The ongoing degradation of fragile ecosystems increasingly diminishes the availability of natural resources. Consequently, the conservation and utilization of ecosystem assets have emerged as a focal ...point of global research. This study focuses on integrating agroforestry ecosystem assets (AEA) with their capacity to provide ecosystem services, aiming to explore their interconnections and enhance their optimization. We employed a comprehensive literature review method, utilizing the Scopus database to select, analyze, and include 61 pertinent studies on AEA globally. The systematic literature review results show the following: (1) The overall number of published papers is showing an upward trend, indicating that research in this field is gradually expanding. The geographical focus of the literature is primarily in Europe and Asia, with academic institutions being the main contributors to this research. (2) Landmark research findings are mainly concentrated in the areas of identification, quantitative assessment, and decision management. Among these, quantitative assessment is the main focus, while the research on identification, decision management, and influencing factors is relatively limited and explores the relevant key scientific questions. (3) The above information highlights the key areas for improvement in the karst desertification control agroforestry ecosystem, focusing on two aspects: fragile habitats and human–land relationships. Furthermore, this review furnishes essential recommendations for agroforestry practitioners and policymakers across various regions, emphasizing the critical need to thoroughly evaluate and leverage the connections between the quantity and quality of ecosystem assets. Such an approach is pivotal for facilitating the strategic restructuring and optimization of agroforestry ecosystems. This, in turn, aims to elevate the sustainability of AEA utilization and enhance their ability to provide ecosystem services (ES).
Agroforestry systems (AFS) are priority semi-natural ecosystems in fragile ecological zones. The complexity and diversity of their species structure play a crucial role in maintaining AFS stability. ...To explore the optimization of improvement strategies in AFS’ structure and stability for control of karst desertification (KD), in this study, we chose typical desertification control areas in the southern China karst region. The study included homegarden (HG), agrisilviculture (ASV), and multipurpose woodlots (MWLs) as three AFS. We quantified the AFS’ structural characteristics using descriptive statistics and spatial structure parameters. We used the fuzzy integrated evaluation method with structural and functional indicators as guidelines, and stand structure, plant species diversity, soil fertility, and environmental factors as first-level evaluation indicators. The entropy weight method calculates the weights of indicators at all levels. The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method establishes an evaluation index system to evaluate the grading of AFS’ stability. The results showed that: (i) The species composition of the AFS in the KD control areas had a simple structure, the overall diversity level was low, and the diversity level of herbaceous plants was better than that of woody plants. (ii) The overall distribution curves of diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (TH), and crown width (CW) of woody plants in the AFS in the KD control areas were slight to the left, with a single-peaked pattern, mostly randomly and unevenly distributed in space, with a low degree of tree species isolation and relatively weak stand stability. (iii) There was variability in the stability classes of different types of AFS, overall reflecting the ranking HG > ASV > MWLs. (iv) When structural optimization was applied, corresponding measures can be taken according to farmers’ wishes for different types of AFS and their primary business purposes. The improvement of stability depends mainly on the utility of the structural optimization applied coupled with positive human interference (for example, pruning, dwarfing, and dense planting). This study provides a scientific reference for maintaining the stability of AFS and promoting service provision.
Energy homeostasis is essential for the adaptation of animals to their environment and some wild animals keep low metabolism adaptive to their low-nutrient dietary supply. Giant panda is such a ...typical low-metabolic mammal exhibiting species specialization of extremely low daily energy expenditure. It has low levels of basal metabolic rate, thyroid hormone, and physical activities, whereas the cellular bases of its low metabolic adaptation remain rarely explored. In this study, we generate a single-nucleus transcriptome atlas of 21 organs/tissues from a female giant panda. We focused on the central metabolic organ (liver) and dissected cellular metabolic status by cross-species comparison. Adaptive expression mode (i.e., AMPK related) was prominently displayed in the hepatocyte of giant panda. In the highest energy-consuming organ, the heart, we found a possibly optimized utilization of fatty acid. Detailed cell subtype annotation of endothelial cells showed the uterine-specific deficiency of blood vascular subclasses, indicating a potential adaptation for a low reproductive energy expenditure. Our findings shed light on the possible cellular basis and transcriptomic regulatory clues for the low metabolism in giant pandas and helped to understand physiological adaptation response to nutrient stress.
Drawing from institutional arbitrage perspective and the view of organizational capability, we develop arguments showing how emerging‐market firms' (EMFs) innovation capabilities and digital ...transformation facilitate or constrain the importance of domestic institutional quality in their export activities. We use the data of Chinese firms collected from World Bank's Enterprise Survey database to test the research hypotheses. The results indicate that home country institutional constraints relate positively to export intensity. Moreover, this relationship is weakened by innovative capabilities but strengthened by digital transformation. We discuss the implications for theory and practice.
In the previous studies, a bolt-nut connection with slight pitch difference was considered towards realizing anti-loosening performance and high fatigue strength through axisymmetric finite element ...method (FEM) as well as experiment. In this study, screwing process before the nut touching the clamped body is analyzed through three dimensional FEM. Then, it is found that the prevailing torque during this screwing process is in good agreement with the experimental result. The prevailing torque varies depending on the pitch difference from 5 to 25 Nm and anti-loosening behavior is confirmed. After the nut toughing a clamped body, the tightening process is also analyzed. For normal nut, the tightening force coincides with the empirical formula. The tightening torque and tightening force relations are discussed with varying the pitch difference.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a current world-wide public health threat. However, little is known about its hallmarks compared to other infectious diseases. Here, we report ...the single-cell transcriptional landscape of longitudinally collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in both COVID-19- and influenza A virus (IAV)-infected patients. We observed increase of plasma cells in both COVID-19 and IAV patients and XIAP associated factor 1 (XAF1)-, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-, and FAS-induced T cell apoptosis in COVID-19 patients. Further analyses revealed distinct signaling pathways activated in COVID-19 (STAT1 and IRF3) versus IAV (STAT3 and NFκB) patients and substantial differences in the expression of key factors. These factors include relatively increase of interleukin (IL)6R and IL6ST expression in COVID-19 patients but similarly increased IL-6 concentrations compared to IAV patients, supporting the clinical observations of increased proinflammatory cytokines in COVID-19 patients. Thus, we provide the landscape of PBMCs and unveil distinct immune response pathways in COVID-19 and IAV patients.
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•We generated a single-cell atlas of PBMCs in both COVID-19 and influenza patients•Plasma cells increase significantly in both COVID-19 and influenza patients•COVID-19 is featured with XAF1-, TNF-, and FAS-induced T cell apoptosis•COVID-19 activates distinct pathway (STAT1/IRF3) versus influenza (STAT3/NFκB)
COVID-19 and influenza are both respiratory infections with cytokine release syndrome. Zhu et al. use single-cell RNA sequencing of longitudinally collected PBMCs in both patients to reveal distinct immune response landscapes of the two diseases and identify virus-specific cell composition and immune response pathways.
The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis, SCT) is the most critically endangered subspecies of tiger due to functional extinction in the wild. Inbreeding depression is observed among the ...captive population descended from six wild ancestors, resulting in high juvenile mortality and low reproduction. We assembled and characterized the first SCT genome and an improved Amur tiger (P. t. altaica, AT) genome named AmyTig1.0 and PanTig2.0. The two genomes are the most continuous and comprehensive among any tiger genomes yet reported at the chromosomal level. By using the two genomes and resequencing data of 15 SCT and 13 AT individuals, we investigated the genomic signature of inbreeding depression of the SCT. The results indicated that the effective population size of SCT experienced three phases of decline, ~5.0–1.0 thousand years ago, 100 years ago, and since captive breeding in 1963. We found 43 long runs of homozygosity fragments that were shared by all individuals in the SCT population and covered a total length of 20.63% in the SCT genome. We also detected a large proportion of identical‐by‐descent segments across the genome in the SCT population, especially on ChrB4. Deleterious nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphic sites and loss‐of‐function mutations were found across genomes with extensive potential influences, despite a proportion of these loads having been purged by inbreeding depression. Our research provides an invaluable resource for the formulation of genetic management policies for the South China tiger such as developing genome‐based breeding and genetic rescue strategy.
see also the Perspective by Anubhab Khan
Objective
To discover novel serodiagnostic candidates for the serological diagnosis of syphilis.
Methods
Two recombinant Treponema pallidum proteins Tp0100 and Tp1016 were expressed, purified, and ...identified by Western Blotting. A total of 600 clinical serum samples were tested with the Tp0100‐based ELISA, the Tp1016‐based ELISA, and the commercial LICA Syphilis TP kit (ChIVD, Beijing, China). The sensitivities were determined by testing 340 samples from individuals with clinically diagnosed primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary syphilis. The specificities were determined by screening 260 samples from healthy controls and individuals with potentially cross‐reactive infections, including leptospirosis, Lyme disease, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus. Kappa (κ) values were applied to compare the agreement between clinical syphilis diagnosis and the Tp0100‐based ELISA, the Tp1016‐based ELISA, or the LICA Syphilis TP test.
Results
Using clinical syphilis diagnosis as the gold standard, Tp0100 exhibited an overall sensitivity of 95.6% and specificity of 98.1% for testing IgG antibody while Tp1016 demonstrated only an overall sensitivity of 75.0% and specificity of 79.6%. In contrast, the LICA Syphilis TP test revealed an overall sensitivity of 97.6% and specificity of 96.2%. In addition, the overall percent agreement and corresponding κ values were 96.7% (95% CI 95.6%–97.8%) and 0.93 for the Tp0100‐based ELISA, 77.0% (95% CI 74.3%–79.7%) and 0.54 for the Tp1016‐based ELISA, and 97.0% (95% CI 96.0%–98.0%) and 0.94 for the LICA Syphilis TP test, respectively.
Conclusion
The recombinant T. pallidum protein Tp0100 shows promise as a novel diagnostic antigen in the serological tests for syphilis.
SDS‐PAGE analysis of the expression and purification of recombinant proteins. (A, B) Tp0100 (22 kDa); (C, D) Tp1016 (39 kDa). M: molecular mass markers; N:noninduced; I: induced with IPTG; P: purification. Western blotting identification of recombinant proteins Tp0100 and Tp1016 with sera from normal rabbits (1), sera from uninfected human (2), anti‐Hismonoclonal antibody (3), sera from T. pallidum‐infected rabbits (4), and sera frompatients with secondary syphilis (5).
Helminth diseases have long been a threat to the health of humans and animals. Roundworms are important organisms for studying parasitic mechanisms, disease transmission and prevention. The study of ...parasites in the giant panda is of importance for understanding how roundworms adapt to the host. Here, we report a high‐quality chromosome‐scale genome of Baylisascaris schroederi with a genome size of 253.60 Mb and 19,262 predicted protein‐coding genes. We found that gene families related to epidermal chitin synthesis and environmental information processes in the roundworm genome have expanded significantly. Furthermore, we demonstrated unique genes involved in essential amino acid metabolism in the B. schroederi genome, inferred to be essential for the adaptation to the giant panda‐specific diet. In addition, under different deworming pressures, we found that four resistance‐related genes (glc‐1, nrf‐6, bre‐4 and ced‐7) were under strong positive selection in a captive population. Finally, 23 known drug targets and 47 potential drug target proteins were identified. The genome provides a unique reference for inferring the early evolution of roundworms and their adaptation to the host. Population genetic analysis and drug sensitivity prediction provide insights revealing the impact of deworming history on population genetic structure of importance for disease prevention.
The BBIBP-CorV severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) inactivated vaccine has been authorized for emergency use and widely distributed. We used single-cell transcriptome ...sequencing to characterize the dynamics of immune responses to the BBIBP-CorV inactivated vaccine. In addition to the expected induction of humoral immunity, we found that the inactivated vaccine induced multiple, comprehensive immune responses, including significantly increased proportions of CD16+ monocytes and activation of monocyte antigen presentation pathways; T cell activation pathway upregulation in CD8+ T cells, along with increased activation of CD4+ T cells; significant enhancement of cell-cell communications between innate and adaptive immunity; and the induction of regulatory CD4+ T cells and co-inhibitory interactions to maintain immune homeostasis after vaccination. Additionally, comparative analysis revealed higher neutralizing antibody levels, distinct expansion of naive T cells, a shared increased proportion of regulatory CD4+ T cells, and upregulated expression of functional genes in booster dose recipients with a longer interval after the second vaccination. Our research will support a comprehensive understanding of the systemic immune responses elicited by the BBIBP-CorV inactivated vaccine, which will facilitate the formulation of better vaccination strategies and the design of new vaccines.
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•A single-cell atlas of dynamic immune responses to the SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine.•The proportion of CD16+ monocytes and the antigen presentation pathway are elevated.•Both CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells are activated by inactivated vaccine.•Cell-cell communications between innate and adaptive immunity are enhanced.•Tregs and co-inhibitory pathways are induced to maintain immune homeostasis.
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