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Objectives. Sepsis is characterized as a dysregulated host immune response to infection and has been known to be closely associated with the gut microbiome. This study was aimed at investigating the gut microbial profiles of Zhuang ethnic patients with sepsis. Method. Eleven Zhuang ethnic patients with sepsis and 20 healthy individuals (controls) were recruited at the Baise City People's Hospital, China. Their gut microbial community profiles were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq system. Results. The gut microbial community of patients with sepsis was significantly altered compared to that of the healthy individuals based on the results of principal coordinate analysis and microbial ecological networks. Additionally, significantly lower microbial alpha diversity was observed in patients with sepsis than in healthy individuals. In particular, the enrichment of Bilophila, Burkholderia, Corynebacterium, and Porphyromonas, along with the reduced abundance of a large number of short-chain fatty acid-producing microbes, including Roseburia, Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Coprococcus, Blautia, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, and Anaerostipe was observed in patients with sepsis compared to the control group. Moreover, patients with sepsis could be effectively classified based on the abundance of these bacteria using a support vector machine algorithm. Conclusion. This study demonstrated significant differences in the gut microbiome between Zhuang ethnic patients with sepsis and healthy individuals. In the future, it is necessary to determine whether such alterations are the cause or consequence of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess heavy metal pollution and human health risk, a total of 28 topsoil samples were collected during four seasons from seven agricultural soil sites near a famous smelter in Jiyuan, China. The maximum concentrations of Cd, Pb, Hg, As, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr were 26.00, 2601.00, 3.29, 65.00, 410.00, 156.30, 54.80, and 73.60 mg kg−1, respectively. Compared with the sampling site nearest to the smelter, the concentrations of six metals at the farthest site were decreased significantly (P < 0.05). All sites were heavily contaminated, with Nemerow index (P) >3.0, and all sites had very high ecological risks related to Cd and Hg. The non-carcinogenic risk for children (based on combined exposure to the eight metals) was above the safety level. The carcinogenic risk of As for adults (8.98 × 10–6) and children (1.49 × 10–5) exceeded the acceptable level (1 × 10–6). Results suggest a serious health risk in the polluted areas, particularly for children. Abbreviation Cd: Cadmium; Pb: Lead; Hg: Mercury; As: Arsenic; Zn: Zinc; Cu: Copper; Ni: Nickel; Cr: Chromium; P: Nemerow index; RI: Potential ecological risk index; Ei: Monomial potential ecological risk of a specific heavy metal; HI: non-carcinogenic hazard index; CR: Carcinogenic risk; TN: Total nitrogen; TP: Total phosphorus; OM: Organic matter; MC: Moisture content; ADD: Average daily dose [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit quality as affected by water deficit applied at different growth stages remain largely elusive. Therefore, to evaluate the effects of deficit irrigation (DI) timing and degree under drip irrigation on fruit physical and chemical quality of citrus, the low (D15%), mild (D30%), moderate (D45%) and severe (D60%) water deficit treatments were set at the growth stage I, II, III and IV, respectively, with a control treatment (CK), during two growing seasons. The application of water deficit under drip irrigation at the early growth stage (stages I and II) had remarkable effects on physical quality of citrus. The I-D45% treatment increased the single fruit weight and firmness by 5.78−9.85% and 13.25−17.14%, respectively, and the II-D15% treatment improved them by 6.67−9.15% and 1.43−14.46%. The application of water deficit under drip irrigation at the middle growth stage (stage III) had remarkable effects on physical and chemical quality of citrus. There was no remarkable reduction in fruit physical quality under the III-D15% treatment, while the contents of fructose, glucose, sucrose, vitamin C (Vc), total soluble solids (TSS), and MI (TSS/TA (titratable acidity) ratio) were significantly increased by 12.95−17.67%, 9.26−17.84%, 7.90−19.65%, 9.10−29.20%, 7.68−15.96% and 18.07−29.19% (P < 0.05), respectively, and TA was reduced by 8.82−9.91%. The application of water deficit under drip irrigation at the late growth stage (stage IV) had remarkable effects on chemical quality of citrus. The IV-D30% treatment significantly increased the contents of fructose, glucose, sucrose, Vc, TSS and MI by 22.95−25.54%, 16.47−17.79%, 18.56−19.54%, 25.63−50.23%, 12.49−20.59%, and 18.87−24.47% (P < 0.05), respectively, while reduced TA by 3.60−5.88%. Therefore, I-D45% and II-D15% treatments significantly improved physical quality of citrus by saving about 178 and 154 m3/ha at stage I and II, respectively; III-D15% and IV-D30% treatments significantly increased chemical quality of citrus by saving about 635 and 782 m3/ha at stage III and IV, respectively, which was demonstrated as the suitable water deficit pattern. And this strategy had no significant effect on yield. Among all the treatments, the IV-D30% treatment improved the fruit quality of citrus most significantly. • Effects of deficit irrigation (DI) on citrus quality depended on the DI timing and degree. • Early and late DI mainly affected the citrus physical and chemical quality, respectively. • Moderate and low DI at bud bust to flowering stage and at young fruit stage improved the physical quality, respectively. • Low and mild DI at fruit expansion stage and at maturation stage improved the chemical quality, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]