Room temperature, ultrafast and one-step synthesis of highly fluorescent sulfur quantum dots probe and their logic gate operation.

The direct and rapid conversion of abundant and cheap elemental sulfur into fluorescent sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) at room temperature is a critical and urgent challenge. Conventional synthesis methods require high temperatures, high pressures, or specific atmospheric conditions, making them complex and impractical for real applications. Herein, we propose a simple method for synthesizing SQDs simply by adding H2O2 to an elemental sulfur-ethylenediamine (S-EDA) solution at room temperature. Remarkably, within a mere 10 min, SQDs with a photoluminescence quantum yield of 23.6 % can be obtained without the need for additional steps. A comprehensive analysis of the mechanism has demonstrated that H2O2 is capable of converting Sx2- ions generated in the S-EDA solution into zero-valent sulfur atoms through oxidation. The obtained SQDs can be utilized as a fluorescent probe for detection of tetracycline (TC) and Ca2+ ions with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.137 µM and 0.386 µM respectively. Moreover, we have developed a sensitive logic gate sensor based on SQDs, harnessing the activated cascade effect to create an intelligent probe for monitoring trace levels of TC and Ca2+ ions. This paper not only presents a viable approach for ultrafast and scalable synthesis of SQDs at room temperature, but also contributes to the efficient utilization of elemental sulfur resources.

Electrochemical Oxidative Sulfonylation-Azidation of Alkenes.

A novel electrochemical oxidative sulfonylation-azidation of alkenes is accomplished by using sulfonyl hydrazide and trimethylsilyl azide (TMSN3) for the one-pot and green synthesis of ß-azidoarylsulfone, which involves the direct construction of new C-S and C-N bonds. Notably, neither exogenous oxidants/additives nor metal catalysts are required for this method. In addition, this electrochemical strategy features mild conditions and wide substrate scope and has been proved to be a radical pathway by mechanistic studies.

Identification of MATE Family and Characterization of GmMATE13 and GmMATE75 in Soybean's Response to Aluminum Stress.

The multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) proteins are coding by a secondary transporter gene family, and have been identified to participate in the modulation of organic acid exudation for aluminum (Al) resistance. The soybean variety Glycine max "Tamba" (TBS) exhibits high Al tolerance. The expression patterns of MATE genes in response to Al stress in TBS and their specific functions in the context of Al stress remain elusive. In this study, 124 MATE genes were identified from the soybean genome. The RNA-Seq results revealed significant upregulation of GmMATE13 and GmMATE75 in TBS upon exposure to high-dose Al3+ treatment and both genes demonstrated sequence homology to citrate transporters of other plants. Subcellular localization showed that both proteins were located in the cell membrane. Transgenic complementation experiments of Arabidopsis mutants, atmate, with GmMATE13 or GmMATE75 genes enhanced the Al tolerance of the plant due to citrate secretion. Taken together, this study identified GmMATE13 and GmMATE75 as citrate transporter genes in TBS, which could improve citrate secretion and enhance Al tolerance. Our findings provide genetic resources for the development of plant varieties that are resistant to Al toxicity.

Development and validation of a novel nomogram to predict the overall survival of patients with large cell lung cancer: A surveillance, epidemiology, and end results population-based study.

Background: Large cell lung cancer (LCLC) is a rare subtype of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and little is known about its clinical and biological characteristics. Methods: LCLC patient data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2015. All patients were randomly divided into a training group and a validation group at a ratio of 7:3. The independent prognostic factors that were identified (P < 0.01) by stepwise multivariate Cox analysis were incorporated into an overall survival (OS) prediction nomogram, and risk-stratification systems, C-index, time-ROC, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were applied to evaluate the quality of the model. Results: Nine factors were incorporated into the nomogram: age, sex, race, marital status, 6th AJCC stage, chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and tumor size. The C-index of the predicting OS model in the training dataset and in the test dataset was 0.757 ± 0.006 and 0.764 ± 0.009, respectively. The time-AUCs exceeded 0.8. The DCA curve showed that the nomogram has better clinical value than the TNM staging system. Conclusions: Our study summarized the clinical characteristics and survival probability of LCLC patients, and a visual nomogram was developed to predict the 1-year, 3-year and 5-year OS of LCLC patients. This provides more accurate OS assessments for LCLC patients and helps clinicians make personal management decisions.

Effect of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidins on Fat Metabolism and Adipocytokines in Obese Rats.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin (GSP) on fat metabolism and adipocytokines in obese rats. Fifty 5-week-old rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 10 per group) and given either a basal diet, a high-fat diet, or a high-fat diet supplemented with GSP (25, 50, and 100 mg/d) per group. The experiment lasted for five weeks, including a one-week adaptation period and a four-week treatment period. At the end of the experimental period, serum and adipose tissue samples were collected and analyzed. Additionally, we co-cultured 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with varying concentrations of GSP to explore its effect on adipocyte metabolism. The results demonstrated that GSP supplementation reduced weight, daily gain, and abdominal fat weight coefficient (p < 0.05). It also decreased levels of glucose, cholesterol (TC) (p < 0.05), triglycerides (TG) (p < 0.05), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in adipose tissue. Furthermore, GSP addition caused adipocyte crumpling in vitro and reduced the mRNA expression of COX-2, LEP, and TNF-α in adipocytes in vitro. These findings provide compelling evidence for exploring the role of GSP in the prevention and treatment of obesity and related diseases.

Surface Defect Detection System for Carrot Combine Harvest Based on Multi-Stage Knowledge Distillation.

Carrots are a type of vegetable with high nutrition. Before entering the market, the surface defect detection and sorting of carrots can greatly improve food safety and quality. To detect defects on the surfaces of carrots during combine harvest stage, this study proposed an improved knowledge distillation network structure that took yolo-v5s as the teacher network and a lightweight network that replaced the backbone network with mobilenetv2 and completed channel pruning as a student network (mobile-slimv5s). To make the improved student network adapt to the image blur caused by the vibration of the carrot combine harvester, we put the ordinary dataset Dataset (T) and dataset Dataset (S), which contains motion blurring treatment, into the teacher network and the improved lightweight network, respectively, for learning. By connecting multi-stage features of the teacher network, knowledge distillation was carried out, and different weight values were set for each feature to realize that the multi-stage features of the teacher network guide the single-layer output of the student network. Finally, the optimal lightweight network mobile-slimv5s was established, with a network model size of 5.37 MB. The experimental results show that when the learning rate is set to 0.0001, the batch size is set to 64, and the dropout is set to 0.65, the model accuracy of mobile-slimv5s is 90.7%, which is significantly higher than other algorithms. It can synchronously realize carrot harvesting and surface defect detection. This study laid a theoretical foundation for applying knowledge distillation structures to the simultaneous operations of crop combine harvesting and surface defect detection in a field environment. This study effectively improves the accuracy of crop sorting in the field and contributes to the development of smart agriculture.

Upregulation of NDUFAF2 in Lung Adenocarcinoma Is a Novel Independent Prognostic Biomarker.

Background: NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 alpha subcomplex assembly factor 2 (NDUFAF2) acts as a molecular chaperone for the assembly of complex I on the mitochondrial membrane, which is involved in the transfer of electrons in the respiratory chain. However, whether NDUFAF2 plays a role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is largely unexplored. Methods: Expression profiles were obtained from the TCGA and GEO databases and integrated via R3.6.3 and several bioinformatics platforms. Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry staining were used to examine the expressions of NDUFAF2 in clinical samples. Moreover, the diagnostic and prognostic value of NDUFAF2 expression level was also assessed. GO, KEGG, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were adopted to investigate NDUFAF2-related molecular functions, signaling pathways, and life activity processes. Results: NDUFAF2 was predominantly expressed in LUAD, and it is identified as a promising biomarker in the diagnosis of LUAD and its prognostic prediction. Overexpression of NDUFAF2 was correlated with N stage, T stage, and pathologic stage in LUAD, leading to worse overall survival (OS). Besides, the level of NDUFAF2 was independently associated with OS through a multivariate Cox analysis (HR = 1.538, 95% (1.086-2.177), P = 0.015). GO analysis revealed enrichment in innate immune response in mucosa and mucosal immune response, and GSEA indicated enrichment in G2_M_checkpoints, DNA replication, diseases of mitotic cell cycle, retinoblastoma gene in cancer, cell cycle pathway, and cell cycle. Furthermore, the expression level of NDUFAF2 was negatively correlated with infiltration levels of Tem, Tcm, NK CD56bright cells, and B cells. In contrast, the expression level of NDUFAF2 was positively correlated with the infiltration level of DCs and Th2 cells in LUAD patients. Conclusions: Collectively, NDUFAF2 is a promising independent prognostic biomarker and target in LUAD. In addition, NDUFAF2 might affect the prognosis of LUAD via DNA replication, diseases of mitotic cell cycle, cell cycle pathway, and cell cycle.

A Honeycomb-like Ammonium-Ion Fiber Battery with High and Stable Performance for Wearable Energy Storage.

Aqueous ammonium-ion batteries have attracted intense interest lately as promising energy storage systems due to the price advantage and fast charge/discharge capability of ammonium-ion redox reactions. However, the research on the strength and energy storage characteristics of ammonium-ion fiber batteries is still limited. In this study, an ammonium-ion fiber battery with excellent mechanical strength, flexibility, high specific capacity, and long cycle-life has been developed with a robust honeycomb-like ammonium vanadate@carbon nanotube (NH4V4O10@CNT) cathode. The fiber electrode delivers a steady specific capacity of 241.06 mAh cm-3 at a current of 0.2 mA. Moreover, a fiber full cell consisting of an NH4V4O10@CNT cathode and a PANI@CNT anode exhibits a specific capacity of 7.27 mAh cm-3 at a current of 0.3 mA and retains a high capacity retention of 72.1% after 1000 cycles. Meanwhile, it shows good flexibility and superior electrochemical performance after 500 times bending or at different deformation states. This work offers a reference for long-cycle, flexible fibrous ammonium-ion batteries.

High expression of PTGES3 is an independent predictive poor prognostic biomarker and correlates with immune infiltrates in lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Immune-infiltration was positively relationship with overall survival in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Nevertheless, the potential clinical value of PTGES3, especially in terms of prognosis and tumor immune-infiltration in LUAD had not been fully elucidated. METHODS: Original data available from TCGA and GEO databases and integrated via R3.6.3. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods were used to examine the effect of PTGES3 expression in overall survival, and nomogram was performed to illustrate the correlation between the PTGES3 expression and the risk of LUAD. The associate between PTGES3 and cancer immune characteristics were analyzed via the TISIDB databases. Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to analyze PTGES3 expression in the clinical lung adenocarcinoma tissue samples or non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. RESULTS: PTGES3 mRNA and protein expression were significantly elevated in LUAD compared with normal lung tissues. Up-regulated PTGES3 was significantly associated with pathologic stage and TM stage. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and subgroup analysis showed that up-regulated PTGES3 was associated with a worse overall survival of LUAD (HR = 1.71 (1.27-2.31), p < 0.001). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that high PTGES3 expression was an independent factor affecting overall survival (HR = 1.64 (1.14-2.37), p < 0.001). GO and KEGG analysis revealed that the cell cycle, regulation of DNA replication, and regulation of innate immune response were enriched. A positive correlation between PTGES3 expression and immune infiltrating levels of Th2 cells was found. CONCLUSION: PTGES3 may play an important role in the cell cycle and as an independent predictive prognostic biomarker correlates with immune infiltrates in lung adenocarcinoma.

Photosynthesis and Fine Root Growth Dynamics of Soybean in Walnut-Soybean Agroforestry System.

Agroforestry system is regarded as a promising practice in sustainable agricultural management. However, the effects of long-term tree-based intercropping on crop remain poorly understood, especially in the Loess Plateau (China). In this study, the impacts of photosynthetic and respiration rate were determined by the portable photosynthesis system (Li-6400), and the effects of the root growth dynamics of soybean in the walnut-soybean intercropping system were measured by soil auger and WinRHIZO root analysis system, in the Loess Plateau. The results showed that soybean reached the highest net photosynthetic rate during flowering period, with the net photosynthetic rate of intercropped soybean, which was 20.40 µmol·m-2·s-1, significantly higher than that of its monocropped counterpart. Soybean biomass reached the maximum during the pod-bearing period, with intercropped soybean biomass being 25.49 g, significantly higher than that of its monocropped counterpart. The mean diameter and increased density of soybean fine roots reduced along with increased soil depth. Both the diameter (0.43 mm) and increased density (930 cm/dm3) of intercropped soybean fine roots were evidently higher than those of monocropped soybean (0.35 mm, 780 cm/dm3). With increasing cropping years, fine roots of intercropped soybean tended to be mainly distributed in soil at a depth between 0 and 20 cm from the fifth year. Collectively, compared with soybean monoculture, walnut-soybean agroforestry system is more conducive to soybean growth in the Loess Plateau.

Facile synthesis of amine-crosslinked starch as an efficient biosorbent for adsorptive removal of anionic organic pollutants from water.

Developing applicable biosorbents for adsorptive removal of organic pollutants from water is highly demanded. However, most biosorbents suffer poor adsorption capability for anionic organic pollutants due to their negatively charged surface. Herein, we present a facile method to synthesize amine-crosslinked starch (ACS) biosorbent for removing anionic organic pollutants. The adsorption properties of ACS were thoroughly evaluated by selecting anionic brilliant blue (BB), amaranth (ART), diclofenac sodium (DS) as representatives. The results show that the ACS can selectively adsorb anionic molecules with large adsorption capacity and fast removal rate. The adsorption kinetic and isotherm behaviors can be well described by the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models, respectively. The maximum uptake capacity of ACS for BB, ART and DS is as high as 1287.7, 724.6 and 595.2 mg g-1, respectively. Moreover, the ACS can be easily regenerated and still exhibits favorable adsorption performance even after reusing for five times.

Intrathecal pemetrexed combined with involved-field radiotherapy as a first-line intra-CSF therapy for leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors: a phase I/II study.

PURPOSE: A phase I/II study of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP) combined with involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT) was performed to determine feasibility, safety, and antitumor activity for leptomeningeal metastases (LM) from solid tumors. METHODS: Participants first received induction IP administration, followed by concomitant radiotherapy within 3 days. The concomitant regimen consisted of IP (pemetrexed 10 mg, dexamethasone 5 mg, once per week, 4 times in 4 weeks) and IFRT (40 Gy in 20 fractions). Six participants were recruited to assess feasibility in phase I, and then 28 patients were recruited further. All patients were assessed to investigate safety, efficacy, and outcomes. RESULTS: Between April 2018 and December 2018, 34 patients (male: 15; female: 19; median age: 56 years) were enrolled, including non-small-cell lung cancer (21), small-cell lung cancer (5), breast cancer (4), and others (4). Thirty-two patients received concurrent therapy and 25 (74%) patients completed the treatment. Major adverse events (AEs) consisted of myelosuppression, the elevation of hepatic aminotransferases, and radiculitis. Total AEs rate was 53% (18/34), including 6 (18%) patients with grade 3 and 1 (3%) with grade 4 AEs. The response rate was 68% (23/34). The median overall survival was 5.5 (0.3-16.6) months. Median neurological progression-free survival (NPFS) was 3.5 (0.3-15.2) months. Six-month NPFS rate was 47%. One-year survival rate was 21.6%. CONCLUSION: IP at a 10 mg dose on a schedule of 1-2 times per week presented good efficacy and safety in CSF. The concomitant regimen is an efficacious therapeutic option for LM patients with solid tumors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study (IPLM) was registered at https://register.clinicaltrials.gov [ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03507244].

Identification of Cerebrospinal Fluid MicroRNAs Associated With Leptomeningeal Metastasis From Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) has frequently been observed in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. So far, its diagnosis and disease course monitoring are still extremely difficult. Moreover, there is no effective treatment regimen for LM due to a lack knowledge on the molecular mechanism of LM. This study aimed to identify LM-related cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) miRNAs, which have potential value for diagnosing and monitoring LM and exploring the molecular mechanism. Methods: CSF miRNAs were screened and verified by microarray analysis and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in LM patients with lung adenocarcinoma and non-LM controls, and the diagnostic performance of candidate miRNAs was evaluated. Then, candidate miRNAs in matched CSF samples from LM patients at diagnosis, after initial therapy, at relapse, and after salvage therapy, were analyzed to assess the relationship between CSF miRNAs and LM disease course. The effect of candidate miRNAs on proliferation, invasion, and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cell lines was assessed. The targeted genes of the candidate miRNA were predicted by TargetScan, miRDB, and miRTarbase online analysis tools. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were used to analyze the functional categories of predicted target genes. Results: CSF miR-7975, miR-7977, and miR-7641 were screened and verified to be statistically significantly up-regulated in LM patients compared to non-LM controls. The three miRNAs, when combined, exhibited optimal diagnostic performance. Longitudinal data of CSF miR-7975 and miR-7977 correlated well with clinical courses of LM. Overexpression of miR-7977 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Moreover, 385 targeted genes of miR-7977 were predicted and were involved in various pathways related to cancer metastasis. Conclusions: This study offers insights for future research of CSF miRNAs as robust tools for diagnosing and monitoring LM. It also reveals a novel pathway for exploration of underlying mechanisms of LM.

A Pilot Phase 1 Study of Intrathecal Pemetrexed for Refractory Leptomeningeal Metastases From Non-small-cell Lung Cancer.

Objectives: We aim to determine the feasibility, safety, maximally tolerated dose (MTD), recommended dose and potential anti-tumor activity of intrathecal pemetrexed (IP). Materials and Methods: Lung adenocarcinoma patients with recurrent or progressive leptomeningeal metastases (LM) after intrathecal chemotherapy were recruited. IP dose was escalated from 10 mg. A minimum of three patients and a maximum of six were enrolled in each cohort. Schedule protocol was IP twice per week for 2 weeks in induction therapy, followed by once per week for 4 weeks in consolidation therapy. Serial samples of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were obtained for pharmacokinetic studies. Results: Thirteen patients were enrolled between March 2017 and July 2018. EGFR driver oncogene was identified in most of the patients. Severe adverse events (AEs) were encountered in 31% (4/13) of the cases, including myelosuppression, radiculitis, and elevation of hepatic aminotransferases (EHA). Study protocol was revised due to lethal myelosuppression. Following protocol revision, vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation was given at the beginning of treatment, and myelosuppression was well-controlled. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) were myelosuppression, radiculitis, and EHA. Two patients (2/2) developed dose-limiting myelosuppression at 15 mg level. One patient (1/6) experienced dose-limiting radiculitis and EHA at 10 mg level. MTD was 10 mg. Response rate was 31% (4/13) and disease control rate was 54% (7/13). The drug concentration showed a decreasing trend in serial CSF samples following each IP. After IP, the peak plasma concentration was reached at 4 h in two cases, 6 h in two cases, 9 h in one case, and 12 h in one case, respectively. Conclusion: Pemetrexed was appropriate for intrathecal administration. IP at 10 mg dose in combination with vitamin supplementation on the schedule of 1-2 times per week showed controllable toxicity and good efficacy. This regimen paves the way for subsequent clinical trial. Clinical Trial Registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03101579.

Oxygen accelerated scalable synthesis of highly fluorescent sulfur quantum dots.

Here, we report a facile and efficient approach for the large-scale synthesis of highly fluorescent sulfur quantum dots (SQDs) from inexpensive elemental sulfur under a pure oxygen (O2) atmosphere. The important finding of this work is that the polysulfide (S x 2-) ions could be oxidized to zero-valent sulfur (S[0]) by O2, which is the accelerator of the reaction. The SQDs prepared by this method possess nearly monodisperse size (1.5-4 nm), high fluorescence quantum yield (21.5%), tunable emission, and stable fluorescence against pH change, ionic strength variation and long-term storage. Moreover, the reaction yield of SQDs reached as high as 5.08% based on the content of S element in SQDs, which is much higher than other reported approaches (generally <1%). The prepared SQDs could be easily processed for widespread applications thanks to their low toxicity and superior dispersibility both in water and common organic solvents. These high-quality SQDs may find applications similar to or beyond those of carbon QDs and silicon QDs.

The effects of metformin on simple obesity: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of metformin versus a placebo in the treatment of patients with simple obesity without obesity related diseases. METHODS: A search was done on Pub-Med, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Science Citation Index Expanded databases. The main inclusion criteria included the following:(1) randomized controlled trials. (2) patients diagnosed as being overweight or obese. (3) patients were randomly assigned to receive metformin or control. Exclusion criteria included the following: patients diagnosed with an obesity related disease, such as diabetes mellitus (DM) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). RESULTS: Compared with the placebo, weighted mean difference (WMD) was 2.33 (95% CI 0.31, 4.35) kg higher with metformin (p = 0.02). Compared with the placebo, WMD was 0.57 (95% CI 0.35, 0.79) kg/m² higher with metformin(p < 0.00001). There was no significant difference in the reduction of waist circumference between the metformin group and the control group (p = 0.05). The fasting blood glucose levels were significantly lower in the metformin group than in the control group (p < 0.00001). However, no hypoglycemia was noted in the metformin group or the control group. CONCLUSION: Metformin is effective in reducing body weight of simple obesity patients, and metformin does not induce hypoglycemia as a side effect.

Leptomeningeal metastasis from solid tumors: clinical features and its diagnostic implication.

In this study, we examined the characteristics and aimed to increase the knowledge of clinical features of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM). The clinical data, including initial diagnosis and treatment of primary tumor, clinical manifestations, neuroimaging findings, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, were analyzed. For the patients with adenocarcinoma/breast cancer, the incidence of cranial lesions and cranial nerve paralysis was obviously higher than patients with small cell lung cancer. Whereas, the incidence of involvement of intravertebral canal was obviously lower than that of small cell lung cancer. Patients with adenocarcinoma/breast cancer showed more incidence of leptomeningeal enhancement compared to those with small cell lung cancer. Persistent severe headache was noticed in those with squamous carcinoma, and usually showed absence of abnormally LM-related neuroimaging and CSF cytological findings, which resulted in a challenge in the diagnosis of LM from squamous carcinoma. Patients with different primary tumors showed differential clinical features. Significant differences were observed in clinical features between patients with adenocarcinoma/breast cancer and small cell lung cancer. Our study contributes to the understanding of clinical characteristics of LM, and contributes to improvement of LM diagnosis in clinical practice.

The distribution shifts of Pinus armandii and its response to temperature and precipitation in China.

BACKGROUND: The changing climate, particularly in regard to temperature and precipitation, is already affecting tree species' distributions. Pinus armandii, which dominates on the Yungui Plateau and in the Qinba Mountains in China, is of economic, cultural and ecological value. We wish to test the correlations between the distribution shift of P. armandii and changing climate, and figure out how it tracks future climate change. METHODS: We sampled the surface soil at sites throughout the distribution of P. armandii to compare the relative abundance of pollen to the current percent cover of plant species. This was used to determine possible changes in the distribution P. armandii. Given the hilly terrain, elevation was considered together with temperature and precipitation as variables correlated with distribution shifts of P. armandii. RESULTS: We show that P. armandii is undergoing change in its geographic range, including retraction, a shift to more northern areas and from the upper high part of the mountains to a lower-altitude part in hilly areas. Temperature was the strongest correlate of this distribution shift. Elevation and precipitation were also both significantly correlated with distribution change of P. armandii, but to a lesser degree than temperature. CONCLUSION: The geographic range of P. armandii has been gradually decreasing under the influence of climate change. This provides evidence of the effect of climate change on trees at the species level and suggests that at least some species will have a limited ability to track the changing climate.

Concurrent radiotherapy and intrathecal methotrexate for treating leptomeningeal metastasis from solid tumors with adverse prognostic factors: A prospective and single-arm study.

The prognosis of leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) from solid tumors is extremely poor, especially for patients with adverse prognostic factors. In this phase II clinical trial, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of intrathecal chemotherapy (IC) combined with concomitant involved-field radiotherapy (IF-RT) for treating LM from solid tumors with adverse prognostic factors. Fifty-nine patients with LM from various solid tumors were enrolled between May 2010 and December 2014. Concurrent therapy consisted of concomitant IC (methotrexate 12.5-15 mg and dexamethasone 5 mg, weekly) and IF-RT (whole brain and/or spinal canal RT, 40 Gy/20f). For patients with low Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score and radiotherapy intolerance, induction IC (1-3 times) was given before concurrent therapy. Thirty-eight patients (64.4%) received subsequent treatments. All patients were followed up at least 6 months after LM diagnosis or until death. Primary endpoint evaluated was clinical response rate. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and safety. The pathological types included lung cancer (n = 42), breast cancer (n = 11) and others (n = 6). Median KPS score was 40 (range 20-70). Fifty-one patients (86.4%) completed concurrent therapy. The overall response rate was 86.4% (51/59). OS ranged from 0.4 to 36.7 months (median 6.5 months), and 1-year-survival rate was 21.3%. Treatment-related adverse events mainly included acute meningitis, chronic-delayed encephalopathy, radiculitis, myelosuppression and mucositis. Twelve patients (20.3%) had grade III-V toxic reactions. We concluded that IC combined with concomitant IF-RT, with significant efficacy and acceptable toxicity, may be an optimal therapeutic option for treatment of LM from solid tumors with adverse prognostic factors. LM, in which cancer cells spread to membranes enveloping the brain and spinal cord, is a devastating complication of solid cancers. Existing LM therapies center on IC. In this prospective clinical study, the authors combined intrathecal methotrexate with involved-field radiotherapy in a concomitant regimen, showing that the approach can potentially improve quality of life for patients with adverse prognostic factors. Concurrent radiotherapy-bolstered IC by contributing to prolonged remission of neurological symptoms and increasing OS. The findings suggest that the concomitant regimen could be an optimal treatment option for LM.

Photosynthetic Response of Soybean to Microclimate in 26-Year-Old Tree-Based Intercropping Systems in Southern Ontario, Canada.

In order to study the effect of light competition and microclimatic modifications on the net assimilation (NA), growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L.) as an understory crop, three 26-year-old soybean-tree (Acer saccharinum Marsh., Populus deltoides X nigra, Juglans nigra L.) intercropping systems were examined. Tree competition reduced photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) incident on soybeans and reduced net assimilation, growth and yield of soybean. Soil moisture of 20 cm depth close (< 3 m) to the tree rows was also reduced. Correlation analysis showed that NA and soil water content were highly correlated with growth and yield of soybean. When compared with the monoculture soybean system, the relative humidity (RH) of the poplar-soybean, silver maple-soybean, and black walnut-soybean intercropped systems was increased by 7.1%, 8.0% and 5.9%, soil water content was reduced by 37.8%, 26.3% and 30.9%, ambient temperature was reduced by 1.3°C, 1.4°C and 1.0°C, PAR was reduced by 53.6%, 57.9% and 39.9%, and air CO2 concentration was reduced by 3.7µmol·mol(-1), 4.2µmol·mol(-1) and 2.8µmol·mol(-1), respectively. Compared to the monoculture, the average NA of soybean in poplar, maple and walnut treatments was also reduced by 53.1%, 67.5% and 46.5%, respectively. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that PAR, ambient temperature and CO2 concentration were the dominant factors influencing net photosynthetic rate.