Biochar affects soil properties over 1 m depth in an alkaline soil of north China Plain.

Biochar has been shown to enhance soil quality and agricultural yields. Previous studies about biochar's effect on soil properties mainly concentrated on the top 30 cm layer but less on the subsoils. Given the subsoil's active role in climate change mitigation and its significance for nutrient cycling and crop productivity, understanding biochar's effects at depth is crucial. This study explored the responses of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen, available potassium, available phosphorus, pH, and electrical conductivity to different doses of biochar addition (0, 10, 20, and 30 Mg/ha) over the 1 m depth of alkaline soil. Additionally, the impact of biochar on soil microbial community was assessed in the top 20 cm. Results demonstrated that biochar addition can increase SOC and improve soil properties in deep soil horizons. Specifically, a 30 Mg/ha biochar addition increased SOC by 1.2-10.1 Mg C/ha in the 10-40 cm layer and by 3 Mg C/ha in the 60-80 cm depth over two years. Additionally, biochar addition at this rate increased total nitrogen by 0.2-0.3 g N/kg in the 10-40 cm depth and elevated available potassium across the 1 m profile, with a maximum increment of 313 mg/kg in the surface 10 cm and a minimum of 97 mg/kg in the 40-60 cm depth. While biochar application did not increase available phosphorus, it resulted in a minor decrease in soil pH (<0.7 units) and a slight increase in electrical conductivity. Moreover, biochar addition did not significantly alter the soil microbial community. Our findings underscore the importance of considering subsoils when evaluating biochar's impact on soil properties. We suggest that subsoils should be considered when estimating the potential of cropland management for increasing soil carbon sequestration and improving soil conditions.

Elevated international normalized ratio contributes to poor prognosis in patients with traumatic lung injury.

Objective: To investigate the pivotal determinants contributing to the adverse prognosis in patients afflicted with traumatic lung injury (TLI), with an aim to mitigate the elevated mortality rate associated with this condition. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out on 106 TLI patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit of a comprehensive hospital from March 2018 to November 2022. The patients were categorized into two groups based on their 28-day outcome: the survival group (n = 88) and the death group (n = 18). Random forest model, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) were utilized to pinpoint the primary factors linked to poor prognosis in TLI patients. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was utilized to ascertain the predictive value of INR in forecasting the prognosis of TLI patients. Based on the cut-off value of INR, patients were categorized into two groups: INR ≥ 1.36 group (n = 35) and INR < 1.36 group (n = 71). The 28-day survival rate was then compared using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Random forest model, LASSO, and SVM-RFE jointly identified International standardization ratio (INR) as a risk factor for TLI patients. The area under the ROC curve for INR in predicting the 28-day mortality of TLI patients was 0.826 (95% CI 0.733-0.938), with a cut-off value of 1.36. The 28-day mortality risk for TLI patients with an INR ≥ 1.36 was 8.5 times higher than those with an INR < 1.36. Conclusion: Traumatic lung injury patients with elevated INR have a poor prognosis. An INR of ≥1.36 can be used as an early warning indicator for patients with traumatic lung injury.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict mortality of patients with DIC in ICU.

Background: Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a devastating condition, which always cause poor outcome of critically ill patients in intensive care unit. Studies concerning short-term mortality prediction in DIC patients is scarce. This study aimed to identify risk factors contributing to DIC mortality and construct a predictive nomogram. Methods: A total of 676 overt DIC patients were included. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was developed based on covariates identified using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. The prediction performance was independently evaluated in the MIMIC-III and MIMIC-IV Clinical Database, as well as the 908th Hospital Database (908thH). Model performance was independently assessed using MIMIC-III, MIMIC-IV, and the 908th Hospital Clinical Database. Results: The Cox model incorporated variables identified by Lasso regression including heart failure, sepsis, height, SBP, lactate levels, HCT, PLT, INR, AST, and norepinephrine use. The model effectively stratified patients into different mortality risk groups, with a C-index of >0.65 across the MIMIC-III, MIMIC-IV, and 908th Hospital databases. The calibration curves of the model at 7 and 28 days demonstrated that the prediction performance was good. And then, a nomogram was developed to facilitate result visualization. Decision curve analysis indicated superior net benefits of the nomogram. Conclusion: This study provides a predictive nomogram for short-term overt DIC mortality risk based on a Lasso-Cox regression model, offering individualized and reliable mortality risk predictions.

Time to maximum amplitude of thromboelastography can predict mortality in patients with severe COVID-19: a retrospective observational study.

Objective: To predict mortality in severe patients with COVID-19 at admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) using thromboelastography (TEG). Methods: This retrospective, two-center, observational study involved 87 patients with PCR-and chest CT-confirmed severe COVID-19 who were admitted to at Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital and the 908th Hospital of Chinese PLA Logistic Support Force between February 2020 and February 2023. Clinic demographics, laboratory results, and outcomes were compared between those who survived and those who died during hospitalization. Results: Thromboelastography showed that of the 87 patients, 14 were in a hypercoagulable state, 25 were in a hypocoagulable state, and 48 were normal, based on the time to maximum amplitude (TMA). Patients who died showed significantly lower α angle, but significantly longer R-time, K-time and TMA than patients who survived. Random forest selection showed that K-time, TMA, prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin (Tbil) were significant predictors. Multivariate logistic regression identified that TMA and CRP were independently associated with mortality. TMA had a greater predictive power than CRP levels based on time-dependent AUCs. Patients with TMA ≥ 26.4 min were at significantly higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio 3.99, 95% Confidence Interval, 1.92-8.27, p < 0.01). Conclusion: TMA ≥26.4 min at admission to ICU may be an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality for patients with severe COVID-19.

Unraveling the ecological mechanisms of Aluminum on microbial community succession in epiphytic biofilms on Vallisneria natans leaves: Novel insights from microbial interactions.

The extensive use of aluminum (Al) poses an escalating ecological risk to aquatic ecosystems. The epiphytic biofilm on submerged plant leaves plays a crucial role in the regulation nutrient cycling and energy flow within aquatic environments. Here, we conducted a mesocosm experiment aimed at elucidating the impact of different Al concentrations (0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.0 mg/L) on microbial communities in epiphytic biofilms on Vallisneria natans. At 1.2 mg/L, the highest biofilms thickness (101.94 µm) was observed. Al treatment at 2.0 mg/L significantly reduced bacterial diversity, while micro-eukaryotic diversity increased. Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota decreased, whereas Cyanobacteriota increased at 1.2 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L. At 1.2 and 2.0 mg/L. Furthermore, Al at concentrations of 1.2 and 2.0 mg/L enhanced the bacterial network complexity, while micro-eukaryotic networks showed reduced complexity. An increase in positive correlations among microbial co-occurrence patterns from 49.51% (CK) to 57.05% (2.0 mg/L) was indicative of augmented microbial cooperation under Al stress. The shift in keystone taxa with increasing Al concentration pointed to alterations in the functional dynamics of microbial communities. Additionally, Al treatments induced antioxidant responses in V. natans, elevating leaf reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. This study highlights the critical need to control appropriate concentration Al concentrations to preserve microbial diversity, sustain ecological functions, and enhance lake remediation in aquatic ecosystems.

A newly proposed heatstroke-induced coagulopathy score in patients with heat illness: A multicenter retrospective study in China.

PURPOSE: In patients with heatstroke, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is associated with greater risk of in-hospital mortality. However, time-consuming assays or a complex diagnostic system may delay immediate treatment. Therefore, the present study proposes a new heatstroke-induced coagulopathy (HIC) score in patients with heat illness as an early warning indicator for DIC. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients with heat illness in 24 Chinese hospitals from March 2021 to May 2022. Patients under 18 years old, with a congenital clotting disorder or liver disease, or using anticoagulants were excluded. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, routine blood tests, conventional coagulation assays and biochemical indexes. The risk factors related to coagulation function in heatstroke were identified by regression analysis, and used to construct a scoring system for HIC. The data of patients who met the diagnostic criteria for HIC and International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis defined-DIC were analyzed. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0. RESULTS: The final analysis included 302 patients with heat illness, of whom 131 (43.4%) suffered from heatstroke, including 7 death (5.3%). Core temperature (OR = 1.681, 95% CI 1.291 - 2.189, p < 0.001), prothrombin time (OR = 1.427, 95% CI 1.175 - 1.733, p < 0.001) and D-dimer (OR = 1.242, 95% CI 1.049 - 1.471, p = 0.012) were independent risk factors for heatstroke, and therefore used to construct an HIC scoring system because of their close relation with abnormal coagulation. A total score ≥ 3 indicated HIC, and HIC scores correlated with the score for International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis -DIC (r = 0.8848, p < 0.001). The incidence of HIC (27.5%) was higher than that of DIC (11.2%) in all of 131 heatstroke patients. Meanwhile, the mortality rate of HIC (19.4%) was lower than that of DIC (46.7%). When HIC developed into DIC, parameters of coagulation dysfunction changed significantly: platelet count decreased, D-dimer level rose, and prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time prolonged (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The newly proposed HIC score may provide a valuable tool for early detection of HIC and prompt initiation of treatment.

Nomogram for predicting disseminated intravascular coagulation in heatstroke patients: A 10 years retrospective study.

Background: Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) can lead to multiple organ failure and death in patients with heatstroke. This study aimed to identify independent risk factors of DIC and construct a predictive model for clinical application. Methods: This retrospective study included 87 patients with heatstroke who were treated in the intensive care unit of our hospital from May 2012 to October 2022. Patients were divided into those with DIC (n = 23) or without DIC (n = 64). Clinical and hematological factors associated with DIC were identified using a random forest model, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE). Overlapping factors were used to develop a nomogram model, which was diagnostically validated. Survival at 30 days after admission was compared between patients with or without DIC using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Random forest, LASSO, and SVM-RFE identified a low maximum amplitude, decreased albumin level, high creatinine level, increased total bilirubin, and aspartate transaminase (AST) level as risk factors for DIC. Principal component analysis confirmed that these independent variables differentiated between patients who experienced DIC or not, so they were used to construct a nomogram. The nomogram showed good predictive power, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.976 (95% CI 0.948-1.000) and 0.971 (95% CI, 0.914-0.989) in the internal validation. Decision curve analysis indicated clinical utility for the nomogram. DIC was associated with significantly lower 30 days survival for heatstroke patients. Conclusion: A nomogram incorporating coagulation-related risk factors can predict DIC in patients with heatstroke and may be useful in clinical decision-making.

Aluminum phytotoxicity induced structural and ultrastructural changes in submerged plant Vallisneria natans.

Aluminum (Al) is a concentration-dependent toxic metal found in the crust of earth that has no recognized biological use. Nonetheless, the mechanism of Al toxicity to submerged plants remains obscure, especially from a cell/subcellular structure and functional group perspective. Therefore, multiple dosages of Al3+ (0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.5 mg/L) were applied hydroponically to the submerged plant Vallisneria natans in order to determine the accumulation potential of Al at the subcellular level and their ultrastructural toxicity. More severe structural and ultrastructural damage was determined when V. natans exposed to ≥ 0.6 mg/L Al3+. In 1.2 and 1.5 mg/L Al3+ treatment groups, the total chlorophyll content of leaves significantly reduced 3.342, 3.838 mg/g FW, some leaves even exhibited chlorosis and fragility. Under 0.3 mg/L Al3+ exposure, the middle-age and young leaves were potent phytoexcluders, whereas at 1.5 mg/L Al3+, a large amount of Al could be transferred from the roots to other parts, among which the aged leaves were the most receptive tissues (7.306 mg/g). Scanning/Transmission electron microscopy analysis displayed the Al-mediated disruption of vascular bundle structure in leaf cells, intercellular space and several vegetative tissues, and demonstrated that Al in vacuole and chloroplast subcellular segregation into electron dense deposition. Al and P accumulation in the roots, stolons and leaves varied significantly among treatments and different tissues (P < 0.05). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of plant biomass also indicated possible metabolites (amine, unsaturated hydrocarbon, etc.) of V. natans that may bind Al3+. Conclusively, results revealed that Al3+ disrupts the cellular structure of leaves and roots or binds to functional groups of biological tissues, thereby affecting plant nutrient uptake and photosynthesis. Findings might have scientific and practical significance for the restoration of submerged vegetation in Al-contaminated lakes.

Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator-Inhibitor Complex as an Early Predictor of Septic Shock: A Retrospective, Single-Center Study.

Background: Sepsis can progress to septic shock and death, and identifying biomarkers of this progression may permit timely intervention to prevent it. This study explored whether levels of tissue-type plasminogen activator-inhibitor complex (t-PAIC) in serum can predict septic shock early. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 311 sepsis patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at our tertiary care hospital between May 2018 and April 2021, and we divided them into those who progressed to septic shock (n = 203) or not (n = 108) based on sepsis-3 definition. After matching patients in the two groups based on propensity scoring, we screened for risk factors of septic shock using logistic regression. We assessed potential predictors of such shock based on the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and correlation analysis. Results: After propensity score matching to generate two equal groups of 108 patients, we found that serum t-PAIC was significantly higher in septic shock patients. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression identified t-PAIC as an independent risk factor for septic shock (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.09-1.19, P < 0.001) and a biomarker that predicted it with an AUC up to 0.875 (95% CI, 0.829-0.920). Based on the optimal cut-off of t-PAIC = 17.9 ng/mL, we found that patients at or above this threshold had significantly higher lactate levels and scores on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). Such patients also had significantly worse survival (HR 2.4, 95% CI 1.38-4.34, P = 0.004). Spearman's correlation coefficients were 0.66 between t-PAIC and lactate, and 0.52 between t-PAIC and SOFA. Conclusions: Serum levels of t-PAIC may be an independent risk factor for septic shock, and they may correlate with the severity of such shock.

Thromboelastography maximum amplitude as an early predictor of disseminated intravascular coagulation in patients with heatstroke.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of TEG to predict DIC associated with heatstroke. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective, single-center study of 67 patients with heatstroke admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) at a comprehensive hospital between July 2016 and August 2021. Conventional coagulation tests (CCTs) and TEG were performed within 2 h of admission in ICU. Patients were diagnosed with DIC based on International Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis criteria, and those with or without DIC were compared in terms of CCTs and TEG findings. The ability of individual parameters to predict DIC was assessed based on logistic regression and the area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC). RESULTS: Of the 67 patients, 19 (28.4%) were diagnosed with DIC. Compared to patients without DIC, those with DIC had significantly longer reaction time [14.5(10.6-26.0) vs. 6.2(5.1-10.1)min](p < 0.001) and kinetic time [10.9(5.9-25.0) vs. 2.7(2.2-4.7) min](p < 0.001). Conversely, those with DIC had significantly lower alpha angle [22(9.1-43.3) vs. 55.0(44.8-61.7)°](p < 0.001), maximum amplitude (MA) [(26.9(17.7-41.4) vs. 52.2(45.8-58.1) mm)] (p < 0.001) and coagulation index [-17.3(-39 to -7.9）vs. -2.4(-6.2to-0.6)](p < 0.001). MA at a cutoff value of 45.4 mm gave an AUC of 0.9 for predicting DIC, with sensitivity of 77.1%, specificity of 89.5%, positive predictive value of 10.5% and negative predictive value of 22.9%. Multifactorial logistic regression identified MA < 45.4 mm as an independent predictor of DIC (odds ratio 9, 95% confidence interval 1.2-69.2, p = 0.035). MA decreased significantly as DIC score increased and was significantly lower in the non-survivors on admission. CONCLUSIONS: MA < 45.4 mm in patients with heatstroke may predict elevated risk of DIC. HighlightsPatients with heatstroke-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) has high mortality.A retrospective, single-center study was performed to investigate the ability of thromboelastography (TEG) to predict DIC associated with heatstroke.The maximum amplitude (MA) value of TEG decreased significantly with the increase of DIC score.MA < 45.4 mm was firstly demonstrated to an independent predictor of heatstroke-induced DIC.

Effects and mechanisms of land-types conversion on greenhouse gas emissions in the Yellow River floodplain wetland.

The mechanism and extent of changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from seasonal river-floodplain wetlands subjected to land-type conversion are unknown. We monitored GHG fluxes and characterized soil microbial communities in four types of wetland (Riverside lower-beach wetland (RLW), Riverside higher-beach wetland (RHW), Cultivated wetland (CW), Mesophytic wetland (MW)) in the Yellow River flood land. Results revealed that land reclamation activities altered the distribution patterns of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil, as well as the structure and activities of microbial communities, leading to changes in the GHG emissions. Cumulative CO2 and N2O emissions were highest in CW, which were 2.10-10.71 times and 3.19-8.61 times greater than the other three wetlands, respectively, whereas cumulative CH4 emissions were highest in RLW (1850.192 mg·m-2). CW exhibited the highest 100-years-scale Global Warming Potential (GWP100-CO2-eq) (81.175 t CO2-eq·ha-1), which was 9.93, 3.12, and 2.11 times greater than RLW, RHW, and MW. Moreover, reclaiming riverside wetland as farmland will increase CO2 and N2O emission fluxes by 54.546-72.684 t·ha-1 and 2.615-2.988 kg·ha-1, respectively. 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing revealed that bacterial community composition changed significantly overtime and seasons. GHG fluxes showed a significant positive linear correlation with bacterial OTUs (y = 0.71x-319.4, R2 = 0.304) and Shannon index (y = 228.62x-796.6, R2 = 0.336). Structure equation models indicated that soil C, N and moisture content were the primary factors influencing bacterial community evolution, which had an impact on GHG fluxes. Actinomycetes were significantly affected by total carbon (TC) content, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and C/N, while ammonia oxidizing and nitrifying bacteria were greatly influenced by NO3--N rather than TN and NH4+-N content. Opportunities exist to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate climate change by maintaining the original state of riverside wetland or restoring cultivated land to wetland in the Yellow River floodplain wetland.

Effect of submerged plant coverage on phytoplankton community dynamics and photosynthetic activity in situ.

Restoration of submerged plants in eutrophic lakes can reduce nutrients and phytoplankton biomass in the water body. However, the effect of submerged plants on phytoplankton communities and their photosynthetic activity in situ are still poorly understood. Here, we studied the response of phytoplankton community structure and fluorescence parameters to different submerged plants coverage, the relationship of phytoplankton community and fluorescence parameters with submerged plants coverage and water physicochemical parameters were analysed in sampling area of Hangzhou West Lakes. The results showed that the coverage and biomass of submerged plants were negatively correlated with nitrogen and phosphorus contents in water body but positively correlated with total phenol content. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in the study site changed greatly (32.25-124.54). In spring and summer, Oscillatoria and Leptolyngbya (Cyanophyta) were the dominant species, while in autumn and winter, the dominant species were Cyclotella (Chlorophyta), and Melosira and Cymbella (Bacillariophyta). Compared with Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta, fluorescence parameters of Cyanophyta were more sensitive to total phosphorus, N:P ratio, total phenols, pH, and electric conductivity. Fluorescence parameters of Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta were only affected by underwater light. Total phosphorus (TP) and N:P had a negative effect on the maximum photochemical electron yield of Cyanophyta. Furthermore, Cyanophyta was inhibited by total phenols from submerged plants. When phytoplankton were under stress, photochemical electron yield decreased significantly, whereas non-photochemical quenching increased. The structural equation model showed that the coverage of submerged plants might indirectly affect the fluorescence parameters of Cyanophyta by affecting nitrogen, phosphorus, and total phenol contents in the water body. These findings contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the impact of submerged plant restoration on phytoplankton community dynamics in subtropical eutrophic shallow lakes and provide a theoretical basis for the management of lakes.

Prediction of 90-Day Mortality among Sepsis Patients Based on a Nomogram Integrating Diverse Clinical Indices.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is prevalent among intensive care units and is a frequent cause of death. Several studies have identified individual risk factors or potential predictors of sepsis-associated mortality, without defining an integrated predictive model. The present work was aimed at defining a nomogram for reliably predicting mortality. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective, single-center study based on 231 patients with sepsis who were admitted to our intensive care unit between May 2018 and October 2020. Patients were randomly split into training and validation cohorts. In the training cohort, multivariate logistic regression and a stepwise algorithm were performed to identify risk factors, which were then integrated into a predictive nomogram. Nomogram performance was assessed against the training and validation cohorts based on the area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC), calibration plots, and decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Among the 161 patients in the training cohort and 70 patients in the validation cohort, 90-day mortality was 31.6%. Older age and higher values for the international normalized ratio, lactate level, and thrombomodulin level were associated with greater risk of 90-day mortality. The nomogram showed an AUC of 0.810 (95% CI 0.739 to 0.881) in the training cohort and 0.813 (95% CI 0.708 to 0.917) in the validation cohort. The nomogram also performed well based on the calibration curve and decision curve analysis. CONCLUSION: This nomogram may help identify sepsis patients at elevated risk of 90-day mortality, which may help clinicians allocate resources appropriately to improve patient outcomes.

The changing characteristics of phytoplankton community and biomass in subtropical shallow lakes: Coupling effects of land use patterns and lake morphology.

The community composition and biomass of phytoplankton in shallow lakes are impacted by many environmental factors including water quality physicochemical parameters, land use in the watershed, and lake morphology. However, few studies have simultaneously evaluated the relative importance of these factors on the effect of community composition and biomass of phytoplankton. The relative importance of the water quality physicochemical parameters (water temperature [WT], total nitrogen [TN], total phosphorus [TP], pH, dissolved oxygen [DO], electrical conductivity [EC], turbidity and Secchi depth [SD]), land use (built-up land, farmland, waters, forest, grassland, and unused land) in the watershed, and lake morphology (area and depth) on the composition and biomass of phytoplankton communities were assessed in 29 subtropical shallow lakes in Wuhan, China, during different seasons from December 2017 to November 2018. The results showed that phytoplankton in all 29 lakes was mainly composed of Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, and Bacillariophyta. Phytoplankton abundance was highest in summer and lowest in winter. We analyzed the relative importance of the three groups of variables to the community composition of the phytoplankton by variance decomposition. The results showed that the three groups of environmental variables had the highest explanation rate (> 80%) for the composition of the phytoplankton community in summer and autumn, and the explanation rates in spring and winter were 42.1% and 39.8%, respectively. The water quality physicochemical parameters were the most important variables affecting the composition of phytoplankton communities, followed by land use in the watershed. Through generalized additive model and structural equation model analysis, we found that the land use and lake morphology had minimal direct impact on the Chl-a and cell density of phytoplankton, mainly by altering the TN, TP, turbidity, SD, DO, and EC, which indirectly affected phytoplankton. WT and nutrients were still the main predictors of phytoplankton abundance. Built-up land was the main source of nitrogen and phosphorus in lakes. Correlation analysis found that forest and grassland had positive impacts on reducing lake nitrogen and phosphorus contents. This showed that increasing grassland and forest in the watershed could reduce the pollutants entering the lake. Our findings will contribute to water quality management and pollution control for subtropical shallow lakes.

Protective effects of Naoxintong capsule alone and in combination with ticagrelor and atorvastatin in rats with Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome.

CONTEXT: Naoxintong Capsule (NXT), a Chinese medicine, has been widely used for the treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) in clinics. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the cardioprotective effects of NXT alone and in combination with ticagrelor (TIC) and atorvastatin (ATO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Qi deficiency and blood stasis rats were established by 8 weeks high fat diet feeding and 16 days exhaustive swimming and randomly divided into seven groups, that is, NXT (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg/d), TIC (20 mg/kg/d), ATO (8 mg/kg/d), NXT (500 mg/kg/d)+TIC (20 mg/kg/d) and NXT (500 mg/kg/d)+ATO (8 mg/kg/d) group, with oral administration for 12 weeks. The contents of TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, AST, ALT, SOD, MDA, CK-MB, LDH, TXA2, PGI2, IgA, IgG, IgM and C3 in serum were measured. RESULTS: NXT + TIC group was significantly superior to the TIC group in decreasing the levels of TC (4.34 vs. 5.54), TG (3.37 vs. 4.66), LDL-C (1.21 vs. 1.35), LDH (4919.71vs. 5367.19) and elevating SOD level (248.54 vs. 192.04). NXT + ATO group was significantly superior to the ATO group in decreasing the levels of AST (195.931 vs. 241.63), ALT (71.26 vs. 83.16), LDH (4690.05 vs. 5285.82), TXA2 (133.73 vs. 158.67), IgG (8.08 vs. 9.80), C3 (2.03 vs. 2.35) and elevating the levels of HDL-C (1.19 vs. 0.91), SOD (241.91vs. 209.49). CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate that the combined use of NXT with TIC and ATO had better integrated regulating effects than TIC and ATO, respectively. The mechanism of action requires further research.

Response of Vallisneria natans to aluminum phytotoxicity and their synergistic effect on nitrogen, phosphorus change in sediments.

Increasing aluminum (Al) use and its effects on aquatic systems have been a global issue, however the Al impacts on submerged plants and their ecological functions were poorly understood. Aquatic simulation experiments were performed to study Al-toxicity on the germination and seedling morphological and physiological characteristics of Vallisneria natans, and investigate their synergistic effect on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) change and microbial community in sediment. The seeds germination characteristics, growth and physiological parameters of seedlings, including root activity, were significantly affected by alum treatments and the inhibition levels increased with Al3+ concentration. The Al accumulation in roots and leaves were significantly different. Al3+ concentration above 0.3 mg/L showed toxic to V. natans. TN, TP, IP, Fe/Al-P contents in sediments varied markedly under co-existence of Al and V. natans. Additionally, the relative abundance of sediment microbial community related to N, P cycle was effected. Results concluded that the increasing aquatic Al-concentration inhibits growth and propagation of submerged plants and the ecological restoration effect, and exerts synergistic effect with submerged plants on N, P components in sediments. Such findings were helpful for Al ecological evaluation, and were instructive for the submerged plants restoration in shallow eutrophic lakes with Al input.

Naoxintong Capsule Inhibits the Development of Cardiovascular Pathological Changes in Bama Minipig Through Improving Gut Microbiota.

Naoxintong capsule (NXT), a Chinese medicine, has performed excellent effects on the prevention and treatment against cardiovascular diseases. NXT is a fine powder mixture without any herb extraction, and there must be lots of ingredients hard to be absorbed. However, little is known about the correlation between the NXT's cardioprotective effects and gut microbiota. Herein, we report the effect of NXT on the development of cardiovascular diseases and clarify the correlation between NXT's cardioprotective effects and gut microbiota. In the current study, minipigs were selected and fed with high-fat diet and NXT daily for successive 8 months. During the process, up to 18 biomedical parameters were monthly determined to observe the dynamic changes after NXT treatment. At the end of experimental process, pathological examinations of heart, coronary artery, carotid artery, thoracic aorta, and abdominal aorta were conducted by HE staining and 16SrDNA sequencing, and analyzing of gut microbiota were conducted. Our results showed that NXT's effects against cardiovascular diseases were through regulating blood lipid profiles, inhibiting vascular inflammation, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and alleviating myocardial injury, without damages on liver and kidney particularly. Concurrently, we also found that long-term administration of NXT increased the diversity of gut microbiota, influenced the microbiome structure and composition stably, and revered the increase of the ratio of the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes (F/B ratio) in relative abundance. Specifically, our results revealed some key bacterium of Caproiciproducens (enhanced), Sutterella (enhanced), Erysipelotrichaceae (enhanced), and Romboutsia (decreased) that were closely involved in NXT's effects. Taken together, our study demonstrates that NXT can inhibit the development of cardiovascular diseases by ameliorating high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders and partly through improving gut microbiota.

Aluminum distribution heterogeneity and relationship with nitrogen, phosphorus and humic acid content in the eutrophic lake sediment.

Increasing amount of aluminum (Al) gets into aquatic ecosystem through anthropogenic activity, but the knowledge about Al migration and relationships with sediments possessing different physico-chemical properties in eutrophic lakes is limited. Here, the Al migration rule and relationships with sediment nutritions in the Hangzhou West Lake, China was investigated, where a certain amount of residual Al-salts can enter because of the pre-treatment of the Qiantang River diversion project every day. Results revealed the obvious spatial distribution heterogeneity of Al in sediment vertical direction and horizontal direction following water flow. The Al content in sediment ranged 0.463-1.154 g kg-1 in Maojiabu Lake, and ranged 9.862-40.442 g kg-1 in Xiaonanhu Lake. Higher Al content distributed in upper layer sediment in lake with more disturbance. Total nitrogen (TN) contents were higher 0.917-3.387 mg g-1 and 0.627-0.786 mg g-1 in upper layer sediment than that in lower layer in Maojiabu Lake and Xiaonanhu Lake, respectively. Total phosphorus (TP) content ranged 0.779-2.580 mg g-1, in which IP and Fe/Al-P contributed 24.9-80.8% and 17.0-51.6%, respectively. Correlations between Al content with nutrition, humic acid (HA) etc. of sediment regionally varied in Maojiabu and Xiaonanhu Lake. Spatial distribution of Al-salt in eutrophic lakes closely related with the physico-chemical characteristics of nutrients, humus, human disturbance and water division parameters. Results provides new insight into Al-salts migration and references for Al-risk evaluating in eutrophic lakes.

Effects of aluminate flocculant on turion germination and seedling growth of Potamogeton crispus.

Aluminate flocculants are employed widely in water treatment for precipitating suspended solids and emergency treatment of algal blooms in eutrophic lake, but the residual aluminum (Al) may have phytotoxic effects on aquatic organisms after entering aquatic ecosystems. To elucidate the potential impacts of Al on turion germination and early growth in Potamogeton crispus, we conducted a mesocosm experiment using five Al concentrations (0 (control group), 0.3, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.5mg/L) in alum solutions. The results showed that the germination of turions and the early growth of P. crispus were reduced and inhibited by Al. The maximum numbers of germinating turions and newly-formed seedlings occurred in the control group, and their numbers declined in the end of the experiment as the Al concentration increased. Al at a concentration of 1.5mg/L decreased the number of germinating turions 3.0 times and the number of newly-formed seedlings 30.7 times compared with the control. The chlorophyll content and root activity decreased when the Al concentration increased. The maximum soluble protein contents in seedling tissues (1.953mg/g fresh weight) occurred in the 0.6mg/L treatment group, which differed significantly from the other treatment groups. The Al contents in the seedling tissues had a significant positive correlation with the Al treatment concentrations (P<0.05, r=0.763), but negative correlations with the biomass, root number, stem weight, soluble protein, and root activity (r=-0.935, -0.975, -0.907, -0.721, -0.944, respectively). Persistent Al concentration ≥1.2mg/L significantly decreased the germination of turions and seedling growth in P. crispus. These results may facilitate the restoration of aquatic macrophytes and ecological risk assessments in Al-exposed lakes.

Impacts of residual aluminum from aluminate flocculant on the morphological and physiological characteristics of Vallisneria natans and Hydrilla verticillata.

Aluminate is generally used as a flocculant in water and wastewater treatment processes, but the residual aluminum (Al) may have toxic effects on aquatic organisms when the concentration accumulates beyond a threshold level. The in situ and laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of residual Al on submerged macrophytes in West Lake, Hangzhou, China, which receives Al flocculant-purified water diverted from the Qiantang River. The responses of Vallisneria natans and Hydrilla verticillata were investigated based on their morphological and physiological parameters in pot culture and aquarium simulation experiments. In the pot culture experiments, the biomass, seedling number, plant height, stolon number, stolon length, and root weight were significantly higher at a site located 150m from the inlet compared with those at a site located 15m from the inlet (P < 0.05), thereby indicating that the residual Al significantly inhibited the morphological development of V. natans and H. verticillata. The variations in the chlorophyll-a, protein, and malondialdehyde contents of the two species in both the pot culture and aquarium simulation experiments also demonstrated that the two submerged macrophytes were stressed by residual Al. V. natans and H. verticillata accumulated 0.052-0.227mg of Al per gram of plant biomass (fresh weight, mg/g FW) and 0.045-0.205mg Al/g FW in the in situ experiments, respectively, where the amounts of Al were significantly higher in the plants in the treatment aquaria during the laboratory experiments than those in the controls. These results may have important implications for the restoration of submerged macrophytes and ecological risk assessments in Al-exposed lakes. It is recommended that the Al salt concentration used for the control of lake eutrophication should be reduced to an appropriate level.