Rural human settlement environment, non-agricultural transfer of labour and arable land abandonment in China.

The arable land abandonment caused by the large-scale non-agricultural transfer of labour has attracted substantial attention from all walks of life in China. Promoting improvement in human settlement environment can accelerate the construction of infrastructure, ameliorate grassroots organization and enhance management capacities while simultaneously decelerating agricultural production costs. High level of human settlement environment can also attract the labour force to return, stimulate the vitality of rural elements and endogenous powers. Then, can improving rural human settlement environment alleviate the phenomenon of arable land abandonment caused by non-agricultural labour transfer? In order to answer this question, based on the micro-survey data of 1325 households in 5 provinces of China, this paper uses the Tobit model to empirically test the effects of rural human settlement environment and non-agricultural transfer of labour on arable land abandoned. The results revealed that rural human settlement can alleviate the arable land abandonment caused by non-agricultural transfer of labour to a certain extent. In particular, the improvement of rural human settlement environment that mainly based on the infrastructure construction and organizational management level, has significantly alleviated the arable land abandonment caused by the non-agricultural transfer of labour. Heterogeneity analysis disclosed that, compared with mountainous and hilly areas, the improvement of rural human settlement environment had a more obvious mitigation effect on arable land abandonment in plain areas. Promoting infrastructure construction and strengthening organizational management ability were effective ways to alleviate arable land abandonment in plain areas. Farmer households with high place attachment level were more likely to be attracted by the improvement of rural human settlement environment to return to their hometown, so as to make use of arable land resources. Improving infrastructure, strengthening organizational management level, and promoting cultural and community development were the main measures for farmer households with high place attachment level to reduce arable land abandonment. In addition, there were significant differences in arable land abandonment and its driving factors in different regions. In the central and eastern regions or major grain-producing areas, improving human settlement environment had a significant mitigation effect on arable land abandonment. Therefore, improving the rural human settlement environment according to local conditions, promoting the supportive policy will be inclined to mountainous and hilly areas, enhancing the attractiveness of rural areas, encouraging farmers with high place attachment level to return to their hometowns for employment and entrepreneurship, and accelerating the cultivation of new types of agricultural operators, which will help alleviate the arable land abandonment caused by non-agricultural transfer of labour.

The spatial effects of rural toilet retrofitting investment on farmers' medical and health expenditure in China.

Background: China stretches across a vast area, and different geographical environments and economic and social development conditions, along with learning imitation and factor flow among participants can lead to two major spatial characteristics of toilet retrofitting investment: spatial heterogeneity and spatial correlation. Methods: This study contributes to explore this topic by assessing the spatial heterogeneity and spatial correlation of toilet retrofitting investment on farmers' medical and health expenditure based on the spatial econometric model. Results: (1) There are significant spatial agglomeration characteristics of both the toilet retrofitting investment and farmers' medical and health expenditure in China. (2) At the national level, the rural toilet retrofitting investment will influence the farmers' medical and health expenditure, and the effect on the local area is greater than on the surrounding areas. (3) After taking into account the differences in natural geographical environment and social and economic development, China is divided into four regions: east, central, west and northeast. In terms of spatial effects within different regions, the intensity of the impact of toilet retrofitting investment on local farmers' medical and health expenditure is in the order of central > eastern > western > northeast. The improvement of people's livelihood in the eastern and central regions by toilet retrofitting investment would lead to imitation by surrounding regions, thus reflecting spillover effects, while in the western region, toilet retrofitting investment would trigger fierce competition in related industries and factor markets, manifesting the competition effect. (4) As for the spatial effects across different regions, the toilet retrofitting investment produces spillover effects in all four regions, among which the intensity of the influence effect is the greatest in the central-western region, followed by the west-northeast, and the influence effect in the east-west is not significant. Discussion: The comprehensive promotion of rural toilet retrofitting should not only focus on investment in the western and northeastern regions, but also strengthen regional communication and cooperation to improve rural residents' health and quality of life.

Nitrogen from agriculture and temperature as the major drivers of deoxygenation in the central Bohai Sea.

Agricultural N losses strongly dominate the N delivery (average 72 % of total N delivery to rivers in the period 1980-2010) in the rivers discharging into the Bohai Sea, a semi-enclosed marginal sea, which has been suffering from eutrophication and deoxygenation since the 1980s. In this paper we investigate the relationship between N loading and deoxygenation in the Bohai Sea, and consequences of future N loading scenarios. Using modeling for the period 1980-2010, the contributions of different oxygen consumption processes were quantified and the main controlling mechanisms of summer bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) evolution in the central Bohai Sea were determined. Model results show that the water column stratification during summer impeded the DO exchange between oxygenated surface water and oxygen-poor bottom water. Water column oxygen consumption (60 % of total oxygen consumption) was strongly correlated with elevated nutrient loading, while nutrient imbalances (increasing N:P ratios) enhanced harmful algal bloom proliferation. Future scenarios show that deoxygenation may be reduced in all scenarios owing to increasing agricultural efficiency, manure recycling and wastewater treatment. However, even in the sustainable development scenario SSP1, nutrient discharges in 2050 will still exceed the 1980 levels, and with further enhancement of water stratification due to climate warming, the risk of summer hypoxia in bottom waters may persist in the coming decades.

Increased Cerebrospinal Fluid Levels of Soluble Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells 2 and Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1 in Idiopathic Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus.

BACKGROUND: Neurodegenerative disease pathology is associated with neuroinflammation, but evidence on idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) remains limited and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarker profiles need to be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether iNPH pathological mechanisms are associated with greater CSF markers of core Alzheimer's disease pathology (amyloid-ß42 (Aß42), phosphorylated tau (P-tau)), neurodegeneration (total tau (T-tau)), and neuroinflammation (soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (sTREM2), chitinase-3-like protein 1 (YKL-40)). METHODS: The study analyzed lumbar CSF samples from 63 patients with iNPH and 20 age-matched orthopedic surgery patients who had no preoperative gait or cognitive impairment (control group). Aß42, T-tau, P-tau, sTREM2, and YKL-40 in different subgroups were investigated. RESULTS: CSF sTREM2 levels were significantly higher in the iNPH group than in the control group, but no significant between-group difference was noted in YKL-40. Moreover, YKL-40 levels were significantly higher in the tap test non-responders than in the tap test responders (p = 0.021). At the 1-year follow-up after shunt surgery, the CSF P-tau levels were significantly lower (p = 0.020) in those with gait improvement and the CSF sTREM2 levels were significantly lower (p = 0.041) in those with cognitive improvement. In subgroup analysis, CSF sTREM2 levels were strongly correlated with CSF YKL-40 in the iNPH group (r = 0.443, p < 0.001), especially in the tap test non-responders (r = 0.653, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: YKL-40 and sTREM2 are disease-specific markers of neuroinflammation, showing higher CSF levels in iNPH. In addition, sTREM2 is positively associated with YKL-40, indicating that interactions of glial cells play an important role in iNPH pathogenesis.

White matter hyperintensity mediating gait disorders in iNPH patients via neurofilament light chain.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the differences in regional white matter hyperintensities (WMH) volume and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker levels between idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) patients with or without gait disorder. Methods: Forty-eight iNPH patients undergoing bypass surgery and 20 normal senile individuals were included. The LST toolkit was used to segment all MRI fluid attenuation inversion images and quantify the WMH volume in each brain region. Cerebrospinal fluid was collected from all individuals and measured for concentrations of Aß, t-tau, p-tau, and neurofilament light chain (NfL). Patients with iNPH were followed up for 1 year and divided categorized into a gait disorder improvement group and no improvement group according to the 3 m round-trip test time parameter improvement by more than 10%. Results: We found that WMH in all areas of iNPH patients was higher than that in the control group. CSF levels of Aß, t-tau, and p-tau were lower than those in the control group, while NfL levels were higher than those in the control group. The gait (+) group NfL level was higher than that in gait (-), and there were no statistical differences in Aß, t-tau, and p-tau levels. The gait (+) group of frontal and parietal lobe WMH volume PVH above the gait (-) group. The mediating effect model analysis showed that PVH might affect the gait disorder of iNPH patients through NfL. A 1-year follow-up of the patients after the bypass surgery found that 24 of the 35 patients in the gait (+) group had improvements, while 11 had no significant improvements. The comparison of CSF marker levels between the two groups showed that the CSF NfL level in the improved group was lower than that in the non-improved group. The WMH volume and PVH in the frontal-parietal lobe of the improved group were lower than those of the non-improved group. Conclusion: iNPH patients have more serious frontoparietal and periventricular white matter lesions, and WMH volume in the frontoparietal may mediate the occurrence of gait disorder in iNPH patients through the increase of NfL level.

Identification of berberine as a potential therapeutic strategy for kidney clear cell carcinoma and COVID-19 based on analysis of large-scale datasets.

Background: Regarding the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID)-19 pandemic, kidney clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) has acquired a higher infection probability and may induce fatal complications and death following COVID-19 infection. However, effective treatment strategies remain unavailable. Berberine exhibits significant antiviral and antitumour effects. Thus, this study aimed to provide a promising and reliable therapeutic strategy for clinical decision-making by exploring the therapeutic mechanism of berberine against KIRC/COVID-19. Methods: Based on large-scale data analysis, the target genes, clinical risk, and immune and pharmacological mechanisms of berberine against KIRC/COVID-19 were systematically investigated. Results: In total, 1,038 and 12,992 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of COVID-19 and KIRC, respectively, were verified from Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases, respectively, and 489 berberine target genes were obtained from official websites. After intersecting, 26 genes were considered potential berberine therapeutic targets for KIRC/COVID-19. Berberine mechanism of action against KIRC/COVID-19 was revealed by protein-protein interaction, gene ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes with terms including protein interaction, cell proliferation, viral carcinogenesis, and the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway. In COVID-19 patients, ACOX1, LRRK2, MMP8, SLC1A3, CPT1A, H2AC11, H4C8, and SLC1A3 were closely related to disease severity, and the general survival of KIRC patients was closely related to ACOX1, APP, CPT1A, PLK1, and TYMS. Additionally, the risk signature accurately and sensitively depicted the overall survival and patient survival status for KIRC. Numerous neutrophils were enriched in the immune system of COVID-19 patients, and the lives of KIRC patients were endangered due to significant immune cell infiltration. Molecular docking studies indicated that berberine binds strongly to target proteins. Conclusion: This study demonstrated berberine as a potential treatment option in pharmacological, immunological, and clinical practice. Moreover, its therapeutic effects may provide potential and reliable treatment options for patients with KIRC/COVID-19.

White matter hyperintensities-related cortical changes and correlation with mild behavioral impairment.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze cortical thickness and gray matter volume (GMV) changes in white matter hyperintensities (WMH) which were associated brain regions and their association with mild behavioral impairment (MBI) by means of voxel- and surface-based morphology (VBM and SBM). METHODS: A total of 60 patients underwent 3T MRI scan and MBI checklist (MBI-C) assessment and were divided into two groups: lower WMH (LWMH) and higher WMH (HWMH). After adjusting for confounding factors i.e. age, gender, education, and total intracranial volume, we found a GMV decrease in the left anterior insula (AIns), right middle frontal gyrus, right central operculum, right fusiform gyrus, left cerebellum exterior, and thalamus proper in the HWMH group based VBM, while in the HWMH group based SBM we found cortical thickness decrease in the left lingual, right posterior cingulate cortex (rPCC), right precentral, left superior frontal, right medial orbitofrontal gyrus, and left pars opercularis. RESULTS: The HWMH group had higher MBI-C scores. The GMV in the left AIns and thalamus proper and the thickness of rPCC negatively correlated with the MBI-C scores. The mediation analysis suggested that WMH may partially mediate MBI-C scores by reducing the GMV and cortical thickness of the mentioned brain regions. CONCLUSIONS: In WMH patients, the occurrence of MBI is associated with atrophy of gray matter and cortex. The occurrence of MBI may be partially mediated by WMH through gray matter and cortical atrophy. It provides a new insight into the relationship between WMH and dementia.

Association of Pre-stroke Frailty With Prognosis of Elderly Patients With Acute Cerebral Infarction: A Cohort Study.

Background: Frailty is a state of cumulative degradation of physiological functions that leads to adverse outcomes such as disability or mortality. Currently, there is still little understanding of the prognosis of pre-stroke frailty status with acute cerebral infarction in the elderly. Objective: We investigated the association between pre-stroke frailty status, 28-day and 1-year survival outcomes, and functional recovery after acute cerebral infarction. Methods: Clinical data were collected from 314 patients with acute cerebral infarction aged 65-99 years. A total of 261 patients completed follow-up in the survival cohort analysis and 215 patients in the functional recovery cohort analysis. Pre-stroke frailty status was assessed using the FRAIL score, the prognosis was assessed using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and disease severity using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Results: Frailty was independently associated with 28-day mortality in the survival analysis cohort [hazard ratio (HR) = 4.30, 95% CI 1.35-13.67, p = 0.014]. However, frailty had no independent effect on 1-year mortality (HR = 1.47, 95% CI 0.78-2.79, p = 0.237), but it was independently associated with advanced age, the severity of cerebral infarction, and combined infection during hospitalization. Logistic regression analysis after adjusting for potential confounders in the functional recovery cohort revealed frailty, and the NIHSS score was significantly associated with post-stroke severe disability (mRS > 2) at 28 days [pre-frailty adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 8.86, 95% CI 3.07-25.58, p < 0.001; frailty aOR: 7.68, 95% CI 2.03-29.12, p = 0.002] or 1 year (pre-frailty aOR: 8.86, 95% CI 3.07-25.58, p < 0.001; frailty aOR: 7.68, 95% CI 2.03-29.12, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Pre-stroke frailty is an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality and 28-day or 1-year severe disability. Age, the NIHSS score, and co-infection are likewise independent risk factors for 1-year mortality.

Impact of water-sediment regulation on the concentration and transport of dissolved heavy metals in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Anthropogenic activities in river basins, especially large-scale water conservancy projects, have notably impacted the physical, chemical and ecological environments of estuaries and coastal areas. In this paper, the effects of water and sediment regulation (WSR) on the concentration and transport of heavy metals in the Yellow River were studied based on a continuous daily heavy metal survey in both the middle reaches (Xiaolangdi station) and lower reaches (Lijin station) of the Yellow River during the WSR period in 2019. The results indicated that the variation in the water oxidation-reduction environment of the Xiaolangdi reservoir during the WSR process exerted an important impact on the concentrations of dissolved Cu, Cd, Pb, Cr and As at the Xiaolangdi station but exerted almost no influence on the concentration of dissolved Ni. At Lijin station, the dissolved heavy metal content first increased and then decreased in the first stage, which mainly depended on the release of heavy metals from resuspended sediments. In the second stage, the heavy metal content gradually decreased due to adsorption onto fine particles discharged from the reservoir. The dissolved heavy metal flux during the water-sediment regulation scheme (WSRS) period accounted for 16.9-33.4% of the annual total dissolved heavy metal flux. WSRS changed transport of water and sediment. The dissolved heavy metal concentrations at the Xiaolangdi station were mainly controlled by the discharge of water and sediments from the Xiaolangdi reservoir, while the dissolved heavy metal concentration at the Lijin station was largely affected by the sediments resuspended from downstream riverbeds and the water and sediment scheduling mode of the Xiaolangdi reservoir. Dissolved heavy metal transportation was highly influenced by the WSR process within a short time. Human intervention, especially WSRS operation, apparently alters the natural states of both the mainstream and estuarine environments of the Yellow River.

Fast Independent Component Analysis Algorithm-Based Diagnosis of L5 Nerve Root Compression and Changes of Brain Functional Areas Using 3D Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

In this paper, the application of 3-dimensional (3D) functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) in the diagnosis of the 5th lumbar (L5) nerve root compression and brain functional areas in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) was analyzed. The traditional fast independent component analysis (Fast ICA) algorithm was optimized based on the modified whitening matrix to establish a new type of Modified-Fast ICA (M-Fast ICA) algorithm that was compared with the introduced traditional Fast ICA and ICA. M-Fast ICA was applied to the 3D FMRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) evaluation of 65 patients with L5 nerve root pain due to LDH (group A) and 50 healthy volunteers (group B). The values of fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the lumbar nerve roots (L3, L4, L5, and the 1st sacral vertebra (S1)) were recorded among subjects from the two groups. Besides, the score of edema degree in the lumbar nerve roots (L5 and S1) and activity of brain functional areas were also recorded among all subjects of the two groups. The results showed that the mean square error of M-Fast ICA was smaller than that of traditional Fast ICA and ICA, while its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was greater than that of Fast ICA and ICA (P < 0.05). The FA of L5 and S1 nerve roots in patients of group A was sharply lower than the values of group B, while the ADC of patients in group A was greater than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Besides, the score of edema in L5 and S1 nerve roots of patients in group A increased in contrast to group B (P < 0.05). The brain areas were activated after surgery including bilateral temporal lobe, left thalamus, splenium of corpus callosum, and right internal capsule. In conclusion, the 3D image denoising performance of M-Fast ICA optimized and constructed in this study was superior to that of the traditional Fast ICA and ICA. The FA of patients with L5 nerve root pain due to LDH decreased steeply, while the ADC increased dramatically. L5 nerve root pain caused by LDH resulted in changes in brain functional areas of the patients to inhibit the resting state default network activity, and the corresponding brain functional areas could be activated through treatment.

[Effect of tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method on fractional anisotropy of diffusion densor imaging and upper extremity motor function after cerebral infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method (for regulating the function of the Conception Vessel and promoting the circulation of the Governor Vessel) on fractional anisotropy (FA) and upper-extremity motor function after cerebral infarction by diffusion densor imaging (DTI) technology. METHODS: The patients with cerebral infarction were divided into an acupuncture group and a control group according to the random number table method, 27 cases in each group. In the control group, the basic treatment with conventional medication was used. In the acupuncture group, on the basic treatment as the control group, the tiaoren tongdu acupuncture method was provided. Main acupoints included Baihui (GV20), Shuigou(GV26), Chengjiang(CV24), Guanyuan(CV4), Qihai (CV6), Zhongwan (CV12), Shenting(GV24) and Mingmen(GV4). Supplementary points included Jianyu(LI15), Chize(LU5), Houxi (SI3), Weizhong (BL40), Zusanli (ST36) and Taichong (LR3) on the affected side. The needles were retained for 30 min. Acupuncture was given once a day, at the interval of 1 days every week, consecutively for 4 weeks. The upper extremity Fugl-Meyer assessment (UE-FMA) was used to evaluate the motor function of upper extremity before and after treatment. DTI was adopted to observe the FA values of infarct focus, posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC) and cerebral peduncle on the affected side, as well as FA values at the corresponding parts on the healthy side in the patients of two groups. The relative differences (rFA) were calculated. RESULTS: Compared with their own pretreatment, the UE-FMA value was significantly higher after treatment in either of two groups separately (P<0.05 in the control group, P<0.01 in the acupuncture group). The difference of UE-FMA before and after treatment in the acupuncture group was larger than that in the control group (P<0.05). The FA and rFA values in infarct focus were higher than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05). The FA and rFA differences before and after treatment in the infarct focus and PLIC on the affected side were higher in the acupuncture group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The UE-FMA difference was positively correlated with the rFA difference of each part in either group (P<0.05), and the correlation was the strongest in PLIC on the affected side in either group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Tiaoren tongdu acupuncture significantly improves the upper limb movement function after cerebral infarction. The rFA value of PLIC combined with UE-FMA can be used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on the upper extremity movement after cerebral infarction.

Rapid Determination of Sunset Yellow in Soft Drinks Using Silicon Nanoparticles Synthesized under Mild Conditions.

Sunset yellow (SY) is a synthetic colorant which can cause allergies, diarrhea and other symptoms in sensitive people. When ingested too much, it can accumulate in the body and cause damage to the kidneys and liver. Therefore, the content of SY in food must be strictly controlled. In order to regulate their use and ensure food quality, simple and cost-effective methods need to be developed to identify them. In this experiment, fluorescent silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) were prepared by a one-step method, which is simple, mild and less time-consuming. The fluorescent SiNPs prepared had good thermal stability, excellent salt resistance and pH stability. SY effectively quenched the fluorescence of SiNPs by fluorescence resonance energy transfer when added to the system as an interfering substance. The method had a good linear relationship in the range of SY concentration of 0.050 - 14.0 µg mL-1 and the detection limit is 0.023 µg mL-1. The established sensor was applied to the detection of SY in beverages, and the recovery rate was 93.8 - 102.4%. Based on the excellent selectivity and sensitivity of the method, it could provide a convenient way for the detection of SY in food samples.

Gray Matter Atrophy in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Voxel-Based Meta-Analysis.

Background: Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) has been widely used to investigate structural alterations in amnesia mild cognitive impairment (aMCI). However, inconsistent results have hindered our understanding of the exact neuropathology related to aMCI. Objectives: Our aim was to systematically review the literature reporting VBM on aMCI to elucidate consistent gray matter alterations, their functional characterization, and corresponding co-activation patterns. Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched for VBM studies on aMCI published from inception up to June 2020. Peak coordinates were extracted from clusters that showed significant gray matter differences between aMCI patients and healthy controls (HC). Meta-analysis was performed using seed-based d mapping with the permutation of subject images (SDM-PSI), a newly improved meta-analytic method. Functional characterization and task-based co-activation patterns using the BrainMap database were performed on significant clusters to explore their functional roles. Finally, VBM was performed based on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset to further support the findings. Results: A total of 31 studies with 681 aMCI patients and 837 HC were included in this systematic review. The aMCI group showed significant gray matter atrophy in the left amygdala and right hippocampus, which was consistent with results from the ADNI dataset. Functional characterization revealed that these regions were mainly associated with emotion, cognition, and perception. Further, meta-regression analysis demonstrated that gray matter atrophy in the left inferior frontal gyrus and the left angular gyrus was significantly associated with cognitive impairment in the aMCI group. Conclusions: The findings of gray matter atrophy in the left amygdala and right hippocampus are highly consistent and robust, and not only offer a better understanding of the underlying neuropathology but also provide accurate potential biomarkers for aMCI.

Assessing the impact of climate change on the distribution of Osmanthus fragrans using Maxent.

Models that evaluate the potential geographic distribution of species can be used with a variety of important applications in conservation biology. Osmanthus fragrans has high ornamental, culinary, and medicinal value, and is widely used in landscaping. However, its preferred habitat and the environmental factors that determine its distribution remain largely unknown; the environmental factors that shape its suitability also require analysis. Based on 89 occurrence records and 30 environmental variables, this study constructed Maxent models for current as well as future appropriate habitats for O. fragrans. The results indicate that UV-B seasonality (19.1%), precipitation seasonality (18.8%), annual temperature range (13.1%), and mean diurnal temperature range (12.5%) were the most important factors used for interpreting the environmental demands for this species. Highly appropriate habitats for O. fragrans were mainly distributed in southwestern Jiangsu, southern Anhui, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, northern Guangdong, Guangxi, southern Hunan, southern Hubei, Sichuan, and Taiwan. Under climate change scenarios, the spatial extent of the area of suitable distribution will decrease, and the distribution center of O. fragrans will shift to the southwest. The results of this study will help land managers to avoid blindly introducing this species into inappropriate habitat while improving O. fragrans yield and quality.

Correction: Transcriptional and physiological analyses of reduced density in apple provide insight into the regulation involved in photosynthesis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239737.].

Transcriptional and physiological analyses of reduced density in apple provide insight into the regulation involved in photosynthesis.

Different densities have a great influence on the physiological process and growth of orchard plants. Exploring the molecular basis and revealing key candidate genes for different densities management of orchard has great significance for production capacity improvement. In this study, transcriptome sequencing of apple trees was carried out at three different sampling heights to determine gene expression patterns under high density(HD) and low density(LD) and the physiological indices were measured to determine the effect of density change on plants. As a result, physiological indexes showed that the content of Chlorophyll, ACC, RUBP and PEP in the LD was apparently higher than that in control group(high density, HD). While the content of PPO and AO in the LD was noticeably lower than that in the HD. There were 3808 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between HD and LD, of which 1935, 2390 and 1108 DEGs were found in the three comparisons(middle-upper, lower-outer and lower-inner), respectively. 274 common differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) were contained in all three comparisons. Functional enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis found these genes were involved in Carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms, Circadian rhythm, Photosynthesis - antenna proteins, Photosynthesis, chlorophyll metabolism, Porphyrin, sugar metabolism and so on. Among these genes, LHCB family participated in photosynthesis as parts of photosystem II. In addition, SPA1, rbcL, SNRK2, MYC2, BSK, SAUR and PP2C are involved in Circadian rhythm, the expression of genes related to glycometabolism and hormone signaling pathway is also changed. The results revealed that the decrease of plant density changed the photosynthetic efficiency of leaves and the expression of photosynthesis-related genes, which provide a theoretical basis for the actual production regulation of apples.

Storm-induced sediment resuspension in the Changjiang River Estuary leads to alleviation of phosphorus limitation.

This paper presents an incubation experiment with sediment cores from the Changjiang Estuary Mud Area (CEMA) to quantify the release of nutrients due to simulated resuspension. The results show that except for nitrate (NO3--N), phosphate (PO43--P), ammonium (NH4+-N), nitrite (NO2--N) and silicate (SiO32--Si) were released from the sediment to the overlying water, primarily due to desorption (P), dissolution (SiO32--Si) and mineralization (NH4+-N) with only minor direct contributions from the sediment pore water. The significant release of nutrients by resuspension and subsequent processes can alleviate the phosphorus and silicon limitation in water bodies, enhance the growth of phytoplankton, and thus promote the oxygen consumption and ultimately lead to hypoxia. The results of this study are highly relevant for many coastal areas in other parts of the world with large amounts of stored organic matter and nutrients in sediments and frequent perturbation by storm events.

Intra- and inter-seasonal variations in the hydrological characteristics and nutrient conditions in the southwestern Yellow Sea during spring to summer.

Based on field survey in the southwestern Yellow Sea (SWYS) during April-September 2017, the spatiotemporal variations in the hydrological characteristics and nutrient conditions were coupled and analyzed; the intra-seasonal variations in the upwelling in the front of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) and impacts on nutrient transport were explored. The coastal area was controlled by the low-salinity high-nutrient Lubei Coastal Current, Subei Coastal Current, and Yangtze River Diluted Water from north to south; at bottom, the northeastern SWYS was controlled by the low-temperature high-salinity high-nutrient YSCWM. Temperature, salinity and nutrient fronts formed around YSCWM. The upwelling velocity in the front increased during April to late June and decreased in early September; the upwelled fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (0.29×103-7.77×103 µmol·m-2d-1), phosphate (0.02×103-0.27×103 µmol·m-2d-1) and silicate (0.98×103-8.75×103 µmol·m-2d-1) showed similar variations during April-September. The upwelled nutrients could potentially contribute to local green tide development and phytoplankton growth during spring-summer.

["Thirteen acupoints for regulating menstruation and promoting pregnancy" for diminished ovarian reserve: a prospective cohort study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of acupuncture at "thirteen acupoints for regulating menstruation and promoting pregnancy" on diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) and its influence on ovarian reserve function. METHODS: A total of 32 patients with DOR were treated by acupuncture at "thirteen acupoints for regulating menstruation and promoting pregnancy". Acupoints group 1: Baihui (GV 20), Shenting (GV 24), Benshen (GB 13), Zhongwan (CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA 1), Dahe (KI 12), Zusanli (ST 36), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taichong (LR 3); acupoints group 2: Baihui (GV 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Ciliao (BL 32). Acupoints group 1 and group 2 were alternately used, and acupoints group 1 was used for the first time. The needles were stayed for 30 min each time, once every 1 or 2 days, 3 times a week, 36 times (3 months) as a course of treatment. The treatment could be continued until the patient was pregnant or the patient given up acupuncture, and the acupuncture was uninterrupted during menstruation. The changes of modified Kupperman scale score, serum sex hormones, anti-müllerian hormones (AMH), ovarian peak systolic velocity (PSV), resistive index (RI) and antral follicle count (AFC) were compared before and after treatment, and the clinical effect and pregnancy rate were observed. RESULTS: The total score of modified Kupperman scale after treatment was lower than that before treatment (P<0.05); The total effective rate was 90.6% (29/32) and the pregnancy rate was 15.6% (5/32). After treatment, the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), FSH/ luteinizing hormone (LH) were lower than before treatment, ovarian PSV was higher than before treatment, RI was lower than before treatment, and AFC was more than before treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at "thirteen acupoints for regulating menstruation and promoting pregnancy" can effectively improve the ovarian reserve function of DOR patients.

Long-term variations and influence factors of nutrients in the western North Yellow Sea, China.

This study investigated the long-term variations and compositions of nutrients and the associated controlling factors in the western North Yellow Sea on the basis of historical data. The NO3-N and DIN concentrations and N/P showed continuous increases over the past two decades, which were dominantly affected by riverine inputs, such as inputs from the Yellow River, Yalujiang River and Jia River and atmospheric deposition. However, due to human activities, such as dam construction in rivers and climate change, the SiO3-Si concentrations and Si/P ratios decreased before the early 1990s and then gradually increased. The vertical distributions of nutrients displayed higher concentrations at the bottom than those at the surface in summer, which was attributed to the combined influence of the thermocline, the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass, the Yellow Sea Warm Current and biological activities.