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Agricultural ecosystems are facing increasing environmental changes. Revealing ecological stability of belowground organisms is key to developing management strategies that maintain agricultural ecosystem services in a changing world. Here, we collected soils from adjacent pairs of maize and rice fields along large spatial scale across Eastern and Southeast China to investigate the importance of core microbiota as a predictor of resistance of soil microbiome (e.g. bacteria, fungi and protist) to climate changes and nutrient fertilization, and their effect on multiple ecosystem functions, representing key services for crop growth and health in agro-ecosystems. Soil microbiome in maize soils exhibited stronger resistance than that in rice soils, by considering multiple aspects of the resistance index, for example, community, phylogenetic conservation and network complexity. Community resistance of soil microbiome showed a geographic pattern, with higher resistance at lower latitudes, suggesting their stronger resistance in warmer regions. Particularly, we highlighted the role of core phylotypes in enhancing the community resistance of soil microbiome, which was essential for the maintenance of multifunctionality in agricultural ecosystems. Our results represent a significant advance in linking core phylotypes to community resistance and ecosystem functions, and therefore forecasting agro-ecosystems dynamics in response to ongoing environmental changes. These suggest that core phylotypes should be considered a key factor in enhancing agricultural sustainability and crop productivity under global change scenarios.

PurposeThis paper aims to design a composite, aiming to improve the static puncture resistance through polyurethane impregnated treatment with five concentration gradients.Design/methodology/approachThe relationship between polyurethane concentration, the number of polyester nonwovens, component fiber type (filament or staple) and the static puncture resistance is explored respectively and elaborately.FindingsThis study provides a new perspective to design flexible composites with better static puncture resistance, feasible preparation process as well as low cost.Originality/valueThe results show that the static puncture resistance of nonwovens impregnated by polyurethane is improved obviously. Meanwhile the puncture strength-T of nonwovens increases first and then decreases with the increase of the number of layers, and the maximum puncture strength-T is found at 20 layers. Moreover, the composite with filaments illustrates better mechanical resistance.

Silkworm cocoons illustrate excellent puncture-resistance performance after an insight into their layers while a clear understanding of the correlation between the excellent puncture property and the silk secondary structure is still lacking. Herein, we peeled silkworm cocoon into eight layers, and a combination of examination techniques including scanning electron microscopy, tensile mechanical test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were applied to figure out the morphologies (surface and cross-section view), mechanical properties, secondary structure, the content of β-sheet, and crystallinity of each layer's fibroin after degumming. The results indicated that the fifth layer offers a higher level of puncture-resistance than the other layers except for the eighth layer. Additionally, a high content level of β-sheet structure and high crystallinity gives rise to the high puncture strength as for hierarchical silk fibers. In general, the new finding holds great potential inspiration for the design of puncture-resistant composites.

In recent years, with the popularity of firearms and ammunition, body armor materials have undergone a great development. Body armor is commonly used to provide protection against ballistic threats, and its use has increased as people become increasingly aware of protecting their own lives. Compared with the traditional body armor materials, fabrics made of high-performance fibers are not only lightweight and convenient, but also process good protective performance. The purpose of this study is to obtain textiles with higher puncture resistance, by reviewing the progress of rapidly changing and advancing field of high-performance textiles with puncture resistance, which is introduced into four methods: shear thickening fluids (STFs), coating and impregnation, composition and structural optimization, respectively. The content of the manuscript provides a comprehensive perspective for new researchers in relevant fields for subsequent design of protective clothing.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune kidney disease with complex pathogenesis leading to end-stage renal damage. The crucial pathological characteristic in IgAN is IgA immune complexes deposition accompany with mesangial cell proliferation and mesangial matrix expansion. Artemisinin (ART) is isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Artemisia annua L. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a classical antimalarial drug used to treat autoimmune diseases. Both of them possess immunosuppressive, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory features. The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacological effects of ART combined with HCQ (AH) and explore the underlying mechanisms in IgAN. In vivo, our results showed that AH could significantly improve kidney dysfunction, decrease mesangial matrix expansion as well as immune complexes in mesangial area visualized by H&E and PAS staining. The depositions of IgA immune complexes and complement 3 (C3) were obviously reduced after AH treatment by immunofluorescence. Interestingly, the morphology of kidney and spleen was significantly swelled but reverted by AH in IgAN rats. Further mechanistic study showed that the higher proportions of the Th2 and Th17 cells were reduced but the lower differentiation of Th1 and Treg cells subsets were promoted by AH. Taken together, this study demonstrated that there was an immunosuppressive effect of AH therapy on IgAN rats via regulating the differentiation of CD4+ T cell subsets, which provided an alternative approach for IgAN treatment.

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) can coexist with malignancy in patients not infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of non-HIV-infected patients with CM with malignancy.The study cohort comprised 320 patients diagnosed with CM from January 2013 to May 2019. Malignancy was diagnosed based on the medical history, imaging findings, and pathological findings. One-hundred-and-four patients also underwent positron emission computed tomography (PET-CT) examination to enable the early detection of possible malignancies. The demographics, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were analyzed.Twelve patients with CM with malignancies were found. Seven were patients with CM who had a history of malignancies (CM in malignancy; CIM), while five patients had malignancies detected after being diagnosed with CM (malignancy in CM; MIC). The patients with CM with malignancies, especially MIC, were older than those without malignancies. The outcome was similar for patients with CIM and patients with CM without malignancy, but was extremely poor for patients with MIC. PET-CT examination suggested malignancy in five of 104 patients, with malignancy finally confirmed in four of five patients.Compared with the general population, the rate of solid malignancies was increased in patients with CM, especially older adults. The presence of malignancies and timing of discovery were closely related to the outcome of patients with CM. Thus, it is necessary to screen for malignancies in older adults with CM. PET-CT might be useful for early malignancy screening of patients with CM.

Background: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) was found to be coexist with malignancy in non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of CM in non-HIV infected patients with malignancy.Methods: A total of 320 CM patients were enrolled for analysis from January 2013-May 2019. One hundred and four patients underwent positron emission computed tomography (PET-CT) examination. The demographics, clinical characteristics, microbiological, radiological, therapeutic outcomes were analyzed in CM patients with and without malignancy.Results: Twelve patients with malignancy were found, of which 7 malignancy before CM (MBC), 5 malignancy after CM (MAC). CM patients with malignancy were older than non-malignancy ones. The prognosis of MBC patients was comparable to that of non-malignancy patients, but was extremely poor in MAC patients. Four out of 5 CM patients, who was suggested diagnosis as malignancy by PET-CT, were finally confirmed.Conclusions: This study found an increase rate of solid malignancies in CM patients. Screening malignancy in older CM patients was very important because it is closely related to prognosis and might affect treatment strategy. PET-CT might be a useful tool for early malignancy screening in CM.

Understanding how species interaction and assembly processes structure the abundant and rare bacterial biospheres in soils is crucial for predicting how biodiversity influences ecosystem functioning. Here, we profiled the bacterial communities across a salt marsh ecosystem gradient to investigate the co-occurrence patterns across taxa and the relative influence of ecological processes mediating the assembly of the abundant and rare biospheres in soil. Our results revealed abundant taxa to be ubiquitous across all sites, whereas the distributions of the rare taxa were relatively more site specific. The α-diversity indices and β-diversity of rare subcommunities were significantly higher than those of the abundant subcommunities. Besides, both the taxonomic and functional composition of soil bacterial communities differed significantly between the two biospheres. Furthermore, the influence of stochasticity differed in each subcommunity. In particular, stochastic processes were relatively more important in constraining the assembly of rare taxa. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that a few abundant taxa occupy central nodes within the networks, possibly indicating crucial roles as keystone taxa. Collectively, these findings suggest that abundant and rare bacterial biospheres have distinct distributions underpinned by a dynamic interplay of ecological processes and taxon co-occurrence patterns. IMPORTANCE Estuarine salt marshes are highly productive ecosystems subjected to regular disturbances by hydrodynamic exchange. However, little is known about how distinct assembly processes and co-occurrence of taxa influence the structure of the abundant and rare bacterial biospheres in these soil systems. This study aims at unravelling these intricacies by studying a typical estuarine salt marsh located in Hangzhou Bay, China. Our study provides important pieces of evidence on the diverse distribution of rare and abundant bacterial biospheres. We show that a few abundant taxa are central nodes in species co-occurrence, potentially playing important roles as keystone species in the system. In addition, we highlight a dynamic interplay of assembly processes structuring these two subcommunities.

Objective. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) supplementing Qi and hemostasis formula on gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and thus find out the optimal therapeutic regimen to reduce incidence of GI bleeding without increase of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Methods. In the randomized, double-blinded, controlled trial, 117 participants who underwent PCI were enrolled and evenly distributed into treatment arm (59) and control arm (58). Numerous end points were assessed including the primary endpoint of GI bleeding and MACEs and secondary endpoint of thromboelastogram (TEG) (mainly MAadp, inhibition of ADP, and inhibition of AA) and TCM syndrome score during the follow-up phase of 90 days. Results. Incidence of bleeding including GI bleeding and MACE did not differ significantly between two arms (28.82% in treatment arm versus 24.44% in control). However, on both days 30 and 90, TCM treatment remarkably reduced the TCM syndrome total score with notable alteration (PMAADP increased significantly on day 30 in control arm, accompanied by a notable descending in inhibition rate of ADP pathway (both P Conclusion. (1) Supplementing Qi and hemostasis formula is equal to Pantoprazole Sodium Enteric-Coated Capsule in hemostasis and gastric mucosal protection; (2) supplementing Qi and hemostasis formula is superior to Pantoprazole Sodium Enteric-Coated Capsule in improving TCM syndrome manifestation possibly through the multitarget mechanism; (3) interference on clopidogrel of supplementing Qi and hemostasis formula might be much less than Pantoprazole Sodium Enteric-Coated Capsule due to the potential CYP450-independent mechanism. This trial is registered with ChiCTR1800014485.

Bombyx mori cocoon, a natural nonwoven material has excellent puncture resistance and unique structure. Based on the structure of cocoon, this paper designed a biomimicry composite, aiming to improve the static puncture resistance through polyurethane impregnated treatment. In this article, four different types of polyurethane (TPU 85 A, TPU 90 A, PEUR 855 A, PEUR 991 A) are selected and five concentration gradients (5, 7, 9, 11, 13 wt%) are set. The tensile and static puncture resistance of the impregnated composites and damaged morphology after puncture are systematically studied. The results show that the static puncture resistance of nonwovens impregnated by polyurethane is improved obviously. This study provides a new way to design better static puncture resistant materials.

Bacterial communities play essential roles in estuarine marsh ecosystems, but the interplay of ecological processes underlying their community assembly is poorly understood. Here, we studied the sediment bacterial communities along a linear gradient extending from the water-land junction toward a high marsh, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Bacterial community compositions differed significantly between sediment transects. Physicochemical properties, particularly sediment nutrient levels (i.e., total nitrogen [TN] and available phosphorus [AP]), as well as sediment physical structure and pH (P

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is recognized as a hazardous microorganism in the environment. Its longer survival might contribute to higher contamination risk. In this study, E. coli O157:H7 survival in estuarine sediments collected from south Hangzhou Bay was investigated. The survival time of E. coli O157:H7 in estuarine sediments increased with the distance to the water-land junction. Sediment pH was the most important factor in regulating E. coli O157:H7 survival in estuarine sediments. In addition, sediment nutrients and texture also played significant roles in the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in the sediments. On the other hand, bacterial diversity as determined by the alpha-diversity index had no significant effect on E. coli O157:H7 survival. However, specific families of bacteria were closely associated with E. coli O157:H7 survival in the sediments. Remarkably, some potential bacterial groups, e.g., the Desulfobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae and Desulfarculaceae families, which are mainly involved in the sulfur cycle, showed significant negative correlation with the E. coli O157:H7 survival in the sediments. On the whole, abiotic factors showed greater effects on E. coli O157:H7 survival in the test sediments than the bacterial community. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of E. coli O157:H7 survival and regulatory factors in estuarine sediments, establishing foundation for the prevention of pathogen contamination.

The extent to how Escherichia coli O157:H7 can survive in soil and the predominant factors that determine its survival are crucial issues from a public health point of view. This study investigated the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in vegetable soils in plastic-greenhouse cultivation over 0, 1, 4, 8, and 12 years in southern China. Results showed that the survival times ( td) calculated from the Weibull model for the five tested soils ranged from 9.00 to 21.11 days. In general, E. coli O157:H7 survived longer in open-field soils than in greenhouse soils under the same incubation conditions. The td values were greater in soils with a lower level of electrical conductivity, a higher level of total nitrogen, and a higher level of sand content. Compared to other factors, electrical conductivity was the most important factor affecting the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in the tested soils. Different survival times of E. coli O157:H7 in vegetable soils under diverse cultivation patterns highlight the importance of preventing pathogenic contamination for the purpose of food safety.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune kidney disease with complex pathogenesis leading to end-stage renal damage. The prime pathological characteristics of IgAN are IgA immune complexes deposition accompany with mesangial cell proliferation and urine protein elevation. Artemisinin (ART) is extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Artemisia annua L. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is a classical antimalarial drug applied in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. Both of them possess anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The purpose of this research was to investigate the pharmacological effects of ART combined with HCQ (AH) and discuss thoroughly the potential molecular mechanisms in IgAN. In vivo, our results demonstrated that AH could efficiently ameliorate kidney damage by improving kidney dysfunction and reducing the levels of 24 h urine protein, IgA and IgG immune complexes deposition in glomerulus of IgAN rats. Interestingly, AH obviously promoted the secretion of exosomes in renal tissues, inhibited the expressions of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins, including IκB-α, p-p65, NLRP3, ASC, IL-1β and caspase-1 in IgAN rats. In vitro, further mechanistic study illustrated that exosomes derived from human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) were significantly enhanced by AH, which could be utterly taken up in human mesangial cells (HMCs) and inhibited the activation of NF-κB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome after AH intervention. However, GW4869 interdicted the promotive effect of AH on exosomes from HK-2 cells and the suppression of exosomes on NF-κB/NLRP3 activation in HMCs. Taken together, this study demonstrated that there was an inhibitory effect of AH therapy on NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling via mediating exosomes release in IgAN rats, which provided an alternative approach for IgAN treatment.

The paper researched the Lake Nansi wetlands phytoplankton species of aquatic vascular plants, distribution and biomass from 1983 to 2006. The methods were field investigation, laboratory analysis, remote sensing and geographic information system technology. The results showed that, wetland vegetation biomass continued to decrease in Lake Nansi from 1983 to 2006. Biomass of emergent plants decreased the fastest, followed by floatingleaved plants and submerged plants. The result reflects the human reclamation, aquaculture and other activities caused reduction in primary productivity. This effect decreased gradually from the periphery to the center of the Lake.

Nansihu is the largest lake of Shandong Province in China. It has a strategic significance because of its locating on the East Route Project of South to North Water Diversion. In 2004, the supplying water was about 3.10×108m3 and the water demand was about 2.56×104m3. Although the supplying water can satisfy requirement, the situation was not optimistic. At the same time, the total water resources and the available water resources in Nansihu were about 27.56×108m3 and 11.14×108m3 respectively. The supplying water was less than a half of the available water resources. The tendency will continue in 2010, 2020, 2030. There are two reasons. Firstly, the average depth of Nansihu is less than 2m. It is so shallow that its regulating capacity is limited. Much water just pours into the lake and then drains at once. Secondly, the lake and related rivers are badly polluted, and most of them cannot meet the standards of industry, agriculture and daily life. To solve the conflict between supply and demand must prevent and cure water pollution while enhance the regulating capacity by building more reservoirs.