was 50.4±13.1 years and deposits possible to analyze were obtained from 228 males (61.3%) and 144 females (38.7%). Calcium oxalate monohydrate was the most common constituent of stone and encrustments. The encrustation rate of vesical coils was significantly higher than that of renal coils (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in chemical composition between stone and encrustation regarding renal (P=0.086) and vesical coils (P=0.072). The only predictive risk factor for the development of encrustation on double-J stents was indwelling time. This phenomenon was observed in both renal (P<0.001) and vesical coils (P=0.021). Interestingly, patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was associated with less risk of encrustation on both renal (P<0.001) and vesical coils (P=0.001).Conclusion: The chemical composition of double-J stent encrustation was the same as the urinary stone. The prevention strategy for stone composition is also suitable for the prevention of encrustation of double-J stent. The only predictive factor for double-J stent encrustation was the indwelling time. CKD patient was shown to be less at risk for the development of encrustation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]