bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on water quality simulation and dynamic water environment capacity of Helan County section of the third drainage ditch in Ningxia
Authors: Yang Cheng , Zheng Lanxiang , Zhang Zunyang , Feng Minquan
Published: December 2022

The Helan section of the third drainage ditch in Ningxia is selected as the research object, and its water environmental capacity is analyzed; The Daily discharge and water level are calculated according to the measured data; Then the daily concentration values of the main water quality indexes are simulated by one-dimensional hydrodynamic water quality mathematical model; Finally, the dynamic water environment capacity is calculated. The results show that from May to October 2020, the main water quality indicators exceeding the standard in Helan section of the third drainage ditch were total nitrogen and five-day biochemical oxygen demand. Their water environmental capacity was −11.8744 t and −67.1173 t, respectively. Chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus exceeded the standard severely in some months. There are problems of eutrophication and high organic content in drainage ditches. The primary pollution sources are aquaculture wastewater form fishery, farmland drainage, seasonal flood, and domestic sewage. It is suggested to take preventive measures such as source control, process blocking, and end treatment.
Evidence for reproductive senescence across ray-finned fishes: A review
Authors: Vrtílek Milan , Žák Jakub , Reichard Martin
Published: December 2022

The origin, incidence, and consequences of reproductive senescence vary greatly across the tree of life. In vertebrates, research on reproductive senescence has been mainly focused on mammals and birds, demonstrating that its variation is largely linked to critical life history traits, such as growth patterns, juvenile, and adult mortality, and reproductive strategy. Fishes represent half of the vertebrate taxonomic diversity and display remarkable variation in life history. Based on a thorough literature review, we summarize current evidence on reproductive senescence in ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii). While survival and physiological senescence are acknowledged in fish, their potential age-related reproductive decline has often been disregarded due to the prevalence of indeterminate growth. We demonstrate that age-related reproductive decline is reported across fish phylogeny, environments, and traits. An important point of our review is that the incidence of reproductive senescence in a species depends on both the number of studies for that species and the coverage of its maximum lifespan by the study. Reproductive senescence was documented for one-third of the studied fish species, with females suffering an age-related decline in reproductive traits less often than males or both parents combined. Neither parental care nor migratory strategy corresponded with the occurrence of reproductive senescence in fish. The traits that were affected by reproductive senescence most often were sex-specific, with pre-mating and mating categories of traits declining in females and sperm quality and quantity in males. We also demonstrate that reproductive senescence can be buffered by indeterminate growth. We provide rich evidence of reproductive senescence across ray-finned fishes, but we highlight the need for better data on age-related reproduction in fishes.
Association of undernutrition and female infertility in East Africa: Finding from multi-country demographic and health surveys
Authors: Roba Kedir Teji , Hassen Tahir Ahmed , Wilfong Tara , Legese Alemu Nanati , Darsene Hiwot , Zewdu Gelila , Negese Tarekegn , Yifru Belaynesh , Mohammed Eptisam , Raru Temam Beshir
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Infertility is one of the public health problems affecting a significant number of women in the reproductive age group. Although female fertility is predominantly affected by gynecological and systemic diseases, lifestyle and nutritional factors also play an important role in secondary female infertility. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of secondary female infertility and its association with undernutrition using nationwide data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of eastern African countries.

Methods

The data of ten East African countries that comprise a weighted sample of 38,020 women data were accessed from measure DHS. Data processing and analysis were performed using STATA 15 software. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model was fitted to examine the association between undernutrition and secondary infertility. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 were declared as significant factors associated with secondary infertility. Model comparison was done based on Akaike and Bayesian Information Criteria (AIC and BIC). To measure variation (random effects), Community-level variance with standard deviation and intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) was used.

Result

The proportion of women who have secondary infertility was 16.32% with 95%CI (15.96, 16.69), of which 26.94% were undernourished. This study found that being undernutrition (AOR = 1.74; 95%CI: 1.54–1.98) and overweight (AOR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.62–1.86) were significantly associated with secondary infertility. Women aged >35 years (AOR = 3.47; 95%CI: 2.66–4.55), and rural residents (AOR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.02–1.37) are other factors that are positively associated with secondary infertility. However, primary education (AOR = 0.87; 95%CI: 0.77–0.97) and richer wealth index (AOR = 0.84; 95%CI: 0.73–0.97) are protective factors for secondary infertility.

Conclusion

This study indicated that there is a strong association between secondary infertility and undernutrition growing in Eastern Africa. Therefore, Health information dissemination and awareness creation on the impact of malnutrition on infertility should be given to the community and health care providers. Given this, it may lead to integrating nutrition counseling into both clinical settings for infertility management as well as national dietary guidelines for individuals of reproductive age.
The impact on colostrum oxidative stress, cytokines, and immune cells composition after SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy
Authors: Graciliano Nayara Gomes , Tenório Micaely Cristinados Santos , Fragoso Marilene Brandão Tenório , Moura Fabiana Andréa , Botelho Rayane Martins , Tanabe Eloiza Lopes Lira , Borbely Karen Steponavicius Cruz , Borbely Alexandre Urban , Oliveira Alane Cabral Menezes , Goulart Marília Oliveira Fonseca
Published: December 2022

Background

Limited data are available regarding the differences between immunological, biochemical, and cellular contents of human colostrum following maternal infection during pregnancy with coronavirus 2 disease (COVID-19).

Objective

To investigate whether maternal COVID-19 infection may affect immunological, biochemical, and cellular contents of human colostrum.

Methods

Using a case-control study design, we collected colostrum from 14 lactating women with a previous diagnosis of COVID-19 during pregnancy and 12 without a clear diagnosis during September 2020 to May 2021. Colostrum samples were analysed for some enzymes and non-enzymatic oxidative stress markers (SOD, CAT, GPx, MDA, GSH, GSSG, H2O2, MPO) and for IL-1β, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, protein induced by interferon gamma (IP)-10, IL-8, IFN-λ1, IL12p70, IFN-α2, IFN-λ2/3, granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IFN-β, IL-10 and IFN-γ, along with IgA and IgG for the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. We perform immunophenotyping to assess the frequency of different cell types in the colostrum.

Results

Colostrum from the COVID-19 symptomatic group in pregnancy contained reduced levels of H2O2, IFN-α2, and GM-CSF. This group had higher levels of GSH, and both NK cell subtypes CD3-CD56brightCD16-CD27+IFN-γ+ and CD3-CD56dimCD16+CD27- were also increased.

Conclusion

The present results reinforce the protective role of colostrum even in the case of mild SARS-Cov-2 infection, in addition to demonstrating how adaptive the composition of colostrum is after infections. It also supports the recommendation to encourage lactating women to continue breastfeeding after COVID-19 illness.
Reinventing the human tuberculosis (TB) granuloma: Learning from the cancer field
Authors: Ashenafi Senait , Brighenti Susanna
Published: December 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world and every 20 seconds a person dies from TB. An important attribute of human TB is induction of a granulomatous inflammation that creates a dynamic range of local microenvironments in infected organs, where the immune responses may be considerably different compared to the systemic circulation. New and improved technologies for in situ quantification and multimodal imaging of mRNA transcripts and protein expression at the single-cell level have enabled significantly improved insights into the local TB granuloma microenvironment. Here, we review the most recent data on regulation of immunity in the TB granuloma with an enhanced focus on selected in situ studies that enable spatial mapping of immune cell phenotypes and functions. We take advantage of the conceptual framework of the cancer-immunity cycle to speculate how local T cell responses may be enhanced in the granuloma microenvironment at the site of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. This includes an exploratory definition of “hot”, immune-inflamed, and “cold”, immune-excluded TB granulomas that does not refer to the level of bacterial replication or metabolic activity, but to the relative infiltration of T cells into the infected lesions. Finally, we reflect on the current knowledge and controversy related to reactivation of active TB in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4. An understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in the induction and maintenance or disruption of immunoregulation in the TB granuloma microenvironment may provide new avenues for host-directed therapies that can support standard antibiotic treatment of persistent TB disease.
Substitutions at position 263 within the von Willebrand factor type A domain determine the functionality of complement C2 protein
Authors: Kuźniewska Alicja , Thiel Marcel , Kowalska Daria , Felberg-Miętka Anna , Szynkowski Patryk , Ołdziej Stanisław , Arjona Emilia , Jongerius Ilse , Rodriguez de Córdoba Santiago , Okrój Marcin , Urban Aleksandra
Published: December 2022

The complement system is one of the first defense lines protecting from invading pathogens. However, it may turn offensive to the body’s own cells and tissues when deregulated by the presence of rare genetic variants that impair physiological regulation and/or provoke abnormal activity of key enzymatic components. Factor B and complement C2 are examples of paralogs engaged in the alternative and classical/lectin complement pathway, respectively. Pathogenic mutations in the von Willebrand factor A domain (vWA) of FB have been known for years. Despite substantial homology between two proteins and the demonstration that certain substitutions in FB translated to C2 result in analogous phenotype, there was a limited number of reports on pathogenic C2 variants in patients. Recently, we studied a cohort of patients suffering from rare kidney diseases and confirmed the existence of two gain-of-function and three loss-of-function mutations within the C2 gene sequences coding for the vWA domain (amino acids 254-452) or nearly located unstructured region (243-253) of C2 protein. Herein, we report the functional consequences of amino acid substitution of glutamine at position 263. The p.Q263G variant resulted in the gain-of-function phenotype, similarly to a homologous mutation p.D279G in FB. Conversely, the p.Q263P variant found in a patient with C3 glomerulopathy resulted in the loss of C2 function. Our results confirm that the N-terminal part of the vWA domain is a hot spot crucial for the complement C2 function.
Markers of blood-brain barrier disruption increase early and persistently in COVID-19 patients with neurological manifestations
Authors: Bonetto Valentina , Pasetto Laura , Lisi Ilaria , Carbonara Marco , Zangari Rosalia , Ferrari Erica , Punzi Veronica , Luotti Silvia , Bottino Nicola , Biagianti Bruno , Moglia Cristina , Fuda Giuseppe , Gualtierotti Roberta , Blasi Francesco , Canetta Ciro , Montano Nicola , Tettamanti Mauro , Camera Giorgia , Grimoldi Maria , Negro Giulia , Rifino Nicola , Calvo Andrea , Brambilla Paolo , Biroli Francesco , Bandera Alessandra , Nobili Alessandro , Stocchetti Nino , Sessa Maria , Zanier Elisa R.
Published: December 2022

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with disorders affecting the peripheral and the central nervous system. A high number of patients develop post-COVID-19 syndrome with the persistence of a large spectrum of symptoms, including neurological, beyond 4 weeks after infection. Several potential mechanisms in the acute phase have been hypothesized, including damage of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). We tested weather markers of BBB damage in association with markers of brain injury and systemic inflammation may help in identifying a blood signature for disease severity and neurological complications.

Methods

Blood biomarkers of BBB disruption (MMP-9, GFAP), neuronal damage (NFL) and systemic inflammation (PPIA, IL-10, TNFα) were measured in two COVID-19 patient cohorts with high disease severity (ICUCovid; n=79) and with neurological complications (NeuroCovid; n=78), and in two control groups free from COVID-19 history, healthy subjects (n=20) and patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; n=51). Samples from COVID-19 patients were collected during the first and the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in Lombardy, Italy. Evaluations were done at acute and chronic phases of the COVID-19 infection.

Results

Blood biomarkers of BBB disruption and neuronal damage are high in COVID-19 patients with levels similar to or higher than ALS. NeuroCovid patients display lower levels of the cytokine storm inducer PPIA but higher levels of MMP-9 than ICUCovid patients. There was evidence of different temporal dynamics in ICUCovid compared to NeuroCovid patients with PPIA and IL-10 showing the highest levels in ICUCovid patients at acute phase. On the contrary, MMP-9 was higher at acute phase in NeuroCovid patients, with a severity dependency in the long-term. We also found a clear severity dependency of NFL and GFAP levels, with deceased patients showing the highest levels.

Discussion

The overall picture points to an increased risk for neurological complications in association with high levels of biomarkers of BBB disruption. Our observations may provide hints for therapeutic approaches mitigating BBB disruption to reduce the neurological damage in the acute phase and potential dysfunction in the long-term.
cGAS in nucleus: The link between immune response and DNA damage repair
Authors: Song Jia-Xian , Villagomes Deana , Zhao Hongchang , Zhu Min
Published: December 2022

As the first barrier of host defense, innate immunity sets up the parclose to keep out external microbial or virus attacks. Depending on the type of pathogens, several cytoplasm pattern recognition receptors exist to sense the attacks from either foreign or host origins, triggering the immune response to battle with the infections. Among them, cGAS-STING is the major pathway that mainly responds to microbial DNA, DNA virus infections, or self-DNA, which mainly comes from genome instability by-product or released DNA from the mitochondria. cGAS was initially found functional in the cytoplasm, although intriguing evidence indicates that cGAS exists in the nucleus where it is involved in the DNA damage repair process. Because the close connection between DNA damage response and immune response and cGAS recognizes DNA in length-dependent but DNA sequence–independent manners, it is urgent to clear the function balance of cGAS in the nucleus versus cytoplasm and how it is shielded from recognizing the host origin DNA. Here, we outline the current conception of immune response and the regulation mechanism of cGAS in the nucleus. Furthermore, we will shed light on the potential mechanisms that are restricted to be taken away from self-DNA recognition, especially how post-translational modification regulates cGAS functions.
Case report: Durable response after pembrolizumab in combination with radiation - induced abscopal effect in platinum - refractory metastatic endometrial clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Kao Chien-Hsiang , Liu Chien-Ting , Lin Hao , Huang Yung-Cheng , Lan Jui , Ou Yu-Che , Fu Hung-Chun , Wu Chen-Hsuan
Published: December 2022

Advanced endometrial clear cell carcinoma (CCC) tends to have poor prognosis owing to aggressive clinical behavior and poor response to conventional chemotherapy. Herein, we report a case of platinum-refractory recurrent ECCC successfully treated with the combination of pembrolizumab, localized radiotherapy and a few cycles of chemotherapy with an extremely durable response even after cessation of immunotherapy for 3 years at the time of publication.
HCMV carriage in the elderly diminishes anti-viral functionality of the adaptive immune response resulting in virus replication at peripheral sites
Authors: Davies Emma L. , Noor Mahlaqua , Lim Eleanor Y. , Houldcroft Charlotte J. , Okecha Georgina , Atkinson Claire , Reeves Matthew B. , Jackson Sarah E. , Wills Mark R.
Published: December 2022

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and periodic reactivation is, generally, well controlled by adaptative immune responses in the healthy. In older people, overt HCMV disease is rarely seen despite the association of HCMV with increased risk of mortality; evidence from studies of unwell aged populations suggest that HCMV seropositivity is an important co-morbidity factor. HCMV genomes have been detected in urine from older donors, suggesting that the immune response prevents systemic disease but possibly immunomodulation due to lifelong viral carriage may alter its efficacy at peripheral tissue sites. Previously we have demonstrated that there were no age-related expansions of T cell responses to HCMV or increase in latent viral carriage with age and these T cells produced anti-viral cytokines and viremia was very rarely detected. To investigate the efficacy of anti-HCMV responses with increasing age, we used an in vitro Viral Dissemination Assay (VDA) using autologous dermal fibroblasts to determine the anti-viral effector capacity of total PBMC, as well as important subsets (T cells, NK cells). In parallel we assessed components of the humoral response (antibody neutralization) and combined this with qPCR detection of HCMV in blood, saliva and urine in a cohort of young and old donors. Consistent with previous studies, we again show HCMV specific cIL-10, IFNγ and TNFα T cell responses to peptides did not show an age-related defect. However, assessment of direct anti-viral cellular and antibody-mediated adaptive immune responses using the VDA shows that older donors are significantly less able to control viral dissemination in an in vitro assay compared to young donors. Corroborating this observation, we detected viral genomes in saliva samples only from older donors, these donors had a defect in cellular control of viral spread in our in vitro assay. Phenotyping of fibroblasts used in this study shows expression of a number of checkpoint inhibitor ligands which may contribute to the defects observed. The potential to therapeutically intervene in checkpoint inhibitor pathways to prevent HCMV reactivation in the unwell aged is an exciting avenue to explore.
Can G-quadruplex become a promising target in HBV therapy?
Authors: Teng Ye , Zhu Ming , Chi Yuan , Li Lijing , Jin Ye
Published: December 2022

The chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is an important health problem that affects millions of people worldwide. Current therapies for HBV always suffer from a poor response rate, common side effects, and the need for lifelong treatment. Novel therapeutic targets are expected. Interestingly, non-canonical structures of nucleic acids play crucial roles in the regulation of gene expression. Especially the formation of G-quadruplexes (G4s) in G-rich strands has been demonstrated to affect many bioprocesses including replication, transcription, and translation, showing great potential as targets in anticancer and antiviral therapies. In this review, we summarize recent antiviral studies about G4s and discuss the potential roles of G4 structures in antiviral therapy for HBV.
Specificity of CD200/CD200R pathway in LPS-induced lung inflammation
Authors: Patoine Dany , Bouchard Karine , Lemay Anne-Marie , Bissonnette Elyse Y. , Lauzon-Joset Jean-Francois
Published: December 2022

Introduction

At lung mucosal surfaces, immune cells must initiate inflammatory response against pathogen without inducing tissue damage. Loss of this equilibrium can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a severe lung inflammatory disease characterized by excessive inflammation and dysregulation of anti-inflammatory pathways.

Methods

To investigate the role of anti-inflammatory pathway CD200/CD200R in lung inflammatory response, we administered LPS intratracheally in CD200 KO and wild type (WT) rats. Inflammation was evaluated using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cellularity. Lung injury was measured by total protein level in BAL fluid, and levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF, IL-6) and chemokines (CXCL2, CCL2) were determined in BAL supernatants. In a second series of experiments, recombinant CD200Fc was administered to KO rats to restore the anti-inflammatory response.

Results

At baseline, CD200 KO rats did not show sign of inflammation, however KO rats had lower number of alveolar macrophages. In addition, LPS administration induced greater pulmonary edema in CD200 KO rats. This was accompanied with a higher recruitment of neutrophils as well as levels of TNF, IL-6, CXCL2, and CCL2 in BAL compared to WT rats. CD200Fc administration in KO rats reduced neutrophil accumulation and TNF and CXCL2 levels in BAL. Interestingly, the increased inflammatory response of CD200 KO rats could be attributed to greater activation potential of alveolar macrophages with higher levels of ERK and P-ERK MAPK.

Conclusion

This study shows that lung inflammatory response is exacerbated in absence of CD200 in an experimental model of ARDS in rats. In addition, CD200/CD200R pathway shows selective regulation of acute lung inflammation and cannot completely abrogate the complex LPS-induced inflammatory response. However, addition of CD200 agonist in a multi-target therapy strategy could have beneficial impacts.
Comparison of different gene addition strategies to modify placental derived-mesenchymal stromal cells to produce FVIII
Authors: Ramamurthy Ritu M. , Rodriguez Martin , Ainsworth Hannah C. , Shields Jordan , Meares Diane , Bishop Colin , Farland Andrew , Langefeld Carl D. , Atala Anthony , Doering Christopher B. , Spencer H. Trent , Porada Christopher D. , Almeida-Porada Graça
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Placenta-derived mesenchymal cells (PLCs) endogenously produce FVIII, which makes them ideally suited for cell-based fVIII gene delivery. We have previously reported that human PLCs can be efficiently modified with a lentiviral vector encoding a bioengineered, expression/secretion-optimized fVIII transgene (ET3) and durably produce clinically relevant levels of functionally active FVIII. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether CRISPR/Cas9 can be used to achieve location-specific insertion of a fVIII transgene into a genomic safe harbor, thereby eliminating the potential risks arising from the semi-random genomic integration inherent to lentiviral vectors. We hypothesized this approach would improve the safety of the PLC-based gene delivery platform and might also enhance the therapeutic effect by eliminating chromatin-related transgene silencing.

Methods

We used CRISPR/Cas9 to attempt to insert the bioengineered fVIII transgene “lcoET3” into the AAVS1 site of PLCs (CRISPR-lcoET3) and determined their subsequent levels of FVIII production, comparing results with this approach to those achieved using lentivector transduction (LV-lcoET3) and plasmid transfection (Plasmid-lcoET3). In addition, since liver-derived sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) are the native site of FVIII production in the body, we also performed parallel studies in human (h)LSECs).

Results

PLCs and hLSECs can both be transduced (LV-lcoET3) with very high efficiency and produce high levels of biologically active FVIII. Surprisingly, both cell types were largely refractory to CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockin of the lcoET3 fVIII transgene in the AAVS1 genome locus. However, successful insertion of an RFP reporter into this locus using an identical procedure suggests the failure to achieve knockin of the lcoET3 expression cassette at this site is likely a function of its large size. Importantly, using plasmids, alone or to introduce the CRISPR/Cas9 “machinery”, resulted in dramatic upregulation of TLR 3, TLR 7, and BiP in PLCs, compromising their unique immune-inertness.

Discussion

Although we did not achieve our primary objective, our results validate the utility of both PLCs and hLSECs as cell-based delivery vehicles for a fVIII transgene, and they highlight the hurdles that remain to be overcome before primary human cells can be gene-edited with sufficient efficiency for use in cell-based gene therapy to treat HA.
Transcriptome profiling of osteoclast subsets associated with arthritis: A pathogenic role of CCR2hi osteoclast progenitors
Authors: Filipović Maša , Flegar Darja , Aničić Sara , Šisl Dino , Kelava Tomislav , Kovačić Nataša , Šućur Alan , Grčević Danka
Published: December 2022

Introduction

The existence of different osteoclast progenitor (OCP) subsets has been confirmed by numerous studies. However, pathological inflammation-induced osteoclastogenesis remains incompletely understood. Detailed characterization of OCP subsets may elucidate the pathophysiology of increased osteoclast activity causing periarticular and systemic bone resorption in arthritis. In our study, we rely on previously defined OCP subsets categorized by the level of CCR2 expression as circulatory-like committed CCR2hi OCPs, which are substantially expanded in arthritis, and marrow-resident CCR2lo OCPs of immature phenotype and behavior.

Methods

In order to perform transcriptome characterization of those subsets in the context of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), we sorted CCR2hi and CCR2lo periarticular bone marrow OCPs of control and arthritic mice, and performed next-generation RNA sequencing (n=4 for each group) to evaluate the differential gene expression profile using gene set enrichment analysis with further validation.

Results

A disparity between CCR2hi and CCR2lo subset transcriptomes (863 genes) was detected, with the enrichment of pathways for osteoclast differentiation, chemokine and NOD-like receptor signaling in the CCR2hi OCP subset, and ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes and ribosome pathways in the CCR2lo OCP subset. The effect of intervention (CIA) within each subset was greater in CCR2hi (92 genes) than in CCR2lo (43 genes) OCPs. Genes associated with the osteoclastogenic pathway (Fcgr1, Socs3), and several genes involved in cell adhesion and migration (F11r, Cd38, Lrg1) identified the CCR2hi subset and distinguish CIA from control group, as validated by qPCR (n=6 for control mice, n=9 for CIA mice). The latter gene set showed a significant positive correlation with arthritis clinical score and frequency of CCR2hi OCPs. Protein-level validation by flow cytometry showed increased proportion of OCPs expressing F11r/CD321, CD38 and Lrg1 in CIA, indicating that they could be used as disease markers. Moreover, osteoclast pathway-identifying genes remained similarly expressed (Fcgr1) or even induced by several fold (Socs3) in preosteoclasts differentiated in vitro from CIA mice compared to pre-cultured levels, suggesting their importance for enhanced osteoclastogenesis of the CCR2hi OCPs in arthritis.

Conclusion

Our approach detected differentially expressed genes that could identify distinct subset of OCPs associated with arthritis as well as indicate possible therapeutic targets aimed to modulate osteoclast activity.
Submesoscale oceanic eddy detection in SAR images using context and edge association network
Authors: Xia Linghui , Chen Ge , Chen Xiaoyan , Ge Linyao , Huang Baoxiang
Published: December 2022

Oceanic eddies have a non-negligible impact on ocean energy transfer, nutrient distribution, and biological migration in global oceans. The fine detection of oceanic eddies is significant for the development of marine science. Remarkable achievements of eddy recognition were achieved by mining the satellite altimeter data and its derived data. However, due to the limited spatial resolution of the altimeters, it is difficult to detect the submesoscale oceanic eddies with radial dimensions less than 10 km. Different from the previous works, the context and edge association network (CEA-Net) is proposed to identify submesoscale oceanic eddies with high spatial resolution Sentinel-1 data. The edge information fusion module (EIFM) is designed to associate the context and edge feature more accurately and efficiently. Furthermore, a multi-scale eddy detection strategy is proposed and applied to Sentinel-1 interferometric wide swath data to solve the scale problem of oceanic eddy detection. Specifically, a manually interpreted dataset, SAR-Eddy 2019, was constructed to address the dilemma of insufficient datasets for submesoscale oceanic eddy detection. The experimental results demonstrate that CEA-Net can outperform other mainstream models with the highest mAP reaching 85.47% with SAR-Eddy 2019 dataset. The CEA-Net proposed in this research provides important significance for the study of submesoscale oceanic eddies.
Facies variations in response to tectonic evolution, climate and sea-level changes since the Late Cretaceous in Wuhu region, Eastern China
Authors: Wang Ting , Mao Longjiang , Zou Chunhui , You Huichuan , Mo Duowen
Published: December 2022

Eastern China has a complex environmental dynamics system in the western Pacific tectonic domain, and the study of its sedimentary records controlled by tectonic movements is distinctly significant for exploring sea-land interactions, global climate change and sea level fluctuations. A reliable OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) chronostratigraphic framework was established based on a systematic investigation of the stratigraphic lithology of the boreholes in Wuhu area, Eastern China, and the depositional environment since the Late Cretaceous was reconstructed by multiple environmental proxies. Significant regional changes in sedimentary activity since the Mesozoic indicate that the Yanshan movement and the Neotectonic movement controlled the evolution of sedimentary basins and fracture tectonics in the study area and influenced the paleo-geographic environment and sedimentary patterns in a regional geotectonic context. Since the Middle Pleistocene, the temperature and sea level trends were split into six stages, four of which (MIS 6, 4, 3 and 2) can be categorized as periods of decline, with MIS 1 being a period of significant increase. The other phase (MIS 5) was characterized by violent fluctuations in climate and sea level, with periods of increase in MIS 5a, 5c and 5e and decrease in MIS 5b and 5d. Sedimentary process in eastern China are mainly controlled by regional geotectonic activity, and the specific evolution of the depositional environment is also influenced by the combined effects of regional climate and sea level.
Efficient removal of Spartina alterniflora with low negative environmental impacts using imazapyr
Authors: Peng He-Bo , Shi Jianbin , Gan Xiaojing , Zhang Jing , Ma Chao , Piersma Theunis , Melville David S.
Published: December 2022

Invasion by smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel) has greatly impacted the intertidal ecosystems of China. Worldwide, chemical control is the most widely used method to control Spartina species, but it has not been widely implemented along the Chinese coast due to concerns about the potential impacts of herbicide residues on the environment and organisms. Macrobenthos, both natural and cultured on intertidal mudflats, is an important seafood resource, so human food safety is a particular concern. Here we tested the effectiveness of imazapyr (an imidazolinone herbicide inhibiting the synthesis of branched-chain amino acids) in controlling S. alterniflora from August 2020 to June 2021 on the Jiangsu Coast, an area severely impacted by S. alterniflora. We used two different concentrations of the herbicide and monitored the density of S. alterniflora seedlings and flower spikelets, the effects of herbicide use on macrobenthos, and residues in organisms and the environment at different times post-application. Ten months after application, imazapyr had killed all plants and within 30 days it inhibited the two reproductive processes of germination and flowering; there were no significant differences between the two concentrations used. Imazapyr residues were detected in the environment for up to 14 days post-application, but at very low concentrations and exponentially decreased with time. No residues were found in any macrobenthos. Imazapyr use did not result in a reduction of macrobenthos density. We conclude that the herbicide imazapyr effectively removes S. alterniflora with little collateral damage to other organisms and the environment. However, in view of the relatively small scale of our trials and the great extent of S. alterniflora in many sites in China, we recommend that larger scale field trails be conducted to assess any potential adverse effects when imazapyr is used at a landscape level.
Field observations of seabed scour dynamics in front of a seawall during winter gales
Authors: Sun Hongan , Xu Jishang , Zhang Shaotong , Li Guangxue , Liu Shidong , Qiao Lulu , Yu Yue , Liu Xingmin
Published: December 2022

Seawalls are vital for protecting coastal areas. However, the seabed in front of seawalls may undergo severe scouring. This can result in destabilization of the seawall structure, the underlying mechanisms of which remains unclear. Therefore, an integrated observation system consisting of acoustic and optical instruments was deployed in areas with severe seabed scouring. This observation system was used to observe sediment dynamics elements such as waves, currents, tides, turbulence and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) for 31 days in winter. Using advanced time–frequency analysis techniques including wavelet transform and spectrum analysis, we examined the dynamic factors associated with sediment resuspension and transport. In calm weather conditions, a notable increase in SSC was not observed indicating that the tidal dynamics were not sufficient for sediment suspension. During high winds, the SSC increased sharply to 12,222 mg/L, and the sediment vertical diffusion flux induced by turbulence was coupled to SSC, indicating that the increased SSC was predominantly attributed to local resuspension. Consistent temporal distribution of turbulence-induced sediment vertical diffusion flux and momentum flux in high wavelet power spectra highlights the important role of turbulence in sediment dynamics. Enhanced longshore currents during high wave conditions intensified sediment transportation. Horizontal net sediment fluxes notably increased to 769 t/m2 per day during winter gales, which had a significant effect on seabed erosion. This study reveals the key processes associated with seabed scouring in front of seawalls during gale events.
A novel wound dressing material for full-thickness skin defects composed of a crosslinked acellular swim bladder
Authors: Zhang Lifeng , Li Yan , Jiang Wei
Published: December 2022

The repair of widely pervasive skin defects remains a daunting challenge. Previous research on skin defects has applied artificial skin, although this is limited by high cost and complex fabrication. Biomaterials have attracted much attention in recent years due to their accessibility and excellent biocompatibility. We designed a novel cell-scaffold material for wound dressing using swim bladders; the mechanical properties of these could be enhanced by EDC/NHS crosslinking. This material possesses many advantages, including adequate porosity, high mechanical strength, and good thermal stability. In particular, swim bladders after EDC/NHS crosslinking have an increased denaturation temperature and higher tensile strength, along with the ability to be harmlessly colonized in the wound sites of rabbit models, followed by rapid vascularization and cell growth with mild inflammatory reactions. The successful implantation of swim bladders proves that this cell scaffold with its unique features can be an outstanding wound dressing material.
Exploration of and insights into advanced topical nanocarrier systems for the treatment of psoriasis
Authors: Zhang Miao , Hong Seokgyeong , Sun Xiaoying , Zhou Yaqiong , Luo Ying , Liu Liu , Wang Jiao , Wang Chunxiao , Lin Naixuan , Li Xin
Published: December 2022

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with an underlying autoimmune pathogenesis that has brought great distress to patients. Current treatment options include topical therapy, systemic therapy, and phototherapy. By disrupting the stratum corneum, nanocarriers have unique advantages in allowing drug carriers to be tailored to achieve targeted drug delivery, improve efficacy, and minimize adverse effects. Furthermore, despite their limited success in market translatability, nanocarriers have been extensively studied for psoriasis, owing to their excellent preclinical results. As topical formulations are the first line of treatment, utilize the safest route, and facilitate a targeted approach, this study, we specifically describes the management of psoriasis using topical agents in conjunction with novel drug delivery systems. The characteristics, advantages, weaknesses, and mechanisms of individual nanocarriers, when applied as topical anti-psoriatic agents, were reviewed to distinguish each nanocarrier.
Preoperative anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic: A single-center observational study and comparison with a historical cohort
Authors: Buonanno Pasquale , Marra Annachiara , Iacovazzo Carmine , Vargas Maria , Nappi Serena , de Siena Andrea Uriel , Servillo Giuseppe
Published: December 2022

Background

Preoperative anxiety is a common sensation experienced by patients undergoing surgical interventions. It can influence intraoperative and postoperative management through the activation of the neuroendocrine system, leading to tachycardia, hypertension, pulmonary complications, higher consumption of anesthetic drugs, and increased postoperative pain. Our aim was to investigate the level of preoperative anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic; we also compared it to the preoperative anxiety of a historical cohort before the outbreak.

Methods

This is a single-center observational study. We enrolled 314 patients during the pandemic from May 2021 to November 2021, and our historical cohort consisted of 122 patients enrolled from July 2015 to May 2016 in the university hospital “Federico II” of Naples. The Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to evaluate preoperative anxiety. In particular, APAIS measures preoperative anxiety and the need for information, and STAI assesses state and trait anxiety through STAI-Y1 and STAI-Y2, respectively. We analyzed APAIS and STAI scores in our population stratified on the basis of age, gender, marital status, previous surgical experiences, and type of surgery, and we compared them to our historical cohort. Statistical analysis was performed through a t-test and ANOVA for parametric data, and the Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests for non-parametric data. Linear regression was used to investigate the correlation between demographic data and the scores of STAI and APAIS in both groups.

Results

Our results showed that state and preoperative anxiety remained stable, whereas trait anxiety increased in all the subgroups analyzed.

Discussion

Even if state anxiety is considered a variable characteristic of the emotional sphere and trait anxiety a stable element, our findings suggested that COVID-19 deeply influenced trait anxiety, thus altering the patients’ psychological foundations.
Insights into the biotechnology potential of Methanosarcina
Authors: Carr Sean , Buan Nicole R.
Published: December 2022

Methanogens are anaerobic archaea which conserve energy by producing methane. Found in nearly every anaerobic environment on earth, methanogens serve important roles in ecology as key organisms of the global carbon cycle, and in industry as a source of renewable biofuels. Environmentally, methanogenic archaea play an essential role in the reintroducing unavailable carbon to the carbon cycle by anaerobically converting low-energy, terminal metabolic degradation products such as one and two-carbon molecules into methane which then returns to the aerobic portion of the carbon cycle. In industry, methanogens are commonly used as an inexpensive source of renewable biofuels as well as serving as a vital component in the treatment of wastewater though this is only the tip of the iceberg with respect to their metabolic potential. In this review we will discuss how the efficient central metabolism of methanoarchaea could be harnessed for future biotechnology applications.
Microbial community diversity and function analysis of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux in rhizosphere soil of farmlands in Southwest China
Authors: Pu Tingting , Liu Jie , Dong Jingjing , Qian Jun , Zhou Zhongyu , Xia Conglong , Wei Guangfei , Duan Baozhong
Published: December 2022

Understanding how microbial communities affect plant growth is crucial for sustainable productivity and ecological health. However, in contrast with the crop system, there is limited information on the microbial community associated with the medicinal plant. We observed that altitude was the most influential factor on the soil microbial community structures of Aconitum carmichaelii Debeaux. For community composition, bacterial reads were assigned to 48 phyla, with Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, and Actinobacteriota being the dominant phyla. The fungal reads were assigned to seven phyla, and Ascomycota was the predominant phylum detected in most groups. The four dominant phyla were categorized as keystone taxa in the co-occurrence networks, suggesting that they may be involved in soil disease suppression and nutrient mobility. Bacterial co-occurrence networks had fewer edges, lower average degree, and lower density at YL1, HQ1, HQ2, BC, and DL than fungal networks, creating less intricate rhizosphere network patterns. Furthermore, the bacterial and fungal communities showed strong distance decay of similarity across the sampling range. Overall, this study improves our understanding of regulating rhizosphere microbial communities in soil systems and also provides potential production strategies for planting A. carmichaelii.
Composition and assembly of the bacterial community in the overlying waters of the coral reef of China’s Xisha Islands
Authors: Liu Si-Jia , Xie Zhang-Xian , Wu Peng-Fei , Zheng Ru-Wen , Liu Yuan , Lin Lin , Liu Hai-Peng , Wang Da-Zhi
Published: December 2022

Coral reef ecosystems are one of the most diverse and productive habitats on Earth. Microbes in the reef-overlying waters are key players in maintaining this ecosystem through regulating biogeochemical and ecological processes. However, the composition structure and assembly mechanism of microbial community in the reef-overlying waters remain largely unknown. In the present study, the bacterial communities from the overlying waters of atolls and fringing reefs as well as the surface waters of the adjacent open ocean of the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea were investigated using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing combined with a size-fractionation strategy. The results showed that environments of all sampling stations were similar, characterized by an almost complete lack of inorganic nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla, and Synechococcus was most abundant at the genus level in both large fraction (LF; 1.6–200 μm) and small fraction (SF; 0.2–1.6 μm) communities. Only a slight difference in community composition between LF and SF samples was observed. The bacterial communities among the three habitat types showed noticeable differences, and the bacterial composition among the atoll reefs was more varied than that among the fringing reefs. The similarity of bacterial communities significantly declined with the increasing geographic distance, and stochastic processes were more important than deterministic processes in bacterial community assembly. This study sheds lights on the bacterial biodiversity of coral reefs and the importance of stochastic process in structuring bacterial communities.
Antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity of diarylureas against Enterococcus faecium by suppressing the gene expression of peptidoglycan hydrolases and adherence
Authors: Xie Yunfeng , Wang Lei , Yang Yang , Zha Liang , Zhang Jiazhen , Rong Kuanrong , Tang Wenjian , Zhang Jing
Published: December 2022

Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) is a clinical multidrug-resistant pathogen causing life-threatening infection, which makes it important to discover antibacterial agents with novel scaffolds and unique mechanism. In this study, the diarylurea scaffold was found to have potent antibacterial effect on E. faecium. Diarylurea ZJ-2 with benign drug-like property exhibited potent antibacterial and anti-biofilm activity through inhibiting the genes expression of NlpC/p60 hydrolase-secreted antigen A (sagA) and autolysins (atlA), down-regulating the expression of biofilm adherence related genes aggregation substance (agg), enterococcal surface protein (esp) against E. faecium. Moreover, ZJ-2 can be docked into SagA to inhibit daughter cell separation. In a mouse model of abdominal infection, ZJ-2 decreased the bacterial load and the level of IL-6 and TNF-α in a time-dependent manner. Overall, these findings indicated that diarylurea ZJ-2 has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent to treat drug-resistant enterococci and biofilm-related infections.
Research advances and challenges in tissue-derived extracellular vesicles
Authors: Zhi Zhengke , Sun Qiaochu , Tang Weibing
Published: December 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are vesicular vesicles with phospholipid bilayer, which are present in biological fluids and extracellular microenvironment. Extracellular vesicles serve as pivotal mediators in intercellular communication by delivering lipids, proteins, and RNAs to the recipient cells. Different from extracellular vesicles derived from biofluids and that originate from cell culture, the tissue derived extracellular vesicles (Ti-EVs) send us more enriched and accurate information of tissue microenvironment. Notably, tissue derived extracellular vesicles directly participate in the crosstalk between numerous cell types within microenvironment. Current research mainly focused on the extracellular vesicles present in biological fluids and cell culture supernatant, yet the studies on tissue derived extracellular vesicles are increasing due to the tissue derived extracellular vesicles are promising agents to reflect the occurrence and development of human diseases more accurately. In this review, we aimed to clarify the characteristics of tissue derived extracellular vesicles, specify the isolation methods and the roles of tissue derived extracellular vesicles in various diseases, including tumors. Moreover, we summarized the advances and challenges of tissue derived extracellular vesicles research.