Response of soil moisture to rainfall following deep soil drying in China's hilly loess lands.

Deep soil drying is a physical soil phenomenon that has become increasingly characteristic to artificial afforestation on China's Loess Plateau. Current research is largely short of conclusive reports on soil moisture recovery following deep soil drying in afforested lands. In this study, a 10-m deep underground column was constructed at Pengyang Experimental Station in Ningxia. The CS650-CR1000 automatic soil moisture monitoring system and BLJW-4 small meteorological observation stations were used to respectively monitor soil moisture and meteorological conditions in the study area for the period 2014-2019. The local rainfall was classified and the characteristics of soil infiltration analyzed at both monthly and annual scales. The results showed that: i) Deep soil moisture recovery in the semi-arid Loess Plateau region depended mainly on 25-49.9 mm and >50 mm types of rainfall; together accounting for 35.44 % of the precipitation. ii) Deep soil moisture replenishment occurred mainly for the period from April to October. While this accounted for 30.13 % of the precipitation, evaporation loss accounted for 69.87 % of it. With increasing monthly rainfall (Pm), the variation in monthly infiltration depth (Zm) was quadratic in shape - where Zm = -0.0094 Pm2 + 3.7702 Pm (R2 = 0.9577). iii) At the annual scale, deep soil moisture replenishment was mainly driven by year-on-year infiltration water accumulation. This is because a single year precipitation infiltration was not enough to replenish deep soil moisture. The cumulative infiltration depth for 2014-2019 was 180, 260, 400, 700, 1000 > 1000 cm. It suggested that soil water infiltration and deep dry soil recovery occurred at different times under rainfed conditions in the semi-arid loess hills in China. This is key for in-depth studies of the hydrological process in dry soil regions.

Broadband stepped-frequency radar waveform generation by Fourier domain mode-locking period-one laser dynamics.

A stepped-frequency (SF) radar waveform generation method based on Fourier domain mode-locking (FDML) period-one laser dynamics is proposed and demonstrated. By fast controlling the optical injection strength of a semiconductor laser through electro-optical modulation, a broadband SF signal is generated. By further introducing an optoelectronic feedback loop with its round trip time delay matched with the temporal period of the SF signal, FDML is enabled through which the frequency stability, accuracy, and in-band signal-to-noise ratio are greatly improved. In the experiment, SF signals with a bandwidth of 6 GHz (12-18 GHz) and a frequency step of 150 MHz are generated. By comparing the qualities of signals generated with and without FDML, advantages of the proposed SF signal generation method are verified. Based on the proposed SF signal generation method, high-resolution inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging is also demonstrated, in which the 2D imaging resolution reaches 2.6 cm × 3.82 cm.

Temporary Gasserian ganglion stimulation utilizing SNM electrode in subacute herpetic trigeminal neuralgia.

Objective: Gasserian ganglion stimulation (GGS) is a neuromodulation technique that has been extensively applied in treating postherpetic trigeminal neuralgia. However, permanent implantation of GGS was preferred in most treatment approaches. Few studies have investigated temporary GGS for the treatment of acute/subacute herpetic trigeminal neuralgia. Moreover, previous research has reported lead dislocation when utilizing traditional electrodes, which was associated with poor pain relief. In GGS research, preventing the accidental displacement of lead following implantation has consistently been a primary objective. Methods: We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with subacute herpetic trigeminal neuralgia who underwent temporary GGS for 14 days utilizing a sacral neuromodulation (SNM) quadripolar-tined lead. Computed tomography-guided percutaneous foramen ovale (FO) puncture and temporary SNM electrode implantation were performed during the surgery. A telephone interview was conducted to record a 12-month follow-up. Results: At admission, zoster-related trigeminal pain severity was assessed to be 9/10 on the visual analog scale (VAS). After a 14-day GGS treatment, the pain assessed on the VAS score reduced to 1/10 at discharge but increased to 4/10 at the 12-month follow-up after surgery. Additionally, the anxiety level improved from 58 points to 35 points on the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the depression level improved from 62 points to 40 points on the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). The Physical Component Summary score of the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) increased from 33.9 to 47.0, and the Mental Component Summary (MCS) score of the SF-12 increased from 27.4 to 41.9. Conclusion: Temporary GGS might be a potentially effective treatment for subacute herpetic trigeminal neuralgia, and an SNM electrode might be a good choice for reducing the risk of dislocation.

Molecular Transformers: Adaptive Multitarget Ligands for Esterase-Induced Transition from Analgesics to Anesthetics.

Multitarget strategies are essential in addressing complex diseases, yet developing multitarget-directed ligands (MTDLs) is particularly challenging when aiming to engage multiple therapeutic targets across different tissues. Here, we present a molecular transformer strategy, enhancing traditional MTDLs. By utilizing esterase-driven hydrolysis, this approach mimics the adaptive nature of transformers for enabling molecules to modify their pharmacological effects in response to the biological milieu. By virtual screening and biological evaluation, we identified KGP-25, a novel compound initially targeting the voltage-gated sodium channel 1.8 (Nav1.8) in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) for analgesia, and later the γ-aminobutyric acid subtype A receptor (GABAA) in the central nervous system (CNS) for general anesthesia. Our findings confirm KGP-25's dual efficacy in cellular and animal models, effectively reducing opioid-related side effects. This study validates the molecular transformer approach in drug design and highlights its potential to overcome the limitations of conventional MTDLs, paving new avenues in innovative therapeutic strategies.

High levels of mitochondrial dynamics, autophagy, and apoptosis contribute to stable testicular status in hibernating Daurian ground squirrels.

Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus) experience various stress states during winter hibernation, but the impact on testicular function remains unclear. This study focused on the effects of changes in testicular autophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial homeostasis signaling pathways at various stages on the testes of Daurian ground squirrels. Results indicated that: (1) During winter hibernation, there was a significant increase in seminiferous tubule diameter and seminiferous epithelium thickness compared to summer. Spermatogonia number and testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were higher during inter-bout arousal, suggesting that the testes remained stable during hibernation. (2) An increased number of mitochondria with intact morphology were observed during hibernation, indicating that mitochondrial homeostasis may contribute to testicular stability. (3) DNA fragmentation was evident in the testes during the hibernation and inter-bout arousal stages, with the highest level of caspase3 enzyme activity detected during inter-bout arousal, together with elevated levels of Bax/Bcl-2 and Lc3 II/Lc3 I, indicating an up-regulation of apoptosis and autophagy signaling pathways during hibernation. (4) The abundance of DRP1, MFF, OPA1, and MFN2 proteins was increased, suggesting an up-regulation of mitochondrial dynamics-related pathways. Overall, testicular autophagy, apoptosis, and mitochondrial homeostasis-related signaling pathways were notably active in the extreme winter environment. The well-maintained mitochondrial morphology may favor the production of reproductive hormones and support stable testicular morphology.

Optimized Two-Photon Imaging by Stimuli-Responsive Peptide Self-Assembly Facilitates Self-Assisted Counteraction of Cisplatin-Resistance in Cancer Cells.

Accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of tumors remain significant clinical challenges. While fluorescence imaging is essential for tumor detection, it has limitations in terms of specificity, penetration depth, and emission wavelength. Here, we report a novel glutathione (GSH)-responsive peptide self-assembly excimer probe (pSE) that optimizes two-photon tumor imaging and self-assisted counteraction of the cisplatin resistance in cancer cells. The GSH-responsive self-assembly of pSE induces a monomer-excimer transition of coumarin, promoting a near-infrared redshift of fluorescence emission under two-photon excitation. This process enhances penetration depth and minimizes interference from biological autofluorescence. Moreover, the intracellular self-assembly of pSE impacts GSH homeostasis, modulates relevant signaling pathways, and significantly reduces GSTP1 expression, resulting in decreased cisplatin efflux in cisplatin-resistant cancer cells. The proposed self-assembled excimer probe not only distinguishes cancer cells from normal cells but also enhances the efficacy of cisplatin chemotherapy, offering significant potential in tumor diagnosis and overcoming cisplatin-resistant tumors.

Resveratrol suppresses hepatic fatty acid synthesis and increases fatty acid ß-oxidation via the microRNA-33/SIRT6 signaling pathway.

Hyperlipidemia is a strong risk factor for numerous diseases. Resveratrol (Res) is a non-flavonoid polyphenol organic compound with multiple biological functions. However, the specific molecular mechanism and its role in hepatic lipid metabolism remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism underlying how Res improves hepatic lipid metabolism by decreasing microRNA-33 (miR-33) levels. First, blood miR-33 expression in participants with hyperlipidemia was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, and the results revealed significant upregulation of miR-33 expression in hyperlipidemia. Additionally, after transfection of HepG2 cells with miR-33 mimics or inhibitor, western blot analysis indicated downregulation and upregulation, respectively, of the mRNA and protein expression levels of sirtuin 6 (SIRT6). Luciferase reporter analysis provided further evidence for binding of miR-33 with the SIRT6 3'-untranslated region. Furthermore, the levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), PPARγ-coactivator 1α and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 were increased, while the concentration levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 were decreased when SIRT6 was overexpressed. Notably, Res improved the basic metabolic parameters of mice fed a high-fat diet by regulating the miR-33/SIRT6 signaling pathway. Thus, it was demonstrated that the dysregulation of miR-33 could lead to lipid metabolism disorders, while Res improved lipid metabolism by regulating the expression of miR-33 and its target gene, SIRT6. Thus, Res can be used to prevent or treat hyperlipidemia and associated diseases clinically by suppressing hepatic fatty acid synthesis and increasing fatty acid ß-oxidation.

[Variation Characteristics and Source Analysis of Atmospheric Ozone Pollution in Guanzhong Region].

Guanzhong urban agglomeration has a good development foundation and great development potential, and it has a unique strategic position in the national all-round opening up pattern. In recent years, the problem of near-surface ozone （O3） in the Guanzhong Region has become increasingly prominent, which has become a bottleneck affecting the continuous improvement of air quality. In order to effectively prevent and control O3 pollution, this study analyzed the characteristics of annual, monthly, and daily changes in O3 concentration in the Guanzhong Region based on the environmental monitoring data from 2018 to 2021. A geo-detector was used to study the driving factors of the spatial differentiation of O3 concentration, and the sources of O3 were analyzed using a backward trajectory model and emission inventory construction. The results showed that the daily and monthly variation in O3 concentration in the Guanzhong Region were unimodal. The daily maximum value appeared at 15：00, the minimum value appeared at 07：00, the peak value of the monthly average appeared in June, and the valley value appeared in December. The O3 concentration was highest in summer, followed by that in spring, and the lowest in winter. The days of O3 exceeding the standard showed mainly mild pollution, and moderate and above pollution showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing. The O3 concentration in the Guanzhong Region was mainly closely related to precursors and meteorological factors, and the explanatory power of the interaction of each factor was significantly greater than that of any single factor. The regional transport of O3 concentration in the Guanzhong Region was mainly affected by easterly airflow, followed by the northwest direction, with the potential source areas located mainly in Henan Province and Hubei Province. The main local sources of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） were solvent use sources, process sources, and mobile sources, and the main emission sources of nitrogen oxides （NOx） were mobile sources and industrial production combustion sources. The research results have a guiding significance for O3 joint prevention and control in the Guanzhong Region.

[Research Progress of Antibiotic Resistance Genes Removal in Food Waste During Anaerobic Digestion].

Food waste is one of the important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes （ARGs）, and its resource utilization has potential environmental risks. Anaerobic digestion （AD） technology can concurrently achieve resource recovery and ARGs removal, which is one of the popular resource technologies for food waste management. However, the removal efficiency of ARGs during the AD process is limited, and thus the safety of digestate for agricultural use is still questioned. Therefore, how to improve the performance of ARGs removal during the AD process is critical for efficient and environmentally friendly bioconversion of food waste. This study summarized the transmission pathways and mechanisms of ARGs in food waste； discussed the effects of different operation parameters on the transmission of ARGs in food waste during the AD process； described the research progress of exogenous addition of conductive materials, feedstock pretreatment, etc., strategies to enhance the removal of ARGs； and analyzed the migration regularity and removal mechanism of ARGs in food waste during the AD process, which mainly included microbial community structure evolution, mobile genetic element changes, and environmental factor changes. Finally, this study prospected the future improvement of methane yield and ARGs removal in the AD process of food waste based on the existing research.

Merging Ring-Opening 1,2-Metallate Shift with Asymmetric C(sp3)-H Borylation of Aziridines.

Chiral secondary alkyl amines with a vicinal quaternary stereocenter are undoubtedly important and ubiquitous subunits in natural products and pharmaceuticals. However, their asymmetric synthesis remains a formidable challenge. Herein, we merge the ring-opening 1,2-metallate shift with iridium-catalyzed enantioselective C(sp3)-H borylation of aziridines to deliver these frameworks with high enantioselectivities. We also demonstrated the synthetic application by downstream transformations, including the total synthesis of two Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, (-)-crinane and (+)-mesmebrane.

Swin-PSAxialNet: An Efficient Multi-Organ Segmentation Technique.

Abdominal multi-organ segmentation is one of the most important topics in the field of medical image analysis, and it plays an important role in supporting clinical workflows such as disease diagnosis and treatment planning. In this study, an efficient multi-organ segmentation method called Swin-PSAxialNet based on the nnU-Net architecture is proposed. It was designed specifically for the precise segmentation of 11 abdominal organs in CT images. The proposed network has made the following improvements compared to nnU-Net. Firstly, Space-to-depth (SPD) modules and parameter-shared axial attention (PSAA) feature extraction blocks were introduced, enhancing the capability of 3D image feature extraction. Secondly, a multi-scale image fusion approach was employed to capture detailed information and spatial features, improving the capability of extracting subtle features and edge features. Lastly, a parameter-sharing method was introduced to reduce the model's computational cost and training speed. The proposed network achieves an average Dice coefficient of 0.93342 for the segmentation task involving 11 organs. Experimental results indicate the notable superiority of Swin-PSAxialNet over previous mainstream segmentation methods. The method shows excellent accuracy and low computational costs in segmenting major abdominal organs.

Designing NIR AIEgens for lysosomes targeting and efficient photodynamic therapy of tumors.

Cancer is the most severe health problem facing most people today. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) for tumors has attracted attention because of its non-invasive nature, negligible adverse reactions, and high spatiotemporal selectivity. Developing biocompatible photosensitizers that can target, guide, and efficiently kill cancer cells is desirable in PDT. Here, two amphiphilic organic compounds, PS-I and PSS-II, were synthesized based on the D-π-A structure with a positive charge. The two AIEgens exhibited near-infrared emission, large Stokes shift, high 1O2 and O2-∙ generation efficiency, good biocompatibility, and photostability. They were co-incubated with cancer cells and eventually accumulated to lysosomes by cell imaging experiments. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that PS-I and PSS-II could effectively kill cancer cells and sufficiently inhibit tumor growth under light irradiation. PS-I had a higher fluorescence quantum yield in the aggregated state, which made it better for bio-imaging in imaging-guided photodynamic therapy. In contrast, PSS-II with a longer conjugated structure had more ROS generation to kill tumor cells under illumination, and the tumor growth inhibition of mice reached 71.95% during the treatment. No observable injury or undesirable outcomes were detected in the vital organs of the mice within the treatment group, suggesting that PSS-II/PS-I had a promising future in efficient imaging-guided PDT for cancer.

Development and validation of a nomogram for major adverse cardiovascular events after chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention for ischemic heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO-PCI) is an available means of revascularization in patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF). However, the prognosis of IHF patients undergoing CTO-PCI remains unclear due to the lack of reliable clinical predictive tools. AIM: This study aimed to establish a nomogram for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after CTO-PCI in IHF patients. METHODS: Sixty-seven potential predictive variables for MACE in 560 IHF patients undergoing CTO-PCI were screened using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression. A nomogram was constructed based on multivariable Cox regression to visualize the risk of MACE, and then evaluation was carried out using the concordance index (C-index), time-independent receiver operating characteristic (timeROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 32.0 months, there were 208 MACE occurrences. Seven variables were selected for nomogram construction: age, left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, N-terminal precursor B-type diuretic peptide, bending, and use of intravascular ultrasound and beta-blockers. The C-index was 0.715 (0.680-0.750) and the internal validation result was 0.715 (0.676-0.748). The timeROC area under the curve at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years was 0.750 (0.653-0.846), 0.747 (0.690-0.804), and 0.753 (0.708-0.798), respectively. The calibration curves and DCA showed the nomogram had acceptable calibration and clinical applicability. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a simple and efficient nomogram for MACE after CTO-PCI in IHF patients, which helps in early risk stratification and postoperative management optimization.

A comparative DFT study of HCHO decomposition on different terminations of the Co3O4(110) surface.

Density functional theory calculations have been performed to compare the HCHO decomposition on Co3O4(110)-A and (110)-B terminations. The results showed that the energy barriers of the two C-H bond cleavages of HCHO on the (110)-A termination were lower than those on the (110)-B termination, suggesting that the (110)-A termination had stronger HCHO decomposition ability than the (110)-B termination. Electronic structures revealed that the stronger HCHO decomposition ability of the (110)-A termination might be ascribed to the strong covalent bond between HCHO and the (110)-A termination, as well as the higher d-band center of Co3+ ions on the (110)-A termination. Furthermore, we proposed that the preparation of Co3O4 under oxygen-rich growth conditions was beneficial to HCHO decomposition because the (110)-A termination was more stable under oxygen-rich conditions.

Risk factors associated with intraoperative persistent hypotension in pancreaticoduodenectomy.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative persistent hypotension (IPH) during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is linked to adverse postoperative outcomes, yet its risk factors remain unclear. AIM: To clarify the risk factors associated with IPH during PD, ensuring patient safety in the perioperative period. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patient records from January 2018 to December 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University identified factors associated with IPH in PD. These factors included age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, comorbidities, medication history, operation duration, fluid balance, blood loss, urine output, and blood gas parameters. IPH was defined as sustained mean arterial pressure < 65 mmHg, requiring prolonged deoxyepinephrine infusion for > 30 min despite additional deoxyepinephrine and fluid treatments. RESULTS: Among 1596 PD patients, 661 (41.42%) experienced IPH. Multivariate logistic regression identified key risk factors: increased age [odds ratio (OR): 1.20 per decade, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.33] (P < 0.001), longer surgery duration (OR: 1.15 per additional hour, 95%CI: 1.05-1.26) (P < 0.01), and greater blood loss (OR: 1.18 per 250-mL increment, 95%CI: 1.06-1.32) (P < 0.01). A novel finding was the association of arterial blood Ca2+ < 1.05 mmol/L with IPH (OR: 2.03, 95%CI: 1.65-2.50) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: IPH during PD is independently associated with older age, prolonged surgery, increased blood loss, and lower plasma Ca2+.

Association of hemoglobin drift and outcomes in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

The relationship between in-hospital hemoglobin (Hb) drift and outcomes in patients undergoing surgical clipping for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is not well studied. This study aims to investigate the association between Hb drift and mortality in this patient population. We conducted a cohort study encompassing adult patients diagnosed with aSAH who were admitted to a university hospital. These patients were stratified into distinct groups based on their Hb drift levels. We employed logistic and Cox proportional hazard models to assess the relationship between Hb drift and outcomes. Additionally, propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to ensure comparability between patient groups. The discriminative performance of different models was evaluated using C-statistics, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification improvement (NRI). Overall, our cohort comprised 671 patients, of whom 165 (24.6%) demonstrated an in-hospital Hb drift exceeding 25%. The analyses revealed elevated Hb drift was independently associated with higher likelihood of follow-up mortality (aOR: 3.29, 95% CI: 1.65 to 6.56; P = 0.001) and in-hospital mortality (aOR: 3.44, 95% CI: 1.55 to 7.63; P = 0.002). PSM analysis yielded similar results. Additionally, patients with Hb drift exhibited a notable decrease in survival rate compared to those without Hb drift (aHR: 3.99, 95% CI 2.30 to 6.70; P < 0.001). Furthermore, the inclusion of Hb drift significantly improved the C-statistic (P = 0.037), IDI (2.78%; P = 0.004) and NRI metrics (41.86%; P < 0.001) for mortality prediction. In summary, our results highlight that an in-hospital Hb drift exceeding 25% serves as an independent predictor of mortality in patients who have undergone surgical clipping for aSAH.

W-Shaped π-Extended Double Undecabenzo[7]helicene.

A chiral W-shaped fully π-extended double [7]helicene (ED7H) has been synthesized and fully characterized. It displays fluorescence emission (λem = 636 nm) with a quantum yield (Φf) of 0.10. In comparison to its X-shaped and monomict π-extended [7]helicene analogues, enantiopure W-shaped ED7H exhibited superior chiral optical characteristics, including distinct circular dichroism signals from 400 to 650 nm, a good dissymmetric emission factor |glum| of 4 × 10-3, and a circularly polarized luminescence brightness value BCPL of 42 M-1 cm-1.

Contrasting carbon cycle responses of semiarid abandoned farmland to simulated warmer-drier and warmer-wetter climates.

Rewilding abandoned farmlands provides a nature-based climate solution via carbon (C) offsetting; however, the C-cycle-climate feedback in such restored ecosystems is poorly understood. Therefore, we conducted a 2-year field experiment in Loess Plateau, China, to determine the impacts of warming (∼1.4 °C) and altered precipitation (±25 %, ±50 %, and ambient), alone or in concert on soil C pools and associated C fluxes. Experimental warming significantly enhanced soil respiration without affecting the ecosystem net C uptake and soil C storage; these variables tended to increase along the manipulated precipitation gradient. Their interactions increased ecosystem net C uptake (synergism) but decreased soil respiration and soil C accumulation (antagonism) compared with a single warming or altered precipitation. Additionally, most variables related to the C cycle tended to be more responsive to increased precipitation, but the ecosystem net C uptake responded intensely to warming and decreased precipitation. Overall, ecosystem net C uptake and soil C storage increased by 94.4 % and 8.2 %, respectively, under the warmer-wetter scenario; however, phosphorus deficiency restricted soil C accumulation under these climatic conditions. By contrast, ecosystem net C uptake and soil C storage decreased by 56.6 % and 13.6 %, respectively, when exposed to the warmer-drier climate, intensifying its tendency toward a C source. Therefore, the C sink function of semiarid abandoned farmland was unsustainable. Our findings emphasize the need for management of post-abandonment regeneration to sustain ecosystem C sequestration in the context of climate change, aiding policymakers in the development of C-neutral routes in abandoned regions.

Aridity shapes distinct biogeographic and assembly patterns of forest soil bacterial and fungal communities at the regional scale.

Climate change is exacerbating drought in arid and semi-arid forest ecosystems worldwide. Soil microorganisms play a key role in supporting forest ecosystem services, yet their response to changes in aridity remains poorly understood. We present results from a study of 84 forests at four south-to-north Loess Plateau sites to assess how increases in aridity level (1- precipitation/evapotranspiration) shapes soil bacterial and fungal diversity and community stability by influencing community assembly. We showed that soil bacterial diversity underwent a significant downward trend at aridity levels >0.39, while fungal diversity decreased significantly at aridity levels >0.62. In addition, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria and Ascomycota increased with higher aridity level, while the relative abundance of Acidobacteria and Basidiomycota showed the opposite trend. Bacterial communities also exhibited higher similarity-distance decay rates across geographic and environmental gradients than did fungal communities. Phylogenetic bin-based community assembly analysis revealed homogeneous selection and dispersal limitation as the two dominant processes in bacterial and fungal assembly. Dispersal limitation of bacterial communities monotonically increased with aridity levels, whereas homogeneous selection of fungal communities monotonically decreased. Importantly, aridity also increased the sensitivity of microbial communities to environmental disturbance and potentially decreased community stability, as evidenced by greater community similarity-environmental distance decay rates, narrower habitat niche breadth, and lower microbial network stability. Our study provides new insights into soil microbial drought response, with implications on the sustainability of ecosystems under environmental stress.