We present the first weak-lensing mass calibration and X-ray scaling relations of galaxy clusters and groups selected in the eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS) observed by Spectrum ...Roentgen Gamma/eROSITA over a contiguous footprint with an area of ≈140 deg
2
, using the three-year (S19A) weak-lensing data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) Subaru Strategic Program survey. In this work, we study a sample of 434 optically confirmed galaxy clusters (and groups) at redshift 0.01 ≲
z ≲
1.3 with a median of 0.35, of which 313 systems are uniformly covered by the HSC survey to enable the extraction of the weak-lensing shear observable. In a Bayesian population modeling, we perform a blind analysis for the weak-lensing mass calibration by simultaneously modeling the observed count rate
η
and the shear profile
g
+
of individual clusters through the count-rate-to-mass-and-redshift (
η
-
M
500
-z) relation and the weak-lensing-mass-to-mass-and-redshift (
M
WL
-
M
500
-z) relation, respectively, while accounting for the bias in these observables using simulation-based calibrations. As a result, the count-rate-inferred and lensing-calibrated cluster mass is obtained from the joint modeling of the scaling relations, as the ensemble mass spanning a range of 10
13
h
-1
M
⊙
≲
M
500
≲ 10
15
h
-1
M
⊙
with a median of ≈10
14
h
-1
M
⊙
for the eFEDS sample. With the mass calibration, we further model the X-ray observable-to-mass-and-redshift relations, including the rest-frame soft-band and bolometric luminosity (
L
X
and
L
b
), the emission-weighted temperature
T
X
, the mass of intra-cluster medium
M
g
, and the mass proxy
Y
X
, which is the product of
T
X
and
M
g
. Except for
L
X
with a steeper dependence on the cluster mass at a statistically significant level, we find that the other X-ray scaling relations all show a mass trend that is statistically consistent with the self-similar prediction at a level of ≲1.7σ. Meanwhile, all these scaling relations show no significant deviation from the self-similarity in their redshift scaling. Moreover, no significant redshift-dependent mass trend is present. This work demonstrates the synergy between the eROSITA and HSC surveys in preparation for the forthcoming first-year eROSITA cluster cosmology.
Finding new mechanistic solutions for biocatalytic challenges is key in the evolutionary adaptation of enzymes, as well as in devising new catalysts. The recent release of man-made substances into ...the environment provides a dynamic testing ground for observing biocatalytic innovation at play. Phosphate triesters, used as pesticides, have only recently been introduced into the environment, where they have no natural counterpart. Enzymes have rapidly evolved to hydrolyze phosphate triesters in response to this challenge, converging onto the same mechanistic solution, which requires bivalent cations as a cofactor for catalysis. In contrast, the previously identified metagenomic promiscuous hydrolase P91, a homologue of acetylcholinesterase, achieves slow phosphotriester hydrolysis mediated by a metal-independent Cys-His-Asp triad. Here, we probe the evolvability of this new catalytic motif by subjecting P91 to directed evolution. By combining a focused library approach with the ultrahigh throughput of droplet microfluidics, we increase P91’s activity by a factor of ≈360 (to a k cat/K M of ≈7 × 105 M–1 s–1) in only two rounds of evolution, rivaling the catalytic efficiencies of naturally evolved, metal-dependent phosphotriesterases. Unlike its homologue acetylcholinesterase, P91 does not suffer suicide inhibition; instead, fast dephosphorylation rates make the formation of the covalent adduct rather than its hydrolysis rate-limiting. This step is improved by directed evolution, with intermediate formation accelerated by 2 orders of magnitude. Combining focused, combinatorial libraries with the ultrahigh throughput of droplet microfluidics can be leveraged to identify and enhance mechanistic strategies that have not reached high efficiency in nature, resulting in alternative reagents with novel catalytic machineries.
Little is known about the impact of habitual fluid intake on physiology. Specifically, biomarkers of hydration status and body water regulation have not been adequately explored in adults who consume ...different fluid volumes in everyday conditions, without prolonged exercise or environmental exposure. The purpose of the present study was to compare adults with habitually different fluid intakes with respect to biomarkers implicated in the assessment of hydration status, the regulation of total body water and the risk of kidney pathologies. In the present cross-sectional study, seventy-one adults (thirty-two men, thirty-nine women, age 25–40 years) were classified according to daily fluid intake: thirty-nine low drinkers (LD; ≤ 1·2 litres/d) and thirty-two high drinkers (HD; 2–4 litres/d). During four consecutive days, urinary parameters (first morning urine (FMU) on day 1 and subsequent 24 h urine (24hU) collections), blood parameters, and food and beverage intake were assessed. ANOVA and non-parametric comparisons revealed significant differences between the LD and HD groups in 24hU volume (1·0 (se 0·1) v. 2·4 (se 0·1) litres), specific gravity (median 1·023 v. 1·010), osmolality (767 (se 27) v. 371 (se 33) mOsm/kg) and colour (3·1 (se 0·2) v. 1·8 (se 0·2)). Similarly, in the FMU, the LD group produced a smaller amount of more concentrated urine. Plasma cortisol, creatinine and arginine vasopressin concentrations were significantly higher among the LD. Plasma osmolality was similar between the groups, suggesting physiological adaptations to preserve plasma osmolality despite low fluid intake. The long-term impact of adaptations to preserve plasma osmolality must be examined, particularly in the context of renal health.
Human land use activities have resulted in large changes to the biogeochemical and biophysical properties of the Earth's surface, with consequences for climate and other ecosystem services. In the ...future, land use activities are likely to expand and/or intensify further to meet growing demands for food, fiber, and energy. As part of the World Climate Research Program Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), the international community has developed the next generation of advanced Earth system models (ESMs) to estimate the combined effects of human activities (e.g., land use and fossil fuel emissions) on the carbon–climate system. A new set of historical data based on the History of the Global Environment database (HYDE), and multiple alternative scenarios of the future (2015–2100) from Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) teams, is required as input for these models. With most ESM simulations for CMIP6 now completed, it is important to document the land use patterns used by those simulations. Here we present results from the Land-Use Harmonization 2 (LUH2) project, which smoothly connects updated historical reconstructions of land use with eight new future projections in the format required for ESMs. The harmonization strategy estimates the fractional land use patterns, underlying land use transitions, key agricultural management information, and resulting secondary lands annually, while minimizing the differences between the end of the historical reconstruction and IAM initial conditions and preserving changes depicted by the IAMs in the future. The new approach builds on a similar effort from CMIP5 and is now provided at higher resolution (0.25°×0.25°) over a longer time domain (850–2100, with extensions to 2300) with more detail (including multiple crop and pasture types and associated management practices) using more input datasets (including Landsat remote sensing data) and updated algorithms (wood harvest and shifting cultivation); it is assessed via a new diagnostic package. The new LUH2 products contain > 50 times the information content of the datasets used in CMIP5 and are designed to enable new and improved estimates of the combined effects of land use on the global carbon–climate system.
Anti‐Müllerian hormone (AMH), known for its role during foetal sexual differentiation, is secreted by the Sertoli cells in males and the granulosa cells in females during post‐natal life. As serum ...AMH concentrations correlate with follicle numbers, AMH is utilized as a marker of ovarian reserve in many species. In dogs and cats, AMH is used as a diagnostic tool to determine spay or neuter status. In the available literature, no research regarding serum AMH levels in rabbits has been published yet. The objectives of the present study were to (1) measure serum AMH concentrations in female rabbits and investigate the value of AMH as a diagnostic tool to differentiate between spayed and intact does and (2) relate measured AMH levels to pseudopregnancy and ovarian follicle numbers. For AMH measurement, serum samples were obtained from sexually intact (n = 64) and spayed (n = 22) female rabbits. Spayed does were of various breeds; intact rabbits were Zika hybrid rabbits. In the intact does, AMH measurement was complemented by determination of progesterone levels, gynaecological examination and histopathological evaluation of the uterus and ovaries, including follicle counts. Serum AMH and progesterone concentrations were measured using a human‐based chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) and an enzyme‐linked fluorescence assay (ELFA), respectively. Depending on progesterone levels, sexually intact does were classified into follicular (n = 52) or luteal phase (n = 12). Median serum AMH levels were 1.53 ng/ml (range 0.77–3.36 ng/ml) in intact and 0.06 ng/ml (range ≤0.01–0.23 ng/ml) in spayed does. AMH concentrations between the intact and spayed rabbits differed significantly and did not overlap (p < .001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for a cut‐off level of 0.50 ng/ml. Follicular or luteal phase had no significant influence on measured AMH levels (t = 0.061, df = 62, p = .951). While the number of secondary follicles correlated significantly with AMH concentrations (rs = 0.410, p = .001), the number of primary or antral follicles did not (rs = 0.241, p = .055 and rs = 0.137, p = .281, respectively). In conclusion, a single determination of serum AMH concentrations was adequate to distinguish spayed from intact female rabbits. Among sexually intact individuals, whether does were in follicular or luteal phase had no significant influence on measured serum AMH concentrations. The relationship between small growing follicles and AMH levels as described in other species could be partially confirmed, as secondary follicles correlated significantly with AMH.
Longitudinal analyses of the innate immune system, including the earliest time points, are essential to understand the immunopathogenesis and clinical course of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Here, ...we performed a detailed characterization of natural killer (NK) cells in 205 patients (403 samples; days 2 to 41 after symptom onset) from four independent cohorts using single-cell transcriptomics and proteomics together with functional studies. We found elevated interferon (IFN)-α plasma levels in early severe COVD-19 alongside increased NK cell expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) and genes involved in IFN-α signaling, while upregulation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced genes was observed in moderate diseases. NK cells exert anti-SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) activity but are functionally impaired in severe COVID-19. Further, NK cell dysfunction may be relevant for the development of fibrotic lung disease in severe COVID-19, as NK cells exhibited impaired anti-fibrotic activity. Our study indicates preferential IFN-α and TNF responses in severe and moderate COVID-19, respectively, and associates a prolonged IFN-α-induced NK cell response with poorer disease outcome.
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•Elevated IFN-α plasma levels characteristic for early severe COVID-19 (sCOVID-19)•Differential IFN-α vs. TNF signaling discriminates severe vs. moderate COVID-19•NK cells exert anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity but are functionally impaired in sCOVID-19•Persistent NK cell dysfunction may promote fibrotic lung disease in sCOVID-19
The importance of NK cells in the innate response to viral infection provides rationale for deeper understanding of their role in COVID-19. Here, Krämer et al. utilize longitudinal analysis of NK cells to show early TNF and IFN-α signatures associated with moderate and severe COVID-19, respectively, and NK cell functional impairment in severe disease.
The sterilization of medical devices is paramount to achieve an acceptable level of sterility assurance and to prevent hospital-acquired infections. However, some medical devices cannot be sterilized ...by usual processes such as autoclave (AC) and gamma-ray irradiation (GI). A new non-thermal plasma (NTP) process using sealed bag that preserves the sterile state of the devices could be used as an alternative sterilization method. The aim of the study was to assess the cytocompatibility of titanium and poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) surfaces after O.sub.2 -NTP sterilization compared to GI and AC. MG-63 osteoblast-like cells were seeded on titanium (TA6V) and PEEK disks sterilized by AC, GI and O.sub.2 -NTP. The cells' viability and proliferation, determined by WST-1 and DNA quantification respectively, were enhanced whatever the material types from 3 to 10 days. When seeded on titanium, MG-63 cells showed a higher viability and proliferation after GI and O.sub.2 -NTP treatment compared to AC treatment. When cultured on PEEK, MG-63 cells showed a higher viability after O.sub.2 -NTP treatment. No difference of proliferation was observed whatever the sterilization processes. The cell colonization of the materials' surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay revealed no cytotoxicity. Thus, O.sub.2 -NTP led to similar cell responses to AC and GI and could be a cost-effective alternative process to the usual sterilization methods for fragile medical devices.
Cytocompatibility of titanium and poly Maillet, Christina; Klein, Florence M; Le Bras, Florian ...
PloS one,
08/2023, Letnik:
18, Številka:
8
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The sterilization of medical devices is paramount to achieve an acceptable level of sterility assurance and to prevent hospital-acquired infections. However, some medical devices cannot be sterilized ...by usual processes such as autoclave (AC) and gamma-ray irradiation (GI). A new non-thermal plasma (NTP) process using sealed bag that preserves the sterile state of the devices could be used as an alternative sterilization method. The aim of the study was to assess the cytocompatibility of titanium and poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) surfaces after O.sub.2 -NTP sterilization compared to GI and AC. MG-63 osteoblast-like cells were seeded on titanium (TA6V) and PEEK disks sterilized by AC, GI and O.sub.2 -NTP. The cells' viability and proliferation, determined by WST-1 and DNA quantification respectively, were enhanced whatever the material types from 3 to 10 days. When seeded on titanium, MG-63 cells showed a higher viability and proliferation after GI and O.sub.2 -NTP treatment compared to AC treatment. When cultured on PEEK, MG-63 cells showed a higher viability after O.sub.2 -NTP treatment. No difference of proliferation was observed whatever the sterilization processes. The cell colonization of the materials' surface was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay revealed no cytotoxicity. Thus, O.sub.2 -NTP led to similar cell responses to AC and GI and could be a cost-effective alternative process to the usual sterilization methods for fragile medical devices.
Context.
Scaling relations link the physical properties of clusters at cosmic scales. They are used to probe the evolution of large-scale structure, estimate observables of clusters, and constrain ...cosmological parameters through cluster counts.
Aims.
We investigate the scaling relations between X-ray observables of the clusters detected in the eFEDS field using Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma/eROSITA observations taking into account the selection effects and the distributions of observables with cosmic time.
Methods.
We extract X-ray observables (
L
X
,
L
bol
,
T
,
M
gas
,
Y
X
) within
R
500
for the sample of 542 clusters in the eFEDS field. By applying detection and extent likelihood cuts, we construct a subsample of 265 clusters with a contamination level of <10% (including AGNs and spurious fluctuations) to be used in our scaling relations analysis. The selection function based on the state-of-the-art simulations of the eROSITA sky is fully accounted for in our work.
Results.
We provide the X-ray observables in the core-included <
R
500
and core-excised 0.15
R
500
-
R
500
apertures for 542 galaxy clusters and groups detected in the eFEDS field. Additionally, we present our best-fit results for the normalization, slope, redshift evolution, and intrinsic scatter parameters of the X-ray scaling relations between
L
X
-
T
,
L
X
-
M
gas
,
L
X
-
Y
X
,
L
bol
-
T
,
L
bol
-
M
gas
,
L
bol
-
Y
X
, and
M
gas
-
T
. We find that the best-fit slopes significantly deviate from the self-similar model at a >4σ confidence level, but our results are nevertheless in good agreement with the simulations including non-gravitational physics, and the recent results that take into account selection effects.
Conclusions.
The strong deviations we find from the self-similar scenario indicate that the non-gravitational effects play an important role in shaping the observed physical state of clusters. This work extends the scaling relations to the low-mass, low-luminosity galaxy cluster and group regime using eFEDS observations, demonstrating the ability of eROSITA to measure emission from the intracluster medium out to
R
500
with survey-depth exposures and constrain the scaling relations in a wide mass-luminosity-redshift range.
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