Hydraulic role in differential stomatal behaviors at two contrasting elevations in three dominant tree species of a mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest in low subtropical China

Quantifying the variation in stomatal behavior and functional traits of trees with elevation can provide a better understanding of the adaptative strategies to a changing climate. In this study, six water-and carbon-related functional traits were examined for three dominant tree species, Schima superba, Pinus massoniana and Castanopsis chinensis, in a mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest at two elevations(70 and 360 m above sea level,respectively) in low subtropical China. We hypothesized that trees at higher elevations would develop more efficient strategies of stomatal regulations and greater water transport capacity to cope with more variable hydrothermal conditions than those at lower elevations. Results show that the hydraulic conductivity did not differ between trees at the two elevations, contrary to our expectation. The C. chinensis trees had greater values of leaf mass per unit area(LMA), and the S. superba and C. chinensis trees had greater values of wood density(WD),relative stem water content(RWC), and ratio of sapwood area to leaf area(Hv) at the 360-m elevation than at 70-m elevation. The mean canopy stomatal conductance was greater and more sensitive to vapor deficit pressure at360 m than at 70 m for both S. superba and C. chinensis, while stomatal sensitivity did not differ between the two contrasting elevations for P. massoniana. The midday leaf water potential(ψL) in P. massoniana was significantly more negative at 360 m than at 70 m, but did not vary with increasing elevation in both S. superba and C. chinensis.Variations in Hvcan be related to the differential stomatal behaviors between the two elevations. The variations of stomatal behavior and ψLwith elevation suggested the isohydric strategy for the two broad-leaved species and the anisohydric strategy for the conifer species. The species-specific differences in LMA, WD, RWC, and Hvbetween the two elevations may reflect conservative resource use strategies at the higher elevation. Our findings revealed a close relationship between hydraulic and stomatal behavior and may help better understand the functional responses of forests to changing environmental conditions.

Estimation and mapping of water erosion and soil loss:Application of Gavrilovic erosion potential model(EPM)using GIS and remote sensing in the Assif el mal Watershed,Western high Atlas

Water erosion is a serious problem that leads to soil degradation,loss,and the destruction of structures.Assessing the risk of erosion and determining the affected areas has become crucial in order to understand the main factors influencing its evolution and to minimize its impacts.This study focuses on evaluating the risk of erosion in the Assif el mal watershed,which is located in the High Atlas Mountains.The Erosion Potential Model(EPM)is used to estimate soil losses depending on various parameters such as lithology,hydrology,topography,and morphometry.Geographic information systems and remote sensing techniques are employed to map areas with high erosive potential and their relationship with the distribution of factors involved.Different digital elevation models are also used in this study to highlight the impact of data quality on the accuracy of the results.The findings reveal that approximately 59%of the total area in the Assif el mal basin has low to very low potential for soil losses,while 22%is moderately affected and 19.9%is at high to very high risk.It is therefore crucial to implement soil conservation measures to mitigate and prevent erosion risks.

From furnace up to freezer:Elevational patterns of plant diversity in Mount Palvar,a semi-arid Irano-Turanian mountain range of southwest Asia

Much of the world's biodiversity lies in heterogeneous mountain areas with their diverse environments.As an example,Iranian montane ranges are highly diverse,particularly in the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region.Understanding plant diversity patterns with increasing elevation is of high significance,not least for conservation planning.We studied the pattern of species richness,Shannon diversity,endemic richness,endemics ratio,and richness of life forms along a 3900 m elevational transect in Mount Palvar,overlooking the Lut Desert in Southeast Iran.We also analyzed the effect of environmental variables on species turnover along the vertical gradient.A total of 120 vegetation plots(10 m×10 m)were sampled along the elevational transect containing species and environmental data.To discover plant diversity pattern along the elevational gradient,generalized additive model(GAM)was used.Non-metric multidimensional scaling(NMDS)was applied for illustrating the correlation between species composition and environmental variables.We found hump-shaped pattern for species richness,Shannon diversity,endemic richness,and species richness of different life forms,but a monotonic increasing pattern for ratio of endemic species from low to high elevations.Our study confirms the humped pattern of species richness peaking at intermediate elevations along a complete elevational gradient in a semi-arid mountain.The monotonic increase of endemics ratio with elevation in our area as a case study is consistent with global increase of endemism with elevation.According to our results,temperature and precipitation are two important climatic variables that drive elevational plant diversity,particularly in seasonally dry areas.Our study suggests that effective conservation and management are needed for this low latitude mountain area along with calling for long-term monitoring for species redistribution.

Stromal thrombospondin 1 suppresses angiogenesis in oral submucous fibrosis

A decline in mucosal vascularity is a histological hallmark of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), a premalignant disease that is largely induced by betel quid chewing. However, the lack of available models has challenged studies of angiogenesis in OSF. Here, we found that the expression of thrombospondin 1 (THBS1), an endogenous angiostatic protein, was elevated in the stroma of tissues with OSF. Using a fibroblast-attached organoid (FAO) model, the overexpression of THBS1 in OSF was stably recapitulated in vitro. In the FAO model,treatment with arecoline, a major pathogenic component in areca nuts, enhanced the secretion of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 by epithelial cells, which then promoted the expression of THBS1 in fibroblasts. Furthermore, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)were incorporated into the FAO to mimic the vascularized component. Overexpression of THBS1 in fibroblasts drastically suppressed the sprouting ability of endothelial cells in vascularized FAOs (v FAOs). Consistently, treatment with arecoline reduced the expression of CD31in v FAOs, and this effect was attenuated when the endothelial cells were preincubated with neutralizing antibody of CD36, a receptor of THBS1. Finally, in an arecoline-induced rat OSF model, THBS1 inhibition alleviated collagen deposition and the decline in vascularity in vivo. Overall, we exploited an assembled organoid model to study OSF pathogenesis and provide a rationale for targeting THBS1.

Plant life form determines spatiotemporal variability and climate response of plant seed rain in subtropical forests

Spatiotemporal variation of seed rain reflects the response of plants in terms of their reproductive strategy to environmental gradients.In this study,we collected seeds from four sites in the Dalaoling Nature Reserve,Hubei Province,China,between 2011 and 2014,measured seed output and seed mass as seed rain traits,and compared their interannual and elevational variation.Then,we ran phylogenetic generalized mixed linear models(PGLMMs) to explore the effects of temperature and precipitation as well as interspecific differences on seed rain,and fitted the best regression models for seed rain vs.weather of canopy and understory species.The results showed no correlation between values of seed output and seed mass.However,the variation of the two traits showed significantly positive correlation.Seed output of canopy species generally decreased with increasing elevation,and showed significant interannual difference;however,seed output of understory species and seed mass for both canopy and understory species did not show consistency tends along elevational or in interannual variation.Seed output was significantly affected by temperature and precipitation,while seed mass mainly varied due to interspecific differences.Weather explained more the variation of the seed output of canopy species than that of understory species,with R^(2) values of 43.0%and 29.9%,respectively.These results suggested that canopy plants contributed more to the reproductive dynamics of the whole communities,and the canopy's buffer effect on the underground weakened the response of understory plants to weather variation in terms of their reproductive strategy.

Single cell analysis unveils B cell-dominated immune subtypes in HNSCC for enhanced prognostic and therapeutic stratification

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC)is characterized by high recurrence or distant metastases rate and the prognosis is challenging.There is mounting evidence that tumor-infiltrating B cells(TIL-Bs)have a crucial,synergistic role in tumor control.However,little is known about the role TIL-Bs play in immune microenvironment and the way TIL-Bs affect the outcome of immune checkpoint blockade.Using single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)data from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,the study identified distinct gene expression patterns in TIL-Bs.HNSCC samples were categorized into TIL-Bs inhibition and TIL-Bs activation groups using unsupervised clustering.This classification was further validated with TCGA HNSCC data,correlating with patient prognosis,immune cell infiltration,and response to immunotherapy.We found that the B cells activation group exhibited a better prognosis,higher immune cell infiltration,and distinct immune checkpoint levels,including elevated PD-L1.A prognostic model was also developed and validated,highlighting four genes as potential biomarkers for predicting survival outcomes in HNSCC patients.Overall,this study provides a foundational approach for B cells-based tumor classification in HNSCC,offering insights into targeted treatment and immunotherapy strategies.

Two become one:combination of two risk factors in a new glaucoma animal model

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)and optic nerve degeneration.During this process,the visual field is reduced,and blindness may ultimately occur.Worldwide,glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness,with about 80 million people affected.Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease and due to its complexity,the exact pathomechanisms are not fully understood yet.However,different risk factors,such as elevated intraocular pressure(IOP),age,or myopia,have been identified to date(EGS,2021).

Casein kinase-2 inhibition promotes retinal ganglion cell survival after acute intraocular pressure elevation

Intraocular pressure elevation can induce retinal ganglion cell death and is a clinically reversible risk factor for glaucoma,the leading cause of irreversible blindness.We previously demonstrated that casein kinase-2 inhibition can promote retinal ganglion cell survival and axonal regeneration in rats after optic nerve injury.To investigate the underlying mechanism,in the current study we increased the intraocular pressure of adult rats to 75 mmHg for 2 hours and then administered a casein kinase-2 inhibitor(4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-2-azabenzimidazole or 2-dimethylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H-benzimidazole)by intravitreal injection.We found that intravitreal injection of 4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-2-azabenzimidazole or 2-dimethylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrabromo-1H-benzimidazole promoted retinal ganglion cell survival and reduced the number of infiltrating macrophages.Transcriptomic analysis showed that the mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathway was involved in the response to intraocular pressure elevation but was not modulated by the casein kinase-2 inhibitors.Furthermore,casein kinase-2 inhibition downregulated the expression of genes(Cck,Htrsa,Nef1,Htrlb,Prph,Chat,Slc18a3,Slc5a7,Scn1b,Crybb2,Tsga10ip,and Vstm21)involved in intraocular pressure elevation.Our data indicate that inhibition of casein kinase-2 can enhance retinal ganglion cell survival in rats after acute intraocular pressure elevation via macrophage inactivation.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation versus cardiopulmonary bypass during transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a meta-analysis of survival benefits

Since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011,transcatheter aortic valve implantation(TAVI)has rapidly evolved to become the preferred ultimate intervention for high-and intermediate-risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis.[1]This is due to its non-open-heart,minimally invasive and off-pump advantages.[1]Nevertheless,as a result of the frequent frailty and comorbidity profiles of patients undergoing TAVI,such as advanced cardiac dysfunction and extensive coronary artery disease,or technically difficult anatomy for the procedure itself,[2-4]it is common for these patients to experience critical circulatory collapse perioperatively.These factors are linked to elevated mortality rates,necessitating suitable mechanical circulatory support(MCS)to reverse the disastrous situations.[5]

Recurrent malignant hyperthermia after scoliosis correction surgery

Malignant hyperthermia(MH)is a genetic disorder of skeletal muscle cells that affects muscle cytoplasmic calcium homeostasis,with high mortality and low morbidity.Generally,it presents with non-specific signs of a hypermetabolic response,including high fever,tachycardia,and elevated end-tidal carbon dioxide(ETCO_(2)).The successful treatment lies in the timely recognition and early use of dantrolene.[1]As an inhibitor of Ca2+release through ryanodine receptor(RYR)channels,the skeletal muscle relaxant dantrolene has proven to be both a valuable experimental probe of intracellular Ca2+signaling and a lifesaving treatment for MH.[2]Dominant mutations in the skeletal muscle RYR1 gene are well-recognized causes of both malignant hyperthermia susceptibility(MHS)and central core disease(CCD).

Timing of hepatectomy following the Omicron variant infection for vaccinated-patients:A retrospective cohort study

Many previous studies suggested that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) infection elevated the risk of morbidity and 90-day mortality after operation, especially pulmonary complications [1–7]. Uncertainty about perioperative safety puts off the progress of elective surgery [8]. The Omicron variant has recently become the dominant variant causing prevalence in several countries [9]. Although a high rate of patients with Omicron presented asymptomatic status [10], it is still unclear whether Omicron infection would raise the risk of postoperative complications.

Technical efficiency of cocoa farms at varying elevation levels in Davao City, Philippines: implications to sustainable upland farming systems

Elevation is one of many components that influence agriculture, and this in turn affects the level of both inputs and outputs of farmers. This article focuses on the productivity and technical efficiency of 100 cocoa farms using cross-sectional data from areas ranging from 190 to 1021 m above sea level which were classified as low, medium, and high elevation in Davao City, considered as the chocolate capital of the Philippines. Using stochastic frontier analysis, the results showed that the cost of inputs per ha and the number of cocoa trees per ha significantly increase yield. Farms at high elevations were less technically efficient, as this entails lower temperatures and increased rainfall, and cocoa farming in those areas and conditions can be more challenging, especially with changes in farming practices, terrain, and distance to markets. Other significant variables were age of cocoa farms, married farmers, and age of the farmers. Older farms may be more developed, farmers who are married benefit from their spouses being able to readily contribute as farm labor, and lastly, older farmers' inefficiency may likely stem from nonadaptation of newer farming practices. With an average technical efficiency of 0.61, 0.63, and 0.26 in low, medium, and high elevation areas, respectively, farmers therefore have an incentive to improve farm practices and consider topographical variations found in high elevation areas. Recommendations for the improvement of technical efficiency of cocoa farms are better connectivity to markets, enhancing farm practices, and continuation and improvement of government programs on cocoa with an added emphasis on research. For farmers in high elevation areas, mitigating solutions such as sustainable agriculture practices and ecolabelling are key to improving efficiency and minimizing the potential negative impact on upland farming systems. Moreover, such adaptation measures may also contribute to sustainability of cocoa farming in high elevation areas.

Mechanisms behind elevated serum levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration(FTLD)is a form of progressive dementia characterized by degeneration of the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.This pathology involves a series of cognitive,behavioral,and neurological symptoms that influence personality,decision-making ability,and language.

Brain regulates weight bearing bone through PGE2 skeletal interoception: implication of ankle osteoarthritis and pain

Bone is a mechanosensitive tissue and undergoes constant remodeling to adapt to the mechanical loading environment.However,it is unclear whether the signals of bone cells in response to mechanical stress are processed and interpreted in the brain.In this study,we found that the hypothalamus of the brain regulates bone remodeling and structure by perceiving bone prostaglandin E2(PGE2)concentration in response to mechanical loading.Bone PGE2 levels are in proportion to their weight bearing.When weight bearing changes in the tail-suspension mice,the PGE2 concentrations in bones change in line with their weight bearing changes.Deletion of cyclooxygenase-2(COX2)in the osteoblast lineage cells or knockout of receptor 4(EP4)in sensory nerve blunts bone formation in response to mechanical loading.Moreover,knockout of TrkA in sensory nerve also significantly reduces mechanical load-induced bone formation.Moreover,mechanical loading induces cAMP-response element binding protein(CREB)phosphorylation in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus(ARC)to inhibit sympathetic tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)expression in the paraventricular nucleus(PVN)for osteogenesis.Finally,we show that elevated PGE2 is associated with ankle osteoarthritis(AOA)and pain.Together,our data demonstrate that in response to mechanical loading,skeletal interoception occurs in the form of hypothalamic processing of PGE2-driven peripheral signaling to maintain physiologic bone homeostasis,while chronically elevated PGE2 can be sensed as pain during AOA and implication of potential treatment.

Elevational and temporal patterns of pollination success in distylous and homostylous buckwheats(Fagopyrum)in the Hengduan Mountains

Reproductive strategies of sexually dimorphic plants vary in response to the environment.Here,we ask whether the sexual systems of Fagopyrum species(i.e.,selfing homostylous and out-crossing distylous)represent distinct adaptive strategies to increase reproductive success in changing alpine environments.To answer this question,we determined how spatial and temporal factors(e.g.,elevation and peak flowering time)affect reproductive success(i.e.,stigmatic pollen load)in nine wild Fagopyrum species(seven distylous and two homostylous)among 28 populations along an elevation gradient of 1299-3315 m in the Hengduan Mountains,southwestern China.We also observed pollinators and conducted hundreds of hand pollinations to investigate inter/intra-morph compatibility,self-compatibility and pollen limitation in four Fagopyrum species(two distylous and two homostylous).We found that Fagopyrum species at higher elevation generally had bigger flowers and more stigmatic pollen loads;lateflowering individuals had smaller flowers and lower pollen deposition.Stigmatic pollen deposition was more variable in distylous species than in homostylous species.Although seed set was not pollenlimited in all species,we found that fruit set was much lower in distylous species,which rely on frequent pollinator visits,than in homostylous species capable of autonomous self-pollination.Our findings that pollination success increases at high elevations and decreases during the flowering season suggest that distylous and homostylous species have spatially and temporally distinct reproductive strategies related to environment-dependent pollinator activity.

The diagnostic value of tenascin-C in acute aortic syndrome

OBJECTIVES Misdiagnosis of acute aortic syndrome(AAS)significantly increases mortality.Tenascin-C(TN-C)is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein related to cardiovascular injury.The elevation of TN-C in AAS and whether it can discriminate suddenonset of acute chest pain in Chinese remains unclear.METHODS We measured the plasma concentration of TN-C by ELISA in a cohort of 376 patients with chest or back pain.Measures to discriminate AAS from acute coronary syndrome(ACS)were compared and calculated.RESULTS From October 2016 to September 2021,376 undiagnosed patients with chest or back pain were enrolled.166 of them were finally diagnosed as AAS,100 were ACS and 110 without cardiovascular diseases(NCV).TN-C was significantly elevated in AAS at 18.18 ng/mL(IQR:13.10–27.68)compared with 7.51 ng/mL(IQR:5.67–11.38)in ACS(P<0.001)and 3.68 ng/mL(IQR:2.50–5.29)in NCV(P<0.001).There was no significant difference in TN-C level among the subtypes of AAS.Of the 166 AAS patients,the peaked level of TN-C was at acute stage(P=0.012),then a slight of decrease was observed at subacute stage.The area under receiver operating characteristic curve for AAS patients versus NCV was 0.979(95%CI:0.964-0.994)for TN-C.At a cutoff level of 11.474 ng/mL,TN-C has a sensitivity of 76.0%,specificity of 85.5%,accuracy of 82.0%,positive predictive value(PPV)of 76.0%,negative predictive value(NPV)of 85.5%.Diagnostic performance of TN-C was superior to D-dimer and hs-cTnT.CONCLUSIONS The concentration of serum TN-C in AAS patients was significantly higher than that in ACS patients and NCV.TN-C could be a new biomarker to distinguish AAS patients in the early stage after symptoms onset from other pain diseases.

The role of multimodality imaging in calcified valves with infective endocarditis

A 68-years old woman presented with ahistory of recurrent fever of 38-39°ac-companied by chills and weakness over the past month.Her physical examination was unremarkable except for an audible 3/6 ejection murmur at the 2nd right intercostal space.Her vital signs were normal with no fever at presentation.Laboratory tests showed elevated white blood count of 11,800cells/mm3 with a remarkable neutrophilia and elevated C-reactive protein of 14 mg/dL.Blood glucose,renal and liver function tests were all normal.

An unusual cause of myocardial infarction in an elderly man

Cardiac involvement in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EPGA) is increasingly recognized,but it is unusual to be the initial presentation.We report a case of vasculitic myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiogenic shock in an elderly man caused by EPGA.A 73-year-old man presented with acute chest pain radiating to back for two days.He has a history of asthma and allergic rhinitis for more than ten years well controlled by inhaled corticosteroid.The electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm,right bundle-branch block and anterolateral ST-segment depression.He had elevated troponin T of 548 ng/L (reference:<14 ng/L),creatine kinase of 454 IU/L (reference:39–308 IU/L)。

Enhancing the Electrocatalytic Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Through Cascade Structure Tuning for Highly Stable Biomass Upgrading

Electrocatalytic 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation reaction(HMFOR)provides a promising strategy to convert biomass derivative to highvalue-added chemicals.Herein,a cascade strategy is proposed to construct Pd-NiCo_(2)O_(4)electrocatalyst by Pd loading on Ni-doped Co3O4 and for highly active and stable synergistic HMF oxidation.An elevated current density of 800 mA cm^(-2)can be achieved at 1.5 V,and both Faradaic efficiency and yield of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid remained close to 100%over 10 consecutive electrolysis.Experimental and theoretical results unveil that the introduction of Pd atoms can modulate the local electronic structure of Ni/Co,which not only balances the competitive adsorption of HMF and OH-species,but also promote the active Ni^(3+)species formation,inducing high indirect oxidation activity.We have also discovered that Ni incorporation facilitates the Co2+pre-oxidation and electrophilic OH*generation to contribute direct oxidation process.This work provides a new approach to design advanced electrocatalyst for biomass upgrading.

The storage and utilization of carbohydrates in response to elevation mediated by tree organs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests

Global climate change can affect tree growth and carbon sink function by influencing plant carbohydrate synthesis and utilization,while elevation can be used as an ideal setting under natural conditions to simulate climate change effects.The effect of elevation on tree growth may depend on organ type.However,the allocation patterns of nonstructural and structural carbohydrates(NSCs and SCs,respectively)in different tree organs and their response to elevation remain unclear.We selected four dominant tree species,Schima superba,Castanopsis eyrei,Castanopsis fargesii and Michelia maudiae,along an elevation gradient from 609 to 1,207 m in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and analyzed leaf,trunk,and fine root NSCs,carbon(C),nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)concentrations and the relative abundance of SCs.Leaf NSCs increased initially and then decreased,and trunk NSCs increased with increasing elevation.However,root NSCs decreased with increasing elevation.The relative abundance of SCs in leaves and trunks decreased,while the relative abundance of root SCs increased with increasing elevation.No significant correlations between SCs and NSCs in leaves were detected,while there were negative correlations between SCs and NSCs in trunks,roots,and all organs.Hierarchical partitioning analysis indicated that plant C/N and C/P were the main predictors of changes in SCs and NSCs.Our results suggest that tree organs have divergent responses to elevation and that increasing elevation will inhibit the aboveground part growth and enhance the root growth of trees.A tradeoff between the C distribution used for growth and storage was confirmed along the elevation gradient,which is mainly manifested in the"sink"organs of NSCs.Our results provide insight into tree growth in the context of global climate change scenarios in subtropical forest ecosystems.