The Red Sea has long been recognized as a region of high biodiversity and endemism. Despite this diversity and early history of scientific work, our understanding of the ecology of coral reefs in the ...Red Sea has lagged behind that of other large coral reef systems. We carried out a quantitative assessment of ISI-listed research published from the Red Sea in eight specific topics (apex predators, connectivity, coral bleaching, coral reproductive biology, herbivory, marine protected areas, non-coral invertebrates and reef-associated bacteria) and compared the amount of research conducted in the Red Sea to that from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and the Caribbean. On average, for these eight topics, the Red Sea had 1/6th the amount of research compared to the GBR and about 1/8th the amount of the Caribbean. Further, more than 50 % of the published research from the Red Sea originated from the Gulf of Aqaba, a small area (<2 % of the area of the Red Sea) in the far northern Red Sea. We summarize the general state of knowledge in these eight topics and highlight the areas of future research priorities for the Red Sea region. Notably, data that could inform science-based management approaches are badly lacking in most Red Sea countries. The Red Sea, as a geologically “young” sea located in one of the warmest regions of the world, has the potential to provide insight into pressing topics such as speciation processes as well as the capacity of reef systems and organisms to adapt to global climate change. As one of the world’s most biodiverse coral reef regions, the Red Sea may yet have a significant role to play in our understanding of coral reef ecology at a global scale.
According to the concept of small polar thermoelasticity, rotational and translational motions of elastic materials can cause aggregate deformations, temperature changes, and microcycles. This theory ...is used to study atomic and molecular vibrations and the deformation of solids due to changes in temperature and other energetic forces. The current study investigates the two-dimensional electromagnetic micropolar thermoelasticity of an elastic medium whose surface is heated by a heat source and influenced by a transverse magnetic field. This work combines the higher-order dual phase lag model with the two-temperature theory to address this investigation. Using the normal mode approach to the system equations, we have calculated the temperature normal force stress, displacements, and tangential couple stress in the physical domain. The corresponding expressions of the studied fields are provided, and corresponding graphical examples are also provided. Numerical comparisons were made to investigate the effects of the discrepancy index, the Hall current, and higher-order derivatives. It is concluded from the present contribution that some advanced thermoelastic systems deserve study.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which probiotics appears to have an immune modulating action along with decreased inflammatory process. Therefore, we aim to investigate the efficacy ...of probiotics as an adjuvant therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. A comprehensive literature search was performed using nine databases including PubMed and Web of Science. Interesting data was extracted and meta-analyzed. We assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD 42016036769). We found nine studies involving 361 patients who met our eligibility criteria. Our meta-analysis indicated that pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 was significantly lower in the probiotics compared with the placebo group (standardized mean difference = − 0.708; 95% confidence interval (CI) − 1.370 to 0.047,
P
= 0.036). However, there was no difference between probiotics and placebo in disease activity score (mean difference 0.023; 95% CI − 0.584 to 0.631,
P
= 0.940). Probiotics lowered pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 in RA; however, its clinical effect is still unclear. Hence, many high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are still needed to prove this effect.
Photonics in the frequency range of 5–15 terahertz (THz) potentially open a new realm of quantum materials manipulation and biosensing. This range, sometimes called “the new terahertz gap”, is ...traditionally difficult to access due to prevalent phonon absorption bands in solids. Low‐loss phonon–polariton materials may realize sub‐wavelength, on‐chip photonic devices, but typically operate in mid‐infrared frequencies with narrow bandwidths and are difficult to manufacture on a large scale. Here, for the first time, quantum paraelectric SrTiO3 enables broadband surface phonon–polaritonic devices in 7–13 THz. As a proof of concept, polarization‐independent field concentrators are designed and fabricated to locally enhance intense, multicycle THz pulses by a factor of 6 and increase the spectral intensity by over 90 times. The time‐resolved electric field inside the concentrators is experimentally measured by THz‐field‐induced second harmonic generation. Illuminated by a table‐top light source, the average field reaches 0.5 GV m−1 over a large volume resolvable by far‐field optics. These results potentially enable scalable THz photonics with high breakdown fields made of various commercially available phonon–polariton crystals for studying driven phases in quantum materials and nonlinear molecular spectroscopy.
The quantum paraelectric SrTiO3 offers low‐loss, ultra‐broadband, and temperature insensitive phonon–polaritons in the frequency range of 7–13 THz within the “new terahertz gap”. Proof‐of‐concept phonon–polaritonic concentrators are experimentally realized to enhance electric field to the order of GV m‐1 over a large volume resolvable by far‐field optics for potential applications in non‐equilibrium quantum materials and infrared molecular spectroscopy.
We recently showed that the mammalian genome encodes >1,000 large intergenic noncoding (linc)RNAs that are clearly conserved across mammals and, thus, functional. Gene expression patterns have ...implicated these lincRNAs in diverse biological processes, including cell-cycle regulation, immune surveillance, and embryonic stem cell pluripotency. However, the mechanism by which these lincRNAs function is unknown. Here, we expand the catalog of human lincRNAs to ≈3,300 by analyzing chromatin-state maps of various human cell types. Inspired by the observation that the well-characterized lincRNA HOTAIR binds the polycomb repressive complex (PRC)2, we tested whether many lincRNAs are physically associated with PRC2. Remarkably, we observe that ≈20% of lincRNAs expressed in various cell types are bound by PRC2, and that additional lincRNAs are bound by other chromatin-modifying complexes. Also, we show that siRNAmediated depletion of certain lincRNAs associated with PRC2 leads to changes in gene expression, and that the up-regulated genes are enriched for those normally silenced by PRC2. We propose a model in which some lincRNAs guide chromatin-modifying complexes to specific genomic loci to regulate gene expression.
The ubiquitous protozoa
Toxoplasma gondii
is now the subject of renewed interest, due to the spread of oocysts via water causing waterborne outbreaks of toxoplasmosis in different parts of the world. ...This overview discusses the different methods for detection of
Toxoplasma
in drinking and environmental water. It includes a combination of conventional and molecular tools for effective oocyst recovery and detection in water sources as well as factors hindering the detection of this parasite and shedding light on a promising new molecular assay for the diagnosis of
Toxoplasma
in environmental samples. Hopefully, this attempt will facilitate future approaches for better recovery, concentration, and detection of
Toxoplasma
oocysts in environmental waters.
In the realm of nonlinear dynamics, the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction system has long held the fascination of researchers. The Belousov-Zhabotinsky system continues to be an active area of research, ...offering insights into the fundamental principles of nonlinear dynamics in complex systems. To deepen our understanding of this intricate system, we introduce a pioneering approach to tackle the time fractional Belousov-Zhabotinsky system, employing the Caputo and Atangana-Baleanu Caputo fractional derivatives with the double Laplace method. The solution we obtained is in the form of series which helps in investigating the accuracy of the proposed method. The primary advantage of the proposed technique lies in the low amount of calculations required and produce high degree of precision in the solutions. Furthermore, the existence and uniqueness of the solution are investigated thereby enhancing the overall credibility of our study. To visually represent our results, we present a series of 2D and 3D graphical representations that vividly illustrate the behavior of the model and the impact of changing the fractional order derivative and the time on the obtained solutions.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) that block antitumor immunity are elevated in glioblastoma (GBM) patient blood and tumors. However, the distinct contributions of monocytic (mMDSC) versus ...granulocytic (gMDSC) subsets have yet to be determined. In mouse models of GBM, we observed that mMDSCs were enriched in the male tumors, whereas gMDSCs were elevated in the blood of females. Depletion of gMDSCs extended survival only in female mice. Using gene-expression signatures coupled with network medicine analysis, we demonstrated in preclinical models that mMDSCs could be targeted with antiproliferative agents in males, whereas gMDSC function could be inhibited by IL1β blockade in females. Analysis of patient data confirmed that proliferating mMDSCs were predominant in male tumors and that a high gMDSC/IL1β gene signature correlated with poor prognosis in female patients. These findings demonstrate that MDSC subsets differentially drive immune suppression in a sex-specific manner and can be leveraged for therapeutic intervention in GBM. SIGNIFICANCE: Sexual dimorphism at the level of MDSC subset prevalence, localization, and gene-expression profile constitutes a therapeutic opportunity. Our results indicate that chemotherapy can be used to target mMDSCs in males, whereas IL1 pathway inhibitors can provide benefit to females via inhibition of gMDSCs.
.
.
► Field experiment with 2
3 factorial design to quantify 3 factors and their interaction. ► Integrated straw and N can mitigate N
2O emissions without decrease in rice production. ► Obvious water, N, ...and straw effects and interactive effect of straw and N on N
2O flux. ► N
2O efflux promoted by the transient period from upland crop to flooded rice season.
The comprehensive impacts of agricultural management on nitrous oxide (N
2O) emissions are not well documented. Field experiments with 2
3 factorial designs were conducted to investigate the influence of water regimes, nitrogen fertilizer, and straw incorporation on N
2O emissions from rice paddies in Nanjing, China. In addition to the main factorial design, three single factor designs were included: water regime, N rate, and mid-season drainage duration, each with three levels. The results demonstrate that there were significant differences in the responses of soil N
2O emissions to water regime, nitrogen fertilizer, and straw amendment as well as interaction between straw and nitrogen fertilizer. The cumulative seasonal N
2O emissions from the treatments with mid-season drainage averaged 0.41
kg
N
ha
−1, ranging from 0.20 to 0.73
kg
N
ha
−1. These emissions were higher than those from continuously flooded treatments, which averaged 0.28
kg
N
ha
−1 and ranged from 0.13 to 0.55
kg
N
ha
−1. The integrated application of straw and nitrogen fertilizer mitigated N
2O emissions by approximately 50% under both water regimes. N
2O emissions were mainly promoted by the transition period from the upland crop season to the flooded rice season, by nitrogen application, and by depression with straw amendment. Three groups were formed according to a polynomial relationship between seasonal N
2O emissions and rice production. The results of this study suggest that the integrated application of straw and nitrogen fertilizer can mitigate N
2O emissions from rice agriculture without a decrease in rice production.
Rapid urbanisation has had a significant negative influence on the water bodies that flow through and around urban areas. This study aims to evaluate the water quality and analyse the suitability for ...drinking and irrigation uses. This study envisaged assessing the water quality status of the groundwater using the pollution index of groundwater (PIG), ecological risk index (ERI) and multivariate statistical techniques, namely cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA), that were applied to differentiate the sources of water quality variation and determine the cause of pollution in the study area. Most groundwater is unsuitable for drinking and irrigation consumption, depending on analyses. PIG values indicated high pollution levels in the studied water body, rendering it unsuitable for any practical purpose. CA results showed the impact of surface water and treatment plant on groundwater. PCA was used to identify four important factors in the groundwater, including mineral and nutrient pollution, heavy metal pollution, organic pollution and faecal contamination. The deteriorating water quality of the groundwater was demonstrated to originate from vast sources of anthropogenic activities, especially municipal sewage discharge. Study wells had greater concentrations of Cl
−
and Na
+
in their water because seawater flows into the aquifer system and mixes with the marine aquifer matrix. Thus, the current work reveals how to employ the PIG and multivariate statistical approaches to obtain more accessible and more meaningful information about the water quality of groundwater and to identify the sources of pollution.
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