Combined analyses of the natural occurrence of fusarium head blight (FHB), mycotoxins and mycotoxin‐producing isolates of Fusarium spp. in fields of wheat revealed FHB epidemics in 12 of 14 regions ...in Hubei in 2009. Mycotoxin contamination ranged from 0·59 to 15·28 μg g⁻¹ in grains. Of the causal agents associated with symptoms of FHB, 84% were Fusarium asiaticum and 9·5% were Fusarium graminearum, while the remaining 6·5% were other Fusarium species. Genetic chemotyping demonstrated that F. asiaticum comprised deoxynivalenol (DON), 3‐acetyldeoxynivalenol (3‐AcDON), 15‐acetyldeoxynivalenol (15‐AcDON) and nivalenol (NIV) producers, whereas F. graminearum only included DON and 15‐AcDON producers. Compared with the chemotype patterns in 1999, there appeared to be a modest shift towards 3‐AcDON chemotypes in field populations during the following decade. However, isolates genetically chemotyped as 3‐AcDON were present in all regions, whereas the chemical 3‐AcDON was only detected in three of the 14 regions where 3‐AcDON accounted for 15–20% of the DON and acetylated forms. NIV mycotoxins were detected in seven regions, six of which also yielded NIV chemotypes. The number of genetic 3‐AcDON producers was positively correlated with amounts of total mycotoxins (DON, NIV and acetylated forms) or DON in wheat grains. Chemical analyses of wheat grains and rice cultures inoculated with different isolates from the fields confirmed their genetic chemotypes and revealed a preferential biosynthesis of 3‐AcDON and 4‐AcNIV in rice. These findings suggest the importance of chemotyping coupled with species identification for improved prediction of mycotoxin contamination in wheat.
Background and purpose
The chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) is involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study aimed to investigate whether urinary MCP‐1 can ...distinguish patients with AD, patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and cognitively normal (CN) subjects.
Methods
A total of 754 participants, including 97 patients with AD, 50 patients with aMCI and 84 age‐ and sex‐matched CN controls as well as a cohort of 523 CN subjects of different ages, were enrolled from five hospitals located in different areas of China. Urinary MCP‐1 levels were determined using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The correlations between urinary MCP‐1 levels and cognition test scores or age were analysed. The optimal diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were determined using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.
Results
In the cohort of CN subjects of different ages, urinary MCP‐1 levels increased with ageing and were correlated with age. The urinary MCP‐1 levels were higher in females than in males. In the cohort composed of patients with AD, aMCI and age‐ and sex‐matched CN controls, urinary MCP‐1 levels were significantly higher in patients with AD and aMCI than in CN controls. There were no differences in urine MCP‐1 levels between the AD group and the aMCI group. The urinary MCP‐1 levels were correlated with the Mini‐Mental State Examination scores and age, and were able to differentiate patients with AD and aMCI from CN subjects.
Conclusions
Urinary MCP‐1 is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of AD and aMCI.
Transcriptional control plays an important role in regulating submergence responses in plants. Although numerous genes are highly induced during hypoxia, their individual roles in hypoxic responses ...are still poorly understood. Here, we found that expression of genes that encode members of the WRKY transcription factor family was rapidly and strongly induced upon submergence in Arabidopsis thaliana, and this induction correlated with induction of a large portion of innate immunity marker genes. Furthermore, prior submergence treatment conferred higher resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae in Arabidopsis. Among the WRKY genes tested, WRKY22 had the highest level of induction during the early stages of submergence. Compared with the wild type, WRKY22 T-DNA insertion mutants wrky22-1 and wrky22-2 had lower disease resistance and lower induction of innate immunity markers, such as FLG22-INDUCED RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE1 (FRK1) and WRKY53, after submergence. Furthermore, transcriptomic analyses of wrky22-2 and chromatin immunoprecipitation identified several potential targets of WRKY22, which included genes encoding a TIR domain—containing protein, a plant peptide hormone, and many OLIGO PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER genes, all of which may lead to induction of innate immunity. In conclusion, we propose that submergence triggers innate immunity in Arabidopsis via WRKY22, a response that may protect against a higher probability of pathogen infection either during or after flooding.
Microenvironment plays an important role in cancer development. We have reported that the cancer-associated stromal cells exhibit phenotypic and functional changes compared to stromal cells ...neighboring to normal tissues. However, the molecular mechanisms as well as the maintenance of these changes remain elusive. Here we showed that through co-culture with breast cancer cells for at least three to four passages, breast normal tissue-associated fibroblasts (NAFs) gained persistent activity for promoting cancer cell invasion, partly via up-regulating ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 1 (ADAMTS1). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the DNA methylation pattern in the ADAMTS1 promoter has no alteration. Instead, the loss of EZH2 binding to the ADAMTS1 promoter and the resulting decrease of promoter-associated histone H3K27 methylation may account for the up-regulation of ADAMTS1. Importantly, the lack of EZH2 binding and the H3K27 methylation on the ADAMTS1 promoter were sustained in cancer cell-precocultured NAFs after removal of cancer cells. These results suggest that cancer cells are capable of inducing stromal fibroblasts to secrete ADAMTS1 persistently for their invasion and the effect is epigenetically inheritable.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
We investigate collective dynamics in a binary mixture of programmable robots in experiments and simulations. While robots of the same species align their motion direction, interaction between ...species is distinctly nonreciprocal: species A aligns with B and species B antialigns with A. This nonreciprocal interaction gives rise to the emergence of collective chiral motion that can be stabilized by limiting the robot angular speed to be below a threshold. Within the chiral phase, increasing the robot density or extending the range of local repulsive interactions can drive the system through an absorbing-active transition. At the transition point, the robots exhibit a remarkable capacity for self-organization, forming disordered hyperuniform states.
•A novel gravity model integrating multilayer network for waste trade is executed.•Multilayer network results show new patterns challenge the North-South pattern.•Northern waste havens indicate a ...recycling market for textile and metal scrap waste.•PHH is better supported for highly connected hubs and havens in SDT waste.•Stringent waste management policies reduce exports and imports in SDT waste.
Waste management is an international enterprise, and it is important to understand global flows of recyclable materials. The Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH) suggests that waste moves from high income nations with stringent environmental policy to low income nations with less environmentally stringent policy, by exploiting low labor and regulatory costs. This paper assesses the PHH thesis for slag/dross and textiles (SDT) wastes in PHH through novel integration of the multilayer network and gravity models. The multilayer network model generates network effect that quantifies interlayer connections of multiple waste trade networks. Instead of North-South movement of waste, North-North, South-South, and even South-North are shown. Results from the gravity model indicate that stringent waste management policies reduce both waste exports and imports. PHH is not found for slags/dross where high income countries are importing the waste, contradicting PHH. On the other hand, PHH is more evident between highly connected hubs and havens in SDT waste trade networks.
The mechanism of high superconducting transition temperatures (Tc) in bismuthates remains under debate despite more than 30 years of extensive research. Our angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy ...studies on Ba0.51K0.49BiO3 reveal an unexpectedly 34% larger bandwidth than in conventional density functional theory calculations. This can be reproduced by calculations that fully account for long-range Coulomb interactions-the first direct demonstration of bandwidth expansion due to the Fock exchange term, a long-accepted and yet uncorroborated fundamental effect in many body physics.Furthermore, we observe an isotropic superconducting gap with 2Δ0/kBTc=3.51±0.05, and strong electron-phonon interactions with a coupling constant λ∼1.3±0.2. These findings solve a long-standing mystery-Ba0.51K0.49BiO3 is an extraordinary Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductor, where long-range Coulomb interactions expand the bandwidth, enhance electron-phonon coupling, and generate the high Tc. Such effects will also be critical for finding new superconductors.
Members of the genus Aeromonas are opportunistic pathogen of a variety of aquatic animals that exhibits multidrug resistance, phenotypes, virulence genes and virulence. The present study described ...the species distribution and the potential pathogenicity of Aeromonas isolated from healthy Northern snakehead (Channa argus) in China. Molecular identification revealed that A. veronii biovar veronii (69/167; 41·3%) and A. hydrophila (41/167; 24·6%) were the most common species found in Northern snakehead intestine based on sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and DNA gyrase subunit B protein. The distribution of seven virulence factors including aer (84·4%), act (80·8%), ser (40·1%), Aha (27·5%), lip (23·4%), exu (15·0%) and LuxS (12·6%) were determined exclusively in Aeromonas isolates. All the seven virulence genes were present in 9·6% (16/167), among which 11 strains were identified as A. veronii biovar veronii. For the strains harbouring seven virulence genes, the 50% lethal doses (LD50) of isolates were lower compared to the isolates carrying two virulence genes. The challenge tests revealed that isolate W31 had the lowest lethal dose, causing 50% mortality at 4·5 × 103 colony‐forming units (CFU) per ml. Furthermore, histopathology of Northern snakehead infected with Aeromonas strains showed necrosis and congestion in liver, spleen and kidney and also damage to the intestine. This study confirms that the Aeromonas strains isolated from healthy Northern snakehead may be a cause of concern for public health.
Significance and Impact of the Study
Aeromonas species are widely distributed in aquatic environments and have considerable virulence potential. The aim of this study was to identify Aeromonas strains isolated from healthy Northern snakehead, and to investigate if Aeromonas species isolated from healthy fish potential pathogenicity with special reference to virulence and epidemiology studies.
Significance and Impact of the Study: Aeromonas species are widely distributed in aquatic environments and have considerable virulence potential. The aim of this study was to identify Aeromonas strains isolated from healthy Northern snakehead, and to investigate if Aeromonas species isolated from healthy fish potential pathogenicity with special reference to virulence and epidemiology studies.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of aerobic and neurocognitive exercise with moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity levels on executive functions (EFs) and sleep quality ...in children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Methods
In a parallel two‐group randomized controlled trial (RCT) design, 80 children with ADHD aged 6–12 years (Mage = 8.46 ± 1.50) were assigned to either a 12‐week combined aerobic‐and neurocognitive‐exercise experimental group (EG; three sessions per week for 60‐min) or a wait‐list control group (CG). Forty children with typical development aged 6–12 years (Mage = 8.49 ± 1.51) were recruited as healthy controls (HC). A Polar heart rate (HR) monitor was used to track the exercise intensity (60%–80% predicted HRmax) throughout the intervention. Three core EFs (inhibitory control IC, working memory WM, and cognitive flexibility CF) were assessed by computer‐based neurocognitive tasks, and sleep quality and physical activity (PA) levels were assessed by self‐report questionnaires.
Results
The results showed that the exercise intervention was beneficial for improving three core EFs, shortening sleep latency and decreasing sleep disturbances. The intervention effects on EFs and sleep quality appeared to be sustained for at least 12 weeks in EG. In addition, children with ADHD after intervention showed non‐significant differences in IC, CF and multiple sleep quality outcomes compared with HC. Furthermore, a significant PA‐EFs‐sleep correlation was found in children with ADHD after the intervention.
Conclusion
The findings suggest that a 12‐week combined aerobic and neurocognitive exercise intervention appears to be an effective treatment program for EFs and sleep quality in children with ADHD.
Secreted factors from the epicardium are believed to be important in directing heart ventricular cardiomyocyte proliferation and morphogenesis, although the specific factors involved have not been ...identified or characterized adequately. We found that IGF2 is the most prominent mitogen made by primary mouse embryonic epicardial cells and by a newly derived immortalized mouse embryonic epicardial cell line called MEC1. In vivo, Igf2 is expressed in the embryonic mouse epicardium during midgestation heart development. Using a whole embryo culture assay in the presence of inhibitors, we confirmed that IGF signaling is required to activate the ERK proliferation pathway in the developing heart, and that the epicardium is required for this response. Global disruption of the Igf2 gene, or conditional disruption of the two IGF receptor genes Igf1r and Insr together in the myocardium, each resulted in a significant decrease in ventricular wall proliferation and in ventricular wall hypoplasia. Ventricular cardiomyocyte proliferation in mutant embryos was restored to normal at E14.5, concurrent with the establishment of coronary circulation. Our results define IGF2 as a previously unexplored epicardial mitogen that is required for normal ventricular chamber development.
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