Pathways for achieving conservation targets under metacoupled anthropogenic disturbances.

Enhancing connectivity between protected areas stands as a paramount objective in advancing global conservation goals, particularly in coastal regions grappling with escalating human disruptions. However, little attention has been given to quantitative assessment of human-nature interactions within and among protected areas. Here, we endeavored to model the connectivity between protected areas in rapidly urbanizing regions in China, drawing on insights from the framework of metacoupling based on connected corridors at short and long distances. In alignment with the overarching global conservation aim of increasing the overall coverage of protected areas, we found that adding new site to the protected area system yields superior connectivity gains compared to merely expanding the boundaries of the existing sites. Within the connectivity network between protected areas, we discerned specific sites acting as stepping stones, pivotal in enhancing connectivity among the chosen protected areas. Our study propounds a pragmatic methodology for prioritizing local protection initiatives and underscores the criticality of incorporating connectivity conservation strategies. This approach is vital for attaining regional biodiversity targets, given the dual perspective encompassing both human activities and the natural environment, particularly in the face of mounting anthropogenic disturbances.

Determination of the water-use patterns for two xerophyte shrubs by hydrogen isotope offset correction.

The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope technique is typically used to explore plant water uptake; however, the accuracy of the technique has been challenged by hydrogen isotope offsets between plant xylem water and its potential source water. In this study, the soil hydrogen and oxygen isotope waterline was used to correct the hydrogen isotope offsets for Salix psammophila and Caragana korshinskii, two typical shrub species on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Five different types of isotopic data [(i) δ18O, (ii) δ2H, (iii) combination δ18O with δ2H, (iv) corrected δ2H and (v) combination δ18O with corrected δ2H] were separately used to determine the water-use patterns of the two shrubs. The δ2H offset values of S. psammophila and C. korshinskii did not show significant temporal variation among the sampling months (May, July and September) but showed notable differences between the two shrubs (-0.4 ± 0.5‰ in S. psammophila vs -4.3 ± 0.9‰ in C. korshinskii). The obtained water absorption proportion (WAP) of S. psammophila in the different soil layers (0-20, 20-60 and 60-200 cm) did not differ significantly among the five different input data types. However, compared with the input data types (iii) and (v), the data types (i), (ii) and (iv) overestimated the WAP of C. korshinskii in the 0-20 cm soil layer and underestimated that in the 60-200 cm layer. The data type (iii) overestimated the WAP of C. korshinskii in 0-20 cm soil layer (25.9 ± 0.8%) in July in comparison with the WAP calculated based on data type (v) (19.1 ± 1.1%). The combination of δ18O and corrected δ2H, i.e., data type (v), was identified as the best data type to determine the water use patterns of C. korshinskii due to the strong correlation between the calculated WAP and soil water content and soil sand content. In general, S. psammophila mainly used (57.9-62.1%) shallow soil water (0-60 cm), whereas C. korshinskii mainly absorbed (52.7-63.5%) deep soil water (60-200 cm). We confirm that the hydrogen isotope offsets can cause significant errors in determining plant water uptake of C. korshinskii, and provide valuable insights for accurately quantifying plant water uptake in the presence of hydrogen isotope offsets between xylem and source water. This study is significant for facilitating the application of the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope technique worldwide, and for revealing the response mechanism of shrub key ecohydrological and physiological processes to the drought environment in similar climate regions.

Inactivated vaccines reduce the risk of liver function abnormality in NAFLD patients with COVID-19: a multi-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Abnormal liver function was frequently observed in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Our aim was to explore the effect of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccines on liver function abnormality among NAFLD patients with COVID-19. METHODS: The multi-center retrospective cohort included 517 NAFLD patients with COVID-19 from 1 April to 30 June 2022. Participants who received 2 doses of the vaccine (n = 274) were propensity score matched (PSM) with 243 unvaccinated controls. The primary outcome was liver function abnormality and the secondary outcome was viral shedding duration. Logistic and Cox regression models were used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and hazard ratio (HR) for the outcomes. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess robustness. FINDINGS: PSM identified 171 pairs of vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Liver function abnormality was less frequent in the vaccinated group (adjusted OR, 0.556 [95% CI (confidence interval), 0.356-0.869], p = 0.010). Additionally, the vaccinated group demonstrated a lower incidence of abnormal bilirubin levels (total bilirubin: adjusted OR, 0.223 [95% CI, 0.072-0.690], p = 0.009; direct bilirubin: adjusted OR, 0.175 [95% CI, 0.080-0.384], p < 0.001) and shorter viral shedding duration (adjusted HR, 0.798 [95% CI, 0.641-0.994], p = 0.044) than the unvaccinated group. Further subgroup analysis revealed similar results, while the sensitivity analyses indicated consistent findings. INTERPRETATION: SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with NAFLD may reduce the risk of liver dysfunction during COVID-19. Furthermore, vaccination demonstrated beneficial effects on viral shedding in the NAFLD population. FUNDING: 23XD1422700, Tszb2023-01, Zdzk2020-10, Zdxk2020-01, 2308085J27 and JLY20180124.

CD36-BATF2\MYB Axis Predicts Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy Response in Gastric Cancer.

Despite the utilization of anti-PD-1 therapy in gastric cancer (GC), the absence of a reliable predictive biomarker continues to pose a challenge. In this study, we utilized bioinformatic analysis and immunohistochemistry to develop a prediction model for activated CD4+ memory T cells, considering both mRNA and protein levels. An elevation of activated CD4+ memory T cells in GC was noted, which exhibited a strong association with the patients' overall survival. By utilizing WGCNA and DEG analysis, we discovered that BATF2, MYB, and CD36 are genes that exhibit differential expression and are linked to activated CD4+ memory T cells. Afterwards, a forecast model was built utilizing Stepwise regression and immunohistochemistry relying on the three genes. The model's high-risk score showed significant associations with a suppressive immune microenvironment. Moreover, our model exhibited encouraging prognostic value and superior performance in predicting response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy compared with the conventional CD8+PD-L1 model. In terms of mechanism, CD36 could function as a receptor upstream that identifies Helicobacter pylori and fatty acids. This recognition then results in the reduction of the BATF2-MYB protein complex and subsequent alterations in the transcription of genes associated with classical T cell activation. As a result, the activation state of CD4+ memory T cells is ultimately suppressed. The CD36-BATF2/MYB signature serves as a robust predictor of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy response in GC.

Study of anatomical parameters and intraoperative fluoroscopic techniques for transiliac crest anterograde lag screws fixation of the posterior column of the acetabulum.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is a lack of research investigating the feasibility of employing anterograde lag screw fixation through the iliac crest for minimally invasive percutaneous treatment of the posterior acetabular column, which encompasses retrograde and anterograde screw fixation in posterior acetabular lag screw fixation. And consequently, the purpose of this study was to examine the anatomical parameters of anterograde lag screw fixation of the posterior column of the pelvis through the iliac crest as well as to investigate the intraoperative fluoroscopy technique, to furnish a scientific rationale supporting the practical utilization of this method within clinical settings. METHODS: In this study, pelvic CT data of 60 healthy adults, including 30 males and 30 females, were accumulated. The mimics 21.0 software was developed to reconstruct the three-dimensional pelvis model, simulate the anterograde lag screw fixation of the posterior column of the acetabulum through use of the iliac crest, and precisely identify the insertion point: Utilizing the widest iliac tubercle as the starting point, the insertion point was moved toward the anterior superior iliac spine by 1.0 cm at a time until it reached 4.0 cm. With a total of five insertion points, all oriented toward the lesser sciatic notch, the initial diameter of the virtual screw measured 5.0 mm, and it was progressively enlarged by 1.0 mm increments until reaching a final diameter of 8.0 mm. Besides, the longest lengths of virtual screws with distinct diameters at divergent entry points were measured and compared. At the same time, the intraoperative fluoroscopy technique for optimal access was analyzed. RESULTS: The cross-section from the iliac crest to the lesser sciatic notch was irregular, with multiple curved shapes. Furthermore, the diameter of the screw was determined by the anteroposterior radians and width of the iliac crest plate, while the screw length was determined by the curvature of the square body. On the condition that the screw diameter of the D channel (3.0 cm outward from the widest part of the iliac tubercle to the lesser sciatic notch) was 5 mm, 6 mm as well as 7 mm, the longest screw lengths were (145.6 ± 12.8) mm, (143.6 ± 14.4) mm and (139.9 ± 16.6) mm, correspondingly, indicating statistically substantial distinctions from other channels (P < 0.0001). Intraoperative fluoroscopy demonstrated that the C-arm machine was tilted (60.7 ± 2.9) ° to the iliac at the entrance position and perpendicular to the D-channel at the exit position. CONCLUSION: It is possible to use the new channel to fix the posterior column of the acetabulum with an anterograde lag screw through the iliac crest. In specific, the channel is 3.0 cm outward from the widest part of the iliac tubercle to the lesser sciatic notch. Providing a wide channel, long screw insertion, and high safety, this technique offers a novel approach for minimally invasive treatment of posterior column fractures of the acetabulum.

Case Report and Preliminary Exploration: Protection of Supraclavicular Nerve Branches during Internal Fixation of Clavicular Fractures through Preoperative Ultrasound Localization.

Introduction: Protecting the supraclavicular nerve during internal fixation of clavicular fractures can reduce numbness in its innervation area after surgery. Previous methods for supraclavicular nerve protection are empirical, time-consuming, and approximate. In this report, we verified the feasibility of using ultrasound for percutaneous localization of the terminal branches of the supraclavicular nerve and the feasibility of an ultrasound-guided skin flap reserve technique for nerve protection. Case Presentations: A high-frequency linear array probe was used in three cases to trace the supraclavicular nerve from its origin at the superficial cervical plexus on the surface of the clavicle. In the first case, the feasibility of percutaneous ultrasound localization of the terminal branches of the supraclavicular nerve was determined by performing an ultrasound-guided nerve block. In the second case, the feasibility of this method was determined by directly isolating this nerve under direct vision. In the third case, after the ultrasound localization, the nerves were protected by intraoperative skin retention. In the first case, skin anesthesia of the innervation area of the intermediate branch of the supraclavicular nerve was achieved. In the second case, the part of the nerve that crosses the surface of the clavicle was quickly found and successfully protected, and no obvious abnormal skin sensations were noted after the operation. In the third case, there was no abnormal sensation in most of the associated skin except for the innervation area of the lateral branch of the supraclavicular nerve. Conclusions: The medial and intermediate branches of the supraclavicular nerve could be located over the skin by ultrasound, and this could be helpful in quickly isolating these nerves intraoperatively. Retaining the corresponding skin can protect the function of these nerve branches and effectively reduce the area of skin numbness after surgery.

Future therapies for pancreatic carcinoma: Insights into cancer precision medicine.

Pancreatic carcinoma (PC) has one of the highest rates of cancer-related death worldwide. Except for surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, and immunotherapy have shown various efficacies depending on the stage of the patient. We read the review "Current and emerging therapeutic strategies in pancreatic cancer: Challenges and opportunities" and offer some opinions that may improve its precision and completeness. This review presents a map of appropriate therapies for PC at different stages. Based on the clinical trial outcomes mentioned in the review, we evaluated the potential therapeutic options for PC and helped explain the contradictory efficacy between different programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 clinical trials, which may have resulted from the unique features of PC. Although R0 resection and adjuvant chemotherapy are still the gold standards for PC, new modalities, with or without clinical validation, are needed to establish more specific and precise treatments for PC.

Ontology-aware deep learning enables ultrafast and interpretable source tracking among sub-million microbial community samples from hundreds of niches.

The taxonomic structure of microbial community sample is highly habitat-specific, making source tracking possible, allowing identification of the niches where samples originate. However, current methods face challenges when source tracking is scaled up. Here, we introduce a deep learning method based on the Ontology-aware Neural Network approach, ONN4MST, for large-scale source tracking. ONN4MST outperformed other methods with near-optimal accuracy when source tracking among 125,823 samples from 114 niches. ONN4MST also has a broad spectrum of applications. Overall, this study represents the first model-based method for source tracking among sub-million microbial community samples from hundreds of niches, with superior speed, accuracy, and interpretability. ONN4MST is available at https://github.com/HUST-NingKang-Lab/ONN4MST .

Single-cell transcriptional profiling reveals the heterogeneity in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

ABSTRACT: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma is the most typical type of rhabdomyosarcoma. The heterogeneity, etiology, and origin of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma remain unknown.After obtaining the gene expression data of every cell in the tumor tissue by single-cell RNA sequencing, we used the Seurat package in R studio for quality control, analysis, and exploration of the data. All cells are divided into tumor cells and non-tumor cells, and we chose tumor cells by marker genes. Then, we repeated the process to cluster the tumor cells and divided the subgroups by their differentially expressed genes and gene ontology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis. Additionally, Monocle 2 was used for pseudo-time analysis to obtain the evolution trajectory of cells in tumor tissues.Tumor cells were divided into 5 subgroups according to their functions, which were characterized by high proliferation, sensing and adaptation to oxygen availability, enhanced epigenetic modification, enhanced nucleoside phosphonic acid metabolism, and ossification. Evolution trajectory of cells in tumor tissues is obtained.We used pseudo-time analysis to distinguish between mesenchymal stem cells and fibroblasts, proved that embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in the pelvic originated from skeletal muscle progenitor cells, showed the evolutionary trajectory of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, and improved the method of evaluating the degree of malignancy of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

Advances in the conventional clinical treatment for hepatoblastoma and therapeutic innovation.

Background: Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare malignancy usually occurring in children under 3 years old. With advancements in surgical techniques and molecular biology, new treatments have been developed. Data resources: The recent literatures on new treatments, molecular mechanisms and clinical trials for HB were searched and reviewed. Results: Surgical resection remains the main option for treatment of HB. Although complete resection is recommended, a resection with microscopical positive margins (R1) may have similar 5-year overall survival and 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rates after cisplatin chemotherapy and the control of metastasis, as only once described so far. Indocyanine green-guided surgery can help achieve precise resection. Additionally, associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy can rapidly increase future liver remnant volume compared with portal vein ligation or embolization. Cisplatin-containing chemotherapies slightly differ among the guidelines from the International Childhood Liver Tumors Strategy Group (SIOPEL), Children's Oncology Group (COG) and Chinese Anti-Cancer Association Pediatric Committee (CCCG), and the 3-year EFS rate of patients in SIOPEL and CCCG studies was recently shown to be higher than that in COG studies. Liver transplantation is an option for patients with unresectable HB, and successful cases of autologous liver transplantation have been reported. In addition, effective inhibitors of important targets, such as the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibitor rapamycin, ß-catenin inhibitor celecoxib and EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) inhibitor catumaxomab, have been demonstrated to reduce the activity of HB cells and to control metastasis in experimental research and clinical trials. Conclusion: These advances in surgical and medical treatment provide better outcomes for children with HB, and identifying novel targets may lead to the development of future targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

Effects of compost containing oxytetracycline on enzyme activities and microbial communities in maize rhizosphere soil.

Veterinary antibiotics can enter agricultural fields via the application of livestock manure containing antibiotics. However, the response of soil microorganisms to compost containing antibiotics is not well understood. A 120-day pot experiment was conducted to investigate the impact of compost containing oxytetracycline (OTC) on the enzyme activities and microbial communities in maize rhizosphere soil. Swine manure was artificially spiked with OTC at four concentrations, 35, 70, 105, and 140 mg kg-1, and combined with straw to produce compost. The compost products were applied to soil planted with maize. Rhizosphere soil samples were collected on days 1, 15, 30, 60, and 120. The results indicated that the urease activities first increased and then declined, while in contrast, the alkaline phosphatase activities first decreased and then increased slightly. Catalase exhibited dose-related activation during the maize growth period. At the end of the experiment, the soil enzyme activities were similar to their initial values, indicating that the soil enzymes showed a level of recovery. The carbon metabolic activity levels were higher in the soils with high OTC concentrations than in the control, whereas the Shannon diversity index was higher in the control soil. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that the application of compost containing OTC shifted the structure of the soil microbial community and negatively affected its stability. These results suggest that the compost containing OTC exerted selective pressure on enzyme activities and microbial communities in maize rhizosphere soil and decreased their resilience to antibiotic pollution.

[Effects of biological organic fertilizer on microbial community's metabolic activity in a soil planted with chestnut (Castanea mollissima)].

A field experiment was conducted in Zhashui County of Shaanxi Province, Northwest China in 2011 to study the effects of biological organic fertilizer on the microbial community's metabolic activity in a soil planted with chestnut (Castanea mollissima). Three treatments were installed, i. e., control, compound fertilizer, and biological organic fertilizer. Soil samples were collected at harvest, and the metabolic activity was tested by Biolog method. In the treatment of biological organic fertilizer, the average well color development, Shannon evenness, richness, and McIntosh indices of microbial community were all significantly higher than the other two treatments. As compared with the control, applying biological organic fertilizer improved the ability of soil microbes in utilizing the carbon sources of carbohydrates and polymers, while applying compound fertilizer was in opposite. The principal component analysis demonstrated that there was an obvious difference in the soil microbial community among different treatments, mainly depending on the species of carbohydrates and amino acids.

[Effects of heavy metals pollution on soil microbial communities metabolism and soil enzyme activities in coal mining area of Tongchuan, Shaanxi Province of Northwest China].

This paper studied the metabolism of soil microbes, functions of soil microbial communities, and activities of soil enzymes in a coal mining area of Tongchuan. In the coal mining area, the concentrations of soil Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were significantly higher than those in the non-mining area, of which, Cd contributed most to the heavy metals pollution. By adopting Biolog method combining with principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, it was found that the metabolic characteristics of different soil microbial communities varied significantly with increasing soil heavy metals pollution, and the variation was mainly manifested in the metabolic patterns of carbon sources such as saccharides and amino acids. In slightly and moderately polluted soils, the utilization of carbon sources by soil microbial communities was activated; while in heavily polluted soils, the carbon sources utilization was inhibited. The activities of soil urease, protease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase all tended to decline with intensifying soil heavy metals pollution. The soil urease, protease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase activities in the coal mining area were 50.5%-65.1%, 19.1%-57.1%, 87.2%-97.5%, and 77.3%-86.0% higher than those in the non-mining area, respectively. The activities of soil sucrase and cellulase were activated in slightly and moderately polluted soils, but inhibited in heavily polluted soils.

Effects of Cu on metabolisms and enzyme activities of microbial communities in the process of composting.

With the compost matrix of pig manure, wheat straw, and spent mushroom substrate, and then inoculated with the Compound Microbe Preparation, the study investigated the effects of the heavy metal Cu on the process of composting. Biolog EcoPlate™ test revealed that at a low content, Cu could improve the capacities of microbial communities to transform and exploit carbon sources in the form of polymer, thus speeding up the decomposition of agricultural wastes, and at a high content, Cu presented inhibiting effect on microbial communities to exploit complex macromolecular carbon sources, thus extending the decomposition of agricultural wastes. Enzyme activity testing showed that at a low content, Cu presented enzyme activity-activating effect at the early period of composting and inhibiting effect in the late period of composting, and at a high content, Cu presented enzyme activity-inhibiting effects through the process of composting.