Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Candida auris—macrophage cellular interactions and transcriptional response

ABSTRACT The pathogenic yeast Candida auris represents a global threat of the utmost clinical relevance. This emerging fungal species is remarkable in its resistance to commonly used antifungal agents and its persistence in the nosocomial settings. The innate immune system is one the first lines of defense preventing the dissemination of pathogens in the host. C. auris is susceptible to circulating phagocytes, and understanding the molecular details of these interactions may suggest routes to improved therapies. In this work, we examined the interactions of this yeast with macrophages. We found that macrophages avidly phagocytose C. auris; however, intracellular replication is not inhibited, indicating that C. auris resists the killing mechanisms imposed by the phagocyte. Unlike Candida albicans, phagocytosis of C. auris does not induce macrophage lysis. The transcriptional response of C. auris to macrophage phagocytosis is very similar to other members of the CUG clade (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. lusitaniae), i.e., downregulation of transcription/translation and upregulation of alternative carbon metabolism pathways, transporters, and induction of oxidative stress response and proteolysis. Gene family expansions are common in this yeast, and we found that many of these genes are induced in response to macrophage co-incubation. Among these, amino acid and oligopeptide transporters, as well as lipases and proteases, are upregulated. Thus, C. auris shares key transcriptional signatures shared with other fungal pathogens and capitalizes on the expansion of gene families coding for potential virulence attributes that allow its survival, persistence, and evasion of the innate immune system.
Spatiotemporal variability of satellite‐derived primary production in the South China Sea, 1998–2006

[1] This study examined the spatiotemporal variability of ocean primary production (OPP) in the South China Sea (SCS) for the period 1998–2006; OPP was estimated using a satellite primary production model. Estimated OPP showed variability both in multiyear averages and interannually. Peaks in average OPP in the SCS appeared in winter (January) and summer (August), with the winter peak greater than the summer peak. As for the whole SCS, both along the coast at Guangdong Province and in the central basin region, the maximum OPP peak occurred in winter with a secondary peak observed during summer. OPP values were approximately three times higher near the coastal regions than in the central basin regions. High OPP in the western SCS occurred in every summer season (June–August) and was related to the surface circulation, upwelling, and seasonal rain. A jet of high OPP that developed offshore in the western SCS was associated with coastal upwelling driven by the southwest monsoon, Vietnamese offshore current, and discharges from the Mekong River. Monthly averaged OPP from January 1998 to December 2006 in the western SCS had lowest values during the summer of 1998. This anomalous event coincided with the 1997–1998 El Nino event. Spatial and temporal variability of OPP in the SCS is influenced by physicochemical environmental conditions, such as nutrients, the depth of the mixed layer, the seasonally reversed monsoon, river discharge, upwelling, and coastal currents.
Vertical distribution of hydrogen at high northern latitudes on Mars: The Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer

Neutron leakage currents measured using the Mars Odyssey Neutron Spectrometer are used to develop a two‐layer model of the distribution of hydrogen (here parameterized as water‐equivalent hydrogen, WEH) at high northern latitudes. The WEH abundance in the upper layer, Wup, was found to range between 1% and about 5%. The maximum value of the apparent thickness, D, of this upper layer peaks at about 60° latitude, giving the appearance of zonal bands of enhanced D in both hemispheres. This maximum is consistent with an expected transition from WEH contained solely in hydrous minerals at lower latitudes, to WEH contained both in the forms of water ice and water of hydration at high latitudes. A strong anti‐correlation between the WEH concentration in the lower layer and apparent depth, D, at high latitudes is observed and may provide clues to the origin of these deposits.
PERCEPTION OF THE ACTIVITY-BASED WORKING CONCEPT BY BANK'S EMPLOYEES AS A WORKING CONDITION

Objectives: The aim of the research was to explore the potential of the concept of work in the activity-based working (ABW) environment, including its impact on stress, back pain and psychomedical parameters of employees subjected to and not subject to relocation. Material and Methods: The data of 396 employees of both sexes were analyzed. The study used standardized psychological questionnaires to measure the level of perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), the level of readiness for change (Readiness for Change Questionnaire), the severity of health behaviors (Health Behavior Inventory) and the level of general self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale). The set included questionnaires measuring the level of knowledge of occupational health and safety rules and the frequency of back pain. Results: In the group of people whose workplace was moved to another building (in accordance with the concept), the relationship between the level of stress and selected variables: age, sense of generalized self-efficacy was checked. A significant negative correlation between the level of stress and age was confirmed (ρ = –0.16, p = 0.023), meaning a decrease in the level of stress with age. The level of stress correlated positively with the sense of efficacy (ρ = 0.21, p = 0.003), which means, the higher the sense of effectiveness, the higher the level of stress. In addition, it was confirmed that the level of stress in the group of people changing their location differed significantly from the general population. Conclusions: Work in the ABW concept can contribute to the improvement of interpersonal communication and facilitate the social integration of employees and better evaluation of work in this model. Work in concept has not been shown to be a protective factor against back pain in people with obesity. It was confirmed that in people relocated from traditional office to office in the concept, relocation was associated with stress, but also with a greater sense of self-efficacy.
Secondary Streptococcus pneumoniae infection increases morbidity and mortality during murine cryptococcosis

Microorganisms that cause pneumonia and translocate to the central nervous system (CNS) are responsible for high mortality worldwide. The fungus Cryptococcus gattii (Cg) and the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) target the same infection organs. This study aimed to investigate the consequences of secondary Sp infection during murine cryptococcosis. Mice infected with Sp after Cg showed significantly increased lethality and a drop in scores of motor behaviour, neuropsychiatric status and autonomous function. Previous Cg infection favoured Sp multiplication in the lungs, causing intense inflammation and necrosis, with further increased bacterial translocation to the spleen, liver and brain. This phenotype was associated with increased platelet‐activating factor receptor (Pafr) gene expression, reduced M1 macrophage recruitment, and high levels of proinflammatory mediators. Strategies to overcome early mortality (i.e., infection of Pafr−/− mice, treatment with IL‐1 inhibitor or corticoid) were insufficient to revert this phenotype. These results suggest that Cg infection makes the lung microenvironment favourable for Sp colonization and dissemination. Altogether, it leads to an exacerbated and ineffective inflammatory response, decisive for the increased morbidity and mortality during coinfection. In conclusion, our results highlight the importance of more studies addressing coinfections and their consequences in the host, aiming to establish more effective therapeutical strategies.
Upward shifts in the southern Hydrate Ridge gas hydrate stability zone following postglacial warming, offshore Oregon

[1] High-resolution three-dimensional (3-D) seismic reflection data acquired on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson in 2000 reveal a pair of bottom simulating reflections (BSRs) across a broad region of southern Hydrate Ridge, offshore Oregon. The primary BSR (BSRp) is a regionally extensive reflection that lies 120–150 m below seafloor and exhibits typical characteristics of a gas hydrate BSR. We also imaged a second weaker BSR (BSRs), 20–40 m below BSRp, with similar characteristics. BSRs is interpreted as a remnant of a BSR that probably formed during the Last Glacial Maximum 18,000 years ago, when the base of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) was deeper. An increase in bottom water temperatures of 1.75°–2.25° and a corresponding sea level rise of 120 m could have produced the BSR shift. The preservation of BSRs for at least 5000 years, which is the time since subseafloor temperatures stabilized following ocean warming after the Last Glacial Maximum, implies very slow upward advective and diffusive flow of methane (<1 m/1000 years in the vicinity of BSRs). BSRs appears where there are no resolvable steeply dipping faults and fractures, consistent with very low advective flow rates, and has dispersed where vertical fractures are visible. Free gas released by the shift in the BSR either migrates so slowly that it remains stable beneath the GHSZ or is directed upward along fractures to reform as hydrate in the GHSZ. There is no evidence for release of this free gas into the ocean or atmosphere.
TRIM55 promotes noncanonical NF-κB signaling and B cell–mediated immune responses by coordinating p100 ubiquitination and processing

The ubiquitination-dependent processing of NF-κB2 (also known as p100) is a critical step in the activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway. We investigated the molecular mechanisms regulating this process and showed that TRIM55 was the E3 ubiquitin ligase that mediated the ubiquitination of p100 and coordinated its processing. TRIM55 deficiency impaired noncanonical NF-κB activation and B cell function. Mice with a B cell–specific Trim55 deficiency exhibited reduced germinal center formation and antibody production. These mice showed less severe symptoms than those of control mice upon the induction of a systemic lupus–like disease, suggesting B cell–intrinsic functions of TRIM55 in humoral immune responses and autoimmunity. Mechanistically, the ubiquitination of p100 mediated by TRIM55 was crucial for p100 processing by VCP, an ATPase that mediates ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation by the proteasome. Furthermore, we found that TRIM55 facilitated the interaction between TRIM21 and VCP as well as TRIM21-mediated K63-ubiquitination of VCP, both of which were indispensable for the formation of the VCP-UFD1-NPL4 complex and p100 processing. Together, our results reveal a mechanism by which TRIM55 fine-tunes p100 processing and regulates B cell–dependent immune responses in vivo, highlighting TRIM55 as a potential therapeutic target for lupus-like disease. Description Noncanonical NF-κB signaling underlying B cell–dependent immunity and autoimmunity requires the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM55. Editor’s summary The noncanonical NF-κB pathway is important for antibody-based immune responses mediated by B cells. Lin et al. found that the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM55 was critical for the generation of the transcription factor p52 from its precursor p100, an essential step in the activation of noncanonical NF-κB signaling. TRIM55 mediated the ubiquitination of p100 and facilitated the formation of protein complexes that processed ubiquitinated p100 into p52. B cell–specific deficiency of TRIM55 impaired antibody production and germinal center formation but also protected mice from a systemic lupus-like disease. Thus, TRIM55 promotes the activity of the noncanonical NK-κB pathway and could be a potential target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. —Wei Wong
Carboxymethyl starch as a reducing and capping agent in the hydrothermal synthesis of selenium nanostructures for use with three-dimensional-printed hydrogel carriers

The hydrothermal method is a cost-effective and eco-friendly route for preparing various nanomaterials. It can use a capping agent, such as a polysaccharide, to govern and define the nanoparticle morphology. Elemental selenium nanostructures (spheres and rods) were synthesized and stabilized using a tailor-made carboxymethyl starch (CMS, degree of substitution = 0.3) under hydrothermal conditions. CMS is particularly convenient because it acts simultaneously as the capping and reducing agent, as verified by several analytical techniques, while the reaction relies entirely on green solvents. Furthermore, the effect of sodium selenite concentration, reaction time and temperature on the nanoparticle size, morphology, microstructure and chemical composition was investigated to identify the ideal synthesis conditions. A pilot experiment demonstrated the feasibility of implementing the synthesized nanoparticles into vat photopolymerization three-dimensional-printed hydrogel carriers based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). When submersed into the water, the subsequent particle release was confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), promising great potential for use in bio-three-dimensional printing and other biomedical applications.
Unveiling evolutionary cradles and museums of flowering plants in a neotropical biodiversity hotspot

Colombia, renowned as an important centre of global biodiversity, continues to harbour undiscovered evolutionary hotspots of flowering plants. The altitude-dependent hypothesis suggests that richness patterns are determined by altitude and probably influenced by climate variables. This study employs null models based on a species-level phylogeny of Colombia's flowering plants and their geographical distributions to identify evolutionary hotspots. We explore the potential correlation between elevation, climate variables such as temperature and rainfall, and the location and nature of these hotspots. The findings reveal that evolutionary cradles, which house young endemic species, are predominantly located in the mountainous regions of the Andes. Conversely, evolutionary museums, hosting older endemic species, are found in lowland regions spanning the Caribbean, Orinoco, Amazon and Pacific areas. These results demonstrate a clear elevational segregation of evolutionary hotspots, primarily influenced by temperature, thereby supporting the hypothesis under examination. Furthermore, this study identifies previously unrecognized evolutionary regions, highlighting the limited understanding of Colombia's biodiversity distribution and evolutionary history.
Lava–sediment interactions in an Old Red Sandstone basin, NE Scotland

The early Devonian, Old Red Sandstone succession at St. Cyrus, NE Scotland, includes the exceptional preservation of a lava field and its associated fluvial drainage system. The lava field developed through punctuated eruptions of low-volume pāhoehoe lava, fed by lava tubes. During periods of rapid effusion, groundwater systems were able to transmit most of the recharge in the subsurface, probably by springs, and where there were areas of localized low permeability, ephemeral lakes developed. Subsequent lava flows underwent significant interaction with the partly consolidated lacustrine sediment, forming peperite deposits. Fluvial conglomerates, with extra-basinal clasts, are interbedded with the lava flows. The maturity of the fluvial system suggests a long-lived catchment that transported sediment westwards. Drainage was periodically deflected away from the lava field by the positive topographic relief created by the lava flows, and was re-established during periods of volcanic dormancy. The lava field developed over periods of decades, but the fluvial systems were longer-lived by three or four orders of magnitude. A key feature of this lava field and its drainage is that the establishment and abandonment of fluvial systems immediately adjacent to the lava field was primarily controlled by the eruption dynamics of the magmatic system.
Taxing reproduction: the full transfer cost of rearing children in Europe

What are the intergenerational resource transfer contributions of parents and non-parents in Europe? Using National Transfer Accounts and National Time Transfer Accounts for 12 countries around 2010, we go beyond public transfers (net taxes) to also value two statistically much less visible transfers in the family realm: of market goods and of unpaid household labour (time). Non-parents contribute almost exclusively to public transfers. But parents additionally provide still larger private transfers: mothers mainly time, fathers mainly market goods. Estimating transfer stocks over the working life, the average parental/non-parental contribution ratio in Europe flips from 0.73 (public transfers alone) to 2.66 (all three transfers combined). The highest combined parental/non-parental contribution ratios are in Sweden and Finland. The metaphorical tax rates implicitly imposed thereby on rearing children in Europe are multiples of the value-added tax rates in place on consumption goods. Unveiling the sheer magnitude of these invisible transfer asymmetries carries multiple implications for policy debates. For instance, it raises the question whether ageing European societies unwittingly tax, rather than subsidise, their own reproduction. Family friendly policy models, such as the Nordic welfare states, do not mitigate this effect. They help parents work, but do not lower the implicit tax parents pay.
Dune and Vegetation Stability at South Padre Island, Texas, United States of America

Abstract Padre Island is the longest of five barrier islands occurring along the Texas Gulf Coast. South Padre Island is separated from the northern two-thirds of the island by the Mansfield Channel. The composition and pattern of vegetation on South Padre Island are relatively well known, but data on the interrelationship of dune and vegetation stability are lacking. We hypothesized that (1) there should be an inverse relationship between elevation change and percent cover on transects across the nearshore dunes of South Padre Island; and (2) percent cover, species composition, and species importance should be most stable where elevation change was least. We tested these hypotheses using three study sites differing in vegetation abundance. Elevation measurements were taken at 1.0-m intervals along three transects at each site using survey-grade Global Positioning System equipment. Vegetation abundance was determined in 10-m intervals along each transect. No sites or topographic zones were devoid of elevation change. Even a site that had a mean percent cover of 65.1% had a mean elevation change of 15.6 cm. However, cover does not have to be great to provide considerable stability. There was no significant difference in elevation change at Site 1, where cover was 57%, and Site 2, where cover was only 12.5%. As hypothesized, there was a significant inverse correlation between elevation change and percent cover when analyzed over all transects and sites, but the relationship did not hold for all sites or topographic zones when these were examined separately. Lack of correlation may be due to differences among sites and zones in the number of different perturbations and their intensities and frequencies. Only Site 2 showed a significant difference in percent cover between the initial and final samples. Species composition and importance were more stable where elevation changes were low.
Occidiofungin inhibition of Candida biofilm formation on silicone elastomer surface

ABSTRACT Biofilms are the leading cause of clinically acquired fungal infections and contribute to significantly high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised and hospitalized patients. Candida biofilms exhibit increased resistance to currently available antifungal agents that contribute to persistent reoccurring infections and are driving efforts to identify novel fungicidal compounds. The natural product, occidiofungin, is an antifungal compound with demonstrated activity against hyphal morphogenesis in polymorphic Candida species. In this study, we use an in vitro static biofilm model to demonstrate the efficacy of occidiofungin against C. albicans and C. tropicalis at all stages of biofilm development, including inhibiting cell dispersal. Consistent with prior findings, we demonstrate that actin organization is altered following occidiofungin exposure to include loss of F-actin cables and accumulation of actin aggregates. Altogether, our results provide strong evidence of the antibiofilm activity of occidiofungin toward Candida biofilms and support its potential as a therapeutic for Candida infections. IMPORTANCE Candida are opportunistic fungal pathogens with medical relevance given their association with superficial to life-threatening infections. An important component of Candida virulence is the ability to form a biofilm. These structures are highly resistant to antifungal therapies and are often the cause of treatment failure. In this work, we evaluated the efficacy of the antifungal compound, occidiofungin, against Candida biofilms developed on a silicone surface. We demonstrate that occidiofungin eliminated cells at all stages of biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with our understanding of occidiofungin bioactivity, we noted alterations to actin organization and cell morphology following antifungal exposure. Given the challenges associated with the treatment of biofilm-associated infections, occidiofungin exhibits potential as a therapeutic antifungal agent in the future. Candida are opportunistic fungal pathogens with medical relevance given their association with superficial to life-threatening infections. An important component of Candida virulence is the ability to form a biofilm. These structures are highly resistant to antifungal therapies and are often the cause of treatment failure. In this work, we evaluated the efficacy of the antifungal compound, occidiofungin, against Candida biofilms developed on a silicone surface. We demonstrate that occidiofungin eliminated cells at all stages of biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with our understanding of occidiofungin bioactivity, we noted alterations to actin organization and cell morphology following antifungal exposure. Given the challenges associated with the treatment of biofilm-associated infections, occidiofungin exhibits potential as a therapeutic antifungal agent in the future.