Abstract
Milky seas are a rare form of marine bioluminescence where the nocturnal ocean surface produces a widespread, uniform and steady whitish glow. Mariners have compared their appearance to a ...daylit snowfield that extends to all horizons. Encountered most often in remote waters of the northwest Indian Ocean and the Maritime Continent, milky seas have eluded rigorous scientific inquiry, and thus little is known about their composition, formation mechanism, and role within the marine ecosystem. The Day/Night Band (DNB), a new-generation spaceborne low-light imager, holds potential to detect milky seas, but the capability has yet to be demonstrated. Here, we show initial examples of DNB-detected milky seas based on a multi-year (2012–2021) search. The massive bodies of glowing ocean, sometimes exceeding 100,000 km
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in size, persist for days to weeks, drift within doldrums amidst the prevailing sea surface currents, and align with narrow ranges of sea surface temperature and biomass in a way that suggests water mass isolation. These findings show how spaceborne assets can now help guide research vessels toward active milky seas to learn more about them.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
As the backbone force of China's social and economic construction, the health status of workers is closely related to the nation's productivity and social development. Currently, cancers have become ...one of the major diseases threatening the health of workers. However, there are still many shortcomings in the cancer screening services for the workers. To standardize cancer screening services for workers, ensure the quality of screening services, and improve the overall screening effectiveness, 19 institutions, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, have jointly formulated the Group Standard "Specification for service of cancer screening for workers (T/CHAA 023-2023)". This standard follows the principles of "legality, scientific rigor, advancement, and feasibility" and combines the frontier scientific advances in cancer screening. It clarifies the relevant requirements for service principles, service design, service delivery, service management, service eval
Low- and middle-income countries continue to experience a large burden of stunting; 148 million children were estimated to be stunted, around 30-40% of all children in 2011. In many of these ...countries, foetal growth restriction (FGR) is common, as is subsequent growth faltering in the first 2 years. Although there is agreement that stunting involves both prenatal and postnatal growth failure, the extent to which FGR contributes to stunting and other indicators of nutritional status is uncertain.
Using extant longitudinal birth cohorts (n=19) with data on birthweight, gestational age and child anthropometry (12-60 months), we estimated study-specific and pooled risk estimates of stunting, wasting and underweight by small-for-gestational age (SGA) and preterm birth.
We grouped children according to four combinations of SGA and gestational age: adequate size-for-gestational age (AGA) and preterm; SGA and term; SGA and preterm; and AGA and term (the reference group). Relative to AGA and term, the OR (95% confidence interval) for stunting associated with AGA and preterm, SGA and term, and SGA and preterm was 1.93 (1.71, 2.18), 2.43 (2.22, 2.66) and 4.51 (3.42, 5.93), respectively. A similar magnitude of risk was also observed for wasting and underweight. Low birthweight was associated with 2.5-3.5-fold higher odds of wasting, stunting and underweight. The population attributable risk for overall SGA for outcomes of childhood stunting and wasting was 20% and 30%, respectively.
This analysis estimates that childhood undernutrition may have its origins in the foetal period, suggesting a need to intervene early, ideally during pregnancy, with interventions known to reduce FGR and preterm birth.
IL-17-producing CD8 (Tc17) T cells have been shown to play an important role in infection and chronic inflammation, however their implications in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive. In ...this study, we performed cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) and revealed the distinctive immunological phenotypes of two IFNγ+ and IFNγ− Tc17 subsets that were preferentially enriched in human HCC. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis further revealed regulatory circuits governing the different phenotypes of these Tc17 subsets. In particular, we discovered that IFNγ− Tc17 subset demonstrated pro-tumoral characteristics and expressed higher levels of CCL20. This corresponded to increased tumor infiltration of T regulatory cells (Treg) validated by immunohistochemistry in another independent HCC cohort, demonstrating the immunosuppressive functions of IFNγ− Tc17 subset. Most importantly, higher intra-tumoral proportions of IFNγ− Tc17 were associated with poorer prognosis in patients with HCC and this was further validated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HCC cohort. Taken together, this compendium of transcriptomic and proteomic data of Tc17 subsets sheds light on the immunosuppressive phenotypes of IFNγ− Tc17 and its implications in HCC progression.
•Two distinct IFNγ+ and IFNγ− Tc17 subsets were preferentially enriched in human HCC.•Single-cell transcriptomic reveals the distinct regulatory circuits of Tc17 subsets.•IFNγ− Tc17 expresses CCL20 that recruits immunosuppressive Treg cells.•IFNγ− Tc17 is associated with poorer prognosis and survival of HCC patients.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Background Adolescent acne impacts self‐esteem and quality of life in adolescents and its aetiology is not fully clarified.
Objective The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological ...features of adolescent acne in North East China and determine the impact of genetic and environmental factors on the pathogenesis of acne.
Methods Data were collected from 5696 undergraduates (2920 patients and 2776 controls) using questionnaire. The survey data were analysed using spss version 13.0 and heritability of adolescent acne was calculated using Falconer’s method.
Results Total prevalence of adolescent acne was 51.30% (52.74% in males, 49.65% in females). The difference between genders was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Adolescents with a family history of acne had earlier age of onset (P < 0.001). The prevalence of acne in first‐ and second‐degree relatives of acne patients was 22.5% and 7.19%, respectively, significantly higher than in controls (P < 0.001). Heritability of adolescent acne was 78.47 ± 2.05% in first‐degree relatives and 75.05 ± 3.18% in second‐degree relatives. Risk factors to the acne suffers include (in descending order of occurrence), acne family history, mental stress, menstrual disorder, frequent insomnia, high fat diet, being male, dysmenorrhoea, anxiety, sleeping < 8 h per day, depression, fried food, study pressure, spicy food, oily skin and mixed type skin. Protective factors include (presented in descending order of occurrence) dry skin, neutral skin, frequent fruit consumption and computer access time < 2 h daily.
Conclusion Adolescent acne includes a familial genetic predisposition. Additional environmental factors of psychological stress, skin oiliness and high caloric diets may also contribute to the onset of acne in Chinese adolescents.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt) is common among Mesoamerican sugarcane workers. Recurrent heat stress and dehydration is a leading hypothesis. Evidence indicate a key role of ...inflammation.
Starting in sports and heat pathophysiology literature, we develop a theoretical framework of how strenuous work in heat could induce kidney inflammation. We describe the release of pro-inflammatory substances from a leaky gut and/or injured muscle, alone or in combination with tubular fructose and uric acid, aggravation by reduced renal blood flow and increased tubular metabolic demands. Then, we analyze longitudinal data from >800 sugarcane cutters followed across harvest and review the CKDnt literature to assess empirical support of the theoretical framework.
Inflammation (CRP elevation and fever) and hyperuricemia was tightly linked to kidney injury. Rehydrating with sugary liquids and NSAID intake increased the risk of kidney injury, whereas electrolyte solution consumption was protective. Hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia were associated with kidney injury.
Heat stress, muscle injury, reduced renal blood flow and fructose metabolism may induce kidney inflammation, the successful resolution of which may be impaired by daily repeating pro-inflammatory triggers. We outline further descriptive, experimental and intervention studies addressing the factors identified in this study.
The anticipation for substituting conventional fossil fuels with cellulosic biofuels is growing in the face of increasing demand for energy and rising concerns of greenhouse gas emissions. However, ...commercial production of cellulosic biofuel has been hampered by inefficient fermentation of xylose and the toxicity of acetic acid, which constitute substantial portions of cellulosic biomass. Here we use a redox balancing strategy to enable efficient xylose fermentation and simultaneous in situ detoxification of cellulosic feedstocks. By combining a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-consuming acetate consumption pathway and an NADH-producing xylose utilization pathway, engineered yeast converts cellulosic sugars and toxic levels of acetate together into ethanol under anaerobic conditions. The results demonstrate a breakthrough in making efficient use of carbon compounds in cellulosic biomass and present an innovative strategy for metabolic engineering whereby an undesirable redox state can be exploited to drive desirable metabolic reactions, even improving productivity and yield.
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