Ensemble species distribution modeling and multilocus phylogeography provide insight into the spatial genetic patterns and distribution dynamics of a keystone forest species, Quercus glauca.

BACKGROUND: Forests are essential for maintaining species diversity, stabilizing local and global climate, and providing ecosystem services. Exploring the impact of paleogeographic events and climate change on the genetic structure and distribution dynamics of forest keystone species could help predict responses to future climate change. In this study, we combined an ensemble species distribution model (eSDM) and multilocus phylogeography to investigate the spatial genetic patterns and distribution change of Quercus glauca Thunb, a keystone of East Asian subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. RESULTS: A total of 781 samples were collected from 77 populations, largely covering the natural distribution of Q. glauca. The eSDM showed that the suitable habitat experienced a significant expansion after the last glacial maximum (LGM) but will recede in the future under a general climate warming scenario. The distribution centroid will migrate toward the northeast as the climate warms. Using nuclear SSR data, two distinct lineages split between east and west were detected. Within-group genetic differentiation was higher in the West than in the East. Based on the identified 58 haplotypes, no clear phylogeographic structure was found. Populations in the Nanling Mountains, Wuyi Mountains, and the southwest region were found to have high genetic diversity. CONCLUSIONS: A significant negative correlation between habitat stability and heterozygosity might be explained by the mixing of different lineages in the expansion region after LGM and/or hybridization between Q. glauca and closely related species. The Nanling Mountains may be important for organisms as a dispersal corridor in the west-east direction and as a refugium during the glacial period. This study provided new insights into spatial genetic patterns and distribution dynamics of Q. glauca.

Effects of Autoionizing Resonances on Wave-Packet Dynamics Studied by Time-Resolved Photoelectron Spectroscopy.

We report a combined experimental and theoretical study on the effect of autoionizing resonances in time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. The coherent excitation of N_{2} by ∼14.15 eV extreme-ultraviolet photons prepares a superposition of three dominant adjacent vibrational levels (v^{'}=14-16) in the valence b^{'} ^{1}Σ_{u}^{+} state, which are probed by the absorption of two or three near-infrared photons (800 nm). The superposition manifests itself as coherent oscillations in the measured photoelectron spectra. A quantum-mechanical simulation confirms that two autoionizing Rydberg states converging to the excited A ^{2}Π_{u} and B ^{2}Σ_{u}^{+} N_{2}^{+} cores are accessed by the resonant absorption of near-infrared photons. We show that these resonances apply different filters to the observation of the vibrational wave packet, which results in different phases and amplitudes of the oscillating photoelectron signal depending on the nature of the autoionizing resonance. This work clarifies the importance of resonances in time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy and particularly reveals the phase of vibrational quantum beats as a powerful observable for characterizing the properties of such resonances.

Impact of Premature Ventricular Complex (PVC) Burden on the Left Ventricle in the Structurally Normal Heart: Hemodynamic Alterations of Idiopathic PVC on Echocardiography.

Background: Premature ventricular complex (PVC) without structural heart disease is mostly viewed as a benign arrhythmia. However, the high burden of PVC causes cardiomyopathy due to intraventricular dyssynchrony. The effects of ectopic contraction on left ventricular (LV) hemodynamics in the structurally normal heart are unclear. Objectives: To examine the effect of PVC burden on LV dimension, LV systolic function, and intraventricular blood flow, and to determine whether ectopic ventricular contraction affects LV hemodynamics. Methods: Patients aged ≥ 18 years with PVC ≥ 5% on Holter recording were enrolled and divided into groups G1 (5-10%), G2 (10-20%), and G3 (≥ 20%). We excluded patients with structural heart diseases, pacemakers, and LV systolic dysfunction [LV ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50%]. Clinical characteristics and routine transthoracic echocardiography parameters were compared. Results: The end-systolic LV internal dimension increased according to the PVC burden from G1 to G3 (p = 0.001). LVEF was inversely associated with PVC burden from G1 to G3 (p = 0.002). The same pattern was seen for LV outflow tract (LVOT) maximal velocity (p = 0.005) and maximal pressure gradient (PG) (p = 0.005), LVOT velocity time integral (VTI) (p = 0.03) and LV stroke volume index (LVSI) (p = 0.008). Conclusions: Systolic function and LV end-systolic dimension were inversely associated with PVC burden. Decreased LVOT flow velocity and PG were related to increased PVC burden. LVOT VTI and LVSI were smaller when the PVC burden exceeded 20%. These negative hemodynamic manifestations of idiopathic PVC were considerable even in structure normal hearts, hence the early elimination of PVC is strongly advised.

Identification of endoplasmic reticulum formation mechanism by multi-parametric, quantitative super-resolution imaging.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a highly dynamic membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells which spreads throughout the whole cell and contacts and interacts with almost all organelles, yet quantitative approaches to assess ER reorganization are lacking. Herein we propose a multi-parametric, quantitative method combining pixel-wise orientation and waviness features and apply it to the time-dependent images of co-labeled ER and microtubule (MT) from U2OS cells acquired from two-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (2D SIM). Analysis results demonstrate that these morphological features are sensitive to ER reshaping and a combined use of them is a potential biomarker for ER formation. A new, to the best of our knowledge, mechanism of MT-associated ER formation, termed hooking, is identified based on distinct organizational alterations caused by interaction between ER and MT which are different from those of the other three mechanisms already known, validated by 100% discrimination accuracy in classifying four MT-associated ER formation mechanisms.

Femtosecond Time-Resolved Neighbor Roles in the Fragmentation Dynamics of Molecules in a Dimer.

How the neighbor effect plays its role in the fragmentation of molecular clusters attracts great attention for physicists and chemists. Here, we study this effect in the fragmentation of N_{2}O dimer by performing three-body coincidence measurements on the femtosecond timescale. Rotations of bound N_{2}O^{+} triggered by neutral or ionic neighbors are tracked. The forbidden dissociation path between B^{2}Π and ^{4}Π is opened by the spin-exchange effect due to the existence of neighbor ions, leading to a new channel of N_{2}O^{+}→NO+N^{+} originating from B^{2}Π. The formation and dissociation of the metastable product N_{3}O_{2}^{+} from two ion-molecule reaction channels are tracked in real time, and the corresponding trajectories are captured. Our results demonstrate a significant and promising step towards the understanding of neighbor roles in the reactions within clusters.

A Fisher-KPP Model with a Nonlocal Weighted Free Boundary: Analysis of How Habitat Boundaries Expand, Balance or Shrink.

In this paper, we propose a novel free boundary problem to model the movement of single species with a range boundary. The spatial movement and birth/death processes of the species found within the range boundary are assumed to be governed by the classic Fisher-KPP reaction-diffusion equation, while the movement of a free boundary describing the range limit is assumed to be influenced by the weighted total population inside the range boundary and is described by an integro-differential equation. Our free boundary equation is a generalization of the classical Stefan problem that allows for nonlocal influences on the boundary movement so that range expansion and shrinkage are both possible. In this paper, we prove that the new model is well-posed and possesses steady state. We show that the spreading speed of the range boundary is smaller than that for the equivalent problem with a Stefan condition. This implies that the nonlocal effect of the weighted total population on the boundary movement slows down the spreading speed of the population. While the classical Stefan condition categorizes asymptotic behavior via a spreading-vanishing dichotomy, the new model extends this dichotomy to a spreading-balancing-vanishing trichotomy. We specifically analyze how habitat boundaries expand, balance or shrink. When the model is extended to have two free boundaries, we observe the steady state scenario, asymmetric shifts, or even boundaries moving synchronously in the same direction. These are newly discovered phenomena in the free boundary problems for animal movement.

Patterns of yeast diversity distribution and its drivers in rhizosphere soil of Hami melon orchards in different regions of Xinjiang.

BACKGROUND: The unique climatic conditions of the Xinjiang region nurture rich melon and fruit resources, the melon and fruit sugar sources provide sufficient nutrients for the survival of yeast, and the diverse habitats accompanied by extreme climatic conditions promote the production of yeast diversity and strain resources. However, the relationship between yeast species and their relationship with environmental factors in the soil of Xinjiang specialty cash crop Hami melon is not clear. Here, we aimed to characterize the diversity, community structure, and relationship between yeast species and environmental factors in Hami melon orchards soils in different regions of Xinjiang, China. RESULTS: Based on Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing analysis of the D1 domain of the LSU rRNA genes, the community richness of yeast in the soil of Northern Xinjiang was higher than in the Southern and Eastern Xinjiang, but the community diversity was significantly lower in the Northern Xinjiang than in the Southern and Eastern Xinjiang. A total of 86 OTUs were classified into 59 genera and 86 species. Most OTUs (90.4%) belonged to the Basidiomycota; only a few (9.6%) belonged to Ascomycota. The most dominant species in the Southern, Eastern and Northern Xinjiang were Filobasidium magnum (17.90%), Solicoccozyma aeria (35.83%) and Filobasidium magnum (75.36%), respectively. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) showed that the yeast community composition in the soils of the three regions were obviously different, with the Southern and Eastern Xinjiang having more similar yeast community. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil factors such as conductivity (CO), total phosphorus (TP) and Total potassium (TK) and climate factors such as average annual precipitation (PRCP), relative humidity (RH) and net solar radiation intensity (SWGNT) were significantly correlated with yeast communities (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There are abundant yeast resources in the rhizosphere soil of Hami melon orchard in Xinjiang, and there are obvious differences in the diversity and community structure of yeast in the three regions of Xinjiang. Differences in climatic factors related to precipitation, humidity and solar radiation intensity and soil factors related to conductivity, total phosphorus and total potassium are key factors driving yeast diversity and community structure.

Revealing Molecular Strong Field Autoionization Dynamics.

The novel strong field autoionization (SFAI) dynamics is identified and investigated by channel-resolved angular streaking measurements of two electrons and two ions for the double-ionized CO. Comparing with the laser-assisted autoionization calculations, we demonstrate the electrons from SFAI are generated from the field-induced decay of the autoionizing state with a following acceleration in the laser fields. The energy-dependent photoelectron angular distributions further reveal that the subcycle ac-Stark effect modulates the lifetime of the autoionizing state and controls the emission of SFAI electrons in molecular frame. Our results pave the way to control the emission of resonant high-harmonic generation and trace the electron-electron correlation and electron-nuclear coupling by strong laser fields. The lifetime modulation of quantum systems in the strong laser field has great potential for quantum manipulation of chemical reactions and beyond.

Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Intermediate-to-High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism Undergoing Ultrasound-Assisted Catheter-Based Fibrinolysis Therapy in a Mid-Term Follow-Up Period - A Retrospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: Endovascular therapy with ultrasound-assisted catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) theoretically provides higher efficacy while reducing the bleeding risk compared with conventional systemic thrombolysis. The clinical outcomes of UACDT in treating intermediate-to-high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) are lacking in an Asian population. METHODS: Forty-two patients who presented with intermediate-to-high-risk PE received UACDT. The patients were divided into two groups based on the incidence of procedure-related bleeding events, and baseline demographics were compared between the two groups. A paired-Student's t test was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of UACDT. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent risk factors for significant bleeding events. RESULTS: The average age was 58.93 ± 20.48 years, and 33.33% of the study participants were male. A total of 85.7% of the participants had intermediate-risk PE. Compared with pre-intervention pulmonary artery pressure, the mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased significantly (37.61 ± 9.57 mmHg vs. 25.7 ± 9.84 mmHg, p < 0.01) after UACDT. The cumulative total tissue plasminogen activator dosage and total infusion duration were 44.54 ± 20.55 mg and 39.14 ± 19.06 hours respectively. Overall, 21.43% of the participants had severe bleeding events during the endovascular fibrinolysis treatment period. Forward conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the lowest fibrinogen level during thrombolysis was an independent factor associated with moderate-to-severe bleeding (odds ratio: 0.40, 95% confidence interval: 0.19-0.88, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: UACDT exhibited high efficacy, but resulted in a higher-than-expected bleeding rate in this real-world study of an Asian population. The lowest fibrinogen level during thrombolysis was an independent risk factor associated with procedure-related bleeding events.

Accurate in situ Measurement of Ellipticity Based on Subcycle Ionization Dynamics.

Elliptically polarized laser pulses (EPLPs) are widely applied in many fields of ultrafast sciences, but the ellipticity (ϵ) has never been in situ measured in the interaction zone of the laser focus. In this Letter, we propose and realize a robust scheme to retrieve the ϵ by temporally overlapping two identical counterrotating EPLPs. The combined linearly electric field is coherently controlled to ionize Xe atoms by varying the phase delay between the two EPLPs. The electron spectra of the above-threshold ionization and the ion yield are sensitively modulated by the phase delay. We demonstrate that these modulations can be used to accurately determine ϵ of the EPLP. We show that the present method is highly reliable and is applicable in a wide range of laser parameters. The accurate retrieval of ϵ offers a better characterization of a laser pulse, promising a more delicate and quantitative control of the subcycle dynamics in many strong field processes.

Electronic and vibrational relaxation dynamics of NH3 Rydberg states probed by vacuum-ultraviolet time-resolved photoelectron imaging.

Time-resolved dynamics of high-lying Rydberg states of ammonia (NH3) prepared by using a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) pump (∼9.3 eV) and an ultraviolet (UV) probe (∼4.7 eV) pulse are reported using photoelectron imaging detection. After photoexcitation, two main features appear in the photoelectron spectrum with vertical binding energies of ∼1.8 eV and ∼3.2 eV and with distinctly different anisotropy parameters ß of ∼1.3 and ∼0.7, respectively. This information allows the unambiguous assignment of the respective Rydberg states and disentangles the induced electronic and vibrational dynamics. The combination of velocity-map imaging with femtosecond VUV and UV pulses is shown to offer an attractive approach for studying the dynamics of high-lying Rydberg states of small molecules.

Spironolactone ameliorates endothelial dysfunction through inhibition of the AGE/RAGE axis in a chronic renal failure rat model.

BACKGROUND: Spironolactone can improve endothelial dysfunction in the setting of heart failure and diabetes models. However, its beneficial effect in the cardiovascular system is not clear in the setting of non-diabetic renal failure. We conducted this study to investigate whether spironolactone can ameliorate endothelial dysfunction in a 5/6 nephrectomy model, and to determine the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups. A renal failure model was created using the 5/6 nephrectomy method. The four groups included: Sham-operation group (Group1), chronic kidney disease (CKD; Group2), CKD + ALT-711 (advanced glycation end products [AGEs] breaker; Group 3), and CKD + spironolactone group (Group4). Acetylcholine (Ach)-mediated vasodilatation responses were compared between the four groups. To investigate the underlying mechanism, we cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) for in-vitro assays. Differences between two groups were determined with the paired student's t test. Differences between three or more groups were determined through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc analysis with LSD method. RESULTS: Compared with Group 1, Group 2 has a significantly impaired Ach-mediated vasodilatation response. Group 3 and 4 exhibited improved vasoreactivity responses. To determine the underlying mechanism, we performed an in-vitro study using cultured HAECs. We noted significant sirtuin-3 (SIRT3) protein downregulation, reduced phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase at serine 1177 (p-eNOS), and increased intracellular oxidative stress in cultured HAECs treated with AGEs (200 µg/mL). These effects were counter-regulated when cultured HAECs were pretreated with spironolactone (10 µM). Furthermore, the increased p-eNOS production by spironolactone was abrogated when the HAECs were pretreated with tenolvin (1 µM), a SIRT3 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: Spironolactone could ameliorate endothelial dysfunction in a 5/6 nephrectomy renal failure model through AGEs/Receptor for AGEs (RAGEs) axis inhibition, SIRT3 upregulation, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase-2 (NOX-2) and its associated intracellular oxidative stress attenuation.

Identifying the Multielectron Effect on Chemical Bond Rearrangement of CH3Cl Molecules in Strong Laser Fields.

Strong field double ionization that triggers the chemical bond rearrangement of CH3Cl is investigated by impulsive control of the alignment of molecules. The alignment and laser intensity dependent H2+ and H3+ yields in linearly polarized femtosecond laser have been measured, and the obtained data show that the maximum signal of H2+ appears at the laser polarization parallel to the C-Cl axis of molecules and H3+ species are more likely to eject at the laser polarization parallel to the C-Cl axis at low laser intensity while the H3+ signal peaks at laser polarization perpendicular to the C-Cl axis at high laser intensity. The measurements indicate that electrons from HOMO - 1 and HOMO - 2 orbitals have been ionized for the generation of bond rearrangement at different laser intensity. Our results demonstrate the importance of multielectron effects and also provide an effective control method in the process of chemical bond rearrangement of the molecules in strong laser fields.

Time-varying economic dominance in financial markets: A bistable dynamics approach.

By developing a continuous-time heterogeneous agent financial market model of multi-assets traded by fundamental and momentum investors, we provide a potential mechanism for generating time-varying dominance between fundamental and non-fundamental in financial markets. We show that investment constraints lead to the coexistence of a locally stable fundamental steady state and a locally stable limit cycle around the fundamental, characterized by a Bautin bifurcation. This provides a mechanism for market prices to switch stochastically between the two persistent but very different market states, leading to the coexistence and time-varying dominance of seemingly controversial efficient market and price momentum over different time periods. The model also generates other financial market stylized facts, such as spillover effects in both momentum and volatility, market booms, crashes, and correlation reduction due to cross-sectional momentum trading. Empirical evidence based on the U.S. market supports the main findings. The mechanism developed in this paper can be used to characterize time-varying economic dominance in economics and finance in general.

Skin autofluorescence is associated with inappropriate left ventricular mass and diastolic dysfunction in subjects at risk for cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced advanced glycation end products deposition within myocardial tissue may cause diastolic dysfunction. However, whether this is related to left ventricular hypertrophy or inappropriate left ventricular mass remains unclear. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 139 subjects at risk for cardiovascular diseases. We used echocardiography for measurements of left ventricular mass and cardiac systolic and diastolic functional parameters. An advanced glycation end product reader was applied for measurements of skin autofluorescence values. Comparisons of left ventricular mass and echocardiographic parameters between the higher and lower skin autofluorescence groups were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the lower skin autofluorescence group, left ventricular mass index and the ratio of observed left ventricular mass/predicted left ventricular mass (oLVM/pLVM) was significantly higher in the higher skin autofluorescence group (61.22 ± 17.76 vs. 47.72 ± 11.62, P < 0.01, 1.62 ± 0.38 vs. 1.21 ± 0.21, P < 0.01). After adjustment for potential confounding factors, skin autofluorescence was an independent factor for left ventricular mass index (ß = 0.32, P < 0.01) and the ratio of oLVM/pLVM (ß = 0.41, P < 0.01). Skin autofluorescence ≥2.35 arbitrary unit predicted left ventricular hypertrophy at a sensitivity of 58.8%, and a specificity of 73.0% (P < 0.01). Skin autofluorescence ≥2.25 arbitrary unit predicted inappropriate left ventricular mass at a sensitivity of 71.1%, and a specificity of 83.9% (P < 0.01). Skin autofluorescence was positively correlated with E/E', an indicator for diastolic dysfunction (r = 0.21, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Skin autofluorescence is a useful tool for detecting left ventricular hypertrophy, inappropriate left ventricular mass and diastolic dysfunction.

Multielectron Effects in the Strong Field Sequential Ionization of Aligned CH3I Molecules.

Strong field sequential ionization of symmetric-top CH3I molecules is studied experimentally by using a combined method of femtosecond laser-induced impulsive alignment and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Both alignment- and angular-dependent ion yields have been measured, and the sequential ionization of a multielectron has been discussed. It is found that the maximum ionization occurs when the polarization of probe laser is perpendicular to the internuclear axis of molecules, and the signal of fragment ion peaks at the polarization of the probe laser is parallel to the internuclear axis of molecules. The angular distribution of ions indicated that ionization of π-type orbitals corresponds to generation of charged parent ions and ionization of σ-type orbitals corresponds to generation of fragment ions. The sequential release of multielectrons for Coulomb explosion channels is studied by analysis of the time evolutions of multicharged In+ (n = 1-4) signals.

Rotational Dynamics of Quantum State-Selected Symmetric-Top Molecules in Nonresonant Femtosecond Laser Fields.

Rotational dynamics of quantum state selected and unselected CH3I molecules in intense femtosecond laser fields has been studied. The orientation and alignment evolutions are derived from a pump-probe measurement and in good agreement with the numerical results from the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) calculation. The different rotational transitions through nonresonant Raman process have been assigned from the Fourier analysis of the orientation and alignment revivals. These revivals are derived from a pump-probe measurement and in good agreement with the numerical results from the TDSE calculation. For the molecules in rotational state |1, ±1, ∓1⟩, the transitions can be assigned to ΔJ = ±1, ±2, while for thermally populated molecules, the transitions are ΔJ = ±2. Our results illustrate that the orientation and alignment revivals of the rotational quantum-state-selected molecules give a deep insight into the rotational excitation pathways for the transition of different rotational states of molecules in ultrafast laser fields.

Ultrafast proton migration and Coulomb explosion of methyl chloride in intense laser fields.

We investigated the ultrafast proton migration and the Coulomb explosion (CE) dynamics of methyl chloride (CH3Cl) in intense femtosecond laser fields at the wavelengths of 800 nm (5.5 × 1014 W/cm2) and 400 nm (4 × 1014 W/cm2), respectively. Various fragment channels from molecular dication and trication were observed by coincidence momentum imaging through the measurement of their kinetic energy releases (KERs). The proton migration from different charged parent ions was analyzed from the obtained KER distributions. For the direct CE channel of CH3+ + Cl+ and CH3+ + Cl2+, the contribution of multiply excited electronic states and multicharged states is identified. In addition, the measurements of relative yields of the fragmentation channel at different laser wavelengths provide a selective control of proton migration for CH3Cl molecules in intense laser fields.

The outcomes of interventional treatment for Budd-Chiari syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis quantitatively assesses the outcomes of interventional treatment for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS). We evaluated the published studies on interventional treatment for BCS and reviewed reference lists from retrieved articles. Meta-analysis was applied to calculate the combined rates and their 95% confidence intervals. The risk of bias was assessed by the Egger test. As many as 29 articles on interventional treatment with BCS were selected according to the eligibility criteria and included in the meta-analysis, for a total of 2,255 BCS patients. The pooled results (95 % CI) were 93.7 % (92.6-4.8 %) for successful rate of interventional operation, 6.5 % (5.3-7.7 %) for restenosis rate of interventional treatment, and 92.0 % (89.8-94.3 %) and 76.4 % (72.5-80.4 %) for the survival rate at 1 and 5 years, respectively. The interventional therapy of major BCS patients is safe with successful operation, good patency, and long-term survival. Moreover, a step-wise management of BCS is proposed to manage and cure all BCS patients with personalized treatment.