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The biodiversity and activity of microorganisms are crucial for litter decomposition, but how litter traits at different stages of decomposition drive changes in microbial communities has yet to be thoroughly explored. In the typical alpine hilly area of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, three types of litter at different decomposition stages were selected under a natural Picea crassifolia (Picea crassifolia Kom.) forest: undecomposed (A-1), partially decomposed (A-2), and fully decomposed (A-3). By measuring physicochemical indicators, microbial diversity, and the composition of the litter at different decomposition stages, this study investigates the community changes and responses of bacteria to litter characteristic changes at different decomposition levels. The results show that with the increase in decomposition level, bacterial diversity increases, community structure changes, and network complexity gradually increases, while the changes in fungal communities are insignificant. Structural equation modeling indicates that the first principal component (PC1) of litter properties is significantly negatively correlated with bacterial diversity and positively correlated with bacterial community composition. There is no significant correlation between fungal diversity and community composition, indicating a closer relationship between bacteria and litter characteristics than fungi. In summary, with an increase in litter decomposition level, the diversity and network complexity of bacterial and fungal communities will significantly increase, which is related to the changes in various litter characteristics. This study provides a scientific basis for the regulatory mechanism of litter decomposition and turnover in the alpine hilly area of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, specifically in Picea crassifolia forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the chaotic motion control of a single-degree-of-freedom vibro-impact system with soft constraint, two-parameter cooperative intelligent optimal control method based on LRS-QPSO (i.e., Local Rotational Search Quantum Particle Swarm Optimization) algorithm optimization SVM (i.e., Support Vector Machines) was proposed. Firstly, in the parameter plane (ω,ζ), the motion distribution of the system and the change of the maximum Lyapunov exponent is obtained by numerical simulation, and the correlation between parameters change and the transition from chaotic motion to periodic motion is analyzed. Secondly, by introducing ω and ζ into the construction of the input variables of the SVM controller, a chaotic motion two-parameter cooperative intelligent optimal control strategy is proposed to meet the requirements of expected control objectives. Therefore, by the virtue of nonlinear mapping characteristics of SVM, the combined effects of ω and ζ on the dynamic state transition of the system can be reflected in the output variables of the controller. Finally, with single parameter ω and single parameter ζ as the research object, the bifurcation diagram, Lyapunov exponential spectrum, and controlled periodic motion orbit diagram are analyzed, and the advantages of two-parameter cooperative intelligent optimal control are compared and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to investigate and analyze the anatomic characteristics of the retromaxillary cell (RMC) by using computed tomography (CT) images of paranasal sinuses and to improve its identification with ethmomaxillary sinus (EMS). Methods: The paranasal sinus CT scans of 441 outpatients or inpatients in our hospital from January 2018 to October 2018 were analyzed. The incidence of RMC, EMS, Haller cell, imaging anatomical characteristics, and morphological manifestations were observed via sinus CTs. The relationship of RMC and ipsilateral maxillary sinusitis was analyzed. Results: The incidence of RMC is 83.90% (740/882). The incidence of males and females was 83.81% (414/494) and 84.02% (326/388), respectively. The incidence of bilateral (72.79%, 321/441) was much higher than that of unilateral (22.22%, 98/441). The lateral extension of the RMC ranged from 1.18 to 13.31 mm, with an average of 6.10 ± 2.03 mm. The incidence of ipsilateral maxillary sinus opacification on the RMC sides and non-RMC sides has no significance difference (χ2 =.054, P =.459). The incidence of Haller cell and EMS decreased significantly in the presence of RMC (P <.01). Conclusion: The RMC is an anatomical variation originating from posterior ethmoid cells, which is commonly encountered in the clinic. The pneumatization of RMC is highly variable, and a bilateral is common. During endoscopic sinus surgery, it is necessary to carefully identify such an air cell to ensure the complete opening of the paranasal sinus during surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate whether microRNA (miR)-31 exerted therapeutic potential in allergic rhinitis (AR) and to explore its underlying mechanism. Firstly, the expression levels of miR-31 were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR in the nasal mucosa of patients and mice. Subsequently, an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced animal model of AR was constructed. Allergic symptom score, histopathological characteristics, OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) titers, and T-helper (Th)1 and Th2 cell-related cytokine levels were analyzed in OVA-sensitized mice, miR-31-overexpressing mice, miR-negative control mice and control mice. Furthermore, interleukin (IL)-13-stimulated nasal epithelial cells (NECs) were used to assess the effects of miR-31 on the production of IL-13-induced inflammatory cytokines and mucin 5AC by performing western blotting and ELISA. The expression levels of miR-31 were significantly decreased in the nasal mucosa of the AR group compared with those in the control group. Moreover, upregulation of miR-31 markedly attenuated sneezing and nasal rubbing events, reduced nasal eosinophil infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia, and decreased the levels of OVA-specific IgE and Th2-related cytokines. In addition, subsequent in vitro experiments showed that upregulation of miR-31 inhibited IL-13 receptor α1 chain expression and signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 phosphorylation in NECs. Furthermore, miR-31 suppressed IL-13-induced expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, eotaxin and mucin 5AC in NECs. In conclusion, these data revealed that miR-31 could ameliorate AR by suppressing IL-13-induced nasal epithelial inflammatory responses, and thus may serve as a novel therapeutic target for AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The causative relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and depression remains unclear. Herein we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) coupled with single-cell analysis to investigate the causality between CRS and depression., Methods: Data pertaining to CRS and depression were mined from the genome-wide association study database, and a single-cell dataset was sourced from the literature. To explore causality, we conducted bidirectional MR analysis using MR-Egger, weighted median, inverse variance weighted (IVW), simple mode, and weighted mode, with IVW representing the most important method. Further, sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness of MR analysis results. Candidate genes were analyzed via single-cell combined MR analysis., Results: Forward MR analysis indicated depression as a risk factor for CRS when depression was the exposure factor and CRS was the outcome (OR = 1.425, P < 0.001). Reverse MR analysis revealed the same positive relationship between CRS and depression when CRS was the exposure factor and depression was the outcome (OR = 1.012, P = 0.038). Sensitivity analysis validated the robustness of bidirectional MR analysis results. Ten cell types (endothelial, ciliated, basal, myeloid, mast, apical, plasma, glandular, fibroblast, and T cells) were identified in the single-cell dataset. The network of receptor-ligand pairs showed that in normal samples, cell-cell interactions were present among various cell types, such as epithelial, mast, myeloid, and endothelial cells. In contrast, CRS samples featured only one specific receptor-ligand pair, confined to myeloid cells. TCF4 and MEF2C emerged as potentially crucial for CRS-associated depression development., Conclusions: Our findings suggest a bidirectional causal relationship between CRS and depression, offering a new perspective on the association between CRS and depression., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhou, Yang, Li, Jin, Zhang and Yu.)

Bell's palsy is an idiopathic, acute, unilateral peripheral facial nerve paralysis, where incomplete or failed recovery causes substantial social and psychological stress to the patient, seriously influencing their quality of life and social activities. We conducted a bibliometric investigation of the knowledge structure and frontier hotspots in Bell's palsy research. Bell's palsy publications between 2002 and 2021 were retrieved from Web of Science. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and an online bibliometric platform were used for visual, burst, citation, and co-occurrence analyses, respectively. A total of 1,378 publications were included. The annual Bell's palsy publication output followed an upward trend from 2002 to 2021. The USA and Harvard University published the most Bell's palsy research articles. Yeo SG and Otology & Neurotology were the most prolific author and journal, respectively, on Bell's palsy. The results suggested that Bell's palsy research hotspots focused on rehabilitating facial nerve function and improving prognosis, and combining specific therapies (acupuncture) would be of future interest. The cited references timeline revealed that Bell's palsy following COVID-19 vaccination was an emerging research hotspot. The bibliometric analysis demonstrated that the USA dominates Bell's palsy research and that rehabilitating facial nerve function and prognosis were research hotspots. Emerging mechanistic studies mainly focused on Bell's palsy following COVID-19 vaccination. Our findings could be a reliable source for global scholars to rapidly identify research hotspots and potential research directions and frontiers., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2023.)

Background: Vestibular schwannoma is the most common benign tumor in the pontocerebellar horn region. As the tumor grows, it often causes severe hearing loss due to compression of nearby nerves, resulting in a lower quality of life. This study examined vestibular schwannoma-related research through a bibliometric and visualization analysis, and it explored current trends and research hot spots., Methods: Research related to vestibular schwannoma published from 2002 to 2021 was searched using the Web of Science Core Collection. The processing and visualization analysis of the data were conducted using R software, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace., Results: A total of 3,909 publications were included in this study, and an overall increasing trend in the annual output of publications was found. The United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom were the most prolific countries, publishing the most articles. Germany had the most frequent international cooperation and the highest centrality score. The Mayo Clinic, University of California, and Harvard University were the three most productive institutions. Otology & Neurotology was the most prolific journal, and MJ Link was the most productive and highest scoring author for centrality. Current frontier topics mainly focused on "hearing preservation" and "radiosurgery". A map of trends in topics and a thematic graph revealed that "hearing loss", "vertigo", "magnetic resonance imaging", "radiosurgery", "stereotactic radiosurgery", and "gamma knife" were the topics of focus of current discussions., Conclusion: Hearing preservation is a current frontier topic in this area. Radiosurgery has a promising future in the field of vestibular schwannoma, and stereotactic radiosurgery is a focus of global attention. Bibliometric and visualization analysis offer a unique and objective perspective of the field of vestibular schwannoma and may assist scholars in the identification of new research directions., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2023.)

Background and Objective: Research on allergic rhinitis (AR) immunotherapy has increased in recent decades. This study conducted a bibliometric and visualization analysis of studies related to AR immunotherapy to identify research trends and highlight current research foci., Methods: Relevant original publications were obtained from the Science Citation Index-Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index in the Web of Science Core Collection databases between 2002 and 2021. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used to identify and analyze the research foci and emerging trends in the field of AR immunotherapy., Results: Over the last two decades, the number of publications related to AR immunotherapy has increased markedly. With regard to publications and access to collaborative networks, the leading country was the USA. Inspection of keyword bursts suggested that "subcutaneous immunotherapy", "quality of life", "prevalence", "rhino-conjunctivitis", and "mechanism" are emerging research hotspots. The timeline of the co-cited references cluster diagram revealed that the mechanism of allergen immunotherapy has emerged as a main topic in AR immunotherapy., Conclusion: Over the past 20 years, scholars have significantly improved their understanding of AR immunotherapy. The current research hotspots of AR immunotherapy in the health promotion domain lie in "subcutaneous immunotherapy", "quality of life", and "rhino-conjunctivitis". In addition, the mechanism of allergen immunotherapy has emerged as a frontier and focus of this field., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2022.)