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Abstract Objective This cross‐sectional study aimed to determine the epidemiology of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to COVID‐19 in China. Methods This study was conducted by 45 tertiary Grade‐A hospitals in China. Online and offline questionnaire data were obtained from patients infected with COVID‐19 between December 28, 2022, and February 21, 2023. The collected information included basic demographics, medical history, smoking and drinking history, vaccination history, changes in olfactory and gustatory functions before and after infection, and other postinfection symptoms, as well as the duration and improvement status of olfactory and gustatory disorders. Results Complete questionnaires were obtained from 35,566 subjects. The overall incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunction was 67.75%. Being female or being a cigarette smoker increased the likelihood of developing olfactory and taste dysfunction. Having received four doses of the vaccine or having good oral health or being a alcohol drinker decreased the risk of such dysfunction. Before infection, the average olfactory and taste VAS scores were 8.41 and 8.51, respectively; after infection, they decreased to 3.69 and 4.29 and recovered to 5.83 and 6.55 by the time of the survey. The median duration of dysosmia and dysgeusia was 15 and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% of patients having symptoms lasting for more than 28 days. The overall self‐reported improvement rate was 59.16%. Recovery was higher in males, never smokers, those who received two or three vaccine doses, and those that had never experienced dental health issues, or chronic accompanying symptoms. Conclusions The incidence of dysosmia and dysgeusia following infection with the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus is high in China. Incidence and prognosis are influenced by several factors, including sex, SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination, history of head‐facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking and drinking history, and the persistence of accompanying symptoms.

Abstract Brain damage in children due to seizures is irreversible and has been a major public health concern. The herbal monomer Xyloketal B (Xyl‐B) can be used as a neuroprotective drug because of its antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and anti‐inflammatory effects but with few adverse effects. In this article, we constructed a rat developmental convulsion model and a primary hippocampal neuronal cell convulsion model, through which we studied hippocampal neuronal morphology and neuronal apoptosis using H&E staining and TUNEL staining, respectively. Moreover, we measured TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐1β inflammatory factor levels using ELISA, MDA, and SOD kits. The expression of SIRT3 in hippocampal tissues was determined by qPCR and Western blotting. The expression of autophagy‐related proteins such as LC3, p62, and Beclin‐1 was evaluated by Western blotting or immunohistochemistry. The role of SIRT3 and autophagic activity with Xyl‐B in convulsive seizure‐induced brain injury was investigated by knocking down SIRT3 expression levels. Our results showed that Xyl‐B plays a neuroprotective role in convulsive seizure‐induced brain injury by increasing SIRT3 expression and activating the autophagy pathway. The regulatory role of SIRT3 in the autophagy pathway with Xyl‐B treatment was explored by knocking down SIRT3 expression and inhibiting autophagy. Our results revealed that SIRT3 enhances the protective effect of Xyl‐B against postconvulsive brain injury by regulating AMPK/mTOR signaling‐mediated autophagy.

Abstract The distribution of Asian ancestry in the genome of Danish Duroc pigs was investigated using whole‐genome sequencing data from European wild boars, Danish Duroc, Chinese Meishan and Bamaxiang pigs. Asian haplotypes deriving from Meishan and Bamaxiang occur widely across the genome. Signatures of selection on Asian haplotypes are common in the genome, but few of these haplotypes have been fixed. By defining 50‐kb windows with more than 50% Chinese ancestry, which did not exhibit extreme genetic differentiation between Meishan and Bamaxiang as candidate regions, the enrichment of quantitative trait loci in candidate regions supports that Asian haplotypes under selection play an important role in contributing genetic variation underlying production, reproduction, meat and carcass, and exterior traits. Gene annotation of regions with the highest proportion of Chinese ancestry revealed genes of biological interest, such as NR6A1. Further haplotype clustering analysis suggested that a haplotype of Chinese origin around the NR6A1 gene was introduced to Europe and then underwent a selective sweep in European pigs. Besides, functional genes in candidate regions, such as AHR and PGRMC2, associated with fertility, and SAL1, associated with meat quality, were identified. Our results demonstrate the contribution of Asian haplotypes to the genomes of European pigs. Findings herein facilitate further genomic studies such as genomewide association study and genomic prediction by providing ancestry information of variants.

Abstract The upcoming climatic variability is expected to influence the population dynamics of tree species, but few empirical studies have been performed over broad geographical scales, which may be more convincing to address tree range shift under climate change. In the present study, the population structure and regeneration dynamics of Quercus variabilis were investigated along latitudinal and longitudinal gradients over its full range in China. The size structure, density, mortality rate (b), conversion rate (CR), initial recruitment (y0), and survival from birth to the highest class of regeneration (survival rate [SR]) were analyzed. The results showed the following: (1) The population structure of Q. variabilis exhibited an inverse‐J shape throughout the latitudinal gradient, and the relative seedling density was significantly higher in the middle populations than in the north and the south. In addition, the y0 and SR exhibited the highest values in the middle, but no significant differences in the density and total basal area of adults were found across latitudes. (2) Along the longitudinal gradient, an inverse‐J‐type population structure was present in the west populations, but was not observed in the east due to the scarcity of individuals in regenerated populations. The total basal area and density of adults were similar across longitudes, but both the seedling density and the relative seedling density, along with the y0 and SR, were higher in the middle than in the east and the west. The b of adults was lower in the middle‐longitude populations than in the west and the east. (3) Climate (annual average temperature) was identified as the primary factor affecting regeneration. In addition, local factors, including the soil and stand conditions, were also found to play a significant role in determining the regeneration dynamics. Based on these results, we speculate that populations of Q. variabilis at the range edges would decline in the context of climate change, particularly in the south and the east.