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Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have accelerated microbial threats to human health in the last decade. Many genes can confer resistance, but evaluating the relative health risks of ARGs is complex. Factors such as the abundance, propensity for lateral transmission and ability of ARGs to be expressed in pathogens are all important. Here, an analysis at the metagenomic level from various habitats (6 types of habitats, 4572 samples) detects 2561 ARGs that collectively conferred resistance to 24 classes of antibiotics. We quantitatively evaluate the health risk to humans, defined as the risk that ARGs will confound the clinical treatment for pathogens, of these 2561 ARGs by integrating human accessibility, mobility, pathogenicity and clinical availability. Our results demonstrate that 23.78% of the ARGs pose a health risk, especially those which confer multidrug resistance. We also calculate the antibiotic resistance risks of all samples in four main habitats, and with machine learning, successfully map the antibiotic resistance threats in global marine habitats with over 75% accuracy. Our novel method for quantitatively surveilling the health risk of ARGs will help to manage one of the most important threats to human and animal health. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have accelerated microbial threats to human health. Here, Zhang et al. analyze 4572 metagenomic samples to illustrate the global patterns of ARG distribution in diverse habitats. They quantitatively evaluate the health risk to humans of 2561 ARGs by integrating human accessibility, mobility, pathogenicity and clinical availability. With the machine learning, they map the antibiotic resistance threats in global marine habitats.

Objective: Utidelone (UTD1), a recently approved epothilones analog in China for metastatic breast cancer, is endorsed in combination with capecitabine for metastatic breast cancer patients who have encountered first-line therapy failures. Despite its clinically verified therapeutic efficacy, it is concurrently associated with peripheral neuropathic pain, particularly affecting extremities. However, the etiology of UTD1-induced peripheral neuropathic pain remains unclear. Methods: The present investigation built a mouse pain model induced by UTD1, resulting in marked mechanical and cold allodynia. Results: Examination of the dorsal root ganglia unveiled a notable upregulation of TRPA1, accompanied by noteworthy alterations in oxidative stress-related markers, including ATF4, SOD2, CAT, and Cyt-C. The TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031, resulted in the alleviation of mechanical and cold allodynia in the UTD1-induced pain model, as well as two antioxidants, including Mito-tempo and edaravone. Interpretation: The present study will provide new strategies for pain relieving induced by UTD1.

Background: A shorter treatment duration potentially offers the advantage of reducing adverse events (AEs) and enhancing patient compliance for Helicobacter pylori eradication. However, the difference in eradication rates between short-duration vonoprazan-based regimens and fourteen-day proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based therapy remained unknown. Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of ten-day vonoprazan-based regimens with fourteen-day conventional PPI-based therapy for H. pylori eradication. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search up to November 28, 2023, using PubMed. A random-effects model was applied to conduct a meta-analysis to determine the pooled Odds Ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: This meta-analysis included four randomized controlled clinical trials with 1560 patients. The H. pylori eradication rate of ten-day vonoprazan-based regimens was comparable to that of fourteen-day PPI-based therapy (88.7% vs 82.9%, OR 1.53, 95% CI [0.85–2.75], p = .16) in ITT analysis. The incidence of AEs in ten-day vonoprazan-based therapy was also similar to the control group (11.2% vs 17.6%, OR 0.66, 95% CI [0.33–1.31], p = .24). Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that the ten-day vonoprazan-based regimen is as effective as fourteen-day PPI-based therapy in eradicating H. pylori, with comparable AEs. However, additional research is required for confirmation.

In ocean color remote sensing, most of the radiative energy received by sensors comes from the atmosphere, requiring highly accurate atmospheric correction. Although atmospheric correction models based on ground measurements—especially the Ground-Aerial-Satellite Atmospheric Correction (GASAC) method that integrates multi-scale synchronous data—are theoretically optimal, their application in nearshore areas is limited by the lack of synchronous samples, pixel mismatches, and nonlinear atmospheric effects. This study focuses on Tangdao Bay in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, and proposes an innovative GASAC method for nearshore waters using synchronized surface spectrometer data and UAV hyperspectral imagery collected during Sentinel-2 satellite overpasses. The method first resolves pixel mismatch issues in UAV data through Pixel-by-Pixel Matching (MPP) and applies the Empirical Line Model (ELM) for high-accuracy ground-aerial atmospheric correction. Then, based on spectrally unified UAV and satellite data, a large amount of high-quality spatial atmospheric reference data is obtained. Finally, a Transformer model optimized by an Exponential-Trigonometric Optimization (ETO) algorithm is used to fit nonlinear atmospheric effects and perform aerial-to-satellite correction, forming a stepwise GASAC framework. The results show that GASAC achieves high accuracy and good generalization in local areas, with predicted remote sensing reflectance reaching R2 = 0.962 and RMSE = 12.54 × 10−4 sr−1, improving by 5.2% and 23.5%, respectively, over the latest deep learning baseline. In addition, the corrected data achieved R2 = 0.866 in a Chl-a retrieval model based on in situ measurements, demonstrating strong application potential. This study offers a precise and generalizable atmospheric correction method for satellite imagery in nearshore water quality monitoring, with important value for coastal aquatic ecological sensing.

One of the malignant transformation hallmarks is metabolism reprogramming, which plays a critical role in the biosynthetic needs of unchecked proliferation, abrogating cell death programs, and immunologic escape. However, the mechanism of the metabolic switch is not fully understood. Here, we found that the S-nitrosoproteomic profile of endogenous nitrogen oxide in ovarian cancer cells targeted multiple components in metabolism processes. Phosphofructokinase (PFKM), one of the most important regulatory enzymes of glycolysis, was S-nitrosylated by nitric oxide synthase NOS1 at Cys351. S-nitrosylation at Cys351 stabilized the tetramer of PFKM, leading to resist negative feedback of downstream metabolic intermediates. The PFKM-C351S mutation decreased the proliferation rate of cultured cancer cells, and reduced tumor growth and metastasis in the mouse xenograft model. These findings indicated that S-nitrosylation at Cys351 of PFKM by NOS1 contributes to the metabolic reprogramming of ovarian cancer cells, highlighting a critical role of endogenous nitrogen oxide on metabolism regulations in tumor progression.

Extreme drought events may become more frequent with climate change. Understanding the impact of extreme drought on grassland ecosystems is therefore crucial for the long-term sustainability of ecosystems. Here, we identified extreme drought events in the Inner Mongolia grasslands of China using long-term standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) data and evaluated drought resistance of the vegetation under extreme drought based on net primary production (NPP). The impact of consecutive extreme drought events and multiple discontinuous one-year extreme drought events on grasslands were further analyzed to investigate the response strategies of different grassland types to different drought conditions. We found that the frequency and area of extreme drought in 2000–2011 were significantly higher than those in 2012–2020, and the Xilingol League region showed the highest frequency of extreme drought events. Under extreme drought, vegetation resistance was positively correlated, where annual precipitation > 300 mm. The mean resistance of different grassland types followed the order: upland meadow (UM) > lowland meadow (LM) > temperate meadow steppe (TMS) > temperate desert (TD) > temperate steppe (TS) > temperate steppe desert (TSD) > temperate desert steppe (TDS). In the analysis of two cases of consecutive two-year extreme drought, all grassland types except TSD and TD showed obvious decreased resistance in the final drought year, with the highest reduction (0.16) in LM during 2010–2011, implying the widespread and significant inhibition of grassland growth by continuous drought. However, under the multiple discontinuous extreme drought events, the resistance of all grassland types showed a fluctuating but an overall increasing trend, suggesting the adaptability of grassland to drought. The results emphasize that management departments should pay more attention to regions with low resistance and enhance the stability of grassland production by increasing the proportion of drought-resistant plants in reaction to future extreme drought scenarios.

European plum (Prunus domestica) orchards in the Kashi region, Xinjiang, China, suffer from fruit brown spot disease. The disease typically appears as red spots on the fruit surface that expand into brown necrotic lesions; affected fruit flesh can shrink, and fruits can harden and drop. We isolate and identify pathogens associated with this disease in this plum from five Kashi counties. Of 210 fungal isolates obtained through standard tissue isolation, Alternaria accounted for 84.8%, with the remainder comprising species of Aspergillus (9.5%), Diplodia (3.3%), and Neoscytalidium (2.4%). Using PCR amplification and sequencing of five loci, pathogens were identified using multi-gene phylogenetic analyses, combined with observations of colony and spore morphology. Multi-locus sequences of Alternaria isolates were highly homologous to those of the Alternaria alternata type strain, and we refer them to an A. alternata species complex. Pathogenicity tests confirm that Alternaria isolates reproduce brown spot symptoms on European plum fruits. By demonstrating that Alternaria is the primary pathogen causing brown spot disease in European plum in Xinjiang, we clarify both the fungal species composition and taxonomic placement of the dominant pathogen associated with this disease.

(1) Objective: To investigate the chemical defense response mechanisms of two cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., Malvaceae) varieties, Xinlu Zhong 57 and Xinlu Zhong 78, in response to feeding by the cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover, 1877) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the Kashi region. (2) Methods: The artificial infestation method was adopted to determine the dynamic changes in the contents of secondary metabolites (tannins, total phenols), activities of protective enzymes (SOD, POD, PPO), and contents of nutrients (soluble sugars, amino acids) in cotton leaves at 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after infestation with cotton aphids. (3) Results: The contents of secondary metabolites and the activities of protective enzymes in both varieties showed an initial increase followed by a decrease. The response of Xinlu Zhong 57 was earlier and stronger. Its tannin and total phenol contents reached a peak at 48 h, with values of 264.2 nmol/g and 5.973 mg/g, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of Xinlu Zhong 78 (p < 0.05). The activities of SOD, POD, and PPO were consistently higher in Xinlu Zhong 57. At 48 h post-inoculation, SOD activity in Xinlu Zhong 57 was 238.1 U/g, significantly higher than in Xinlu Zhong 78 (p < 0.05). POD activity was 49.0 U/g, and PPO activity was 94.5 U/g, both significantly higher than those of Xinlu Zhong 78 (p < 0.05). This suggests that Xinlu Zhong 57 has a stronger ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Regarding nutrients, soluble sugar content in Xinlu Zhong 57 was 6.99 mg/g at 96 h, significantly higher than that in Xinlu Zhong 78 (p < 0.05). The amino acid content at 96 h was 224.4 μg/g, also significantly higher than in Xinlu Zhong 78 (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Xinlu Zhong 57 forms a more effective chemical defense system by rapidly activating the defense enzyme system, efficiently accumulating secondary metabolites, and optimizing nutrient allocation. This study provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the physiological mechanisms of cotton resistance induced by cotton aphids by analyzing the effects of cotton aphid stress on the contents of secondary metabolites, protective enzyme activities, and nutrient contents in cotton leaves.

Urban agglomerations have become the primary form of urbanization in China and serve as a principal means of promoting the nation’s high-quality economic development. As a key driving force behind the development of urban agglomerations, human activity intensity plays a critical role in understanding and regulating their sustainable development. In this study, we estimated the human activity intensity of land surface (HAILS) for five major urban agglomerations in China from 1990 to 2020 based on the land cover. Trend analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis were employed to examine the temporal dynamics and spatial aggregation pattern of HAILS. Furthermore, effectiveness of the HAILS index was validated and the driving factors of HAILS changes was explored. The results indicated that areas with higher HAILS were mainly concentrated in the plains, while high-altitude regions exhibited lower HAILS values. From 1990 to 2010, human activity intensity increased significantly across all five urban agglomerations, followed by divergent trends after 2010. HAILS showed a strong correlation with population density in artificial surfaces, but weak correlation in the natural and artificial vegetation cover. Changes in human activity intensity were found to be largely influenced by national and local policies. These findings underscore the value of quantifying human activity intensity in urban agglomerations, offering insights into their spatiotemporal dynamics and development patterns, as well as providing theoretical and practical support for policy formulation.

Little is known about the fungal pathogens responsible for fig (Ficus carica L.) branch canker in the Kashi region of Xinjiang, China. Using a combination of morphological characterization and multilocus sequence analyses of ITS, TEF1-α, and RPB2, we identified fungal isolates obtained from cankered fig branches collected in commercial orchards in this region. The pathogenicity of representative isolates was evaluated by artificial inoculation of fig branches under natural field conditions. Two dominant fungal species, Fusarium proliferatum and Alternaria alternata, were consistently isolated from diseased tissues. In inoculation assays, both species induced typical branch canker lesions similar to those observed in the field. Lesions caused by F. proliferatum were generally larger than those induced by A. alternata. The original pathogens were successfully re-isolated from the inoculated branches, thereby fulfilling Koch’s postulates. This study represents the first report of F. proliferatum and A. alternata as causal agents of fig branch canker in Xinjiang and expands the known spectrum of pathogens associated with fig branch diseases. These findings provide a scientific basis for improved disease monitoring and the development of sustainable management strategies in local fig orchards.