•Microbial eukaryote (ME) community in 4 lakes were reconstructed by sediment DNA.•ME community in Lakes Chao and Erhai shifted in the 2000s and 1980s, respectively.•Diversities of ME communities ...were correlated with nutrient and climate factors.•Ecological niche gap of ME gradually overlapped after community shift in Lake Chao.
Microbial eukaryotes play critical roles in maintaining the health and stability of lake ecosystems. Consequently, investigating the spatial and temporal evolution of microbial eukaryotic community structures and associated environmental drivers can inform water ecology studies and water environmental protection efforts. In this study, sediment core samples were collected from Lakes Chaohu, Erhai, Lugu and Fuxian in China to reconstruct lake microbial eukaryotic community succession using sediment DNA profiling methods. Mantel tests were used to identify the key factors influencing community succession and explore the mechanisms underlying ecological network changes. Statistical analyses revealed that community structures and diversity in Lakes Chaohu and Erhai shifted in the 2000s and 1980s, respectively, while the communities of Lakes Fuxian and Lugu did not exhibit significant changes during the study period, which may be due to the oligotrophic state of these two lakes. Ciliophora and Chlorophyta were the primary eukaryotic microbial taxa in the four lakes during the study period, with overall relative abundances of 27.2 % and 22.3 %, respectively. The diversities of microbial eukaryotic communities in the lakes were significantly correlated with nutrient enrichment and meteorological factors. Lastly, the ecological niche gap of microbial eukaryotes gradually overlapped after community shifts in Lake Chaohu, while biased interactions strengthened. Overall, this study reveals the impacts of long-term human activities and climate change on lake ecosystems from multiple perspectives of microbial eukaryotic community structure, diversity and ecological network, these findings will contribute to integrate microbial indicators in freshwater environmental monitoring in the future.
Atrial dilation is an independent risk factor for the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) and modulates the efficacy of anti-AF drugs, leading to the unsatisfactory control of AF. Pre-clinical ...studies showed anti-AF effects of acehytisine, a multi-ion channel inhibitor, in atria without structural and/or electrophysiological abnormalities, but information is limited regarding its anti-AF efficacy in dilated atria. We evaluated anti-AF effects of acehytisine at 4 and 10 mg/kg intravenously infused over 10 min using 8-week-old Wistar rats (n = 5; male) with atrial dilation caused by aorto-venocaval shunt (AVS). Echocardiography showed that atria were enlarged by +26.9% after one month of operation in AVS rats compared with sham-operated rats (n = 4; male). Electrophysiological examinations indicated burst pacing-induced AF reached 206 s. Acehytisine at doses of 4 and 10 mg/kg decreased the duration of burst pacing-induced AF with prolongation of Wenckebach cycle length and P wave duration in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, the drug effectively terminated the persistent AF that was resistant to multiple programmed electrical stimulations in one rat. Therefore, these results provide in vivo evidence that acehytisine may be beneficial for preventing and terminating persistent AF in dilated atria.
Infertility affects many couples globally, causing physical, emotional, and financial burdens. While observational studies suggest a link between psychiatric disorders and female infertility, causal ...relationships remain uncertain. Mendelian randomization analysis, using genome-wide association studies data, minimizes confounding factors and reverse causation, providing valuable insights into causal associations.
We conducted Mendelian randomization analysis to explore the potential causal relationship between female infertility and psychiatric disorders. Genome-wide association studies summary data for female infertility (112,105 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 11,442 cases and 100,663 controls), depression (807,553 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 246,363 cases and 561,190 controls), anxiety (21,763 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 7,016 cases and 14,745 controls), bipolar disorder (51,710 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 20,352 cases and 31,358 controls), and eating disorders (72,517 individuals of European ancestry, comprising 16,992 cases and 55,525 controls) were utilized. Instrumental variables were selected based on significant single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with each phenotype. We assessed instrumental variable strength, examined confounding factors, and employed inverse variance weighting, weighted median, and MR-Egger approaches for analysis.
Our analysis included 85 single nucleotide polymorphisms for female infertility and 62 single nucleotide polymorphisms for psychiatric disorders. Results suggest a potential causal relationship between depression and female infertility, with both inverse variance weighting and weighted median methods showing increased infertility risk in depressed patients. Evidence is weak regarding bipolar disorder not increasing female infertility risk. We found no evidence supporting causal links between anxiety, eating disorders, and female infertility. Similarly, no causal relationship was found between female infertility and psychiatric disorders in the opposite direction. Sensitivity analyses and tests for heterogeneity and polymorphism supported result robustness.
This analysis provides evidence for a potential causal relationship between depression and female infertility. Addressing depression in infertile women may improve fertility outcomes. Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and potential interventions for improving fertility outcomes in women with psychiatric disorders.
An experimental device fixed with a laser displacement sensor was assembled to investigate the rebound behaviors and damping mechanism of rubber balls prepared with ethylene-propylene-diene monomer ...(EPDM)/chlorinated butyl rubber (CIIR) blends. The result showed that a prediction model was proposed to characterize the damping capacity by using the rebound height of the rubber balls. The lower rebound height corresponded to better damping capacity. A modified equation relating to the rebound height has been obtained from the theoretical derivation on the basis of the dynamic mechanical analysis, showing that the rebound height was affected by the deformation frequency, the external excitation, and the nature of rubber blends. Furthermore, the energy dissipation rate (EDR), defined by the ratio of the height loss to the rebound time, was proposed to further characterize the damping capacity. The EDR value was shown to be highest for the pure CIIR and lowest for the pure EPDM, exhibiting a decreasing trend with the increase in EPDM content in the rubber blends. It can be expected that the damping capacity of the EPDM/CIIR blends decreases with the decrease in external excitation, the conclusion of which plays a key role in the formulation design of viscoelastic damping rubber materials.
Experimental evidence regarding the risk of proarrhythmic potential of acehytisine is limited. We assessed its electropharmacological effect together with proarrhythmic potential at intravenous doses ...of 4 and 10 mg/kg (n = 6) using isoflurane-anesthetized guinea pigs in comparison with that of bepridil at 1 and 3 mg/kg, intravenously (n = 6). Acehytisine at therapeutic dose (4 mg/kg) decreased the heart rate, prolonged P wave duration, QRS width, QT interval, QTc, MAP90(sinus), MAP90(CL300) and MAP90(CL250). At supratherapeutic dose (10 mg/kg), it prolonged the PR interval besides enhancing the changes induced by the therapeutic dose. Quantitative assessment showed that peak changes in P wave duration by acehytisine at 10 mg/kg were 1.7 times longer than bepridil, and in MAP90(sinus), MAP90(CL300) and MAP90(CL250) by acehytisine were 1.9, 1.5 and 1.5 times shorter than bepridil, respectively. Importantly, qualitative assessment indicated that bepridil increased beat-to-beat variability and J-Tpeakc in a dose-related manner, confirming a higher proarrhythmic risk, whereas such dose-related responses were not observed in acehytisine, suggesting a lower proarrhythmic risk. These results suggest that acehytisine exhibits favorable pharmacological characters, i.e. potent atrial inhibition and lower proarrhythmic toxicity compared with bepridil, being a promising candidate for the treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
The Construction File (CF) specification establishes a standardized interface for molecular biology operations, laying a foundation for automation and enhanced efficiency in experiment design. It is ...implemented across three distinct software projects: PyDNA_CF_Simulator, a Python project featuring a ChatGPT plugin for interactive parsing and simulating experiments; ConstructionFileSimulator, a field-tested Java project that showcases 'Experiment' objects expressed as flat files; and C6-Tools, a JavaScript project integrated with Google Sheets via Apps Script, providing a user-friendly interface for authoring and simulation of CF. The CF specification not only standardizes and modularizes molecular biology operations but also promotes collaboration, automation, and reuse, significantly reducing potential errors. The potential integration of CF with artificial intelligence, particularly GPT-4, suggests innovative automation strategies for synthetic biology. While challenges such as token limits, data storage, and biosecurity remain, proposed solutions promise a way forward in harnessing AI for experiment design. This shift from human-driven design to AI-assisted workflows, steered by high-level objectives, charts a potential future path in synthetic biology, envisioning an environment where complexities are managed more effectively.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Using data taken by the ARTEMIS spacecraft near Moon, we statistically study the properties of Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) waves and the thicknesses (ΔY) of initial velocity shear layers on the ...magnetopause at lunar distance. Based on a total of 48 KH wave events and 14 estimates of ΔY, the average KH wavelength (λX) and ΔY are found to be 16.05 RE and 0.53 RE at lunar distance, respectively, which are larger than those at near‐Earth magnetopause. The λX to ΔY ratio ranges from 18 to 41 at lunar distance, way beyond the range (6–13) predicted by the linear theory. This result indicates that the KH waves observed at lunar distance are not of the fastest growing mode according to linear theory. This study poses the first statistical study on λX and ΔY, providing insights into the generation and development of KH waves at lunar distance.
Plain Language Summary
Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) instability typically occurs when a velocity shear exists between the boundary of two layers in a fluid. Its manifestation is KH surface waves or vortices, depending upon the stage in the development of the instability. The solar wind can create a velocity shear along the magnetopause that possibly satisfies the unstable condition for exciting KH waves. Using data observed from spacecraft on the magnetopause near Earth and at lunar distance, we estimate the thickness of the velocity shear that forms on the magnetopause before an instability occurs and the wavelength of KH waves that reach after the instability develops. The estimation shows that the average wavelength for lunar distance is triple larger than that for near‐Earth, revealing a significant development in spatial scale of KH waves at lunar distance. The ratio of wavelength to thickness, which can be an indicator of the stage of KH waves, demonstrates that the KH waves at lunar distance are not of the fastest growing mode according to linear theory. A statistical study on the combined wavelength and thickness has never been performed before. The insights we have obtained can intrigue KH researchers for further analyses.
Key Points
We perform the first statistical study on the wavelength of Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) waves on the magnetopause at lunar distance
The mean ratio of the wavelength to the thickness of initial shear layers at the lunar orbit is twice more than that for near‐Earth
The range of the ratios indicates that the KH waves at lunar distance are not of the fastest growing mode according to linear theory
•Stressor-response models were applied to determine nutrient criteria.•Land use-nutrient regression models were used to develop nutrient criteria.•Terrestrial ecosystem health states were assessed to ...verify nutrient criteria.•Climate indicators inferred the impact of climate change on criteria development.•Climate change should be considered for criteria development with climate warming.
Numeric criteria are crucial for controlling cultural eutrophication and for protecting current and future water quality. Anthropogenic climate change and the modification of land use have the potential to influence the development of nutrient criteria. In this study, stressor-response models, land use-nutrient regression models, and terrestrial ecosystem health states were used to determine the criterion values of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), and chlorophyll a (Chl a) using field data from lakes and reservoirs in Heilongjiang Province. Analysis of covariance and nonlinear regressions were used to quantitatively characterize the impact of climate change on the development of nutrient criteria. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in the nutrient criteria obtained by the various methods. Climate change factors (such as temperature, precipitation, and wind speed) are predicted to influence the relationships between nutrients and Chl a, as well as land use and nutrient concentrations, as climate change persists. Climate change should be considered during the development of nutrient criteria, as climate-driven change and achieving a desired water quality without the threat of eutrophication in the future will require stricter nutrient criteria than those needed under the current climate conditions.
Crystalline calcium carbonate (CaCO3, such as calcite) could scavenge aqueous metals via adsorption and coprecipitation. As a precursor to crystalline CaCO3, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is ...poorly understood on metals removal. Herein, we synthesized silica-stabilized ACC and investigated its Cu2+ removal efficiency and mechanism. The results showed that the Cu2+ removal efficiency by ACC is controlled by the initial solution pH, initial Cu2+ concentration, contacting time, and ACC dosage. The maximum Cu2+ removal capacity was 543.4 mg/g at an ACC dosage of 1 g/L, an initial pH of 5.0, an initial Cu2+ concentration of 1000 mg/L, and an equilibrium time of 20 h. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) revealed that Cu2+ precipitated as paratacamite (Cu2(OH)3Cl, space group: R3¯) at an ACC dosage of 1 g/L, whereas botallackite (Cu2(OH)3Cl, space group: P21/m) was the Cu-bearing product for crystalline calcite using the same dosage as ACC. However, Cu2+ preferred to incorporate into calcite, which is transformed from ACC at high ACC loading (such as 4 g/L). Our results demonstrated that the crystallinity and dosage of CaCO3 could control the Cu2+ removal mechanism.
Obesity-induced chronic inflammation is known to promote the development of many metabolic diseases, especially insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and ...atherosclerosis. Pattern recognition receptor-mediated inflammation is an important determinant for the initiation and progression of these metabolic diseases. Here, we review the major features of the current understanding with respect to obesity-related chronic inflammation in metabolic tissues, focus on Toll-like receptors and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors with an emphasis on how these receptors determine metabolic disease progression, and provide a summary on the development and progress of PRR antagonists for therapeutic intervention.
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