Decline in tree-ring growth of Picea mongolica and its intra-annual eco-physiological responses to drought and CO_(2) enrichment in semi-arid China

Episodes of drought-induced decline in tree growth and mortality are becoming more frequent as a result of climate warming and enhanced water stress in semi-arid areas.However,the ecophysiological mechanisms under-lying the impact of drought on tree growth remains unre-solved.In this study,earlywood and latewood tree-ring growth,δ^(13)C,andδ^(18)O chronologies of Picea mongolica from 1900 to 2013 were developed to clarify the intra-and inter-annual tree-ring growth responses to increasingly fre-quent droughts.The results indicate that annual basal area increment residuals(BAI_(res)),which removed tree age and size effects,have significantly decreased since 1960.How-ever,the decreasing trend of earlywood BAI_(res) was higher than that of latewood.Climate response analysis suggests that the dominant parameters for earlywood and latewood proxies(BAI_(res),δ^(13)C andδ^(18)O)were drought-related climate variables(Palmer drought severity index,temperature,rela-tive humidity,and vapor pressure deficit).The most signifi-cant period of earlywood and latewood proxies’responses to climate variables were focused on June-July and July-August,respectively.BAI_(res),andδ^(13)C were significantly affected by temperature and moisture conditions,whereasδ^(18)O was slightly affected.Decreasing stomatal conduct-ance due to drought outweighed the influence of increasing CO_(2) on intrinsic water use efficiency(iWUE),and ultimately led to a decline in BAI_(res).Compared to latewood,the faster decreasing BAI_(res) and smaller increasing iWUE of early-wood suggested trees were more vulnerable to water stress in the early growing season.Our study provides insights into the inter-and intra-annual mechanisms of tree-ring growth in semi-arid regions under rising CO_(2) and climate change.

Maresin 1 alleviates neuroinflammation and cognitive decline in a mouse model of cecal ligation and puncture

Objective:Inflammation in the central nervous system plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of sepsis-associated encephalopathy.This study aims to explore the effects of maresin 1(MaR1),an anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving lipid mediator,on sepsis-induced neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment.Methods:Mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups:A sham group(sham operation+vehicle),a cecal ligation and puncture(CLP)group(CLP operation+vehicle),a MaR1-LD group(CLP operation+1 ng MaR1),and a MaR1-HD group(CLP operation+10 ng MaR1).MaR1 or vehicle was intraperitoneally administered starting 1 h before CLP operation,then every other day for 7 days.Survival rates were monitored,and serum inflammatory cytokines[tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-1β,and IL-6]were measured 24 h after operation using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Cognitive function was assessed 7 days after operation using the Morris water maze(MWM)test and novel object recognition(NOR)task.The mRNA expression of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),IL-4,IL-10,and arginase 1(Arg1)in cortical and hippocampal tissues was determined by real-time reverse transcription PCR(RT-PCR).Western blotting was used to determine the protein expression of iNOS,Arg1,signal transducer and activator of transcription 6(STAT6),peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma(PPARγ),and phosphorylated STAT6(p-STAT6)in hippocampal tissue.Microglia activation was visualized via immunofluorescence.Mice were also treated with the PPARγantagonist GW9662 to confirm the involvement of this pathway in MaR1’s effects.Results:CLP increased serum levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6,and reduced body weight and survival rates(all P<0.05).Both 1 ng and 10 ng doses of MaR1 significantly reduced serum TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 levels,improved body weight,and increased survival rates(all P<0.05).No significant difference in efficacy was observed between the 2 doses(all P>0.05).MWM test and NOR task indicated that CLP impaired spatial learning,which MaR1 mitigated.However,GW9662 partially reversed MaR1’s protective effects.Real-time RTPCR results demonstrated that,compared to the sham group,mRNA expression of TNF-α,IL-1β,and iNOS significantly increased in hippocampal tissues following CLP(all P<0.05),while IL-4,IL-10,and Arg1 showed a slight decrease,though the differences were not statistically significant(all P>0.05).Compared to the CLP group,both 1 ng and 10 ng MaR1 decreased TNF-α,IL-1β,and iNOS mRNA expression in hippocampal tissues and increased IL-4,IL-10,and Arg1 mRNA expression(all P<0.05).Immunofluorescence results indicated a significant increase in Iba1-positive microglia in the hippocampus after CLP compared to the sham group(P<0.05).Administration of 1 ng and 10 ng MaR1 reduced the percentage area of Iba1-positive cells in the hippocampus compared to the CLP group(both P<0.05).Western blotting results showed that,compared to the CLP group,both 1 ng and 10 ng MaR1 down-regulated the iNOS expression,while up-regulated the expression of Arg1,PPARγ,and p-STAT6(all P<0.05).However,the inclusion of GW9662 counteracted the MaR1-induced upregulation of Arg1 and PPARγcompared to the MaR1-LD group(all P<0.05).Conclusion:MaR1 inhibits the classical activation of hippocampal microglia,promotes alternative activation,reduces sepsis-induced neuroinflammation,and improves cognitive decline.

Gut microbiota-astrocyte axis: new insights into age-related cognitive decline

With the rapidly aging human population,age-related cognitive decline and dementia are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide.Aging is considered the main risk factor for cognitive decline and acts through alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota,microbial metabolites,and the functions of astrocytes.The microbiota–gut–brain axis has been the focus of multiple studies and is closely associated with cognitive function.This article provides a comprehensive review of the specific changes that occur in the composition of the gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in older individuals and discusses how the aging of astrocytes and reactive astrocytosis are closely related to age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.This article also summarizes the gut microbiota components that affect astrocyte function,mainly through the vagus nerve,immune responses,circadian rhythms,and microbial metabolites.Finally,this article summarizes the mechanism by which the gut microbiota–astrocyte axis plays a role in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.Our findings have revealed the critical role of the microbiota–astrocyte axis in age-related cognitive decline,aiding in a deeper understanding of potential gut microbiome-based adjuvant therapy strategies for this condition.

Recent tree growth decline unprecedented over the last four centuries in a Tibetan juniper forest

Forest structure and function are subject to risks of growth declines from intensified drought and frequent extreme events related to climate warming.Knowledge of tree growth declines will help anticipate future responses of forests to climate change.In this study,we investigated tree growth declines over the last four centuries in a juniper forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau.By analyzing the radial growth trajectories of individual trees,we identified two events of intense growth decline,one in 1817–1830 and the other in 1969–1999 over the past four centuries.The intensity of the recent decline was unprecedented in the period under study.Ring-width chronology showed a positive correlation with self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Indices and a negative correlation with mean monthly temperatures in May and June.The recent intensified growth decline may have been due to temperatureinduced frequent droughts in the study area.Our findings suggest that trees in this juniper forest may face a higher risk of growth decline and even mortality under continued climate warming.

基于FP-growth算法的交通事故数据关联规则挖掘研究

为了探寻多种事故影响因素共同作用下诱发交通事故的某种规律以及各因素间的关系,本文采用FP-growth算法对收集到的交通事故数据进行分析研究,挖掘其中的潜在价值信息,找出事故发生的原因,根据分析结果给相关部门提出建议,帮助城市交通管理者制定更有效的管理措施,以达到降低交通事故发生频率的目的。

Reasons and effects of the decline of willing related potential living kidney donors

BACKGROUND Although the availability of related living donors(LDs)provides a better chance for receiving kidney transplantation(KT),the evaluation protocols for LD selection remain a safeguard for the LD’s safety.These protocols are variable from one center to another,resulting in variable rates of decline of the potential LDs(PLDs).The decline of willing PLDs may occur at any stage of evaluation,starting from the initial contact and counseling to the day of operation.AIM To identify the causes of the decline of PLDs,the predictors of PLD candidacy,and the effect on achieving LDKT.METHODS A retrospective study was performed on the willing PLDs who attended our outpatient clinic for kidney donation to their related potential recipients between October 2015 and December 2022.The variables influencing their candidacy rate and the fate of their potential recipients were studied.Two groups of PLDs were compared:Candidate PLDs after a completed evaluation vs non-candidate PLDs with a complete or incomplete evaluation.A multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the factors contributing to the achievement of PLD candidacy.RESULTS Of 321 willing PLDs,257 PLDs(80.1%)accessed the evaluation to variable extents for 212 potential recipients,with a mean age(range)of 40.5±10.4(18-65)years,including 169 females(65.8%).The remaining 64 PLDs(19.9%)did not access the evaluation.Only 58 PLDs(18.1%)succeeded in donating,but 199 PDLs(62.0%)were declined;exclusion occurred in 144 PLDs(56.0%)for immunological causes(37.5%),medical causes(54.9%),combined causes(9.7%),and financial causes(2.1%).Regression and release occurred in 55 PLDs(17.1%).The potential recipients with candidate PLDs were not significantly different from those with non-candidate PLDs,except in age(P=0.041),rates of completed evaluation,and exclusion of PLDs(P<0.001).There were no factors that independently influenced the rate of PLD candidacy.Most patients who failed to have KT after the decline of their PLDs remained on hemodialysis for 6 mo to 6 years.CONCLUSION The rate of decline of willing related PLDs was high due to medical or immunological contraindications,release,or regression of PLDs.It reduced the chances of high percentages of potential recipients in LDKT.

基于FP-growth的老年行人交通事故损伤致因研究

为研究老年行人交通事故相关因素及其对损伤程度的影响,以中国交通事故深度调查数据库中2013—2023年710起机动车-老年行人事故为分析对象,利用FP-growth算法挖掘出4类影响因素28个类型变量共5594项关联规则。研究结果表明:行人年龄、碰撞速度、事故时间段及事故地点是影响老年行人事故死亡率的显著因素。特别是,行人年龄和碰撞速度对死亡率有显著影响,随着碰撞速度的增加,死亡率显著上升;60岁及以上老年行人年龄每增加1岁,其死亡率提升0.037倍。此外,事故发生在夜间、郊区或村庄的死亡率更高。研究结果可为提高老年行人交通安全,制定相关安全措施提供一定参考。

Heterosis of Vine Decline Disease Resistance Caused by the Fungus Monosporascus cannonballus in Melons (Cucumis melo L)

Vine decline disease (VDD) constitutes a menace to melons worldwide. Especially, the one caused by the fungus Monosporascus cannonballus. Thus, resistant plant material must be released to help growers. Hence, our goal was to develop resistant plant material to VDD. More than 600 melon accessions are expected to be tested for disease resistance in M. cannonballus infested soil in Weslaco, Texas, USA, to identify resistance to VDD, and other important traits. So far, at most 7 lines were found to be resistant to VDD and some of them were used to develop elite, muskmelon inbred lines by pedigree breeding following single or double backcrosses. These elite parents were crossed to each other to develop the hybrids M3 and M4. They were also tested in the same infested field in Weslaco. The hybrids were grown using standard commercial practices followed by growers and when their fruits were ready, their roots were sampled as well as scored for disease severity to estimate high and mid-parent heterosis Our results indicate the existence of heterosis regarding resistance to VDD. Thus, resistant plant material can be developed and selection for resistance can be accomplished.

Effects of thinning on the understory light environment of different stands and the photosynthetic performance and growth of the reforestation species Phoebe bournei

Light levels determine regeneration in stands and a key concern is how to regulate the light environment of different stand types to the requirements of the understory.In this study,we selected three stands typical in south China(a Cryptomeria japonica plantation,a Quercus acutissima plantation,and a mixed stand of both)and three thinning intensities to determine the best understory light environ-ment for 3-year-old Phoebe bournei seedlings.The canopy structure,understory light environment,and photosynthe-sis and growth indicators were assessed following thin-ning.Thinning improved canopy structure and understory light availability of each stand;species composition was the reason for differences in the understory light environ-ment.Under the same thinning intensity,the mixed stand had the greatest light radiation and most balanced spectral composition.P.bournei photosynthesis and growth were closely related to the light environment;all three stands required heavy thinning to create an effective and sustained understory light environment.In a suitable understory light environment,the efficiency of light interception,absorption,and use by seedlings was enhanced,resulting in a higher carbon assimilation the main limiting factor was stomatal conductance.As a shade-avoidance signal,red/far-red radia-tion is a critical factor driving changes in photosynthesis and growth of P.bournei seedlings,and a reduction increased light absorption and use capacity and height:diameter ratios.The growth advantage transformed from diameter to height,enabling seedlings to access more light.Our findings suggest that the regeneration of shade-tolerant species such as P.bournei could be enhanced if a targeted approach to thinning based on stand type was adopted.

Association between Serum Uric Acid and the Early Marker of Kidney Function Decline among Chinese Middle-Aged and Older Population:Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Objective To evaluate the association between serum uric acid(SUA)and kidney function decline.Methods Data was obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study on the Chinese middle-aged and older population for analysis.The kidney function decline was defined as an annual estimated glomerular filtration rate(e GFR)decrease by>3 mL/min per 1.73 m^(2).Multivariable logistic regression was applied to determine the association between SUA and kidney function decline.The shape of the association was investigated by restricted cubic splines.Results A total of 7,346 participants were included,of which 1,004 individuals(13.67%)developed kidney function decline during the follow-up of 4 years.A significant dose-response relation was recorded between SUA and the kidney function decline(OR 1.14,95%CI 1.03-1.27),as the risk of kidney function decline increased by 14%per 1 mg/d L increase in SUA.In the subgroup analyses,such a relation was only recorded among women(OR 1.22,95%CI 1.03-1.45),those aged<60 years(OR 1.22,95%CI 1.05-1.42),and those without hypertension and without diabetes(OR 1.22,95%CI 1.06-1.41).Although the dose-response relation was not observed in men,the high level of SUA was related to kidney function decline(OR 1.83,95%CI 1.05-3.17).The restricted cubic spline analysis indicated that SUA>5 mg/dL was associated with a significantly higher risk of kidney function decline.Conclusion The SUA level was associated with kidney function decline.An elevation of SUA should therefore be addressed to prevent possible kidney impairment and dysfunction.

GbLMI1 over-expression improves cotton aboveground vegetative growth

Leaves are the main organ for photosynthesis and organic synthesis in cotton.Leaf shape has important effects on photosynthetic efficiency and canopy formation,thereby affecting cotton yield.Previous studies have shown that LMI1(LATE MERISTEM IDENTITY1)is the main gene regulating leaf shape.In this study,the LMI1 gene was inserted into the 35S promoter expression vector,and cotton plants overexpressing LMI1(OE)were obtained through genetic transformation.Statistical analysis of the biological traits of the T_(1) and T_(2) populations showed that compared to the wild type(WT),OE plants had significantly larger leaves,thicker stems and significantly greater dry weight.Furthermore,plant sections of the main vein and petiole showed that the numbers of cells in those tissues of OE plants were significantly greater.In addition,RNA-seq analysis revealed the differential expression of genes related to gibberellin synthesis and NAC gene family(genes containing the NAC domain)between the OE and WT plants,suggesting that LMI1 is involved in secondary wall formation and cell proliferation,which promotes stem thickening.Moreover,Gene Ontology(GO)analysis revealed enrichment in the terms of calcium ion binding,and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)analysis showed enrichment in the terms of fatty acid degradation,phosphatidylinositol signal transduction system,and c AMP(cyclic adenosine monophosphate)signal pathway.These results suggested that LMI1 OE plants are responsive to gibberellin hormone signals,and have altered messenger signals(c AMP,Ca^(2+))which amplify this function,to promote stronger aboveground vegetative growth.This study found the LMI1 greatly increased the vegetative growth in cotton,which is the basic requirement for higher yield.

Do increasing respiratory costs explain the decline with age of forest growth rate?

Once forests have achieved a full canopy, their growth rate declines progressively with age. This work used a global data set with estimates from a wide range of forest types, aged 20-795 years, of their annual photosynthetic production(gross primary production, GPP) and subsequent above-plus below-ground biomass production(net primary production, NPP). Both GPP and NPP increased with increasing mean annual temperature and precipitation. GPP was then unrelated to forest age whilst NPP declined progressively with increasing age. These results implied that autotrophic respiration increases with age. It has been proposed that GPP should decline in response to increasing water stress in leaves as water is raised to greater heights as trees grow taller with age. However, trees may make substantial plastic adjustment in mor phology and anatomy of newly developing leaves, xylem and fi ne roots to compensate for this stress and maintain GPP with age. This work reviews the possibilities that NPP declines with age as respiratory costsincrease progressively in, any or all of, the construction and maintenance of more complex tissues, the maintenance of increasing amounts of live tissue within the sapwood of stems and coarse roots, the conversion of sapwood to hear twood, the increasing distance of phloem transport, increased turnover rates of fine roots, cost of supporting very tall trees that are unable to compensate fully for increased water stress in their canopies or maintaining alive competitively unsuccessful small trees.

Dynamic changes of rumen microbiota and serum metabolome revealed increases in meat quality and growth performances of sheep fed bio‑fermented rice straw

Background Providing high-quality roughage is crucial for improvement of ruminant production because it is an essential component of their feed.Our previous study showed that feeding bio-fermented rice straw(BF)improved the feed intake and weight gain of sheep.However,it remains unclear why feeding BF to sheep increased their feed intake and weight gain.Therefore,the purposes of this research were to investigate how the rumen micro-biota and serum metabolome are dynamically changing after feeding BF,as well as how their changes influence the feed intake,digestibility,nutrient transport,meat quality and growth performances of sheep.Twelve growing Hu sheep were allocated into 3 groups:alfalfa hay fed group(AH:positive control),rice straw fed group(RS:negative control)and BF fed group(BF:treatment).Samples of rumen content,blood,rumen epithelium,muscle,feed offered and refusals were collected for the subsequent analysis.Results Feeding BF changed the microbial community and rumen fermentation,particularly increasing(P<0.05)relative abundance of Prevotella and propionate production,and decreasing(P<0.05)enteric methane yield.The histomorphology(height,width,area and thickness)of rumen papillae and gene expression for carbohydrate trans-port(MCT1),tight junction(claudin-1,claudin-4),and cell proliferation(CDK4,Cyclin A2,Cyclin E1)were improved(P<0.05)in sheep fed BF.Additionally,serum metabolome was also dynamically changed,which led to up-regulating(P<0.05)the primary bile acid biosynthesis and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid in sheep fed BF.As a result,the higher(P<0.05)feed intake,digestibility,growth rate,feed efficiency,meat quality and mono-unsaturated fatty acid concentration in muscle,and the lower(P<0.05)feed cost per kg of live weight were achieved by feeding BF.Conclusions Feeding BF improved the growth performances and meat quality of sheep and reduced their feed cost.Therefore,bio-fermentation of rice straw could be an innovative way for improving ruminant production with mini-mizing production costs.

Diabetes and cognitive decline:Challenges and future direction

There is growing evidence that diabetes can induce cognitive decline and dementia.It is a slow,progressive cognitive decline that can occur in any age group,but is seen more frequently in older individuals.Symptoms related to cognitive decline are worsened by chronic metabolic syndrome.Animal models are frequently utilized to elucidate the mechanisms of cognitive decline in diabetes and to assess potential drugs for therapy and prevention.This review addresses the common factors and pathophysiology involved in diabetes-related cognitive decline and outlines the various animal models used to study this condition.

Role of transforming growth factor-βin peripheral nerve regeneration

Injuries caused by trauma and neurodegenerative diseases can damage the peripheral nervous system and cause functional deficits.Unlike in the central nervous system,damaged axons in peripheral nerves can be induced to regenerate in response to intrinsic cues after reprogramming or in a growth-promoting microenvironment created by Schwann cells.However,axon regeneration and repair do not automatically result in the restoration of function,which is the ultimate therapeutic goal but also a major clinical challenge.Transforming growth factor(TGF)is a multifunctional cytokine that regulates various biological processes including tissue repair,embryo development,and cell growth and differentiation.There is accumulating evidence that TGF-βfamily proteins participate in peripheral nerve repair through various factors and signaling pathways by regulating the growth and transformation of Schwann cells;recruiting specific immune cells;controlling the permeability of the blood-nerve barrier,thereby stimulating axon growth;and inhibiting remyelination of regenerated axons.TGF-βhas been applied to the treatment of peripheral nerve injury in animal models.In this context,we review the functions of TGF-βin peripheral nerve regeneration and potential clinical applications.

Activation of endogenous neurogenesis and angiogenesis by basic fibroblast growth factor-chitosan gel in an adult rat model of ischemic stroke

Attempts have been made to use cell transplantation and biomaterials to promote cell proliferation,differentiation,migration,and survival,as well as angiogenesis,in the context of brain injury.However,whether bioactive materials can repair the damage caused by ischemic stroke by activating endogenous neurogenesis and angiogenesis is still unknown.In this study,we applied chitosan gel loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor to the stroke cavity 7 days after ischemic stroke in rats.The gel slowly released basic fibroblast growth factor,which improved the local microenvironment,activated endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells,and recruited these cells to migrate toward the penumbra and stroke cavity and subsequently differentiate into neurons,while enhancing angiogenesis in the penumbra and stroke cavity and ultimately leading to partial functional recovery.This study revealed the mechanism by which bioactive materials repair ischemic strokes,thus providing a new strategy for the clinical application of bioactive materials in the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Analysis of the relationship between blood pressure variability and subtle cognitive decline in older adults

BACKGROUND Blood pressure variability(BPV)has been shown to be related to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in a number of studies.However,the relationship between BPV and subtle cognitive decline(SCD)has received minimal attention in this field of research to date and has rarely been reported.AIM To examine whether SCD is independently associated with changes in BPV in older adults.METHODS Participants were selected based on having participated in cognitive function evaluation and ambulatory blood pressure measurement at the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine between June 2020 and August 2022.The participants included 182 individuals with SCD as the experimental group and 237 with normal cognitive function as the control group.The basic data,laboratory examinations,scale tests,and ambulatory blood pressure test results of the two groups were analyzed retrospectively,and the relationship between SCD and BPV was subsequently evaluated.RESULTS Significant differences were observed between the two groups of participants(P<0.05)in terms of age,education level,prevalence rate of diabetes,fasting blood glucose level,24-h systolic blood pressure standard deviation and coefficient of variation,24-h diastolic blood pressure standard deviation and coefficient of variation.The scale monitoring results showed significant differences in the scores for memory,attention,and visual space between the experimental and control groups.Logistic regression analysis indicated that age,education level,blood sugar level,and BPV were factors influencing cognitive decline.Linear regression analysis showed that there was an independent correlation between blood pressure variation and SCD,even after adjusting for related factors.Each of the above differences was still significant.CONCLUSION This study suggests that increased BPV is associated with SCD.

Growth plasticity of conifers did not avoid declining resilience to soil and atmospheric droughts during the 20th century

Background:Plasticity in response to environmental drivers can help trees cope with droughts.However,our understanding of the importance of plasticity and physiological adjustments in trees under global change is limited.Methods:We used the International Tree-Ring Data Bank(ITRDB)to examine 20th century growth responses in conifer trees during(resistance)and following(resilience)years of severe soil and atmospheric droughts occurring in isolation or as compound events.Growth resilience indices were calculated using observed growth divided by expected growth to avoid spurious correlations,in which the expected values were obtained by the autoregressive moving average(ARIMA)model.We used high atmospheric vapour pressure deficit(VPD)to select years of atmospheric drought and low annual values of the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI)to select years with soil drought.We acquired the sensitivities(i.e.,the slopes of the relationships)by fitting the resilience indices as a function of environmental drivers,and assessed how these sensitivities changed over time for different types of drought events using linear mixed models.We also checked whether plasticity in growth responses was sufficient to prevent long-term trends of growth reductions during or after severe droughts.We acknowledge that by focusing on the response of surviving trees from the ITRDB we are potentially biasing our results towards higher resilience,as stand level responses(e.g.,mortality)may result in lowered competition after the disturbance event.Results:Sensitivities of resilience to VPD and SPEI changed throughout the 20th century,with the directions of these changes often reversing in the second half of the century.For the 1961–2010 period,changing sensitivities had positive effects on resilience,especially following years of high-VPD and compound events,avoiding growth losses that would have occurred if sensitivities had remained constant.Despite sensitivity changes,resilience was still lower at the end of the 20th century compared to the beginning of the century.Conclusions:Future adjustments to low-SPEI and high-VPD events are likely to continue to compensate for the trends in climate only partially,leading to further generalized reductions in tree growth of conifers.An improved understanding of these plastic adjustments and their limits,as well as potential compensatory processes at the stand level,is needed to project forest responses to climate change.

PRaG 3.0 therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly fatal disease with limited effective treatment especially after first-line chemotherapy.The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER-2)immunohistochemistry(IHC)positive is associated with more aggressive clinical behavior and shorter overall survival in PDAC.CASE SUMMARY We present a case of multiple metastatic PDAC with IHC mismatch repair proficient but HER-2 IHC weakly positive at diagnosis that didn’t have tumor regression after first-line nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and PD-1 inhibitor treatment.A novel combination therapy PRaG 3.0 of RC48(HER2-antibody-drug conjugate),radio-therapy,PD-1 inhibitor,granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-2 was then applied as second-line therapy and the patient had confirmed good partial response with progress-free-survival of 6.5 months and overall survival of 14.2 month.She had not developed any grade 2 or above treatment-related adverse events at any point.Percentage of peripheral CD8^(+) Temra and CD4^(+) Temra were increased during first two activation cycles of PRaG 3.0 treatment containing radiotherapy but deceased to the baseline during the maintenance cycles containing no radiotherapy.CONCLUSION PRaG 3.0 might be a novel strategy for HER2-positive metastatic PDAC patients who failed from previous first-line approach and even PD-1 immunotherapy but needs more data in prospective trials.

Spectral purification improves monitoring accuracy of the comprehensive growth evaluation index for film-mulched winter wheat

In order to further improve the utility of unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)remote-sensing for quickly and accurately monitoring the growth of winter wheat under film mulching, this study examined the treatments of ridge mulching,ridge–furrow full mulching, and flat cropping full mulching in winter wheat.Based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) method, four agronomic parameters (leaf area index, above-ground biomass, plant height, and leaf chlorophyll content) were used to calculate the comprehensive growth evaluation index (CGEI) of the winter wheat, and 14 visible and near-infrared spectral indices were calculated using spectral purification technology to process the remote-sensing image data of winter wheat obtained by multispectral UAV.Four machine learning algorithms, partial least squares, support vector machines, random forests, and artificial neural network networks(ANN), were used to build the winter wheat growth monitoring model under film mulching, and accuracy evaluation and mapping of the spatial and temporal distribution of winter wheat growth status were carried out.The results showed that the CGEI of winter wheat under film mulching constructed using the FCE method could objectively and comprehensively evaluate the crop growth status.The accuracy of remote-sensing inversion of the CGEI based on the ANN model was higher than for the individual agronomic parameters, with a coefficient of determination of 0.75,a root mean square error of 8.40, and a mean absolute value error of 6.53.Spectral purification could eliminate the interference of background effects caused by mulching and soil, effectively improving the accuracy of the remotesensing inversion of winter wheat under film mulching, with the best inversion effect achieved on the ridge–furrow full mulching area after spectral purification.The results of this study provide a theoretical reference for the use of UAV remote-sensing to monitor the growth status of winter wheat with film mulching.