Economic costs of the Russia‐Ukraine war Liadze, Iana; Macchiarelli, Corrado; Mortimer‐Lee, Paul ...
World economy,
April 2023, Letnik:
46, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24 February 2022 is imposing a terrible human cost. In this paper, we use the National Institute Global Econometric Model (NiGEM) to ...quantify the impact of the war on the global economy. The war represents a massive cost, equivalent to 1% of global GDP in 2022, or about $1.5 trillion valued at purchasing power parity exchange rates (PPP), compared with our GDP forecast made at the beginning of 2022. Europe is the region affected most, given trade links its proximity to Ukraine and Russia and its reliance on energy and food supplies from those countries. GDP in Europe is expected to shrink by more than 1% in 2022 compared with our forecast at the beginning of 2022. In Western Europe, Germany will be worst affected, followed by France and Italy. GDP in ‘Developing Europe’, where Ukraine is the largest representative, is expected to shrink by 30%. The war will also add about 2% to global inflation in 2022 and 1% in 2023, compared with NIESR's inflation projection at the beginning of 2022.
Tumor secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) are potent intercellular signaling platforms. They are responsible for the accommodation of the premetastatic niche (PMN) to support cancer cell ...engraftment and metastatic growth. However, complex cancer cell composition within the tumor increases also the heterogeneity among cancer secreted EVs subsets, a functional diversity that has been poorly explored. This phenomenon is particularly relevant in highly plastic and heterogenous triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), in which a significant representation of malignant cancer stem cells (CSCs) is displayed. Herein, we selectively isolated and characterized EVs from CSC or differentiated cancer cells (DCC; EVsCSC and EVsDCC, respectively) from the MDA‐MB‐231 TNBC cell line. Our results showed that EVsCSC and EVsDCC contain distinct bioactive cargos and therefore elicit a differential effect on stromal cells in the TME. Specifically, EVsDCC activated secretory cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), triggering IL‐6/IL‐8 signaling and sustaining CSC phenotype maintenance. Complementarily, EVsCSC promoted the activation of α‐SMA+ myofibroblastic CAFs subpopulations and increased the endothelial remodeling, enhancing the invasive potential of TNBC cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, solely the EVsCSC mediated signaling prompted the transformation of healthy lungs into receptive niches able to support metastatic growth of breast cancer cells.
What's new?
Cancer‐secreted extracellular vesicles (EVs) are involved in premetastatic niche (PMN) conditioning, which promotes disease spread. However, diversity among cancer‐secreted EVs, which is related to heterogeneity in tumor cells, often is disregarded in the context of cancer progression. Here, the authors examined the activity of cancer cell‐secreted EVs in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) at distinct states of tumor cell differentiation. Experiments show that EVs differ radically in their activities, depending on their original cancer cell subtype. Specifically, signaling systems involving EVs secreted by cancer stem cells were found to drive PMN remodeling in TNBC models, both in vitro and in vivo.
Abstract
We present PHANGS–ALMA, the first survey to map CO
J
= 2 → 1 line emission at ∼1″ ∼100 pc spatial resolution from a representative sample of 90 nearby (
d
≲ 20 Mpc) galaxies that lie on or ...near the
z
= 0 “main sequence” of star-forming galaxies. CO line emission traces the bulk distribution of molecular gas, which is the cold, star-forming phase of the interstellar medium. At the resolution achieved by PHANGS–ALMA, each beam reaches the size of a typical individual giant molecular cloud, so that these data can be used to measure the demographics, life cycle, and physical state of molecular clouds across the population of galaxies where the majority of stars form at
z
= 0. This paper describes the scientific motivation and background for the survey, sample selection, global properties of the targets, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations, and characteristics of the delivered data and derived data products. As the ALMA sample serves as the parent sample for parallel surveys with MUSE on the Very Large Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, AstroSat, the Very Large Array, and other facilities, we include a detailed discussion of the sample selection. We detail the estimation of galaxy mass, size, star formation rate, CO luminosity, and other properties, compare estimates using different systems and provide best-estimate integrated measurements for each target. We also report the design and execution of the ALMA observations, which combine a Cycle 5 Large Program, a series of smaller programs, and archival observations. Finally, we present the first 1″ resolution atlas of CO emission from nearby galaxies and describe the properties and contents of the first PHANGS–ALMA public data release.
ABSTRACT
PHANGS-HST is an ultraviolet-optical imaging survey of 38 spiral galaxies within ∼20 Mpc. Combined with the PHANGS-ALMA, PHANGS-MUSE surveys and other multiwavelength data, the data set will ...provide an unprecedented look into the connections between young stars, H ii regions, and cold molecular gas in these nearby star-forming galaxies. Accurate distances are needed to transform measured observables into physical parameters (e.g. brightness to luminosity, angular to physical sizes of molecular clouds, star clusters and associations). PHANGS-HST has obtained parallel ACS imaging of the galaxy haloes in the F606W and F814W bands. Where possible, we use these parallel fields to derive tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances to these galaxies. In this paper, we present TRGB distances for 10 PHANGS galaxies from ∼4 to ∼15 Mpc, based on the first year of PHANGS-HST observations. Four of these represent the first published TRGB distance measurements (IC 5332, NGC 2835, NGC 4298, and NGC 4321), and seven of which are the best available distances to these targets. We also provide a compilation of distances for the 118 galaxies in the full PHANGS sample, which have been adopted for the first PHANGS-ALMA public data release.
Recent single-cell studies of cancer in both mice and humans have identified the emergence of a myofibroblast population specifically marked by the highly restricted leucine-rich-repeat-containing ...protein 15 (LRRC15)
. However, the molecular signals that underlie the development of LRRC15
cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their direct impact on anti-tumour immunity are uncharacterized. Here in mouse models of pancreatic cancer, we provide in vivo genetic evidence that TGFβ receptor type 2 signalling in healthy dermatopontin
universal fibroblasts is essential for the development of cancer-associated LRRC15
myofibroblasts. This axis also predominantly drives fibroblast lineage diversity in human cancers. Using newly developed Lrrc15-diphtheria toxin receptor knock-in mice to selectively deplete LRRC15
CAFs, we show that depletion of this population markedly reduces the total tumour fibroblast content. Moreover, the CAF composition is recalibrated towards universal fibroblasts. This relieves direct suppression of tumour-infiltrating CD8
T cells to enhance their effector function and augments tumour regression in response to anti-PDL1 immune checkpoint blockade. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that TGFβ-dependent LRRC15
CAFs dictate the tumour-fibroblast setpoint to promote tumour growth. These cells also directly suppress CD8
T cell function and limit responsiveness to checkpoint blockade. Development of treatments that restore the homeostatic fibroblast setpoint by reducing the population of pro-disease LRRC15
myofibroblasts may improve patient survival and response to immunotherapy.
Although research has focused on the “innocence problem,” “partial innocence” may also plague individuals who plead guilty to crimes they did not commit, but that are either comparable, more severe, ...or less severe than their actual crimes. Using a high-stake experimental paradigm and an immersive role-playing paradigm, we examined the psychology of partial innocence. Students were randomly induced (or imagined themselves) to be innocent, guilty, or partially innocent of committing an academic transgression and then given the choice to accept or reject a deal to avoid disciplinary sanction. Across three studies (Ns = 88, 75, 746), partially innocent students pled to cheating nearly as often as guilty students and vastly more often than innocent students. Partially innocent students—not unlike guilty students—experienced greater feelings of guilt than did innocent students. In turn, these feelings of guilt, but not shame, were associated with taking responsibility for a range of transgressions not committed.
Medium methoxylated pectin (52% mol/mol, MMP) was isolated from banana passion fruit (Passiflora tripartita var. mollisima) by hot acidic extraction. The impact of MMP on lipid digestion was compared ...to that of commercial citrus pectins with high (71% mol/mol, HMP) and low (30% mol/mol, LMP) methoxylation degree. A static in vitro digestion model was used to elucidate the impact of pectin properties (methoxylation degree and molecular weight) on the gastrointestinal fate of emulsified lipids. A 2.0% (w/w) corn oil-in-water emulsion stabilized with 0.2% (w/w) Tween 80 was prepared, mixed with 1.8% (w/w) pectin samples, and then subjected to the static in vitro digestion model (37 °C): initial (pH 7.0); oral (pH 6.8, 10 min, mucin); gastric (pH 2.5, 120 min, pepsin); and intestinal (pH 7.0, 120 min, bile salts, and pancreatic lipase) phases. The impact of the three pectin samples on surface particle charge (ζ-potential), particle size distribution of lipid droplets, microstructure, rheology, and lipid digestion (free fatty acids (FFAs) released) was determined. The rate and extent of lipid digestion decreased with increasing simultaneously both the molecular weight and pectin methoxylation, with the FFAs released after 120 min of intestinal digestion being 47, 70, and 91% (w/w) for HMP, MMP, and LMP, respectively. These results have important implications for understanding the influence of pectin on lipid digestion. The control of lipid digestibility within the gastrointestinal tract might be important for the designing and development of novel functional foods to control bioactive release or to modulate satiety.
Display omitted
•Medium methoxylated pectin (MMP) from Passiflora tripartita was isolated.•A digestion model was used to evaluate the impact of MMP on lipid digestion.•Results for MMP were compared with high (HMP) and low (LMP) methoxylated pectins.•Both HMP and MMP induced flocculation of lipids and decreased their digestion rate.•The extent of lipid digestion decreased with increasing methoxylation degree.
The water kefir grains are a multi-species starter culture used to produce fermented beverages of sucrose solution with or without fruit extracts. The water kefir grains are known in Mexico as ...Tibicos, which are mainly used to produce Tepache, a traditional Mexican drink made by fermenting pineapple peel. The microbiota of Tibicos mainly include lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and since most probiotics belong to this group, Tibicos may represent a potential source of probiotic bacteria. Moreover, several bacteria isolated from kefir samples have been recognized as probiotics. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the probiotic properties of a
Lactobacillus
strain isolated from Tibicos. The isolated, designed as CT12, was identified as
Lactobacillus paracasei
by sequencing 16S RNA gene.
L. paracasei
CT12 showed a survival rate of
ca.
57% and 40% following simulated gastric and intestinal digestion, respectively. Besides, the strain was sensitive to ampicillin and erythromycin, and exhibited hydrophobicity (97–99%), autoaggregation (
ca.
70%) and mucin adhesion properties (up to 90%), while no possessed haemolytic capacity. Furthermore, its cell-free supernatant displayed relevant antimicrobial, antifungal and antioxidant capacity. Hence,
L. paracasei
CT12 appears to possess a potential probiotic value.
COVID-19 counts 46 million people infected and killed more than 1.2 million. Hypoxaemia is one of the main clinical manifestations, especially in severe cases. HIF1α is a master transcription factor ...involved in the cellular response to oxygen levels. The immunopathogenesis of this severe form of COVID-19 is poorly understood.
We performed scRNAseq from leukocytes from five critically ill COVID-19 patients and characterized the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor1α and its transcriptionally regulated genes. Also performed metanalysis from the publicly available RNAseq data from COVID-19 bronchoalveolar cells.
Critically-ill COVID-19 patients show a shift towards an immature myeloid profile in peripheral blood cells, including band neutrophils, immature monocytes, metamyelocytes, monocyte-macrophages, monocytoid precursors, and promyelocytes-myelocytes, together with mature monocytes and segmented neutrophils. May be the result of a physiological response known as emergency myelopoiesis. These cellular subsets and bronchoalveolar cells express HIF1α and their transcriptional targets related to inflammation (CXCL8, CXCR1, CXCR2, and CXCR4); virus sensing, (TLR2 and TLR4); and metabolism (SLC2A3, PFKFB3, PGK1, GAPDH and SOD2).
The up-regulation and participation of HIF1α in events such as inflammation, immunometabolism, and TLR make it a potential molecular marker for COVID-19 severity and, interestingly, could represent a potential target for molecular therapy.
Key messages
Critically ill COVID-19 patients show emergency myelopoiesis.
HIF1α and its transcriptionally regulated genes are expressed in immature myeloid cells which could serve as molecular targets.
HIF1α and its transcriptionally regulated genes is also expressed in lung cells from critically ill COVID-19 patients which may partially explain the hypoxia related events.
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