Little is known about the response of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities to ecosystem development. We use a long‐term soil chronosequence that includes ecosystem progression and retrogression ...to quantify the importance of host plant identity as a factor driving fungal community composition during ecosystem development. We identified arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant species from 50 individual roots from each of 10 sites spanning 5–120 000 yr of ecosystem age using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T‐RFLP), Sanger sequencing and pyrosequencing. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities were highly structured by ecosystem age. There was strong niche differentiation, with different groups of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) being characteristic of early succession, ecosystem progression and ecosystem retrogression. Fungal alpha diversity decreased with ecosystem age, whereas beta diversity was high at early stages and lower in subsequent stages. A total of 39% of the variance in fungal communities was explained by host plant and site age, 29% of which was attributed to host and the interaction between host and site (24% and 5%, respectively). The strong response of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to ecosystem development appears to be largely driven by plant host identity, supporting the concept that plant and fungal communities are tightly coupled rather than independently responding to habitat.
Abstract Objective A consistent line of investigation suggests that fibromyalgia is a neuropathic pain syndrome. This outlook has been recently reinforced by several controlled studies that describe ...decreased small nerve fiber density in skin biopsies of patients with fibromyalgia. The cornea receives the densest small fiber innervation of the body. Corneal confocal bio-microscopy is a new noninvasive method to evaluate small nerve fiber morphology. Our objective was to assess corneal small nerve fiber morphology in patients with fibromyalgia, and to associate corneal nerve microscopic features with neuropathic pain descriptors and other fibromyalgia symptoms. Methods We studied 17 female patients with fibromyalgia and 17 age-matched healthy control subjects. All the participants completed different questionnaires regarding the symptoms of fibromyalgia, including a neuropathic pain survey. A central corneal thickness scan was obtained with a confocal microscope. Nerve measurements were made by a single ophthalmologist without knowledge of the clinical diagnosis. Stromal nerve thickness was defined as the mean value between the widest and the narrowest portion of each analyzed stromal nerve. Corneal sub-basal plexus nerve density was also assessed. Results Patients with fibromyalgia had stromal nerve thickness of 5.0 ± 1.0 µm (mean ± standard deviation) significantly different from that of control׳s values (6.1 ± 1.3) p = 0.01. Patients also had decreased sub-basal plexus nerve density per square millimeter (85 ± 29) vs. 107 ± 26 of controls p = 0.02. When controls and patients were grouped together, there was an association between stromal nerve slenderness and neuropathic pain descriptors (Fisher׳s exact test p = 0.007). Conclusion Women suffering from fibromyalgia have thinner corneal stromal nerves and diminished sub-basal plexus nerve density when compared to healthy controls. Nerve scarcity is associated with neuropathic pain descriptors. Small fiber neuropathy may play a role in the pathogenesis of fibromyalgia pain. Corneal confocal microscopy could become a useful test in the study of patients with fibromyalgia.
This work analyses the influence of fine concrete fractions (<5 mm) of different natures -calcareous (HcG) and siliceous (HsT)-obtained from construction and demolition waste (C&DW) on the behaviour ...of blended cement pastes with partial replacements between 5 and 10%. The two C&DW fractions were characterised by different instrumental techniques. Subsequently, their lime-fixing capacity and the physico-mechanical properties of the blended cement pastes were analysed. Lastly, the environmental benefits of reusing these fine wastes in the manufacture of future eco-efficient cement pastes were examined. The results show that HsT and HcG exhibit weak pozzolanic activity, owing to their low reactive silica and alumina content. Despite this, the new cement pastes meet the physical and mechanical requirements of the existing regulations for common cements. It should be highlighted that the blended cement pastes initially showed a coarser pore network, but then they underwent a refinement process between 2 and 28 days, along with a gain in compressive strength, possibly due to the double pozzolanic and filler effect of the wastes. The environmental viability of the blended cements was evaluated in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) concluding that the overall environmental impact could be reduced in the same proportion of the replacement rate. This is in line with the Circular Economy goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Vitiligo pathophysiology is mediated by antigen‐specific cytotoxic T cells. Environmental stressors cause susceptible melanocytes to secrete damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). DAMPs are ...recognized by receptors such as the endocytic low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein (LRP1/CD91), expressed in antigen‐presenting cells, which activate self‐reactive CD8+ T cells, leading to melanocyte destruction. Within this response, interferon gamma triggers production of cytokine CXCL10, recruiting more activated T cells causing further melanocytic damage. We hypothesized that expression of LRP1/CD91 was higher in vitiligo patients compared to non‐vitiligo individuals. And further that levels/expression of CXCL10 in plasma were linked to disease severity. We enrolled forty individuals in this study: 18 patients with vitiligo and 22 healthy volunteers. We assessed LRP1/CD91 expression and plasma CXCL10 in patients with vitiligo and healthy volunteers. Additionally, vitiligo patients received combined treatment for 16 weeks following which the said parameters were reassessed. Vitiligo Area Scoring Index was calculated before and after treatment for these patients. Analysis of LRP1/CD91 MFI values in monocytes from vitiligo patients showed high surface levels of LRP1/CD91 than from healthy volunteers (10.50 ± 0.77 vs. 6.55 ± 0.77 MFI units, p < 0.001). This expression did not change after treatment. Plasma levels of CXCL10 were higher in vitiligo patients than healthy volunteers (93.78 ± 7.73 vs. 40.17 ± 6.25 pg/ml). The patients with a good clinical response to treatment had a parallel reduction in plasma CXCL10 levels (105.8 ± 18.44 vs. 66.13 ± 4.87 pg/ml) before and after treatment. LRP1/CD91 expression may reflect susceptibility to vitiligo. Plasma levels of CXCL10 can represent a biomarker for monitoring treatment response. LRP1 and CXCL10 may represent therapeutic targets.
Previous studies have described the clinical, serological and pathological features of patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) and antibodies directed against ...the paranodal proteins neurofascin-155, contactin-1 (CNTN1), contactin-associated protein-1 (Caspr1), or nodal forms of neurofascin. Such antibodies are useful for diagnosis and potentially treatment selection. However, antibodies targeting Caspr1 only or the Caspr1/CNTN1 complex have been reported in few patients with CIDP. Moreover, it is unclear if these patients belong to the same pathophysiological subgroup. Using cell-based assays in routine clinical testing, we identified sera from patients with CIDP showing strong membrane reactivity when both CNTN1 and Caspr1 were co-transfected (but not when CNTN1 was transfected alone). Fifteen patients (10 male; aged between 40 and 75) with antibodies targeting Caspr1/CNTN1 co-transfected cells were enrolled for characterization. The prevalence of anti-Caspr1/CNTN1 antibodies was 1.9% (1/52) in the Sant Pau CIDP cohort, and 4.3% (1/23) in a German cohort of acute-onset CIDP. All patients fulfilled European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) definite diagnostic criteria for CIDP. Seven (47%) were initially diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome due to an acute-subacute onset. Six (40%) patients had cranial nerve involvement, eight (53%) reported neuropathic pain and 12 (80%) ataxia. Axonal involvement and acute denervation were frequent in electrophysiological studies. Complete response to intravenous immunoglobulin was not observed, while most (90%) responded well to rituximab. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and teased nerve fibre immunohistochemistry confirmed reactivity against the paranodal Caspr1/CNTN1 complex. Weaker reactivity against Caspr1 transfected alone was also detected in 10/15 (67%). Sera from 13 of these patients were available for testing by ELISA. All 13 samples reacted against Caspr1 by ELISA and this reactivity was enhanced when CNTN1 was added to the Caspr1 ELISA. IgG subclasses were also investigated by ELISA. IgG4 was the predominant subclass in 10 patients, while IgG3 was predominant in other three patients. In conclusion, patients with antibodies to the Caspr1/CNTN1 complex display similar serological and clinical features and constitute a single subgroup within the CIDP syndrome. These antibodies likely target Caspr1 primarily and are detected with Caspr1-only ELISA, but reactivity is optimal when CNTN1 is added to Caspr1 in cell-based assays and ELISA.
In this study, we report on the remarkable two-photon excited fluorescence efficiency in the “biological window” of CaF2:Tm3+,Yb3+ nanoparticles. On the basis of the strong Tm3+ ion emission (at ...around 800 nm), tissue penetration depths as large as 2 mm have been demonstrated, which are more than 4 times those achievable based on the visible emissions in comparable CaF2:Er3+,Yb3+ nanoparticles. The outstanding penetration depth, together with the fluorescence thermal sensitivity demonstrated here, makes CaF2:Tm3+,Yb3+ nanoparticles ideal candidates as multifunctional nanoprobes for high contrast and highly penetrating in vivo fluorescence imaging applications.
In this work, we report the multifunctional character of neodymium-doped LaF3 core/shell nanoparticles. Because of the spectral overlap of the neodymium emission bands with the transparency windows ...of human tissues, these nanoparticles emerge as relevant subtissue optical probes. For neodymium contents optimizing the luminescence brightness of Nd3+:LaF3 nanoparticles, subtissue penetration depths of several millimeters have been demonstrated. At the same time, it has been found that the infrared emission bands of Nd3+:LaF3 nanoparticles show a remarkable thermal sensitivity, so that they can be advantageously used as luminescent nanothermometers for subtissue thermal sensing. This possibility has been demonstrated in this work: Nd3+:LaF3 nanoparticles have been used to provide optical control over subtissue temperature in a single-beam plasmonic-mediated heating experiment. In this experiment, gold nanorods are used as nanoheaters while thermal reading is performed by the Nd3+:LaF3 nanoparticles. The possibility of a real single-beam-controlled subtissue hyperthermia process is, therefore, pointed out.
This study tested the hypothesis that a more senescent immune system would predict a worse outcome in older patients hospitalized for community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP). CAP has long been responsible ...for high rates of mortality and readmissions among older people. Although immunosenescence is a key factor in the increased susceptibility to infections, there are no related biomarkers currently available in clinical practice. In this context, the aim of this prospective study was to identify immunosenescence‐related biomarkers to predict outcomes in patients older than 65 years hospitalized for CAP. We evaluated 97 patients admitted to our hospital for CAP in 2019 and 2020. All patients were followed for 1 year. Our findings showed that elevated levels of early differentiated CD28+ CD27+ T cells at admission were associated with better short (2 months) and long‐term (1 year) outcomes in terms of mortality and readmissions. Early differentiated CD28+ CD27+ CD4+ T cell counts were even better long‐term predictors. In conclusion, early differentiated CD28+ CD27+ T cells could be useful biomarkers to identify high‐risk older patients with CAP, helping clinicians with risk stratification and follow‐up.
Graphical
Increased levels of early differentiated CD28+ CD27+ T lymphocytes at admission for pneumonia in older people is a predictor of better survival and no hospital readmission.
Substantial amounts of nutrients are lost from soils through leaching. These losses can be environmentally damaging, causing groundwater eutrophication and also comprise an economic burden in terms ...of lost agricultural production. More intense precipitation events caused by climate change will likely aggravate this problem. So far it is unresolved to which extent soil biota can make ecosystems more resilient to climate change and reduce nutrient leaching losses when rainfall intensity increases. In this study, we focused on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, common soil fungi that form symbiotic associations with most land plants and which increase plant nutrient uptake. We hypothesized that AM fungi mitigate nutrient losses following intensive precipitation events (higher amount of precipitation and rain events frequency). To test this, we manipulated the presence of AM fungi in model grassland communities subjected to two rainfall scenarios: moderate and high rainfall intensity. The total amount of nutrients lost through leaching increased substantially with higher rainfall intensity. The presence of AM fungi reduced phosphorus losses by 50% under both rainfall scenarios and nitrogen losses by 40% under high rainfall intensity. Thus, the presence of AM fungi enhanced the nutrient interception ability of soils, and AM fungi reduced the nutrient leaching risk when rainfall intensity increases. These findings are especially relevant in areas with high rainfall intensity (e.g., such as the tropics) and for ecosystems that will experience increased rainfall due to climate change. Overall, this work demonstrates that soil biota such as AM fungi can enhance ecosystem resilience and reduce the negative impact of increased precipitation on nutrient losses.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi enhance ecosystem resilience to climate change by reducing the negative impact of increased precipitation on nutrient losses. AM fungi enhanced the nutrient perception ability of soils and reduced the nutrient leaching losses. The effects of mycorrhizal fungi were more pronounced under the high rainfall scenario, indicating that these soil fungi could play a role in mitigating the negative consequences of climate change.
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