Extracellular vesicles (EVs, including exosomes) are a group of heterogeneous nanometer‐sized vesicles that are released by all types of cells and serve as functional mediators of cell‐to‐cell ...communication. This ability is primarily due to their capacity to package and transport various proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids—namely DNA and messenger RNA (mRNA), but also microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs). These contents can influence the function and fate of both recipient and donor cells. More and more studies have shown that EVs are involved in every phase of cancer development, mediating bidirectional cross talk between cancer cells and their tissue microenvironment. More specifically, EVs can promote tumor progression by modifying vesicular contents and establishing a distant premetastatic niche with molecules that favor cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and even drug resistance. Given that the packaging of these molecules is known to be tissue‐specific, EVs can not only serve as novel prognostic and diagnostic markers but also be used as potential therapeutic targets and vehicles for drug delivery. The present review discusses the current understanding of the multifaceted roles of EVs in the progression of oral and salivary gland cancers, as well as their potential use in clinical applications.
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•Underoil superhydrophobic or underwater superoleophobic meshes were fabricated by vapor deposition of PDMS.•These two types of meshes were used for selectively oil-water mixtures ...separation.•These two types of meshes still take effects under extreme environmental conditions.
Considerable interest has been motivated in the study of oil-water separation by developing new materials and technologies. Here, we demonstrated a simple and effective method to separate oil-water mixtures using the prepared stainless steel meshes by vapor deposition of liquid state polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). By changing the heating temperature, underoil superhydrophobic stainless steel meshes and underwater superoleophobic stainless steel meshes can be alternatively achieved. The former is used for heavy oil-water mixtures separation after oil prewetting, while the latter is utilized to separate light oil-water mixtures after water prewetting. As a result, a variety of light or heavy oil-water mixtures could be separated with the efficiency above 99.0%. The separation efficiency maintains high even after 60 separation cycles. In addition, these two types of meshes still take effects under severe environmental situation when they are employed to separate oils from strong acidic, alkaline, salt aqueous solutions, and hot or ice water.
Exploring the quantitative association between landscape characteristics and the ecological conditions of receiving waters has recently become an emerging area for eco-environmental research. While ...the landscape–water relationship research has largely targeted on inland aquatic systems, there has been an increasing need to develop methods and techniques that can better work with coastal and estuarine ecosystems. In this paper, we present a geospatial approach to examine the quantitative relationship between landscape characteristics and estuarine nitrogen loading in an urban watershed. The case study site is in the Pensacola estuarine drainage area, home of the city of Pensacola, Florida, USA, where vigorous urban sprawling has prompted growing concerns on the estuarine ecological health. Central to this research is a remote sensor image that has been used to extract land use/cover information and derive landscape metrics. Several significant landscape metrics are selected and spatially linked with the nitrogen loading data for the Pensacola bay area. Landscape metrics and nitrogen loading are summarized by equal overland flow-length rings, and their association is examined by using multivariate statistical analysis. And a stepwise model-building protocol is used for regression designs to help identify significant variables that can explain much of the variance in the nitrogen loading dataset. It is found that using landscape composition or spatial configuration alone can explain most of the nitrogen loading variability. Of all the regression models using metrics derived from a single land use/cover class as the independent variables, the one from the low density urban gives the highest adjusted
R-square score, suggesting the impact of the watershed-wide urban sprawl upon this sensitive estuarine ecosystem. Measures towards the reduction of non-point source pollution from urban development are necessary in the area to protect the Pensacola bay ecosystem and its ecosystem services.
► We examined the quantitative relationship between landscape characteristics and nitrogen loading in an estuarine drainage area by using a set of geospatial techniques. ► We found that using landscape composition or spatial configuration alone can explain most of the estuarine nitrogen loading variability. ► The methods and techniques identified in this study focusing on the Pensacola bay area can be easily applicable to other estuarine areas.
The late embryonic development of the liver, a major metabolic organ, remains poorly characterized at single cell resolution. Here, we used single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) to characterize ...the chicken liver cells at 2 embryonic development time points (E14 and D1). We uncovered 8 cell types including hepatocytes, endothelial cells, hepatic stellate cells, erythrocytes, cholangiocytes, kupffer cells, mesothelial cells, and lymphocytes. And we discovered significant differences in the abundance of different cell types between E14 and D1. Moreover, we characterized the heterogeneity of hepatocytes, endothelial cells, and mesenchymal cells based on the gene regulatory networks of each clusters. Trajectory analyses revealed 128 genes associated with hepatocyte development and function, including apolipoprotein genes involved hepatic lipid metabolism and NADH dehydrogenase subunits involved hepatic oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, we identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between E14 and D1 at the cellular levels, which contribute to changes in liver development and function. These DEGs were significantly enriched in PPAR signaling pathways and lipid metabolism related pathways. Our results presented the single-cell mapping of chick embryonic liver at late stages of development and demonstrated the metabolic changes across the 2 age stages at the cellular level, which can help to further study the molecular development mechanism of embryonic liver.
•The highlights of the manuscript include the following two aspects.•First, we found that the different machining modes (helical line scanning and single ring line scanning) and processing power of ...machining have remarkable effect on the surface morphology of the machined area, such as the shape, depth and the formation of different surface structures.•Secondly, we investigated that the debris consisted of C, Si and O was observed on the machined surface.•Some of the Si–C bonds of the SiC matrix and fibers would be transformed into Si–O bonds after machined, depending on the processing power.
Pico-second laser plays an important role in modern machining technology, especially in machining high hardness materials. In this article, pico-second laser was utilized for irradiation on SiC/SiC composites, and effects of different processing parameters including the machining modes and laser power were discussed in detail. The results indicated that the machining modes and laser power had great effect on machining of SiC/SiC composites. Different types of surface morphology and structure were observed under helical line scanning and single ring line scanning, and the analysis of their formulation was discussed in detail. It was believed that the machining modes would be responsible to the different shapes of machining results at the same parameters. The processing power shall also influence the surface morphology and quality of machining results. In micro-hole drilling process, large amount of debris and fragments were observed within the micro-holes, and XPS analysis showed that there existed Si–O bonds and Si–C bonds, indicating that the oxidation during processing was incomplete. Other surface morphology, such as pores and pits were discussed as well.
Many artificial wetland constructions are currently underway worldwide to compensate for the degradation of natural wetland systems. Researchers face the responsibility of proposing wetland ...management and species protection strategies to ensure that constructed wetlands positively impact waterbird diversity. Nestedness is a commonly occurring pattern for biotas in fragmented habitats with important implications for conservation; however, only a few studies have focused on seasonal waterbird communities in current artificial wetlands. In this study, we used the nestedness theory for analyzing the annual and seasonal community structures of waterbirds in artificial wetlands at Lake Dianchi (China) to suggest artificial wetland management and waterbird conservation strategies. We carried out three waterbird surveys per month for one year to observe the annual, spring, summer, autumn, and winter waterbird assemblages in 27 lakeside artificial wetland fragments. We used the NeD program to quantify nestedness patterns of waterbirds at the annual and seasonal levels. We also determined Spearman partial correlations to examine the associations of nestedness rank and habitat variables to explore the factors underlying nestedness patterns. We found that annual and all four seasonal waterbird compositions were nested, and selective extinction and habitat nestedness were the main factors governing nestedness. Further, selective colonization was the key driver of nestedness in autumn and winter waterbirds. We suggest that the area of wetland fragments should be as large as possible and that habitat heterogeneity should be maximized to fulfill the conservation needs of different seasonal waterbirds. Furthermore, we suggest that future studies should focus on the least area criterion and that vegetation management of artificial wetland construction should be based on the notion of sustainable development for humans and wildlife.
We use the nestedness theory to analyze the community structures across different seasonal waterbirds in artificial wetlands at Lake Dianchi and explore their underlying mechanisms in order to suggest artificial wetland management and waterbird conservation strategies. We found that annual and all four seasonal waterbird compositions were nested, and selective extinction and habitat nestedness were the main factors governing the nestedness. We suggest that the area of fragmented wetlands should be as large as possible and that habitat heterogeneity should be as great as possible to fulfill the conservation needs of different seasonal waterbirds.
Sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in industry, agriculture, and medicine, potentially resulting in adverse effects on human health and aquatic environments. Here, we investigated the ...developmental toxicity of zebrafish embryos with acute exposure to AgNPs. Our results demonstrated developmental defects in 4 hpf zebrafish embryos after exposure to different concentrations of AgNPs for 72 h. In addition, RNA-seq profiling of zebrafish embryos after AgNPs treatment. Further Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in DNA replication initiation, oxidoreductase activity, DNA replication, cellular senescence, and oxidative phosphorylation signaling pathways in the AgNPs-treated group. Notably, we also found that AgNPs exposure could result in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), the inhibition of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and mitochondrial complex I-V activities, and the downregulated expression of SOD, CAT, and mitochondrial complex I-IV chain-related genes. Moreover, the expression of mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis signaling pathway-related genes, such as bax, bcl2, caspase-3, and caspase-9, was significantly regulated after AgNPs exposure in zebrafish. Therefore, these findings demonstrated that AgNPs exposure could cause oxidative stress, induce mitochondrial dysfunction, and ultimately lead to developmental toxicity.
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•AgNPs affects DNA replication and cell senescence in zebrafish.•AgNPs instigates mitochondrial dysfunction in zebrafish.•AgNPs can induce oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis in zebrafish.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) and dietary addition (DA) oils on growth, development and immune function of broiler chickens. In experiment 1, a total of 500 eggs ...were randomly assigned to 3 treatments: non-injected group (CON) with 100 eggs; soybean oil injected group (SO) with 200 eggs and linseed oil injected group (LO) with 200 eggs. Results showed that there were no detrimental effects of IOF of oils on embryonic development. In experiment 2, a two factor experimental design was adopted. After hatching, 120 chicks which came from each oil-injected group were divided into 2 treatments with 6 replicates, and chickens were fed soybean oil diet and linseed oil diet, respectively. The results showed that DA linseed oil increased final body weight (FBW) of broilers at d 21 post hatch, IOF of linseed oil decreased average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broilers from d 1 to 21 (P < 0.05), while the plasma leptin level of 21-day-old broilers was increased by IOF or DA linseed oil (P < 0.05). Main effect analysis showed that DA linseed oil increased the spleen index and mRNA expression of IFN-γ in spleen of broilers at 7 d of age (P < 0.05). IOF of linseed oil upregulated the mRNA expression of IFN-γ in the spleen of chicks at 1 d and mRNA expression of IL-2 and IL-4 in spleen of broilers at 21 d (P < 0.05), and the interaction effect showed that IOF and DA linseed oil synergically increased the expression of IL-2 and IL-4 in spleen of broilers at 21 d. Compared with SO group, LO increased the Shannon index of hatching-day cecum microflora (P < 0.05). Principal co-ordinates analysis (PcoA) showed that LO group clearly separated from CON and SO groups. Finally, Spearman correlation analysis also manifested that Alkalicoccus was significantly correlated with spleen index and mRNA expression of IL-2, and Phreatobacter was significantly correlated with the mRNA expression of IL-2 and IFN-γ in spleen, Acinetobacter had a positive correlation with thymus index (P < 0.05). In conclusion, IOF of linseed oil reduced the ADFI and FCR of broilers and increased the species diversity and changed the structure of cecal microflora of chicken embryos at the 19th day of incubation (E19). Immune function of broilers spleen was also regulated by IOF and DA linseed oil.
The ultrasound-assisted extraction of Glycyrrhiza uralensis seed protein (GSP-U) was optimized through response surface methodology, and the enzymatic hydrolysates (GSP-H) was prepared. Then, the ...structural, functional properties, and antioxidant activity in vivo and in vitro were evaluated. The results showed that the optimum extraction conditions of GSP-U were as follows: ultrasonic power 400 W, time 40 min, material-liquid ratio 1:29 g/mL. Under these conditions, the yield and content of GSP-U were 15.14% and 39.72%, respectively. Alkaline protease was determined to be has a better effect on enzymatic hydrolysis of GSP-U, both GSP-U and GSP-H has great water and oil holding capacity. Additionally, GSP-H showed stronger scavenging activity on DPPH, OH and ABTS radicals, with IC50 of 0.129, 0.597 and 0.046 mg/mL, respectively. GSP-H protected mice from D-galactose-induced oxidative damage by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) content, increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels. This study could provide a basis for the discovery of potential development and application value of Glycyrrhiza uralensis seed protein in the functional food, pharmaceutical, and other fields.
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•The extraction process of Glycyrrhiza uralensis seed protein (GSP-U) was optimized.•Four proteases were employed to hydrolyze GSP-U.•GSP-U and its alcalase hydrolysate (GSP-H) showed excellent functional properties.•GSP-H has strong antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo.
Lactobacillus reuteri strains are widely used as probiotics to prevent and treat inflammatory bowel disease by modulating the host's immune system. However, the underlying mechanisms by which they ...communicate with the host have not been clearly understood. Bacterial extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been considered as important mediators of host-pathogen interactions, but their potential role in commensals-host crosstalk has not been widely studied. Here, we investigated the regulatory actions of EVs produced by L. reuteri BBC3, a gut-associated commensal bacterium of Black-Bone chicken, in the development of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal inflammation in a chicken model using both in vivo and in vitro experiments.
L. reuteri BBC3 produced nano-scale membrane vesicles with the size range of 60-250 nm. Biochemical and proteomic analyses showed that L. reuteri BBC3-derived EVs (LrEVs) carried DNA, RNA and several bioactive proteins previously described as mediators of other probiotics' beneficial effects such as glucosyltransferase, serine protease and elongation factor Tu. In vivo broiler experiments showed that administration of LrEVs exerted similar effects as L. reuteri BBC3 in attenuating LPS-induced inflammation by improving growth performance, reducing mortality and decreasing intestinal injury. LrEVs suppressed the LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory genes (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 and IL-8), and improved the expression of anti-inflammatory genes (IL-10 and TGF-β) in the jejunum. LrEVs could be internalized by chicken macrophages. In vitro pretreatment with LrEVs reduced the gene expression of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 by suppressing the NF-κB activity, and enhanced the gene expression of IL-10 and TGF-β in LPS-activated chicken macrophages. Additionally, LrEVs could inhibit Th1- and Th17-mediated inflammatory responses and enhance the immunoregulatory cells-mediated immunosuppression in splenic lymphocytes of LPS-challenged chickens through the activation of macrophages. Finally, we revealed that the reduced content of both vesicular proteins and nucleic acids attenuated the suppression of LrEVs on LPS-induced inflammatory responses in ex vivo experiments, suggesting that they are essential for the LrEVs-mediated immunoregulation.
We revealed that LrEVs participated in maintaining intestinal immune homeostasis against LPS-induced inflammatory responses in a chicken model. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into how commensal and probiotic Lactobacillus species modulate the host's immune system in pathogens-induced inflammation.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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