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Eucalyptus plantations play a crucial role in meeting global timber demand, yet the effects of management practices on their growth remain poorly understood. This meta-analysis assesses the impact of eight silvicultural practices on crucial growth indicators in Eucalyptus plantations based on 856 cases. The results show that fertilisation, weeding, land preparation, and irrigation generally boost eucalyptus growth, with mixed planting and intercropping providing moderate benefits. These practices impact diameter growth more than height. Ripping at 0.8 m increased growth by 452.9%, while 0.3 m had no effect. Eucalyptus-specific fertilizer at 1 kg tree⁻¹ increases growth by 4.0%. However, thinning reduces stand volume by 36.2% while enhancing individual growth. Management has a greater impact on seedling-regenerated and younger stands than on coppice-regenerated or mature ones. In plantation forests, growth was 32.3%, far higher than the 6.2% in first-generation coppice forests and 2.0% in second-generation ones. As forests age, the effects of weeding and irrigation diminish, and burning turns negative, while mixed planting and fertilisation continue to promote growth, showing a decreasing trend. This study emphasizes the importance of adaptive management strategies tailored to specific forest conditions to maximize growth and ensure sustainable plantation management.

There is clearly a need for the development of new classes of antimicrobials to fight against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Here, we designed and synthesized of three ruthenium polypyridyl complexes: [Ru(bpy) 2 (BTPIP)](ClO 4 ) 2 ( Ru(II)-1 ), [Ru(bpy) 2 (ETPIP)](ClO 4 ) 2 ( Ru(II)-2 ) and [Ru(bpy) 2 (CAPIP)](ClO 4 ) 2 ( Ru(II)-3 ) ( N - N  = bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), their antimicrobial activities against S. aureus were assessed. The lead complexes of this set, Ru(II)-1 (MIC = 0.016 mg/mL), was tested against biofilm. We also investigated whether bacteria can easily develop resistance to Ru(II)-1 . The result demonstrated that S. aureus could not easily develop resistance to the ruthenium complexes. In addition, aimed to test whether ruthenium complexes treatment could increase the susceptibility of S. aureus to antibiotics, the synergism between Ru(II)-1 and common antibiotics against S. aureus were investigated using the checkerboard method. Interesting, Ru(II)-1 could increased the susceptibility of S. aureus to some aminoglycoside antibiotics(kanamycin and gentamicin). Finally, in vivo bacterial infection treatment studies were also conducted through murine skin infection model. These results confirmed ruthenium complexes have good antimicrobial activity in vitro and in vivo. Graphic abstract

Breeding is an extremely important part of the life history of birds, and it is also a crucial period that determines the development of the entire population. White-eared night heron (Gorsachius magnificus) is difficult to observe in the wild due to its solitary, nocturnal behavior, concealment and other characteristics, and little is known about its ecological habits. In order to understand the breeding ecology of white-eared night herons and to reveal the main factors influencing their nest site selection, the breeding process of white-eared night herons in Guangxi Junwu Forest Park was observed during the breeding period from 2013 to 2022 by a fixed-point monitoring method and their nest site characteristics were recorded by a quadrat method. During the study, breeding activities of 12 pairs of white-eared night herons were recorded. The average hatching rate was 83.33% (n=24) ； the average survival rate of chicks was 87.50% (n=32) , and the total breeding success rate was 83.33% (n=12) . The nestling dep

Q958.1; 繁殖是鸟类生活史中极其重要的环节,也是决定整个种群发展的关键时期.海南(鳽)(Gorsachius magnificus)具有独居、夜行性且行踪隐蔽等特点,野外难以观察,对其生态习性等了解甚少.为了解海南(鳽)的繁殖生态和揭示影响海南(鳽)巢址选择的主要因素,在2013-2022年的繁殖期,对广西君武森林公园内的海南(鳽)繁殖过程采用定点监测法观察,并利用样方法对巢址特征进行记录.研究期间记录到12对海南(鳽)繁殖过程,孵化率为83.33%(n=24),幼鸟成活率为87.50%(n=32);总繁殖成功率为83.33%(n=12).幼鸟4月下旬出巢,6月末—7月初离巢.筑巢树种为马尾松(Pinus massoniana),平均树高(32.6±2.0)m(n=12),平均胸径(55.0±2.2)cm(n=12),巢距地面平均高度(27.0±2.2)m(n=12).巢址选择分析结果显示,影响海南(鳽)巢址选择的主要因子是安全因素(包括灌木盖度、巢树高和乔木郁闭度),其次是食物因素(包括距林缘距离和距水边距离).研究发现海南(鳽)虽能在人工马尾松林中顺利繁殖,但人为干扰会影响海南(鳽)对巢址的利用.本研究连续近10年观察和记录海南(鳽)的繁殖,比较全面地揭示了繁殖行为和巢址选择,为海南(鳽)的保护和管理提供基础性资料.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small-molecule polypeptides with broad-spectrum antibacterial and immunomodulatory properties. As feed additives, they have demonstrated synergistic effects in aquaculture by enhancing growth performance and maintaining host health. Its negligible drug resistance makes it an ideal additive to replace antibiotics in the “antibiotic-free breeding” system. Antimicrobial peptides were added to the basic diet of the crucian carp (Carassius auratus) to assess their impacts on growth, muscle quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and key gene expression in the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. Crucian carp were fed with experimental diets containing antimicrobial peptides for 49 days, namely four treatments: L0 (0 g/kg), L1 (0.2 g/kg), L2 (0.4 g/kg), and L3 (0.6 g/kg), with three repetitions of each treatment. The findings indicated that AMPs had the potential to improve growth performance and muscle quality. The final weight, WGR, and SGR of crucian carp of group L1 significantly increased compared with groups L0 and L3 (p < 0.05). The condition factor of group L2 significantly increased compared with group L0 (p < 0.05). The FCR of groups L0, L1, and L2 was significantly reduced compared with group L3 (p < 0.05). The muscle redness of group L1 was significantly higher compared with groups L0, L2, and L3 (p < 0.05). The muscle shear force of groups L0, L1, and L2 was significantly lower compared with group L3 (p < 0.05). The crude protein content of groups L0, L1, and L2 showed significantly higher crude protein content than group L3 (p < 0.05). Conversely, the crude fat content was significantly lower in groups L1, L2, and L3 compared with group L0 (p < 0.05). The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of group L1 was significantly higher compared with groups L0, L2, and L3 (p < 0.05). The catalase (CAT) activity of groups L0 and L1 was significantly increased compared with groups L2 and L3 (p < 0.05). The malondialdehyde (MDA) content of groups L1 and L2 was significantly reduced compared with groups L0 and L3 (p < 0.05). The acid phosphatase (ACP) activity of groups L1 and L2 was significantly increased compared with group L0 (p < 0.05). The alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity of group L1 was significantly increased compared with groups L0 and L3 (p < 0.05). Compared with groups L2 and L3, the lysozyme activity of group L1 was significantly increased (p < 0.05). The C3 content of groups L1, L2, and L3 was significantly higher compared with group L0 (p < 0.05). Similarly, C4 levels of groups L2 and L3 significantly exceeded group L0 (p < 0.05). For inflammatory cytokines, the IL-1 levels of groups L1 and L2 were significantly higher than those of group L0 (p < 0.05). The IL-6 and IL-12 levels of groups L0, L1, and L2 significantly increased compared with group L3 (p < 0.05). Compared with group L0, the levels of TNF and IFN-γ of groups L1, L2, and L3 were significantly higher (p < 0.05). Compared with group L0, the relative expression levels and protein expression levels of key genes TLR4, MyD88, IRAK4, TRAF6, and NF-κB of groups L1, L2, and L3 were significantly upregulated (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with 0.2–0.4 g/kg antimicrobial peptides promoted the growth of crucian carp, improved muscle quality, enhanced the antioxidant capacity, and boosted immunity through modulation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Background As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in healthcare, nursing education faces growing expectations to prepare students with AI literacy. However, nursing students often encounter cognitive, emotional, and practical challenges when learning AI, and their learning experiences across the educational trajectory remain insufficiently understood. This study employed journey mapping to explore how undergraduate nursing students experience learning AI over time. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used. Seventeen undergraduate nursing students from four universities in different regions were purposively recruited between March and September 2025. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using content analysis. A journey map was developed to integrate students’ learning tasks, emotional trajectories, barriers, and needs across different stages of AI learning. Results The AI learning journey was characterized by four stages: Initial Contact and Curiosity, Learning and Confusion, Integration and Anxiety, and Internalization and Confidence. Across these stages, students experienced distinct and evolving challenges. Early learning was characterized by limited relevance and fragmented exposure to AI concepts. Subsequent stages involved cognitive overload, theory–practice gaps, ethical uncertainty, and career-related anxiety, while later stages highlighted the need for feedback, institutional support, and opportunities for innovation and professional identity consolidation. Conclusions Journey mapping revealed the dynamic and stage-specific nature of nursing students’ AI learning experiences. These findings highlight the importance of stage-sensitive educational approaches that combine early cognitive guidance, scaffolded technical learning, ethical reflection, and innovation-oriented support to strengthen AI education in undergraduate nursing programs.

Anomalous changes in groundwater have been long reported prior to some sizable earthquakes. Here we examined the water temperature and water level data at the Lijiang well in Yunnan, China from November 1, 2007 to September 30, 2017, and obtained the correlation coefficients between them varying with time by using different time windows. We then use Molchan’s error diagram to obtain the area skill scores for different alarm sizes and distances, which are used for evaluating the prediction efficiency of local sizable earthquakes. We found that (i) when the time window is 90 days and the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.10, a sizable earthquake ( M  ≥ 5.0) is more likely to happen within 200 km during the following 45 days; (ii) when the time window is 90 days and the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.65, a sizable earthquake ( M  ≥ 5.0) is more likely to happen within 150 km during the following 45 days. Because there are two separate aquifers and the water temperatures become warmer with depths larger than 200 m, we speculate that normally the well water is recharged mainly by colder rainfall through the shallow aquifer, and increasing water level causes decreasing water temperature and vice versa. However, before a local sizeable earthquake ( M  ≥ 5.0) within 200 km, there may be deep hotter water flowing into and out of the well through the deep aquifer and breaking the negative correlation between them, and positive correlation coefficients are even observed. This study may provide some useful clues for short to medium-term forecast of sizable earthquakes in the Lijiang region and can provide methodological reference for similar studies in other regions.

Malignant melanoma represents a particularly aggressive type of skin cancer, originating from the pathological transformation of melanocytes. While conventional interventions such as surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are available, their non-specificity and collateral damage to normal cells has shifted the focus towards immunotherapy as a notable approach. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are naturally occurring transporters, and are capable of delivering tumor-specific antigens and directly engaging in the immune response. Multiple types of EVs have emerged as promising platforms for melanoma vaccination. The effectiveness of EV-based melanoma vaccines manifests their ability to potentiate the immune response, particularly by activating dendritic cells (DCs) and CD8+ T lymphocytes, through engineering a synergy of antigen presentation and targeted delivery. Here, this review mainly focuses on the construction strategies for EV vaccines from various sources, their effects, and immunological mechanisms in treating melanoma, as well as the shortcomings and future perspectives in this field. These findings will provide novel insights into the innovative exploitation of EV-based vaccines for melanoma immune therapy.

Ruyan Neixiao Cream (RUc) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula which can effectively inhibit the angiogenesis of breast precancerous lesions. In order to reveal the specific mechanism, we carried out experiments in vitro and in vivo. We found that the conditioned medium of MCF-10AT cells treated with RUc transdermal solution (RUt) could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, tube formation of HUVECs and the capillary formation of rat aortic rings. RUt may down-regulate the expression of VEGF, MMP2, and MMP9 in MCF-10AT medium by down-regulating miR-21 and up-regulating TIMP-3 and RECK. We further confirmed in rats that the microvascular density of precancerous lesions decreased significantly after external use of RUc, which may be related to the inhibition of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway related proteins. Presumptively, RUc may inhibit the angiogenesis of breast precancerous lesions by inhibiting Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, thus relieving the inhibition of miR-21 on TIMP-3 and RECK, then down-regulating the secretion of angiogenic factors.

Hypertension induced by hypoxia at high altitude is one of the typical symptoms of high-altitude reactions (HARs). Emerging evidence indicates that endothelial abnormalities, including increases in angiotensin-2 (Ang-2) and endothelin-1 (ET-1), are closely associated with hypertension. Thus, low blood oxygen-induced endothelial dysfunction through acceleration of Ang-2 and ET-1 synthesis may alleviate HARs. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia on rat blood pressure (BP) and endothelial injury. We found that BP increased by 10 mmHg after treatment with 10% O (~5500 m above sea level) for 24 h. Consistently, serum Ang-2 and ET-1 levels were increased along with decreases in NO levels. In endothelial cells, angiotensin-1-converting enzyme (ACE) and ET-1 expression levels were upregulated. Interestingly, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) levels were also upregulated, consistent with the changes in ACE and ET-1 levels. We further demonstrated that NRF1 transcriptionally activated ACE and ET-1 by directly binding to their promoter regions, suggesting that the endothelial cell dysfunction induced by hypoxia was due to NRF1-dependent upregulation of ACE and ET-1. Surprisingly, testosterone supplementation showed significant protective effects on BP, while castration induced even higher BPs in rats exposed to hypoxia. We further showed that physiological testosterone repressed NRF1 expression in vivo and in vitro and thereby reduced Ang-2 and ET-1 levels, which was dependent on hypoxia. In summary, we have identified that physiological testosterone protects against hypoxia-induced hypertension through inhibition of NRF1, which transcriptionally regulates ACE and ET-1 expression.