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Metabolomics is a field of systems biology that draws on the scientific methods of other groups to qualitatively or quantitatively characterize small molecule metabolites in organisms, revealing their interconnections with the state of the organism at an overall relative macroscopic level. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is well known as a chronic metabolic disease, and metabolomics provides an excellent platform for its clinical study. A growing number of metabolomic analyses have revealed that individuals with DKD have metabolic disturbances of multiple substances in their bodies. With the continuous development and improvement of metabolomic analysis technology, the application of metabolomics in the clinical research of DKD is also expanding. This review discusses the recent progress of metabolomics in the early diagnosis, disease prognosis, and pathogenesis of DKD at the level of small molecule metabolites in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building thermal climate (BTC) zoning is important for building energy efficiency. However, previous BTC zoning has been mainly performed at national and regional scales, without sufficient attention to small-scale regions and even less so for terrain-complex regions. Typically, the complex terrain in mountainous areas causes the spatial heterogeneity of city and local climates, which can reduce BTC zoning accuracy if city and local climate variability is not considered. Therefore, this study aims to refine BTC zoning scheme for mountainous areas, by examining the accuracy of refined BTC zoning scheme and analyzing its benefit for building energy efficiency. Chongqing, a mountainous China municipality consisting of 38 districts and towns, was chosen as a representative case to perform BTC zoning scheme refinement. The results indicate that the refined zoning scheme is conducive to improving zoning resolution, coverage, accuracy, and reliability. First, the BTC zones based on China National Standard GB50176-2016 only cover four districts and towns while the zoning types of all other 34 districts and towns are assumed based on spatial proximity. The refined one can determine the zoning types of all 38 districts and towns based on robust quantitative analysis. Second, Chongqing was refined into three BTC zone types, while there were only two BTC zone types in Chongqing Standard DBJ50-102–2010. The zoning types of 21 districts and towns changed, two of which were reclassified to Mild Zone A (MZ_A) from the original Hot Summer and Cold Winter Zone A (HSCWZ_A). The refined zoning scheme can help improve building energy efficiency potential. Based on the refined zoning scheme, the annual heating energy use reduction ranged between 14.0 %–21.7 % over 2011–2020, the annual cooling energy use increase ranged between 4.3 %–7.6 %, and the reduction of energy use for heating and cooling was ∼ 2 %. Overall, this study provides a theoretical and methodological reference to understand BTC zoning refinement in mountainous areas. Based on the refined zoning scheme, all districts and towns in Chongqing can practically adjust their building energy efficiency strategies for better climate adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooling energy consumption of buildings is not only used for decreasing temperature, but for dehumidification. Therefore, cooling degree day (CDD) based on only temperature is insufficient for estimating the cooling energy consumption in buildings. In the present study, we aim to propose an efficient climate index (i.e., CDD based on wet bulb temperature [WBT], WCDD) based on the combination of cooling energy consumption in a building and joint probability of temperature and humidity. In addition, the adaptation of the new WCDD was verified in 14 cities of different climate zones in China. The results showed that CDD based on dry bulb temperature (DBT) (DCDD) can only explain 17%–60% of cooling energy consumption, whereas WCDD explaining 86%–97% of cooling energy consumption in the different climate zones. The optimal base WBTs are generally 17.74, 19.44, 21.04 and 22.56°C for the four climate zones, respectively. The present study reveals that WCDD by combining effects of temperature and humidity on cooling energy consumption can be much more efficiently used to estimate the cooling energy consumption compared with DCDD. More importantly, the WCDD is suitable for reflecting the cooling energy consumption for different climate zones. The collaborative changes of temperature and humidity under the conditions of climate change should be fully considered to take measures for decreasing the energy consumption for decreasing temperature and dehumidification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies revealed that building climatic zoning has largely changed in China due to the influence of climate change. However, the possible impacts of changing building climatic zoning on energy consumption for cooling or heating are not clear. In this study, eight representative cities were selected from changed climate zones, and the heating and cooling energy consumption of office and residential buildings of the representative cities under the conditions of the current and new climate zones was simulated to reveal the effect of the climate zone change on building energy consumption. The results showed that there was no heating or cooling energy consumption with the climates changing from hot summer and cold winter (HSCW) and cold (C) to mild (M). Also, no heating energy consumption occurred with the climate zones changing from HSCM to hot summer and warm winter (HSWW), whereas the cooling energy consumption showed a weak decrease. For the climate zones that shifted from severe cold (SC) to C, decreasing heating energy consumption and increasing cooling energy consumption trends were observed, and the total energy use exhibited a decreasing trend. However, in the climate zones changing from C to HSCW, the heating and cooling energy consumption increased, especially for residential buildings (e.g., the heating energy consumption of Zhengzhou and Baoji increased 78.7% and 77.7%, respectively). This study suggests that new climate zones should be fully considered and the new design standard according to the changes of climate zones should be adopted to improve building energy efficiency. The design of residential buildings in the climate zones changing from C to HSCW may not consider the changes of climate zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of light converter excited by near-ultraviolet (UV) superior broadband blue-emitting lighting source is a main challenge in plant growth LEDs. In this study, SrLu 2 O 4 :Ce3+, Li+, F− blue phosphor has been synthesized via a solid-state reaction. Benefitting from doping of F− ions, SrLu 2 O 4 :Ce3+, Li+, F− phosphor (λ ex = 405 nm, λ em = 460 nm) shows a strong broadband (FWHM = 90 nm) blue-emitting with lower critical concentration of Ce3+ ions and an increasing 6.9% thermal quenching performance (92.1% @ 423 K of the peak intensity at room temperature). Moreover, a blue light converter composed of SrLu 2 O 4 :Ce3+, Li+, F− phosphor and glass matrix is obtained based on phosphor-in-glass (PiG) technology, exhibiting excellent thermal stability and outstanding moisture resistance. A red light converter with commercial red phosphor is obtained by the same method. Furthermore, by combining of two light converters with near-UV chip, a proof-of-concept plant growth high power LED is achieved and applied in indoor Italian lettuce growing in comparison with commercial plant lamps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, 16 cities representing four major architectural climate zones of China were selected, and the heating and cooling loads of office building during the period of 1961–2017 were simulated by using TRNSYS software. Daily extreme heating and cooling loads were determined by percentile methods, and the climate change impact on extreme loads was analyzed. The results showed that the days of extreme heating load of office building significantly decreased in almost all the selected cities, whereas there were no significant changes in the days of extreme cooling load. The daily extreme heating load was dominantly affected by the temperature (R2 = 0.43–0.79), but the daily extreme cooling load was related to multiple climate factors, including temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation. Single temperature can only explain 3–37% of the changes of daily extreme cooling load, and the combination of multiple climate factors can explain 58–85%. Importantly, the effect of temperature on extreme cooling load showed decrease from the cold to hot climate zones, but the impacts of relative humidity and solar radiation gradually increased. These results suggest that the maximum design capacity of heating systems can properly decrease, and the design capacity of cooling systems may not largely increase with the climate warming. In addition, the combined effect of multiple climate factors rather than the single temperature, as well as the different responses of extreme cooling energy consumption to climate change in different climate zones, should be considered when making measures for improving operating efficiency of air-conditioning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Here, we propose a high-power and color-stable far-red emission phosphor-convertor LEDs. In present work, a series of luminescent glass ceramic plates are obtained through phosphor-in-glass (PiG) technology. The PiG materials are provided with advantages of stable luminescence and anti-encapsulant aging at high temperature. The results showed that the ZGO:Cr3+-PiG samples shows a quantum efficiency of ∼52.8%, and fluorescence efficiency maintain 68.2% when temperature reaching 150 °C. Finally, high-power and color-stable far-red emission plant growth LEDs was fabricated by ZGO:Cr3+-PiG and 400 nm near-UV LED chip, which spectra match well the absorption of plant's photosynthetic pigments, more importantly, it responds to all of phytochrome, triggering providing broad spectral range for plant growth LEDs. Highlights • A high-power and color-stable far-red emission phosphor-convertor LEDs is proposed. • The Cr3+ ion as the center of luminescence not only increase choice in plant lighting but also provides far-red light. • The ZGO:Cr3+-PiG shows a quantum efficiency of ∼52.8%. • The high-power plant growth LEDs was fabricated, triggering providing broad spectral range for plant growth LEDs. Abstract In present work, a series of luminescent glass ceramic plates were prepared via phosphor-in-glass (PiG) technology, in which included the phosphor of ZnGa 2 O 4 :Cr3+ (ZGO:Cr3+) and glass host with composition of 30SiO 2 -30ZnO-22B 2 O 3 -12BaO-6Al 2 O 3 as matrix. The structure of ZnGa 2 O 4 :Cr3+-based PiG (ZGO:Cr3+-PiG) samples are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and energy dispersive spectrometer mapping. These phosphors are found to be embedded in glass matrix without interfacial reaction. In addition, the ZGO:Cr3+-PiG sample shows a quantum efficiency of ∼52.8% and its fluorescence intensity maintains 68.2% when temperature reaching 150 °C. Finally, high-power and color-stable far-red emission plant growth LEDs was fabricated by ZGO:Cr3+-PiG and 400 nm near-UV LED chip, which spectra matches well the absorption of plant's photosynthetic pigments. More importantly, it responds to all of phytochrome, triggering providing broad spectral range for plant growth LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An appropriate record period is necessary for calculating outdoor design conditions precisely, for example, the meteorological conditions of a particular location for heating, ventilation and air‐conditioning (HVAC) design purposes. A method for calculating the optimal period of record (OPR) for air‐conditioning outdoor design conditions is given in this study. The combination of standard deviation method (avoiding the OPR being too short) and optimal climate normal (OCN) model (avoiding the OPR being too long) was used to obtain the appropriate record period for the air‐conditioning outdoor design conditions. Especially, the method was examined in five different climate zones to determine its application. The results show that the OPR is in the range of 5–21 years depending on the climates, much less than the current 30‐year record period used for calculating outdoor design conditions. This indicates the 30‐year record period is no longer suitable for calculating air‐conditioning design conditions. The relatively short record period can well reflect the past climate change and support precise meteorological information for the design of air‐conditioning systems. By combining standard deviation and optimal climate normal model methods, a novel method was proposed to calculate the optimal period of record for air‐conditioning outdoor design conditions. The feasibility of the method was proved in five different climate zones in China. The previous study confirmed that the 30‐year record is no longer suitable for calculating the air‐conditioning design conditions and relative shorter record ranging from five to 21 years should be used in different climate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the climate change impact on cooling energy consumption of office buildings in four major architectural climate zones in China. The results show that there are apparent differences in the responses of monthly or yearly cooling loads to climatic change in different climates. Dominant factors affecting monthly cooling loads change from dry bulb temperature (DBT) to wet bulb temperature (WBT) with the climate zones changing from severe cold to hot. The yearly cooling load was mainly afftectd by DBT in severe cold climate, whereas the WBT had the dominant effect in the other climates. With the continuous warming climate, the yearly cooling load did not rise significantly for any climate zone except for severe cold climate zone where cooling load had a significant increase ( p  < 0.01). More importantly, the cooling load showed a weak decrease in Guangzhou. These results suggest that different measurements for buildings cooling energy conservation should be made in different climate zones. The humidity effect should be fully considered to improve buildings energy efficiency, especially in the hot climate zones. The continuous increase of temperature in the future does not necessarily increase cooling loads of buildings in the cold, hot summer & cold winter and hot summer & warm winter climate zones, and change trendency of humidity in the future need to be considered to predict cooling energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on multiple observational and reanalysis datasets, this study investigated the large-scale climatic drivers responsible for the warm season (April to September) compound drought and heatwave (CDHW) frequency over the North China (NC) domain, both locally and remotely. The warm-season NC CDHW frequency exhibited salient year-to-year variation. We identified that the extensive equivalent barotropic high-pressure anomaly centered around Lake Baikal could be the predominant local-scale driving factor. In addition, the low-pressure circulation anomaly to the southeast played a secondary dynamic amplification role. Such a dipole pattern can jointly cause more frequent occurrences of NC CDHWs by triggering anomalies in localized meteorological variables (e.g., surface warming and drying) and land surface variable (reduced soil moisture) that are favorable for CDHW formation during the warm season. Regarding remote driving factors, central eastern Maritime Continent (MC) convection centered over New Guinea could be an influential and direct atmospheric forcing factor. Meanwhile, the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly pattern over the tropical eastern Pacific (TEP) was identified as a crucial oceanic forcing indirectly modulating the NC CDHW frequency through the critical medium of MC convection. Through a Hadley-like meridional overturning circulation pattern, the suppressed MC convection can remotely induce a dipolar pattern similar to that related to a higher NC CDHW frequency, exerting a so-called direct modulation effect. Furthermore, positive TEP SST anomalies act as anomalous Rossby wave sources via anomalous upper-tropospheric divergence, characterized by westward-propagating descending Rossby waves with notable wave energy advecting westward toward the central–eastern MC. In such a scenario, a reversed Walker-like circulation pattern can form to sustain the suppressed MC convection, playing an intermediate role in the maintenance of the high-pressure anomaly centered around Lake Baikal. Our findings may provide new insights into the synergistic roles of distant climatic driving factors in the modulation and maintenance of interannual variations of warm-season NC CDHW. • Warm-season CDHW frequency over NC exhibits profound year-to-year variations. • Extensive equivalent barotropic high pressure anomaly centered around the Lake Baikal is the dominant local driving factor. • Central eastern MC convection centered over NG can be an influential atmospheric factor directly forcing NC CDHW frequency. • Central eastern MC convection centered over NG can be an influential atmospheric factor directly forcing NC CDHW frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum IL-41 concentrations were significantly elevated in HUA patients. • The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for IL-41 in HUA patients was 0.7443, while the AUC for IL-41 combined with the platelet count was 0.8109. • Circulating IL-41 level was positively correlated with age. • IL-41 may be a potential diagnostic biomarker of HUA. Interleukin (IL)-41 is a recently discovered secreted protein that is expressed in a variety of tissues, and it is associated with several immune and metabolic diseases. However, IL-41 has not been studied in hyperuricemia (HUA). Forty-four HUA patients and 44 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study, and we collected theirgeneral and biochemical parameters, including white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, fasting blood glucose, total triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and hemoglobin concentration. The level of serum IL-41 was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was exploited to identify the independent risk factors associated with HUA, and the clinical diagnostic value of IL-41 was analyzed by applying the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We assessed the association between IL-41 and clinical parameters with Spearman's rank correlation. Circulating IL-41 levels were significantly higher in HUA patients than in the HCs group (460.3 pg/mL vs. 261.3 pg/mL, respectively; P < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for IL-41 in HUA patients was 0.7443 (with a cut-off value of 311.055 pg/mL, a sensitivity of 68.18 %, and a specificity of 72.73 %), while the AUC for IL-41 combined with the platelet count was 0.8109. Correlation analysis revealed that the circulating IL-41 level was positively correlated with age in HCs and HUA patients. We herein demonstrated that serum IL-41 was elevated in HUA patients and that it may constitute a novel biomarker of anti-inflammatory response related to HUA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate plays an important role in heating energy consumption owing to the direct relationship between space heating and changes in meteorological conditions. To quantify the impact, the Transient System Simulation Program software was used to simulate the heating loads of office buildings in Harbin, Tianjin, and Shanghai, representing three major climate zones (i.e., severe cold, cold, and hot summer and cold winter climate zones) in China during 1961-2010. Stepwise multiple linear regression was performed to determine the key climatic parameters influencing heating energy consumption. The results showed that dry bulb temperature (DBT) is the dominant climatic parameter affecting building heating loads in all three climate zones across China during the heating period at daily, monthly, and yearly scales (R2 ≥ 0.86). With the continuous warming climate in winter over the past 50 years, heating loads decreased by 14.2, 7.2, and 7.1 W/m2 in Harbin, Tianjin, and Shanghai, respectively, indicating that the decreasing rate is more apparent in severe cold climate zone. When the DBT increases by 1 °C, the heating loads decrease by 253.1 W/m2 in Harbin, 177.2 W/m2 in Tianjin, and 126.4 W/m2 in Shanghai. These results suggest that the heating energy consumption can be well predicted by the regression models at different temporal scales in different climate conditions owing to the high determination coefficients. In addition, a greater decrease in heating energy consumption in northern severe cold and cold climate zones may efficiently promote the energy saving in these areas with high energy consumption for heating. Particularly, the likely future increase in temperatures should be considered in improving building energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological parameters are the basis for building energy-saving design and operation of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems (HVAC). In this study, changes in meteorological parameters of Harbin, Tianjin, Kunming, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, representing the five major climate zones of China, were analyzed to determine the effects of climate change on meteorological parameters. The results demonstrated that outdoor design temperatures for heating or air-conditioning significantly increased in all five climate zones. The increasing rate of design temperatures for both heating and air-conditioning in winter were in the range of 0.2 °C–0.7 °C/decade, and the rate of design temperature for air-conditioning in summer was in the range of 0.1 °C–0.4 °C/decade. The design load was calculated by outdoor design temperature. Compared with the design load during 1961–1990, the heating design load decreased 2.8% and 4.4% in Harbin and Tianjin during 1981–2010, respectively. The design load for air-conditioning in winter decreased 1.7%, 1.4%, 2.4% and 3.2% in Harbin, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou, respectively. By contrast, design load for air-conditioning in summer during 1981–2010 increased 0.8%, 1.1%, 2.9% and 2.2% in Harbin, Tianjin, Shanghai and Guangzhou, respectively. On average, the effect of climate change on design loads is more intense in winter than summer, which may be beneficial for building energy-saving design. The results in this study suggest that climate change has evident effects on design meteorological parameters and design load. It is necessary to note that responses of design meteorological parameters to climate change are apparently different in five climate zones. Hence, different design strategies for building energy-saving should be considered appropriately according to different climate change characteristics in different climate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climatic zoning is the basis of improving thermal performance of buildings, and various methods and parameters have been proposed in previous studies. However, the validity assessment of these climatic zoning methods is rather limited. This study proposes a performance index (PI) for assessing climatic zoning methods by comparing the overlapping probability density functions (PDFs) among different climate zones. The PI was used to assess the performance of the two subjective (i.e., based on the two national standards GB50178 and G50176) and one objective (i.e., cluster analysis) methods of climatic zoning in China with over five different climate zones. The results showed that the cluster analysis method has the smallest mean PI (16.8) compared with those of the subjective methods (17.8 and 19.3). More importantly, the cluster analysis method has less variations in PIs among relevant variables (13.8–23.2), while the PIs largely ranging from 6.4 to 42.7 and 10.4 to 29.9 for the two subjective methods. These results indicate that the PI can accurately assess the validity of climatic zoning methods, and that the objective method may be better for building climatic zoning for the whole China as it can effectively distinguish the relevant climatic variables among different climates. The quantified index may have the potential to assess other zoning methods, particularly when applied in countries with larger areas and more climate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The present paper concerns the impact of climate on building heating energy consumption for different types of energy in Tianjin, a large city in northern China. The results show that heating energy consumption is dominantly related to dry bulb temperature ( DBT), but the impacts vary with energy types and time scales (day, month or year). DBT can explain 97.7% of the coal consumption at different time scales and 83.0-89.7% of the natural gas consumption. DBT can also account for 25% of the daily and monthly heating electricity consumption and 89% of the annual heating electricity consumption. These results suggest that different measures for building energy conservation should be taken because of the differing climate impacts for different energy types. Especially, likely increase in temperature in the future should be considered to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. In addition, different models should be used to predict building energy consumption at different time scales. This would be helpful for energy policy makers and energy providers for adjusting energy use strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observation facts of trend and variability are estimated for a century‐long timescale, as well as some possible attributions affecting temperature extremes over Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei region. In this paper, the new constructed daily maximum and minimum temperature series during the last 100 years in situ stations of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding city are used, and two 30‐year baseline climatology of 1961–1990 and 1980–2010 are both used in calculating extreme temperature events. The results indicate that there are long‐lasting, frequent and serious extreme warming over Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei region, especially for extreme low temperature, with larger declining trends (at 5% significance) from 1981 to 2010 baseline than those from 1961 to 1990 baseline. And from a statistical perspective, El Niño decay years and surface sea temperature (SST) anomalies at some typical ocean regions of the Arabian Sea and the Bengal Bay on the northern Indian Ocean, the Western Pacific and the Mid Atlantic, Southern Indian Ocean and around 45°–85°E, 68°–82°N on the southwest Arctic Ocean can be used as the warning signals denoting extreme warming over Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei region. Additionally, urbanization has a significant (at 5% significance) effect on extreme warming over Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei region since 1979, with 24.3% warming contribution for annual minimum temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important for territorial spatial planning to master meteorological disaster risk under the conditions of climate change and then carry out risk adaptation planning according to local conditions. Taking Beijing, a large city in China, as an example, a meteorological disaster risk assessment model was established based on the framework of hazard factors, disaster‐bearing body exposure, and vulnerability of underlying surface. Combined with 11 years of observation data from 293 high‐density weather stations, the rainstorm and high‐temperature risks of urban, agriculture, and ecological spaces were studied. The results show that (1) rainstorms and high‐temperature are mainly distributed in the built‐up areas of plain towns, which are the climate risk factors that need to be considered. (2) The central city of Beijing is at a high risk of rainstorms and high temperature, indicating that the underlying surface and disaster‐bearing body are highly vulnerable to meteorological disasters. (3) In suburbs with agricultural land, there is a certain rainstorm risk in Fangshan and Daxing districts, and a risk of high temperatures in the southern part of Tongzhou and Daxing. (4) The risk of high temperatures in the ecological space (eco‐zone) is relatively low, but the rainstorm risk is relatively high in Pinggu and Miyun. (5) The strategies of coping with rainstorm and high‐temperature disaster risk in Beijing's territorial space planning were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring changes of building energy consumption and its relationships with climate can provide basis for energy-saving and carbon emission reduction. Heating and cooling energy consumption of different types of buildings during 1981-2010 in Tianjin city, was simulated by using TRNSYS software. Daily or hourly extreme energy consumption was determined by percentile methods, and the climate impact on extreme energy consumption was analyzed. The results showed that days of extreme heating consumption showed apparent decrease during the recent 30 years for residential and large venue buildings, whereas days of extreme cooling consumption increased in large venue building. No significant variations were found for the days of extreme energy consumption for commercial building, although a decreasing trend in extreme heating energy consumption. Daily extreme energy consumption for large venue building had no relationship with climate parameters, whereas extreme energy consumption for commercial and residential buildings was related to various climate parameters. Further multiple regression analysis suggested heating energy consumption for commercial building was affected by maximum temperature, dry bulb temperature, solar radiation and minimum temperature, which together can explain 71.5 % of the variation of the daily extreme heating energy consumption. The daily extreme cooling energy consumption for commercial building was only related to the wet bulb temperature (R2= 0.382). The daily extreme heating energy consumption for residential building was affected by 4 climate parameters, but the dry bulb temperature had the main impact. The impacts of climate on hourly extreme heating energy consumption has a 1-3 hour delay in all three types of buildings, but no delay was found in the impacts of climate on hourly extreme cooling energy consumption for the selected buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous studies, the concept of degree days has been widely used to indicate heating or cooling energy requirements, but it does not consider the dehumidification effect. In the present study, the concept of dehumidification degree days based on moisture content is used, and the degree days over the past 57 years for temperature decreasing and dehumidification in 4 cities belonging to major climate zones of China are analyzed. The results showed that the number of cooling degree days showed a significant increase (1.2–4.6 days/10 a) in all the selected cities, corresponding to the warming climate. In contrast, the degree days of dehumidification accounted for 19%–45% of the total days in summer and showed significant decreases (2.0–3.7 days/10 a) in the cold, hot summer and cold winter, and hot summer and warm winter climate zones. Comfortable days, i.e., days requiring no cooling and no dehumidification, accounting for 8–45% of the total days in summer, decreased significantly in the extreme cold and cold zones (0.9–1.8 days/10 a) but showed no apparent changes in the hot summer and cold winter and hot summer and warm winter climate zones. This study suggests that energy consumption for cooling increases linearly with climate warming, and only the energy consumed for dehumidification had an apparent decrease. The degree days of dehumidification, as well as those requiring no cooling and no dehumidification, should be fully considered in the capacity design of air-conditioning units, especially air-conditioning systems with temperature- and humidity-independent control (THIC). This study indicates that the assessment of energy consumption for requests for air-conditioning in relation to climate change should be carried out after separating energy consumption for cooling from energy consumption for dehumidification to improve building energy efficiency and indoor comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum IL-38 levels were decreased in patients with male infertility. • Serum IL-41 levels were significantly higher in patients with male infertility. • Serum IL-38 levels were positively correlated with semen white blood cell counts. • IL-38 and IL-41 may be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of male infertility. Interleukin (IL)-38 and IL-41 are novel cytokines, but their role in male infertility (MI) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to measure the levels of serum IL-38 and IL-41 in patients with MI and correlate these levels with semen indexes. Eighty-two patients with MI and 45 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for this study. Semen parameters were detected using computer-aided sperm analysis, Papanicolaou staining, ELISA, flow cytometry, peroxidase staining and enzyme methods. Serum IL-38 and IL-41 levels were determined by ELISA. Serum IL-38 levels were decreased (P < 0.01) in patients with MI compared with HC. Serum IL-41 levels were significantly higher in patients with MI than in HC (P < 0.0001). In patients with MI, serum IL-38 levels were positively correlated with semen white blood cell counts (r = 0.29, P = 0.009), and there was a positive correlation between semen white blood cell counts and sperm concentration (r = 0.28, P = 0.0100) and seminal plasma elastase (r = 0.67, P < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of IL-38 for diagnosing MI was 0.5637 (P > 0.05), and the area under the curve of IL-41 for diagnosing MI was 0.7646 (P < 0.0001). Serum IL-38 levels were significantly lower, and serum IL-41 levels were higher in patients with MI. These results suggest that IL-38 and IL-41 may be novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand how different plant functional types respond to light intensities, foliar carbon isotope discrimination (Δ 13C) and related traits, i.e., specific leaf area (SLA), mass- and area-based nitrogen concentrations (N mass and N area), leaf dry mass content (LDMC) of two evergreen coniferous and three deciduous broad-leaved species, were measured under four light intensities. Foliar Δ 13C and SLA increased significantly from full- to low-light conditions for all species. These indicate that species studied could increase their light capture capacity under low-light conditions, leading to lower water-use efficiency (higher 13C discrimination). There were significant differences in the responses of foliar N mass or N area to light variations in the two functional types, indicating that different functional-type tree species may have different N-use strategies to adapt to the light variations. It was found that there were large functional-type-dependent differences with regard to the relationships between foliar Δ 13C and other leaf traits. Our findings suggest that all tree species could change foliar morphology to increase their light-harvesting ability under low-light conditions at the expense of decreasing their water-use efficiency. However, large differences in N-use strategy may exist between deciduous and evergreen species, which may be vital for the survival of these two functional-type tree species in a shaded understory. More important, our findings reveal that changes in Δ 13C are not directly related to foliar N if N investment does not proportionally increase the photosynthetic capacity; this should be considered when exploring the relationships of nitrogen concentrations with Δ 13C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural abundance of 15N changes strongly with gradients in soil or environmental conditions across large spatial and temporal scales, but variation in δ15N with stand age at intermediate scales is poorly understood. We analyzed soil and foliar δ15N along a secondary forest chronosequence in Northeast China in mid-growing seasons 2008 and 2009, to address two questions: how does foliar δ15N vary with stand age; and are the variations driven by compositional differences in species among stands, or by consistent changes in δ15N with plant growth forms, and within species. The results showed that community-level foliar δ15N depleted as stand age increased, and these responses were remarkably consistent within three contrasting plant growth forms (herbs, shrubs, and trees), and within individual species. In spite of the three plant growth forms sharing similar responses to the stand age, tree species showed smaller variations in foliar δ15N along stand ages than herbs and shrubs. Soil δ15N also significantly depleted with increasing stand age, which may drive the variations of foliar δ15N. In addition, mycorrhizal fungi discrimination against 15N may also partly affect the patterns of foliar δ15N along stand ages. The results clearly indicate that differences in foliar δ15N among different stand ages are dominantly driven by the δ15N variations at the species levels, which reflects the variations of soil δ15N and mycorrhizal association intensity and association type, not by compositional difference in species among stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: IL-33 is a recently described member of the IL-1 family that has been reported to have a pathogenic role in several inflammatory diseases. In this study, we evaluated the role of IL-33 in a murine model of multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We showed that the expression of IL-33 and its receptor, ST2, was markedly elevated in the spinal cord of mice during myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35–55 peptide-induced EAE. Administration of a blocking anti-IL-33 antibody in mice of EAE during the induction phase significantly inhibited the onset and severity of EAE and reduced MOG35–55-induced IFN-γ and IL-17 production. In contrast, treatment with recombinant IL-33 worsened the disease course of EAE in association with increased induction of both IFN-γ and IL-17. Furthermore, anti-IL-33 treatment caused a remarkable decrease in expression of IL-17, IFN-γ, T-bet and RORγt, and an upregulation of IL-10 and TGF-β in the spinal cord of EAE mice. These results demonstrate that endogenous IL-33 plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of EAE and indicate that blockade of IL-33 has a significant protective effect against EAE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) form a family of pattern recognition receptors with at least 11 members in human and 13 in mouse. TLRs recognize a wide variety of putative host-derived agonists that have emerged as key mediators of innate immunity. TLR signaling also plays an important role in the activation of the adaptive immune system by inducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and upregulating costimulatory molecules of antigen presenting cells. Inappropriate activation of TLRs by self-components generated by damaged tissues may result in sterile inflammation. This review discusses the contribution of TLR signaling to the initiation and progression of non-infectious inflammatory processes, such as ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury, tissue repair and regeneration and autoimmune diseases. The involvement of TLR signaling in the pathogenesis of sterile inflammation-related diseases may provide novel targets for the development of therapeutics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is still unclear to what extent variations in foliar δC and nitrogen can be used to detect seasonal changes in canopy productivity. We hypothesize that in a wet and cloudy fir forest, seasonally higher litterfall and lower leaf area index (LAI) are correlated with higher mass-based leaf nitrogen ( N) and net primary productivity (NPP), while foliar δC may change with specific leaf area (SLA), area-based leaf nitrogen ( N), and/or starch concentration. In order to test our hypotheses, stand-level litterfall and the means of δC, N, N, SLA, and starch concentration of canopy needles for a wet and cloudy Abies fabri forest in the Gongga Mountains were monthly measured during the growing season. Seasonal estimates of LAI were obtained from our previous work. A conceptual model was used to predict seasonal NPP of the fir forest. Seasonal mean δC and N and climatic variables were used as inputs. The δC across 1-7-year-old needles increased from May to September associated with decreasing SLA and increasing N. There were no significant differences in seasonal starch concentration. With increasing litterfall and decreasing LAI, seasonal mean N increased, while the δC varied little. The simulated NPP increased with increasing litterfall and related traits of N and N. Our data generally supported the hypotheses. The results also suggest that in the forest with relatively moist and cloudy environment, the largest fraction of annual carbon gain may occur in the early part of the growing season when higher litterfall results in higher N of canopy leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The mobile carbon supply to different compartments of a tree is affected by climate, but its impact on cell-wall chemistry and mechanics remains unknown. To understand better the variability in root growth and biomechanics in mountain forests subjected to substrate mass movement, we investigated root chemical and mechanical properties of mature Abies georgei var. smithii (Smith fir) growing at different elevations on the Tibet–Qinghai Plateau. Methods Thin and fine roots (0·1–4·0 mm in diameter) were sampled at three different elevations (3480, 3900 and 4330 m, the last corresponding to the treeline). Tensile resistance of roots of different diameter classes was measured along with holocellulose and non-structural carbon (NSC) content. Key Results The mean force necessary to break roots in tension decreased significantly with increasing altitude and was attributed to a decrease in holocellulose content. Holocellulose was significantly lower in roots at the treeline (29·5 ± 1·3 %) compared with those at 3480 m (39·1 ± 1·0 %). Roots also differed significantly in NSC, with 35·6 ± 4·1 mg g−1 dry mass of mean total soluble sugars in roots at 3480 m and 18·8 ± 2·1 mg g−1 dry mass in roots at the treeline. Conclusions Root mechanical resistance, holocellulose and NSC content all decreased with increasing altitude. Holocellulose is made up principally of cellulose, the biosynthesis of which depends largely on NSC supply. Plants synthesize cellulose when conditions are optimal and NSC is not limiting. Thus, cellulose synthesis in the thin and fine roots measured in our study is probably not a priority in mature trees growing at very high altitudes, where climatic factors will be limiting for growth. Root NSC stocks at the treeline may be depleted through over-demand for carbon supply due to increased fine root production or winter root growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interleukin (IL)-33 is a recently described member of the IL-1 family and has been shown to induce production of T helper type 2 cytokines. In this study, an anti-IL-33 antibody was evaluated against pulmonary inflammation in mice sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin. The anti-IL-33 or a control antibody (150μg/mouse) was given intraperitoneally as five doses before the sensitization and antigen challenge. Treatment with anti-IL-33 significantly reduced serum IgE secretion, the numbers of eosinophils and lymphocytes, and concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid compared with administration of a control antibody. Histological examination of lung tissue demonstrated that anti-IL-33 significantly inhibited allergen-induced lung eosinophilic inflammation and mucus hypersecretion. Our data demonstrate for the first time that anti-IL-33 antibody can prevent the development of asthma in a mouse model and indicate that blockade of IL-33 may be a new therapeutic strategy for allergic asthma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Interferon-lambda1 (IFN-λ1) is a member of the recently discovered type III IFNs (IFN-λ), which possesses antiviral, antitumor, and immunomodulatory activities. In this study, the recombinant human IFN-λ1 containing a hexahistidine tag was expressed in Escherichia coli. IFN-λ1 was overexpressed under the control of T7 promoter and most of the protein existed in the form of inclusion bodies. The expressed insoluble protein was solubilized with urea, purified and refolded by one-step immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography using Ni2+ –nitrilotriacetic acid agarose. The purified IFN-λ1 appeared as a single band on SDS–PAGE and the purity was more than 95%. The yield was 86mg IFN-λ1 from 1L of bacterial culture. Western blotting and N-terminal sequencing confirmed the identity of the purified protein. The purified IFN-λ1 exhibited specific antiviral activity as demonstrated by a cytopathic effect reduction assay. Thus, this on-column refolding method provides an efficient way to obtain an active IFN-λ1 with high yield and high purity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Human interleukin (IL)-29 is the latest member of the class II cytokine family. However, as a result of lacking efficient method to generate relatively large quantity of IL-29, little is known of its functions in man. In the present study, an Escherichia coli expression system for the rapid expression of the human IL-29 gene was developed. It involved of cloning IL-29 gene into the pET-44 Ek/LIC vector, which allowed expression of IL-29 with a fusion tag consisting of the NusA protein, polyhistidine and S peptide (Nus-His-S-tag), and introducing a thrombin recognition site between the fusion tag and IL-29. The expressed fusion protein was purified by S-protein agarose affinity chromatography, and the fusion tag was removed from recombinant IL-29 by cleavage with thrombin. The purified IL-29 appeared a single band on SDS-PAGE, and the yield of IL-29 was 60mg from 1l of bacterial culture. N-terminal sequencing confirmed the identity of the purified protein. The recombinant IL-29 showed specific antiviral activity that was comparable to the commercially available IFN alfa-2b preparation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In additon to temperature, heatwaves are also closely related to humidity. In this study, daily wet-bulb temperature was used to define heatwaves (WBHWs) with a unified threshold for more than 2000 meteorological stations throughout China. The climatic averages of summer heatwaves and changes from 1961 to 2021 were investigated. WBHWs primarily occur in three key subregions, namely North China, South China, and Yangtze River valley (YRV). Humidity makes heatwaves in South China more severe, with an average of 25 days per summer. Over the past decades, the frequency and intensity of WBHWs in China considerably increased accompanied by decreasing relative humidity (RH) and increasing temperature. South China experiences the strongest increase in WBHWs, with change rate fivefold higher than the national average. The occurrence of WBHWs in YRV is dominated by temperature, whereas in North and South China it is controlled by RH. The long-term increases in WBHWs for China and its three key subregions are primarily caused by temperature changes, but RH affects WBHWs at interdecadal time scales and generally exerts a negative contribution. The average contribution rates of temperature and RH to the increase in WBHWs in China for the period 1991–2021 are 2.3 days and − 0.6 days. Changes in WBHWs in North China are almost completely controlled by temperature, since the opposite phases of specific humidity and temperature result in a negligible effect of RH. Temperature and RH in other two subregions have substantial positive and negative effects, respectively. The negative effect of RH in South China is mainly attributed to the indirect effect of temperature, while that in YRV, particularly in the lower reaches, is a combination of specific humidity and temperature. • Heatwaves in China were explored with a unified threshold of wet bulb temperature. • South China experiences the most severe heatwaves. • Temperature dominates heatwaves in YRV, but humidity prevails in North and South China. • Temperature is primarily responsible for the increase in heatwaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMethodsResultsConclusionGout is a chronic inflammatory diseases caused by monosodium urate crystal deposition. However, the role of interleukin (IL)-36 in gout has not dbeen elucidated.We enrolled 75 subjects, including 20 healthy controls (HC), 30 patients with acute gout attack and 25 patients in remission. Baseline data were obtained through clinical interrogation and laboratory data were obtained through tests of blood samples. Serum levels of IL-36α were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of IL-36α with other parameters. The diagnostic value of IL-36α was demonstrated using a receiver operating characteristic curve.The serum IL-36α level of gout patients in acute attack and remission stage was significantly higher than that of HC. Serum IL-36α was positively correlated with alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). Serum amyloid A (SAA) levels positively correlated with C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rates. Glutamyl transpeptidase levels positively correlated with AST and ALT levels.In conclusion, serum IL-36α levels were elevated in patients with gout and correlated with the clinical markers of inflammation. Our findings suggest that IL-36α may be a novel inflammatory indicator for gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that causes abnormalities in the coronary arteries. Interleukin (IL)-41 is a novel immunoregulatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of some inflammatory and immune-related diseases. However, the role of IL-41 in KD is unclear. The purpose of this study was to detect the expression of IL-41 in the plasma of children with KD and its relationship with the disease. A total of 44 children with KD and 37 healthy controls (HC) were recruited for this study. Plasma concentrations of IL-41 were determined by ELISA. Correlations between plasma IL-41 levels and KD-related clinical parameters were analyzed by Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the clinical value of IL-41 in the diagnosis of KD. Our results showed that plasma IL-41 levels were significantly elevated in children with KD compared with HC. Correlation analysis demonstrated that IL-41 levels were positively correlated with D-dimer and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and negatively correlated with IgM, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, total protein, albumin and pre-albumin. Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that IgM and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrations were associated with IL-41. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of IL-41 was 0.7101, with IL-41 providing 88.64 % sensitivity and 54.05 % specificity. Our study indicated that plasma IL-41 levels in children with KD were significantly higher than those in HC, and may provide a potential diagnostic biomarker for KD. • IL-41 level was significantly elevated in the plasma of children with KD. • IL-41 was positively correlated with D-dimer and NT-proBNP. • IL-41 was negatively correlated with IgM, MCHC, total protein, albumin, and pre-albumin. • IL-41 may provide a potential diagnostic biomarker for KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum soluble IL-2 receptor concentrations are highest in stage I sarcoidosis among three types of granulomatous diseases. • Serum sIL-2R were positively correlated with serum ACE but not significantly with lymphocytes, LDH or ESR. • Serum sIL-2R is valuble in identifying stage I sarcoidosis among disease groups or in making a diagnosis of exclusion. Serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) is recognized as a marker of T-cell activation and is abnormally elevated in sarcoidosis. However, its value for stage I sarcoidosis in benign granulomatous diseases is unclear. We enrolled 33 stage I sarcoidosis patients, 17 lymph node tuberculosis patients, 15 reactive lymphadenopathy patients, and 11 healthy controls. Serum biomarkers concentrations were collected and collated. Serum sIL-2R concentrations were the highest in stage I sarcoidosis. The AUC of serum sIL-2R for stage I sarcoidosis was 0.7452 in all subjects and 0.6861 in granulomatous diseases. The AUCs of two combined diagnostic forms, sIL-2R with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and sIL-2R with ACE, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were 0.7994 and 0.891 in all subjects, respectively. In granulomatous disease groups for ROC analysis, the best cut-off value of sIL-2R was 745.00 U/ml with 48.50% sensitivity and 84.40% specificity. The combination of four parameters increased the diagnostic accuracy for stage I sarcoidosis in granulomatous diseases (74.10% sensitivity and 100% specificity). Serum sIL-2R concentrations were positively correlated with serum ACE (r = 0.4652, P = 0.0126). Serum sIL-2R appeared to be valuable in identifying stage I sarcoidosis in a group of benign granulomatous disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a semiarid sandy ecosystem, water is the most important factor in determining survival and growth of Mongolian pine ( Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica ) in a sparse wood grassland. However, little is known about canopy transpiration of the Mongolian pine in the sparse wood grassland and its influence on the ecosystem water cycling. In this study, we quantified canopy transpiration of Mongolian pine in a sparse wood grassland by using sap flow techniques in combination with observations of climatic factors and soil moisture during two consecutive growing seasons in 2011 and 2012. Results showed that daily canopy transpiration ranged from 0.02 to 0.27 mm day −1 and 0.01 to 0.29 mm day −1 , with mean values of 0.14 and 0.15 mm day −1 in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Daily canopy transpiration increased significantly with solar radiation and vapor pressure deficit, and tended to level off at vapor pressure deficit ≥1.5 kPa in both observation years. Although precipitation and soil moisture in August and September were lower in 2011 than in 2012, monthly canopy transpiration in these two months of 2011 were no less than that in 2012, suggesting that trees were able to tap groundwater in August and September of 2011. Throughout the growing seasons, the accumulated canopy transpiration was 20.9 and 22.9 mm in 2011 and 2012, respectively, occupying 6.6 and 4.5% of precipitation (316.7 and 510.3 mm) and 8.0 and 6.1% of evapotranspiration (260.5 and 372.7 mm), indicating that canopy transpiration accounted for a small proportion of the ecosystem water budget. Thus, water budget was balanced in both years. These findings suggest that Mongolian pine in a sparse wood grassland could use groundwater to maintain the canopy transpiration, and the water supply could satisfy the transpiration requirements for growth, therefore, Mongolian pine in a sparse wood grassland could maintain stable under current water conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum IL-36γ level was significantly elevated in HT patients. • Serum IL-36γ level was correlated with TPO-Ab titers in HT patients. • IL-36γ may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker for HT. Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the predominant cause of primary hypothyroidism. Interleukin (IL)-36γ is a member of the IL-36 family. Recently, IL-36γ was shown to possess proinflammatory properties in autoimmune diseases. However, the role of IL-36γ in HT is insufficiently understood. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the potential relationship between IL-36γ and HT. We included 100 subjects, among whom, 52 had early-stage HT and 48 were healthy controls (HC). The subjects' basic clinical information was obtained through physical examination and clinical histories of signs and symptoms. Thyroid function and measurements of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine 3, free triiodothyronine 4 (FT4), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab), and thyroid globulin antibody were measured using a fully automated chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer. The expression levels of serum IL‐36γ were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The serum IL-36γ level in the HT group was significantly higher compared with that of the HC group [91.91 (67.52, 130.90) pg/mL vs 62.50 (44.61, 91.53) pg/mL, P < 0.0001]. Correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between serum IL-36γ and TPO-Ab titers in the HT group (r = -0.3507, P = 0.0054). According to receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) for IL-36γ was 0.7278 (P < 0.0001), and the AUC for IL-36γ combined with TSH and FT4 was 0.8109 (P < 0.0001). The present study indicates that serum IL-36γ expression is increased in patients with HT and negatively correlates with TPO-Ab. Our findings suggest that IL-36γ may be involved in the development of HT and may therefore serve as a potential new diagnostic biomarker for HT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mongolian pine ( Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica ) plantations in semiarid sandy lands play an important role in the prevention and control of desertification in northern China, but plantation dieback often occurs approximately 30–35 years after planting due to water deficiency. However, the seasonal changes in the water sources used by Mongolian pine trees of different ages remain unclear, and these changes influence the management of the plantations. During two consecutive years, 2012 and 2013, stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen from twig xylem water, soil water at different depths (0–20, 20–40, 40–60 and 60–100 cm), precipitation and groundwater were analyzed in 10-, 22-, 32- and 42-year-old Mongolian pine plantations to identify the sources of water used by the trees during different seasons (spring, summer and autumn). The soil water content, groundwater level and δ 13 C of the needles were measured concurrently, and the results showed that the 10- and 22-year-old trees only used soil water during the two years of observation, but the 32- and 42-year-old trees utilized both soil water and groundwater. In spring (late May), when soil water content was low, the 10- and 22-year-old trees used water from the 20–60 cm soil layer, but the 32- and 42-year-old trees utilized water from the 40–100 cm soil layer and groundwater. In summer (mid or late July), when soil water content was high, the trees of different ages used water from the 0–60 cm soil layer, and in autumn (mid or late September), when the soil water content was relatively high (2012), the trees of different ages used water from the 20–100 cm soil layer. However, when the soil water content was relatively low (2013), the 10- and 22-year-old trees continued to use water from the 20–100 cm soil layer, but the 32- and 42-year-old trees absorbed water from both the 60–100 cm soil layer and the groundwater. The contribution of groundwater to tree transpiration increased with decreasing soil moisture for the 32- and 42-year-old trees, and groundwater was the dominant water source (e.g., 60.2% of tree transpiration in the 42-year-old trees) when the soil moisture was approximately 20% of field capacity (3.5%). In addition, the significantly higher δ 13 C in the needles of the 22-year-old trees relative to the four ages of pine trees suggested higher water use efficiency in the 22-year-old trees. These findings suggest that the old Mongolian pine plantations (e.g., 30–35 years old) will experience greater mortality in the future if the groundwater level suddenly declines under drought conditions, but the young Mongolian pine plantations would suffer only slightly because their roots are unable to reach the saturated zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• IL-41 was elevated in the serum of RA patients. • Serum IL-41 was positively correlated with DAS28-CRP, CRP, ESR, MPV, and CAR and negatively correlated with PLT. • IL-41 may be a potential new diagnostic biomarker for RA. Interleukin (IL)-41 is upregulated in the synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, but its serum level has not been reported. The present study aimed to determine IL-41 expression in serum from RA patients and to clarify the relationships between IL-41 and disease-related parameters in RA patients. The study included 46 RA patients and 32 healthy controls (HC). Baseline data were obtained by routine physical examinations and immune-related parameters were measured by an automated chemiluminescent immunoassay analyzer. The correlations between IL-41 and disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) and serum clinical data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation test. Serum IL-41 concentrations were higher in RA patients than in HC. Serum IL-41 was positively correlated with DAS28 based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP), CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and CRP-to-albumin ratio (CAR) and negatively correlated with platelet count, while rheumatoid factor was significantly correlated with ESR, CRP, and CAR. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that IL-41 had diagnostic value for RA, especially when combined with MPV. The present findings suggest that IL-41 is increased in the serum of RA patients and may be a potential new diagnostic biomarker for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum interleukin-38 expression levels were significantly reduced in patients with hyperuricemia. • Serum interleukin-38 was an independent risk factor for hyperuricemia. • Serum interleukin-38 contributed to the clinical diagnosis and risk prediction of hyperuricemia. Interleukin (IL)-38, a novel anti-inflammatory cytokine in the IL-1 family, has an important role in various autoimmune/inflammatory diseases. However, the level of serum IL-38 in hyperuricemia (HUA) and its clinical applications are still unknown. Forty-four HUA patients and 43 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The levels of serum IL-38 in the participants were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors associated with HUA. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator combined with 10-fold cross-validation was used to screen the characteristic variables for modeling and the logistic regression model was visualized by nomogram. The discrimination, degree of concordance, and clinical applicability of the models were evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve, calibration plot, and decision curve analysis, respectively. Compared with that in healthy controls, the level of serum IL-38 was reduced in HUA patients (275.09 ± 294.89 vs 505.99 ± 312.94, P < 0.01). The area under the curve of serum IL-38 was 0.768 (cutoff value: 246.91 pg/ml). IL-38, platelet count, mean platelet volume, and total protein were identified as independent risk factors for HUA. The risk model showed an excellent clinical differentiation value (area under the curve: 0.961) and degree of fit. Decision curve analysis indicated that the prediction model could be beneficial for patients when the threshold probability was 1%–95%. Low level of serum IL-38 shows some potential in the clinical diagnosis and risk prediction of HUA. In addition, as a novel biomarker of HUA, serum IL-38 would contribute to the in-depth study of its pathogenesis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of the cessation of Meiyu is closely connected to the amount of Meiyu rainfall and the commencement of the rainy season in North China. Accurately forecasting the Meiyu withdrawal date (MWD) over the Yangtze–Huaihe River basin (YHRB) has significant implications for the prevention and mitigation of flooding in eastern China. This study observed an intimate out-of-phase relationship between MWD variations and early spring (March and April) Arctic Sea ice area (SIA) anomalies to the north of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, as well as SIA anomalies to the north of the Queen Elizabeth Islands (75° N–82° N, 170° E–130° W and 82° N–86° N, 130° W–80° W, respectively) on the interannual timescale. As such, these can be considered key Arctic Sea ice domains connected to Meiyu cessation in the YHRB. The Arctic SIA anomalies in the key domains persist from early spring to early summer (May and June), thus exerting a lag modulation effect on year-to-year changes in Meiyu cessation, which can be demonstrated through observational analysis and results from the Community Earth System Model Large Ensemble Numerical Simulation (CESM-LENS) project. Specifically, the preceding negative SIA anomalies in the key domains are linked to a planetary-scale Rossby wave-like pattern emanating over areas to the northwest of the Chukchi Sea. This tele-connected wave-like pattern is conducive to the generation and maintenance of a quasi-barotropic "north-low–south-high" meridional see-saw pattern over the East Asian–Western North Pacific sector in July, which is a pivotal circulation pattern responsible for delayed Meiyu termination. Furthermore, the situation is the opposite in response to increased sea ice in these key domains within the Arctic. This study proposes a significant cryospheric forcing indicator for Meiyu cessation over the YHRB, which may provide helpful information for operational forecasting of the withdrawal timing of the Meiyu over the YHRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dieback of Mongolian pine ( Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica ) forests in the semiarid sandy region of northern China occurs when the trees are approximately 30–35 years old. Water deficit was the most important reason for this dieback, but the water sources used by pine trees are poorly understood. We aimed to identify the water sources utilized by pine trees and to explore the potential mechanisms inducing Mongolian pine dieback. The δD and δ 18 O of water in twig xylem, soil, rain and groundwater were analyzed in a 29-year-old pine stand during two consecutive years 2010 and 2011. Soil water content (SWC), tree transpiration and groundwater level were measured concurrently. The results demonstrated that trees utilized soil water in spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October). In contrast, trees used both soil water and groundwater in summer (June–August) during the two observed years. Additionally, 70.1% of water used by trees came from soil water when the SWC was high (6.6%), but 55.8% of water used by trees came from groundwater when the SWC was low (3.5%). The groundwater contribution to tree transpiration increased from 10.0% to 14.4% with the rainfall decreasing from 580 mm to 460 mm, with a mean value of 12.2%. However, in the year of 60% of the long-term annual rainfall, the mean SWC only was 2.7%. These findings indicate that groundwater was increasingly critical with decreasing rainfall. Groundwater should be thus the primary water source for the growth and survival of pine trees in the years of extreme low rainfall. The dieback of Mongolian pine forests occurred when the groundwater level declined suddenly in the years of extreme low rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the effects of paeoniflorin (PF) on the expression of purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 7 (P2X7R) expressed on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and production of ATP-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines released by PBMCs in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). The pharmacological functions and cytotoxic effects of PF were dose dependent in PBMCs from 20 newly diagnosed pSS patients and 20 normal individuals. The optimum dose of PF was 100 μM. PF significantly down-regulated the production of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 from pSS PBMCs, and significantly inhibited ATP-induced expression of P2X7R, that might contribute to reduced IL-1β and IL-6. mRNA and protein levels of P2X7R on pSS PBMCs were significantly higher than in normal individuals (p = 0.03, p < 0.001). When PBMCs from subjects were stimulated in vitro with ATP in the presence of PF, P2X7R mRNA and protein levels were decreased significantly ( p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively versus ATP group) in the pSS. Supernatant IL-1β and IL-6 levels were significantly lower in the PF group compared with ATP group ( p < 0.001, p < 0.001). We show for the first time that PF-mediated reduction of IL-1β and IL-6 was due in part to the reduced expression and activation of the ATP sensor P2X7R on pSS PBMCs, indicating that PF might be useful for the management of pSS via down-regulating P2X7R expression. Thus, PF may provide a new therapeutic approach to regulate P2X7R-mediated pathologic responses of pSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over Northeast China, the area surrounding the Horqin sandy land (HSL) is an important plantation domain within the “Three north” Area of China. Compound heat waves and droughts can exert exceptionally negative impacts on ecosystems. However, less attention has been paid to the physical causes of the variability of the frequency compound droughts and heatwaves in this peculiar sandy region. In this study, salient climatic factors tied to the variability of the number of compound drought and heatwave day (CDHD) around HSL in late summer (July–August) are identified. Results show that the preceding wintertime El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-associated SST mode can exert significant delayed impacts on the interannual CDHD fluctuations around HSL in the following late summer, serving as a precursory oceanic factor. Dynamical and thermodynamical diagnoses associated with the observational evidences and the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2) tropical Pacific pacemaker experiment outputs reveal and confirm that the negative phase of ENSO (i.e. La Niña-associated sea surface temperature mode) in the prior winter can exert cross-season impacts on the enhanced CDHDs around HSL in the subsequent late summer through a critical synchronous atmospheric bridge of the western North Pacific cyclonic anomaly. This system may connect an anticyclonic anomaly prevailing over Northeast Asia via an anomalous meridional overturning circulation, which could act as a salient synchronous atmospheric factor. In this circumstance, favorable in situ meteorological and land surface conditions (e.g., increased 2-m maximum air temperature and suppressed rainfall/soil moisture deficiency) can be established, eventually sparking abnormal heat and drought conditions surrounding HSL and thus producing more late-summer CDHDs around HSL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Serum IL-36α and IL-36γ concentrations were significantly elevated in CTD-ILD and IPF patients. • Elevated IL-36 levels correlated with disease severity in IPF patients. • IL-36 cytokines may be a new diagnostic or therapeutic target in ILD, especially in IPF. Interleukin-36 (IL-36) family is associated with several fibrosis-related disorders and connective tissue diseases. However, their expression in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and connective tissue disease-interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD) is unknown. We included 19 CTD-ILD patients, 16 IPF patients, and 27 healthy control subjects. Determination of serum concentrations of IL-36α, IL-36γ and IL-36 receptor antagonist (IL-36Ra) was performed by ELISA. The value of biomarkers for the diagnosis and assessment of ILD was assessed by lung function tests and high-resolution computed tomography. Serum concentrations of IL-36α and IL-36γ in patients with CTD-ILD and IPF were significantly higher than that in healthy controls, whereas serum IL-36Ra concentrations were not significantly different between the 3 groups. Increased IL-36 levels correlated with disease severity in IPF patients. ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC was 0.9931 for IL-36α and 0.8194 for IL-36γ in IPF group. In CTD-ILD group, the AUC was 0.9825 for IL-36α and 0.7973 for IL-36γ. We demonstrated an imbalance in the agonist and antagonist profiles of IL-36 cytokines in ILD. IL-36 cytokines may be a new diagnostic or therapeutic target in ILD, especially in IPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Interleukin (IL)-37 is a new anti-inflammatory cytokine of the IL-1 family. This study aimed to determine the effects of IL-37 on acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury. Materials and Methods. IL-37 plasmids were injected into mice via a tail vein hydrodynamics-based gene delivery. Results. Our results showed that IL-37 pretreatment significantly decreased serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, hepatic myeloperoxidase activity, and attenuated the histological liver damage. Compared to the APAP group, IL-37 administration decreased Kupffer cells numbers in the liver of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Furthermore, IL-37 pretreatment reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-17, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in APAP-induced mice. Conclusion. These results demonstrate that delivery of IL-37 plasmid can ameliorate APAP-induced liver injury by reducing proinflammatory cytokines production and preventing the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. IL-37 may be a promising candidate against APAP-induced liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hazy conditions have a significant impact on the environment and societal development. Their occurrence and persistence depend largely on climatological conditions, including the important role of climate change. Based on monthly data from 15 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) models under three Tier 1 scenarios (SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, and SSP5–8.5), the meteorological potential for winter haze pollution over Beijing was assessed during periods of peak carbon emissions (PCP; 2021–2030) and carbon neutrality (approximate net‐zero emissions) (PCN; 2051–2060) in China. The results show that a possible high‐emission strategy during PCP may not obviously enhance winter hazy conditions over Beijing in the near future. Rather, the high‐emission scenario in this period may decrease the meteorological potential that is favourable for the enhanced Beijing haze pollution by inducing a Northeast Asia cyclonic anomaly, compared to situations under SSP2–4.5, with medium emissions. Further analyses indicated that, under the continued sustainable pathway (SSP1–2.6 in PCN plus SSP1–2.6 in PCP; the better pathway simulating the effects of approximate net‐zero emissions during PCN through model results), atmospheric conditions such as the East Asian winter monsoon as well as decadal oceanic forcings of the mega‐El Niño and the warm Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, which are conducive to more frequent Beijing haze, are significantly suppressed in the farther future PCN. Under such circumstances, in situ haze pollution is highly repressed, suggesting a critical and positive role for the low‐carbon policy advocated by China during PCN in suppressing longer‐term hazy conditions over Beijing. In contrast, Beijing haze pollution during PCN is frequent under the discontinued sustainable pathway (SSP2–4.5/SSP5–8.5 in PCN plus SSP1–2.6 in PCP). Our findings demonstrate the possible insignificant impact of the high‐emission strategy of China during the near‐future PCP on Beijing haze exacerbation, and an important role for carbon neutrality advocated by China to suppress the haze potential in the farther future PCN, highlighting the significance of future pathway selections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism by which cigarette smoke ( CS) causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) is poorly understood. Interleukin-33 ( IL-33) is a pleiotropic cytokine predominantly expressed in lung tissue and can elicit airway inflammation in naive mice. We tested the hypothesis that IL-33 is induced by CS and contributes to CS-mediated airway inflammation in a mouse model of CS-induced COPD. Groups of mice were exposed to CS three times per day for 4 consecutive days. The expression levels of IL-33 and ST2 were markedly enhanced in the lung tissue of mice inhaling CS. Exposure to CS also induced neutrophil and macrophage infiltration and expression of inflammatory cytokines ( IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α, IL-17), chemokines (monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) and mucin 5, subtypes A and C in the airways. More importantly, all of these CS-induced pathogenic changes were significantly inhibited by treatment with neutralizing anti- IL-33 antibody delivered intranasally. Hence, our results suggest that IL-33 plays a critical role in CS-mediated airway inflammation and may be a therapeutic target in CS-related diseases, including COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin (IL)-39 is a novel member of IL-12 family and has been reported to play a pro-inflammatory role in lupus-like mice, but its function in concanavalin A (ConA)-induced liver injury is currently unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of IL-39 expression in a mouse model of ConA induced-hepatitis. We first showed that delivery of plasmid DNA encoding mouse IL-39 using the hydrodynamic tail vein injection method increased IL-39 mRNA and protein levels in the liver. We then administrated mice with IL-39 plasmid before ConA injection and measured serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte necrosis in the liver. Additionally, we further explored the potential mechanism of IL-39 in ConA-induced liver injury by measuring several inflammatory mediators. We found that ectopic IL-39 expression promoted the ConA-induced increase in serum ALT and AST levels, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte necrosis in the liver. We also observed that IL-39 plasmid administration significantly increased serum and liver interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-17A levels, but did not affect serum and liver IL-10 levels in ConA-induced hepatitis. Our results suggest that IL-39 can exacerbate ConA-induced hepatitis and may be a therapeutic target in inflammatory liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We found that IL-41 pre-treatment alleviated pulmonary inflammatory infiltration, and lung tissue lesions. • IL-41 pre-treatment also limited CS-induced weight loss, and resulted in lower numbers of macrophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lower percentages of neutrophils and monocytes in the blood. • Furthermore, it promoted the polarization of M2 macrophages rather than M1 macrophages, as determined by immunohistochemistry. • Consistent with its effects on M2 polarization, pre-treatment with IL-41 was associated with higher levels of IL-10 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues of CS-exposed animals and lower production of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), IL-1β and IL-6 in the serum and lung tissues. • These findings suggest that IL-41 could be used therapeutically to treat CS-induced lung inflammatory disorders as it inhibits CS-induced pulmonary inflammation when administered in vivo in mice. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other inflammatory lung illnesses are markedly exacerbated by cigarette smoke (CS). The novel cytokine interleukin (IL)-41 has immunoregulatory effects, but data on its function in lung inflammation caused by CS are limited and inconclusive. Our study aimed to investigate the ability of IL-41 to protect against CS-induced lung inflammation in vivo. In this model, mice were exposed to six cigarettes three times daily for 1 h, with 4-hour intervals between exposures, for 5 consecutive days. Mice received an intraperitoneal dose of IL-41 or a negative control 1 day prior to their initial exposure to CS. On day 6, mice were sacrificed to assess the impact of IL-41 on CS-induced lung inflammation. We found that IL-41 pre-treatment alleviated pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and lung tissue lesions. IL-41 pre-treatment also limited CS-induced weight loss, and resulted in lower numbers of macrophages in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lower percentages of neutrophils and monocytes in the blood. Furthermore, it promoted the polarization of M2 macrophages rather than M1 macrophages, as determined by immunohistochemistry. Consistent with its effects on M2 polarization, pre-treatment with IL-41 was associated with higher levels of IL-10 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissues of CS-exposed animals and lower production of tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6 and IL-1β in the serum and lung tissues. These findings suggest that IL-41 could be used therapeutically to treat CS-induced lung inflammatory disorders as it inhibits CS-induced pulmonary inflammation when administered in vivo in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered a systemic chronic inflammatory joint disease characterized by chronic synovitis and cartilage and bone destruction. Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a proinflammatory cytokine which is highly expressed in the synovium of RA patients and the joints of mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and exacerbates CIA in mice. However, the role of the IL-33-neutralizing antibody in the murine model of CIA remains unclear. In the present study, CIA mice were given intraperitoneally with polyclonal rabbit anti-murine IL-33 antibody (anti-IL-33) or normal rabbit IgG control after the first signs of arthritis. Administration of anti-IL-33 after the onset of disease significantly reduced the severity of CIA and joint damage compared with controls treated with normal rabbit IgG. Anti-IL-33 treatment also significantly decreased the serum levels of interferon-γ(IFN-γ),IL-6, IL-12, IL-33, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Moreover, anti-IL-33 treatment significantly downregulated the production of IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-12, IL-33, and TNF-α in ex vivo-stimulated spleen cells. Together, our results indicate that the IL-33-neutralizing antibody may provide a therapeutic strategy for RA by inhibiting the release of proinflammatory cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin‐38 (IL‐38) is a novel member of the IL‐1 cytokine family with anti‐inflammatory activity. However, its effect on adipogenesis and inflammatory cytokines secretion of adipocytes in vitro has not been reported. To address whether IL‐38 inhibits adipogenesis and inflammation in vitro, adipose precursor 3T3‐L1 cells were cultured with or without IL‐38. The morphology and size of lipid droplets in 3T3‐L1 cells were measured by Oil red O staining. The mRNA expression levels of GATA‐binding protein‐3 (GATA‐3), glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4), peroxisome proliferator‐associated receptor γ2, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) in 3T3‐L1 cells were detected by real‐time PCR, The contents of IL‐6, IL‐1β, and MCP‐1 in 3T3‐L1 cell medium supernatants were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. IL‐38 significantly decreased the number of lipid droplets in 3T3‐L1 cells. IL‐38 also increased GATA‐3 and GLUT4 mRNA expression and inhibited IL‐1β, IL‐6, and MCP‐1 secretion by 3T3‐L1 cells. It is concluded that IL‐38 can inhibit the differentiation of human adipocytes and inflammatory cytokine production by 3T3‐L1 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]