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Abstract Viruses as the prevailing biological entities are poorly understood in underground realms. Here, we establish the first metagenomic Groundwater Virome Catalogue (GWVC) comprising 280,420 viral species ( ≥ 5 kb) detected from 607 monitored wells in seven geo-environmental zones throughout China. In expanding ~10-fold the global portfolio of known groundwater viruses, we uncover over 99% novel viruses and about 95% novel viral clusters. By linking viruses to hosts from 119 prokaryotic phyla, we double the number of microbial phyla known to be virus-infected in groundwater. As keystone ultrasmall symbionts in aquifers, CPR bacteria and DPANN archaea are susceptible to virulent viruses. Certain complete CPR viruses even likely infect non-CPR bacteria, while partial CPR/DPANN viruses harbor cell-surface modification genes that assist symbiont cell adhesion to free-living microbes. This study reveals the unknown viral world and auxiliary metabolism associated with methane, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycling in groundwater, and highlights the importance of subsurface virosphere in viral ecology.

The West Liaohe Plain (WLP) is an important ecological barrier in northern China. Due to the increase in irrigation water since 2004, the groundwater level has continued to decline in the WLP. To investigate the regional groundwater imbalance, ecological effects, and their influence factors, the regional groundwater balance and its mutual feedback relationship with land use in the WLP were analyzed by using the methods of groundwater level measurement and long-term monitoring, the spatial correlation analysis, water balance analysis, land use transfer matrix, and contribution to groundwater level change. The results show that the groundwater level in the WLP in 2020 decreased by an average of 2.23 m compared with that in 2004, with a groundwater storage decrease rate of 10.90×108 m3 per year (average value). The large decline of groundwater level occurs in the centralized irrigated area in the central part, in particular in the Keerqin District, Tongliao City. The contribution of groundwater extraction to the groundwater level decrease is 33% in the WLP and more than 50% in the Keerqin district. In the area with a groundwater level decrease, the groundwater level depth increases from 4.71 m to 8.34 m, resulting in grassland degradation and coverage reduction. The sustainable extraction of groundwater in WLP is 24.28×108 m3/a. Increased groundwater extraction for agricultural irrigation is the main reason for the groundwater level decrease. To prevent the continuous groundwater level decline, comprehensive management methods, such as improving the capacity of water-saving irrigation, adjusting the planting structure, introducing water from the outer watershed, and reducing the amount of groundwater extraction are suggested. This study can provide technical support for regional agricultural cultivation planning and groundwater management and protection.

The widespread utilization of synthetic musks (SMs) in various consumer and personal care products (PCPs) has led to human external exposure through dermal absorption, inhalation of volatile fragrances, and ingestion of contaminated foods, dust, and liquids. Nonetheless, investigations comparing external and internal exposures in humans remain limited in China, particularly regarding internal exposure assessments in blood, which have lacked follow-up over the past decade. In this study, data concerning the concentrations of SMs in 135 blood samples (68 females and 67 males) obtained from residents of Shanghai are provided, representing the sole publication within the last decade on this topic. The findings suggest a potential association between SM concentrations in females and their income and ages. Additionally, the concentrations in blood are higher than in urine, suggesting that relying solely on urine assessments may underestimate health risks associated with internal exposure. Furthermore, data on internal exposure in human fluids reveal SMs' potential transfer to infants via breast milk, posing substantial threat. Noteworthy, we quantify total external exposure across various pathways for Chinese population. Our findings indicate that PCPs are identified as the predominant source of external exposure for adolescents and adults. However, in the case of infants and children, food ingestion, and PCPs dermal absorption make substantial contributions, representing 80.53 % and 16.06 % of the total for infants, and 69.96 % and 22.40 % for children, respectively. Notably, the total estimated daily intake (EDI), derived from urine analysis, falls notably below the total external exposure. While the contribution of each SM exhibits considerable variability, which can be ascribed to the distinct metabolic pathways of these compounds in vivo. Hence, additional research on the metabolism and transformation of SMs in humans is urgently needed for better human health risk assessment in the future.

Summary: Image encryption is crucial for protecting image privacy and ensuring security. Encrypting large batches of images of different types and sizes simultaneously with losslessly decryption is often necessary. This paper proposes an optical asymmetric multi-image encryption algorithm to meet these demands. First, plaintext images are converted into one-dimensional pixels and blocked. Image information, image count, and pixels are stored in corresponding areas and reassembled. Unit equal-modulus vector decomposition (UEMD) and phase truncation generate the ciphertext image and keys. The decrypted image is reconstructed from the ciphertext’s information and quantity areas. Asymmetric encryption with different keys for encryption and decryption enhances security, while UEMD ensures lossless recovery and robustness. Experiments demonstrate the proposed algorithm’s efficiency in encrypting multiple grayscale and color images of varying sizes, providing high security, and lossless recovery. This technology offers superior protection for sensitive image data, enhancing encryption system practicality and digital security.

Objective To compare the clinical outcomes and biomechanical characteristics of 1-, 2-, and 3-level pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO), and establish selection criteria based on preoperative radiographic parameters. Methods Patients undergone PSO to treat ankylosing spondylitis from February 2009 to May 2019 in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University were enrolled. According to the quantity of osteotomy performed, the participants were divided into group A (1-level PSO, n = 24), group B (2-level PSO, n = 19), and group C (3-level PSO, n = 11). Clinical outcomes were assessed before surgery and at the final follow-up. Comparisons of the radiographic parameters and quality-of-life indicators were performed among and within these groups, and the selection criteria were established by regression. Finite element analysis was conducted to compare the biomechanical characteristics of the spine treated with different quantity of osteotomies under different working conditions. Results Three-level PSO improved the sagittal parameters more significantly, but resulted in longer operative time and greater blood loss (p < 0.05). Greater stress was found in the proximal screws and proximal junction area of the vertebra in the model simulating 1-level PSO. Larger stress of screws and vertebra was observed at the distal end in the model simulating 3-level PSO. Conclusion Multilevel PSO works better for larger deformity correction than single-level PSO by allowing greater sagittal parameter correction and obtaining a better distribution of stress in the hardware construct, although with longer operation time and greater blood loss. Three-level osteotomy is recommended for the patients with preoperative of global kyphosis > 85.95°, T1 pelvic angle > 62.3°, sagittal vertical alignment > 299.55 mm, and pelvic tilt+ chin-brow vertical angle > 109.6°.

Abstract A long-standing trade-off exists between improving crystallinity and minimizing particle size in the synthesis of perovskite-type transition-metal oxynitride photocatalysts via the thermal nitridation of commonly used metal oxide and carbonate precursors. Here, we overcome this limitation to fabricate ATaO2N (A = Sr, Ca, Ba) single nanocrystals with particle sizes of several tens of nanometers, excellent crystallinity and tunable long-wavelength response via thermal nitridation of mixtures of tantalum disulfide, metal hydroxides (A(OH)2), and molten-salt fluxes (e.g., SrCl2) as precursors. The SrTaO2N nanocrystals modified with a tailored Ir–Pt alloy@Cr2O3 cocatalyst evolved H2 around two orders of magnitude more efficiently than the previously reported SrTaO2N photocatalysts, with a record solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of 0.15% for SrTaO2N in Z-scheme water splitting. Our findings enable the synthesis of perovskite-type transition-metal oxynitride nanocrystals by thermal nitridation and pave the way for manufacturing advanced long-wavelength-responsive particulate photocatalysts for efficient solar energy conversion.

The Loess Plateau region is seriously affected by soil erosion, water scarcity, and fragile ecosystems, which severely hinder social and economic development in the region. There is currently a lack of quantitative analysis and research on how human activities will affect the changes in water and sediment on the Loess Plateau and how to allocate the areas for reforestation and grassland restoration. This study focuses on the Beiluo River Basin in the Loess Plateau, analyzing the spatiotemporal variations of precipitation, runoff, water resources, sediment yield and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) over the past 20 years. The study establishes a distributed hydrological model for the basin, quantitatively evaluates the impact of returning farmland to forests and grassland on water resources and sediment transport, and explores the optimal land retirement plan under different decision-making conditions. The results show that the total water resources, runoff, groundwater resources and sediment yield in the basin are decreasing, and the annual reductions are 7×108 m3, 1×108 m3, 1.2×108 m3, and 1.6×104 tons respectively. While NDVI and precipitation is increasing, and the annual increases are 0.0064 and 65×108 m3 respectively. The continuous increase in NDVI has resulted in a reduction in runoff volume and sediment transport. Returning farmland to forests and grassland or increasing vegetation density can reduce the amount of runoff and sediment transport, with sediment transport being more sensitive. Considering both the impact on runoff and sediment transport, based on multi-objective optimization, an optimal allocation proposal for the area of returning farmland to forest and grass is proposed. The optimal land retirement area is 28.1%. This study provides decision-making support for ecological environment construction, soil and water conservation, and rational utilization of water and sediment resources in the Loess Plateau region.

Abstract Purpose A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase (ADAM) and A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase with Thrombospondin Motif (ADAMTS) have been reported potentially involved in bone metabolism and related to bone mineral density. This Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis was performed to determine whether there are causal associations of serum ADAM/ADAMTS with BMD in rid of confounders. Methods The genome-wide summary statistics of four site-specific BMD measurements were obtained from studies in individuals of European ancestry, including forearm (n = 8,143), femoral neck (n = 32,735), lumbar spine (n = 28,498) and heel (n = 426,824). The genetic instrumental variables for circulating levels of ADAM12, ADAM19, ADAM23, ADAMTS5 and ADAMTS6 were retrieved from the latest genome-wide association study of European ancestry (n = 5336 ~ 5367). The estimated causal effect was given by the Wald ratio for each variant, the inverse-variance weighted model was used as the primary approach to combine estimates from multiple instruments, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of MR results. The Bonferroni-corrected significance was set at P

Abstract Background Microbes constitute almost the entire biological community in subsurface groundwater and play an important role in ecological evolution and global biogeochemical cycles. Ecological baseline as a fundamental reference with less human interference has been investigated in surface ecosystems such as soils, rivers, and ocean, but the existence of groundwater microbial ecological baseline (GMEB) is still an open question so far. Results Based on high-throughput sequencing information derived from national monitoring of 733 newly constructed wells, we find that bacterial communities in pristine groundwater exhibit a significant lateral diversity gradient and gradually approach the topsoil microbial latitudinal diversity gradient with decreasing burial depth of phreatic water. Among 74 phyla dominated by Proteobacteria in groundwater, Patescibacteria act as keystone taxa that harmonize microbes in shallower aquifers and accelerate decline in bacterial diversity with increasing well-depth. Decreasing habitat niche breadth with increasing well-depth suggests a general change in the relationship among key microbes from closer cooperation in shallow to stronger competition in deep groundwater. Unlike surface-water microbes, microbial communities in pristine groundwater are predominantly shaped by deterministic processes, potentially associated with nutrient sequestration under dark and anoxic environments in aquifers. Conclusions By unveiling the biogeographic patterns and mechanisms controlling the community assembly of microbes in pristine groundwater throughout China, we firstly confirm the existence of GMEB in shallower aquifers and propose Groundwater Microbial Community Index (GMCI) to evaluate anthropogenic impact, which highlights the importance of GMEB in groundwater water security and health diagnosis. Video Abstract

Actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is an important element of water circulation, and susceptible to environmental change. Precise estimation of ETa and identifying its key influence factors are of great importance. Loess Plateau has been largely affected by human activities and climate change, and the dynamics of ETa and its key influencing factors remain unknown in this region. The spatio-temporal variations of ETa over Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2020 were depicted on the basis of the ETWatch model. Then the individual contributions of climatic factors and human activities to ETa variation were quantified by applying generalized additive model. Results indicated that the annual average ETa during the period of 2000–2020 displayed a fluctuating increasing pattern from 386.67 mm in 2000 to 544.73 mm in 2020, with a growth rate of 6.25 mm⋅yr−1. Spatially, the ETa displays a downward pattern from southeast to northwest, which is highly similar to vegetation coverage with the coefficients of 0.766–0.832. The ETa of forest, grassland, cropland, shrub, barren land and impervious land exhibited positive or negative significantly correlations with their corresponding land cover area at the 0.05 or 0.01 level. Sunshine duration, temperature and precipitation are the top three factors showing high correlations with ETa. The results of contribution analysis suggested that the variations in ETa were largely controlled by LUCC in the Loess Plateau, where the LUCC accounted for 52.89% of the total ETa. The impacts of LUCC on ETa were greater than that of climate change on ETa, although climate change was dominant in a few years. These results could contribute to optimizing water resource management and developing various water-saving tactics in the Loess Plateau.

Background Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are neuroendocrine tumors located in the sellar region. Surgery, being the primary treatment option for most PAs, is known to cause disruptions in sodium metabolism. Objective To develop and validate a nomogram for assessment the incidence of postoperative sodium disturbance (SD) in patients with PAs. Methods In this retrospective study, 208 patients with PAs who underwent resection surgery between 2013 and 2020 were included. Various demographic characteristics, clinical features and laboratory data were analyzed as potential predictors of postoperative sodium disturbance (SD). LASSO regression were used to identify independent preoperative variables associated with SD. Logistic regression was employed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A nomogram was constructed to visualize these results and evaluated using metrics such as the area under the curve (AUC) for discrimination, the Hosmer-Lemeshow test for calibration and decision curve for usefulness assessment. Results The incidence of SD was 44.23% (92 cases out of 208). Six preoperative factors, including sex, types of PAs, phosphocreatine kinase (CK), serum iron (Fe), free fatty acids (NEFA) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), were identified for constructing a predictive nomogram. The nomogram showed high accuracy, with AUC values of 0.851 (95% CI [0.799–0.923]) and 0.771 (95% CI [0.681–0.861]) in the training and validation datasets, respectively. Calibration assessment and decision curve analysis confirmed its good agreement and clinical utility. Conclusion A practical and effective nomogram for predicting SD after PAs surgery is presented in this study.

The tailored design of tri-metallic Pt-based porous nanodendrites (PNDs) is crucial for green energy production technologies, ascribed to their fancy features, great surface areas, accessible active sites, and stability against aggregation. However, their aqueous-phase one-step synthesis at room temperature remains a daunting challenge. Herein, we present a facile, green, and template-free approach for the one-step synthesis of PtPdCu PNDs by ultrasonication of an aqueous solution of metal salts and Pluronic F127 at 25 ℃, based on natural isolation among nucleation and growth step driven by the disparate reduction kinetics of the metals and acoustic cavitation mechanism of ultrasonic waves. The resultant PtPdCu PNDs formed in a spatial nanodendritic shape with a dense array of branches, open corners, interconnected pores, high surface area (46.9 m2/g), and high Cu content (21 %). The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) mass activity of PtPdCu PNDs (3.66 mA/µgPt) is 1.45, 2.73, and 2.83 times higher than those of PtPd PNDs, PtCu PNDs, and commercial Pt/C, respectively based on equivalent Pt mass, which is superior to previous PtPdCu catalysts reported elsewhere, besides a superior durability and CO-poisoning tolerance. This study may pave the way for the controlled fabrication of ternary Pt-based PNDs for various electrocatalytic applications.

Abstract Background Atrial fibrosis plays a critical role in the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Exosomes are a promising cell-free therapeutic approach for the treatment of AF. The purposes of this study were to explore the mechanisms by which exosomes derived from atrial myocytes regulate atrial remodeling and to determine whether their manipulation facilitates the therapeutic modulation of potential fibrotic abnormalities during AF. Methods We isolated exosomes from atrial myocytes and patient serum, and microRNA (miRNA) sequencing was used to analyze exosomal miRNAs in exosomes derived from atrial myocytes and patient serum. mRNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses corroborated the key genes that were direct targets of miR-210-3p. Results The miRNA sequencing analysis identified that miR-210-3p expression was significantly increased in exosomes from tachypacing atrial myocytes and serum from patients with AF. In vitro, the miR-210-3p inhibitor reversed tachypacing-induced proliferation and collagen synthesis in atrial fibroblasts. Accordingly, miR-210-3p knock out (KO) reduced the incidence of AF and ameliorated atrial fibrosis induced by Ang II. The mRNA sequencing analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1-like (GPD1L) is a potential target gene of miR-210-3p. The functional analysis suggested that GPD1L regulated atrial fibrosis via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In addition, silencing GPD1L in atrial fibroblasts induced cell proliferation, and these effects were reversed by a PI3K inhibitor (LY294002). Conclusions Atrial myocyte-derived exosomal miR-210-3p promoted cell proliferation and collagen synthesis by inhibiting GPD1L in atrial fibroblasts. Preventing pathological crosstalk between atrial myocytes and fibroblasts may be a novel target to ameliorate atrial fibrosis in patients with AF. Graphical Abstract

In a pumping test, recording and analysis of the dynamic water level data are of great significance in the calculation of hydrogeological parameters. In recent years, automatic water level monitors have been widely used in pumping tests, and the pressure head change value of the pressure sensor is regarded as the drawdown of water level. Due to the water flowing in the well pipe can cause head loss, the automatic water level monitors at different positions can also obtain different drawdowns of water level, which are different from the drawdown of well water surface level measured by the traditional method and also has some influence on the calculation of hydrogeological parameters. Therefore, it is urgent to carry out experimental researches on how to place automatic water level monitors reasonably and how to apply the drawdown data from the automatic water level monitors in hydrogeological parameter calculation. In the large thickness aquifer area of Quaternary system in the Heihe River Basin, a typical single-layer test hole and a multi-layer test hole are selected for experimental studies, in which the multi-layer hole is a pumping test hole with the same diameter layered by the Parker technology. Under the dynamic water level, automatic water level monitors are placed in the upper, middle and lower parts of the pumping test section and the upper and lower parts of the pump for systematic data collection and analysis. The results show that in the pumping test, water flowing in the well pipe can cause head loss and velocity head difference, so the pressure head change value obtained by the automatic water level monitors at different positions are different. The well loss values at different parts of the wellbore are measured in this test. At the inlet of the submersible pump the well loss value is the largest, and decreases with the increasing distance from the submersible pump. To avoid the influence of bigger well loss on parameter calculation, the automatic water level monitors are preferably placed in the upper part of the pump close to the dynamic water level. When the steady flow formula is used to calculate the hydrogeological parameters in the single hole pumping test, the drawdown of the automatic water level monitor contains well loss, which cannot be ignored and needs to be deducted by the multiple drawdown pumping tests data. Moreover, the data analysis of the automatic water level monitors at different positions can provide a basis for better understanding the head loss in the well.

Rainfall and irrigation are important sources of recharge for shallow groundwater in the middle reaches of Heihe River . There is no mature monitoring method and empirical data for evaluating infiltration recharge by introducing empirical parameters for a long time. In this paper, artificial bromide tracer method is used to study groundwater infiltration under different irrigation conditions and different depths in the middle reaches of the Heihe River. The results show that under the condition of rainfall in the study area, the annual average transport distance of the peak content of bromine ion in the vadose zone is 21.25 cm, the annual average recharge is 11.93 mm, and the infiltration recharge coefficient is 0.1. Under the condition of large irrigation amount, the average annual migration distance of the peak content of bromine ion in the vadose zone is 86.51 cm, the average annual recharge is 148.7 mm, and the infiltration recharge coefficient is 0.16. Under the condition of small irrigation amount, the average annual migration distance of the peak content of bromine ion in the vadose zone is 46.35 cm, the average annual the downward zone of unidirectional infiltration of water in the unsaturated zone, which is generally suitable in the recharge is 53.81 mm, and the infiltration recharge coefficient is 0.07. Under drip irrigation, the average annual moving distance of the peak value of bromine ion content in the vadose zone is 41.72 cm, the average annual supply is 52.6 mm, and the infiltration recharge coefficient is 0.11. Artificial bromide tracers should be placed in northwest inland basin more than 3 m. The results can provide parameters for the evaluation of groundwater resources in the Heihe River Basin, which is of great significance for scientific understanding of groundwater resources and rational development and utilization in northwest inland basins.

The quantity of recharge of groundwater lateral flow from mountainous areas to plain areas is a long-term controversial and unresolved problem, which is always estimated to be too small or too large in arid inland basins in northwest China. Based on previous studies, this paper uses the technical methods of geological and hydrogeological investigation, geophysical exploration, drilling, pumping test, groundwater dynamic observation, hydrochemical test, basin groundwater level measurement and comprehensive study to identify the geological structure contact relationship, stratigraphic lithology contact relationship at the southern mountain-basin transition zone of the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin, and the Cretaceous weathering crust aquifer structure and hydrogeological parameters at the Liyuan estuary. Through the analysis of the surface water and groundwater transformation relationships of different watershed levels in the mountainous areas, the recharge zones of groundwater lateral flow from the mountainous areas to the plain areas are divided into the large and medium-sized river valley recharge sections and shallow mountain recharge sections composed of small and micro rivers and gully groups. The exploration data of the river valley recharge sections are abundant, and the Darcy section flow method is used to calculate the recharge quantity. In view of the fact that the recharge section of the shallow mountain belt extremely lacks the exploration data, the runoff of the Liyuan estuary section is used as a reference. The estimation method of recharge of the groundwater lateral flow from the mountainous areas in the shallow mountain belt to the plain area is constructed with three variables of lithology, catchment area and precipitation. The results show that the quantity of recharge of groundwater lateral flow from the southern mountainous area to the plain area in the shallow mountain zone of the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin is 0.40 × 108 m3/a, and that of bedrock in the valley sections is 0.07 × 108 m3/a. The quantity of recharge of groundwater of the Quaternary sediments in the valley sections is 0.30 × 108 m3/a. The sum of the three recharges is 0.77 × 108 m3/a, accounting for 3.0 % of the basin groundwater resources. This method provides an example for the estimation of the recharge of groundwater lateral flow from the mountainous areas to the plain areas in the northwest inland arid basins.

Water cycle in a basin is constantly changing. It is an important basis for the allocation of water resources to survey the state of water cycle and analyze the water balance. The significant hydrological change period of the basin from 2000 to 2019 is taken as the research period in this study, and the data, including TRMM and GPM satellite precipitation, remote sensing evapotranspiration, in situ data of meteorological and hydrological gauges, are synthetically used to analyze the water cycle balance of the watershed. The results show that (1) the Qilian mountain area is the main runoff producing area, with an average annual discharge of about 45.11×108 m3 to the middle reaches, and the middle reaches is the main consumption area of the runoff water resources. About 66% (29.92×108 m3) of the upstream incoming water is used in the middle reaches, and about 34% (15.19×108 m3) is used to supplement the downstream area. (2) The Minle-Zhangye basin is the main consumption area of water resources in the middle reaches, with an average annual consumption of about 43.97×108 m3 including water from upper reaches and precipitation at local area (accounting for 75% of the consumption in the middle reaches), and the evapotranspiration consumption of farmland in the middle reaches is about 20.3×108 m3 (accounting for 35% of the evapotranspiration water in the middle reache areas). (3) The increase in precipitation of the upper reach is the main reason for the increase in runoff in the upper reaches of the main stream of the Heihe River. The contribution rate of precipitation to the increase of runoff is 96%, resulting in an average increase of runoff of 0.35×108 m3/a, and potential evapotranspiration has little contribution to the increase of the runoff. (4) According to the current water resource consumption, if the upstream runoff decreases in the future, there will be a risk of prominent contradiction between water used for agricultural development in the middle reaches and water used for ecological protection in the downstream area. Remote sensing observation of the surface water cycle can be used as one of the technologies of the basin water balance analysis to analyze the spatial distribution of basin surface water resources, reveal the temporal change trend and the causes, and support the rational allocation of water resources. The actual evapotranspiration on the land surface is the main source of the analysis uncertainty, and the key to improve the reliability of water balance analysis is to accurately estimate the actual evapotranspiration of different types of landcover. The estimation method of land actual evapotranspiration based on complementary correlation is relatively simple, but the multiplicative empirical coefficient in the Priestley-Taylor formula, which is used to calculate evapotranspiration in wet environment, is greatly affected by terrain, and the use of same value across the region will have a significant impact on the results.

The mutual transformation of surface water and groundwater is an obvious feature of water cycle in arid inland basins in northwest China. Examination of the transformation mechanism is an important basis for the cognition of basin water cycle law and the sustainable management of water resources. In this paper, the Zhangye Basin and Yanchi Basin in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin in the arid inland river of northwest China are taken as the research areas, and the time-varying water balance model of the main channel of the Heihe River and the coupling numerical model of surface water and groundwater are established. The conversion mechanism of surface water and groundwater under the dual influence of long-term hydrological changes and human activities is studied, and the following understanding is obtained. (1) The recharge conditions change from linear recharge dominated by river leakage under natural conditions to linear recharge dominated by river and diversion channel leakage and surface recharge of infiltration in irrigation areas. The discharge conditions change from spring overflow and natural wetland discharge to spring overflow and groundwater exploitation. (2) The infiltration section and overflow section of the Heihe River in the Zhangye Basin are roughly bounded by the G312 Bridge, which is also called the turning point of surface water and groundwater transformation. The Yingluoxia-G312 bridge section is a suspended river leakage section, and the river infiltration recharge is mainly controlled by the actual amount of water entering the river. Among them, the infiltration recharge rate of the Yingluoxia-Caotanzhuang section is 43.34%. The river channel infiltration recharge and river channel flow can be expressed by the piecewise function in the Caotanzhuang-G312 bridge section. When the river channel flow is greater than (or equal to) and less than 3.7×108 m3 per month, it shows a power function relationship and a linear function relationship, respevtively. The G312 bridge-Zhengyixia section is the groundwater overflow section. The groundwater overflow amount of the G312 bridge-Pingchuan bridge section accounts for about 70% of the total overflow amount. The peak overflow occurs at about 6 km downstream the Gaoya hydrological station, and the single-length overflow amount can reach 0.46 m3/(s·km). (3) The study area is a relatively complete river-aquifer system, which has undergone continuous dry and wet hydrological changes in the past 31 years. The recharge and discharge conditions of groundwater and the transformation mechanism of surface water and groundwater have changed accordingly. The conversion between surface water and groundwater is the strongest in the Heihe-Liyuan River inclined plain in the middle of the Zhangye Basin. During the continuous dry period from 1990 to 2001, the water diversion in the irrigation area decreased year by year, and the recharge mainly caused by river channel infiltration and canal system leakage decreased at a rate of 0.06×108 m3/a. The increase of farmland irrigation area led to the increase of irrigation water, the obvious increase of groundwater exploitation, the decrease of groundwater level year by year, the cumulative decrease of storage amount by 5.80×108 m3, and the annual decrease of groundwater overflow amount by 0.13×108 m3/a. During the continuous harvest period from 2002 to 2020, the water diversion in the irrigation area decreased year by year, and the river infiltration showed an increasing trend. The total groundwater supply increased by 0.15×108 m3/a, the irrigation area continued to expand, and the agricultural irrigation exploitation increased accordingly. The increase in river infiltration was the dominant factor, and the groundwater levels continued to rise. The total storage increased by 5.42×108 m3, and the groundwater overflow increased by 0.06×108 m3/a. In short, the recharge and discharge conditions vary greatly, the groundwater storage decreases first and then increases, and the total amount of groundwater overflow changes gently, which reflects the huge storage function of the thick aquifer system in this area. (4) The groundwater level in the production period of the inclined plain located in the eastern part of the Zhangye Basin is in a continuous decline, which is due to the sharp decrease of excessive surface water development. The groundwater level in the Heihe erosion-accumulation plain is basically stable. Over the past 30 years, the groundwater level in the inclined plain of the Yanchi Basin has been in a state of continuous decline, which is caused by excessive groundwater exploitation due to immigration reclamation. (5) The natural suspended river infiltration section in the inland basin is a precious groundwater recharge channel. Whether in the continuous dry or wet period, the actual river flow is the key to the river leakage recharge. Protection of the upstream natural river and a certain actual river flow is the key to the sustainable management of water resources in the inland basin.

In the long-term hydrological process over the last four decades, extensive exploitation of groundwater resources has resulted in such problems as continuous decline in groundwater level and dry-up of springs in some areas while groundwater levels were still stable in some other areas. How to judge whether the exploitation of groundwater resources is sustainable or not is a focused scientific issue. In this paper, the intermediate section of Heihe River Basin is selected as the study area. With the methods of MK test and continuous wavelet analysis, the characteristics of groundwater monitoring data with long-term series are analyzed and the regional groundwater regime are examined. By taking the regional hydrogeology into account, the equilibrium and un-equilibrium areas of groundwater are divided in the intermediate section of Heihe River Basin. The regulation amount of aquifers from 1990 to 2020 is estimated with the methods of Kriging interpolation. The regulation capacity of different regions is evaluated. The results show that the regime of groundwater level in the intermediate section of Heihe River Basin includes four types of long-term stable periodic regime: hydrology type, hydrology-exploitation type, exploitation type, and evaporation- exploitation type. Over-exploitation of groundwater or over-diversion of water resources in the upper reaches resulted in the long-term decline type of groundwater regime. The equilibrium areas of groundwater are dominated within the thick aquifers in the intermediate section of Heihe River Basin, mainly located in the Heihe-Liyuanhe River inclined plain, Jiuquan Basin, and erosion and deposition plains in the lower part of the middle reaches of Heihe River. The groundwater amount of 12.06×108 m3 in aquifers of the equilibrium areas was pumped from 1990 to 2001 and 9.06×108 m3 was stored from 2001 to 2020, indicating that the aquifers with large thickness can provide enough space for the long term regulation of groundwater resources. If the amount of groundwater pumping is controlled reasonably, the natural regulation capacity of aquifers in such areas can meet the water demands for industry, agriculture, and domestic use in the local area and for the eco-system in the downstream area. In the un-equilibrium areas such as the inclined plain of rivers to the east of Heihe River, Yanchi Basin, and the piedmont of Yumushan mountain, the pattern and intensity of groundwater exploitation is unsustainable. Even in wet seasons, the continuous decline trend of groundwater level cannot be changed. The measures such as decreasing groundwater pumping, and regulating diversion of surface water and groundwater pumping in the upstream area, should be adopted in order to prevent the dry-up of groundwater resources. The results of this study can provide references for management and sustainable exploitation of water resources in arid and inland areas of northwest China.

To serve the construction of ecological civilization and the management of natural resources, also to promote the coordination of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass and sand life community, China Geological Survey has organized the national hydrogeology and water resources survey at the catchment scale, and focused on the operation and maintenance of the National Groundwater Monitoring Project, the national annual simultaneous measurement of groundwater level, the national groundwater resources evaluation, the study of water balance in key areas, the construction of hydrogeology and water resources intelligent service system, and serving for the poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. Numerous achievements have been made in various aspects since 2019. First, the Overall Design of Geological Survey for Water Resources Management that was based on the concept of ecological priority, which covers atmospheric water, surface water, groundwater and marine water has been complied to lead the transformation and development of geological survey. Second, the National Groundwater Monitoring Project has been in efficient operation, and the monitoring data that being shared also have supported the groundwater management and study in the fields of natural resources, water conservancy, ecological environment and scientific research. Third, a complete national groundwater level unified measurement network with 56000 unified measurement points has been established to access annual change of groundwater flow field accurately. Fourth, a national annual groundwater investigation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism have been established and the evaluation results of the groundwater resource, the groundwater storage and its annual changes are obtained. Fifth, water balance research in key areas including Haihe River Basin has been carried out to understand the regional water balance, water resources evolution under the influence of human activities and its mutual feedback mechanism. Sixth, a national hydrogeology and water resources intelligent service platform has been constructed, a multi-element national hydrogeology and water resources database is initially established, and a groundwater resources online evaluation system has been developed. Seventh, the task of water seeking for poverty alleviation was completed with high quality, which provided strong support and services for poverty alleviation and rural revitalization.

Groundwater level fluctuations in China are being monitored with unprecedented frequency and density, which drives the need for mining such types of data. In a typical aquifer analysis project, groundwater level data is generally applied after the completion of the aquifer conceptual framework. When the temporal and spatial density of groundwater level data gradually increases, the information gain needs to be effectively transformed into conceptual knowledge of the model. In this study, we propose a method to identify hydrological boundaries based on the groundwater level monitoring data. In this method we discretize space into a triangular mesh using monitoring wells as the initial nodes, and a transformation function gradF is defined to calculate the hydraulic gradient at any given location on the mesh. The hydraulic gradient field is subsequently use to drive an array of randomly scattered particles to obtain the streamline representation of the flow field, which will in turn serve as the basis for deducing and refining the recharge and discharge boundaries of a hydrogeological domain. This method is implemented into the geo-environmental scientific computation platform (EnviFusion-CGS), and a detailed work flow is developed to facilitate the development of the aquifer conceptual model. This method is applied to the hydrogeological investigation of the Dagu aquifer located in Qingdao of Shandong Province, where the spatial distributions and dynamic fluctuations of the hydrogeological boundaries are identified.

BackgroundAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease, with pathological characteristics of bone erosion, inflammation of attachment point, and bone ankylosis. Due to the ossified intervertebral disc and ligament, pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) is one of the mainstream surgeries of AS-related thoracolumbar kyphosis, but the large amount of blood loss and high risk of instrumental instability limit its clinical application. The purpose of our study is to propose a new transpedicular vertebral body compression osteotomy (VBCO) in PSO to reduce blood loss and improve stability.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on patients with AS-related thoracolumbar kyphosis who underwent one-level PSO in our hospital from February 2009 to May 2019. A total of 31 patients were included in this study; 6 received VBCO and 25 received eggshell vertebral body osteotomy. We collected demographic data containing gender and age at diagnosis. Surgical data contained operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL), and complications. Radiographic data contained pre-operative and follow-up sagittal parameters including chin brow-vertical angle (CBVA), global kyphosis (GK), thoracic kyphosis (TK), and lumbar lordosis (LL). A typical case with L2-PSO was used to establish a finite element model. The mechanical characteristics of the internal fixation device, vertebral body, and osteotomy plane of the two osteotomy models were analyzed under different working conditions.ResultsThe VBCO could provide comparable restoring of CBVA, GK, TK, and LL in the eggshell osteotomy procedure (all p > 0.05). The VBCO significantly reduced EBL compared to those with eggshell osteotomy [800.0 ml (500.0–1,439.5 ml) vs. 1,455.5 ml (1,410.5–1,497.8 ml), p = 0.033]. Compared with the eggshell osteotomy, VBCO showed better mechanical property. For the intra-pedicular screw fixation, the VBCO group had a more average distributed and lower stress condition on both nails and connecting rod. VBCO had a flattened osteotomy plane than the pitted osteotomy plane of the eggshell group, showing a lower and more average distributed maximum stress and displacement of osteotomy plane.ConclusionIn our study, we introduced VBCO as an improved method in PSO, with advantages in reducing blood loss and providing greater stability. Further investigation should focus on clinical research and biomechanical analysis for the application of VBCO.

IntroductionHeat-related illnesses can lead to morbidity, which are anticipated to increase frequency with predictions of increased global surface temperatures and extreme weather events. Although heat acclimation training (HAT) could prevent heat-related diseases, the mechanisms underlying HAT-promoting beneficial changes in organ function, immunity, and gut microbes remain unclear.MethodsIn the current study, we recruited 32 healthy young soldiers and randomly divided them into 4 teams to conduct HATs for 10 days: the equipment-assisted training team at high temperature (HE); the equipment-assisted training team under normal hot weather (NE); the high-intensity interval training team at high temperature (HIIT), and the control team without training. A standard heat tolerance test (HTT) was conducted before (HTT-1st) and after (HTT-2nd) the training to judge whether the participants met the heat acclimation (HA) criteria.ResultsWe found that the participants in both HE and NE teams had significantly higher acclimation rates (HA/total population) than whom in the HIIT team. The effects of HAT on the participants of the HE team outperformed that of the NE team. In the HA group, the differences of physiological indicators and plasma organ damage biomarkers (ALT, ALP, creatinine, LDH, α-HBDH and cholinesterase) before and after HTT-2nd were significantly reduced to those during HTT-1st, but the differences of immune factors (IL-10, IL-6, CXCL2, CCL4, CCL5, and CCL11) elevated. The composition, metabolism, and pathogenicity of gut microbes changed significantly, with a decreased proportion of potentially pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia-Shigella and Lactococcus) and increased probiotics (Dorea, Blautia, and Lactobacillus) in the HA group. Training for a longer time in a high temperature and humidity showed beneficial effects for intestinal probiotics.ConclusionThese findings revealed that pathogenic gut bacteria decrease while probiotics increase following HA, with elevated immune factors and reduced organ damage during heat stress, thereby improving the body’s heat adaption.

Abstract In this study, characteristics of charge injection under extra high electric field (above 100 kV/mm) in cross‐linked polyethylene (XLPE) were investigated by experiments of conduction current and space charge. The results show that current density from low electric field to sample breakdown corresponds to space charge limited current (SCLC) theory. More specifically, Schottky current is similar to experiment current before 100 kV/mm, while the J–E curve conforms to a modified SCLC theory after 100 kV/mm. Besides, the non‐linear coefficient of J–E curve from 100 kV/mm to extra high electric field is smaller than theoretical value, and the injection depth of space charge is restricted as the field becomes higher than 100 kV/mm, which may be caused by the negative differential mobility of charge. Driven by extra high electric field, charge collides with lattice of dielectric and scatters. As a result, mean free time of charge decreases and charge mobility is reduced with the increased field. Consequently, considering the decrease in charge mobility, a mobility‐limited charge injection equation is proposed, and the validity of the proposed equation under extra high electric field is demonstrated by space charge simulation.

Chicken is widely accepted by consumers because of its delicate taste and abundant animal protein. The rooster after castration (capon) is believed to show better flavor, however, the molecular changes of the underpinned metabolism after castration is not yet understood. In this study, we aimed to figure out the alternation of meat quality and underpinned molecular mechanism via transcriptomic profiling of liver, spleen and hypothalamus as targeted organs in response to the castration. We identified differential expressed genes and their enriched functions and pathways in these organs between capon and rooster samples through RNA-seq analysis. In the liver, the lipid metabolism with targeted FABP1gene was found significantly enriched, which may be as one of the factors contributing to increased fat deposition and thus better meat flavor in capons than roosters, as predicted by the significantly lower shear force in capons than in roosters in meat quality experiments. However, the ability to xenobiotic detoxification and excretion, vitamin metabolism, and antioxidative effect of hemoglobin evidenced of the capon may be compromised by the alternation of SULT, AOX1, CYP3A5, HBA1, HBBA, and HBAD. Besides, in both the spleen and hypothalamus, PTAFR, HPX, CTLA4, LAG3, ANPEP, CD24, ITGA2B, ITGB3, CD2, CD7, and BLB2 may play an important role in the immune system including function of platelet and T cell, development of monocyte/macrophage and B cell in capons as compared to roosters. In conclusion, our study sheds lights into the possible molecular mechanism of better meat flavor, fatty deposit, oxidative detoxification and immune response difference between capons and roosters.

BackgroundInterleukin-6 (IL-6) is essential for maintaining intestinal epithelial homeostasis. Although cold water-immersion restraint (CWIR) stress is commonly used to induce in vivo gastric injury, it also affects intestinal epithelial permeability. Although IL-6 is increased in response to acute physiological and psychological stress, its exact effects on the pathophysiology of the intestinal epithelium in response to acute CWIR stress remain unknown.MethodsWe used IL-6 knockout (KO) mice with acute CWIR modeling to investigate the effect of IL-6 deficiency on intestinal epithelial morphology and pathological damage using histological staining assays under the acute stress. We detected jejunal epithelial apoptosis using TUNEL and standard molecular experiments.ResultsCWIR caused intestinal epithelial damage, which was alleviated by the absence of IL-6, as evidenced by morphological changes and goblet cell and intestinal permeability alteration. IL-6 KO also reduced CWIR-mediated inflammatory levels and improved stress defense. Meanwhile, IL-6 deficiency decreased the intestinal epithelial apoptosis induced by CWIR administration. This IL-6 KO-led effect depended more on mitochondrial AIF signaling rather than the traditional caspase pathway.ConclusionAs a result, we concluded that acute CWIR-induced severe intestinal damage and jejunal epithelium apoptosis could be alleviated by IL-6 deficiency, implying a protective effect of IL-6 deficiency on the intestines under acute stress. The findings shed new light on treating CWIR-induced intestinal disorders by inhibiting IL-6 signaling.

Land subsidence is a typical geo-hazard in Cangzhou, North China Plain, having caused severe damages to transportation networks, public utilities, and other civil infrastructures. The mechanism of land subsidence and its affecting factors were revealed by theoretical model analysis, and doing geotechnical tests and monitoring of soil deformation as well as groundwater level. Theoretical analysis shows that groundwater withdrawal from both unconfined and confined aquifers can lead to land subsidence. Land subsidence of the Cangzhou Plain is mainly caused by the exploitation of deep confined groundwater. Geotechnical tests show a general trend that the compressive modulus increases with the increase of soil depth. The strata of the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene are mostly normally consolidated and partially under-consolidated, which are prone to produce large compression after pumping. Land subsidence in the Cangzhou Plain has a strong hysteresis because of seepage consolidation and creep. The deformation characteristics of strata change at different depth. The shallow aquifers are mainly elastic deformation. The area of severe land subsidence in the Cangzhou Plain is closely related to rainfall, mainly because the large amount of water are used for agricultural irrigation. InSAR results show a sudden change in regional subsidence across the Cangdong fault, which is caused by the difference in the thickness of Quaternary sediments and the difference in the deep confined groundwater level.

Summary: Background: Cold exposure is one of the most important risk factors for atrial fibrillation (AF), and closely related to the poor prognosis of AF patients. However, the mechanisms underlying cold-related AF are poorly understood. Methods: Various techniques including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, fecal microbiota transplantation, and electrophysiological examination were used to determine whether gut microbiota dysbiosis promotes cold-related AF. Metabonomics were performed to investigate changes in fecal trimethylamine (TMA) and plasma trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) during cold exposure. The detailed mechanism underlying cold-related AF were examined in vitro. Transgenic mice were constructed to explore the role of pyroptosis in cold-related AF. The human cohort was used to evaluate the correlation between A. muciniphila and cold-related AF. Findings: We found that cold exposure caused elevated susceptibility to AF and reduced abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) in rats. Intriguingly, oral supplementation of A. muciniphila ameliorated the pro-AF property induced by cold exposure. Mechanistically, cold exposure disrupted the A. muciniphila, by which elevated the level of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) through modulation of the microbial enzymes involved in trimethylamine (TMA) synthesis. Correspondingly, progressively increased plasma TMAO levels were validated in human subjects during cold weather. Raised TMAO enhanced the infiltration of M1 macrophages in atria and increased the expression of Casp1-p20 and cleaved-GSDMD, ultimately causing atrial structural remodeling. Furthermore, the mice with conditional deletion of caspase1 exhibited resistance to cold-related AF. More importantly, a cross-sectional clinical study revealed that the reduction of A. muciniphila abundance was an independent risk factor for cold-related AF in human subjects. Interpretation: Our findings revealed a novel causal role of aberrant gut microbiota and metabolites in pathogenesis of cold-related AF, which raises the possibility of selectively targeting microbiota and microbial metabolites as a potential therapeutic strategy for cold-related AF. Funding: This work was supported by grants from the State Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81830012), and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.82070336, No.81974024), Youth Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81900374, No.81900302), and Excellent Young Medical Talents supporting project in the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University (No. HYD2020YQ0001).

Essential oil of Coreopsis tinctoria (EOC) is a essential substance extracted from Coreopsis tinctoria with the excellent anti-oxidant effect. However, it is still unclear whether EOC can improve learning and memory impairment and its mechanism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of EOC on learning and memory impairment induced by D-galactose (D-gal) in mice and reveal its mechanism. The composition of EOC was analyzed by GC-MS, and the results showed that the highest content was D-limonene. The follow-up experiments were conducted by comparing EOC with D-limonene. The aging model was established by subcutaneous injection of D-gal, and donepezil, D-limonene and EOC were given by intragastric administration. It was found that EOC and D-limonene significantly improved learning and memory impairment induced by D-gal through the Morris water maze and step-through tests. Pathological and biochemical analysis showed that the hippocampal morphologic of mice was damage and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) induced by D-gal were decreased, while the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased, while EOC and D-limonene could reverse the morphological changes and reduce oxidative damage. In addition, EOC and D-limonene significantly increased body weight and organ coefficients, including liver, spleen and kidney. Moreover, EOC and D-limonene improved the expression of nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway and inhibited nuclear transcription factors-κB (NF-κB) pathway. In summary, the results showed that EOC and D-limonene could improve learning and memory impairment induced by D-gal through Nrf2/ NF-κB pathway. It was clear that as a mixture, EOC was better than D-limonene on improving learning and memory impairment.

The aging process of human beings is accompanied by the decline of learning and memory ability and progressive decline of brain function, which induces Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in serious cases and seriously affects the quality of patient’s life. In recent years, more and more studies have found that natural plant antioxidants can help to improve the learning and memory impairment, reduce oxidative stress injury and aging lesions in tissues. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Monarda didymaL. essential oil and its main component thymol on learning and memory impairment in D-galactose-induced aging mice and its molecular mechanism. The composition of Monarda didymaL. essential oil was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer (GC-MS). A mouse aging model was established by the subcutaneous injection of D-galactose in mice. The behavior changes of the mice were observed by feeding the model mice with essential oil, thymol and donepezil, and the histopathological changes of the hippocampus were observed by HE staining. And the changes of acetylcholinesterase (AchE), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in hippocampal tissues were detected by corresponding kits. The expression of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathways related proteins were detected by western blot. Animal experimental results showed that compared with model group, the above indexes in Monarda didymaL. essential oil and thymol groups improved significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Monarda didymaL. essential oil and its main active component thymol can improve the learning and memory impairment of aging mice to some extent, and Nrf2 and MAPK pathways may be involved in its action process.

BackgroundOsteoporosis often occurs with carotid atherosclerosis and causes contradictory calcification across tissue in the same patient, which is called the “calcification paradox”. Circulating monocytes may be responsible for this unbalanced ectopic calcification. Here, we aimed to show how CD14+ monocytes contribute to the pathophysiology of coexisting postmenopausal osteoporosis and carotid atherosclerosis.MethodsWe comprehensively analyzed osteoporosis data from the mRNA array dataset GSE56814 and the scRNA-seq dataset GSM4423510. Carotid atherosclerosis data were obtained from the GSE23746 mRNA dataset and GSM4705591 scRNA-seq dataset. First, osteoblast and vascular SMC lineages were annotated based on their functional expression using gene set enrichment analysis and AUCell scoring. Next, pseudotime analysis was applied to draw their differentiated trajectory and identify the key gene expression changes in crossroads. Then, ligand–receptor interactions between CD14+ monocytes and osteoblast and vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) lineages were annotated with iTALK. Finally, we selected calcification paradox-related expression in circulating monocytes with LASSO analysis.ResultsFirst, we found a large proportion of delayed premature osteoblasts in osteoporosis and osteogenic SMCs in atherosclerosis. Second, CD14+ monocytes interacted with the intermediate cells of the premature osteoblast and osteogenic SMC lineage by delivering TGFB1 and TNFSF10. This interaction served as a trigger activating the transcription factors (TF) SP1 and NFKB1 to upregulate the inflammatory response and cell senescence and led to a retarded premature state in the osteoblast lineage and osteogenic transition in the SMC lineage. Then, 76.49% of common monocyte markers were upregulated in the circulating monocytes between the two diseases, which were related to chemotaxis and inflammatory responses. Finally, we identified 7 calcification paradox-related genes on circulating monocytes, which were upregulated in aging cells and downregulated in DNA repair cells, indicating that the aging monocytes contributed to the development of the two diseases.ConclusionsOur work provides a perspective for understanding the triggering roles of CD14+ monocytes in the development of the calcification paradox in osteoporosis- and atherosclerosis-related cells based on combined scRNA and mRNA data. This study provided us with an elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the calcification paradox and could help in developing preventive and therapeutic strategies.

The North China Plain (NCP) has the greatest area of severe land subsidence, accounting for more than 80% of the total area of severe land subsidence in China. The situation of prevention and control of land subsidence is urgent. Targeted researches are needed to carry out to provide scientific basis for effective prevention and control of land subsidence. A relatively complete land subsidence monitoring network is established in the NCP, and the current status and evolution of land subsidence are basically grasped. However, due to the limitation of the complex influencing factors and large variation in time and space of aquifer systems, the researches on groundwater-derived deformation characteristics and mechanism of soil layers are relatively weak so far, restricting the scientific evaluation of the development trend of land subsidence and its forecast and early warning. Based on summarizing the research progress of land subsidence at home and abroad, and analysing the current situation and development trend of land subsidence in the NCP with monitoring data of high temporal and spatial resolutions, the research directions of land subsidence under the influence of groundwater level changes are proposed. The land subsidence in the NCP was alleviated, and was effectively controlled in the downtown areas of the major cities such as Tianjin, Cangzhou and Hengshui. However, on the whole, the land subsidence in the NCP, especially in the Hebei Plain, is still in a relatively rapid development stage, because the exploitation of groundwater in the agricultural irrigation areas cannot be effectively controlled. Future researches on land subsidence in the NCP should focus on the land subsidence mechanisms and prediction and early warning, the law of soil deformation driven by groundwater level rise and its impact on the environment, the attributes of groundwater resources in the subsidence areas, and the relationship between geothermal development and land subsidence.

With the intensification of human economic and social activities, the scope and intensity of groundwater pollution (especially the risk of shallow groundwater pollution) are increasing. It is urgent to develop simple, effective and reliable monitoring wells for detecting and evaluating the pollution degree of shallow groundwater in time. The traditional single-well, single-layer and shallow groundwater stratified monitoring wells have many problems, such as too much land occupied and few monitoring layers achieved. Nested monitoring wells are usually used to monitor 5 layers. Moreover, the diameter of the continuous multi-channel monitoring wells is too small, therefore, it is necessary to study the monitoring instruments occupying small area can monitor the multiple layer, and to design the well tube diameter to meet the installation requirements. Therefore, based on the principles of introduction, digestion and re-innovation, this paper mainly studies the method of stopping water in the course of construction of cluster shallow groundwater layered monitoring well through indoor and field tests, water sealing material-clay ball composition, particle size and compression test, water sealing layer thickness and water sealing effect test, down pipe method and other key procedures, to achieve the monitoring of the same hole within 100 m of the multi-layer aquifer or multi-layer aquifer monitoring. Moreover, the construction caliber is small and takes up less land, and the construction cost is more economical. Cluster monitoring wells can be used in many fields such as groundwater monitoring, environmental pollution investigation and research. The research will provide theoretical basis and technical support for the construction of cluster shallow groundwater stratified monitoring wells. It will make the future monitoring more precise and accurate, and provide a new idea and research direction for the development of our country's monitoring wells in the future.

BackgroundChemoresistance is one of the leading causes that severely limits the success of osteosarcoma treatment. Evaluating chemoresistance before chemotherapy poses a new challenge for researchers. We established an effective chemoresistance risk scoring model for prechemotherapy osteosarcoma using single-cell sequencing.MethodsWe comprehensively analyzed osteosarcoma data from the bulk mRNA sequencing dataset TARGET-OS and the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) dataset GSE162454. Chemoresistant tumor clusters were identified using enrichment analysis and AUCell scoring. Its differentiated trajectory was achieved with inferCNV and pseudotime analysis. Ligand–receptor interactions were annotated with iTALK. Furthermore, we established a chemoresistance risk scoring model using LASSO regression based on scRNA-seq-based markers of chemoresistant tumor clusters. The TARGET-OS dataset was used as the training group, and the bulk mRNA array dataset GSE33382 was used as the validation group. Finally, the performance was verified for its discriminatory ability and calibration.ResultsUsing bulk RNA data, we found that osteogenic expression was upregulated in chemoresistant osteosarcoma as compared to chemosensitive osteosarcoma. Then, we transferred the bulk RNA findings to scRNA-seq and noticed osteosarcoma tumor clusters C14 and C25 showing osteogenic cancer stem cell expression patterns, which fit chemoresistant characteristics. C14 and C25 possessed bridge roles in interactions with other clusters. On the one hand, they received various growth factor stimulators and could potentially transform into a proliferative state. On the other hand, they promote local tumor angiogenesis, bone remodeling and immunosuppression. Next, we identified a ten-gene signature from the C14 and C25 markers and constructed a chemoresistant risk scoring model using LASSO regression model. Finally, we found that chemoresistant osteosarcoma had higher chemoresistance risk score and that the model showed good discriminatory ability and calibration in both the training and validation groups (AUCtrain = 0.82; AUCvalid = 0.84). Compared with that of the classic bulk RNA-based model, it showed more robust performance in validation environment (AUCvalid-scRNA = 0.84; AUCvalid-bulk DEGs = 0.54).ConclusionsOur work provides insights into understanding chemoresistant osteosarcoma tumor cells and using single-cell sequencing to establish a chemoresistance risk scoring model. The model showed good discriminatory ability and calibration and provided us with a feasible way to evaluate chemoresistance in prechemotherapy osteosarcoma.

Estuaries have experienced significant changes due to global climate change and human perturbations since the last century. However, the climate and anthropogenic influence on the burial of sedimentary organic carbon (OC) in estuaries is still not understood well yet. Here, a 3-meter sediment core was taken from the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) in China. Depth profiles of both bulk OC and lignin biomarker data indicated three stages with different features of buried OC during the 130-year sediment deposition. The 1893-1957 stage showed 20% more burial of marine derived OC, which was mostly adsorbed on finer minerals compared to the years after 1957. The 1957-1980 period witnessed 4.6 times higher burial rate of petrogenic OC, which made the radiocarbon age of total organic carbon 42% older than before due to soil erosion and carbonate rock weathering. The 7-year running average variation of terrestrial OC input based on endmember mixing model was correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index before 1957, but correlated with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation between 1957 and 1980 in the region. The reduction of land derived OC content after 1980s was mostly affected by human perturbations such as deforestation and dam construction which corresponded to the beginning of Economic Reform and Open Up in China. The overall increase of lignin content from bottom to surface sediment indicated increased vascular plant derived OC due to deforestation activities during the urbanization process. The study suggested different time periods when climate or human disturbance dominantly affected the OC burial in the PRE, which have significant indications for local and global carbon cycling and environmental ecology.

Context Wogonoside has many pharmacological activities, but whether it has a protective effect against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has not been reported. Objective This study investigates the protective effect of wogonoside against NAFLD in mice and its potential mechanism. Materials and methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, NAFLD group and low-, medium- and high-dose wogonoside groups (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, respectively) (n= 12). Mice in the control group were fed with the standard diet, and those in NAFLD group and low-, medium- and high-dose wogonoside groups were fed with a high-fat diet. The different doses of wogonoside were administered by gavage once a day for 12 weeks. Results Compared with those in NAFLD group, the liver mass, liver index and the LDL, TG, TC, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, MDA and NF-κB p65 levels were decreased, and the SOD and GSH-Px activities, and HDL, IκBα, Nrf2 and HO-1 contents were increased in wogonoside groups. Compared with those in the NAFLD group, wogonoside (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) reduced AST (132.21 ± 14.62, 115.70 ± 11.32 and 77.94 ± 8.86 vs. 202.35 ± 19.58 U/L) and ALT (104.37 ± 11.92, 97.53 ± 10.12 and 56.74 ± 6.33 vs. 154.66 ± 14.23 U/L) activities in the serum. Discussion and conclusions Wogonoside has a protective effect against NAFLD in mice, which may be related to its anti-inflammation and inhibition of oxidative stress, suggesting that wogonoside may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of NAFLD.

Growing evidence has demonstrated that stress triggers gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. This study aimed to investigate how the acute cold water-immersion restraint (CWIR) stress affects intestinal injury and gut microbiota (GM) distribution. Male C57BL/6 mice were used to establish a CWIR animal model. Hematoxylin–eosin and periodic acid–Schiff staining were performed to assess intestinal histopathological changes. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the expression of inflammatory cytokines and immune cell infiltration in the intestinal tissues. The gut permeability and intestinal occludin protein expression were determined through fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran detection and western blot, respectively. GM profiles were analyzed via high-throughput sequencing of the fecal bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Results showed that CWIR induced more severe intestinal mucosal injury compared to the control, leading to a significant increase in tumor necrosis factor-α expression, but no infiltration of neutrophil and T cells. CWIR also resulted in GI disruption and increased the permeability of the intestinal mucosa. GM profiles showed that CWIR reduced GM diversity of mice compared with the control group. Specifically, aerobic and gram-negative bacteria significantly increased after CWIR, which was associated with the severity of gut injury under stress. Therefore, acute CWIR leads to severe intestinal damage with inflammation and disrupts the GM homeostasis, contributing to decreased GM diversity. Our findings provide the theoretical basis for the further treatment of intestinal disorders induced by CWIR.

Electrical stunning is widely utilized prior to a neck cut to induce unconsciousness in order to improve animal welfare and slaughter efficiency in the broiler production industry. However, slaughter without stunning is still very commonly used in China, in part because there is a belief that stunning reduces meat quality. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the physical (hemorrhages, pH, drip loss, and shear force) and chemical (inosinic monophosphate concentration and reducing sugar content) properties of broiler meat differed between chickens in preslaughter stunning and nonstunned slaughter groups, and whether the groups differed in their levels of cortisol as an indicator of stress. Serum cortisol levels of the nonstunned group were nearly twice as high as those in the stunned group (p < 0.05). Several meat quality indicators were better in the stunned group than in the nonstunned group. We concluded that electrical stunning prior to slaughter significantly decreases the stress caused by slaughter, resulting in both improved animal welfare and meat quality traits.

Objective To develop and validate a preoperative index-based nomogram for the prediction of hypokalemia in patients with pituitary adenoma (PA). Methods This retrospective cohort study included 205 patients with PAs between January 2013 and April 2020 in the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, China. The patients were randomly classified into either a training set (N = 143 patients) and a validation set (N = 62 patients) at a ratio of 7:3. Variables, which were identified by using the LASSO regression model were included for the construction of a nomogram, and a logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in the training set. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of the nomogram for predicting hypokalemia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis with a restricted cubic spline analysis was conducted to identify a potential nonlinear association between the preoperative index and hypokalemia. Results The incidence of hypokalemia was 38.05%. Seven preoperative indices were identified for the construction of the nomogram: age, type of PA, weight, activated partial thromboplastin time, urea, eosinophil percentage, and plateletocrit. The AUCs of the nomogram for predicting hypokalemia were 0.856 (95% CI [0.796–0.915]) and 0.652 (95% CI [0.514–0.790]) in the training and validation sets, respectively. Restricted cubic splines demonstrated that there was no nonlinear association between hypokalemia and the selected variables. Conclusion In this study, we constructed a preoperative indices-based nomogram that can assess the risk of hypokalemia after the surgical treatment of pituitary adenomas. This nomogram may also help to identify high risk patients who require close monitoring of serum potassium.

The continual rise of the CO2 concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere is the foremost reason for environmental concerns such as global warming, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and the extinction of various species. The electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) is a promising green and efficient approach for converting CO2 to high-value-added products such as alcohols, acids, and chemicals. Developing efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts is the main barrier to scaling up CO2RR for large-scale applications. Heteroatom-doped porous carbon-based (HA-PCs) catalysts are deemed as green, efficient, low-cost, and durable electrocatalysts for the CO2RR due to their great physiochemical and catalytic merits (i.e., great surface area, electrical conductivity, rich electrical density, active sites, inferior H2 evolution activity, tailorable structures, and chemical–physical–thermal stability). They are also easily synthesized in a high yield from inexpensive and earth-abundant resources that meet sustainability and large-scale requirements. This review emphasizes the rational synthesis of HA-PCs for the CO2RR rooting from the engineering methods of HA-PCs to the effect of mono, binary, and ternary dopants (i.e., N, S, F, or B) on the CO2RR activity and durability. The effect of CO2 on the environment and human health, in addition to the recent advances in CO2RR fundamental pathways and mechanisms, are also discussed. Finally, the evolving challenges and future perspectives on the development of heteroatom-doped porous carbon-based nanocatalysts for the CO2RR are underlined.

Background/Aims: Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) have been proved to be effective in preventing atrial structural and electrical remodelinq in atrial fibrillation (AF). Previous studies have shown that parasympathetic remodeling plays an important role in AF. However, the effects of ARBs on atrial parasympathetic remodeling in AF and the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. Methods: Canines were divided into sham-operated, pacing and valsartan + pacing groups. Rats and HL-1 cardiomyocytes were divided into control, angiotensin II (Ang II) and Ang II + valsartan groups, respectively. Atrial parasympathetic remodeling was quantified by immunocytochemical staining with anti-choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) antibody. Western blot was used to analysis the protein expression of neurturin. Results: Both inducibility and duration were increased in chronic atrial rapid-pacing canine model, which was significantly inhibited by the treatment with valsartan. The density of ChAT-positive nerves and the protein level of neurturin in the atria of pacing canines were both increased than those in sham-operated canines. Ang II treatment not only induced atrial parasympathetic remodeling in rats, but also up-regulated the protein expression of neurturin. Valsartan significantly prevented atrial parasympathetic remodeling, and suppressed the protein expression of neurturin. Meanwhile, valsartan inhibited Ang II -induced up-regulation of neurturin and MAPKs in cultured cardiac myocytes. Inhibition of MAPKs dramatically attenuated neurturin up-regulation induced by Ang II. Conclusion: Parasympathetic remodeling was present in animals subjected to rapid pacing or Ang II infusion, which was mediated by MAPKs/neurturin pathway. Valsartan is able to prevent atrial parasympathetic remodeling and the occurrence of AF via inhibiting MAPKs/neurturin pathway.

Aims: Emerging evidence suggested that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was independently associated with the development of heart failure. In this study, we explored the influence of chronic OSA on left ventricular structural remodeling in canines, and the potential therapeutical role of metoprolol. Methods: Chronic OSA model was established by stopping the ventilator and closing the airway for 4 h/day apnea-ventilation cycles every other day for 12 weeks while metoprolol (5 mg· kg-1· day-1) were administered continuously. Norepinephrine concentration was measured by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Transmission electron microscopy, Hematoxylin and eosin, TUNEL and Masson trichrome staining were employed to detect the morphology, apoptosis and fibrosis of cardiomyocytes. Protein expression of apoptosis and fibrosis-related factors including apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), caspase 3, Bcl-2, Bax, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were examined by Western blotting. Results: Norepinephrine concentration was markedly increased in chronic OSA dogs and reduced by metoprolol. Both the apoptotic ratio and collagen volume fraction were significantly increased in left ventricular myocytes of chronic OSA dogs, and was reversed by metoprolol. Moreover, chronic OSA-induced upregulation of AIF, cleaved caspase 3, Bax, α-SMA, and TGF-β1 as well as downregulation of Bcl-2 was markedly recovered by metoprolol, which was mediated by p38 MAPK. Conclusion: Metoprolol protects against chronic OSA-induced cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis in left ventricular myocytes of canines, which may provide new potential strategy for drug therapy of OSA.

Background Pituitary adenoma is one of the most common intracranial neoplasms, and its primary treatment is endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal tumorectomy. Postoperative hypokalemia in these patients is a common complication, and is associated with morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to analyze the etiopathology of postoperative hypokalemia in pituitary adenomas after endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery. Methods and Materials This retrospective study included 181 pituitary adenomas confirmed by histopathology. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze change in serum potassium levels at different time points. Results Multiple Logistic regression analysis revealed that only ACTH-pituitary adenoma (OR = 4.92, 95% CI [1.18–20.48], P = 0.029) had a significant association with postoperative hypokalemia. Moreover, the overall mean serum potassium concentration was significantly lower in the ACTH versus the non-ACTH group (3.34 mmol/L vs. 3.79 mmol/L, P = 0.001). Postoperative hypokalemia was predominantly found in patients with ACTH-pituitary adenoma (P = 0.033). Conclusions ACTH-pituitary adenomas may be an independent factor related postoperative hypokalemia in patients despite conventional potassium supplementation in the immediate postoperative period.