Abstract
Emerging evidence of an altered gut microbiome in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suggests a pathomechanism through the gut–brain axis despite the inconsistent microbiome profile reported ...across studies. One of the knowledge gaps in the existing ASD microbiota studies is the lack of systematic exploration of the role of comorbid functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) in the association of ASD and altered gut microbiome. Consequently, 92 ASD and 112 age-matched typically developing (TD) boys were profiled on general psychopathology, FGID status by Rome IV classification, and gut microbiota using 16S ribosomal RNA amplicon sequencing at the V4 hypervariable region. Compared to TD, a significant decrease in the within-sample abundance of taxa was observed in ASD, regardless of FGID status. The microbiota of ASD FGID+ and ASD FGID− clustered apart from the TD groups. The microbiota of ASD FGID+ also showed qualitative differences from that of ASD FGID− and had the highest-level
Firmicutes: Bacteroidetes
ratio, which was paralleled by elevated levels of anxiety and overall psychopathology. The altered gastrointestinal microbiota composition in ASD appeared to be independent of comorbid FGID. Further studies should address how FGID may mediate neuropsychiatric symptoms in ASD through inflammation along the microbiota–gut–brain axis.
Poly(
l-lactide-
co-
ε-caprolactone) P(LLA-CL) with
l-lactide to
ε-caprolactone ratio of 75 to 25 has been electrospun into nanofibers. The relationship between electrospinning parameters and fiber ...diameter has been investigated. The fiber diameter decreased with decreasing polymer concentration and with increasing electrospinning voltage. The X-ray diffractometer and differential scanning colorimeter results suggested that the electrospun nanofibers developed highly oriented structure in CL-unit sequences during the electrospinning process. The biocompatibility of the nanofiber scaffold has been investigated by culturing cells on the nanofiber scaffold. Both smooth muscle cell and endothelial cell adhered and proliferated well on the P(LLA-CL) nanofiber scaffolds.
SUMMARY
The expression pattern of pathogenesis‐related genes PR‐1 to PR‐5 was examined in the roots and leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana plants on infection with beet‐cyst (Heterodera schachtii) and ...root‐knot (Meloidogyne incognita) nematodes. During H. schachtii parasitism of Arabidopsis, the expression of PR‐1, PR‐2 and PR‐5, which are considered to be markers for salicylic acid (SA)‐dependent systemic acquired resistance (SAR), was induced in both roots and leaves of infected plants. In addition, the expression of PR‐3 and PR‐4, which are used as markers for jasmonic acid (JA)‐dependent SAR, was not altered in roots, but in the leaves of H. schachtii‐infected plants, the expression PR‐3 was induced, whereas the expression of PR‐4 was down‐regulated. During M. incognita infection of Arabidopsis, the expression of PR‐1, PR‐2 and PR‐5 was highly induced in roots, as was PR‐3 to a lesser extent, but the expression of PR‐4 was not altered, indicating that infection with M. incognita activated both SA‐ and JA‐dependent SAR in roots. However, all PRgenes examined (PR‐1 to PR‐5) were down‐regulated in the leaves of M. incognita‐infected plants, suggesting the suppression of both SA‐ and JA‐dependent SAR. Furthermore, constitutive expression of a single PR in Arabidopsis altered the transcription patterns of other PR genes, and the over‐expression of PR‐1 reduced successful infection by both H. schachtii and M. incognita, whereas the over‐expression of PR‐3 reduced host susceptibility to M. incognita but had no effect on H. schachtii parasitism. The results suggest that fundamental differences in the mechanisms of infection by beet‐cyst and root‐knot nematodes differentially regulate PR protein production and mobilization within susceptible host plants.
Response of plant biodiversity to increased availability of nitrogen (N) has been investigated in temperate and boreal forests, which are typically N-limited, but little is known in tropical forests. ...We examined the effects of artificial N additions on plant diversity (species richness, density and cover) of the understory layer in an N saturated old-growth tropical forest in southern China to test the following hypothesis: N additions decrease plant diversity in N saturated tropical forests primarily from N-mediated changes in soil properties. Experimental additions of N were administered at the following levels from July 2003 to July 2008: no addition (Control); 50 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (Low-N); 100 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (Medium-N), and 150 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (High-N). Results showed that no understory species exhibited positive growth response to any level of N addition during the study period. Although low-to-medium levels of N addition (less-than or equal to100 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) generally did not alter plant diversity through time, high levels of N addition significantly reduced species diversity. This decrease was most closely related to declines within tree seedling and fern functional groups, as well as to significant increases in soil acidity and Al mobility, and decreases in Ca availability and fine-root biomass. This mechanism for loss of biodiversity provides sharp contrast to competition-based mechanisms suggested in studies of understory communities in other forests. Our results suggest that high-N additions can decrease plant diversity in tropical forests, but that this response may vary with rate of N addition.
Hong Kong Guangdong Rheumatology Meeting MO, Yingqian
Journal of clinical rheumatology and immunology (Online),
11/2023, Letnik:
23, Številka:
Supp01
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease that is estimated to affect 35 million people worldwide. Hallmarks of the disease are a loss of salivary and lacrimal gland function as well as ...lymphocytic infiltration, elevated proinflammatory cytokines, and circulating autoantibodies. The effective treatments are limited. However, new therapies targeting specific immune pathways associated with Sjögren’s syndrome are being developed.
Gene transfer to the salivary glands has been considered a promising approach to treating the dysfunction. The application of this treatment on salivary gland injuries has been studied for decades, yet its clinical progress is delayed. This chapter provides a coup d’oeil into gene transfer methods and various gene/vector types for salivary glands.
AAV2-LAMP3-treated mice developed an SS-like phenotype with progressive salivary hypofunction and autoantibody production. To confirm the role of TLR4 in the induction of BMP6 following stimulation, AAV2-LAMP3–treated mice with established salivary hypofunction were treated i.p. with the TLR4 antagonist TAK242 for 10 days, and the effect of the drug on salivary gland protein expression and function was tested. We observed that treatment with TAK242 significantly decreased BMP6 expression and increased AQP5 expression in the salivary gland tissues. In agreement with this observation, the saliva flow rate of AAV2-LAMP3–treated mice also increased compared with that in vehicle control–treated mice.
Gene therapy using recombinant viruses as gene transfer vectors to deliver a water channel (aquaporin 1, AQP1) to restore membrane water permeability in the salivary gland was shown to be safe and resulted in some patients with radiation-induced xerostomia having a sustained increase in saliva flow. A clinical trial using AAV2 to transfer AQP1 to the salivary glands of radiation-induced xerostomia patients is ongoing (NCT02446249) and results from this study may support application of this treatment in Sjögren’s syndrome. Gene therapy could also be used to deliver immunomodulators locally to the salivary gland resulting in a higher local concentration within the gland that could deliver therapeutics levels of recombinant protein, while minimizing the side effects associated with the drugs.
Another study investigated whether a neurturin-expressing adenovirus could be used for gene therapy in vivo to protect parasympathetic neurons and prevent gland hypofunction after irradiation. The results suggest that in vivo neurturin gene therapy prior to irradiation protects parasympathetic function and prevents irradiation-induced hypofunction.
Using longitudinal data from a Chinese newcomer sample (N = 671), we investigated the predictive effects of adaptability on newcomers’ work‐related outcomes. Specifically, we tested 4 perceived P–E ...fit variables (i.e., P–O fit, needs–supplies fit, demands–abilities fit, and P–G fit) as mediators between adaptability variables and newcomers’ work‐related outcomes. Our results showed that after controlling for demographic effects and other personality variables (i.e., proactive personality and openness to experience), newcomers’ adaptability dimensions (i.e., cultural adaptability, work stress adaptability, interpersonal adaptability, and learning adaptability) were differentially associated with improvement in newcomers’ P–E fit perceptions over a 3‐month time period. In turn, the perceived P–E fit variables were related to the newcomers’ work‐related outcomes (i.e., job performance, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions), after controlling for the socialization process variables (i.e., institutionalized socialization experience, role clarity, and job‐related self‐efficacy). The mediating roles of perceived P–E fit variables were also confirmed. Both theoretical and practical implications in terms of adaptability, newcomer adaptation processes, and P‐E fit are discussed.
Response of soil respiration (CO2 emission) to simulated nitrogen (N) deposition in a mature tropical forest in southern China was studied from October 2005 to September 2006. The objective was to ...test the hypothesis that N addition would reduce soil respiration in N saturated tropical forests. Static chamber and gas chromatography techniques were used to quantify the soil respiration, following four‐levels of N treatments (Control, no N addition; Low‐N, 5 g N m−2 yr−1; Medium‐N, 10 g N m−2 yr−1; and High‐N, 15 g N m−2 yr−1 experimental inputs), which had been applied for 26 months before and continued throughout the respiration measurement period. Results showed that soil respiration exhibited a strong seasonal pattern, with the highest rates found in the warm and wet growing season (April–September) and the lowest rates in the dry dormant season (December–February). Soil respiration rates showed a significant positive exponential relationship with soil temperature, whereas soil moisture only affect soil respiration at dry conditions in the dormant season. Annual accumulative soil respiration was 601±30 g CO2‐C m−2 yr−1 in the Controls. Annual mean soil respiration rate in the Control, Low‐N and Medium‐N treatments (69±3, 72±3 and 63±1 mg CO2‐C m−2 h−1, respectively) did not differ significantly, whereas it was 14% lower in the High‐N treatment (58±3 mg CO2‐C m−2 h−1) compared with the Control treatment, also the temperature sensitivity of respiration, Q10 was reduced from 2.6 in the Control with 2.2 in the High‐N treatment. The decrease in soil respiration occurred in the warm and wet growing season and were correlated with a decrease in soil microbial activities and in fine root biomass in the N‐treated plots. Our results suggest that response of soil respiration to atmospheric N deposition in tropical forests is a decline, but it may vary depending on the rate of N deposition.
Demand response (DR), which is the action voluntarily taken by a consumer to adjust amount or timing of its energy consumption, has an important role in improving energy efficiency. With DR, we can ...shift electrical load from peak demand time to other periods based on changes in price signal. At residential level, automated energy management systems (EMS) have been developed to assist users in responding to price changes in dynamic pricing systems. In this paper, a new intelligent EMS (iEMS) in a smart house is presented. It consists of two parts: a fuzzy subsystem and an intelligent lookup table. The fuzzy subsystem is based on its fuzzy rules and inputs that produce the proper output for the intelligent lookup table. The second part, whose core is a new model of an associative neural network, is able to map inputs to desired outputs. The structure of the associative neural network is presented and discussed. The intelligent lookup table takes three types of inputs that come from the fuzzy subsystem, outside sensors, and feedback outputs. Whatever is trained in this lookup table are different scenarios in different conditions. This system is able to find the best energy-efficiency scenario in different situations.
Key insights in materials at extreme temperatures and pressures can be gained by accurate measurements that determine the electrical conductivity. Free-electron laser pulses can ionize and excite ...matter out of equilibrium on femtosecond time scales, modifying the electronic and ionic structures and enhancing electronic scattering properties. The transient evolution of the conductivity manifests the energy coupling from high temperature electrons to low temperature ions. Here we combine accelerator-based, high-brightness multi-cycle terahertz radiation with a single-shot electro-optic sampling technique to probe the evolution of DC electrical conductivity using terahertz transmission measurements on sub-picosecond time scales with a multi-undulator free electron laser. Our results allow the direct determination of the electron-electron and electron-ion scattering frequencies that are the major contributors of the electrical resistivity.
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