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Yi He, Cong Zheng, Min-Hui He, Jian-Rong Huang Emergency Trauma Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510700, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jian-Rong HuangEmergency Trauma Center, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, 621 Gangwan Road, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, 510700, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail guke16@163.comObjective: The study aimed to explore the causal effect of body mass index (BMI) on osteoarthritis.Methods: The genome-wide association data of BMI and osteoarthritis were obtained via the Mendelian randomization (MR)-base platform. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with BMI were identified and used as instrumental variables, and the causal relationship between BMI and osteoarthritis was examined using the two-sample MR research method. Three statistical methods including inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, weighted median estimator, and MR-Egger regression were employed.Results: A total of 79 SNPs significantly associated with BMI were identified in the study (P< 5× 10− 8; linkage disequilibrium r2 < 0.1). Consistent association between BMI and osteoarthritis was observed when evaluated by different methods (IVW: odds ratio (OR) 1.028, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.021– 1.036; weighted median estimator: OR 1.028, 95% CI 1.019– 1.037; MR-Egger regression: OR 1.028, 95% CI 1.009– 1.046), which suggests that BMI is positively associated with increased risk of osteoarthritis. There was no evidence that the observed causal effect between BMI and the risk of osteoarthritis was affected by genetic pleiotropy (MR-Egger intercept 1.3× 10− 5, P=0.959).Conclusion: The MR analysis provided the strong evidence to indicate that BMI might be causally associated with the risk of osteoarthritis.Keywords: osteoarthritis, body mass index, Mendelian randomization

Wenbiao Chen,1,* Jianrong Huang,2,* Xiangqi Yu,1 Xiaocong Lin,1 Yong Dai11The Clinical Medical Research Center, Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen People's Hospital, 2Department of Hemodialysis, The Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 3Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang, People's Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Alport syndrome (AS) is a hereditary disease that leads to kidney failure and is caused by mutations in the COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5 genes that lead to the absence of collagen α3α4α5 (IV) networks in the mature kidney glomerular basement membrane. Approximately 80% of AS is X-linked because of mutations in COL4A5, the gene encoding the alpha 5 chain of type IV collagen. To investigate the pathogenesis of AS at the genetic level, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from renal tubular cells of a patient with AS. The successful iPSC generation laid the foundation to master the repair of the COL4A5 gene and to evaluate the differentiation of iPSC into Sertoli cells and the accompanying epigenetic changes at each stage. The generation of iPSCs from AS patients not only confirms that iPSCs could be generated from renal tubular cells, but also provides a novel type of genetic therapy for AS patients. In this study, we generated iPSCs from renal tubular cells via ectopic expression of four transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, c-myc, and Klf4). According to the human embryonic stem cell (hESC) charter, iPSC formation was confirmed by comparatively analyzing hESC markers via colony morphology, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, flow cytometry, gene expression profiling of the three germ layers, and karyotyping. Our results demonstrated that iPSCs were similar to hESCs with regard to morphology, proliferation, hESC-specific surface marker expression, and differentiation into the cell types of the three germ layers. The efficient generation of iPSCs from the renal tubular cells of an AS patient would provide a novel model to investigate the mechanisms underlying AS and to develop new treatments for AS.Keywords: Alport syndrome, induced pluripotent stem cells, renal tubular cells

Tropical cyclones are often accompanied by large amount of precipitation potentially impacting stream hydrochemistry. Global warming is altering typhoon disturbance regime. Little is known about how cyclone changes, especially cyclone‐frequency reduction may affect stream hydrochemistry. In this study, we compared water and nutrient input via precipitation and output via streamflow between a frequent‐typhoon period (2013–2017), with 1.2 typhoon yr−1, and a no‐typhoon period (2018–2022) at a long‐term monitoring site, the Fushan Experimental Forest of Taiwan. Precipitation and streamflow quantities were not different between the two periods because typhoons increased the fluctuation but not the mean of monthly precipitation in the major typhoon months (July–September). Inputs of Mg2+, NO3−, and SO42− via precipitation were greater in the frequent‐typhoon period than the no‐typhoon period while inputs of other ions were not different between the two periods. Only the output of Mg2+ was different between the two periods, greater in the frequent‐typhoon period. Output/input ratio of NO3− was greater in the no‐typhoon period than the frequent‐typhoon period despite the greater input in the frequent‐typhoon period, while no differences were found for others. Increases in mineralization rates due to warming is suggested to be the cause of the greater NO3− output/input ratio during the no‐typhoon period. Relationships between stream discharge and ion export were similar between the two periods both with and without removing typhoon events. The limited variation in hydrochemistry between periods of contrasting cyclone activities suggests high resilience of the undisturbed subtropical forests to changes in cyclone frequency at the decadal scale. Plain Language Summary: Tropical cyclones often bring large quantity of rainfall through which affect stream water quantity and quality. The frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones is changing because of climate change. We examined how reduction in typhoon frequency affects nutrient cycling in a forest watershed by comparing streamwater quality and quantity between a frequent (six) typhoon period (2013–2017) and a no‐typhoon period (2018–2022) in a forest watershed in Taiwan. Surprisingly, although the typhoons brought substantial rainfall, the annual and typhoon season rainfall and streamwater were similar between the two periods. Input and output of most ions were also similar between the two periods. However, NO3− export was higher in the no‐typhoon period, possibly resulting from greater mineralization associated with warmer temperatures. Patterns of ion export in relation to streamwater were also similar between the two periods. Thus, the hydrochemistry of the undisturbed forest was resilent to changes in typhoon frequency. Key Points: A no‐typhoon period (2018–2022) was observed in Taiwan despite an average of two typhoons per year in 1958–2017Relationships between stream discharge and ion export were similar between the two periodsOutput/input ratio of NO3− was greater in the no‐typhoon period despite the greater input in the frequent‐typhoon period [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streamflow recession, shaped by hydrological processes, runoff dynamics, and catchment storage, is heavily influenced by landscape structure and rainstorm characteristics. However, our understanding of how recession relates to landscape structure and rainstorm characteristics remains inconsistent, with limited research examining their combined impact. This study examines this interplay in shaping recession responses upon 291 sets of recession parameters obtained through the decorrelation process. The data originate from 19 subtropical mountainous rivers and cover events with a wide spectrum of rainfall amounts. Key findings indicate that the recession coefficient (a) increases while the exponent (b) decreases with the L/G ratio (the median of ratios between flow-path length and gradient), suggesting that longer and gentler hillslopes facilitate flow accumulation and aquifer connectivity, ultimately reducing nonlinearity. Additionally, in large catchments, the exponent (b) increases with increasing rainfall due to greater landscape heterogeneity. Conversely, in small catchments, it declines with rainfall, indicating that these catchments have less landscape heterogeneity and thus reduced runoff heterogeneity. Our findings underscore the necessity for further validation of how L/G and drainage area regulate recession responses to varying rainfall levels across diverse regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore whether party alternation in local mayoral elections might have any influence on the local fiscal deficit in each of the four years after such elections take place in Taiwan. The results of five local mayoral elections for the 21 counties/cities in 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2005, respectively, as well as three indicators of the fiscal deficit for the 21 counties and cities from 1990 to 2009 are employed to estimate the spatial econometric model. The primary finding of this study is that after using instrument variable to conquer the endogeneity problem, party alternation making counties to have new mayors of new ruling parties cannot mitigate the fiscal deficit in any years after the election, instead will tend to aggravate the local fiscal deficit in the third and fourth years after the election that is consistent with the theory of political budget cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical weathering driven by physical erosion is a natural process that strongly affects chemical and solid matter budgets at the Earth's surface. However, the influence of extreme climatic erosion on chemical weathering dynamics is poorly understood. Badland landscapes formed in highly erodible substrates have the potential to respond to individual events on scales that are rapid enough for direct observation. Here, we assess the geochemical and grain-size composition of suspended sediment and riverine chemistry measurements collected from two catchments during the 2017 Nesat and Haitang typhoons in southwestern (SW) Taiwan. During the typhoons, the Na + concentration covaried with suspended sediment concentration (SSC), which we attributed to sodium-induced deflocculation. Evaporite weathering at peak rainfall is succeeded by peak silicate weathering at maximum discharge. Overall, our observations suggest that initial weathering of near-surface evaporite enhances the physical erosion of silicate rock during extreme rainfall events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]