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Root biomass and distribution are influenced by abiotic factors, such as topography and soil physicochemical properties, determining belowground productivity. Hence, we investigated the variation in root biomass and vertical root distribution based on the topography, soil physicochemical properties, and tree influence index, and their relationships, across soil depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm) and topographical gradients in a warm-temperate forest in Mt. Duryun, Republic of Korea. Two contrasting research sites were established: a lower slope oriented at ≤3° and an upper slope with a slope of 30°. Each site comprised eleven 400 m2 sampling plots from which root samples from various diameter classes (<2 mm, 2–5 mm, 5–10 mm, and >10 mm) were collected. While the bulk density increased with soil depth in the lower slope, the organic matter, available phosphorus, Ca2+, and Mg2+ showed a reversed pattern. Linear mixed-effects models generally revealed significant negative correlations between root biomass and soil pH, total nitrogen, and cation exchange capacity, particularly in small roots (βstd = −1.03 to −1.51) and coarse roots (βstd = −6.30). Root biomass exhibited a 10–15% increase in the upper slope compared to the lower slope, particularly in fine (median = 52.0 g m2–65.64 g m2) and medium roots (median = 56.04 g m2–69.52 g m2) at a 0–20 cm soil depth. While no significant correlation between root biomass and the tree influence index was found on the lower slope, a different pattern was found on the upper slope. Our results indicate that the variation in root biomass and distribution can also be explained by the differences in the soil environment and topographical positions.

Background Understanding the processes underlying carbon storage and balance is critical for equipping the terrestrial biosphere to respond to contemporary climatic challenges. However, ecosystem-level estimates and distribution of net primary productivity (NPP), a metric for evaluating forest carbon cycling patterns and dynamics, remain constrained by uneven empirical observations between above- and belowground fractions. We herein quantified the rate and composition of NPP for four stands characteristic of the cool-temperate deciduous ( Larix kaempferi , LK; Quercus mongolica , QM) and evergreen ( Pinus densiflora , PD; Pinus koraiensis , PK) forests of South Korea over a complete annual cycle (2022–2023). Variations in dynamic NPP compartments, particularly (1) canopy litterfall by stand and season and (2) fine root production by stand, diameter class, and depth interval, were further characterized using litter traps and ingrowth cores, respectively. Results Total NPP varied from 1226 ± 101 to 1796 ± 154 g m −2  yr −1 , with 78–84% allocated aboveground and 16–22% belowground. LK and QM exhibited total NPP up to 46% higher than PD and PK. Both litterfall and fine root production differed considerably across stands, decreasing in the order of QM > PK > PD > LK for litterfall and QM & PD > LK & PK for fine root production. Litterfall peaked in autumn, similar to the leaf phenological rhythm of many temperate deciduous species. In contrast, fine root production showed a negative vertical distribution with depth, which is consistent with decreasing nutrient availability and increasing mechanical impedance along the soil profile. Conclusions By disentangling the contribution levels and dynamic patterns of each NPP compartment, our findings demonstrate a strong inclination toward aboveground NPP investment when belowground resources are not limiting. In other words, an adequate nutrient supply enables plants to modify their priority allocation from fine root maintenance to internal resource transport, leaf production, canopy expansion, reproduction, and other critical aboveground functions. Such information underscores the necessity for forest management strategies that target soil fertility to strengthen not only canopy productivity and CO 2 sequestration but also ecosystem resilience by reinforcing allocation patterns that sustain high NPP and safeguard forests against shifting climate conditions.

Urbanization and associated forest conversions have given rise to a continuum of native (forest fragments) and modified (artificial grasslands and perennial ecosystems) land-use types. However, little is known about how these shifts affect soil and fine-root compartments that are critical to a functioning carbon and nutrient circulation system. In this study, soil physicochemical properties, fine-root mass, and vertical distribution patterns were investigated in four representative urban land-use types: grassland (ZJ), perennial agroecosystem (MP), broadleaf deciduous forest patch (QA), and coniferous evergreen forest patch (PD). We quantified the fine-root mass in the upper 30 cm vertical profile (0–30 cm) and at every 5 cm depth across three diameter classes (<2 mm, 2–5 mm, and <5 mm). Soil physicochemical properties, except for phosphorus, nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and sodium cations, varied significantly across land-use types. The total root biomass (<5 mm) decreased in the order of QA (700.3 g m−2) > PD (487.2 g m−2) > ZJ (440.1 g m−2) > MP (98.3 g m−2). The fine-root mass of ZJ and MP was correlated with soil nutrients, which was attributed to intensive management operations, while the fine-root mass of QA and PD had a significant relationship with soil organic matter due to the high inputs from forest litter. Very fine roots (<2 mm) presented a distinct decremental pattern with depth for all land-use types, except for MP. Very fine roots populated the topmost 5 cm layer in ZJ, QA, and PD at 52.1%, 49.4%, and 39.4%, respectively. Maintaining a woody fine-root system benefits urban landscapes by promoting soil stabilization, improving ground infiltration rates, and increasing carbon sequestration capacity. Our findings underscore the importance of profiling fine-root mass when assessing urban expansion effects on terrestrial ecosystems.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the main microorganisms causing catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) and to evaluate the effectiveness of taurolidine catheter lock therapy in children with intestinal failure (IF) receiving parenteral nutrition (PN). Study design: This retrospective study included 31 pediatric patients with IF admitted between 2017 and 2022 who received PN via central venous catheters (CVCs). Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected, along with information on PN use, catheter characteristics, and infection episodes, including clinical signs, microbiological cultures, and antimicrobial therapy. Serum C-reactive protein and albumin levels, as well as the use of taurolidine lock therapy, were analyzed. Results: The median age was 54.4 days among patients who developed CRBSI and 154.1 days among those without CRBSI. The median duration of PN was 119 days in patients with CRBSI and 89 days in those without. Nineteen patients experienced CRBSI, accounting for 55 infection episodes confirmed by blood cultures obtained from CVCs. The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Taurolidine lock therapy was significantly associated with lower infection rates per 1000 catheter days, with most infected catheters and infection episodes occurring in the absence of taurolidine use. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the characterization of the microbiological profile of CRBSIs in pediatric patients with IF and support the use of advanced preventive strategies, such as taurolidine lock therapy, to reduce infection rates in children receiving long-term PN.

Non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory viral infections, such as influenza virus (FluV) and human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), have contributed considerably to the burden of infectious diseases in the non-COVID-19 era. While the rates of co-infection in SARS-CoV-2-positive group (SCPG) patients have been determined, the burden of other respiratory viruses in the SARS-CoV-2-negative group (SCNG) remains unclear. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study (São José do Rio Preto county, Brazil), and we collected our data using a meta-analysis to evaluate the pooled prevalence of FluV and RSV among SCNG patients. Out of the 901 patients suspected of COVID-19, our molecular results showed positivity of FluV and RSV in the SCNG was 2% (15/733) and 0.27% (2/733), respectively. Co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 and FluV, or RSV, was identified in 1.7% of the patients (3/168). Following our meta-analysis, 28 studies were selected (n = 114,318 suspected COVID-19 patients), with a pooled prevalence of 4% (95% CI: 3–6) for FluV and 2% (95% CI: 1–3) for RSV among SCNG patients were observed. Interestingly, FluV positivity in the SCNG was four times higher (OR = 4, 95% CI: 3.6–5.4, p < 0.01) than in the SCPG. Similarly, RSV positivity was significantly associated with SCNG patients (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 2–4, p < 0.01). For subgroup analysis, cold-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, headache, myalgia, diarrhea, and nausea/vomiting, were positively associated (p < 0.05) with the SCPG. In conclusion, these results show that the pooled prevalence of FluV and RSV were significantly higher in the SCNG than in the SCPG during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.