Lactococcosis, caused by members of the genus Lactococcus, represents a devastating disease inducing mass mortalities and economic losses in many fish species worldwide. The present work aimed to ...compare the whole genome sequences of three different serotypes of Lactococcus garvieae isolated from diseased cultured striped jack (Pseudocaranx dentex) in Ehime prefecture, Japan. The three serotypes showed different virulence in the challenge test using Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata). The genome sequencing revealed that two of the strains (serotype I and serotype III) were identified as L. garvieae, while the third strain (serotype II) was identified as L. formosensis. The chromosome sizes of the three serotypes ranged from 1.9 to 2.0 Mb; the GC content ranges were 38.2 to 38.9%; and the numbers of predicted protein‐coding sequences (CDSs) were from 1922 to 1959. Only the serotype II harbours two plasmids, sizes of around 14 kb and 9 kb. The detected virulence factors varied among the different serotypes with some shared factors like adherence, anti‐phagocytosis, secretion system, toxin (haemolysin), serum resistance, antimicrobial resistance and others. The genomes also contained factors responsible for resistance to toxic compounds. The genome of the serotype III tended to encode more prophage regions than the other serotypes.
Roles for the baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing (BIRC) genes, BIRC2 and BIRC3, may include signaling to the inflammatory transcription factor, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and ...protection from cell death. However, distinct functions for each BIRC are not well-delineated. Given roles for the epithelium in barrier function and host defence, BIRC2 and BIRC3 expression was characterized in pulmonary epithelial cell lines and primary human bronchial epithelial cells (pHBECs) grown as undifferentiated cells in submersion culture (SC) or as highly differentiated cells at air-liquid interface (ALI). In A549 cells, interleukin-1β (IL1B) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) induced BIRC3 mRNA (~20-50-fold), with maximal protein expression from 6-24 h. Similar effects occurred in BEAS-2B and Calu-3 cells, as well as SC and ALI pHBECs. BIRC2 protein was readily detected in unstimulated cells, but was not markedly modulated by IL1B or TNF. Glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, budesonide) modestly increased BIRC3 mRNA and protein, but showed little effect on BIRC2 expression. In A549 cells, BIRC3 mRNA induced by IL1B was unchanged by glucocorticoids and showed supra-additivity with TNF-plus-glucocorticoid. Supra-additivity was also evident for IL1B-plus-budesonide induced-BIRC3 in SC and ALI pHBECs. Using A549 cells, IL1B- and TNF-induced BIRC3 expression, and to a lesser extent, BIRC2, was prevented by NF-κB inhibition. Glucocorticoid-induced BIRC3 expression was prevented by silencing and antagonism of the glucocorticoid receptor. Whereas TNF, but not IL1B, induced degradation of basal BIRC2 and BIRC3 protein, IL1B- and TNF-induced BIRC3 protein remained stable. Differential regulation by cytokines and glucocorticoids shows BIRC2 protein expression to be consistent with roles in rapid signaling events, whereas cytokine-induced BIRC3 may be more important in later effects. While TNF-induced degradation of both BIRCs may restrict their activity, cytokine-enhanced BIRC3 expression could prime for its function. Finally, shielding from glucocorticoid repression, or further enhancement by glucocorticoid, may indicate a key protective role for BIRC3.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Since more than one-third of dam failures have been attributed to uncontrolled seepage, it is of great importance to investigate the behaviour of this phenomenon in order to achieve the maximum ...degree of safety for such dams. The present work investigated the influence of the permeability coefficient of the different materials used in zoned earth dams on different seepage parameters. For the modelling and analysis processes, the Seep/w and Seep2D software were employed. The numerical results prove that the optimum relative hydraulic conductivity between the inner and transition shells is about 0.001, and it is better to use filling materials with less hydraulic conductivity in the upstream transition and outer shells than in the downstream ones. A good agreement was noted between the obtained results from Seep/w and those from Seep2D. Reducing the hydraulic conductivity of both the upstream and the downstream shells, or of the downstream shells only, causes the pore water pressure in the dam body to increase significantly, and causes a remarkable reduction in the seeped water quantity and velocity. A moderate reduction in the different seepage parameters is achieved by reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the upstream transition shell, and a small reduction is noticed by reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the upstream outer shell.
Abstract
Background
Paphia undulata
, The Short-Necked Clam, is an edible marine bivalve that is consumed internationally and locally in Egypt. Overfishing and pollution have caused population ...declines in Egyptian fisheries during the last decade. Accurate reproductive biology knowledge is critical for designing long-term exploitation strategy for this resource.
P. undulata
spawning and gametogenic cycle research were carried out from January to December 2020 along Timsah Lake, Suez Canal, Egypt.
Results
These clams are functionally dioecious with a very low incidence of hermaphroditism. The sex ratio of the clam population was 1.0:1.07:0.04 for male, female and hermaphrodite respectively. The shell lengths of the collected clams were 4.64 ± 0.83 cm in males, 4.55 ± 0.9 cm in females and 4.19 ± 0.3 cm in hermaphrodite clams. The sizes at the onset of sexual maturity in both males and females were 2.1 cm and 2.5 cm respectively.
Conclusions
Reproductive studies revealed that this species has a prolonged spawning season that is not restricted to a specific period.
The maintenance of human health and the development of disease are both significantly influenced by the gut microbiota. The development of omics technologies improves the understanding of the gut ...microbial ecosystem. Metagenomics has emphasized the diversity of the gut microbiome; however, it does not provide reliable insight on the dark matter of microorganisms or the minor populations. As a result of the rebirth of cultural techniques in microbiology; the field of "culturomics" is created to cultivate the unidentified bacteria that reside inside the human gut. In the 21st century's discipline of clinical microbiology; microbial culturomics becomes a promising strategy that may be used to cultivate hundreds of novel microorganisms linked to human; thus, opening new insights on the host-microbial relationships. Novel taxa and species will be detected by optimizing the culture conditions; followed by quick identification using mass spectrometry or molecular next generation sequencing. Culturomics of the human gut microbiota can be used as a bactriotherapy for the inflammatory bowel diseases and the respiratory illnesses like COVID-19, and as an immunomodulatory agent for cancer therapy. Furthermore, culturomics is a big store for discovering new antibacterial agents and resistance genes. The aim of this review was to highlight the background; methodologies, and future use of culturomics to study the human gut microbiota.
In this paper, the effects of variable thermal conductivity and radiation on the flow and heat transfer of an electrically conducting micropolar fluid over a continuously stretching surface with ...varying temperature in the presence of a magnetic field are considered. The surface temperature is assumed to vary as a power-law temperature. The governing conservation equations of mass, momentum, angular momentum and energy are converted into a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations by means of similarity transformation. The resulting system of coupled non-linear ordinary differential equations is solved numerically. The numerical results show that the thermal boundary thickness increases as the thermal conductivity parameter
S
increases, while it decreases as the radiation parameter
F
increases. Also, it was found that the Nusselt number increases as
F
increases and decreases as
S
increases.
The mazout properties were improved using ecofriendly ways because of its wide range of applications, abundance and low cost. In this study, the effect of biodiesel blending on the properties of ...mazout was investigated. Biodiesel was prepared from waste cooking oil. The mazout properties such as viscosity and density improved with the increase in volume ratio of biodiesel to mazout. The mazout viscosity decreases with an average value of 12% as the biodiesel is added with a volume ratio of 10%. In contrast, when a 10% volume ratio of the biodiesel is added to mazout, the heating value decreases by 1.5%. Although the calorific value of mazout decreases after the blending process, the blending method is considered a method that saves energy compared to the heating method to reduce the viscosity. The cost of improved mazout depends on the cost of biodiesel production. The more the cost of biodiesel production approaches the cost of mazout, the more expensive the use of the blending method compared to the heating method. Moreover, the blending method is a very effective method to reduce the percentages of harmful compounds such as sulfur, and the compound percentages that occupy volumetric proportions of fuel such as water content.
The mazout properties were improved using ecofriendly ways because of its wide range of applications, abundance and low cost.
BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) is a settled risk factor for ventral hernia repair complications. There is no agreement for a specific perfect BMI maximum value for elective hernia surgical repair. ...The goal of this study is to determine a BMI threshold that represents a risk for ventral hernia recurrence after repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective single-center study of electronic medical records for patients with repair of ventral hernia from June 2017 to May 2023. The primary outcome of the study is to measure the hernia recurrence. The decision regression trees method was utilized to set the BMI threshold that is associated with a significant increase in the hernia recurrence risk. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was applied to prove the BMI threshold and to assess other factors related to recurrence. RESULTS: In total, 110 patients were included, 8.2% of them suffered from ventral hernia recurrence. The analysis defined BMI 38.7 kg/m2 as the critical value for the recurrence of hernia. Patients with liver disease were more likely to have hernia recurrence (11.1% vs. 0%, P = 0.006), irreducible hernias (66.7% vs. 32.6%, P = 0.002), emergency surgery (66.6% vs. 21.7%, P < 0.001), and BMI >38.7 kg/m2 (77.8% vs. 26.7%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: We found that a BMI of more than 38.7 kg/m2 had a significant increase in the risk of recurrence in ventral hernia patients. This shows the importance of defining a BMI threshold in ventral hernia patients for repair.
Background and Purpose
It has been proposed that genomic mechanisms contribute to adverse effects often experienced by asthmatic subjects who take regular, inhaled β2‐adrenoceptor agonists as a ...monotherapy. Moreover, data from preclinical models of asthma suggest that these gene expression changes are mediated by β‐arrestin‐2 rather than PKA. Herein, we tested this hypothesis by comparing the genomic effects of formoterol, a β2‐adrenoceptor agonist, with forskolin in human primary bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC).
Experimental Approach
Gene expression changes were determined by RNA‐sequencing. Gene silencing and genome editing were employed to explore the roles of β‐arrestin‐2 and PKA.
Key Results
The formoterol‐regulated transcriptome in HBEC treated concurrently with TNFα was defined by 1480 unique gene expression changes. TNFα‐induced transcripts modulated by formoterol were annotated with enriched gene ontology terms related to inflammation and proliferation, notably “GO:0070374~positive regulation of ERK1 and ERK2 cascade,” which is an apparent β‐arrestin‐2 target. However, expression of the formoterol‐ and forskolin‐regulated transcriptomes were highly rank‐order correlated and the effects of formoterol on TNFα‐induced inflammatory genes were abolished by an inhibitor of PKA. Furthermore, formoterol‐induced gene expression changes in BEAS‐2B bronchial epithelial cell clones deficient in β‐arrestin‐2 were comparable with those expressed by their parental counterparts. Contrariwise, gene expression was partially inhibited in clones lacking the α‐catalytic subunit (Cα) of PKA and abolished following the additional knockdown of the β‐catalytic subunit (Cβ) paralogue.
Conclusions
The effects of formoterol on inflammatory gene expression in airway epithelia are mediated by PKA and involve the cooperation of PKA‐Cα and PKA‐Cβ.
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•New N, S @C-dots were synthesized for bimodal assays of rutin.•Bimodal assays depend on fluorometric and electrochemical detection of rutin.•Low LODs were obtained.•Short response ...times of detection.•Fluorometric detection was enhanced towards other flavonoids via addition of BSA.•Advantages are sensitivity, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and selectivity.
A simple, cost-effective, and convenient bimodal strategy for the detection of toxic flavonoid rutin was proposed. The strategy depends on fluorometric and electrochemical determination of rutin using new type of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots (N, S@C-dots). The fluorescence detection based on quenching the emission of N, S@C-dots by rutin through inner-filter effect (IFE), while the electrochemical detection based on direct oxidation of rutin at glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with N, S@C-dots. Many factors affecting fluorometric and electrochemical measurements were optimized. The decrease of emission intensity and the increase of the electrochemical signal are linear over the concentration range of 0.02−92.3 μM and 0.2−130 × 10−8 M, respectively. The limits of detections (LODs) were found to be 8.0 nM and 0.8 nM for the fluorometric and electrochemical methods, respectively. Moreover, short response times (2.0 and 2.5 min) were achieved using the fluorometric and electrochemical methods, respectively. The selectivity of the fluorometric sensor towards rutin was enhanced; in the presence of other interfering flavonoids; by the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA).
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