It is proposed that the internal loading of phosphorus (P) from sediments plays an important role in seasonal nitrogen (N) limitation for harmful algal blooms (HABs), although there is a lack of ...experimental evidence. In this study, an eutrophic bay from the large and shallow Lake Taihu was studied for investigating the contribution of internal P to N limitation over one-year field sampling (February 2016 to January 2017). A prebloom-bloom period was identified from February to August according to the increase in Chla concentration in the water column, during which the ratio of total N to total P (TN/TP) exponentially decreased with month from 43.4 to 7.4. High-resolution dialysis (HR-Peeper) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) analysis showed large variations in the vertical distribution of mobile P (SRP and DGT-labile P) in sediments, resulting in the SRP diffusion flux at the sediment-water interface ranging from −0.01 to 6.76mg/m2/d (minus sign denotes downward flux). Significant and linear correlations existed between SRP and soluble Fe(II) concentrations in pore water, reflecting that the spatial-temporal variation in mobile P was controlled by microbe-mediated Fe redox cycling. Mass estimation showed that the cumulative flux of SRP from sediments accounted for 54% of the increase in TP observed in the water column during the prebloom-bloom period. These findings are supported by the significantly negative correlation (p<0.01) observed between sediment SRP flux and water column TN/TP during the same period. Overall, these results provide solid evidence for the major role of internal P loading in causing N limitation during the prebloom-bloom period.
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•High-resolution sampling showed seasonal variations in distribution of mobile P in sediments.•SRP diffusion flux at the sediment-water interface varied from −0.01 to 6.76mg/m2/d.•Spatial-temporal variation in mobile P was controlled by microbe-mediated Fe redox cycling.•Internal P loading accounted for 54% of increased water column TP during the prebloom-bloom period.•Internal P loading played a major role in causing seasonal nitrogen limitation for HABs.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Exosomes are microvesicles secreted by cells. They contain a variety of bioactive substances with important roles in intercellular communication. Circular RNA (circRNA), a type of nucleic acid ...molecule found in exosomes, forms a covalently bonded closed loop without 5' caps or 3' poly(A) tails. It is structurally stable, widely distributed, and tissue specific. CircRNAs mainly act as microRNA sponges and have important regulatory roles in gene expression; they are superior to other non-coding RNAs as molecular diagnostic markers and drug treatment targets. Exosomal-derived circRNAs in the body fluids of tumor patients can modulate tumor proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. They can be used as effective biomarkers for early non-invasive diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of tumors, and also represent ideal targets for early precision therapeutic intervention. This review provides a theoretical basis for exploring the applications of exosomal circRNAs in malignant tumor diagnosis and treatment. We describe the biological functions of exosomal circRNAs in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors, their potential utility in diagnosis and treatment, and possible mechanisms.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and death worldwide. While various factors are established as causing malignant tumors, the mechanisms underlying cancer development remain poorly understood. ...Early diagnosis and the development of effective treatments for cancer are important research topics. Transfer RNA (tRNA), the most abundant class of RNA molecules in the human transcriptome, participates in both protein synthesis and cellular metabolic processes. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are produced by specific cleavage of pre-tRNA and mature tRNA molecules, which are highly conserved and occur widely in various organisms. tRFs were initially thought to be random products with no physiological function, but have been redefined as novel functional small non-coding RNA molecules that help to regulate RNA stability, modulate translation, and influence target gene expression, as well as other biological processes. There is increasing evidence supporting roles for tRFs in tumorigenesis and cancer development, including the regulation of tumor cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and drug resistance. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms by which tRFs impact these processes has potential to inform malignant tumor diagnosis and treatment. Further, tRFs are expected to become new biological markers for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction in patients with tumors, as well as a targets for precision cancer therapies. Video abstract.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Since the start of the pandemic, olfactory dysfunction (OD) ...has been reported as a common symptom of COVID-19. In some asymptomatic carriers, OD is often the first and even the only symptom. At the same time, persistent OD is also a long-term sequela seen after COVID-19 that can have a serious impact on the quality of life of patients. However, the pathogenesis of post-COVID-19 OD is still unclear, and there is no specific treatment for its patients. The aim of this paper was to review the research on OD caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and to summarize the mechanism of action, the pathogenesis, and current treatments.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Head and neck tumors (HNCs) are a common tumor in otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery, accounting for 5% of all malignant tumors in the body and are the sixth most common malignant tumor ...worldwide. In the body, immune cells can recognize, kill, and remove HNCs. T cell-mediated antitumor immune activity is the most important antitumor response in the body. T cells have different effects on tumor cells, among which cytotoxic T cells and helper T cells play a major killing and regulating role. T cells recognize tumor cells, activate themselves, differentiate into effector cells, and activate other mechanisms to induce antitumor effects. In this review, the immune effects and antitumor mechanisms mediated by T cells are systematically described from the perspective of immunology, and the application of new immunotherapy methods related to T cells are discussed, with the objective of providing a theoretical basis for exploring and forming new antitumor treatment strategies. Video Abstract.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study assessed the effectiveness of dredging in controlling arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and antimony (Sb) contamination in sediments, by examining contaminant concentrations in sediments six ...years after dredging was completed. High-resolution diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and dialysis (HR-Peeper) techniques were used to monitor the concentrations of DGT-labile metalloids and soluble metalloids in sediments, respectively. Results revealed that dredging effectively remediated metalloid contamination in sediments only in April, July and/or January. Compared to non-dredged sediments, the concentrations of soluble and DGT-labile As, Se, and Sb in dredged sediments decreased on average by 42%, 52%, and 43% (soluble), and 54%, 50%, and 53% (DGT), respectively. The effectiveness of the dredging was primarily due to the transformation of metalloids from labile to inert fractions, which increased the ability of the sediments to retain the metalloids, and the slowed rate of resupplied metalloids from available solid pools. In contrast, negligible/negative effects of dredging were seen in October, and the concentrations of soluble and DGT-labile metalloids even increased in some profiles of dredged sediments. This was mainly caused by a release of the metalloids from algal degradation, which may offset the dredging effectiveness.
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•Dredging effects varied by season, reflected by metalloid concentrations.•Dredging was most effective in April, July and/or January.•Efficacy due to higher fraction of inert metalloids with slower kinetic response.•Dredging had negligible and negative effects in October.•Algal decomposition and metalloid release suppressed dredging efficacy.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Little is known about the effects of bacterial community on iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) cycles in sediments under different primary producer habitats in different seasons. Lake Taihu has both the ...cyanobacteria- and macrophyte-dominated lake zones. In this work, the abundance and structure of bacterial community was investigated using qPCR and 16S rRNA gene high throughput sequencing, respectively. Compared with the sediments in the cyanobacteria-dominated lake zone, sediments in the macrophyte-dominated lake zone had higher TP, TOC and TN contents but lower DO and Eh values. Dissolved reactive P, dissolved Fe, and their molar ratios (Fe/P) were lower in the sediments of the cyanobacteria-dominated lake zone than those in the macrophyte-dominated lake zone. Consistent with this was the significantly lower abundance of total and typical Fe redox transforming bacteria in the sediment of the cyanobacteria-dominated lake zone than those in the macrophyte-dominated lake zone. Correlation analyses also revealed positive influence of abundances of total bacteria and typical Fe reducing bacteria on dissolved Fe and Fe/P ratio. The results showed that, in the cyanobacteria-dominated open water zone,
was capable of Fe metabolism, contributing to higher P flux in summer. In the cyanobacteria-dominated bay, Sva0081 sediment group and
could transform sulfate to sulfide, which resulted in the reduction of Fe (III), while in the macrophyte-dominated zones,
sensu stricto 1 could couple oxidation of organic carbon with the reduction of Fe (III). The present study adds new knowledge linking the bacterial communities with the physicochemical cycles of Fe and P in sediments under different primary producer habitats.
The agarose hydrogel has been increasingly used as a diffusive layer in diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) measurements. However its diffusive characteristics have not been examined in detail. ...In this study, the performance of agarose gel was tested in DGT measurements of eight cations (Fe(II), Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), and Cd(II)) and eight anions (P(V), As(V), Cr(VI), Mo(VI), Sb(V), Se(VI), V(V), and W(VI)). It was found that the thickness of agarose, a key parameter in the calculation of DGT measured concentration, remained unchanged after hydration followed by storage under the following conditions: pH 2–11, ionic strength 0–1.0 M, temperature 4–40 °C, and with the storage time extending to 300 d. Enrichment of cations and repelling of anions were observed in the gel under the ionic strengths of < 2–3 mM and <1 mM (NaNO3), respectively, which was attributed to the electrostatic interactions of these ions with the fixed negatively charged groups (mainly pyruvate) in the gel. The diffusion coefficients of cations and anions through the agarose gel (plus a PVDF filter membrane) were on average 1.10 ± 0.04 times of the reported diffusion coefficients through the agarose cross-linked polyacrylamide (APA) hydrogel, typically used in DGT technique. The working pH ranges for the agarose gel-assembled DGTs were 4–10 and 5–9 for anions and cations, respectively. The use of agarose gel, either individually or along with different filter membranes, affected the overall diffusion rates of cations and anions. The measured DGT concentrations of cations and anions in filtered natural freshwater and seawater were mostly in line with those measured directly. The results showed that the agarose gel can be used as one of the standard diffusive layers in DGT measurements for a wide range of inorganic and organic analytes.
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•Diffusion characteristics of agarose gel used in DGT was first investigated in depth.•Thickness of the hydrated gel remained stable under a wide range of conditions.•Inaccurate DGT measurements appeared at low ionic strengths due to electrostatic interactions.•The agarose diffusion coefficients were on average 1.10 times of the reported APA values.•The agarose gel can be used as one of the standard DGT diffusive layers.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Reductive dissolution of phosphorus-bearing iron (Fe) (oxyhydr)oxides has been regarded as a primary mechanism responsible for the mobilization of phosphorus (P) in sediments for over 70 years. ...However, to date there is little in situ evidence to support this hypothesis. In this study, a total of 16 sites in the large eutrophic Lake Taihu were selected for investigation. Newly-developed diffusive gradients in thin films (ZrO-Chelex DGT) probes were deployed to simultaneously measure labile Fe and P mainly released from sediment solids at millimeter spatial resolution. Significantly positive correlations were observed between DGT-labile Fe and P at 14 sites, implying a release of P following reductive dissolution of Fe (oxyhydr)oxides. A coincident resupply of Fe(II) and P was observed from sediment solids to buffer their releases from DGT perturbance, further verifying the mechanism of Fe-coupled mobilization of P. The ratio of DGT-labile Fe/P was found to be positively correlated with the ratio of easily reducible (oxyhydr)oxide Fe to its associated P, indicating that this solid phase should retain P prior to its release. The results provide direct evidence for the coupling between Fe and P in sediments and further identify the easily reducible Fe (oxyhydr)oxide species involved in the coupling process.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK