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Abstract Background Medical disputes, which are prevalent in China, are a growing global public health problem. The Chinese government has proposed third-party mediation (TPM) to resolve this issue. However, the characteristics, efficiency, and influencing factors of TPM in resolving medical disputes in public hospitals in China have yet to be determined. Methods We conducted a systematic study using TPM records from medical disputes in Gansu Province in China from 2014 to 2019. A χ2 test was used to compare differences between groups, and binary logistic analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing the choice of TPM for resolving medical disputes. Results We analyzed 5,948 TPM records of medical disputes in Gansu Province in China. The number of medical disputes and the amount of compensation awarded in public hospitals in the Gansu Province increased annually from 2014 to 2019, with most of the disputes occurring in secondary and tertiary hospitals. Approximately 89.01% of the medical disputes were handled by TPM; the average compensation amount with TPM was Chinese Yuan (CNY) 48,688.73, significantly less than that awarded via court judgment and judicial mediation. TPM was more likely to succeed in settling medical disputes in the

Abstract Freshwater is unquestionably the most crucial resource essential for the sustenance and advancement of humankind. This invaluable entity surpasses all societal, economic, and environmental domains, consequently rendering it a ubiquitous good. Globally, it has been estimated that the industrial sector employs approximately 20% of the available freshwater. The principal aim within the industrial domain is to maximize production efficiency, rather than prioritizing the enhancement of water conservation and efficiency. Research suggests that a favorable association exists between the monetary investments made in technological improvements for industrial water treatment and reuse and a profitable return on investment that is sustained over a prolonged duration. This could plausibly explain the dearth of willingness exhibited by some corporations in dedicating resources to this vital issue. The objective of this study is to explicate the notion of sustainability concerning water management that can be operationalized in the context of Pakistan, while delving into the latest advancements in the sphere of sustainable management practices. This research endeavor shall serve as an instructive source for executives, entrepreneurs, and vested parties in various industrial domains to propel their endeavors toward sustainable practices while simultaneously achieving optimization and surpassing the benchmarks set by national regulations and international establishments. This investigation has illuminated the imperative of executing an all-encompassing water management strategy that incorporates the ecological, financial, and societal dimensions as the essential constituents of viability in industrial water utilization. This work ought to possess a worldwide scope, bearing in mind the ubiquitous character of industrial practices in the epoch of globalization.

ObjectiveA growing body of evidence underscores a significant association between neurological disorders, particularly migraines, and the gut microbiota. However, a research gap persists in understanding the cause-and-effect dynamics between these elements. Therefore, we employed robust methodologies aimed at thoroughly exploring the causal relationship between the gut microbiome and migraines.MethodsEmploying bidirectional Two Sample Mendelian Randomization (TSMR) analysis, we investigated the causal association between the composition of the gut microbiota and migraines. Data summarizing the relationship between gut microbiota and migraines were extracted from one or more genome-wide association studies. The TSMR analysis employed five methods to assess the correlation between the gut microbiota and migraines, with the inverse variance-weighted method serving as the primary approach for analyzing causal links. Sensitivity analyses were applied to address horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Simultaneously, a meta-analysis was performed to strengthen the robustness of the findings. Additionally, a reverse TSMR was carried out to explore potential occurrences of reverse causal relationships.ResultsThe ongoing TSMR analysis identified a collection of 14 bacterial taxa connected to migraines. Among these, 8 taxa exhibited a protective effect, while 5 taxa had a detrimental impact, and 1 taxon maintained a neutral relationship. The reverse Mendelian randomization analysis highlighted stable outcomes for only one bacterial taxonomic group.ConclusionThe study confirms a causal relationship between the gut microbiota and migraines, offering a new perspective for migraine research. Strategically targeting specific bacterial taxa with dysregulation may be effective in both preventing and treating migraines, thus opening new avenues for therapeutic strategies.

This paper is concerned with the spreading properties for a reaction-diffusion equation with free boundary condition. We obtained a complete description of the long-time dynamical behavior of this problem. By introducing a parameter $ \sigma $ in the initial data, we revealed a threshold value $ \sigma^* $ such that spreading happens when $ \sigma > \sigma^* $ and vanishing happens when $ \sigma\leq \sigma^* $. There exists a unique $ L^* > 0 $ independent of the initial data such that $ \sigma^* = 0 $ if and only if the length of initial occupying interval is no smaller than $ 2L^* $. These theoretical results may have important implications for prediction and prevention of biological invasions.

Immunotherapy of tumors plays a pivotal role in the current treatment of cancer. While interleukin 2 (IL-2) demonstrated its efficacy as an immunotherapeutic drug in the early days, its short blood circulation time poses challenges in maintaining effective therapeutic concentrations. Additionally, IL-2’s activation of regulatory T cells can counteract its anti-cancer effects. Therefore, the primary goal of this study was to formulate IL-2-carrying nanoparticles via boron-nitrogen coordination between methoxy poly (ethylene glycol) block poly-[(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-aspartamide]phenylboronic acid (mPEG-b-PHEA-PBA, P-PBA) and poly (L-lysine) (PLL). These nanoparticles are intended to be used in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors to address the short blood circulation time of IL-2, reduce its immunosuppressive effects, and enhance the overall immune response. The envisaged outcome is a sustained and potent therapeutic effect, offering a novel and promising combination therapy strategy for tumor immunotherapy.

Soil pH is crucial for the quality of the farmland and crop growth. The objective of this study is to analyze the spatial and temporal variations of farmland soil pH in Xinjiang (XJ), and to provide a scientific basis for soil improvement and agricultural production optimization. Based on soil pH data from XJ farmland in two periods, 2008~2010 and 2019~2021, geostatistical methods and kriging spatial interpolation techniques were employed to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in soil pH and to investigate the relationship between relevant influencing factors and pH over more than a decade. The results indicate that the spatiotemporal distribution of soil pH in XJ farmlands is uneven. Between 2019 and 2021, the average soil pH was 8.11, generally being on the higher side, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 3.85%, indicating minimal spatial variability. In the farmland soil of Southern Xinjiang (S-XJ), the average pH value was 8.17, significantly higher than that of Northern Xinjiang (N-XJ), which was 8.10, demonstrating a spatial pattern of “higher in the south, lower in the north”. Over the past decade, soil pH in XJ has significantly increased from 8.11 to 8.13, with a 0.05 unit increase in the north and a 0.01 unit increase in the south (p < 0.05). Regionally, Altay saw the largest increase of 0.22 units, while Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture (Bortala) experienced the most significant decrease, dropping by 0.59 units. Furthermore, this study found that factors such as topography, nutrients, and irrigation methods all have certain influences on the spatial distribution of soil pH in XJ farmland, while variations in climate factors and fertilization levels may affect its long-term temporal changes. These research findings will provide new insights for adjusting and updating agricultural management measures related to soil pH regulation in XJ.

Abstract Background The cerebellum plays key roles in the pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), but the way in which these conditions affect how the cerebellum communicates with the rest of the brain (its connectome) and associated genetic correlates remains largely unknown. Methods Combining multimodal MRI data from 208 MS patients, 200 NMOSD patients and 228 healthy controls and brain-wide transcriptional data, this study characterized convergent and divergent alterations in within-cerebellar and cerebello-cerebral morphological and functional connectivity in MS and NMOSD, and further explored the association between the connectivity alterations and gene expression profiles. Results Despite numerous common alterations in the two conditions, diagnosis-specific increases in cerebellar morphological connectivity were found in MS within the cerebellar secondary motor module, and in NMOSD between cerebellar primary motor module and cerebral motor- and sensory-related areas. Both diseases also exhibited decreased functional connectivity between cerebellar motor modules and cerebral association cortices with MS-specific decreases within cerebellar secondary motor module and NMOSD-specific decreases between cerebellar motor modules and cerebral limbic and default-mode regions. Transcriptional data explained > 37.5% variance of the cerebellar functional alterations in MS with the most correlated genes enriched in signaling and ion transport-related processes and preferentially located in excitatory and inhibitory neurons. For NMOSD, similar results were found but with the most correlated genes also preferentially located in astrocytes and microglia. Finally, we showed that cerebellar connectivity can help distinguish the three groups from each other with morphological connectivity as predominant features for differentiating the patients from controls while functional connectivity for discriminating the two diseases. Conclusions We demonstrate convergent and divergent cerebellar connectome alterations and associated transcriptomic signatures between MS and NMOSD, providing insight into shared and unique neurobiological mechanisms underlying these two diseases.

BackgroundSteel workers are exposed to occupational hazardous factors such as dust, noise, and heat, and often work in shifts, making them prone to sleep disorders. ObjectiveTo explore potential influencing factors of sleep disorders among workers in a steel enterprise in Gansu Province, and provide a basis for reducing the risk of sleep disorders among them. MethodsFrom January to March 2022, a self-made questionnaire combined with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used to investigate the employees of a steel enterprise in Gansu Province. According to their PSQI scores, they were divided into a normal sleep group and a sleep disorder group. The general demographic variables of the two groups were balanced by 1∶1 propensity score matching (PSM). Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the contributing factors of sleep disorders. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) model was used to analyze potential dose-response relationship between weekly working hours and sleep disorders. ResultsThe prevalence of sleep disorders in the steel workers was 48.06% (6029/12544). After PSM, 5847 pairs were successfully matched, and the distributions of matched variables were well balanced between the two groups. The results of multiple logistic regression showed that hypertension (OR=1.39, 95%CI: 1.24, 1.56), diabetes mellitus (OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.07, 1.66), three-shift system (OR=1.26, 95%CI: 1.12, 1.41), dust exposure (OR=1.14, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.29), noise exposure (OR=1.23, 95%CI: 1.09, 1.39), heat exposure (OR=1.16, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.29), and work injury (OR=1.22, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.46) increased the risk of sleep disorders. Compared with workers with < 10 years of service, those with 10-20 years (OR=1.31, 95%CI: 1.19, 1.44), 20-30 years (OR=1.34, 95%CI: 1.19, 1.52), and ≥30 years of service (OR=1.35, 95%CI: 1.19, 1.53) had a higher risk of sleep disorders. Compared with non-exercise workers, the risk of developing sleep disorders was lower in workers with occasional exercise (OR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.56, 0.66) and regular exercise (OR=0.55, 95%CI: 0.49, 0.62). The RCS model showed that the weekly working hours and sleep disorders in the steel workers showed a nonlinear dose-response relationship (P

BackgroundSex-related effects have been observed in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), but their impact on functional networks remains unclear. ObjectiveTo investigate the sex-related differences in connectivity strength and time variability within large-scale networks in RRMS.MethodsThis is a multi-center retrospective study. A total of 208 RRMS patients (135 females; 37.55 ± 11.47 years old) and 228 healthy controls (123 females; 36.94 ± 12.17 years old) were included. All participants underwent clinical and MRI assessments. Independent component analysis was used to extract resting-state networks (RSNs). We assessed the connectivity strength using spatial maps (SMs) and static functional network connectivity (sFNC), evaluated temporal properties and dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) patterns of RSNs using dFNC, and investigated their associations with structural damage or clinical variables. ResultsFor static connectivity, only male RRMS patients displayed decreased SMs in the attention network and reduced sFNC between the sensorimotor network and visual or frontoparietal networks compared with healthy controls [P

(1) Background: Excessive nitrogen (N) fertilizer application in tea plantations leads to challenges such as soil acidification and nitrogen loss, impending the sustainable development of the plantation system. Yet, there is a lack of research on blended fertilization strategies, and limited data regarding N loss when substituting with organic fertilizer. (2) Methods: A year-long field monitoring experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of substituting compound fertilizer with organic fertilizer, specifically with respect to runoff N loss and uptake of chemical fertilizer N by tea trees. (3) Results: The annual runoff N loss ranged from 0.16 to 0.57 kg·hm−2 and accounted for a mere 0.22–0.48% of N from fertilizer applications. Substitution with organic fertilizer reduced runoff N loss by 21–53% and improved the tea tree utilization efficiency of chemical fertilizer N from 16% to 27%. A 50% organic fertilizer substitution (based on the amount of N) promoted a net soil N mineralization rate, creating an ammonium-rich environment favored by tea trees. (4) Conclusions: The positive effects of partially substituting N fertilizer with organic fertilizer in tea plantation systems on both N utilization efficiency and N loss were confirmed. If conditions permit, the study team would aim to expand the temporal scope of the study, and to investigate the impact of organic fertilizer substitution on N loss under various precipitation intensities.

The reservoir coastal zone is the transitional zone between the terrestrial ecosystem and the aquatic ecosystem. Soil is an essential part of the terrestrial ecosystem and vital for life on Earth. To understand the composition and diversity of the soil eukaryotic microbial community under the background of artificial planting of Chrysopogon zizanioides in various habitats after reservoir construction, including the original habitat (OH), the hydro-fluctuation belt (HB), and the road slope (RS), and to analyze the interaction between the main groups of eukaryotic microorganisms, this study conducted 18S rDNA amplification high-throughput sequencing of the soil eukaryotic microbial community. The study found that the dominant phylum of eukaryotic microorganisms in the three habitats was consistent, but there were significant differences in the community and diversity of eukaryotic microorganisms in the three habitats. The differences in fungal communities between sample sites were greater than those of soil microfauna. Correlation analysis showed that nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter were significantly correlated with eukaryotic microbial diversity, with alkaline-hydrolyzed nitrogen and total phosphorus significantly correlated with fungal communities and pH and water content correlated with soil microfauna. Co-occurrence network analysis found that the interactions between fungi and the correlation between fungi and soil microfauna dominated the eukaryotic microbial community, and the interactions between eukaryotic microbes in different habitats were dominated by positive correlations. After the construction of the reservoir, the newly formed hydro-fluctuation belt reduced the types of interrelationships between fungi and microfauna compared to the original habitat. The road slope provided protection of the supporting project for the reservoir construction, although there was also planted vegetation. Eukaryotic microbes declined significantly due to the damage to and loss of the organic layer, and the decline in microfauna was the most significant, resulting in a simple structure of the soil food web, which affects the function and stability of the soil ecosystem.

Soil drought and rehydration have an immense impact on plant physiology and productivity, whereas the response of plant–microbe interactions to varied water availability remains largely elusive. In this study, two tea (Camellia sinensis L.) cultivars, Longjing43 and Yingshuang, were subjected to drought followed by rehydration. Soil drought significantly induced the elongation of taproots in the Yingshuang cultivar after two weeks of drought. Moreover, the four-week drought significantly reduced the root dry mass and root nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations in both tea cultivars. Two-week rehydration recovered the root potassium concentration in the two tea cultivars, revealing the rapid response of root potassium levels to water conditions. Drought and rehydration also resulted in shifts in rhizosphere microbial diversity. A four-week drought reduced microbial alpha diversity in Longjing43 but not in the Yingshuang cultivar, and rehydration was effective in restoring alpha diversity in Longjing43. The rhizosphere microbial community tended to recover to the initial stages after rehydration in Longjing43 but not in the other cultivar. In addition, 18 microbial genera were identified as the featured microbial taxa in response to varied water availability, and a rare genus Ignavibacterium was significantly increased in the Longjing43 cultivar by rehydration after a four-week drought. Furthermore, root nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium levels, and dry mass were positively correlated with the microbial alpha diversity, while the taproot length was negatively correlated, suggesting the crucial role of plant–microbe interactions in response to drought and rehydration. Moreover, the root phosphorus concentration and taproot length also had significant effects on microbial beta diversity, further confirming their effects on the community structure of the rhizosphere microbiome. Overall, this study provides insights into the effects of drought on plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere of tea plants. These findings are important for harnessing the roles of the tea rhizosphere microbiome under drought.

Background:The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 1 (SNHG1) in delayed healing of tibial fractures and its potential regulatory mechanisms. Methods: 51 patients with normal healing of tibial fractures and 46 patients with delayed healing of tibial fractures were enrolled. RT-qPCR was performed to analyze SNHG1, microRNA (miRNA)-181a-5p, and PTEN levels. ROC curves were used to detect the predictive value of SNHG1 for delayed healing in fracture patients. Subsequently, the regulation of osteogenic markers by SNHG1 and miR-181a-5p was analyzed in MC3T3-E1. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were quantified by CCK-8 and flow cytometry. The binding between SNHG1/miR-181a-5p/PTEN was detected by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Results: Serum SNHG1 and PTEN expression were upregulated and miR-181a-5p expression was downregulated in patients with delayed fracture healing. SNHG1 decreased the level of osteogenic markers in MC3T3-E1, inhibited the proliferation, and stimulated apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 (P

Brain morphometric alterations involve multiple brain regions on progression of the disease in multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and exhibit age-related degenerative changes during the pathological aging. Recent advance in brain morphometry as measured using MRI have leveraged Person-Based Similarity Index (PBSI) approach to assess the extent of within-diagnosis similarity or heterogeneity of brain neuroanatomical profiles between individuals of healthy populations and validate in neuropsychiatric disorders. Brain morphometric changes throughout the lifespan would be invaluable for understanding regional variability of age-related structural degeneration and the substrate of inflammatory demyelinating disease. Here, we aimed to quantify the neuroanatomical profiles with PBSI measures of cortical thickness (CT) and subcortical volumes (SV) in 263 MS, 207 NMOSD, and 338 healthy controls (HC) from six separate central datasets (aged 11–80). We explored the between-group comparisons of PBSI measures, as well as the advancing age and sex effects on PBSI measures. Compared to NMOSD, MS showed a lower extent of within-diagnosis similarity. Significant differences in regional contributions to PBSI score were observed in 29 brain regions between MS and NMOSD (P

Planktonic eukaryotes are important components of aquatic ecosystems, and analyses of the whole eukaryotic planktonic community composition and function have far-reaching significance for water resource management. We aimed to understand the spatiotemporal variation and drivers of eukaryotic plankton distribution in the Middle Route Project of the South-to-North Water Diversion in Henan Province, China. Specifically, we examined planktonic assemblages and water quality at five stations along the canal and another one located before the dam in March, June, September, and December 2019. High-throughput sequencing revealed that the eukaryotic plankton community was primarily composed of 53 phyla, 200 genera, and 277 species, with Cryptophyta, Ciliophora, and norank_k_Cryptophyta being the dominant phyla. Redundancy analysis of the eukaryotic community and environmental factors showed that five vital factors affecting eukaryotic plankton distribution were oxidation-reduction potential, nitrate nitrogen, pH, total phosphorus, and water flow velocity. Furthermore, the geographical distribution of eukaryotic communities was consistent with the distance decay model. Importantly, environmental selection dominantly shaped the geographical distribution of the eukaryotic community. In summary, our study elucidates the ecological response of planktonic eukaryotes by identifying the diversity and ecological distribution of planktonic eukaryotes in trans-basin diversion channels.

Mutations in HOXA1 can lead to diseases such as Bosley–Salih–Alorainy syndrome, involving severe cardiovascular malformations. However, the role of HOXA1 in cardiac morphogenesis remains unclear. hoxa1a is a homologous gene to human HOXA1 in zebrafish. We used CRISPR to make hoxa1a-null zebrafish that exhibited multiple heart malformations. In situ hybridization and sections revealed the morphological changes in mutants: enlarged ventricle with thickened myocardium and increased trabeculae, intensified OFT and inadequate heart looping, with electrocardiography supporting these pathological changes. High-speed photography captured cardiac pumping and revealed a significant decrease in cardiac output. Furthermore, lacking hoxa1a led to posterior body abnormality that affected movement ability, corresponding with the motor development delay in patients. Upregulation of hox paralogues in hoxa1a-null fish implied a compensatory mechanism between hox genes. Accordingly, we successfully constructed a hoxa1a-null model with a cardiac disease pattern which occurred in human HOXA1-associated heart malformation. The study of hoxa1a in zebrafish can further promote the understanding of hox genes and related diseases.

Climate change threatens the global living environment, and afforestation-based carbon sequestration is an effective measure to relieve and adapt to climate changes. In this study, the ideal distribution patterns of Abies, Picea, Quercus, and Betula species in forests in Mao County, China, were simulated and predicted, respectively, using the maximum entropy niche model, MaxEnt. Afterward, suitable distribution patterns of the four dominant tree species under different scenarios were simulated by overlaying suitable distribution areas for each species. Subsequently, the total carbon sinks of the suitable distribution patterns were estimated by combining the biomass expansion factors (BEFs). The optimal scenario for carbon sequestration was found by comparing the total carbon sinks under different scenarios. By comparing the results with existing forest resources in Mao County, the maximum increase of the carbon sink potential was estimated. The results demonstrated the following: 1) the MaxEnt model has a good simulation effect and the average AUC of the four tree species is higher than 0.8, indicating that the potential distribution areas of the dominant tree species have relatively high accuracy in model simulation. 2) The suitable area size order of the four dominant tree species is Picea > Abies > Betula > Quercus. The total suitable area is 295,593.28ha. The order of biomass of the four tree species per unit area is Abies > Betula > Picea > Quercus. 3) When it is suitable to plant multiple tree species simultaneously, the planting combination mode of the trees was chosen according to biomass to obtain maximum carbon reserves. The carbon reserve of this combination mode was 15.81 Tg C. 4) Compared with existing forest resources, the maximum carbon reserve potential of the four dominant tree species can increase to 2.13 Tg C in the future. In this study, suitable distribution patterns and carbon sink potentials of the four dominant tree species in the northwestern Sichuan Plateau were analyzed and predicted. The results provided a reference for afforestation plans, tree species selection, and regional distribution layouts for future carbon sequestration projects in the plateaus. The study is beneficial for increasing economic benefits and the ecological value of forest carbon sinks in plateaus.

BackgroundDietary interventions may modulate inflammatory indicators, but the correlations between dietary intervention and inflammatory markers in metabolic syndrome (MetS) settings remain opaque.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of dietary intervention on interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with MetS by systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsDatabases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google scholar, were searched from June 2011 to June 2021 for relevant available articles. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was generated as effect size by meta-analysis for continuous variants, including IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP levels. Then, according to study characteristics by dietary patterns of the intervention, subgroup analyses were performed.ResultsFinally, 13 studies comprising a total of 1,101 participants were included for the meta-analysis. IL-6 levels in dietary patients were significantly lower than controls (SMD = −0.30, 95% CI = −0.55, 0.04, p = 0.02, I2 = 64%). However, IL-1β, TNF-α, and CRP levels did not change significantly compared with the control group. Sensitivity analyses further yielded similar results.ConclusionsDietary intervention may help decrease IL-6 rather than IL-1β, TNF-α, or CRP levels in patients with MetS.

Given ongoing changes in regional climate and hydrologic conditions, a vast of studies have reported that under-prediction or over-prediction of the trophic status of a water body was widely existing by classic trophic state index method, it would create serious problems in management aspects such as allowing over-fertilization of the eutrophic water body. Each lake needs to establish its own trophic state evaluation method. Therefore, based on the concept of lake-specific and segmentation, a new assessment method for lake eutrophication is proposed: a Trophic State Footprint Index (TFI). This method constructed a concise response relationship between the response index (chlorophyll a) and the main cause index (such as total phosphorus and total nitrogen) with segmented data. This method is an improvement over the Modified Trophic State Index method and TFI is simpler, easier to conduct, and more accurate. It has been applied in Dianchi Lake of China and proved to be effective.

Background: Dementia is a gradual decline in cognitive ability and is becoming more common in our elderly population. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is defined as a slight clinical deterioration of memory capacity, below the level of normal aging, but does not constitute a clinical diagnosis of dementia. To date, no interventions have been proven to cure MCI and dementia fully.Purpose: To evaluate the potential effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia and evaluate the methodological quality of systematic reviews (SRs).Methods: We conducted a literature search for SRs with meta-analyses in seven Chinese and international databases through October 1, 2020. The basic characteristics of the included SRs/meta-analyses and the basic information of the original included randomized controlled trials were extracted by three reviewers independently. A meta-analysis of the original randomized controlled trials from the included SRs/meta-analyses was performed using Stata 12.0 software. The Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 was used to assess the methodological quality of the included SRs/meta-analyses, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was used to rate the quality of evidence.Results: A total of 35 SRs/meta-analyses were included, and the majority showed that acupuncture was more effective than western medicine or conventional therapy for MCI and dementia [odds ratio =1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24, 1.56]. There was a statistically significant difference in the Mini-Mental State Examination score (weighted mean difference = 1.23; 95% CI: 0.78, 1.68; p < 0.00001), and there was no significant improvement in the activities of daily living score (weighted mean difference = 1.58; 95% CI: −0.02, 3.18; p = 0.053). The assessment results of Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 showed that the methodological quality of most included SRs/meta-analyses was critically low; the lowest scores were items 2, 7, and 10. For Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation, of the 73 outcomes, 50 (68.5%) outcomes were low or very low quality, and 23 (31.5%) outcomes were moderate quality.Conclusions: Acupuncture can be considered as an alternative for the treatment of MCI and dementia when western medicine or other therapies are contraindicated. More high-quality evidence is needed to determine further the effectiveness of acupuncture.

Abstract Background Recent evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators in the pathological process of ischemic stroke (IS). Maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) was observed to be up-regulated in IS, acting as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-181b to regulate ischemic brain injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of tagSNPs in MEG3 (i.e., rs7158663 and rs4081134) and miR-181b rs322931 with IS risk. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of 509 patients with IS and 668 healthy controls. Genotyping of MEG3 rs7158663, rs4081134, and miR-181b rs322931 was performed by TaqMan assay. The transcriptional activity was measured using the Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay kit. Results Single-site analysis revealed a significantly higher risk of IS being associated with miR-181b rs322931 CT and CT/TT genotypes (CT vs. CC: adjusted OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.13–1.95, P = 0.005; CT/TT vs. CC: adjusted OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.17–1.97, P = 0.002). Combined analyses revealed that combined genotypes (rs7158663 GG + rs322931 CT/TT and rs7158663 AG/AA + rs322931 CT/TT) increased IS risk compared to genotypes of rs7158663 GG + rs322931 CC. Stratification analyses showed that patients carrying miR-181b rs322931 CT/TT genotypes had higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL_C) (P = 0.01). Moreover, results from logistic regression analysis showed that rs322931 CT/TT genotypes were risk factors besides hypertension, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL_C. Further dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that the rs322931 T allele had lower levels of luciferase activity than the rs322931 C allele. Conclusion These findings indicate that miR-181b rs322931 may singly or jointly contribute to the risk of IS.

Fertilization is a feasible approach to increase the soil organic carbon. To investigate the effect of fertilization on crop biomass carbon, dynamics of soil organic carbon and soil carbon sequestration rate in the (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system under the middle reach of the Yangtze River, central China, a thirty-three years (1981 − 2013) long-term fertilizer experiment was conducted with nine treatments, including no amendment addition treatment (control), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) fertilizer treatments (N, NP, NPK), manure (M) and manure combined with chemical fertilizer treatments (MN, MNP, MNPK, hMNPK). The results indicated that average crop biomass carbon was increased by 39.9 − 77.2% compared to unfertilized control (4.43 t ha−1 yr−1) due to fertilizer application, the highest crop biomass carbon was 7.85 t ha−1 yr−1 in the hMNPK treatment and the lowest crop biomass carbon was 5.21 t ha−1 yr−1 in the N alone treatment. The annual total organic carbon input were 4.14 t ha−1 yr−1 in the M treatment and 5.80 t ha−1 yr−1 in the hMNPK treatment, which was 1.95 − 2.74 times of those in the NPK treatments (2.12 t ha−1 yr−1). Total organic carbon input of soil were increased by 10.2 − 23.3 kg C ha−1 yr−1, and increment rate in the appended manure treatments were much higher than those in the control and inorganic fertilizer treatments. Soil organic carbon retention in the topsoil (0 − 20 cm) decreased by 0.11 − 0.14 t ha−1 yr−1 in the control, N and NP treatments; nevertheless, soil organic carbon sequestration rates varied from 0.03 to 0.20 t ha−1 yr−1 in the NPK and appended organic manure treatments. These results demonstrate that organic manure use or integrated organic manure with chemical fertilizer application can be important strategies for increasing soil organic carbon sequestration and maintaining soil quality in the rice-wheat cropping system of China.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled “Progress on National Biodiversity Indicator Reporting and Prospects for Filling Indicator Gaps in Southeast Asia ” (Han et al., 2020). We examined quantifiable information about biodiversity indicators from the most recent two national reports (i.e., 4th in 2010 and 5th in 2015) to the United Nation's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) by the 10-member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This article presents the number of indicators, their level of development, and detailed lists of indicators for each country, and demonstrates general improvement in indicator use by the highest level of government reporting about implementation of the CBD at the national scale.

Aim of study: To evaluate the effects of a long-term manuring and fertilization experiment on the soil total N concentration and its storage and sequestration rates in the rice-wheat cropping system. Area of study: A rice-wheat rotation area in central China. Material and methods: A 35-yr long-term fertilizer experiment was conducted with 9 treatments: unfertilized (Control), N, P, and K fertilizers, manure (M) and M combined with N, P, and K fertilizers treatments. Soil total N input amount, total N concentration, total N storage amount and N sequestration rate in soil were calculated. Main results: The soil total N input amount, N concentration, N storage amount and N sequestration rate were significantly influenced by M and chemical fertilizers. In total, 0.017-0.021 g N/kg soil accumulated in the organic M plots, whereas only 0.005-0.007 g in chemical fertilizer alone plots. The highest soil total N storage amount was 6.09 t/hain the M alone plot, and the lowest value was 4.46 tN/ha in the N fertilizer alone plot. The highest N sequestration rate in soil was 0.061 t N/ha/yr in the high amount M plus NPK fertilizers plot, and the lowest value was 0.002 tN/ha/yr in the N fertilizer alone plot. A significant nonlinear regression relationship existed between the total N sequestration rate in soil and annual total N input amount. Moreover, the average soil total N concentration was significantly positively correlated with the average grain yield of crop and soil organic C concentration. The soil total N sequestration rate in M alone or M combined with inorganic fertilizer treatments were increased compared with inorganic fertilizer alone treatments. Research highlights: Considering crop yields and total N sequestration rate in soil, the use of manure combined with inorganic fertilizer should be recommended in the rice-wheat cropping system.

With tremendous biodiversity but increasing threats, Southeast Asia faces challenges in meeting its commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 2020 Aichi Targets. The use of indicators to monitor, evaluate and guide conservation progress is increasingly urgent. We quantified indicator use by 10 Southeast Asian governments in the 4th and 5th national reports submitted to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2010 and 2015. We found indicator use variable among nations but increasing. Use of quantitative trend indicators doubled from an average of 6–12. There was no change in the number of non-quantitative (mean of 2) or quantitative baseline indicators (those measured once; mean of 9). Indicators most frequently addressed habitat condition and extent, species diversity, protected areas, and agriculture (means of 2–6 indicators each). They were rarely used (mean ​

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a rare genetic disorder, is mostly caused by defects in more than 40 known cilia structure-related genes. However, in approximately 20–35% of patients, it is caused by unknown genetic factors, and the inherited pathogenic factors are difficult to confirm. Kartagener syndrome (KTS) is a subtype of PCD associated with situs inversus, presenting more complex genetic heterogeneity. The aim of this study was to identify pathogenic mutations of candidate genes in Chinese patients with KTS and investigate the activation of the heterotaxy-related NOTCH pathway. Whole-exome sequencing was conducted in five patients with KTS. Pathogenic variants were identified using bioinformatics analysis. Candidate variants were validated by Sanger sequencing. The expression of the NOTCH pathway target genes was detected in patients with KTS. We identified 10 KTS-associated variants in six causative genes, namely, CCDC40, DNAH1, DNAH5, DNAH11, DNAI1, and LRRC6. Only one homozygote mutation was identified in LRRC6 (c.64dupT). Compound heterozygous mutations were found in DNAH1 and DNAH5. Six novel mutations were identified in four genes. Further analyses showed that the NOTCH pathway might be activated in patients with KTS. Overall, our study showed that compound heterozygous mutations widely exist in Chinese KTS patients. Our results demonstrated that the activation of the NOTCH pathway might play a role in the situs inversus pathogenicity of KTS. These findings highlight that Kartagener syndrome might be a complex genetic heterogeneous disorder mediated by heterozygous mutations in multiple PCD- or cilia-related genes.

Metaphase cells preferentially promote actin cable assembly through cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1) activity. Here the authors identify fimbrin as one of the main metaphase Cdk1 targets for cell cycle regulation of actin cable assembly in budding yeast.

Centrosomes organize microtubules and are essential for spindle formation and chromosome segregation during cell division. Duplicated centrosomes are physically linked, but how this linkage is dissolved remains unclear. Yeast centrosomes are tethered by a nuclear-envelope-attached structure called the half-bridge, whose components have mammalian homologues. We report here that cleavage of the half-bridge protein Mps3 promotes accurate centrosome disjunction in budding yeast. Mps3 is a single-pass SUN-domain protein anchored at the inner nuclear membrane and concentrated at the nuclear side of the half-bridge. Using the unique feature in yeast meiosis that centrosomes are linked for hours before their separation, we have revealed that Mps3 is cleaved at its nucleus-localized N-terminal domain, the process of which is regulated by its phosphorylation at serine 70. Cleavage of Mps3 takes place at the yeast centrosome and requires proteasome activity. We show that noncleavable Mps3 (Mps3-nc) inhibits centrosome separation during yeast meiosis. In addition, overexpression of mps3-nc in vegetative yeast cells also inhibits centrosome separation and is lethal. Our findings provide a genetic mechanism for the regulation of SUN-domain protein-mediated activities, including centrosome separation, by irreversible protein cleavage at the nuclear periphery.

This study investigated the pulping process of cooking rice straw in tris-(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium acetate ionic liquid under microwave irradiation. The optimal processing conditions were determined via othogonal experimentation based on analyses of the effects of the main factors, namely the mass ratio of ionic liquid to rice straw, cooking time, and microwave power, on the cooking of pulp. Those conditions are as follows: mass ratio of ionic liquid to rice straw 5:1, cooking time 30 min, and microwave power 350 W. When subsequent verification experiments were conducted under the conditions above, the pulp yield was as high as 47.28%, the ionic liquid was able to be recycled, and the recovery was as high as 96.9%. The physical properties of the paper confirmed that paper of satisfactory commercial quality could be produced using this technology.

Redox-mediated posttranslational modifications represent a molecular switch that controls major mechanisms of cell function. Nitric oxide (NO) can mediate redox reactions via S-nitrosylation, representing transfer of an NO group to a critical protein thiol. NO is known to modulate neurogenesis and neuronal survival in various brain regions in disparate neurodegenerative conditions. However, a unifying molecular mechanism linking these phenomena remains unknown. Here, we report that S-nitrosylation of myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors acts as a redox switch to inhibit both neurogenesis and neuronal survival. Structure-based analysis reveals that MEF2 dimerization creates a pocket, facilitating S-nitrosylation at an evolutionally conserved cysteine residue in the DNA binding domain. S-Nitrosylation disrupts MEF2-DNA binding and transcriptional activity, leading to impaired neurogenesis and survival in vitro and in vivo. Our data define a molecular switch whereby redox-mediated posttranslational modification controls both neurogenesis and neurodegeneration via a single transcriptional signaling cascade.

Protein arginylation is a posttranslational modification with an emerging global role in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton. To test the role of arginylation in the skeletal muscle, we generated a mouse model with Ate1 deletion driven by the skeletal muscle-specific creatine kinase (Ckmm) promoter. Ckmm-Ate1 mice were viable and outwardly normal; however, their skeletal muscle strength was significantly reduced in comparison to controls. Mass spectrometry of isolated skeletal myofibrils showed a limited set of proteins, including myosin heavy chain, arginylated on specific sites. Atomic force microscopy measurements of contractile strength in individual myofibrils and isolated myosin filaments from these mice showed a significant reduction of contractile forces, which, in the case of myosin filaments, could be fully rescued by rearginylation with purified Ate1. Our results demonstrate that arginylation regulates force production in muscle and exerts a direct effect on muscle strength through arginylation of myosin.

Protein arginylation by arginyl–transfer RNA protein transferase (ATE1) is emerging as a regulator protein function that is reminiscent of phosphorylation. For example, arginylation of β-actin has been found to regulate lamellipodial formation at the leading edge in fibroblasts. This finding suggests that similar functions of β-actin in other cell types may also require arginylation. Here, we have tested the hypothesis that ATE1 regulates the cytoskeletal dynamics essential for in vivo platelet adhesion and thrombus formation. To test this hypothesis, we generated conditional knockout mice specifically lacking ATE1 in their platelets and in their megakaryocytes and analyzed the role of arginylation during platelet activation. Surprisingly, rather than finding an impairment of the actin cytoskeleton structure and its rearrangement during platelet activation, we observed that the platelet-specific ATE1 knockout led to enhanced clot retraction and in vivo thrombus formation. This effect might be regulated by myosin II contractility since it was accompanied by enhanced phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain on Ser19, which is an event that activates myosin in vivo. Furthermore, ATE1 and myosin co-immunoprecipitate from platelet lysates. This finding suggests that these proteins directly interact within platelets. These results provide the first evidence that arginylation is involved in phosphorylation-dependent protein regulation, and that arginylation affects myosin function in platelets during clot retraction.

Recognizing the imperiled status of biodiversity and its benefit to human well-being, the world's governments committed in 2010 to take effective and urgent action to halt biodiversity loss through the Convention on Biological Diversity's "Aichi Targets". These targets, and many conservation programs, require monitoring to assess progress toward specific goals. However, comprehensive and easily understood information on biodiversity trends at appropriate spatial scales is often not available to the policy makers, managers, and scientists who require it. We surveyed conservation stakeholders in three geographically diverse regions of critical biodiversity concern (the Tropical Andes, the African Great Lakes, and the Greater Mekong) and found high demand for biodiversity indicator information but uneven availability. To begin to address this need, we present a biodiversity "dashboard"--a visualization of biodiversity indicators designed to enable tracking of biodiversity and conservation performance data in a clear, user-friendly format. This builds on previous, more conceptual, indicator work to create an operationalized online interface communicating multiple indicators at multiple spatial scales. We structured this dashboard around the Pressure-State-Response-Benefit framework, selecting four indicators to measure pressure on biodiversity (deforestation rate), state of species (Red List Index), conservation response (protection of key biodiversity areas), and benefits to human populations (freshwater provision). Disaggregating global data, we present dashboard maps and graphics for the three regions surveyed and their component countries. These visualizations provide charts showing regional and national trends and lay the foundation for a web-enabled, interactive biodiversity indicators dashboard. This new tool can help track progress toward the Aichi Targets, support national monitoring and reporting, and inform outcome-based policy-making for the protection of natural resources.

CtIP plays an important role in homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA double-stranded break (DSB) repair and interacts with Nbs1 and BRCA1, which are linked to Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) and familial breast cancer, respectively. We identified new CDK phosphorylation sites on CtIP and found that phosphorylation of these newly identified CDK sites induces association of CtIP with the N-terminus FHA and BRCT domains of Nbs1. We further showed that these CDK-dependent phosphorylation events are a prerequisite for ATM to phosphorylate CtIP upon DNA damage, which is important for end resection to activate HR by promoting recruitment of BLM and Exo1 to DSBs. Most notably, this CDK-dependent CtIP and Nbs1 interaction facilitates ATM to phosphorylate CtIP in a substrate-specific manner. These studies reveal one important mechanism to regulate cell-cycle-dependent activation of HR upon DNA damage by coupling CDK- and ATM-mediated phosphorylation of CtIP through modulating the interaction of CtIP with Nbs1, which significantly helps to understand how DSB repair is regulated in mammalian cells to maintain genome stability.