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Selective right heart valve remodelling in a mouse model of carcinoid disease revealed by high-resolution episcopic microscopy
Abstract Carcinoid heart disease, a severe complication of neuroendocrine tumors, affects up to 50% of patients and is challenging to treat due to a limited understanding of its mechanisms. The disease is characterized by structural remodeling and thickening of the right heart valves, associated with elevated levels of serotonin (5-HT) released from tumor cells that have spread to the liver. Existing animal models have limitations as they either use mice with compromised immune systems or employ methods that don’t consistently evaluate valve changes. We developed an improved experimental model by implanting syngeneic liver-targeted melanoma cells that were genetically engineered to produce 5-HT through the expression of the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase type 1 (Tph1) in wild-type C57BL/6 mice. We introduced high-resolution episcopic microscopy (HREM) for comprehensive assessment of valve pathology and morphometry. Five weeks after implantation, mice exhibited increased 5-HT/creatinine urinary level ratios and HREM imaging showed selective thickening and structural remodeling of right heart valves (tricuspid and pulmonary), correlating with 5-HT/creatinine urinary level ratio, while left heart valves remained unaffected. Our data suggest that this non-immunosuppressed, right-heart valve restricted model reproduces key features of human carcinoid heart disease and, combined with HREM analysis, provides a valuable platform for studying disease mechanisms and testing potential therapies.
Application of a comprehensive approach to pathogen screening in a stowaway rat on an airplane
Abstract In April 2017, a rat was observed on an airplane during a flight from Miami (USA) to Berlin (Germany). After landing in Berlin, significant efforts were made to trap the rat and disinfect the airplane. As rats are known reservoir hosts for a variety of zoonotic pathogens, this event necessitated the establishment of a standard workflow for the detection of rodent-borne pathogens. Tissue and blood samples were collected to screen for zoonotic pathogens and other known and novel infectious agents using an array of open-view methods (cultivation and characterization of bacteria, high-throughput sequencing) and pathogen-specific methods (e.g. PCR, RT-PCR and multiplex serology). The black rat (Rattus rattus), as confirmed by mtDNA sequences, carried several infectious agents. Cultivation experiments revealed the presence of seven bacterial and two fungal genera. In addition, a methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strain of MLST-CC45 was detected by culture-based approaches, and its full genome was sequenced. High-throughput sequencing identified novel picobirnaviruses and various bacterial genera, the majority of which represent commensals rather than pathogens. Despite the diversity of bacterial, viral, and fungal species that can be expected in wild rats, only a few zoonotic and non-zoonotic pathogens were detected in the stowaway rat. Nonetheless, this incident highlights the potential of international (and cross-continental) dissemination of pathogens and the need for a standardized workflow to provide comprehensive coverage of the diversity of microorganisms in such animals.
Total synthesis and bioactivity investigation of a chiral diacylglycerol
Implementation of circularity in food supply chain based on big data techniques using Einstein’s fuzzy methods
Crude protoscolex antigens of echinococcus granulosus as serological markers for human hydatidosis detection
The Role of Aquaporin-4 in Freezing of Gait and Dynamic Balance Learning in Parkinson’s Disease
The impact of urban flower meadows on the well-being of city dwellers provides hints for planning biophilic green spaces
Abstract Living surrounded by greenery has a relaxing effect and reduces physiological and psychological symptoms of stress. In view of the exponential growth of the urban population and disconnection with nature, supporting the physical and mental health of city dwellers is a huge challenge nowadays. In this context, urban flower meadows (UFMs), a relatively new management strategy cultivated in many cities, can be a very important component of urban greenery, which support human well-being. We investigated the emotional reception of UFMs, taking into account the features of different types of UFMs and the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents. Our research shows that urban flower meadows evoke positive emotions regardless of the age, gender and place of origin of respondents. While some structural variables of UFMs, particularly the proportion of green in relation to other colours, the representation of various flower colours, the proportion of yellow flowers, and the presence of alien plant species—influence people’s perception. Fewer colours and the absence of alien plant species tend to shift perception towards less positive emotions. The dominance of yellow flowers evokes positive emotions. These results are helpful for the further planning of UFMs to better reinforce the well-being of all city dwellers.
Cu2OSeO3 turns trigonal with structural transformation and implications for skyrmions
Pyroptosis-responsive microspheres modulate the inflammatory microenvironment to retard osteoporosis in female mice
A cohort study on the association of dietary inflammatory index and a posteriori dietary patterns with lung cancer risk
Tailoring bidirectional electronic transfer interaction tunnels triggers sustainable and high activity of ozone catalysis for water purification
Integrating the sustainable development goals into post-mining land use selection
A biopiezocatalyst harnessing mechanical energy to enhance bioplastic production from CO2 and organic carbon
Simulation of drug transport in airway surface liquid considering mucus flow and ciliary interaction
Abstract The effective delivery of pharmaceuticals to the respiratory tract is significantly influenced by the three-dimensional covalent network structure of mucus and the motility of cilia within the airway surface liquid (ASL). This study investigates the dissolution and absorption of three distinct drugs—Salbutamol sulfate (SAL), Tiotropium bromide (TIO), and Rifampicin (RIF)—in the ASL, focusing on individual particles of each drug with an initial diameter of 5 µm. A three-dimensional numerical model that characterizes mucus as a nonlinear viscoelastic fluid was employed for this analysis. To discretize and solve the time-dependent governing equations of fluid flow, along with the diffusion-convection equation for mass transfer, a hybrid immersed boundary-finite difference projection method was utilized within the segment of the tracheal ASL on a staggered grid. The results elucidate the effects of drug solubility and the Ciliary Attachment Ratio (CAR) on the distribution of drug concentration within the ASL. Enhanced drug solubility significantly improves both dissolution and concentration within the ASL, particularly at lower solubility levels. Furthermore, it was determined that the CAR has a substantial effect on drug deposition, with higher solubility leading to increased attachment to cilia rather than direct deposition on the epithelial surface. Analysis of deposition time reveals that the rapid transport of drugs to the epithelium is primarily influenced by the drug’s diffusion coefficient. However, the total drug deposition time is significantly affected by both drug solubility and its diffusion coefficient. These findings underscore the necessity of understanding these interactions to optimize drug delivery in respiratory therapies.
Covalent organic framework membrane with hourglass-shaped nanochannels for ultrafast desalination
Abstract Covalent organic framework (COF) holds great potential as next-generation high-performance desalination membrane material owing to their uniform nanochannels (homo-nanochannels) and abundant functional groups, and the hierarchical structures of nanochannels should be rationally designed to break the trade-off between water permeability and ion rejection. Here, a kind of COF membrane with hourglass-shaped nanochannels is fabricated by installing amino-cyclodextrin nanoparticles (CDN) onto the mouth of COF membrane via sequential assembly. The resulting hetero-nanochannels consist of a hydrophilic conical entrance (~1.6 nm) and a hydrophobic spout (~0.5 nm), created by the CDN specific cavity, onto the homo-nanochannels of COF with intrinsic nanopores (~1.4 nm). The hydrophilic conical entrance facilitates the entry of water molecules, whereas the hydrophobic spout and the homo-nanochannels collectively enable fast water transport. Meanwhile, the amino groups on CDN endow the hetero-nanochannels with pH-responsive ability to dynamically regulate their effective size and charge. Accordingly, the optimum COF-CDN membrane exhibits high desalination performance, with a water flux of 98 L m–2 h–1, and rejection of 94% for Na2SO4 and 92% for NaCl. The COF-CDN membrane also exhibits superior operational stability (7 days) and pH cycle stability, validating the utilization of COF membrane in efficient desalination.