Infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems of Inner Mongolia, China

Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems.The dye coverage,uniform infiltration depth,maximum infiltration depth,total stained area and heterogeneous infiltration stained area were measured by two indices,the maximum infiltration depth index(MIDI)and heterogeneous infiltration index(HII),which were calculated by processing dye-stained photos.The MIDI and HII of soil under shrubs were 1.41±0.14 and 0.29±0.068,respectively,and larger than those of grass soil,1.26±0.14 and0.20±0.076.Using the MIDI,HII,field soil moisture and rainfall data,the infiltration depth and heterogeneous infiltration amount for 26 nature rainfall events were calculated.The results imply that water can infiltrate to a deeper layer beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches and that more water infiltration occurs beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches.These results are of prime importance for arid and semiarid ecosystems with a limited water supply due to high evaporation and low precipitation.

Prognostic significance of serum inflammation indices for different tumor infiltrative pattern types of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Inflammatory indices are considered to be potential prognostic biomarkers for patients with gastric cancer(GC).However,there is no evidence defining the prognostic significance of inflammatory indices for GC with different tumor infiltrative pattern(INF)types.AIM To evaluate the significance of inflammatory indices and INF types in predicting the prognosis of patients with GC.METHODS A total of 962 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy were retrospectively selected for this study.Patients were categorized into the expansive growth type(INFa),the intermediate type(INFb),and the infiltrative growth type(INFc)groups.The cutoff values of inflammatory indices were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curves.The Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test were used to analyze overall survival(OS).The chi-square test was used to analyze the association between inflammatory indices and clinical characteristics.The independent risk factors for prognosis in each group were analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses based on logistic regression.Nomogram models were constructed by R studio.RESULTS The INFc group had the worst OS(P<0.001).The systemic immune-inflammation index(P=0.039)and metastatic lymph node ratio(mLNR)(P=0.003)were independent risk factors for prognosis in the INFa group.The platelet-lymphocyte ratio(PLR)(P=0.018),age(P=0.026),body mass index(P=0.003),and postsurgical tumor node metastasis(pTNM)stage(P<0.001)were independent risk factors for prognosis in the INFb group.The PLR(P=0.021),pTNM stage(P=0.028),age(P=0.021),and mLNR(P=0.002)were independent risk factors for prognosis in the INFc group.The area under the curve of the nomogram model for predicting 5-year survival in the INFa group,INFb group,and INFc group was 0.787,0.823,and 0.781,respectively.CONCLUSION The outcome of different INF types GC patients could be assessed by nomograms based on different inflammatory indices and clinicopathologic features.