Lappulaeffusa (Boraginaceae), a new species from Xinjiang, China.

Lappulaeffusa D.H.Liu & W.J.Li, a new species of Boraginaceae from Xinjiang, China, is described and illustrated in this study. The new species is morphologically similar to Lappulahimalayensis and L.tadshikorum. However, it can be distinguished from the compared species by several characteristics, such as: stem single, erect, frequently branched at middle and above, densely spreading hispid, hairs discoid at base; corolla white or blue; fruit compressed, heteromorphic nutlets with two rows of marginal glochids, nutlets acute ovoid, disc narrowly ovate-triangular. The diagnosis of the new species is supported with comprehensive investigation including photographs, detailed description, notes on etymology, distribution and habitat, conservation status, as well as comparisons with morphologically similar species.

Eco-friendly dredging methods of changing fluvial landforms for enhancing hydraulic habitat quality and river corridor continuum.

Hydraulic habitat connectivity, including the longitudinal continuum respect and lateral flood pulse, is critical for fish survival and organism dispersal. Inappropriate and excessive dredging for prevent flooding may harm river ecosystems. The main objective of this study is to evaluate whether eco-friendly dredging presented by changing local river landforms incorporating the concept of nature-based solutions could grow fish habitat quality for improving river continuity and achieving flood control effects. By combining various mathematical models and empirical formulas and verifying them with the data obtained through field surveys, we explore the interconnections of hydrology, river morphology, and the habitat dynamics of four endemic fishes in an alluvial river. The relationship between habitat structure, flood risk, and river topography, flow discharge was presented as the reference for developing the proper river dredging approaches. The results reveal that the primary habitat defects were lack of high-quality habitat, unsatisfied habitat diversity, deficiency in refugia, and disconnectivity. Longitudinal disconnectivity was induced due to shallow water depth, while lateral disconnectivity is primarily caused by fast flow velocity, suggesting different and specific dredging methods were instructed. We recommend that the corresponding eco-friendly dredging schemes for longitudinal and lateral suitable habitat linkages increase fish habitat quality and river corridor continuity. The win-win strategy for enhancing the connection between suitable habitats sustains a more beneficial aquatic corridor and simultaneously achieves alluvial flood disaster risk reduction.

The Clinical Investigation on Varicocele and Sperm Quality in the Tibet an Plateau of China: A Prospectively Planned Retrospective Cohort Study.

Varicoceles are a common cause of male infertility, affecting up to 35% of men undergoing fertility evaluations. This study aims to investigate the potential influence of altitude and residence time on the occurrence of varicoceles, as well as on sperm quality and sterility in plateau areas. A total of 168 patients with varicocele were enrolled in the study, and the study population was divided into groups based on their direct exposure to different high altitudes due to their living locations. The internal diameter in Quiet breath (Dr), internal diameter in Valsalva maneuver (Dv), reflux peak value, and reflux time are gradually increased accompanied with altitude elevation and residence time extension. The number of cases above 4,500 m also increased with the severity of varicocele, and the altitude of clinical types was higher than that of subclinical types of varicocele. Especially above 4,500 m, the Dv, Dr, reflux peak value, and reflux time all increased with the severity of varicocele. The severity of varicocele was positively correlated with the residence time in plateau area. Patients with residence time of more than 1 year had higher values of Dr, Dv, differentiation time, reflux peak value, and reflux time than those with residence time of less than 1 year. Compared to 3,650 m, patients with varicocele in 4,500 m also have worse semen quality. Both altitude and residence time are strongly positively related to the severity and incidence rate of varicocele in plateau areas.

Co-targeting ASK1 and THRß synergistically improves steatohepatitis and fibrosis in a MASH animal model.

PURPOSE: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a liver disease that has gained widespread attention globally. Unfortunately, there is no approved treatment for this condition yet. However, recent research has identified Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) and thyroid hormone receptor-ß (THR-ß) as potential targets for treating MASH. Although the individual effects of these two targets have been studied, their combinatory effect has not been well defined. Therefore, further research is needed to investigate the potential benefits of targeting both ASK1 and THR-ß for treating MASH. METHODS: We established a MASH model using the HFHFrC diet (high fat, high fructose, and cholesterol) and carbon tetrachloride (CCL4). Forty mice were evenly assigned to four groups: vehicle, GS4997 (an ASK1 inhibitor), MGL3196 (a THRß agonist), GS4997+ MGL3196 combination (combo). The drugs were administered for 8 weeks, after which the mice were sacrificed for serum biochemical tests, liver TG and TC evaluation, liver histopathological study, and gene expression validation. RESULTS: GS4997 and MGL3196, when used in combination, have been shown to have synergistic effects on various parameters. Firstly, they synergistically reduced body weight and liver body weight ratio. Secondly, this combination also synergistically lowered AST and TC. Thirdly, synergistic effects were also observed in liver TG and TC reduction. Fourthly, we further confirmed that GS4997 mildly improved liver inflammation, ballooning, and fibrosis, but exhibited incredible histopathological efficacy when combined with MGL3196. Finally, this combinatory effect can be interpreted by synergistically regulating lipid-related genes such as Dio1, Ctp1-α, and Cat, inflammation-related genes such as Il-6, Il-8, and Mcp-1, and fibrosis-related genes such as Tgf-ß, Col1α1, and Col6α3. CONCLUSION: GS4997 and MGL3196, when used in combination, have been shown to have a comprehensive effect on MASH by synergistically regulating lipid, inflammation, and fibrosis-related gene expression through co-targeting ASK1 and THRß.

Development and validation of a delirium care critical-thinking scale for intensive care unit nurses: A mixed-method study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To develop a Delirium Care Critical-Thinking Scale for nurses caring for patients in the intensive care unit and examine the scale's psychometric properties. BACKGROUND: There is a tool to evaluate nurses' critical thinking skills to determine nursing competency when delirium care is required. DESIGN: This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study. METHODS: The Delphi method was applied for collection and analysis of data during conceptualization and item generation of the tool (Phase I). Item analysis, assessment of validity and reliability of the scale (Phase II) involved 318 nurses recruited by convenience sampling from nine adult intensive care units in medicine and surgery at one medical centre. Confirmatory factor analysis assessed construct validity. Internal consistency and 2-week test-retest stability measured reliability. A Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory Scale examined concurrent validity. RESULTS: After three rounds, the Delphi method resulted in 31 scale items. Item analysis demonstrated construct reliability ranged from 9.23 to 16.18. Confirmatory factor analysis eliminated one item and extracted five factors: applying knowledge, confirming the problem and accuracy of information, reasoning logically, choosing appropriate strategies and remaining open-minded. Average variance extracted values of all factors indicated good convergent validity. Cronbach's α for internal consistency was .96 with good test-retest reliability. The correlation coefficient for concurrent validity was .301. CONCLUSION: The new Delirium Care Critical-Thinking Scale for intensive care nurses was demonstrated to be a reliable and valid tool for evaluating their ability to assess patients with delirium. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This new scale could be used to assess outcomes of education interventions and the effectiveness of nursing care quality involving patients with delirium in intensive and critical care units. REPORTING METHOD: The COSMIN checklist was used as the reporting guideline for this study. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: None.

Apelin-13: A Protective Role in Vascular Diseases.

Vascular disease is a common problem with high mortality all over the world. Apelin-13, a key subtype of apelin, takes part in many physiological and pathological responses via regulating many target genes and target molecules or participating in many signaling pathways. More and more studies have demonstrated that apelin-13 is implicated in the onset and progression of vascular disease in recent years. It has been shown that apelin-13 could ameliorate vascular disease by inhibiting inflammation, restraining apoptosis, suppressing oxidative stress, and facilitating autophagy. In this article, we sum up the progress of apelin-13 in the occurrence and development of vascular disease and offer some insightful views about the treatment and prevention strategies of vascular disease.

[Characteristics of Cadmium Concentration and Transport of Pueraria thornsonii in Farmland with Different Cadmium Pollution Degrees].

This study aimed to elucidate the cadmium (Cd) concentration and transport characteristics of Pueraria thornsonii in farmland with different Cd pollution degrees, so as to provide a reference basis for phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated farmland. The multi-point experiments in farmland with different Cd pollution degrees[ω(Cd) 0.32-38.08 mg·kg-1] were conducted, and the biomass (dry weight), Cd content, accumulation, concentration, and transport of Cd in P. thornsonii tissues under the main growing period were assessed. According to the results, for P. thornsonii, the tuber dry weight ranged from 5.04 to 11.98 t·hm-2, biomass ranged from 13.21 to 29.07 t·hm-2, and Cd accumulation ranged from 15.74 to 106.03 g·hm-2in the study area. The pattern of Cd uptake by P. thornsonii showed that the main vine>leaf>lateral branches>basal part of sti>tuber. The Cd content in P. thornsonii tissues considerably increased with soil Cd content (P<0.05), whereas the biomass decreased significantly (P<0.05). The Cd concentration and transport factor of aboveground parts in P. thornsonii showed a trend of initially falling, then increasing and decreasing again, whereas the Cd enrichment and transport coefficient of tubers gradually decreased. Correlation analysis revealed that the amount of Cd in the soil was a major predictor of Cd accumulation in P. thornsonii. Under light to moderate Cd contamination, the commercial portion of P. thornsonii (arrowroot)[ω(Cd) 0.03-0.22 mg·kg-1] was less than the standard limit for medicinal plants (≤ 0.30 mg·kg-1). In P. thornsonii from moderately contaminated areas, the Cd concentration and transport factor of aboveground parts were 2.43-7.97 and 3.02-9.81, respectively. This indicates that P. thornsonii is a prospective plant ideal for remediating Cd-contaminated soil because of its high capacity to transfer and enrich Cd.

The Impacts of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation from Same Sex on the Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis Patients.

We aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from the same sex on ulcerative colitis (UC) patients. A total of 272 UC patients were selected in the prospective clinical study, which incorporated four distinct groups, each comprising male and female patients, who were either receiving FMT or placebo, respectively. FMT was performed by sending the gut microbiota of healthy female or male adolescents to the same gender patients via gastroscope three times (one time/three weeks), and a placebo was used with an equal volume of saline. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, thick bloody stool, intestinal mucosal lesion, and Mayo scores were measured. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were evaluated. The changes of intestinal flora were detected by the 16S rRNA sequencing. FMT reduced the scores of diarrhea, abdominal pain, mucosal lesion, and Mayo, SAS, and SDS in UC patients compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). Clostridiales and Desulfovibrionaceae were dominant in gut microbiota from male patients and were reduced after FMT. Meanwhile, the abundance of Prevotella, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium was increased in the male group. Female patients had a higher abundance of Escherichia-Shigella, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Staphylococcaceae before FMT, and it was reduced after FMT. Meanwhile, the abundance of Porphyromonadaceae, Prevotella, Lactobacillus, and Bifidobacterium was increased in the female group. There were no significant changes for the species in the corresponding placebo groups. FMT improved the UC symptoms of male and female patients, which may be associated with different gut microbiota changes.

Pre- and post-pollination barriers between two exotic and five native Sagittaria species: Implications for species conservation.

Anthropogenic introduction of species has resulted in a breakdown of geographical barriers and hybridization in previously allopatric species. Thus, examining hybridization proneness of exotic species contributes to revealing its potential threat. Moreover, reproductive barriers may be strengthened or weakened due to long-term geographical isolation for these newly sympatric species. However, few studies have evaluated multiple barriers between alien and native species. In this study, we quantified the importance of four pre-pollination barriers (phenological, floral traits, pollen production, and floral constancy) and four post-pollination barriers (pollen-pistil incompatibility, seed set, seed viability, and seedling survival) between two introduced and five native Sagittaria species. Results showed that introduced S. platyphylla was cross-compatible with two native species, whereas introduced S. montevidensis was incapable of hybridizing with any native species. Different barriers were asymmetric within species pairs and multiple barriers acted in concert to maintain species boundaries. Post-pollination barriers contributed more to total reproductive isolation in native species, whereas pre-pollination barriers played a stronger role in total reproductive isolation for two introduced species. Seed set was the only barrier that was positively correlated with genetic distance. Our results provide a perspective to better understand reproductive barriers for secondary contact species. We highlight the importance of monitoring hybridization events before human introduction and the possible conservation strategies to remove invasive species with hybridization proneness.

Polarized Active Pairs at Grain Boundary Boost CO2 Chemical Fixation.

The chemical fixation of CO2 as a C1 feedstock is considered one of the most promising ways to obtain long-chain chemicals, but its efficiency was limited by the ineffective activation of CO2. Herein, we propose a grain boundary engineering strategy to construct polarized active pairs with electron poor-rich character for effective CO2 activation. By taking CeO2 as a model system, we illustrate that the polarized "Ce4+-Ce3+-Ce4+" pairs at the grain boundary can simultaneously accept and donate electrons to coordinate with O and C, respectively, in CO2. By the combination of synchrotron radiation in situ technique and density functional theory calculations, the mechanism of the catalytic reaction has been systematically investigated. As a result, the CeO2 nanosheets with a rich grain boundary show a high DMC yield of 60.3 mmol/gcat with 100% atomic economy. This study provides a practical way for the chemical fixation of CO2 to high-value-added chemicals via grain boundary engineering.

Integrated database-based Screening Cohort for Asian Nomadic descendants in China (Scan-China): Insights on prospective ethnicity-focused cancer screening.

Established in 2017, the Screening Cohort for Asian Nomadic descendants in China (Scan-China) has benefited over 180,000 members of a multi-ethnic population, particularly individuals of Mongolian descent compared with the general population (Han ethnicity), in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. This cohort study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of cancer screening and serve as a real-world data platform for cancer studies. The 6 most prevalent cancers in China are considered-namely, breast, lung, colorectal, gastric, liver and esophageal cancer. After baseline cancer risk assessments and screening tests, both active and passive follow-up (based on the healthcare insurance database, cancer registry, the front page of hospital medical records, and death certificates) will be conducted to trace participants' onset and progression of cancers and other prevalent chronic diseases. Scan-China has preliminarily found a disproportionately lower screening participation rate and higher incidence/mortality rates of esophageal and breast cancer among the Mongolian population than among their Han counterparts. Further research will explore the cancer burden, natural history, treatment patterns, and risk factors of the target cancers.

Waterline digital elevation model development to quantify inundation duration and coastal protection of tidal wetlands.

Coastal tidal wetlands are sufficiently acknowledged for the supplied vital ecosystem functions, including flood protection and biological conservation. Measuring and estimating reliable topographic data is essential for quantifying mangrove habitat quality. This study proposes a novel methodology for quickly constructing a digital elevation model (DEM) with an instantaneous waterline combined with tidal level records. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) enabled on-site waterline interpretation analysis. The results show that image enhancement improves the accuracy of waterline recognition and object-based image analysis has the highest accuracy. The waterline DEM (WDEM) performs a more accurate elevation production than UAV DEM, indicating that its application to habitat evaluation and prediction could be more reliable. Hydrodynamic simulations incorporated with the mangrove habitat model were utilized to calculate inundation duration, flow resistance, and vegetation dissipation potential according to the verified WDEM. The larger the mangrove coverage ratio, the stronger the flow resistance, which means that the protective consequence of the mangrove on the natural embankment is evident. The WDEM and nature-based solutions presented facilitate an adequate understanding of coastal protection and promote the potential ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction of mangrove wetlands.

Quality of Life in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension.

We explored positive and negative affect, quality of life (QOL), and associated factors in patients with pulmonary hypertension. We conducted this cross-sectional study using convenience sampling at a medical center in Taiwan. We used the Social Support Scale, positive and negative affect scale, and Short Form 36-item Health Survey to collect data. In these patients, greater social support was associated with less negative affect and better QOL (mental components). Lower Borg dyspnea scores or greater distances in the six-minute walk test were associated with more positive affect, less negative affect, and better QOL (both physical and mental components). Patients with less negative affect and more positive affect had better QOL (mental components). Therefore, nursing staff should routinely monitor the emotional status and QOL of patients with pulmonary hypertension, especially those with less social support and poorer cardiopulmonary function. Strengthening these aspects may improve patients' emotional status and QOL.

CO2 emissions are first aggravated and then alleviated with economic growth in China: a new multidimensional EKC analysis.

CO2 emissions have become a topical issue worldwide, but few studies have considered the spatial effect of income on carbon emissions and explored the relationship between CO2 emissions and income by establishing direct, indirect, and total environmental Kuznets curves (EKCs). Using an annual panel dataset collected over the 1997-2017 period in China, this study first analyzed the spatiotemporal evolutionary process of CO2 emissions and subsequently developed direct, indirect, and total EKC-based spatial Durbin model (SDM) and partial derivative approach. These results indicate that, first, CO2 emissions have characteristic positive spatial autocorrelation, with gravity centers that have shifted westward. Second, the direct EKC forms a line, while the total EKC resembles a lying-S shape as well as the total EKC, which indicates that compared to local economic growth, neighboring growth plays a very different role in impacting local CO2 emissions. Furthermore, neighboring economic growth seems to have stronger impacts on local emissions, and the turning point of the total EKC comes much earlier than that of the conventional EKC due to the spillover effects of economic growth. Finally, the growth of the population, as well as the rise of energy intensity, can stimulate CO2 emissions in both local and neighboring regions. Industrialization seems to have a nonsignificant impact on emission changes due to the offsetting effects of the positive direct and negative indirect impacts of the share of secondary industry. Improvements in local urbanization may lead to an increase in emissions, while neighboring improvements may have stronger restricting effects; thus, urbanization improvement is beneficial to emissions reduction. This study provides more scientific information from both local and neighboring perspectives, which may differ from conventional results but still be beneficial for emissions reduction policy-makers to introduce corresponding measures.

Facet Engineering in Constructing Lewis Acid-Base Pairs for CO2 Cycloaddition to High Value-Added Carbonates.

Cycloaddition of epoxides with CO2 to synthesis cyclic carbonates is an atom-economic pathway for CO2 utilization with promising industry application value, while its efficiency was greatly inhibited for the lack of highly active catalytic sites. Herein, by taking BiOX (X = Cl, Br) with layered structure for example, we proposed a facet engineering strategy to construct Lewis acid-base pairs for CO2 cycloaddition, where the typical BiOBr with (010) facets expose surface Lewis acid Bi sites and Lewis base Br sites simultaneously. By the combination of in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and theoretical calculations, the oxygen atom of the epoxide is interacted with the Lewis acid Bi site to activate the ternary ring, then facilitates the attack of the carbon atom by the Lewis base Br site for the ring-opening of the epoxide, which is the rate-determining step in the cycloaddition reaction. As a result, the BiOBr-(010) with rich surface Lewis acid-base pairs showed a high conversion of 85% with 100% atomic economy in the synthesis of cyclic-carbonates without any cocatalyst. This study provides a model structure for CO2 cycloaddition to high value-added long chain chemicals.

Factors related to quality of life after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in patients with stage I adenocarcinoma lung cancer: A longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the 5-year survival, quality of life for cancer- and lung-specific symptoms, and to identify predictive factors of quality of life during a 12-month period after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: A convenience sample of 53 patients who had undergone VATS for lung cancer was used for this longitudinal, prospective study. All participants provided responses to the cancer-specific quality-of-life European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire as well as a questionnaire for lung cancer-specific symptoms using structured interviews at baseline (T0) and 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-months post-surgery (T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively). Generalized estimating equation models were used to investigate whether quality of life scores improved from baseline measures and to determine characteristics associated with changes in scores for quality-of-life post-surgery. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 58.5 years (SD = 8.76), and most were female (64.2%). Participants received either a wedge or sublobular lobectomy (47.2%) or a lobectomy (52.8%). The size of the primary tumour for most participants was <2 cm (78.7%). The five-year survival rate was 90%. Lung-specific symptoms of insomnia were worse at T1 compared with baseline. Significant improvements in scores for function and cancer symptoms were seen at T4 compared with scores at T0. Age, marital status, smoking, alcohol consumption, and a history of previous cancer were significantly associated with quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection with VATS resulted in good 5-year survival rates and long-term improvements in quality of life. Our findings suggest VATS for patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma should be considered as a means of improving long-term survival and quality of life.

Atom-Economical Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate from CO2 : Engineering Reactive Frustrated Lewis Pairs on Ceria with Vacancy Clusters.

The chemical conversion of CO2 to long-chain chemicals is considered as a highly attractive method to produce value-added organics, while the underlying reaction mechanism remains unclear. By constructing surface vacancy-cluster-mediated solid frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), the 100 % atom-economical, efficient chemical conversion of CO2 to dimethyl carbonate (DMC) was realized. By taking CeO2 as a model system, we illustrate that FLP sites can efficiently accelerate the coupling and conversion of key intermediates. As demonstrated, CeO2 with rich FLP sites shows improved reaction activity and achieves a high yield of DMC up to 15.3 mmol g-1 . In addition, by means of synchrotron radiation in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy, combined with density functional theory calculations, the reaction mechanism on the FLP site was investigated systematically and in-depth, providing pioneering insights into the underlying pathway for CO2 chemical conversion to long-chain chemicals.

Effectiveness of multiple scenario simulations of acute and critical care for undergraduate nursing students: A quasi-experimental design.

BACKGROUND: Acute care and critical care are among the most challenging tasks in nursing, which requires information, knowledge, and skills across multiple areas. Scenario simulations can teach nursing students how to respond to these challenges in a safe environment, which can also reduce the stress of acute and critical care prior to exposure to a clinical setting. However, few studies have examined whether scenario simulations of acute and critical care can improve the abilities of nursing students. OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of acute and critical care scenario simulations for nursing students. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental design. SETTING: A department of nursing at a university. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 88 senior nursing students enrolled in a course in acute and critical care nursing volunteered to participate. METHODS: The experience provided by scenario simulations was guided by the best practice standards of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, which recommends outcome measures include a change in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Students completed three self-assessment instruments before and after completion of the course: simulation learning effectiveness, self-reflection and insight, and satisfaction with the simulation format. Comparisons of pre-test and post-test scores on the self-assessment instruments evaluated the effects of the simulation learning. RESULTS: Post-test scores for subscale of self-regulation for simulation learning effectiveness and insight were significantly higher compared with pre-test scores (t = -2.85, p < 0.01 and t = -5.23, p < 0.001, respectively). There was also a significant increase for learning satisfaction in post-test, compared with pre-test (t = -3.70, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The use of scenario simulations for teaching acute and critical care nursing improved self-regulation, insight and learning satisfaction for undergraduate nursing students.

Conspecific pollen advantage mediated by the extragynoecial compitum and its potential to resist interspecific reproductive interference between two Sagittaria species.

The extragynoecial compitum formed by the incomplete fusion of carpel margins, while allowing intercarpellary growth of pollen tubes in apocarpous angiosperms, may also increase the risk of reproductive interference caused by heterospecific pollen (HP) deposition. In Sagittaria, congeneric HP tubes grow via different paths and enter the ovules later than conspecific pollen (CP) tubes. However, it is unclear how the growth advantage of the CP tube helps ensure reproductive success when HP is deposited on the stigmas. We performed molecular characterization of interspecies-pollinated seeds to examine the consequences of interspecific pollen deposition between Sagittaria pygmaea and S. trifolia. We also conducted CP-HP (1:1) mixed pollination and delayed CP pollination treatments to explore the seed-siring abilities of CP and HP. Our results showed that although HP could trigger the development of fruits, the interspecies-pollinated seeds contained partially developed embryos and could not germinate. More than 70% of the embryos in these seeds were molecularly identified as hybrids of both species, suggesting that HP tubes could enter the ovules and fertilize the egg cells. Moreover, CP could sire more offspring (≥70%) after the CP-HP (1:1) mixed pollination treatment, even when HP reached the stigma 0.5-1 h earlier than CP (≥50%). Following adequate CP vs. HP (1:1) pollination on carpels on two sides of the apocarpous gynoecium, both species produced > 70% conspecific seeds, indicating that the CP tubes could occupy ovules that should be occupied by HP via the extragynoecial compitum. Our results reveal that in Sagittaria, pollen deposition from co-existing congeneric heterospecies leads to interspecific seed discounting. However, the CP advantage mediated by the extragynoecial compitum is an effective strategy to mitigate the effects of interspecific pollen deposition. This study improves our understanding of how apocarpous angiosperms with an extragynoecial compitum can maintain species stability and mitigate the negative reproductive interference effect from sympatrically distributed related species.