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Trees provide multiple ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, hydrological regulation and habitat for arboreal animals. However, they are often removed to support agricultural enterprises. Despite the importance of tree remnants, we know relatively little about how soils differ across sites of varying condition. Here, we describe a study where we examined the relative effects of trees, compared with unvegetated interspaces, on soil functions in remnant patches at sites in good and poor condition in two eucalypt communities in an irrigation area in eastern Australia. We found that, in general, carbon and nutrient cycling were relatively greater beneath trees, and in surface soils, but there were no clear trends in relation to site condition. The values of most soil attributes (e.g., soluble and exchangeable cations, nitrogen, phosphorus) were greater beneath trees, indicating strong fertile island effects in both communities. Overall, our study confirms the importance of trees in remnant patches in agricultural landscapes, particularly those in sites of poor condition. It also suggests that soil processes may still be relatively intact, even in sites in poor condition. Our study reinforces the need to protect trees in remnant woodland reserves to maintain critical ecosystem functions related to nutrient retention. These remnants are important for achieving sustainable management of agricultural systems.

Reducing farmland abandonment is important to address food security issues. China is accelerating its transition into an aging society, and this change in the labor force structure may have an impact on farmland abandonment. This study is based on the China Labor Force Survey conducted in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 and collects data from 29,704 valid farmer samples in 29 provinces and cities across the nation. We investigate how farmer aging affects farmland abandonment from the viewpoints of information, mutual aid, and factor substitution using the Tobit and mediation effect models. The core conclusions are as follows: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between aging and abandoned farmland, that is, the higher the degree of aging in rural households, the more likely it is that farmland will be abandoned and the larger the area of abandoned farmland. (2) Aging has a multi-level impact on abandoned farmland, that is, aging will aggravate the abandonment of farmland from the perspectives of household head characteristics, family characteristics, and village characteristics. (3) Using the mediation effect model, aging will increase the abandonment of farmland due to less use of the Internet, agricultural cooperatives, and mechanization. This conclusion provides a basis for policy intervention, indicating that improving agricultural digitalization and modernization and increasing policy subsidies may be an effective way to slow down land abandonment.

Abstract Greenspaces are important for sustaining healthy urban environments and their human populations. Yet their capacity to support multiple ecosystem services simultaneously (multiservices) compared with nearby natural ecosystems remains virtually unknown. We conducted a global field survey in 56 urban areas to investigate the influence of urban greenspaces on 23 soil and plant attributes and compared them with nearby natural environments. We show that, in general, urban greenspaces and nearby natural areas support similar levels of soil multiservices, with only six of 23 attributes (available phosphorus, water holding capacity, water respiration, plant cover, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and arachnid richness) significantly greater in greenspaces, and one (available ammonium) greater in natural areas. Further analyses showed that, although natural areas and urban greenspaces delivered a similar number of services at low (>25% threshold) and moderate (>50%) levels of functioning, natural systems supported significantly more functions at high (>75%) levels of functioning. Management practices (mowing) played an important role in explaining urban ecosystem services, but there were no effects of fertilisation or irrigation. Some services declined with increasing site size, for both greenspaces and natural areas. Our work highlights the fact that urban greenspaces are more similar to natural environments than previously reported and underscores the importance of managing urban greenspaces not only for their social and recreational values, but for supporting multiple ecosystem services on which soils and human well-being depends.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of death worldwide and represent a major public health challenge. YiyiFuzi Powder (YYFZ), composed of Coicis semen and Fuzi, is a classical traditional Chinese medicine prescription from the Synopsis of Golden Chamber dating back to the Han Dynasty. Historically, YYFZ has been used to treat various CVD, rooted in Chinese therapeutic principles. Network pharmacology analysis indicated that YYFZ may exhibit direct or indirect effects on mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum (ER) interactions. This review, focusing on the cardiovascular protective effects of Coicis semen and Fuzi, summarizes the potential mechanisms by which YYFZ acts on mitochondria and the ER. The underlying mechanisms are associated with regulating cardiovascular risk factors (such as blood lipids and glucose), impacting mitochondrial structure and function, modulating ER stress, inhibiting oxidative stress, suppressing inflammatory responses, regulating cellular apoptosis, and maintaining calcium ion balance. The involved pathways include, but were not limited to, upregulating the IGF-1/PI3K/AKT, cAMP/PKA, eNOS/NO/cGMP/SIRT1, SIRT1/PGC-1α, Klotho/SIRT1, OXPHOS/ATP, PPARα/PGC-1α/SIRT3, AMPK/JNK, PTEN/PI3K/AKT, β2-AR/PI3K/AKT, and modified Q cycle signaling pathways. Meanwhile, the MCU, NF-κB, and JAK/STAT signaling pathways were downregulated. The PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP, PERK/SREBP-1c/FAS, IRE1, PINK1-dependent mitophagy, and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways were bidirectionally regulated. High-quality experimental studies are needed to further elucidate the underlying mechanisms of YYFZ in CVD treatment.

Abstract Background Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a leading cause of ischemic heart disease. Over the past few decades, considerable progress has been made with respect to research on CMD. The present study summarized the current research hotspots and trends on CMD by applying a bibliometric approach. Methods Relevant publications between 2002 and 2022 were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. Visualization network maps of countries, institutions, authors, and co-cited authors were built using VOSviewer. CiteSpace was used for keyword analysis and the construction of a dual-map overlay of journals and a timeline view of co-cited references. Results 1539 CMD-related publications were extracted for bibliometric analysis. The annual publications generally showed an upward trend. The United States of America was the most prolific country, with 515 publications (33.5%). Camici P. G. was the most influential author, whereas the European Heart Journal, Circulation, and Journal of the American College of Cardiology were the most authoritative journals. Research hotspot analysis revealed that endothelial dysfunction as well as reduced nitric oxide production or bioavailability played critical roles in CMD development. Positron emission tomography was the most widely used imaging method for diagnosis. In addition, microvascular angina, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure have attracted much attention as the main clinical implications. Furthermore, international standards for CMD diagnosis and management may be the future research directions. Conclusions This study offers a comprehensive view about the hotspots and development trends of CMD, which can assist subsequent researchers and guide future directions.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread worldwide and become a major global public health concern. Although novel investigational COVID-19 antiviral candidates such as the Pfizer agent PAXLOVID™, molnupiravir, baricitinib, remdesivir, and favipiravir are currently used to treat patients with COVID-19, there is still a critical need for the development of additional treatments, as the recommended therapeutic options are frequently ineffective against SARS-CoV-2. The efficacy and safety of vaccines remain uncertain, particularly with the emergence of several variants. All 10 versions of the National Health Commission's diagnosis and treatment guidelines for COVID-19 recommend using traditional Chinese medicine. Xuanfei Baidu Decoction (XFBD) is one of the ''three Chinese medicines and three Chinese prescriptions'' recommended for COVID-19. This review summarizes the clinical evidence and potential mechanisms of action of XFBD for COVID-19 treatment. With XFBD, patients with COVID-19 experience improved clinical symptoms, shorter hospital stay, prevention of the progression of their symptoms from mild to moderate and severe symptoms, and reduced mortality in critically ill patients. The mechanisms of action may be associated with its direct antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidative, and antimicrobial properties. High-quality clinical and experimental studies are needed to further explore the clinical efficacy and underlying mechanisms of XFBD in COVID-19 treatment.

Abstract An advance Li‐sphere possessing a definitely regular morphology in Li deposition enables a well‐defined more robust structure and superior solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) to achieve high‐efficiency long‐term cycles in Li metal anode. Here, a new sight of high Li+ cluster‐like solvation sheaths coordinated in a localized high‐concentration NO3− (LH‐LiNO3) electrolyte fully clarifies for depositing advanced Li spheres. Moreover, we elucidate a critical amorphous‐crystalline phase transition in the nanostructure evolution of Li‐sphere deposits during the nucleation and growth. Li‐sphere anode exhibits ultra‐stable structural engineering for suppressing Li dendrite growths and rendering ultralong life of 4000 cycles in symmetrical cells at 2 mA cm−2. The as‐constructed Li spheres/3DCM|LiFePO4 (LFP) full cell delivers a high capacity retention of 90.5% at 1 C after 1000 cycles, and a robust dendrite‐free structure also stably exists in Li‐sphere anode. Combined with high‐loading LFP cathodes (6.6 and 10.9 mg cm−2), superb capacity retentions are up to 96.5% and 92.5% after 800 cycles at 1 C, respectively. Cluster‐like solvation sheaths with high Li+ coordination exert significant influence on depositing a high‐quality Li‐sphere anode.

Summary: P53 is a master transcriptional regulator and effector of the DNA damage response (DDR) that localizes to DNA damage sites, in part, via an interaction with PARP1. However, the mechanisms that regulate p53 abundance and activity at PARP1-decorated DNA damage sites remain undefined. The PARP9 (BAL1) macrodomain-containing protein and its partner DTX3L (BBAP) E3 ligase are rapidly recruited to PARP1-PARylated DNA damage sites. During an initial DDR, we found that DTX3L rapidly colocalized with p53, polyubiquitylated its lysine-rich C-terminal domain, and targeted p53 for proteasomal degradation. DTX3L knockout significantly increased and prolonged p53 retention at PARP-decorated DNA damage sites. These findings reveal a non-redundant, PARP- and PARylation-dependent role for DTX3L in the spatiotemporal regulation of p53 during an initial DDR. Our studies suggest that targeted inhibition of DTX3L may augment the efficacy of certain DNA-damaging agents by increasing p53 abundance and activity.

Introduction: There are various degrees of defects of cigar filler leaves after air drying.Methods: In order to improve the quality and plant-derived aroma content of cigar filler leaves, nine aroma-producing yeasts were applied in artificially solid-state fermentation of cigar filler leaves in this study. The differences with various yeasts application were compared by chemical composition and GC-MS analysis.Results and discussion: The results showed that 120 volatile components were identified and quantified in cigar filler leaves after fermentation, including aldehydes (25 types), alcohols (24 types), ketones (20 types), esters (11 types), hydrocarbons (12 types), acids (4 types) and other substances (23 types). Based on the analysis of odor activity value (OAV), the OVA of fruity and floral aroma components were higher. It was found that floral aroma are the representative aroma types of cigar filler leaves treated with Clavispora lusitaniae, Cyberlindera fabianii, Saccharomycosis fibuligera and Zygosaccharomyces bailii R6. After being inoculated with Hanseniaspora uvarum J1, Hanseniaspora uvarum J4 and Pichia pastoris P3, the OAV of fruity aroma in cigar filler leaves was the highest, followed by tobacco aroma and woody aroma. The correlation between volatile components of cigar filler leaves with different yeasts was revealed after PCA analysis. It was concluded that the quality of cigar filler leaves was improved, and cigar filler leaves fermented with different yeasts showed different flavor.

An 82-year-old male patient was hospitalized in the Respiratory Department for “repeated cough and shortness of breath for 10 years, recurrence worsened for 1 month.” Later, he was transferred for further diagnosis and treatment, to the Infectious Disease Department for further hospitalization. Previously, the patient had repeatedly undergone tuberculosis-related examinations including bronchoscopy examinations. However, no evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection was found. Early anti-infection treatments failed. Due to repeated symptoms, we performed bronchoscopy again and sent alveolar lavage fluid for the metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) test. Subsequently, MTB and Candida albicans were detected by mNGS. After antituberculosis and antifungal treatments, the symptoms were significantly relieved, and the chest CT showed resolution of the lung lesions. Therefore, we successfully diagnosed and treated a case of recurrent pneumonia with tuberculosis and Candida co-infection diagnosed by mNGS.

Abstract Digital nucleic acid amplification tests enable absolute quantification of nucleic acids, but the generation of uniform compartments and reading of the fluorescence requires specialized instruments that are costly, limiting their widespread applications. Here, the authors report deep learning‐enabled polydisperse emulsion‐based digital loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (deep‐dLAMP) for label‐free, low‐cost nucleic acid quantification. deep‐dLAMP performs LAMP reaction in polydisperse emulsions and uses a deep learning algorithm to segment and determine the occupancy status of each emulsion in images based on precipitated byproducts. The volume and occupancy data of the emulsions are then used to infer the nucleic acid concentration based on the Poisson distribution. deep‐dLAMP can accurately predict the sizes and occupancy status of each emulsion and provide accurate measurements of nucleic acid concentrations with a limit of detection of 5.6 copies µl‐1 and a dynamic range of 37.2 to 11000 copies µl‐1. In addition, deep‐dLAMP shows robust performance under various parameters, such as the vortexing time and image qualities. Leveraging the state‐of‐the‐art deep learning models, deep‐dLAMP represents a significant advancement in digital nucleic acid tests by significantly reducing the instrument cost. We envision deep‐dLAMP would be readily adopted by biomedical laboratories and be developed into a point‐of‐care digital nucleic acid test system.

Abstract A disordered phase in Li‐deposit nanostructure is greatly attractive, but plagued by the uncontrollable and unstable growth, and the nanoscale characterization in the structure. Here, fully characterized in cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo‐TEM), more robust amorphous‐Li (ALi) clusters are revealed and effectively regulated on heteroatom‐activating electronegative sites and an advanced solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. Heteroatom‐activating electronegative sites capably enhance the electrostatic interaction of Li+ and heteroatom‐doping graphene‐like film (HDGs), meaning lower Li diffusion barrier and larger binding energy that is confirmed by small nucleation overpotentials of 13.9 and 10 mV at 0.1 mA cm−2 in the fluoroethylene carbonate‐adding ester‐based (FEC‐ester) and LiNO3‐adding ether‐based (LiNO3‐ether) electrolytes. Orderly multilayer SEI structure comprised of inorganic‐rich components enables fast ion transports and durable capabilities to construct highly reversible and long‐term plating/stripping cycling. ALi cluster anodes exhibit non‐crystalline morphologies and perform ultrastable dendrite‐free cycling over 2800 times. Stable ALi clusters are also grown in LiFePO4 (LFP) (LFP‐ALi‐HDGs‐N||LiFePO4 [LFP]) full cells with advantageous capacities up to 165.5 and 164.3 mAh g−1 in these optimized electrolytes at 0.1 C; the remarkable capacity retentions maintain to 93% and 91% after 150 cycles at 0.2 C. Structure viability, electrochemical reversibility, and excellent performance in ALi clusters are effectively regulated.

Background & Aims: Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is characterised by increased autophagy and reduced miRNA levels in cholangiocytes. Given that autophagy has been implicated in miRNA regulation, we tested the hypothesis that increased autophagy accounts for miRNA reduction in PLD cholangiocytes (PLDCs) and accelerated hepatic cystogenesis. Methods: We assessed miRNA levels in cultured normal human cholangiocytes (NHCs), PLDCs, and isolated PLDC autophagosomes by miRNA-sequencing (miRNA-seq), and miRNA targets by mRNA-seq. Levels of miR-345 and miR-345-targeted proteins in livers of animals and humans with PLD, in NHCs and PLDCs, and in PLDCs transfected with pre-miR-345 were assessed by in situ hybridisation (ISH), quantitative PCR, western blotting, and fluorescence confocal microscopy. We also assessed cell proliferation and cyst growth in vitro, and hepatic cystogenesis in vivo. Results: In total, 81% of miRNAs were decreased in PLDCs, with levels of 10 miRNAs reduced by more than 10 times; miR-345 was the most-reduced miRNA. In silico analysis and luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-345 targets included cell-cycle and cell-proliferation-related genes [i.e. cell division cycle 25A (CDC25A), cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), E2F2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)]; levels of 4 studied miR-345 targets were increased in PLDCs at both the mRNA and protein levels. Transfection of PLDCs with pre-miR-345 increased miR-345 and decreased the expression of miR-345-targeted proteins, cell proliferation, and cyst growth in vitro. MiR-345 accumulated in autophagosomes in PLDCs but not NHCs. Inhibition of autophagy increased miR-345 levels, decreased the expression of miR-345-targeted proteins, and reduced hepatic cystogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: Autophagy-mediated reduction of miR-345 in PLDCs (i.e. miRNAutophagy) accelerates hepatic cystogenesis. Inhibition of autophagy restores miR-345 levels, decreases cyst growth, and is beneficial for PLD. Lay summary: Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is an incurable genetic disorder characterised by the progressive growth of hepatic cysts. We found that hepatic cystogenesis is increased when the levels of miR-345 in PLD cholangiocytes (PLDCs) are reduced by autophagy. Restoration of miR-345 in PLDCs via inhibition of autophagy decreases hepatic cystogenesis and thus, is beneficial for PLD.

The existing research demonstrates that the link prediction algorithm which based on community similarity has better prediction performance than that of other node similarity-based methods, and it is more suitable for predicting the probability of the missing links between node-pairs with far distance. However, the disadvantage of these community similarity-based methods is the resolution of prediction accuracy is very low, which resulting in the existence probability of the missing links between node-pairs within a community or between a specific pair of communities is the same. In addition, the link prediction algorithms which based on multi-resolution community division can calculate the existence probability of missing links under different resolutions, but the relevance between communities had not taken into account, which makes it difficult to predict the existence probability of target links if the number of interconnections between communities is small. Combining the advantages of these two algorithms, we propose a more realistic link prediction model which based on a novel quasi-local community relevance index under multi-resolution community division. The performance of our algorithms is demonstrated by comparing with other well-known methods on two kinds of networks in different scales. The experiment results indicate that our approaches are very competitive.

Despite the ability of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) to increase the life expectancy of patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), viral reservoirs persist during life-long treatment. Notably, two cases of functional cure for HIV have been reported and are known as the “Berlin Patient” and the “London Patient”. Both patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from donors with homozygous CCR5 delta32 mutation for an associated hematological malignancy. Therefore, there is growing interest in creating an HIV-resistant immune system through the use of gene-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cells with non-functional CCR5. Moreover, studies in CXCR4-targeted gene therapy for HIV have also shown great promise. Developing a cure for HIV infection remains a high priority. In this review, we discuss the increasing progress of coreceptor-based hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy, cART, milder conditioning regimens, and shock and kill strategies that have important implications for designing potential strategies aiming to achieve a functional cure for the majority of people with HIV.

Sodium composite solid-state electrolytes, composed of polymer matrices and oxide electrolyte fillers, have garnered considerable attention, due to a balance of ionic conductivity, flexibility, mechanical stability and electrochemical stability. However, the huge disparity in surface energy between inorganic and organic components induces a severe aggregation of the oxide filler within the polymer matrix. In this research, an amphiphilic polydopamine (PDA) compatibility layer was strategically applied to Na3Zr2Si2PO12 (NZSP) to mitigate the wettability differential between NZSP and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), which effectively mitigates the aggregation of NZSP within PEO, meliorates the dispersion of inorganic fillers, and constructs a uniform composite solid-state electrolyte membrane PCSE. Consequently, a composite electrolyte based on PDA@NZSP manifested enhanced electrochemical performance and cycling stability. The all-solid-state battery, assembled with PCSE, exhibited 1350 stable cycles at 60 °C with a low polarization overpotential and a high capacity retention (80.5%). Finite element simulation indicated a homogeneous Na+ flux density distribution at the electrode–electrolyte interface under an applied electric field, elucidating the pivotal role of the PDA amphiphilic interface in the construction of uniform composite solid-state electrolytes. This work provides a feasible solution for the construction of long-life all-solid-state sodium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiplex, digital nucleic acid detections have important biomedical applications, but the multiplexity of existing methods is predominantly achieved using fluorescent dyes or probes, making the detection complicated and costly. Here, we present the StratoLAMP for label-free, multiplex digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification based on visual stratification of the precipitate byproduct. The StratoLAMP designates two sets of primers with different concentrations to achieve different precipitate yields when amplifying different nucleic acid targets. In the detection, deep learning image analysis is used to stratify the precipitate within each droplet and determine the encapsulated targets for nucleic acid quantification. We investigated the effect of the amplification reagents and process on the precipitate generation and optimized the assay conditions. We then implemented a deep-learning image analysis pipeline for droplet detection, achieving an overall accuracy of 94.3%. In the application, the StratoLAMP successfully achieved the simultaneous quantification of two nucleic acid targets with high accuracy. By eliminating the need for fluorescence, StratoLAMP represents a unique concept toward label-free, multiplex nucleic acid assays and an analytical tool with great cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms play an important role in cigar fermentation. To further explore the dynamic changes of bacterial community composition, the changes of surface bacterial diversity of cigar filler leaves were investigated in the present study by high-throughput sequencing technology. It was found that the surface bacterial richness was declined after fermentation, and the dominant microorganisms on the surface of cigar filler leaves evolved from Pseudomonas spp. and Sphingomonas spp. before fermentation to Staphylococcus spp. after fermentation. The chemical composition and sensory quality evaluation of cigar filler leaves were closely related to the changes of surface bacterial community. The changes of the dominant surface bacterial community led to the differences of metabolic functions, among which the metabolic pathways such as the synthesis of secondary metabolites, carbon metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis were significantly different. The results provide a basis for clarifying the roles of bacteria in fermentation of cigar filler leaves. Surface bacterial dynamic changes analysis of cigar filler leaves after fermentation revealed important role of Staphylococcus spp. in aroma improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]