The diversity and biogeography of bacterial communities in lake sediments across different climate zones.

Bacteria are diverse and play important roles in biogeochemical cycling of aquatic ecosystems, but the global distribution patterns of bacterial communities in lake sediments across different climate zones are still obscure. Here we integrated the high-throughput sequencing data of 750 sediment samples from published literature to investigate the distribution of bacterial communities in different climate zones and the potential driving mechanisms. The obtained results indicated that the diversity and richness of bacterial community were notably higher in temperate and cold zones than those in other climate zones. In addition, the bacterial community composition varied significantly in different climate zones, which further led to changes in bacterial functional groups. Specifically, the relative abundance of nitrogen cycling functional groups in polar zones was notably higher compared to other climate zones. Regression analysis revealed that climate (mean annual precipitation, MAP; and mean annual temperature, MAT), vegetation, and geography together determined the diversity pattern of sediment bacterial community on a global scale. The results of partial least squares path modeling further demonstrated that climate was the most significant factor affecting the composition and diversity of bacterial communities, and MAP was the most important climate factor affecting the composition of bacteria community (R2 = 0.443, P < 0.001). It is worth noting that a strong positive correlation was observed between the abundance of the dominant bacterial group uncultured_f_Anaerolineaceae and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; P < 0.001), suggesting that vegetation could affect bacterial community diversity by influencing dominant bacterial taxa. This study enhances our understanding of the global diversity patterns and biogeography of sediment bacteria.

A 700 kV pulse generator with a rise time on the order of several nanoseconds.

Pulse generators with high voltage and several nanoseconds of rise time are typically used to carry out the equivalent assessment of the protection performance of typical power equipment in the high-altitude electromagnetic pulse environment. In this paper, a pulse generator with high voltage and fast rise time has been designed, and the diagnostic system with high temporal resolution has been integrated to measure the output pulse voltage of the generator. The experimental results showed that the output pulse voltage of the generator on the output load can reach 645 kV when the charged voltage of Marx generator capacitors is 40 kV. The rise time of the generator is 8.2-9.9 ns when the charged voltage of Marx generator capacitors is in the range of 20-40 kV.

PRMT6 Epigenetically Drives Metabolic Switch from Fatty Acid Oxidation toward Glycolysis and Promotes Osteoclast Differentiation During Osteoporosis.

Epigenetic regulation of metabolism profoundly influences cell fate commitment. During osteoclast differentiation, the activation of RANK signaling is accompanied by metabolic reprogramming, but the epigenetic mechanisms by which RANK signaling induces this reprogramming remain elusive. By transcriptional sequence and ATAC analysis, this study identifies that activation of RANK signaling upregulates PRMT6 by epigenetic modification, triggering a metabolic switching from fatty acids oxidation toward glycolysis. Conversely, Prmt6 deficiency reverses this shift, markedly reducing HIF-1α-mediated glycolysis and enhancing fatty acid oxidation. Consequently, PRMT6 deficiency or inhibitor impedes osteoclast differentiation and alleviates bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. At the molecular level, Prmt6 deficiency reduces asymmetric dimethylation of H3R2 at the promoters of genes including Ppard, Acox3, and Cpt1a, enhancing genomic accessibility for fatty acid oxidation. PRMT6 thus emerges as a metabolic checkpoint, mediating metabolic switch from fatty acid oxidation to glycolysis, thereby supporting osteoclastogenesis. Unveiling PRMT6's critical role in epigenetically orchestrating metabolic shifts in osteoclastogenesis offers a promising target for anti-resorptive therapy.

Research on methods to increase the flashover voltage of supporting insulators in Tesla transformers.

This paper presents three methods aimed at enhancing the flashover voltage of the supporting insulator in a Tesla transformer. These methods include optimizing the maximum electric field on the insulator surface, adjusting the overall structure of the insulator, and changing the surface structure of the insulator. Ten insulator samples with different structures were designed based on electric field simulation. Subsequent experiments were conducted to validate the effectiveness of these methods in improving flashover voltage. On this basis, the supporting insulator of the Tesla transformer was redesigned, leading to an increased output voltage. The results are summarized in the following. First, optimization of the shielding rings of the cathode and anode reduces the electric field at the triple junction, which significantly increases the flashover voltage. Second, extending the inclination starting position of insulators with the same inclination angle effectively reduces the surface electric field intensity and increases the flashover voltage. Third, increasing the inclination angle within a certain range while keeping the inclination starting position constant extends the creepage distance and enhances the flashover voltage. However, excessively large inclination angles may lead to a decrease in flashover voltage due to excessive normal electric field. Fourth, grooving on the insulator surface at appropriate locations can inhibit the development of the streamer and improve flashover voltage. Finally, the supporting insulator of the Tesla transformer was redesigned based on these results, elevating the output voltage from 750 kV to over 1 MV.

Effects of different emergent macrophytes on methane flux and rhizosphere microbial communities in wetlands.

Emergent macrophytes are of great importance for the structure and functioning of wetland ecosystems and play a significant role in environmental improvement, element cycling, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, our understanding of how GHG fluxes differ among macrophyte species and its links with the microbial communities remain limited. In this study, we investigated the rhizosphere microbial communities (including total bacteria, methanotrophs, and methanogens) and the GHG fluxes associated with four emergent macrophytes-Phragmites australis, Thalia dealbata, Pontederia cordata, and Zizania latifolia-collected from Xuanwu Lake wetland, China. We observed the highest CH4 flux (FCH4) (9.35 ± 2.52 mg·m-2·h-1) from Z. latifolia zone, followed by P. australis, P. cordata, and T. dealbata zones (5.38 ± 1.63, 2.38 ± 2.91, and 2.02 ± 0.69 mg·m-2·h-1, respectively). Methanogenesis was methylotrophic at all sites, as the 13C-CH4 values were higher than -64 ‰ and the fractionation coefficients were lower than 1.055. We found a positive linear relationship between FCH4 and the methanogen community, in particular the relative abundances of Methanobacterium and Methanosarcina, indicating that the variations in FCH4 among the studied macrophyte-dominated zones might be attributed to the differences in rhizosphere microbial communities. The methane emissions in various macrophyte zones might be due to the higher capacity of methanogenesis compared to methane oxidation which was inhibited by nutrient-rich sediments. Our findings provide insights for selecting specific emergent macrophytes characterized by low FCH4 in wetland ecological restoration.

Fisetin orchestrates neuroinflammation resolution and facilitates spinal cord injury recovery through enhanced autophagy in pro-inflammatory glial cells.

BACKGROUND: Neuroinflammation, a critical component of the secondary injury cascade post-spinal cord injury, involves the activation of pro-inflammatory cells and release of inflammatory mediators. Resolution of neuroinflammation is closely linked to cellular autophagy. This study investigates the potential of Fisetin, a natural anti-inflammatory compound, to ameliorate neuroinflammation and confer spinal cord injury protection through the regulation of autophagy in pro-inflammatory cells. METHODS: Utilizing a rat T10 spinal cord injury model with distinct treatment groups (Sham, Fisetin-treated, and Fisetin combined with autophagy inhibitor), alongside in vitro models involving lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglial cell activation and co-culture with neurons, we employed techniques such as transcriptomic sequencing, histological assessments (immunofluorescence staining, etc.), molecular analyses (PCR, WB, ELISA, etc.), and behavioral evaluations to discern differences in neuroinflammation, autophagy, neuronal apoptosis, and neurological function recovery. RESULTS: Fisetin significantly augmented autophagic activity in injured spinal cord tissue, crucially contributing to neurological function recovery in spinal cord-injured rats. Fisetin's autophagy-dependent effects were associated with a reduction in neuronal apoptosis at the injury site. The treatment reduced the population of CD68+ and iNOS+ cells, coupled with decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α levels, through autophagy-dependent pathways. Fisetin pre-treatment attenuated LPS-induced pro-inflammatory polarization of microglial cells, with this protective effect partially blocked by autophagy inhibition. Fisetin-induced autophagy in the injured spinal cord and pro-inflammatory microglial cells was associated with significant activation of AMPK and inhibition of mTOR. CONCLUSION: Fisetin orchestrates enhanced autophagy in pro-inflammatory microglial cells through the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway, thereby mitigating neuroinflammation and reducing the apoptotic effects of neuroinflammation on neurons. This mechanistic insight significantly contributes to the protection and recovery of neurological function following spinal cord injury, underscoring the vital nature of Fisetin as a potential therapeutic agent.

Dynamics of bacterioplankton communities in the estuary areas of the Taihu Lake: Distinct ecological mechanisms of abundant and rare communities.

As the crucial confluences of rivers and lakes, the estuary areas with varied hydrodynamic exchanges intensively affect the bacterioplankton communities, whereas the ecological characteristics of the bacterioplankton in the areas have not been well understood. Here, the distribution patterns and assembly mechanisms of bacterioplankton communities in the estuary areas of the Taihu Lake were investigated using high-throughput sequencing and multivariate statistical analyses. Our results showed obvious seasonal variations in bacterioplankton diversity and community composition, which had significant correlations with water temperature. Neutral and null models together revealed that stochastic processes (especially dispersal limitation) were the major processes in shaping the communities across different seasons. By contrast, heterogeneous selection in deterministic processes exhibited increased impacts on community assembly during summer and autumn, which was significantly related to the comprehensive water quality index (WQI) rather than any single factor. In this study, rare communities displayed more pronounced seasonal dynamics compared to abundant communities, likely due to their sensitivity towards environmental factors. Accordingly, the heterogeneous selection of deterministic processes largely shaped the rare communities. These results enriched our understanding of the assembly mechanisms of bacterioplankton communities in estuary areas and emphasized the specific co-occurrence patterns of abundant and rare communities.

Epiphytic microorganisms of submerged macrophytes effectively contribute to nitrogen removal.

Submerged macrophytes play important roles in nutrient cycling and are widely used in ecological restoration to alleviate eutrophication and improve water quality in lakes. Epiphytic microbial communities on leaves of submerged macrophytes might promote nitrogen cycling, but the mechanisms and quantification of their contributions remain unclear. Here, four types of field zones with different nutrient levels and submerged macrophytes, eutrophic + Vallisneria natans (EV), eutrophic + V. natans + Hydrilla verticillata, mesotrophic + V. natans + H. verticillata, and eutrophic without macrophytes were selected to investigate the microbial communities that involved in nitrification and denitrification. The alpha diversity of bacterial community was higher in the phyllosphere than in the water, and that of H. verticillata was higher compared to V. natans. Bacterial community structures differed significantly between the four zones. The highest relative abundance of dominant bacterioplankton genera involved in nitrification and denitrification was observed in the EV zone. Similarly, the alpha diversity of the epiphytic ammonia-oxidizing archaea and nosZI-type denitrifiers were highest in the EV zone. Consist with the diversity patterns, the potential denitrification rates were higher in the phyllosphere than those in the water. Higher potential denitrification rates in the phyllosphere were also found in H. verticillata than those in V. natans. Anammox was not detected in all samples. Nutrient loads, especially nitrogen concentrations were important factors influencing potential nitrification, denitrification rates, and bacterial communities, especially for the epiphytic nosZI-type taxa. Overall, we observed that the phyllosphere harbors more microbes and promotes higher denitrification rates compared to water, and epiphytic bacterial communities are shaped by nitrogen nutrients and macrophyte species, indicating that epiphytic microorganisms of submerged macrophytes can effectively contribute to the N removal in shallow lakes.

Tofacitinib Promotes Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury by Regulating Microglial Polarization via JAK/STAT Signaling Pathway.

Background: The JAK/STAT signaling pathway is the main inflammatory signal transduction pathway, whether JAK/STAT contributes the pathology of SCI and targeting the pathway will alleviate SCI needs to be addressed. Here, we explored the therapeutic effect of pan-JAK inhibitor tofacitinib (TOF) on secondary injury after SCI and explained the underlying mechanisms. Methods: SCI model in rat was established to evaluate the therapeutic effects of TOF treatment in vivo. Histological and behavioral analyses were performed at different time points after SCI. In vitro, the effects of TOF on pro-inflammatory activation of primary microglia and BV2 cells were analyzed by western blot analysis, fluorescent staining, qPCR and flow cytometry. The neuroprotection of TOF was detected using a co-culture system with primary neurons and microglia. Results: TOF can effectively improve motor dysfunction caused by spinal cord injury in rats. TOF administration in the early stage of inflammation can effectively inhibit neuronal apoptosis and scar tissue formation, and promote the repair of axons and nerve fibers. Further studies have demonstrated that TOF suppresses inflammation caused by spinal cord injury by inhibiting the activation of microglia to pro-inflammatory phenotype in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, an interesting phenomenon is revealed in our results that TOF exhibits superior neuronal protection during inflammation in vitro. Conclusions: Our study showed that TOF could regulate microglial activation via JAK / STAT pathway and promote the recovery of motor function after SCI, which is of great significance for the immunotherapy of SCI.

Top-down effects of filter-feeding fish and bivalves moderate bottom-up effects of nutrients on phytoplankton in subtropical shallow lakes: An outdoor mesocosm study.

Biomanipulation has been widely used in the ecological restoration of eutrophic lakes for decades. However, biomanipulation is prone to failure if external nutrient loads are not reduced. In order to explore the importance of filter-feeding fish and bivalves on algal control, an outdoor mesocosm experiment was conducted using different nutrient concentrations. Four treatments simulating daily loads of nutrients in Lake Taihu were studied: current, two times, and three times average daily loads of nutrients with both fish (Aristichthys nobilis) and Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) and as a control current daily loads without fish or bivalves. Results showed that stocking of filter-feeding fish and bivalves (80 g m-3 bighead carp; 200 g cm-2 clams) at two times daily nutrient loads could effectively control water column Chl a concentrations and phytoplankton biomass. At higher nutrient concentrations (TN ≥ 260 µg L-1 d-1; TP ≥ 10 µg L-1 d-1), top-down control of filter-feeding fish and bivalves was less effective and bottom-up effects resulted in significant increases of Chl a concentration. Thus, as phytoplankton biomass in freshwater ecosystems is determined by both the top-down effects of predators and the bottom-up effects of nutrients, external loadings should be controlled when filter-feeding fish and bivalves are used for algal control to ensure the efficacy of biomanipulation.

Greater transmission capacities and small-world characteristics of bacterial communities in the above- than those in the below- ground niches of a typical submerged macrophyte, Vallisneria natans.

Leaves and roots of submerged macrophytes provide extended surfaces and stable internal tissues for distinct microorganisms to rest, but how these microorganisms interact with each other across different niches and ultimately drive the distribution through horizontal and vertical transmissions remains largely undetermined. Knowledge of the mechanisms of assemblage and transmission in aquatic macrophytes-associated microbial communities will help to better understanding their important roles in plant fitness and benefit ecological functions. Here, we conducted a microcosmic experiment based on in situ lake samples to investigate the bacterial community assemblage, transmission, and co-occurrence patterns in different niches of a typical submerged macrophyte, Vallisneria natans (V. natans), including seed endosphere, as well as environmental (water and bulk sediment), epiphytic (phyllosphere and rhizosphere), and endophytic (leaf and root endosphere) microhabitats of both leaves and roots representatives of the above- and below- ground niches (AGNs and BGNs), respectively. We found the bacterial communities colonized in epiphytic niches not only exhibited the highest diversity compared to adjacent environmental and endophytic niches, but also dominated the interactions between those bacterial members of neighboring niches in both AGNs and BGNs. The host plants promoted niche specificity at bacterial community-level, as confirmed by the proportion of bacterial specialists increased with plant proximity, especially in the BGNs. Furthermore, the bacterial taxa colonized in the AGNs exhibited higher horizontal and vertical transmission capacities than those in the BGNs, especially in the vertical transmission from seeds to leaves (41.38 %) than roots (0.42 %). Meanwhile, the bacterial co-occurrence network in AGNs was shown to have stronger small-world characteristics but weaker stability than those in the BGNs. Overall, this study cast new light on the plant microbiome in the aquatic environment, thus better promoting the potential development of strategies for breeding aquatic macrophyte holobiont with enhanced water purification and pollutant removal capabilities in the future.

Shift of human pathogen community composition and their potential human health risk after supply suspension in tap water.

Water supply suspension-restoration can occur frequently due to the overhauling of civil infrastructure in developing countries and the shutdown of commercial buildings during the pandemic. For comprehensive insights into the effects of water supply suspension-restoration, this study characterized the variations of the pathogen community composition of the tap water and their infection risk under different water supply scenarios. Metagenomic sequencing revealed a significant change of the human pathogen profiles, among which the most dominant pathogen changed from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4.91%) to Acinetobacter johnsonii (0.59%). Furthermore, absolute quantification of pathogens by propidium-monoazide-qPCR revealed that the abundance of the three typical pathogens (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium and Salmonella sp.) showed an increase of 2.44 log to 3.60 log immediately after water supply suspension-restoration and did not return to the normal level even after 2-h supply restoration, except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Quantitative microbial risk assessment suggested the infection risks of the three pathogens arising from direct utilization of tap water under stable water supply, including dermal exposure and oral intake, were all above the threshold of 10-4, and evidently increased after water supply suspension-restoration. This study warns us against the risk induced by the pathogens in tap water, especially after water supply suspension-restoration.

The association of rod curvature with postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing posterior lumbar interbody fusion for spinal stenosis: a retrospective case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Restoration of sagittal balance is a crucial consideration in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery and adverse postoperative outcomes are associated with inadequate restoration of sagittal alignment. However, there remains a shortage of substantial evidence regarding the effect of rod curvature on both sagittal spinopelvic radiographic parameters and clinical outcomes. METHOD: A retrospective case-control study was conducted in this study. Patient demographics (age, gender, height, weight and BMI), surgical characteristics (number of fused levels, surgical time, blood loss and hospital stay) and radiographic parameters (lumbar lordosis [LL], sacral slope [SS], pelvic incidence [PI], pelvic tilt [PT], PI-LL, Cobb angle of fused segments [Cobb], rod curvature [RC], Posterior tangent angle of fused segments [PTA] and RC-PTA) were analyzed. RESULTS: Patients in the abnormal group had older mean age and suffered more blood loss than those in the normal group. In addition, RC and RC-PTA were significantly lower in the abnormal group compared to the normal group. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that lower age (OR = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.89-0.99; P = 0.0187), lower PTA (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85-0.96; P = 0.0015) and higher RC (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.20-1.51; P < 0.0001) were related to higher odds of better surgical outcomes. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the ROC curve (AUC) for predicting outcomes of surgery by RC classifier was 0.851 (0.769-0.932). CONCLUSIONS: In patients who underwent PLIF surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis, those who had a satisfactory postoperative outcome tended to be younger, had lower blood loss, and higher values of RC and RC-PTA compared to those who had poor recovery and required revision surgery. Additionally, RC was found to be a reliable predictor of postoperative outcomes.

Near-infrared ratiometric fluorescent strategy for butyrylcholinesterase activity and its application in the detection of pesticide residue in food samples and biological imaging.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is an essential esterase synthesized by the liver, and its level is considered as a vital index for health evaluation. Therefore, it is of great need to develop a highly sensitive and selective tool to monitor BChE activity, which remains a considerable challenge on account of its usage in complex biological systems. A near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe was elaborated in this work, employing cyanine backbone to provide the intrinsic NIR fluorescence and avoid interference from bioluminescence. There presented an intriguing structural transformation upon the sensing event to shrink the conjugation in this protocol, leading to an eye-catching fluorescence change from NIR (816 nm) to red (637 nm) region, which gave rise to the proposed ratiometric assay. After an overall investigation, this receptor was verified to be applicable in a wide bio-area with ratiometric pattern, including the cellular level and slice platform. It was worth mentioning that this receptor was also discovered to be capable of monitoring pesticide dichlorvos (DDVP) residue in food samples with high sensitivity and accuracy, with significant potential to be developed as an alternative candidate for monitoring environmental pollution.

Computational Drug Discovery in Ankylosing Spondylitis-Induced Osteoporosis Based on Data Mining and Bioinformatics Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and osteoporosis (OP) are both prevalent illnesses in spine surgery, with OP being a possible consequence of AS. However, the mechanism of AS-induced OP (AS-OP) remains unknown, limiting etiologic research and therapy of the illness. To mine targetable medicine for the prevention and treatment of AS-OP, this study analyzes public data sets using bioinformatics to identify genes and biological pathways relevant to AS-OP. METHODS: First, text mining was used to identify common genes associated with AS and OP, after which functional analysis was carried out. The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to create protein-protein interaction networks. Hub genes and potential drugs were discovered using drug-gene interaction analysis and transcription factors-gene interaction analysis. RESULTS: The results of text mining showed 241 genes common to AS and OP, from which 115 key symbols were sorted out by functional analysis. As options for treating AS-OP, protein-protein interaction analysis yielded 20 genes, which may be targeted by 13 medications. CONCLUSIONS: Carlumab, bermekimab, rilonacept, rilotumumab, and ficlatuzumab were first identified as the potential drugs for the treatment of AS-OP, proving the value of text mining and pathway analysis in drug discovery.

Inhibition of IL1R1 or CASP4 attenuates spinal cord injury through ameliorating NLRP3 inflammasome-induced pyroptosis.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating trauma characterized by serious neuroinflammation and permanent neurological dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanism of SCI remains unclear, and few effective medical therapies are available at present. In this study, multiple bioinformatics methods were used to screen out novel targets for SCI, and the mechanism of these candidates during the progression of neuroinflammation as well as the therapeutic effects were both verified in a rat model of traumatic SCI. As a result, CASP4, IGSF6 and IL1R1 were identified as the potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for SCI by computational analysis, which were enriched in NF-κB and IL6-JAK-STATA3 signaling pathways. In the injured spinal cord, these three signatures were up-regulated and closely correlated with NLRP3 inflammasome formation and gasdermin D (GSDMD) -induced pyroptosis. Intrathecal injection of inhibitors of IL1R1 or CASP4 improved the functional recovery of SCI rats and decreased the expression of these targets and inflammasome component proteins, such as NLRP3 and GSDMD. This treatment also inhibited the pp65 activation into the nucleus and apoptosis progression. In conclusion, our findings of the three targets shed new light on the pathogenesis of SCI, and the use of immunosuppressive agents targeting these proteins exerted anti-inflammatory effects against spinal cord inflammation by inhibiting NF-kB and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, thus blocking GSDMD -induced pyroptosis and immune activation.

Functional traits underlying performance variations in the overwintering of the cosmopolitan invasive plant water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) under climate warming and water drawdown.

Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicate that temperature rise is still the general trend of the global climate in the 21st century. Invasive species may benefit from the increase in temperature, as climate can be viewed as a resource, and the increase in the available resources favors the invasibility of invasive species. This study aimed to assess the overwintering growth of the cosmopolitan invasive plant water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) at its northern boundary. Using E. crassipes as a model plant, a cross-year mesocosm experiment was conducted to determine 17 plant functional traits, including growth, morphological, root topological, photosynthetic, and stoichiometric traits, under climate warming (ambient, temperature rises of 1.5°C and 3.0°C), and water drawdown or water withdrawal (water depths of 1, 10, and 20 cm) treatments. The overwintering growth of E. crassipes was facilitated by climate warming and proper water drawdown, and climate warming played a leading role. A temperature rises of 3.0°C and a water depth of 10 cm were the most suitable conditions for the overwintering and rooting behavior of the plant. Controlling the temperature to within 1.5°C, an ambitious goal for China, still facilitated the overwintering of E. crassipes. With climate warming, the plant can overwinter successfully, which possibly assists it in producing and spreading new ramets in the vernal flood season. The new rooting behavior induced by ambient low temperature may be viewed as a unique growth adaptation strategy for a niche change, as it helps these plants invade empty niches left by dead free-floating plants on the water surface following winter freezes. With continued global warming, the distribution of the plant may expand northward, and eradication of the plant during the winter water drawdown period may be a more effective strategy.

Families Playing Animal Crossing Together: Coping With Video Games During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic was stressful for everyone, particularly for families who had to supervise and support children, facilitate remote schooling, and manage work and home life. We consider how families coped with pandemic-related stress using the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Combining a family coping framework with theorizing about media as a coping tool, this interview study of 27 families (33 parents and 37 children) found that parents and children individual coped with pandemic-related stress with media. Parents engaged in protective buffering of their children with media, taking on individual responsibility to cope with a collective problem. Families engaged in communal coping, whereby media helped the family cope with a collective problem, taking on shared ownership and responsibility. We provide evidence for video games as coping tools, but with the novel consideration of family coping with media.

Effect of juvenile omni-benthivorous fish (Carassius carassius) disturbance on the efficiency of lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) for eutrophication control: a mesocosm study.

Lanthanum-modified bentonite (LMB) is widely used for eutrophication control and has demonstrated good efficiency in some eutrophic lakes. However, the efficiency of LMB on eutrophication control in some eutrophic lakes, where the structure of food webs is mainly dominated by omni-benthivorous fish, remains ambiguous. Omni-benthivorous fish usually disturbs sediment and promotes the release of internal nutrients, the effect of which on the efficacy of LMB remains to be studied. Thus, a 30-day mesocosm experiment was conducted to determine whether omni-benthivorous fish disturbance and LMB would cause antagonistic responses. LMB significantly reduced dissolved P concentration in overlying water, converting mobile P to bound P in the surface layer of sediment in the absence of crucian carp (Carassius carassius). However, there were significantly negative interaction effects between LMB and crucian carp. Although LMB still effectively reduced the total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations of overlying water in the presence of crucian carp, it had limited efficacy on inhibiting the increased concentrations of suspended solids, particulate nutrients, and chlorophyll a (Chl a) due to crucian carp disturbance. Furthermore, the crucian carp disturbance also increased the risk of mobile P releasing from surface sediment, whether with or without LMB application. The results indicated that the efficacy of LMB was insufficient to offset the negative effect of omni-benthivorous fish disturbance on eutrophication control. Hence, the omni-benthivorous fish also need to be considered for eutrophication control in shallow eutrophic lakes. Some measures need to be taken to control the biomass of omni-benthivorous fish.