Limited hydraulic recovery in seedlings of six tree species with contrasting leaf habits in subtropical China

Subtropical tree species may experience severe drought stress due to variable rainfall under future climates. However, the capacity to restore hydraulic function post-drought might differ among co-occurring species with contrasting leaf habits (e.g., evergreen and deciduous) and have implications for future forest composition. Moreover, the links between hydraulic recovery and physiological and morphological traits related to water-carbon availability are still not well understood. Here, potted seedlings of six tree species (four evergreen and two deciduous) were grown outdoors under a rainout shelter. They grew under favorable water conditions until they were experimentally subjected to a soil water deficit leading to losses of ca. 50% of hydraulic conductivity, and then soils were re-watered to field capacity. Traits related to carbon and water relations were measured. There were differences in drought responses and recovery between species, but not as a function of evergreen or deciduous groups. Sapindus mukorossi exhibited the most rapid drought response, which was associated with a suite of physiological and morphological traits (larger plant size, the lowest hydraulic capacitance (Cbranch), higher minimum conductance (gmin) and lower HV (Huber value)). Upon re-watering, xylem water potential exhibited fast recovery in 1–3 days among species, while photosynthesis at saturating light (Asat) and stomatal conductance (gs) recovery lagged behind water potential recovery depending on species, with gs recovery being more delayed than Asat in most species. Furthermore, none of the six species exhibited significant hydraulic recovery during the 7 days re-watering period, indicating that xylem refilling was apparently limited; in addition, NSC availability had a minimal role in facilitating hydraulic recovery during this short-term period. Collectively, if water supply is limited by insignificant hydraulic recovery post-drought, the observed carbon assimilation recovery of seedlings may not be sustained over the longer term, potentially altering seedling regeneration and shifting forest species composition in subtropical China under climate change.This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31600483 and 31760111) and the Natural Science Talent Funding of Guizhou University (202132)

Effects of drought on chemical elements and stoichiometry linked to plant species in subtropical forests

Plant chemical elements and stoichiometry influence plant growth and survival during drought. However, the effects of droughts on the element allocation and stoichiometric balance in subtropical plants remain understudied. We investigated plant growth and twelve chemical elements (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron, manganese, copper, zinc, aluminum (Al)) in leaves, stems, and roots of four woody species (Syzygium rehderianum, Ardisia lindleyana, Castanopsis chinensis, and Schima superba) with varying levels of drought sensitivity, under two drought treatments (higher intensity and shorter duration (FD), and lower intensity and longer duration (SD)). We found that Schima superba, the most drought-resistant species, sustained higher stem concentrations of base element (K, Na, Ca, and Mg), and higher stoichiometric ratios of Ca:Al and Fe:Mn in leaves and roots under both drought treatments, and higher base element increases in FD than in SD treatment. However, Syzygium rehderianum, the most drought-sensitive species, showed increases in Na concentrations in stems and roots and Al concentrations in leaves, and decreases in root K:Na and leaf Ca:Al under drought. These species-specific changes were related to the ability to coordinate elements among organs. Our results suggest that drought-induced shifts in chemical elements and stoichiometry may depend on drought sensitivities of species. Drought-resistant species may accumulate base elements to promote the maintenance of physiochemical functions, especially under FD treatment, whereas drought-sensitive species may suffer from potential Na salt stress and Al toxicity. Our results facilitate a better understanding of the plant economics spectrum and community dynamics in subtropical forests under drought.This article is published as Huang, C., Zhai, S., Xu, Y. et al. Effects of drought on chemical elements and stoichiometry linked to plant species in subtropical forests. Plant Growth Regul (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10725-025-01360-0This study was jointly funded by Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou (E33309), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32471680, 42207158) and Guangdong Ordinary University Young Innovation Project (2019GKQNCX058)

Wrinkle-Enabled Highly Stretchable Strain Sensors for Wide-Range Health Monitoring with a Big Data Cloud Platform

Flexible and stretchable strain sensors are vital for emerging fields of wearable and personal electronics, but it is a huge challenge for them to possess both wide-range measurement capability and good sensitivity. In this study, a highly stretchable strain sensor with a wide strain range and a good sensitivity is fabricated based on smart composites of carbon black (CB)/wrinkled Ecoflex. The sensor exhibits a maximum recoverable strain of up to 500% and a high gauge factor of 67.7. It has a low hysteresis, a fast signal response (as short as 120 ms), and a high reproducibility (up to 5000 cycles with a strain of 150%). The sensor is capable of detecting and capturing wide-range human activities, from speech recognition and pulse monitoring to vigorous motions. It is also applicable for real-time monitoring of robot movements and vehicle security crash in an anthropomorphic field. More importantly, the sensor is successfully used to send signals of a volunteer’s breathing data to a local hospital in real time through a big data cloud platform. This research provides the feasibility of using a strain sensor for wearable Internet of things and demonstrates its exciting prospect for healthcare applications

The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism in the <it>Angiotensin-converting enzyme </it>(<it>ACE</it>) gene has been implicated in susceptibility to cancer, but a large number of studies have reported inconclusive results. The aim of this study is to assess the association between the I/D polymorphism in the <it>ACE </it>gene and cancer risk by meta-analysis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A search was performed in Pubmed database, Embase database, Chinese Biomedical (CBM) database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database and Weipu database, covering all studies until August 31, 2010. Statistical analysis was performed by using Revman4.2 and STATA 10.0.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 25 case-control studies comprising 3914 cancer patients and 11391 controls were identified. No significant association was found between the I/D polymorphism and over all cancer risks (OR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.73-1.06, P = 0.17 for DD+DI vs. II). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, no significant association was found among Asians and Europeans for the comparison of DD+DI vs. II. In the subgroup analysis by cancer types, no significant associations were found among lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer for the comparison of DD+DI vs. II. Results from other comparative genetic models also indicated the lack of associations between this polymorphism and cancer risks.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This meta-analysis suggested that the <it>ACE </it>D/I polymorphism might not contribute to the risk of cancer.</p

PbSe quantum dots-based chemiresistors for room-temperature NO2 detection

Colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are promising building blocks for low-cost and high-performance gas sensors due to their excellent solution processability and extremely small size. Among chalcogenide CQDs, PbSe has a large exciton Bohr radius and exhibits strong confinement energies, facilitating the fast charge-carrier transport. However, CQDs-based devices are susceptible to degrade due to the poor stability of CQDs. Here, in order to obtain air-stable PbSe CQDs for gas sensing application, we synthesized PbSe CQDs using a cation exchange method with in situ chloride and cadmium passivation. The sharp absorption peak in UV–vis absorption spectra confirmed strong quantum confinement in the PbSe CQDs and their average diameter was estimated to be 2.87 ± 0.23 nm. To construct gas sensors, PbSe CQDs were spin-coated onto ceramic substrates and then Pb(NO3)2 treatment was carried out to remove the long-chain ligands surrounding PbSe CQDs. At 25 °C, the sensor was highly sensitive and selective to NO2 with a response of 22.3 at 50 ppm and a fast response time of 7 s. Moreover, the sensor response showed a 85.2% stability as the time increased up to 20 days, suggesting the potential applications of PbSe CQDs for NO2 monitoring at room temperature

Lack of efficacy of pomegranate supplementation for glucose management, insulin levels and sensitivity: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background The potential glucose-lowering effects of pomegranate have been reported in animal and observational studies, but intervention studies in humans have generated mixed results. In this paper, we aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the precise effects of pomegranate supplementation on measures of glucose control, insulin levels and insulin sensitivity in humans. Methods Comprehensive electronic searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Studies included were RCTs that evaluated the changes in diabetes biomarkers among adults (≥18 years) following pomegranate interventions. The predefined outcomes included fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting blood insulin (FBI), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Endpoints were calculated as weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using a random-effects model. Publication bias, subgroup analyses, sensitivity analysis and random-effects meta-regression were also performed to explore the influence of covariates on the net changes in fasting glucose and insulin concentrations. Results Sixteen eligible trials with 538 subjects were included. The pooled estimates suggested that pomegranate did not significantly affect the measures of FBG (WMD, −0.6 mg/dL; 95% CI, −2.79 to 1.58; P=0.59), FBI (WMD, 0.29 μIU/mL; 95% CI, −1.16 to 1.75; P=0.70), HOMA-IR (WMD, −0.04; 95% CI, −0.53 to 0.46; P=0.88) or HbA1c (WMD, −0.11%; 95% CI, −0.39 to −0.18; P=0.46). Overall, significant heterogeneity was detected for FBI and HOMA-IR, but subgroup analysis could not identify factors significantly influencing these parameters. These results were robust in sensitivity analysis, and no significant publication bias was found in the current meta-analysis. Conclusion Pomegranate intake did not show a notably favourable effect on improvements in glucose and insulin metabolism. The current evidence suggests that daily pomegranate supplementation is not recommended as a potential therapeutic strategy in glycemic management. Further large-scale RCTs with longer duration are required to confirm these results

Dry mass production, allocation patterns and water use efficiency of two conifers with different water use strategies under elevated [CO₂], warming and drought conditions

Knowledge regarding the interactive effects of elevated [CO2], warming and drought on dry mass production, allocation and water use efficiency (WUE) of tree seedlings is limited, particularly in trees exhibiting different stomatal regulation strategies. Seedlings of Callitris rhomboidea (relatively anisohydric) and Pinus radiata (relatively isohydric) were grown in two [CO2] (Ca (400 µmol mol−1) and Ce (640 µmol mol−1)) and two temperature (Ta (ambient) and Te (ambient + 4 °C)) treatments in a sun-lit glasshouse under well-watered conditions prior to imposition of the drought. Ce increased mass production in C. rhomboidea (but not in P. radiata), while drought limited mass production in both species. Mass production was greatest in the combination of Ce, Te and well-watered conditions. Pinus radiata allocated relatively more dry mass into roots and had higher plant WUE than C. rhomboidea. Noticeably, mass allocation patterns in C. rhomboidea varied as a function of the treatments, but those of P. radiata were constant. Ce enhanced leaf WUE of both species, but to a greater degree under drought stress than well-watered conditions. Moderate drought stress increased both leaf and plant WUE compared to well-watered conditions. C. rhomboidea exhibited plasticity to variable climate conditions through morphological adjustments, while P. radiata exhibited a highly conservative strategy. Collectively, these findings indicate that the two species have different strategies in resource acquisition and utilisation under changing environmental conditions. Future studies on tree response to climate change need to fully consider the integration of species traits, including stomatal behaviour and hydraulic strategies