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This study aimed to explore the effects of biochar on pulse CO2 and N2O emissions and N cycling microbial functional genes after a short-term drought through a soil incubation experiment. Soil samples were collected in a macadamia orchard where biochar was applied 5 years prior to the incubation. Samples were wetted after being subjected to short-term (2-month) drought conditions. Samples were analysed for gas emissions (N2O and CO2), available NH4+-N, and NO3−-N, water soluble organic carbon (WSOC), water soluble total N (WSTN), and N cycling microbial gene abundance for a period of 21 days post-drought. Soil CO2 emissions were significantly higher in the drought-affected soil with no biochar than in the control soil with no biochar. No effect of biochar was detected on CO2 emissions for drought-affected soil. Available labile C (WSOC) in drought-affected soil was higher than in soils not subjected to drought, regardless of the presence of biochar. Therefore, C loss after adding water could be explained by the release of labile C accumulated during drought. Drought-affected soil with biochar did not influence N2O emissions compared with control soil subject to drought. In soils not subjected to drought, biochar had higher NO3−-N than the soil without biochar at day 7 post-drought, which could partly be explained by increased soil ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) gene abundance. Our study suggested that a pulse C loss was more likely to occur post-drought whereas pulse N loss through N2O emission was not evident regardless of biochar application particularly within first day after being rewetted. Our study highlights the pulse effects of drought on GHG emissions from the soil after being wetted.

Background Dysfunction in the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) leads to bone loss/osteoporosis. The catenin beta interacting protein 1 (CTNNBIP1) is an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, whose role in osteogenesis remains elusive. This study aimed to reveal the effects of miR-486–3p/CTNNBIP1 in osteogenesis. Methods Bone marrow samples from healthy individuals and osteoporosis patients and mice with sham or ovariectomy (OVX) surgeries were collected. Levels of CTNNBIP1 and miR-486–3p were assessed. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the interactions between CTNNBIP1 and miR-486–3p. MiR-486–3p mimics/inhibitor or CTNNBIP1 overexpression lentiviruses were transfected to human BMSCs (hBMSCs) and an osteogenic assay was performed. Alizarin red S (ARS) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) intensity and expression of osteogenic genes Runx2, Alp, Cola1 and Bglap were measured. Key proteins in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway including active β-catenin, Bcl-2, and Cyclin D1 were assessed. Results CTNNBIP1 was upregulated while miR-486–3p was downregulated in osteoporosis patients and OVX mice. CTNNBIP1 was confirmed as a target of miR-486–3p. MiR-486–3p overexpression promoted, while miR-486–3p knockdown suppressed, osteogenic differentiation and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Rescue experiments confirmed the negative effects of CTNNBIP1 overexpression on osteoblastic differentiation and that miR-486–3p mimics could reverse canonical Wnt signaling. Conclusion This study demonstrated that miR-486–3p targets CTNNBIP1, thus activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to promote osteogenesis of BMSCs.

Elevated atmospheric CO

Multifunctional batteries have attracted increasing attention, offering additional functionalities beyond the conventional batteries. Herein, we report a fiber-shaped Zn ion battery that not only acts as a high-performance power supply, but also provides sensing function to monitor human motions. Titanium fiber coated with α-MnO2 nanoflowers is exploited as cathode for fiber-shaped Zn ion battery, taking full advantage of such unique three-dimensional nanoflower structures of α-MnO2 with a large electrochemical active surface area and fast electrochemical reaction kinetics. Thus, the obtained fiber-shaped Zn ion battery shows high capacity of 280 mAh g-1 at 0.1 A g-1, resulting in a notable energy density of 396 Wh kg-1, good stability (capacity retention of 80.6% after 300 cycles), and high flexibility. As a demonstration, an electronic watch and five LEDs are successfully driven by two fiber-shaped Zn ion batteries. Furthermore, the fiber-shaped Zn ion battery is integrated with a strain sensor based on the carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane film, offering good sensitivity to monitor motions of different body parts, such as wrist, finger, elbow, and knee. This work provides insights into multifunctional battery applications for the next-generation wearable electronics. Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Ministry of Education (MOE) Nanyang Technological University National Research Foundation (NRF) Submitted/Accepted version This work was supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (MOE2019-T2-2-127 and MOE-T2EP50120-0002), A*STAR under AME IRG (A2083c0062), and the Singapore National Research Foundation Competitive Research Program (NRF-CRP18-2017-02). This work was supported by A*STAR under its IAF-ICP Programme I2001E0067 and the Schaeffler Hub for Advanced Research at NTU. This work was also supported by NTU-PSL Joint Lab collaboration.

Microbial thermal adaptation is considered to be one of the core mechanisms affecting soil carbon cycling. However, the role of microbial community composition in controlling thermal adaptation is poorly understood. Using microbial communities from the rhizosphere and bulk soils in an 8-year warming experiment as a model, we experimentally demonstrate that respiratory thermal adaptation was much stronger in microbial K-strategist-dominated bulk soils than in microbial r-strategist-dominated rhizosphere soils. Soil carbon availability exerted strong selection on the dominant ecological strategy of the microbial community, indirectly influencing respiratory thermal adaptation. Our findings shed light on the linchpin of the dominant ecological strategy exhibited by the microbial community in determining its respiratory thermal adaptation, with implications for understanding soil carbon losses under warming.

A retrospective observational study.To introduce a novel hybrid technique using segmentation correction (SC) and to compare it with traditional correction (TC) in treating dystrophic scoliosis secondary to neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1-S) lacking pedicles in the apical area.We reviewed the NF1-S cases lacking pedicles diagnosed in our hospital between January 2015 and December 2019. Patients were divided into the SC and TC groups and were followed up for at least 2 years. The degree of deformities, correction rate, and vertebral rotatory subluxation (RS) were assessed before the operation, post-traction, post operation, and during follow-up visits.A total of 27 patients were included in the SC group and 21 in the TC group. There was no significant difference in the 2 groups before the surgery regarding age, height, weight, degree of deformities, and spinal flexibility. The correction rate of patients in the SC group was higher (57.7% ± 17.3% vs. 40.9% ± 19.0%, P = 0.002) than in the TC group. During the 2-year follow-up, the loss of Cobb angles of the SC group in both coronal and sagittal planes were lower than those of the TC group (coronal plane, 1.2° ± 1.1° vs. 2.0° ± 1.4°, P = 0.039; sagittal plane, 0.9° ± 0.5° vs. 1.7° ± 1.0°, P = 0.002).The SC technique showed better deformity correction than TC, suggesting that SC may be an alternative method for treating NF1-S patients lacking pedicles in the apical area.

High-fat diet (HFD) feeding for mice is commonly used to model obesity. However, conflicting results have been reported on the relationship between HFD and bone mass. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we synthesized data from 80 articles to determine the alterations in cortical and trabecular bone mass of femur, tibia, and vertebrae in C57BL/6 mice after HFD. Overall, we detected decreased trabecular bone mass as well as deteriorated architecture, in femur and tibia of HFD treated mice. The vertebral trabecula was also impaired, possibly due to its reshaping into a more fragmentized pattern. In addition, pooled cortical thickness declined in femur, tibia, and vertebrae. Combined with changes in other cortical parameters, HFD could lead to a larger femoral bone marrow cavity, and a thinner and more fragile cortex. Moreover, we conducted subgroup analyses to explore the influence of mice's sex and age as well as HFD's ingredients and intervention period. Based on our data, male mice or mice aged 6-12 weeks old are relatively susceptible to HFD. HFD with50% of energy from fats and intervention time of 10 weeks to 5 months are more likely to induce skeletal alterations. Altogether, these findings supported HFD as an appropriate model for obesity-associated bone loss and can guide future studies.

Zheng Zhang,1,* Miao Hu,1,* Jingjing Chen,2,* Tao Lin,1 Jun Ma,1 Ce Wang,1 Xuhui Zhou,1 Yichen Meng1 1Department of Orthopedics, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, People’s Republic of China; 2Health Management Center, Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, 200003, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yichen Meng; Xuhui Zhou Tel +86 21 81886999Fax +86 21 63520020Email ycmengspine@smmu.edu.cn; zhouxuhui@smmu.edu.cnStudy Design: A prospective study.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal reliability and structure validity of an adapted simplified Chinese version of the Satisfaction of Adolescents with Postoperative pain management – idiopathic Scoliosis (SAP-S) scale in mainland China.Summary of Background Data: Pain management is a major issue for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients undergoing posterior spinal fusions. There is a lack of valid scales for evaluating patients’ satisfaction with postoperative pain management. The SAP-S was proven to be a valid and reliable measure in English and French.Methods: The SAP-S was translated into Chinese according to the internationally recognized guidelines. A total of 95 AIS patients undergoing posterior fusion surgery completed the CSAP-S, along with other self-reported questionnaires, including the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaires. The internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and construct validity of the CSAP-S were determined.Results: The SAP-S was successfully translated into Chinese. All patients completed the CSAP-S twice and the other instruments. The CSAP-S had good internal consistency and test–retest reliability with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient measuring 0.895 and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) measuring 0.97. Elimination of any one item did not result in a value of Cronbach’s alpha of < 0.80. A good construct validity was shown by good correlation with bodily pain (r=0.883, p=0.004) and social functioning (r=0.786, p=0.002) domains of SF-36 and pain (r=0.752, p=0.001) and satisfaction with management (r=0.746, p=0.005) domains of SRS-22.Conclusion: The CSAP-S demonstrated good internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity, and may be used for the evaluation of AIS patients’ satisfaction with postoperative pain management in mainland China.Keywords: Chinese adaptation, idiopathic scoliosis, pain management, SAP-S, satisfaction

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most commonly seen neurodegenerative brain disorder. The paracrine effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) signify to trigger immunomodulation and neural regeneration. However, the role and mechanism of bone marrow MSC- (BMSC-) derived CX3CL1 in AD remains elusive. In this study, A

The emerging wearable electronics have significantly motivated the development of fiber-shaped batteries with excellent electrochemical performance, safety, and flexibility. Aluminum (Al) ion batteries are potential candidates due to their high natural abundance, three-electron-redox behavior, and low cost. However, the integration of Al ion battery into wearable electronics remains unexplored. Herein, a stretchable fiber-shaped aqueous Al ion battery is reported, which involves manganese hexacyanoferrate cathode, graphene oxide decorated MoO3 anode, and hydrogel electrolyte. The resulting fiber-shaped battery exhibits good stretching properties and cycling stability (91.6% over 100 cycles at 1 A cm−3). Moreover, by employing a rocking-chair energy storage mechanism, the fiber-shaped battery offers a high specific capacity of 42 mAh cm−3 at 0.5 A cm−3, corresponding to a high specific energy of 30.6 mWh cm−3. As a demonstration, the fiber-based Al ion batteries are integrated into wearable textiles to power LED light, demonstrating the feasibility in stretchable and wearable electronics. (Figure presented.). Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Ministry of Education (MOE) Nanyang Technological University National Research Foundation (NRF) Published version This work was supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 2 (MOE2019-T2-2-127 and MOE-T2EP50120-0002), A*STAR under AME IRG (A2083c0062), the Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1 (MOE2019-T1-001-103 (RG 73/19) and MOE2019-T1-001-111 (RG90/19)) and the Singapore National Research Foundation Competitive Research Program (NRF-CRP18-2017-02). This work was partly supported by the Schaeffler Hub for Advanced Research at NTU, under the ASTAR IAF-ICP Programme ICP1900093. This work was also supported by Nanyang Technological University.

Hemivertebra within the craniovertebral junction is a rare but complex spinal deformity. Torticollis caused by hemi-atlas is extremely rare. There is no consensus on the treatment of these patients. We present our experience with one case of hemi-atlas excision and torticollis correction via a combined anterior-posterior surgical approach and short-segment fixation.An 11-year-old girl with progressive torticollis due to hemi-atlas underwent surgery consisting of combined anterior-posterior hemivertebra resection and instrumentation and had a follow up of 20 months. Pre- and postoperative radiographic features, as well as clinical outcomes, were evaluated.The patient had complete recovery of torticollis at a 20-month follow-up. Radiographs showed favorable deformity correction, well-balanced coronal and sagittal alignment, and solid bony fusion.For patients with congenital cervical hemivertebra within the craniovertebral junction, combined anterior-posterior hemivertebra resection with instrumentation allows for satisfactory deformity correction and good cosmetic improvement.

A hemorrhagic aortopulmonary artery sheath (HAPS) is an infrequent and critical complication of aortic dissection (AD), which is caused by a hematoma extending through the ruptured aortic wall into the aortopulmonary artery sheath. The adventitial hematoma might narrow or even occlude the lumen of the pulmonary arteries and extend into the pulmonary interstitium and alveoli. The prompt and accurate recognition of HAPS on computed tomography (CT) is crucial and might assist in the diagnosis of unidentifiable AD. HAPS was manifested as high attenuation areas surrounded the pulmonary arteries without enhancement on CT; even thickened bronchovascular sheath and ground-glass consolidations surrounded bronchovascular distribution, which might be associated with the prognosis. Aggressive and effective surgical treatment is the primary determinant of short-term survival.

LincGAS5 have been reported to regulate the progression of osteoporosis (OP). However, the relationship between LincGAS5 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in osteoporosis were still unclear.Bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) rat were established as OP model and verified by the Micro-computed tomography. The ROS level of BMSCs derived from OVX and control rat were detected by Immunofluorescence (IF) and flow cytometry. The role of GAS5, miR-23b-3p and SIRT1 on the osteogenic differentiation were dectected by ARS saining and ALP staining, while the The Oil Red O staining and flow cytometry (FCM) were hired to determine adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs under different treatment. The expression of GAS5,miR-23b-3p and SIRT1 in BMSCs was detected by RT-qPCR and the correlation among them was analyzed. In addition, Luciferase activity was used to detect whether miR-23b-3p combined with GAS5 and SIRT1 in OP mice BMSCs.We established the OVX rat model and found higher ROS level in BMSCs isolated from OVX rats. Meanwhile, GAS5 was down-regulated by ROS and remarkably lowly expressed in OVX rat comparing with the negative control. We confirmed GAS5 inhibited adipogenesis and promoted osteoporosis progression. Mechanically, GAS5 bound with miR-23b-3p and suppressed its biological function. We also identified that miR-23b-3p bound with Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and decreased its stability. Furthermore, SIRT1 suppressed ROS production in BMSCs, which in turn un-regulated GAS5 expression through ROS-GAS5 axis.We identified a negative feedback loop, ROS-GAS5-SIRT1, in osteoporosis progression. Our findings provided potential targets and biomarkers for osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

In order to develop long-lifetime neural electrodes, the insertion tissue injury caused by two optimized neural electrode (convex streamline electrode and vibration attenuation electrode) models were evaluated compared with a reference electrode. Based on the experimental evaluation system for testing tissue injury, the effects of insertion speeds on tissue injury of the two optimized electrodes with different insertion depths were studied. The maximum tissue strain caused by the two optimized neural electrodes firstly increased and then decreased with the increase of insertion speed at the depths of 3 mm and 4.5 mm. The insertion forces caused by vibration attenuation electrode are steady with the change of insertion speed. The convex streamline neural electrode caused less tissue injury compared with the other two electrodes. The higher or lower insertion speed causes smaller tissue strain for the two optimized electrodes, which is conductive to set implantation parameters to minimize tissue injury.

Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of droughts, with potential impacts on carbon (C) release from soil (i.e. soil respiration, Rs). Although numerous studies have investigated drought-induced changes in Rs, how roots and the soil microbial community regulate responses of Rs to drought remains unclear. We conducted a 4-year field experiment (2014–2017) with three treatments (i.e. 70% rainfall reduction, control and ambient) in a subtropical forest to examine effects of drought on Rs and its components [i.e. autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh)] and explore the mechanisms underlying these effects. Drought significantly decreased Rs by 17% averaged over the 4 years, but it had no significant effect in the first experimental year. The decrease in Rs was mediated by soil fungi and fine root biomass. Fine root biomass was correlated negatively with Ra and Rs under drought, but positively in the control treatment. Furthermore, drought treatments increased physiological stress in the bacterial community. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis suggested that under drought conditions, microclimate affected Rs via its impact on fine root biomass and fungal biomass. Our results highlight the complex interactions between microclimate, roots and soil microbes in regulating Rs under drought in subtropical forest ecosystems. Incorporating these interactions into land surface models may improve predictions of climate change impacts on forest ecosystems. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Maintaining plant productivity and crop yield in a warming world requires local adaptation to new environment and selection of high-yield cultivars, which both depend on the genetically-based intraspecific differences in the plant response to warming (referred to as "genetically-based intraspecific responses"). However, how the genetically-based intraspecific responses mediate warming effects on plants remains unclear, especially at the global scale. Here, a dataset was compiled from 118 common-garden experiments to examine the responses of plant growth, productivity, and crop yield to warming among different ecotypes/genotypes/cultivars. Our results showed that the genetically-based intraspecific responses on average accounted for 34.7 % of the total variance in the warming responses across all the studies but with large variability (2 %-77 %). The intraspecific responses of plant productivity and crop yield were larger than those of organ level traits and biomass allocation, suggesting that plant growth was mainly achieved by iterating the relatively invariant terminal modules (e.g., leaves). The warming-induced changes in intraspecific variability of aboveground biomass were larger in woody plants, non-leguminous herbs, perennial herbs and noncrops than those in nonwoody, leguminous, annual and crop ones, respectively, indicating the potential important role of plant longevity in mediating the change in intraspecific variability. Moreover, larger intraspecific responses reduced the consistence of relative performance between control and warming treatments for both plant productivity and crop yield. These results highlight the unneglectable role of genetically-based intraspecific differences in plant responses to warming, indicating the difficulty of maintaining high crop yield and tree productivity under global climate change, and posing a grave threat to the food security and wood supply in the near future.

To investigate the diagnostic value of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADS v2.1) for clinically significant prostate cancer (CsPCa). We also aimed to combine PI-RADS v2.1 with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) derivatives to improve the predictive value of CsPCa.We retrospectively collected relevant data who underwent standard MRI examinations of the prostate and subjected to a prostate biopsy at Shenzhen People's hospital from November 2014 to November 2019. Included 125 cases of CsPCa and 383 cases of non-CsPCa. All cases were scored using the PI-RADS v2.1. The clinical data collected included age, PSA, free PSA/total PSA, prostate volume and PSA density (PSAD). A univariate analysis was performed to identify statistically significant indicators. Logistic regression was used to analyze the predictive value of the multi-parameter combination on CsPCa.Except age, the difference in all of indicators between the CsPCa group and non-CsPCa group was statistically significant. The PI-RADS score and PSAD value had the highest diagnostic value. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the PI-RADS score and PSAD value were independent predictors of CsPCa, with a regression model AUC of 0.935. CsPCa detection rates were low when the PI-RADS score ≤ 2 or the PI-RADS score = 3 and the PSAD value ≤ 0.33 ng/ml/ml.Combining the PI-RADS score and PSAD value improved the predictive performance of CsPCa. Patients with a PI-RADS score ≤ 2 or a PI-RADS score = 3 and a PSAD value ≤ 0.33 ng/ml/ml can avoid an unnecessary biopsy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of coronary CT angiography (CTA)-based quantitative flow ratio (QFR), namely CT-QFR, and compare it with invasive coronary angiography (ICA)-based Murray law QFR (μQFR), using fractional flow reserve (FFR) as the reference standard.Patients who underwent coronary CTA, ICA and pressure wire-based FFR assessment within two months were retrospectively analyzed. CT-QFR and μQFR were computed in blinded fashion and compared with FFR, all applying the same cut-off value of ≤0.80 to identify hemodynamically significant stenosis.Paired comparison between CT-QFR and μQFR was performed in 191 vessels from 167 patients. Average FFR was 0.81 ​± ​0.10 and 42.4% vessels had an FFR ≤0.80. CT-QFR had a slightly lower correlation with FFR compared with μQFR, although statistically non-significant (r ​= ​0.87 versus 0.90, p ​= ​0.110). The vessel-level diagnostic performance of CT-QFR was slightly lower but without statistical significance than μQFR (AUC ​= ​0.94 versus 0.97, difference: -0.03 [95%CI: -0.00-0.06], p ​= ​0.095), and substantially higher than diameter stenosis by CTA (AUC difference: 0.17 [95%CI: -0.10-0.23], p ​ ​0.001). The patient-level diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio for CT-QFR to identify FFR value ​≤ ​0.80 was 88%, 90%, 86%, 86%, 91%, 6.59 and 0.12, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of CT-QFR was 84% in extensively calcified lesions, while in vessels with no or less calcification, CT-QFR showed a comparable diagnostic accuracy with μQFR (91% versus 92%, p ​= ​0.595). Intra- and inter-observer variability in CT-QFR analysis was -0.00 ​± ​0.04 and 0.00 ​± ​0.04, respectively.Performance in diagnosis of hemodynamically significant coronary stenosis by CT-QFR was slightly lower but without statistical significance than μQFR, and substantially higher than CTA-derived diameter stenosis. Extensively calcified lesions reduced the diagnostic accuracy of CT-QFR.

Study Design. This study was a retrospective, single-center study. Background. Patients with severe posttuberculous (TB) kyphosis might suffer from late-onset neurological deficits, and surgical correction may improve neurological function. However, there is a lack of predictive factors for neurological function in these patients. Objective. This study was aimed at identifying the risk factors for late-onset neurological deficits in spinal TB patients at initial and final assessments. Methods. Seventy-eight patients with severe kyphosis caused by old thoracic tuberculosis were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with active spinal TB and other spinal diseases were excluded from the analysis. The kyphosis Cobb angle, sagittal deformity angular ratio (S-DAR), and level of apex were measured and calculated on X-ray. The spinal cord cross-sectional area ratio (CSAR), spinal cord sagittal diameter ratio (SDR), and spinal cord angle (SCA) were measured on preoperative T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). According to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) at the time of admission, the patients were divided into the symptomatic group ( N = 60 patients, AIS grades A to D) and the asymptomatic group ( N = 18 patients, AIS grade E). All of the symptomatic patients underwent surgery, and the patients from both groups had at least 2 years of follow-up. Relationships among the radiological parameters and initial and final AIS grades were evaluated via univariate and multivariate analyses. Results. The mean duration of kyphotic deformity was 37.4 years in the symptomatic group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of CSAR, kyphosis Cobb angle, S-DAR, level of apex, or the segments that were involved. Patients from the symptomatic group exhibited significantly greater SDR and smaller SCA than those from the asymptomatic group ( p < 0.01 and p < 0.01 , respectively). The multivariate logistic regression identified SDR and SCA as independent factors influencing the likelihood of spinal cord injury at the initial and final assessments. Conclusions. Severe posttuberculous kyphosis may lead to significant neurological symptoms many years following the initial treatment. The predictive factors for late-onset neurological deficits include larger SDR and smaller SCA.

Climate warming is changing the aboveground phenology of plants around the world. However, the effects of warming on the belowground phenology of plants remain relatively under-investigated, even though roots play a vital role in carbon cycling. Here we synthesize 88 published studies to show a phenological mismatch between above- and belowground plant responses to climate warming. For herbaceous plants, warming advanced both the start and end of aboveground growing season, resulting in an unchanged growing season length. In contrast, belowground phenophases (the start, end and length of the growing season) of herbaceous plants remained unchanged. For woody plants, climate warming did not affect any aboveground phenophases but extended their belowground growing season. Mismatches between above- and belowground phenology will strongly influence biomass allocation in plants, implying that terrestrial carbon cycling models based exclusively on aboveground responses are inaccurate. The work highlights an urgent need for future research of under-represented belowground phenological changes.

Aim: Climate warming and biodiversity loss both alter plant productivity, yet we lack an understanding of how biodiversity regulates the responses of ecosystems to warming. In this study, we examine how plant diversity regulates the responses of grassland productivity to experimental warming using meta-analytic techniques. Location: Global. Major taxa studied: Grassland ecosystems. Methods: Our meta-analysis is based on warming responses of 40 different plant communities obtained from 20 independent studies on grasslands across five continents. Results: Our results show that plant diversity and its responses to warming were the most important factors regulating the warming effects on plant productivity, among all the factors considered (plant diversity, climate and experimental settings). Specifically, warming increased plant productivity when plant diversity (indicated by effective number of species) in grasslands was lower than 10, whereas warming decreased plant productivity when plant diversity was greater than 10. Moreover, the structural equation modelling showed that the magnitude of warming enhanced plant productivity by increasing the performance of dominant plant species in grasslands of diversity lower than 10. The negative effects of warming on productivity in grasslands with plant diversity greater than 10 were partly explained by diversity-induced decline in plant dominance. Main conclusions: Our findings suggest that the positive or negative effect of warming on grassland productivity depends on how biodiverse a grassland is. This may mainly be due to differences in how warming may affect plant dominance and subsequent shifts in interspecific interactions in grasslands of different plant diversity levels.

Aims The functions of global forests are threatened by the increasing frequency of severe drought. Due to drought inducing reductions in soil nutrient availability, efficiencies of nutrient use and resorption of trees become crucial for forest functions and biogeochemical cycles. However, understanding the dynamics of responses of foliar nutrient use and resorption efficiencies to drought, especially in tropical or subtropical forests, is still limited. Our goal was to detect whether and how the importance of leaf nutrient use and resorption changes across different species in the hot and wet forests when suffering drought stress in different months. Methods Based on a 70% throughfall exclusion experiment in a subtropical forest, we collected green and senesced leaves of Schima superba and Lithocarpus glaber in different months from October 2016 to May 2019, to estimate the effects of drought on leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) use and resorption efficiencies (i.e. NUE and PUE, NRE and PRE). Important Findings The effects of drought on nutrient use and resorption efficiencies varied between species and months. Based on a 2-year observation, drought had no effect on S. superba, but significantly decreased NUE, NRE and PRE of L. glaber by 3.4%, 20.2% and 7.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the negative drought effects were aggravated by the natural summer drying in 2017. As a result, NUE and PUE of L. glaber were significantly depressed by 17.2% and 58.1%, while NRE and PRE were significantly reduced by 56.5% and 53.8% in August 2017. Moreover, the responses of NRE, PRE and NUE to drought were related with soil moisture (SM) for L. glaber, and when SM decreased to a threshold near 9 v/v%, drought effects were shifted from unresponsive to negative. Our results highlight a species-specific threshold response of nutrient use under drought in a subtropical forest.

The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of soil variability on bearing capacity of an embedded foundation in the presence of nonstationary undrained shear strength. The nonstationary undrained shear strength is simulated by a nonstationary random field generator based on the spectral representation method. An embedded foundation buried into the soil to two times of width is presented to investigate the influence of spatially variable undrained shear strength on bearing capacity. Firstly, Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to discuss the effect of distribution type, nonstationary gradient parameter, and horizontal autocorrelation length on the bearing capacity from the standpoint of mean value and standard deviation. Then, the influence of the distribution type on the failure probability of nonstationary random soil is also investigated, with the failure probability for the Beta distribution being demonstrated to be always larger than that for the Lognormal and Gamma distribution.

Sepsis-induced diaphragm dysfunction (SIDD) which is mainly characterized by decrease in diaphragmatic contractility has been identified to cause great harms to patients. Therefore, there is an important and pressing need to find effective treatments for improving SIDD. In addition, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity is a vital property of the diaphragm, so we evaluated both diaphragmatic contractility and AChE activity. Though neuregulin-1β (NRG-1β) is known to exert organ-protective effects in some inflammatory diseases, little is known about the potential of NRG-1β therapy in the diaphragm during sepsis. Our study was aimed at exploring the effects of NRG-1β application on diaphragmatic contractility and AChE activity during sepsis. Proinflammatory cytokines, muscle injury biomarkers in serum, contractile force, AChE activity, proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative parameters, histological condition, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) signaling proteins in the diaphragm were measured and compared between nonseptic and septic groups with or without NRG-1β treatment. In vitro, the effects of NRG-1β on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated L6 rat muscle skeletal cells with or without the Akt inhibitor MK-2206 were detected. NRG-1β inhibited proinflammatory cytokine release and muscle injury biomarkers soaring in serum and improved the sepsis-induced diaphragm dysfunction and AChE activity decrease significantly during sepsis. Meanwhile, the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, pathological impairment, and cell apoptosis in the diaphragm were mitigated by NRG-1β. And NRG-1β activated the PI3K/Akt signaling in the diaphragm of septic rats. Elevated ROS production in the LPS-stimulated L6 rat skeletal muscle cells was reduced after treatment with NRG-1β, while MK-2206 blocked these effects of NRG-1β. In conclusion, our findings underlined that NRG-1β could reduce circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines in rats with sepsis, adjust diaphragmatic proinflammatory cytokine level, mitigate diaphragmatic oxidative injury, and lessen diaphragm cell apoptosis, thereby improving diaphragmatic function, and play a role in diaphragmatic protection by activating PI3K/Akt signaling.

Biochar is a carbon (C)-rich solid produced from the thermochemical pyrolysis of biomass. Its amendment to soils has been proposed as a promising mean to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously benefit agricultural crops. However, how biochar amendment affects plant photosynthesis and growth remains unclear, especially on a global scale. In this study, we conducted a global synthesis of 74 publications with 347 paired comparisons to acquire an overall tendency of plant photosynthesis and growth following biochar amendment. Overall, we found that biochar amendment significantly increased photosynthetic rate by 27.1%, and improved stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, water use efficiency, and chlorophyll concentration by 19.6%, 26.9%, 26.8%, and 16.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, plant total biomass, shoot biomass, and root biomass increased by 25.4%, 22.1%, and 34.4%, respectively. Interestingly, plant types (C3 and C4 plants) showed greater control over plant photosynthesis and biomass than a broad suite of soil and biochar factors. Biochar amendment largely boosted photosynthesis and biomass on C3 plants, but had a limited effect on C4 plants. Our results highlight the importance of the differential response of plant types to biochar amendment with respect to plant growth and photosynthesis, providing a scientific foundation for making reasonable strategies towards an extensive application of biochar for agricultural production management.

Numerous factors have been claimed to play important roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and other immune cells, cytokines, and chemokines; however, the precise mechanisms of colorectal tumorigenesis remain elusive, and there is a lack of effective preventive treatments. Here, we investigated the role of complement system, a key regulator of immune surveillance and homeostasis, in colorectal tumorigenesis. Methods: The prototypical CRC model was induced by combined administration of azoxymethane (AOM)/ dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in Wild-type (WT), C3-, C5-, C5ar1-, and C5ar2-deficient mice. Using flow cytometry, immunohistochemical staining and multiplex bead assay, we profiled the immune cells, cytokines and chemokines. Bone marrow transplantation was employed to determine the contribution of immune cells in colorectal tumorigenesis. Further, we used C5aR1 antagonist PMX205 to investigate the protective role in colorectal tumorigenesis. Results: Complement was extensively activated in inflamed tissues of AOM/DSS-induced murine CRC model, leading to multifaceted consequences. The deficiency of complement C5 or especially C5ar1, but not C3 almost completely prevented CRC tumorigenesis. C5a/C5aR1 signaling recruited MDSCs into the inflamed colorectum to impair CD8+ T cells, and modulated the production of critical cytokines and chemokines, thus initiating CRC. Moreover, the C5aR1 antagonist PMX205 strongly impeded colorectal tumorigenesis. Bone marrow transplantation further revealed that C5aR1 expression by immune cells was critical for colorectal tumorigenesis. Conclusion: Our study identifies C5a/C5aR1 signaling as a vital immunomodulatory program in CRC tumorigenesis and suggests a feasible preventive strategy.

The Indian hedgehog (IHH) signaling pathway is an important pathway for bone growth and development. The aim of the present study was to examine the role of the IHH signaling pathway in the development of the ossification of ligamentum flavum (OLF) at the cellular and tissue levels. The expression levels and localization of the osteogenic genes Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), Osterix, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin (OCN) and IHH were evaluated in OLF tissues by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. Non-ossified ligamentum flavum (LF) sections were used as control samples. The tissue explant method was used to obtain cultured LF cells. In addition, OLF cells were subjected to cyclic stretch application for 0, 6, 12 or 24 h. The expression levels of osteogenic genes, and the IHH signaling pathway genes IHH, Smoothened (SMO), GLI family zinc finger 1 (GLI1), GLI2 and GLI3 were evaluated with RT-qPCR and western blotting. Osteogenic differentiation was further evaluated by assessing ALP activity and staining. Moreover, the effect of cyclopamine (Cpn), an IHH signaling inhibitor, on osteogenic differentiation was examined. The RT-qPCR and immunohistochemical results indicated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of RUNX2, Osterix, ALP, OCN and IHH were significantly higher in the OLF group compared with the LF group. Furthermore, application of cyclic stretch to OLF cells resulted in greater ALP activity, and significant increases in mRNA and protein expression levels of RUNX2, Osterix, ALP and OCN in a time-d00ependent manner. Cyclic stretch application also led to significant increases in IHH signaling pathway genes, including IHH, SMO, GLI1 and GLI2, while no significant effect was found on GLI3 expression level. In addition, it was found that Cpn significantly reversed the effect of cyclic stretch on the ALP activity, and the expression levels of RUNX2, Osterix, ALP, OCN, GLI1 and GLI2. Collectively, the present results suggested that the IHH signaling pathway may mediate the effect of cyclic stretch on the OLF cells.

Osteoporosis is characterized by the reduction of bone mineral density and deterioration of bone quality which leads to high risk of fractures. Some microRNAs (miRNAs) have been confirmed as potential modulators of osteoblast differentiation to maintain bone mass maintenance. We aimed to clarify whether miR-122 could regulate osteoblast differentiation in ovariectomized rats with osteoporosis. miR-122 was upregulated and Purkinje cell protein 4 (PCP4) was downregulated in ovariectomized rats. PCP4 was identified as a target of miR-122 by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. We transfected isolated osteoblasts from ovariectomized rats with miR-122 mimic or inhibitor or PCP4 overexpression vectors. Proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts were repressed by the overexpression of miR-122 but enhanced by overexpression of PCP4. miR-122 could induce the activation of the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway, while PCP4 blocked this pathway. Rescue experiments further demonstrated that the inhibiting effects of miR-122 on osteoblast differentiation could be compensated by activation of the PCP4 or inhibition of JNK signaling pathway. Collectively, our data imply that miR-122 inhibits osteoblast proliferation and differentiation in rats with osteoporosis, highlighting a novel therapeutic target for osteoporotic patients.

BackgroundAdolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a genetically heterogeneous disease characterised by three-dimensional deformity of the spine in the absence of a congenital spinal anomaly or neurological musculoskeletal disorder. The clinical variability and incomplete penetrance of some genes linked with AIS indicate that this disease constitutes an oligogenic trait.ObjectiveWe aimed to explore the oligogenic nature of this disease and identify novel AIS genes.MethodsWe analysed rare damaging variants within AIS-associated genes by using exome sequencing in 40 AIS trios and 183 sporadic patients.ResultsMultiple variants within AIS-associated genes were identified in eight AIS trios, and five individuals harboured rare damaging variants in theFLNBgene. The patients showed more frequent oligogenicity than the controls. In the gene-based burden test, the top signal resided inFLNB. In functional studies, we found that the AIS-associatedFLNBvariants altered the protein’s conformation and subcellular localisation and its interaction with other proteins (TTC26 and OFD1) involved in AIS. The most compelling evidence of an oligogenic basis was that the number of rare damaging variants was recognised as an independent prognostic factor for curve progression in Cox regression analysis.ConclusionOur data indicate that AIS is an oligogenic disease and identifyFLNBas a susceptibility gene for AIS.

Over the last century, anthropogenic activities have increased nitrogen (N) deposition considerably, which significantly affects ecosystem processes and has the potential to induce N saturation in the future. The continuous increase in N deposition may cause a non-linear response in soil respiration (Rs), an important component of carbon (C) cycling. However, little is known about N saturation threshold of soil respiration. In this study, we conducted coordinated experiments in four grassland types across northern China with four N addition levels to explore patterns in the Rs saturation threshold. Our results showed that an Rs saturation threshold generally exists in grassland ecosystems in response to N addition gradients. The N saturation threshold of Rs occurred at an average rate of 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1, but varied widely with grassland type; the N saturation threshold occurred at rates of 100, 50, 50, and 25 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in the alpine meadow, meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe, respectively. Autotrophic respiration (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) responded to N addition gradients differently. Ra increased initially and became saturated at a rate of 50 kg N ha−1 yr−1 and declined thereafter. In contrast, Rh decreased monotonically after N addition. Structural equation models further confirmed that the effects of N addition gradients on Rs were primarily determined by the non-linear response of belowground biomass. Interestingly, the compiled global dataset showed that the N saturation threshold of Rs increased with precipitation and soil moisture. These findings indicate that the stimulating effect of N deposition on Rs and Ra might diminish with increasing N deposition in the future, especially in dry grassland ecosystems.

Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is among the most prevalent forms of malignant tumors seen in children and teenagers. Early metastasis is a hallmark of OS, and it is therefore important to find new and more effective treatment targets to improve the survival time of patients with the disease. High mobility group N (HMGNs) is a family of proteins that contributes to the development of a number of different tumors. In particular, HMGN2 was found in our earlier study to be an anti-tumor factor and was seen to impede the metastasis of OS when it was overexpressed. This study aims to further investigate the potential of HMGN2 in anti-tumor treatment. Methods We overexpressed HMGN2 in 293FT cells via transfection with recombinant lentiviruses and purified HMGN2 protein with flag tags to treat OS cell lines. The cellular location of exogenous HMGN2 was detected by immunocytochemistry, and wound healing and transwell assays were used to study differences in the rates of migration and invasion of cells between each group. Results We found that exogenous HMGN2 enters OS cells in a concentration-dependent manner and inhibits the migration and invasion of OS cells, and exogenous HMGN2 regulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 in OS cells. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that exogenous HMGN2 plays a role in inhibiting OS metastasis, which could act as a basis for new ideas for future anti-tumor therapy research.

Land-use/land-cover change (LULCC) often results in degradation of natural wetlands and affects the dynamics of greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, the magnitude of changes in GHG emissions from wetlands undergoing various LULCC types remains unclear. We conducted a global meta-analysis with a database of 209 sites to examine the effects of LULCC types of constructed wetlands (CWs), croplands (CLs), aquaculture ponds (APs), drained wetlands (DWs), and pastures (PASs) on the variability in CO2 , CH4 , and N2 O emissions from the natural coastal wetlands, riparian wetlands, and peatlands. Our results showed that the natural wetlands were net sinks of atmospheric CO2 and net sources of CH4 and N2 O, exhibiting the capacity to mitigate greenhouse effects due to negative comprehensive global warming potentials (GWPs; -0.9 to -8.7 t CO2 -eq ha-1 year-1 ). Relative to the natural wetlands, all LULCC types (except CWs from coastal wetlands) decreased the net CO2 uptake by 69.7%-456.6%, due to a higher increase in ecosystem respiration relative to slight changes in gross primary production. The CWs and APs significantly increased the CH4 emissions compared to those of the coastal wetlands. All LULCC types associated with the riparian wetlands significantly decreased the CH4 emissions. When the peatlands were converted to the PASs, the CH4 emissions significantly increased. The CLs, as well as DWs from peatlands, significantly increased the N2 O emissions in the natural wetlands. As a result, all LULCC types (except PASs from riparian wetlands) led to remarkably higher GWPs by 65.4%-2,948.8%, compared to those of the natural wetlands. The variability in GHG fluxes with LULCC was mainly sensitive to changes in soil water content, water table, salinity, soil nitrogen content, soil pH, and bulk density. This study highlights the significant role of LULCC in increasing comprehensive GHG emissions from global natural wetlands, and our results are useful for improving future models and manipulative experiments.

AIM: Livestock grazing can alter carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) cycles, thereby affecting the C : N : P stoichiometry in grasslands. In this study, we aimed to examine mechanisms underlying the impacts of grazing on grassland C : N : P stoichiometry, focusing on belowground processes and their linkages with aboveground vegetation properties. LOCATION: Global. TIME PERIOD: 1900–2018. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: Grassland ecosystems. METHODS: We conducted a meta‐analysis based on 129 published studies to synthesize the effects of grazing on the C : N : P stoichiometry of leaves, stems, litter, roots, microbial biomass, and soil in grassland ecosystems. RESULTS: Grazing significantly affected the C, N and P pools, and then the C : N : P stoichiometry in grassland ecosystems. Grazing effects on C : N : P stoichiometry varied strongly with grazing intensity. Specifically, heavy grazing decreased all C : N : P stoichiometry except litter N : P and root C : N ratios, while light and moderate grazing caused less negative or positive effects. Grazing effects on litter C : N ratio were negatively correlated with grazing effects on soil C : N ratios under light and moderate grazing, but this relationship was positive under heavy grazing. In contrast, grazing effects on root C : P and soil C : P were positively correlated under light and moderate grazing but negatively correlated under heavy grazing. Importantly, grazing significantly decreased the soil N pool by 10.0% but increased the soil P pool by 3.6%, indicating differential mechanisms for grazing impact on N and P cycles in grasslands. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our results strongly suggest that grazing intensity regulates the biogeochemical cycles of C, N and P in grassland ecosystems by affecting plant nutrient use efficiency and soil physicochemical processes. Therefore, incorporating grazing intensity into Earth system models may improve predictions of climate–grassland feedbacks in the Anthropocene.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in both soil and roots were examined in May (summer) and December (winter) under a 4-y drought experiment in a Chinese subtropical secondary forest. Drought significantly decreased AM fungal extra-radical hyphal density, spore density, and root colonization rate in both seasons. These AM parameters were significantly higher in summer than in winter in the control treatment, but only AM fungal extra-radical hyphal density exhibited the same seasonal trend in the drought treatment. In total, 45 AM fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained at a 97% sequence similarity level using Illumina sequencing of 18S rDNA. Drought and season had no significant effects on AM fungal OTU richness in soil and roots. AM fungal community composition in soil and roots was significantly affected by season but not by drought. This finding enhances our understanding of the response of AM fungi to global climate change in subtropical forest ecosystems.

Outbreak of insects or pathogens (referred to as biotic disturbance), which is projected to continually increase in a warmer climate, may profoundly affect plant photosynthesis and production. However, the response of plant photosynthesis to biotic disturbance remains unclear, especially differences in response between insects and pathogens, which hinders the prediction of plant productivity in future climate. In this study, a meta-analysis approach was used to examine effects of insects and pathogens on photosynthetic rate per unit leaf area (Pn) and the associated characteristics from 115 studies. Our results showed that biotic disturbance significantly decreased Pn by 34.8% but increased Rd by 26.2%. Most of parameters associated with Pn were significantly reduced by biotic disturbance, including g

Background The root-zone restriction cultivation technique is used to achieve superior fruit quality at the cost of limited vegetative and enhanced reproductive development of grapevines. Fungal interactions and diversity in grapevines are well established; however, our knowledge about fungal diversity under the root-zone restriction technique is still unexplored. To provide insights into the role of mycobiota in the regulation of growth and fruit quality of grapevine under root-zone restriction, DNA from rhizosphere and plant compartments, including white roots (new roots), leaves, flowers, and berries of root-zone restricted (treatment) and conventionally grown plants (control), was extracted at three growth stages (full bloom, veraison, and maturity). Results Diversity analysis based on the ITS1 region was performed using QIIME2. We observed that the root-zone restriction technique primarily affected the fungal communities of the soil and plant compartments at different growth stages. Interestingly, Fusarium, Ilyonectria, Cladosporium and Aspergillus spp observed in the rhizosphere overlapped with the phyllosphere at all phenological stages, having distinctive abundance in grapevine habitats. Peak richness and diversity were observed in the rhizosphere at the full bloom stage of control plants, white roots at the veraison stage of treatment, leaves at the maturity stage of treatment, flowers at the full bloom stage and berries at the veraison stage of control plants. Except for white roots, the diversity of soil and plant compartments of treated plants tended to increase until maturity. At the maturity stage of the treated and control plants, the abundance of Aspergillus spp. was 25.99 and 29.48%, respectively. Moreover, the total soluble sugar content of berries was 19.03 obrix and 16 obrix in treated and control plants, respectively, at the maturity stage. Conclusions This is the first elucidative study targeting the fungal diversity of conventional and root-restricted cultivation techniques in a single vineyard. Species richness and diversity are affected by stressful cultivation known as root zone restriction. There is an association between the abundance of Aspergillus spp. and fruit quality because despite causing stress to the grapevine, superior quality of fruit is retrieved in root-zone restricted plants.

Biomass allocation in plants is fundamental for understanding and predicting terrestrial carbon storage. Recent studies suggest that climate warming can differentially affect root and shoot biomass, and subsequently alter root: shoot ratio. However, warming effects on root: shoot ratio and their underlying drivers at a global scale remain unclear. Using a global synthesis of >300 studies, we here show that warming significantly increases biomass allocation to roots (by 13.1%), and two factors drive this response: mean annual precipitation of the site, and the type of mycorrhizal fungi associated with a plant. Warming-induced allocation to roots is greater in relatively drier habitats compared to shoots (by 15.1%), but lower in wetter sites (by 4.9%), especially for plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi compared to ectomycorrhizal fungi. Root-biomass responses to warming predominantly determine the biomass allocation in terrestrial plants suggesting that warming can reinforce the importance of belowground resource uptake. Our study highlights that the wetness or dryness of a site and plants’ mycorrhizal associations strongly regulate terrestrial carbon cycle by altering biomass allocation strategies in a warmer world.

Plants may slow global warming through enhanced growth, because increased levels of photosynthesis stimulate the land carbon (C) sink. However, how climate warming affects plant C storage globally and key drivers determining the response of plant C storage to climate warming remains unclear, causing uncertainty in climate projections. We performed a comprehensive meta-analysis, compiling 393 observations from 99 warming studies to examine the global patterns of plant C storage responses to climate warming and explore the key drivers. Warming significantly increased total biomass (+8.4 %), aboveground biomass (+12.6 %) and belowground biomass (+10.1 %). The effect of experimental warming on plant biomass was best explained by the availability of soil nitrogen (N) and water. Across the entire dataset, warming-induced changes in total, aboveground and belowground biomass all positively correlated with soil C:N ratio, an indicator of soil N availability. In addition, warming stimulated plant biomass more strongly in humid than in dry ecosystems, and warming tended to decrease root:shoot ratios at high soil C:N ratios. Together, these results suggest dual controls of warming effects on plant C storage; warming increases plant growth in ecosystems where N is limiting plant growth, but it reduces plant growth where water availability is limiting plant growth.

Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Objective To evaluate the cross-cultural adaptability and internal consistency of the Chinese version of the Quality-of-Life Profile for Spine Deformities (QLPSD) questionnaire in mainland China. Methods The original QLPSD was translated from Spanish into Chinese with proper cross-cultural adaptation based on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons guidelines. A total of 129 AIS patients referring to our institution from February 2021 to January 2022 were enrolled in this study. The effects of ceiling and floor were evaluated and the reliability was verified by examining the internal consistency (the Cronbach’s α coefficient). Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to test and retest reliability. The C-QLPSD dimensions were compared with the domains in Chinese version of 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaires using Pearson correlation coefficient to assess the concurrent validity. Results No significant floor and ceiling effects in C-QLPSD was observed. The total Cronbach’s α was estimated at .914, ranging from .768 in back pain dimensions to .862 in psychosocial function dimensions. The C-QLPSD dimensions indicated satisfactory test-retest reliability with ICC range of .784-.870. Construct validity analysis revealed that C-QLPSD was well correlated with SRS-22 and SF-36. The values of total correlation coefficient were calculated at -.924 and -.871, respectively, which were both statistically significant ( P < .05). Conclusion The adapted Chinese version of QLPSD had good internal consistency and excellent test-retest reliability, which can be used to assess the outcome among Chinese-speaking patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.