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Abstract Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the postoperative recovery period often experience reduced exercise capacity and impaired lung function, which affects their overall quality of life. This paper investigated the effect of exercise interventions on exercise capacity, lung function, quality of life, and symptoms in these patients. Methods: We performed a literature search across Cochrane, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases were comprehensively searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to September 2023, all English RCTs were eligible if they assessed the effects of exercise interventions on postoperative NSCLC patients. Results: Twelve articles met our inclusion criteria, evidencing that exercise interventions could significantly improve the functional capacity of NSCLC patients in postoperative recovery. Notably, Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s (FEV1) was improved, indicating enhanced lung function. Furthermore, exercise improved the physical and mental health scores of SF-36, along with increased quadriceps strength and relieved dyspnea. However, fatigue levels were not significantly changed. Conclusions: Exercise interventions of NSCLC patients in the postoperative recovery are associated with improved functional capacity, lung function, quality of life, and quadriceps strength, as well as alleviated symptoms of dyspnea. These findings underscore the potential benefits of incorporating exercise into postoperative care for NSCLC patients. Nonetheless, further large-scale RCTs are required to solidify the evidence base on the clinical outcomes of exercise following pneumonectomy.

Abstract Background Excessive energy intake in modern society has led to an epidemic surge in metabolic diseases, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, posing profound threats to women’s reproductive health. However, the precise impact and underlying pathogenesis of energy excess on female reproduction remain unclear. Methods We established an obese and hyperglycemic female mouse model induced by a high-fat and high-sucrose (HFHS) diet, then reproductive phenotypes of these mice were evaluated by examing sexual hormones, estrous cycles, and ovarian morphologies. Transcriptomic and precise metabolomic analyses of the ovaries were performed to compare the molecular and metabolic changes in HFHS mice. Finally, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis was performed to compare the similarities of traits between HFHS mice and women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Results The HFHS mice displayed marked reproductive dysfunctions, including elevated serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels, irregular estrous cycles, and impaired folliculogenesis, mimicking the clinical manifestations of women with PCOS. Precise metabolomic overview suggested that HFHS diet disrupted amino acid metabolism in the ovaries of female mice. Additionally, transcriptional profiling revealed pronounced disturbances in ovarian steroid hormone biosynthesis and glucolipid metabolism in HFHS mice. Further multi-omics analyses unveiled prominent aberration in ovarian arginine biosynthesis pathway. Notably, comparisons between HFHS mice and a cohort of PCOS patients identified analogous reproductive and metabolic signatures. Conclusions Our results provide direct in vivo evidence for the detrimental effects of overnutrition on female reproduction and offer insights into the metabolic underpinnings of PCOS.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor in adults and is poorly controlled. Previous studies have shown that both macrophages and angiogenesis play significant roles in GBM progression, and co-targeting of CSF1R and VEGFR is likely to be an effective strategy for GBM treatment. Therefore, this study developed a novel and selective inhibitor of CSF1R and VEGFR, SYHA1813, possessing potent antitumor activity against GBM. SYHA1813 inhibited VEGFR and CSF1R kinase activities with high potency and selectivity and thus blocked the cell viability of HUVECs and macrophages and exhibited anti-angiogenetic effects both in vitro and in vivo. SYHA1813 also displayed potent in vivo antitumor activity against GBM in immune-competent and immune-deficient mouse models, including temozolomide (TMZ) insensitive tumors. Notably, SYHA1813 could penetrate the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and prolong the survival time of mice bearing intracranial GBM xenografts. Moreover, SYHA1813 treatment resulted in a synergistic antitumor efficacy in combination with the PD-1 antibody. As a clinical proof of concept, SYHA1813 achieved confirmed responses in patients with recurrent GBM in an ongoing first-in-human phase I trial. The data of this study support the rationale for an ongoing phase I clinical study (ChiCTR2100045380).

Abstract The recent report of near-ambient superconductivity and associated color changes in pressurized nitrogen doped lutetium hydride has triggered worldwide interest and raised major questions about the nature and underlying physics of these latest claims. Here we report synthesis and characterization of high-purity nitrogen doped lutetium hydride LuH2±x N y . We find that pressure conditions have notable effects on Lu-N and Lu-NH chemical bonding and the color changes likely stem from pressure-induced electron redistribution of nitrogen/vacancies and interaction with the LuH2 framework. No superconducting transition is found in all the phases at temperatures 1.8-300 K and pressures 0-38 GPa. Instead, we identify a notable temperature-induced resistance anomaly of electronic origin in LuH2±x N y , which is most pronounced in the pink phase and may have been erroneously interpreted as a sign of superconducting transition. This work establishes key benchmarks for nitrogen doped lutetium hydrides, allowing an in-depth understanding of its novel pressure-induced phase changes.

ObjectiveTo examine the trend in intentional injury mortality during 2008 – 2020 among Chinese residents and to predict the mortality rate of years of 2021 – 2025 in the population for providing evidence to intentional injury prevention. MethodsThe data on gender-, age-, region-specific intentional injury mortality for years of 2008 – 2020 among the populations of surveillance sites across China were extracted from National Cause-of-Death Surveillance Dataset. Yearly crude and standardized rate were calculated to describe intentional injury mortality. Joinpoint regression analysis model was used to analyze changing trend in standardized mortality rates, and grey model was applied to predict intentional injury mortality rates for years of 2021 – 2025. ResultsFor the whole population surveyed, the standardized mortality rate (per 100 000) decreased significantly from 2008 to 2020 for intentional injury (from 11.10 to 5.76 ), suicide and sequelae (10.11 to 5.42), and homicide and sequelae (1.01 to 0.31) (average annual percent change [AAPC] = – 5.85%, – 5.62%, – 10.77%) (all P < 0.001), respectively. For the male population, the standardized mortality rate of intentional injury decreased significantly from 12.77 to 6.99 during the whole period (P < 0.001, APPC = – 5.50%); while, for the female population, there was a significant decrease from 2010 to 2018 (annual percent change [APC] = – 7.31%，P < 0.001) but a unsignificant increase from 2018 to 2020 (APC = 0.04%，P = 0.995) in the standardized mortality rate, though the rate decreased significantly from 9.70 to 4.58 for the whole period from 2008 to 2020 (P < 0.001, APPC = – 6.12%). The mortality rate of intentional injury decreased significantly from 2008 to 2020 for the populations aged 1 – 4 years (0.02 to 0.01, AAPC = – 6.01%), 15 – 44 years (0.59 to 0.31, AAPC = – 5.37), 45 – 64 years (0.86 to 0.46, AAPC = – 5.42%), and ≥ 65 years (0.77 to 0.39, AAPC = – 6.17%) (P < 0.01 for all). The standardized mortality rate of intentional injury decreased significantly from 2008 to 2020 for the populations in eastern region (9.08 to 4.77, AAPC = – 5.53%), central region (14.37 to 6.92, AAPC = – 6.07%), and western region (10.73 to 5.90, AAPC = – 5.42%) and also for the populations in urban regions (6.69 to 4.18, AAPC = – 4.56%) and rural regions (14.06 to 6.67, AAPC = – 6.71%) (P < 0.001 for all). The predicted annual mortality rate of intentional injury from 2021 to 2025 for the population surveyed were 6.07, 5.83, 5.60, 5.38, and 5.16 based on grey model analysis. ConclusionThe intentional injury mortality rate for Chinese residents from 2008 to 2020 and in the next five years shows a continuous downward trend.

Gymnastic equipment surfaces are shared by many people, and could mediate the transfer of bacterial pathogens. To better understand this detrimental potential, investigations on the reservoirs of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment were performed by analyzing the bacterial community structures, prevalence of viable bacteria, and presence of antimicrobial resistance on both indoor and outdoor gymnastic facilities. The results of high-throughput 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing showed that Gram-positive bacteria on the surfaces of indoor gymnastic equipment significantly enriched, including the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus strains, while Enterobacteriaceae significantly enriched on surfaces of outdoor gymnastic equipment. The analysis of α-diversities showed a higher richness and diversity for bacterial communities on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment than the environment. Analysis of β-diversities showed that the bacterial communities on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment differ significantly from environmental bacterial communities, while the bacterial communities on indoor and outdoor equipment are also significantly different. Thirty-four bacterial isolates were obtained from the surfaces of gymnastic equipment, including three multidrug Staphylococcus and one multidrug resistant Pantoea. In particular, Staphylococcus hemolyticus 5–6, isolated from the dumbbell surface, is a multidrug resistant, hemolytic, high- risk pathogen. The results of quantitative PCR targeting antibiotic resistance related genes (intI1, sul1 and blaTEM) showed that the abundances of sul1 and blaTEM genes on the surfaces of gymnastic equipment are higher than the environment, while the abundances of sul1 gene on indoor equipment are higher than outdoor equipment. These results lead to the conclusion that the surfaces of gymnastic equipment are potential dissemination pathways for highly dangerous pathogens as well as antimicrobial resistance, and the risks of indoor equipment are higher than outdoor equipment.

The multi-UAV task assignment problem in large-scale group-to-group interception scenarios presents challenges in terms of large computational complexity and the lack of accurate evaluation models. This paper proposes an effective evaluation model and hierarchical task assignment framework to address these challenges. The evaluation model incorporates the dynamics constraints specific to fixed-wing UAVs and improves the Apollonius circle model to accurately describe the cooperative interception effectiveness of multiple UAVs. By evaluating the interception effectiveness during the interception process, the assignment scheme of the multiple UAVs could be given based on the model. To optimize the configuration of UAVs and targets, a hierarchical framework based on the network flow algorithm is employed. This framework utilizes a clustering method based on feature similarity and interception advantage to decompose the large-scale task assignment problem into smaller, complete submodels. Following the assignment, Dubins curves are planned to the optimal interception points, ensuring the effectiveness of the interception task. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme. With the increase in the model scale, the proposed scheme has a greater descending rate of runtime. In a large-scale scenario involving 200 UAVs and 100 targets, the runtime is reduced by 84.86%.

Abstract Background Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) has a high morbidity and mortality due to the low detection of Cryptococcus in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during the early stage of the disease with traditional methods. Case presentation In addition to the traditional methods of India ink staining and cryptococcal antigen (CrAg), we used nanopore sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to detect pathogenic DNA in CSF samples of three patients with CM. The CSF samples of all three patients were positive by India ink staining and CrAg. NGS also detected Cryptococcus in all three CSF samples. Nanopore sequencing detected Cryptococcus in two CSF samples. Conclusion Nanopore sequencing may be useful in assisting with the clinical diagnosis of CM. Further research is needed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of nanopore sequencing of CSF.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the willingness of patients with HIV/AIDS in Henan province to accept mobile information follow-up, to find the key factors that affect behavioral willingness to accept such follow-up, to explore the internal mechanism of the mobile service, and to provide a theoretical rationale for the further promotion of mobile follow-up.MethodsThis study used the technology acceptance model (TAM) as its main theoretical tool, which adopted a stratified random sampling method, and investigated 284 patients with HIV/AIDS in area six of Sanmenxia City. An on-site questionnaire survey method was adopted for this study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for structural validity, with Cronbach's coefficient used for reliability. Data analysis mainly used SPSS23.0 and AMOS23.0 software.ResultsThe acceptance rate of the HIV/AIDS mobile follow-up service was 68.53%. In the study, product factors (PFs) were considered important in the indirect path of the TAM. Our TAM model suggested that high perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), and perceived innovativeness (PI) of the service were significant in improving mobile health (mHealth) acceptance among patients with HIV/AIDS in China. Subjective norms (SNs) also contributed to popularizing the service in the HIV/AIDS community. The model fitting was considered acceptable (root mean square error of approximation, RMSEA = 0.074; goodness of fit index, GFI = 0.905; comparative fit index, CFI = 0.963, and Tucker-Lewis index, TLI = 0.593).ConclusionPFs and SNs exerted an important influence on the behavioral intentions of the patients with HIV/AIDS who accepted mobile health. PU was another important factor affecting behavioral intention. The practicality of mHealth services was crucial. Convenience and the innovativeness of the experience with the service will be conducive to the promotion and use of mHealth follow-up services.

Objective: Th1 and Th2 cells and their associated cytokines function in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but their exact roles are uncertain. We performed a meta-analysis to examine the relationship of these cells and cytokines with SLE.Methods: Multiple databases were searched to identify publications that reported the percentages of Th1 and Th2 cells and their associated cytokines in SLE patients and healthy controls (HCs). Meta-analysis was performed using Stata MP version 16.Results: SLE patients had a lower percentage of Th1 cells, a higher percentage of Th2 cells, and higher levels of Th1- and Th2-associated cytokines than HCs. SLE treatments normalized some but not all of these indicators. For studies in which the proportion of females was less than 94%, the percentage of Th2 cells and the level of IL-10 were higher in patients than HCs. SLE patients who had abnormal kidney function and were younger than 30 years old had a higher proportion of Th1 cells than HCs. SLE patients more than 30 years old had a higher level of IL-6 than HCs.Conclusion: Medications appeared to restore the balance of Th1 cells and other disease indicators in patients with SLE. Gender and age affected the levels of Th1 and Th2 cells, and the abnormally elevated levels of Th2 cells appear to be more pronounced in older patients and males.Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/], identifier [CRD42022296540].

Daptomycin (DAP), a last-resort antibiotic for treating Gram-positive bacterial infection, has been widely used in the treatment of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Resistance to both daptomycin and vancomycin leads to difficulties in controlling infections of enterococci. A clinical multidrug-resistant Enterococcus faecium EF332 strain that shows resistance to both daptomycin and vancomycin was identified, for which resistance mechanisms were investigated in this work. Whole-genome sequencing and comparative genomic analysis were performed by third-generation PacBio sequencing, showing that E. faecium EF332 contains four plasmids, including a new multidrug-resistant pEF332-2 plasmid. Two vancomycin resistance-conferring gene clusters vanA and vanM were found on this plasmid, making it the second reported vancomycin-resistant plasmid containing both clusters. New mutations in chromosomal genes cls and gdpD that, respectively, encode cardiolipin synthase and glycerophosphoryl diester phosphodiesterase were identified. Their potential roles in leading to daptomycin resistance were further investigated. Through molecular cloning and phenotypic screening, two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography, fluorescence surface charge test, and analysis of cardiolipin distribution patterns, we found that mutations in cls decrease surface negative charges of the cell membrane (CM) and led to redistribution of lipids of CM. Both events contribute to the DAP resistance of E. faecium EF332. Mutation in gdpD leads to changes in CM phospholipid compositions, but cannot confer DAP resistance. Neither mutation could result in changes in cellular septa. Therefore, we conclude that the daptomycin resistance of E. faecium EF332 is conferred by new cls mutations. This work reports the genetic basis for vancomycin and daptomycin resistance of a multidrug-resistant E. faecium strain, with the finding of new mutations of cls that leads to daptomycin resistance.

The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is a vital strategy for enhancing the phytoremediation of heavy metals. However, the role of AMF under molybdenum (Mo) stress is elusive. A pot culture experiment was conducted to explore the effects of AMF (Claroideoglomus etunicatum and Rhizophagus intraradices) inoculation on the uptake and transport of Mo and the physiological growth of maize plants under different levels of Mo addition (0, 100, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg). AMF inoculation significantly increased the biomass of maize plants, and the mycorrhizal dependency reached 222% at the Mo addition level of 1000 mg/kg. Additionally, AMF inoculation could induce different growth allocation strategies in response to Mo stress. Inoculation significantly reduced Mo transport, and the active accumulation of Mo in the roots reached 80% after inoculation at the high Mo concentration of 2000 mg/kg. In addition to enhancing the net photosynthetic and pigment content, inoculation also increased the biomass by enhancing the uptake of nutrients, including P, K, Zn, and Cu, to resist Mo stress. In conclusion, C. etunicatum and R. intraradices were tolerant to the Mo stress and could alleviate the Mo-induced phytotoxicity by regulating the allocation of Mo in plants and improving photosynthetic leaf pigment contents and the uptake of nutrition. Compared with C. etunicatum, R. intraradices showed a stronger tolerance to Mo, which was manifested by a stronger inhibition of Mo transport and a higher uptake of nutrient elements. Accordingly, AMF show potential for the bioremediation of Mo-polluted soil.

ObjectiveExcessive salt intake is causally associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Salt-reduction strategies have been rapidly deployed across China since 2017. This study aimed to investigate the association of salt-reduction knowledge and behaviors and salt intake in Chinese population.Study DesignThis study was a national cross-sectional study in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was based on data collected during a Chinese adult chronic disease and nutrition surveillance program in 2018 with 7,665 study participants. Salt intake was assessed by calculating 24 h urine sodium from morning urine samples. Logistic regression and mean impact value (MIV) based on the back propagation (BP) artificial neural network were used to screen the potential influencing factors.ResultsA total of 7,665 participants were included in the analysis, with an average age of 54.64 ± 13.26 years, and with men accounting for 42.6%. Only 19.3% of the participants were aware of the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, and only 7.3% of them could accurately identify the level of salt intake recommended in the Chinese Dietary Guidelines. Approximately 41% of the participants adopted salt-reduction behaviors, among whom the number of participants who used less salt when cooking was the highest, and the number of participants who used low sodium salt was the lowest. In the logistic regression, only “No extra salt was added at the table” group showed the effect of salt-reduction, the odds ratio (OR) being 0.78 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64–0.95). The MIV result based on the BP neural network showed that the most important salt-reduction behavior was using less salt when cooking, while reducing eating-out behavior and using salt-limiting tools were the least important.ConclusionThe research shows that the popularization of salt-reduction knowledge and behaviors can reduce the population's salt intake. However, there is still considerable scope for promoting salt-reduction knowledge and behaviors, while the promotion of salt-reduction tools and low-sodium salt still needs to be strengthened.

Clustering is an effective solution to improve the management efficiency of large-scale systems. One one hand, UAVs performing the same task have a similar moving tendency. One the other hand, the network topology of the UAV swarms is dynamically changing. Considering the above two aspects, our main contributrons are designing a group-oriented distributed clustering algorithm based on the coalition game that couples task attributes and communication attributes. The clustering goal is to divide UAVs performing the same task into one cluster and make each cluster have more UAVs under the cluster size limits, thus improving communication efficiency. The proposed algorithm comprehensively considers the task group information and communication link stability as the coalition value. UAVs decide whether to leave their current coalition based on coalition values. Through periodic parallel switch operations selection, UAVs are divided into the desired clustering structure. Simulations verify that our clustering algorithm is effective and better than the existing ones, especially in communication link stability, cluster numbers, and load balance.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and ectomycorrhiza (ECM) are the two most common mycorrhizal types and are paid the most attention to, playing a vital common but differentiated function in terrestrial ecosystems. The leaf carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) is an important factor in understanding the relationship between plants and the environment. In this study, a new database was established on leaf δ13C between AM and ECM plants based on the published data set of leaf δ13C in China’s C3 terrestrial plants, which involved 1163 observations. The results showed that the differences in leaf δ13C between AM and ECM plants related closely to life forms. Leaf δ13C of ECM plants was higher than that of AM plants in trees, which was mainly led by the group of evergreen trees. The responses of leaf δ13C to environmental changes were varied between AM and ECM plants. Among the four life forms, leaf δ13C of ECM plants decreased more rapidly than that of AM plants, with an increase of longitude, except for deciduous trees. In terms of the sensitivity of leaf δ13C to temperature changes, AM plants were higher than ECM plants in the other three life forms, although there was no significant difference in evergreen trees. For the response to water conditions, the leaf δ13C of ECM plants was more sensitive than that of AM plants in all life forms, except evergreen and deciduous trees. This study laid a foundation for further understanding the role of mycorrhiza in the relationship between plants and the environment.

Nitrogen (N) deposition is known to significantly affect plant growth. Mycorrhizas play an important role in plant productivity, and plants of different mycorrhizal types respond differently to global change, which will inevitably affect plant response to N deposition. However, little is known about the differences of different mycorrhizas in biomass allocation of host plants in response to N addition. Here, a meta-analysis of data from N addition experiments was carried out to analyze the response of biomass in arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and ectomycorrhiza (ECM) plants to N addition. The results showed that biomass of leaf, stem, fine root (FR), and litter between AM and ECM plants responded differently to N addition (p < 0.05). Among them, biomass of leaf and stem in ECM plants (leaf: 46.89%; stem: 45.59%) was more sensitive (positively) to N addition than AM plants (leaf: 27.84%; stem: 10.30%) (p < 0.05). N addition suppressed biomass of FR in AM plants (−11.22%) but promoted that in ECM plants (13.77%). The effects on biomass also varied with different functional groups between AM and ECM plants. However, the N responses were influenced by other resources. When other treatments were added, biomass was less varied in AM plants compared to ECM plants. In addition, the N response of WB (whole biomass) and root biomass were positively correlated with annual temperature in ECM plants, but that in AM plants did not. The effects on shoot biomass in AM and ECM plants to N addition both decreased with annual temperature. The N response of root biomass increased with annual precipitation. It can be seen that different mycorrhizal types regulate the response of different plant organ biomass to N addition, which is significant for predicting ecosystem responses and feedback to environmental change.

Leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are the most important functional traits in plants which affect biogeochemical cycles. As the most widely observed plant–fungus mutualistic symbiosis, mycorrhiza plays a vital role in regulating plant growth. There are different types of mycorrhiza with various ecological functions in nature. Drought, as a frequent environmental stress, has been paid more and more attention due to its influence on plant growth. Numerous studies have confirmed that drought affects the concentration of N and P in plants, but few studies involve different mycorrhizal types of plants. In this study, the differences of N and P between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) plants under different drought patterns, drought duration and cultivation conditions were explored based on a dataset by a meta-analysis. Drought stress (DS) showed negative effects on AM plant N (−7.15%) and AM plant P (−13.87%), and a positive effect on AM plant N:P ratio (+8.01%). Drought significantly increased N and the N:P ratio of ECM plants by 1.58% and 3.58%, respectively, and decreased P of ECM plants by −2.00%. Short-term drought (

Background Global warming can alter plant productivity, and community composition which has consequences for soil-plant associated microorganisms. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are distributed widely and form symbiotic relationships with more than 80% of vascular plants and play a key role in nutrient cycling processes at the ecosystem scale. Methods A simulated warming experiment at multiple elevations (3,000, 3,500, 3,800, and 4,170 m) was conducted utilizing an in-situ open-top chamber (OTC) for exploring the effect of global warming on AMF community structure in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). This region has been identified as one of the most sensitive areas to climatic changes. Soil DNA was extracted and sequenced using next the Mi-Seq platform for diversity profiling. Results AMF richness was higher under the simulated warming chamber, however this only occurred in the elevation of 3,500 m. Warming did not alter other AMF alpha diversity indices (e.g. Shannon, Ace, and Simpson evenness index). Glomus and Acaulospora were the dominate AMF genera as assessed through their relative abundance and occurrence in control and warming treatments at the different elevations. Conclusion Warming changed significantly AMF community. The effects of warming on AMF community structure varied depend on elevations. Moreover, the occurrences of AMF in different genera were also presented the different responses to warming in four elevations.

(1) Background: environmental gradient strongly affects microbial biodiversity, but which factors drive the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with roots at relatively large spatial scales requires further research; (2) Methods: an experiment on large spatial scales of Mt. Taibai was conducted to explore the biodiversity and drivers of AMF-associated with roots using high-throughput sequencing; (3) Results: a total of 287 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belong to 62 species representing 4 identified and 1 unclassified order were identified along different altitudinal gradients. With increasing altitude, AMF colonization could be simulated by a quadratic function trend, and altitude has a significant impact on colonization. AMF alpha diversity, including the Sobs and Shannon indexes, tended to be quadratic function trends with increasing altitude. The highest diversity indices occurred at mid-altitudes, and altitude had a significant effect on them. AMF communities have different affinities with soil and root nutrient, and Glomus is most affected by soil and root nutrient factors through the analysis of the heatmap. Glomus are the most dominant, with an occurrence frequency of 91.67% and a relative abundance of 61.29% and 53.58% at the level of species and OTU, respectively. Furthermore, AMF diversity were mostly associated with soil and root nutrients; (4) Conclusions: in general, AMF molecular diversity is abundant in Mt. Taibai, and altitude and nutrient properties of soil and root are the main influencing factors on AMF diversity and distribution.

(1) Background: Understanding the diversity of communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is the basis for understanding the ecological functions of AMF. (2) Methods: The community diversity and distribution of AMF at different elevations in tropical montane rainforests of Mt. Jianfenfling and Mt. Diaoluo were explored using high-throughput sequencing technology. (3) Results: A total of 283 AMF operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified from roots and the number of unique OTUs was 173, accounting for 61.13% of the total number discovered in these tropical montane rainforests. At different altitudes, high turnovers of AMF were observed, with the maximum proportion of unique OTUs between two altitudes being 45.16%, recorded between a.s.l. 250 m and 900 m on Mt. Diaoluo. The highest Sobs, Shannon and Pielou diversity indices appeared at 650 m on Mt. Diaoluo. For the two mountains, the soil properties of C, N and C/N have significant impacts on the genera Scutellospora, Paraglomus and unclassified in Archaeosporaceae, while the genera Glomus, Diversispora and Acaulospora are significantly affected by soil P and pH. It can be considered that altitude probably determines the presence of AMF communities by affecting edaphic properties. (4) Conclusions: There are abundant AMF associated with roots in the tropical montane rainforests of China. Furthermore, a high turnover of OTUs was found to exist between the mountains and at different altitudes, revealing diverse AMF community structures in tropical montane rainforests.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) play a vital role in ecosystems, especially in ecosystem variability, diversity, and function. Understanding the AMF diversity, distribution, and their driver at different altitudinal gradients is a benefit for understanding the ecological function of AMF in mountain ecosystems. In this study, we explored the AMF molecular diversity and their distribution from 660 to 3,500 m a.s.l. in Mount Taibai of Qinling Mountains based on high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 702 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in 103 species of AMF are isolated from soil samples, which belong to 18 identified and 1 unidentified genus in 10 families. The fungi in the genus of Glomus is the most dominant, with the occurrence frequency of 100% and the relative abundance of 42.268% and 33.048% on the species and OTU level, respectively. The AMF colonization in root could be simulated by a cubic function with the change of altitudes with the peak and trough at a.s.l. 1,170 and 2,850 m, respectively. Further, AMF diversity indices including Sob, Shannon diversity, and Pielou evenness also showed the same cubic function change trends with increasing altitude at OTU and species levels. However, the average values of diversity indices at OTU level are always higher than these at the species level. Based on the OTU level, the highest and lowest values of Shannon and Pielou indices are observed at the altitudes of 1,400 and 2,800 m, respectively. The pattern of AMF community distribution in Mt. Taibai is driven by altitude with the characteristics of more abundance in the medium- to low-altitude than high-altitude areas. In general, abundant AMF molecular diversity and species exit in different elevations of Mt. Taibai, which indicate gradient changes with elevations.

An extensively-drug resistant (XDR) Escherichia coli W60 was isolated from the urine sample of a patient. The genetic basis for its XDR phenotype was investigated, particularly the basis for its resistance toward β-lactam/BLI (β-Lactamase Inhibitor) combinations. Following determination of the XDR phenotype, third generation genomic sequencing was performed to identify genetic structures in E. coli W60. Further cloning analysis was performed to identify determinants of β-lactam/BLI combination resistance. It was found that E. coli W60 is resistant to nearly all of the tested antibiotics including all commonly used β-lactam/BLI combinations. Analysis of the genomic structures in E. coli W60 showed two novel transferable plasmids are responsible for the resistance phenotypes. Further genetic analysis showed blaNDM–5 leads to high resistance to β-lactam/BLI combinations, which was enhanced by co-expressing bleMBL. pECW602 harbors a truncated blaTEM that is not functional due to the loss of the N-terminal signal peptide coding region. Research performed in this work leads to several significant conclusions: the XDR phenotype of E. coli W60 can be attributed to the presence of transferable multidrug resistance plasmids; NDM-5 confers high resistance to β-lactam/BLI combinations; co-expression of bleMBL enhances resistance caused by NDM-5; the signal peptides of TEM type β-lactamases are essential for their secretion and function. Findings of this work show the danger of transferable multidrug resistance plasmids and metallo-β-lactamases, both of which should be given more attention in the analysis and treatment of multidrug resistant pathogens.

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are proton-gated cation channels that are involved in diverse neuronal processes including pain sensing. The peptide toxin Mambalgin1 (Mamba1) from black mamba snake venom can reversibly inhibit the conductance of ASICs, causing an analgesic effect. However, the detailed mechanism by which Mamba1 inhibits ASIC1s, especially how Mamba1 binding to the extracellular domain affects the conformational changes of the transmembrane domain of ASICs remains elusive. Here, we present single-particle cryo-EM structures of human ASIC1a (hASIC1a) and the hASIC1a-Mamba1 complex at resolutions of 3.56 and 3.90 Å, respectively. The structures revealed the inhibited conformation of hASIC1a upon Mamba1 binding. The combination of the structural and physiological data indicates that Mamba1 preferentially binds hASIC1a in a closed state and reduces the proton sensitivity of the channel, representing a closed-state trapping mechanism.

Background There is a critical need to examine whether mining of molybdenum (Mo) ore will affect Mo absorption and translocation by plants at a community level. Methods Indigenous plants and their rhizospheric soil (0–20 cm) growing in two different areas including the mining and the unexploited areas were collected from the Luanchuan Mo mine—one of the largest Mo mines in Asia. The concentrations of Mo and other heavy metals of plants or soil were measured by ICP-AES. Mo absorption and translocation in plants growing in two areas were investigated and compared. Heavy metal pollution in soil was also evaluated by the potential ecological hazard index method. Results Mo concentration in mining soils was higher with the changes from 108.13 to 268.13 mg kg−1 compared to unexploited area. Mo concentrations in shoots and roots of plants growing in the mining area were also significant higher than those growing in the unexploited area with 2.59 and 2.99 times, respectively. The Mo translocation factor of plants growing in the unexploited area was 1.61, which reached 1.69 times that of plants growing in the mining area. Mo was the main heavy metal pollutant in the soil of both the mining and the unexploited areas. Conclusion Mining of Mo had changed not only the Mo concentration in soil but also Mo absorption and translocation in plants. Plants growing in the mining area absorbed more Mo from the soil but translocated relatively less to shoots than plants of the unexploited area. However, the mechanisms of Mo absorption and translocation of plants in mining area should be further studied in the future.

This study aimed to illustrate the association of four major chronic noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, and diabetes) with life expectancy (LE) of Chinese residents in 2019 and to provide an evidence base for the scientific prevention and treatment of chronic diseases in China. The abbreviated life and cause-eliminated life tables were compiled according to the Jiang Qing Lang method recommended by WHO (World Health Organization) to calculate LE and cause-eliminated life expectancy (CELE) in 2019. The disease that had the greatest association with the LE of Chinese residents was cardiovascular disease (CVD), with the LE increasing by 8.13 years after removing CVD deaths. This was followed by cancer (2.68 years), respiratory diseases (0.88 years), and diabetes (0.24 years). The four major chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) were the main diseases affecting the health of Chinese residents. CVD should be prevented and treated as the key disease among the chronic diseases, while women and rural people should be the major focus of health knowledge promotion. All residents should be encouraged to develop a good understanding of self-protection and of how to achieve a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce the occurrence of death and to improve their quality of life and health in general.

Neospora caninum, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, can infect a large variety of vertebrate hosts including the most economically important cattle. Infection with N. caninum is a main cause of abortion in both dairy and beef cattle, which causes great economic losses worldwide. However, the mechanism of host cell infection by N. caninum has not been fully elucidated, especially in terms of inflammatory responses. In this study, the effect of TLR-ERK signaling pathway on the synthesis of pro-inflammatory interleukin-12p40 in mouse peritoneal macrophages (PMϕ) challenged by N. caninum was investigated. Our results suggested that N. caninum infection quickly activated MEK-ERK signaling via TLR11 in PMϕ. In addition, N. caninum infection also caused upregulated production of IL-12p40 by PMϕ, which was significantly reduced with the blockade of TLR11/MEK/ERK pathway, suggesting that this upregulation of IL-12 p40 was TLR11 and MEK-ERK-activation dependent.