The clinical value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) for predicting the occurrence and severity of pneumonia in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: Inflammatory mechanisms play important roles in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and have been linked to the development of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic inflammation response index (SIRI) are inflammatory indexes that influence systemic inflammatory responses after stroke. In this study, we aimed to compare the predictive value of the NLR, SII, SIRI and PLR for SAP in patients with ICH to determine their application potential in the early identification of the severity of pneumonia. Methods: Patients with ICH in four hospitals were prospectively enrolled. SAP was defined according to the modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Data on the NLR, SII, SIRI and PLR were collected at admission, and the correlation between these factors and the clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) was assessed through Spearman's analysis. Results: A total of 320 patients were enrolled in this study, among whom 126 (39.4%) developed SAP. The results of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the NLR had the best predictive value for SAP (AUC: 0.748, 95% CI: 0.695-0.801), and this outcome remained significant after adjusting for other confounders in multivariable analysis (RR=1.090, 95% CI: 1.029-1.155). Among the four indexes, Spearman's analysis showed that the NLR was the most highly correlated with the CPIS (r=0.537, 95% CI: 0.395-0.654). The NLR could effectively predict ICU admission (AUC: 0.732, 95% CI: 0.671-0.786), and this finding remained significant in the multivariable analysis (RR=1.049, 95% CI: 1.009-1.089, P=0.036). Nomograms were created to predict the probability of SAP occurrence and ICU admission. Furthermore, the NLR could predict a good outcome at discharge (AUC: 0.761, 95% CI: 0.707-0.8147). Conclusions: Among the four indexes, the NLR was the best predictor for SAP occurrence and a poor outcome at discharge in ICH patients. It can therefore be used for the early identification of severe SAP and to predict ICU admission.

[Response of photosynthesis and carbon/nitrogen metabolism to drought stress in Chinese chestnut 'Yanshanzaofeng' seedlings]. / æ¿æ —"燕山早丰"å¹¼è‹—å ‰åˆä¸Žç¢³æ°®ä»£è°¢å¯¹å¹²æ—±èƒè¿«çš„å“åº”.

Drought is a main factor affecting the growth and yield of Chinese chestnut trees in Yan-shan Mountains. To investigate the responses of chestnut seedlings to drought stress, the growth and physiological indices, including photosynthetic characteristics, biomass, proline, malondialdehyde, carbon and nitrogen contents were measured in roots, stems, and leaves after the Chinese chestnut 'Yanshanzaofeng' seedlings in the pots were treated by simulating drought for 22 days. The results showed that, compared with the normal irrigation, water contents in the roots, stems and leaves were decreased by 18.3%, 29.0% and 62.8%, respectively, accompanied by the considerable increases in the contents of proline (355.0%-1586.7%) and malondialdehyde except in the stems (41.1%-81.3%). The non-photochemical quenching coefficiency and net photosynthetic rate in the leaves were significantly decreased by 49.4% and 77.4%, respectively. The contents of non-structural carbohydrates were increased by 21.4% in stems and 69.5% in leaves, but that in roots did not change. The contents of nitrate were increased by 28.9% in stems and 26.8% in leaves, but that in roots did not change. Ammonium nitrogen was increased by 16.2%, 12.9% and 217.6% in roots, stems, and leaves, but being statistically significant in the leaves. These results indicated that drought stress led to serious damage to 'Yanshanzaofeng' chestnut seedlings, which inhibited photosynthetic performance, but they could improve their adaptation to drought stress by enhancing carbon and nitrogen metabolism. Our results provide a reference for the breeding and cultivation of drought resistance of the local Chinese chestnut resources.

The Concentration of Non-structural Carbohydrates, N, and P in Quercus variabilis Does Not Decline Toward Its Northernmost Distribution Range Along a 1500 km Transect in China.

Understanding the mechanisms that determine plant distribution range is crucial for predicting climate-driven range shifts. Compared to altitudinal gradients, less attention has been paid to the mechanisms that determine latitudinal range limit. To test whether intrinsic resource limitation contributes to latitudinal range limits of woody species, we investigated the latitudinal variation in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC; i.e., total soluble sugar plus starch) and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in mature and juvenile Chinese cork oak (Quercus variabilis Blume) along a 1500 km north-south transect in China. During the growing season and dormant season, leaves, branches, and fine roots were collected from both mature and juvenile oaks in seven sites along the transect. Tissue concentration of NSCs, N, and P did not decrease with increasing latitude irrespective of sampling season and ontogenetic stage. Furthermore, higher levels of NSCs and N in tissues of juveniles relative to mature trees were found during the dormant season. Partial correlation analysis also revealed that during the dormant season, soluble sugar, NSC, the ratio of soluble sugar to starch, and tissue nitrogen concentration were correlated positively with latitude but negatively with precipitation and mean temperature of dormant season. Our results suggest that carbon or nutrient availability may not be the driving factors of the latitudinal range limit of the studied species. Further studies should be carried out at the community or ecosystem level with multiple species to additionally test the roles of factors such as regeneration, competition, and disturbance in determining a species' northern distribution limit.

[Latitudinal trends in foliar δ13C and δ15N of Quercus variabilis and their influencing factors.] / æ “çš®æ Žå¶ç‰‡Î´13C和δ15Nçš„çº¬å‘è¶‹åŠ¿åŠå ¶å½±å“å› å­.

We aimed to reveal the latitudinal trends in foliar δ13C and δ15N of Quercus variabilis, a widely distributed species in East Asia, associated with two ontogenetic stages (juvenile and mature trees) along a North-South transect (26°-40° N). The results showed that mature trees had higher foliar δ13C and δ15N values than juveniles. Foliar δ13C and δ15N values of trees with both ontogenetic stages were nonlinearly increased and decreased with latitude, respectively. No interaction between ontogenetic stage and latitude for the changes of foliar δ15N and δ13C indicated that both ontogenetic stages across the transect consistently responded to latitudinal environmental variations. Results from the random forest models indicated that foliar δ15N of Q. variabilis was mainly affected by soil nutrient contents, e.g., soil organic matter, phosphorus, nitrogen, whereas dominated factors for foliar δ13C were related to moisture, such as relative humidity, precipitation of growing season.

Effects of drought on leaf carbon source and growth of European beech are modulated by soil type.

Drought potentially affects carbon balance and growth of trees, but little is known to what extent soil plays a role in the trade-off between carbon gain and growth investment. In the present study, we analyzed leaf non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) as an indicator of the balance of photosynthetic carbon gain and carbon use, as well as growth of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) saplings, which were grown on two different soil types (calcareous and acidic) in model ecosystems and subjected to a severe summer drought. Our results showed that drought led in general to increased total NSC concentrations and to decreased growth rate, and drought reduced shoot and stem growth of plants in acidic soil rather than in calcareous soil. This result indicated that soil type modulated the carbon trade-off between net leaf carbon gain and carbon investment to growth. In drought-stressed trees, leaf starch concentration and growth correlated negatively whereas soluble sugar:starch ratio and growth correlated positively, which may contribute to a better understanding of growth regulation under drought conditions. Our results emphasize the role of soil in determining the trade-off between the balance of carbon gain and carbon use on the leaf level and growth under stress (e.g. drought).

[Population structure and spatial pattern of Quercus variabilis among different geographical areas, China.] / ä¸åŒåœ°ç†åŒºåŸŸæ “çš®æ Žç§ç¾¤ç»“æž„åŠå ¶ç©ºé—´æ ¼å±€.

Age structures and spatial distribution patterns of Quercus variabilis populations were analyzed across geographical gradients (latitude, longitude and altitude) by using the size-grading method and the ratio of variance to mean. The results showed as following: Over the horizontal gradient, the northern, middle, southern and western populations of Q. variabilis exhibited an inverse-J shape, but the eastern populations declined. The spatial patterns of adult individuals were all clumped except the northern populations which were randomly distributed. Juveniles were clumped in the northern, middle and western populations, but were randomly distributed in the southern and eastern populations. The aggregation intensity of juveniles across latitude decreased with the order as the central, northern and southern populations, but as the central, southern and northern populations for adult individuals. The aggregation intensity of both juveniles and adults across longitude followed a decreased order as the central, western and eastern populations. Along the altitudinal gra-dient, the inverse-J type occurred only in the low- and middle-altitude populations, but populations in the high altitude declined. The juveniles in populations among altitude gradient all were clumped, but the adults were all clumped except the low-altitude populations which were randomly distributed. The aggregation intensities of both juveniles and adults were higher in the middle than the other altitudinal populations. Compared with adults, juveniles generally had higher aggregation intensities across various geographical gradients. Our results revealed that the age structure and spatial distribution pattern of Q. variabilis were mainly determined by environment variation across geographical gradients and the species' biological property, which supported the central-marginal hypothesis.

[Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on leaf thermal tolerance in different provenances of Quercus variabilis]. / æ°®ç£·æ·»åŠ å¯¹æ “çš®æ Žä¸åŒåœ°ç†ç§æºå¹¼è‹—æ¸©åº¦è€æ€§çš„å½±å“.

To explore potential effects of soil nutrient on leaf thermal tolerance across geographical origins, five provenance, i.e., Chengbu of Hunan (CB), Zigui of Hubei (ZG), Neixiang of Henan (NX), Lincheng of Heibei (LC) and Pinggu of Beijing (PG), seedlings of Quercus variabilis were cultivated under nitrogen and phosphorus addition. Leaf thermal tolerance parameters (cold, heat and span), nutrient concentrations (nitrogen and phosphorus), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE), as well as non-structural carbohydrate (soluble sugar and starch) concentrations were analyzed. The results were shown as follows: Nutrient absorption and utilization efficiency varied between oak origins with no obvious geographical trends. PG had higher nutrient use efficiency (NUE and PUE), whereas NX had lower PUE under all treatments. CB had the highest PUE under phosphorus addition. Compared with the control, nutrient addition increased the cold tolerance of PG and LC, and to some extent, increased the heat tolerance of the three middle provenances (ZG, NX, LC). However, the thermal span was opposite to the cold tolerance, as nutrient addition decreased the thermal span of PG and LC but increased that of NX. The leaf cold tolerance had significantly positive correlation with soluble sugar concentration, while the heat tolerance negatively and positively correlated with leaf phosphorus and ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus, respectively. No significant correlation was found between leaf thermal span and leaf chemical substances. To sum up, nutrient use efficiency varying in provenances might be contributed by the original habitats and consequently presented with some local adaptation characteristics, which complicated the response of thermal tolerance to nutrient addition.

Effects of Ge-132 and GeO2 on seed germination and seedling growth of Oenothera biennis L. under NaCl stress.

To investigate the effects of ß-carboxyethyl germanium sequioxide (Ge-132) and germanium dioxide (GeO2) on improving salt tolerance of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.), seed germination, seedling growth, antioxidase and malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed under treatments of various concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20, 30 µM) of Ge in normal condition and in 50 mM NaCl solution. The results showed that both Ge-132 and GeO2 treatments significantly increased seed germination percentage and shoot length in dose-dependent concentrations but inhibited early root elongation growth. 5-30 µM Ge-132 and 10, 20 µM GeO2 treatments could significantly mitigate even eliminate harmful influence of salt, representing increased percentage of seed germination, root length, ratio between length of root and shoot, and decreased shoot length. These treatments also significantly decreased peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities and MDA content. The mechanism is likely that Ge scavenges reactive oxygen species - especially hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) - by its electron configuration 4S24P2 so as to reduce lipid peroxidation. This is the first report about the comparison of bioactivity effect of Ge-132 and GeO2 on seed germination and seedling growth under salt stress. We conclude that Ge-132 is better than GeO2 on promoting salt tolerance of seed and seedling.

Defense pattern of Chinese cork oak across latitudinal gradients: influences of ontogeny, herbivory, climate and soil nutrients.

Knowledge of latitudinal patterns in plant defense and herbivory is crucial for understanding the mechanisms that govern ecosystem functioning and for predicting their responses to climate change. Using a widely distributed species in East Asia, Quercus variabilis, we aim to reveal defense patterns of trees with respect to ontogeny along latitudinal gradients. Six leaf chemical (total phenolics and total condensed tannin concentrations) and physical (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and dry mass concentration) defensive traits as well as leaf herbivory (% leaf area loss) were investigated in natural Chinese cork oak (Q. variabilis) forests across two ontogenetic stages (juvenile and mature trees) along a ~14°-latitudinal gradient. Our results showed that juveniles had higher herbivory values and a higher concentration of leaf chemical defense substances compared with mature trees across the latitudinal gradient. In addition, chemical defense and herbivory in both ontogenetic stages decreased with increasing latitude, which supports the latitudinal herbivory-defense hypothesis and optimal defense theory. The identified trade-offs between chemical and physical defense were primarily determined by environmental variation associated with the latitudinal gradient, with the climatic factors (annual precipitation, minimum temperature of the coldest month) largely contributing to the latitudinal defense pattern in both juvenile and mature oak trees.

Phytoremediation potential of transplanted bare-root seedlings of trees for lead/zinc and copper mine tailings.

Selecting plant species that can overcome unfavorable conditions and increase the recovery of degraded mined lands remains a challenge. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using transplanted tree seedlings for the phytoremediation of lead/zinc and copper mine tailings. One-year-old bare-root of woody species (Rhus chinensis Mill, Quercus acutissima Carruth, Liquidambar formosana Hance, Vitex trifolia Linn. var. simplicifolia Cham, Lespedeza cuneata and Amorpha fruticosa Linn) were transplanted into pots with mine tailings and tested as potential metal-tolerant plants. Seedling survival, plant growth, root trait, nutrient uptake, and metal accumulation and translocation were assessed. The six species grew in both tailings and showed different tolerance level. A. fruticosa was highly tolerant of Zn, Pb and Cu, and grew normally in both tailings. Metal concentrations were higher in the roots than in the shoots of the six species. All of the species had low bioconcentration and translocation factor values. However, R. chinensis and L. formosana had significantly higher translocation factor values for Pb (0.88) and Zn (1.78) than the other species. The nitrogen-fixing species, A. fruticosa, had the highest tolerance and biomass production, implying that it has great potential in the phytoremediation of tailing areas in southern China.

The effects of exogenous antioxidant germanium (Ge) on seed germination and growth of Lycium ruthenicum Murr subjected to NaCl stress.

In this paper, we present the results of a study on the effects of exogenous antioxidant germanium (Ge) on seed germination and seedling growth, and its role as a radical scavenger that regulates related enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), under salt stress. Seeds were incubated in 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 mM NaCl to determine the salt tolerance of the Lycium ruthenicum Murr seedlings and from the results, the critical and ultimate salt concentrations were chosen for the next experiment. Subsequently, two treatments (seeds soaked in Ge and Ge added to salt) with four concentrations of GeO2 (0, 5, 10 and 20 µM) were used with the critical (150 mM) and ultimate salt concentrations (250 mM). The results demonstrated that salt alone inhibited seed germination significantly (≥150 mM) and reduced seedling growth (≥200 mM). The addition of exogenous Ge to the salt solution, as well as soaking the seeds in Ge, attenuated the salt stress effects in a manner dependent on the dose of Ge, as indicated by the increased percentage of seeds that germinated and improved seedling growth. The addition of Ge also showed a significant reversal of salt stress on the activities of antioxidant enzymes, with a decrease in SOD and POD activity, but an increase in CAT activity with 150 mM NaCl, and enhancement of SOD, POD and CAT with 250 mM NaCl. Correspondingly, the level of malondialdehyde was decreased significantly by each Ge treatment under salt stress. Further, for L. ruthenicum, adding 10 Ge and seeds soaked in 5 Ge were the most effective treatments. To our knowledge, this is the first report to show the protective effects of exogenous Ge against salt-induced oxidative damage in L. ruthenicum seed germination and seedling growth. Thus, L. ruthenicum can be used in areas with salty soil and Ge can promote the plants' salt tolerance.

[Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizae on growth, heavy metal uptake and accumulation of Zenia insignis Chun seedlings].

To solve the trace metal pollution of a Pd/Zn mine in Hunan province, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus mosseae (Gm) and Glomus intraradices (Gi), on the growth, heavy metal uptake and accumulation of Zenia insignis Chun, the pioneer plant there. The results showed that symbiotic associations were successfully established between the two isolates and Z. insignis in heavy metal contaminated soil. AM fungi improved P absorption, biomass and changed heavy metal uptake and distribution of Z. insignis. AM fungi-inoculated plants had significantly lower Fe, Cu, Zn, Pd concentrations and higher Fe, Cu, Zn, Pd accumulation than non-inoculated plants. However, Gm and Gi showed different mycorrhizal effects on the distribution of heavy metal in hosts, depending on the species of heavy metal. Gi-inoculated Z. insignis showed significantly lower TF values of Fe, Zn, Pd than Gm and non-inoculated plants, while both strains had no effect on TF value of Cu, which indicated that Gi enhanced trace metal accumulation in root system, playing a filtering/sequestering role in the presence of trace metals. The overall results demonstrated that AM fungi had positive effect on Z. insignis in enhancing the ability to adapt the heavy metal contaminated soil and played potential role in the revegetation of heavy metal contaminated soil. But in practical application, the combination of AM, hosts and heavy metal should be considered.

[Isolation and characterization of two bacteria with heavy metal resistance and phosphate solubilizing capability].

Two phosphate solubilizing bacteria (T PSB1 and T PSB 2) with high heavy metal resistance were isolated from soil of a lead-zinc mine in Huayuan of Hunan Province, China. These two bacteria were identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Burkholderia gladioli by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, respectively. In the media containing insoluble inorganic calcium phosphate, the soluble phosphate amounts reached respectively 402.9 mg x L(-1) and 589.9 mg x L(-1) with the bacteria T PSB1 and T PSB2 after two weeks' growth. Moreover, the two bacteria developed solubilizing halos on the plates supplemented with the organic phosphate compounds, and the resulting soluble phosphate amounts in the broth media were respectively 2.97 mg x L(-1) and 4.69 mg x L(-1). In addition, these two bacteria showed the resistance to up to 2000 mg x L(-1) Zn2+, and their phosphate solubilizing amounts reached respectively 114.8 mg x L(-1) and 125.1 mg x L(-1). Similarly, their heavy metal resistance and phosphate solubilizing ability were also found in the Cr and Pb broth media with the concentration of 1000 mg x L(-1). In the Pb media, the soluble phosphate amounts reached respectively 57.9 mg x L(-1) and 71.7 mg x L(-1), and the soluble P amounts in the Cr media were 60.1 mg x L(-1) and 98.4 mg x L(-1) at the concentration of 1000 mg x L(-1).

[Isolation of quizalofop-p-ethyl-degrading bacteria from soil by DGGE-colony in situ hybridization].

Naturally occurring bacteria isolates capable of metabolizing pesticides have received considerable attention because they offer the possibility of both environmentally friendly and in situ remediation. The effect of herbicide quizalofop-p-ethyl on bacterial community in soil was analyzed using the technique of PCR-DGGE for isolating strains biodegrading quizalofop-p-ethyl. Results indicated that the soil bacterial community structures significantly changed after adding quizalofop-p-ethyl. The bacterial diversity of soil showed an increasing-decreasing-increasing trend. The largest changes occurred in the 9th day and then became stabilized. According to the sequencing results of bands in DGGE profiles, it inferred that members of bacterial genera Pseudomonas, Massilia and Burkholderia had tolerance to quizalofop-p-ethyl, and the potential for degradation. These microbial groups could be used to isolate and screen as the indigenous microbial resources to reduce pesticide residues. Digoxigenin-labeled probes had been synthesized based on the sequencing results of bands in the DGGE profiles, and three bacterial strains capable of biodegrading quizalofop-p-ethyl were isolated from soil by colony in situ hybridization technique. The strain named L1 was able to utilize quizalofop-p-ethyl as the sole source of carbon. The strain was identified as Pseudomonas sp., based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA. The degrading ability of strain L1 in minimal medium with quizalofop-p-ethyl was investigated by HPLC. The quizalofop-p-ethyl content decreased by almost 50% after 7 days, and the biomass of strain L1 increased while the content of quizalofop-p-ethyl was decreased. This confirmed that the strain L1 had the capacity of degradation. This result provided a basis for future research on degradation mechanism and functional genes.

Effects of exogenous GABA on gene expression of Caragana intermedia roots under NaCl stress: regulatory roles for H2O2 and ethylene production.

gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a four-carbon non-protein amino acid presented in a wide range of organisms. In this study, a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library was constructed using roots of a legume shrub, Caragana intermedia, with the combined treatment of 300 mm NaCl and 300 mm NaCl + 10 mm GABA. We obtained 224 GABA-regulated unique expressed sequence tags (ESTs) including signal transduction, transcriptional regulation, hormone biosynthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and polyamine metabolism, etc. The key H(2)O(2)-generated genes, NADPH oxidase (CaGR60), peroxidase (CaGR61) and amine oxidase (CaGR62), were regulated at the mRNA level by 10 mm GABA, which clearly inhibited H(2)O(2) accumulation brought about by NaCl stress in roots and leaves with the observation of 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining. Similarly, 10 mm GABA also regulated the expression of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase (ACO) genes (CaGR30 and CaGR31) and ethylene production in NaCl-treated roots. Surprisingly, these H(2)O(2)-generated genes were enhanced at the mRNA level by a lower concentration of GABA, at 0.25 mm, but not other alternative nitrogen sources, and endogenous GABA accumulated largely just by the application of GABA at either concentration. Our results further proved that GABA, as a signal molecule, participates in regulating the expression of genes in plants under salt stress.

[Multi-species and multi-scale patterns and species associations of sand-fixing plantations].

Taking three sand-fixing plantations Hedysarum scoparium and Calligonum mongolicum, Haloxylon ammodendron on the oasis verges in northeast Ulanbuhe desert irrigated by Huanghe River as test objects, the multi-species and multi-scale patterns and the species associations of the plantations were investigated by contiguous quadrats transects method, with the natural vegetation nearby as the control. The results showed that 74.29% of the natural vegetation was dominated by single species pattern of Artemisia ordosica, and 24. 99% was dominated by single species pattern of Nitraria tangutorum. The sand-fixing plantations gradually became close-to-natural vegetation. Compared with natural vegetation, the sand-fixing plantations had higher pattern intensity, and played important role in sand-fixing and in accelerating the regeneration and succession of natural sand-fixing plants. However, with the succession, artificially planted shrubs would decline, while natural plants would be dominant. Therefore, it should be better to make use of the native dominated species in sand-fixing engineering. Under the almost same conditions, pattern scale was highly correlated with the characters and the associations of dominated species. The species association was correlated with the patch scale and species composition, as well as the species contribution to the patch.