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Objective To analyze the real-world data about immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on the modified RECIST 1.1 for immune based therapeutics (iRECIST). Methods According to real-world research methods, all advanced NSCLC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in our hospital from August 10, 2016 to July 10, 2019 were enrolled in this study. The efficacy, including best overall response (bOR), progression-free survival (PFS) and duration of response (DoR) was evaluated in first-line monotherapy, first-line combination, second-line monotherapy and second-line combination based on iRECIST. Also, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were evaluated. Results A total of 61 patients (54 males and 7 females) with stage IV NSCLC were included, at a median age of 58 years, and there were 31 cases of adenocarcinoma and 30 cases of squamous carcinoma. The bOR and mPFS were 27.3% and 11.8 months, respectively, for first-line monotherapy; 47.1% and not reached (NR), respectively, for first-line combination, and 35.9% and 11.8 months, respectively, for first-line totally. And the bOR and mPFS were 30% and 6.0 months, respectively, for the second-line monotherapy; were 41.7% and NR, respectively, for second-line combination; and were 36.4% and 6.3 months, respectively for second-line totally. The most common irAEs was grade 1~2 skin toxicity (5 cases, 8.2%). Conclusion Our results show that bOR and PFS of first-line monotherapy, first-line combination, second-line monotherapy are better than the results of previous RCT, and bOR and PFS of second-line combination are significantly better than second-line monotherapy. irAEs are controllable study.

To reveal the influence of organic planting on the community composition and diversity of soil microbial community, 4 types of soils (ancient tea gardens, modern tea gardens, rubber fields, wastelands) were used as the research objects in 3 representative ancient tea mountains (Manzhuan, Yiwu and Youle) in Mengla County, Yunnan Province. The community composition of bacteria and fungi were identified using Illumina MiSeq PE300 high-throughput sequencing technology. The effects of organic planting and planting years on soil physical and chemical properties, microbial community composition characteristics and diversity were analyzed. The results show that organic planting could promote soil organic matter accumulation and increase the contents of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients. The common number of bacteria OTUs in the soils of three tea gardens and non-tea gardens was 381. Among them, Yiwu Wasteland had highest number of unique OTUs (293), while the Rubber Land of Manzhuan had the lowest number of unique OTUs (28). The total number of fungi OTUs was only 24, with the highest number of fungi OTUs unique to Manzhuan ancient tea garden (337) and the lowest number of OTUs unique to Yiwu Modern Tea Garden (55). In addition, The Shannon diversity index of bacteria reached 5.88-6.62, which was significantly higher than that of fungi (2.71-4.30). The dominant bacteria and fungi in tea garden soils were basically similar to those in non-tea garden soil. However, there were significant differences in relative abundance among identified Acidimicrobiales, Bradyrhizobium, Varibacter, Xanthobacteraceae, Nitrospira, Bryobacter, Acidibacter and Planomyceteaceae among different tea mountains and land use modes. Compared with wasteland and rubber land, the relative abundance of Chaetomiaceae, Penicillium, Fusarium, Trichoderma, Mortierella, Agaricales and Eurotiomycetes in tea garden soil fungal communities were significantly higher than those in other soils. The abundance index of bacterial community Chao1 was significantly and positively correlated with soil TN and TP, and the bacterial community composition was more stable than the fungal community composition of the three mountains with ancient tea plants. Except for some tea garden soils, the abundance of soil bacteria increased with the increase of organic planting and planting years, while the abundance of fungi decreased and then increased with the beginning of organic planting. The diversity level of bacteria and fungi in modern and ancient tea gardens decreased with the increase of organic planting and planting years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the mixing effect of litter decomposition and the role of detritivores, we conducted a laboratory- based microcosm experiment to study the influence of detritivores on litter mixture decomposition by using two litter species with contrasting quality, i.e., Cinnamomum camphora and Michelia X alba, and a detritivore (isopoda). After 100 days incubation, the decomposition rate of litter mixture was 52.1%, slower than that of M. alba (62.6%) and significantly faster than that of C. camphora (33.6%). The addition of isopods significantly increased litter decomposition rate, with C. camphora, M. alba, and the mixture increased by 14.4%, 20.1% and 22.1%, respectively. There was no significant mixing effect without isopods. Adding isopods significantly promoted the mixing effect of litter decomposition, with a value of the litter mixture decomposition effect of 8.6%. The detritivores increased litter decomposition rate and mixing effect through increasing consumption of litter with better quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plants, iron (Fe) regulated transporters (IRT) play important roles in uptake and transport of Fe that contributes to plant growth and development. However, biological functions of IRT transporters in fruit trees are still unknown. This study isolated 10 VvIRT genes from ‘Marselan’ grape, with varying expression levels across different tissues/organs, particularly enhanced under Fe depletion, especially in roots. Notably, VvIRT7 is the most abundantly expressed IRT gene in grape, beneficially restoring the Fe2+ uptake defect of yeast mutant DEY1453. Furthermore, VvIRT7 showed dominant expression in the roots of irt1/35S::IRT7 complementation lines. Overexpressing of VvIRT7 rescued the retarded growth of irt1 knockout mutant, by increasing the fresh weight, dry weight, total root length, total root surface, lateral root numbers, total leaf chlorophyll, ACO activity, NiR activity, SDH activity, and tissue Fe concentration. This study provides insights for understanding molecular mechanisms of Fe uptake and transport in grape.Key message: A grape iron regulated transporter gene involved in Fe2+ transport and resistance to Fe2+ deficiency was isolated, heterologously expressed, and functionally characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-rank steam coal is an important coal resource, but has high water and ash content, which needs to be separated to improve its quality and calorific value. In this paper, the process of screening using a flip-flow screen and density separator using a shallow groove dense-medium separator for steam coal was proposed and applied to the Lijiahao coal preparation plant. Kinematics of the screen box and the surface of the flip-flow screen were investigated using an acceleration and laser displacement measurement and analysis system. The mechanism of the flip-flow screen to overcome aperture blocking and to enhance the screening performance for moist and fine coal was discussed. The results from an industrial experiment when screening at 3 mm showed that the screening efficiency was 82.51%, while the total misplaced materials were 5.91%. The commercial separation of a wide size range of coal using a shallow groove dense-medium separator was analyzed. The results showed that the system exhibited satisfactory separation performance for 100–3 mm coal, whereas the corresponding Ep value was found to be 0.06 g/cm3. Compared with the 6 mm separation system, the yield of clean coal increased by 8.50%, which remarkably increased the economic benefits for the company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The plant economics spectrum theory provides a useful framework to examine plant strategies by integrating the co-ordination of plant functional traits along a resource acquisition–conservation trade-off axis. Empirical evidence for this theory has been widely observed for seed plants (Spermatophyta). However, whether this theory can be applied to ferns (Pteridophyta), a ubiquitous and ancient group of vascular plants, has rarely been evaluated so far. Methods We measured 11 pairs of plant functional traits on leaves and fine roots (diameter <2 mm) on 12 coexisting fern species in a sub-tropical forest. Litterbags of leaves and roots were placed in situ and exposed for 586 d to measure decomposition rates. The variation of traits across species and the co-ordination among traits within and between plant organs were analysed. Finally, the influence of the traits on decomposition rates were explored. Key Results Most leaf and root traits displayed high cross-species variation, and were aligned along a major resource acquisition–conservation trade-off axis. Many fern traits co-varied between leaves and fine roots, suggesting co-ordinated responses between above- and below-ground organs. Decomposition rates of leaves were significantly higher than those of fine roots, but they were significantly and positively correlated. Finally, our results highlight that the decomposition of both leaves and roots was relatively well predicted by the leaf and root economics spectra. Conclusions Our results support the existence of an acquisition–conservation trade-off axis within ferns and indicate that traits have important 'afterlife' effects on fern litter decomposition. We conclude that the plant economics spectrum theory that is commonly observed across seed plants can be applied to ferns species, thereby extending the generality of this theory to this ancient plant lineage in our study site. Our study further suggests that the evolutionary and ecological basis for the relationships among key economics traits appears to be similar between ferns and seed plants. Future studies involving larger data sets will be required to confirm these findings across different biomes at larger spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil cultivation changes and usage of agricultural wastes can have profound impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from soil. In this study, the effects of soil cultivation and organic amendment on GHG emission were investigated using aerobic incubation. Surface soil (0–20 cm) from (1) rice–legume consecutive rotation (Rice) and (2) recently (<3 years) converted from rice field to plastic-covered intensive vegetable and flower production (VegC) were collected in Kunming, P.R. China. Rose (Rosa rugosaThunb.) residues and cattle manure were applied at 5% by weight. Results indicated that N2O and CO2fluxes were significantly influenced by soil cultivation, organic amendment, incubation time and their interaction (p <0.05). Applying cattle manure increased, while rose residue decreased, cumulative N2O emissions from soil (84 days). Rose residue application significantly increased cumulative CO2emissions with peak values of 6371 (Rice) and 7481 mg kg−1(VegC), followed by cattle manure addition figure of 2265 (VegC) and 3581 mg kg−1(Rice). Both were significantly higher (p <0.05) than the un-amended Control at 709 (VegC) and 904 mg kg−1(Rice). Our study demonstrates that a low C/N ratio in cattle manure is better than a high C/N ratio in rose residue in regard to reducing the global warming potential of agricultural soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]