Comparative Analysis of Cervical Canal Microbiota Structure in Women with Various Obstetric Pathologies

Comparative analysis of taxonomic and trophic structures of benthic invertebrates’ communities had been carried out based on collections from riverine parts of Kama (2012), Votkinsk (2010) and Nizhnekamsk (2015) reservoirs. Species list is given, trends of changes in benthic fauna are shown. They are depauperization on specific and generic levels, decrease in ratio of mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies, in absolute and relative species richness of chironomids, also in ratio of Tanitarsinae among chironomids, increase in mollusks and crustaceans’ species richness. Major trend of changes in quantitative aspect downstream among riverine parts of studied reservoirs is increase of absolute and relative biomass density in filterators and scrapers, which are gastropods and large bivalve mollusks.

The comparative analysis of organizational structure and technology has become one of the most important means of analyzing organizational phenomena. It is therefore necessary to inquire into its limitations. This investigation, based on a critical review of the pertinent literature, identifies and discusses four key problem areas, including (a) finding structural and technological patterns instead of developing theories to explain the patterns, (b) trying to understand social entities without reference to their components, (c) the assumption that structure and technology are independent concepts, and (d) the lack of a design orientation. Where possible, suggestions are made on how to overcome these problems and illustrative solutions from other organizational paradigms are furnished.

To deeply analyze the alterations of cervical canal microbiota in intrauterine adhesion (IUA) patients and microbiota's relation to intrauterine adhesion (IUA) severity, we prospectively enrolled 23 consecutive patients diagnosed with mild-to-severe IUA and 8 women with infertility, 3 women with submucous myomas, or 8 women with endometrial polyps, but without IUA, as non_IUA subjects. For deep grouping analysis, these enrolled women were divided into six groups, two groups, and four groups respectively. Cervical mucus was drawn from the cervical canal of each participant. The bacterial composition was identified by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. For analysis of six groups, mild IUA patients had similar cervical canal microbiota diversity and composition with submucous myomas patients. Compared with mild IUA participants, patients with moderate or severe IUA had a significantly lower diversity of bacteria and higher load of Firmicutes. For analysis of two groups, IUA patients had a significantly lower diversity of bacteria and higher load of Firmicutes than non_IUA subjects. KEGG pathway function analysis showed that metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and microbial metabolism in diverse environments were mostly enriched for these cervical canal microbiota in all enrolled patients. The severity of IUA was associated with the altered abundance of phylum Firmicutes/Acinetobacteria or genus Lactobacillus/Gardnerella in the cervical canal. Higher bacterial load but less diversity in the cervical canal may be related with the severity of IUA. The function of these cervical canal microbiota were mostly involved in metabolic pathways.

BackgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the leading cause of cervical cancer. More and more studies discovered that cervical microbiota (CM) composition correlated with HPV infection and the development of cervical cancer. However, more studies need to be implemented to clarify the complex interaction between microbiota and the mechanism of disease development, especially in a specific area of China.Materials and methodsIn this study, 16S rDNA sequencing was applied on 276 Thin-prep Cytologic Test (TCT) samples of patients from the Sanmenxia area. Systematical analysis of the microbiota structure, diversity, group, and functional differences between different HPV infection groups and age groups, and co-occurrence relationships of the microbiota was carried out.ResultsThe major microbiota compositions of all patients include Lactobacillus iners, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Atopobium vaginae at species level, and Staphylococcus, Lactobacillus, Gardnerella, Bosea, Streptococcus, and Sneathia in genus level. Microbiota diversity was found significantly different between HPV-positive (Chao1 index: 98.8869, p < 0.01), unique-268 infected (infections with one of the HPV genotype 52, 56, or 58, 107.3885, p < 0.01), multi-268 infected (infections with two or more of HPV genotype 52, 56, and 58, 97.5337, p = 0.1012), other1 (94.9619, p < 0.05) groups and HPV-negative group (83.5299). Women older than 60 years old have higher microbiota diversity (108.8851, p < 0.01, n = 255) than younger women (87.0171, n = 21). The abundance of Gardnerella and Atopobium vaginae was significantly higher in the HPV-positive group than in the HPV-negative group, while Burkholderiaceae and Mycoplasma were more abundant in the unique-268 group compared to the negative group. Gamma-proteobacteria and Pseudomonas were found more abundant in older than 60 patients than younger groups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) analysis revealed the effects on metabolism by microbiota that the metabolism of cells, proteins, and genetic information-related pathways significantly differed between HPV-negative and positive groups. In contrast, lipid metabolism, signal transduction, and cell cycle metabolism pathway significantly differed between multi-268 and negative groups.ConclusionThe HPV infection status and age of women were related to CM’s diversity and function pathways. The complex CM co-occurrent relationships and their mechanism in disease development need to be further investigated.

Studies of macro and microscopic wood anatomy as an auxiliary tool in taxonomy, particularly in the identification of forest tree species, have been used for decades. Comparative analysis of the wood anatomical structure allows the identification of unique morphological characteristics of the orders, families, genera, and in many cases, species, increasing the range of characters used in the botanical description and identification of tree species by classical taxonomy. In this work, techniques were used for comparative analysis and description of the anatomical structure of macro and microscopic wood tree species, that occur naturally in the Amazon rainforest in the Santarm, Moj Paragominas and Tailndia cities, in Par State. The aims of the study were (i) to characterize the macro and microscopic anatomical wood structure, (ii) identify the characteristics of taxonomic value through a comparative analysis of the wood anatomical structure, (iii) prepare the keys for species identification by macroscopic and microscopic wood anatomical structure. Were analyzed 100 wood samples from 64 tree species collected in 2004, in the project Dendrogene/Embrapa Amazonia Oriental. The surface of wood samples was polished with sandpaper and knives, according to their macro description; histological wood sections were prepared with razor sliding microtome, for microscopic wood description. The results allowed for the comparative analysis of the anatomical wood structure, to produce the macroscopic identification keys to 49 species of 51 genera. The genera Hymenolobium and Virola species with 4 and 2, respectively, could not be separated. The results from comparative wood anatomy showed evidence of 25 tree species with high potential for dendrochronological studies in order to distinct tree-ring presence (10 species) and barely distinct tree-rings (15 species). The application of wood anatomy, as an important tool with the potential of forest species taxonomy is discussed in this paper.

Balanced vaginal microbiota and, as a continuum, cervical canal microbiota help prevent reproductive disorders, including recurrent miscarriage (RM). In a significant proportion of couples with RM, routine diagnostic workup cannot find any manageable cause, leading to a requirement for new diagnostic tools. In the present study, we determined the quantitative composition of the microbiota of the vagina and cervical canal, assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction, in women with RM. It also evaluated their derangements related to the pathogenesis of RM, and thus the suitability of this test as a diagnostic tool for managing RM. Vaginal and cervical canal specimens of 25 women with RM and 25 healthy volunteers were collected. The test results revealed information about the total vaginal bacterial biomass by measuring the abundance of Lactobacillus spp.; other bacteria; and pathogens, including Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma (urealyticum + parvum), and Candida spp. Overall, the findings of this study implied the abundance of Lactobacillus spp. decreased in women with RM with an increase in the abundance of other microorganisms in accordance with the reduction in the abundance of Lactobacillus spp. due to aerobic vaginitis and bacterial vaginosis. Vaginal and cervical canal microbiota need to be considered during the diagnostic workup of women with RM. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Recurrent miscarriage (RM) is a well-known reproductive disorder. Its diagnostic workup is not successful in determining the underlying problem in many cases. Hence, novel diagnostic tools based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are needed for evaluating reproductive microbiota, which are considerably reliable, to satisfy the expectations of women with RM. What do the results of this study add? Overall, the decrease in the abundance of Lactobacillus spp. was found to be related to RM, and the patterns of the presence of other microorganisms were in accordance with the reduction in the abundance of Lactobacillus spp. These findings suggested an important role of vaginal and cervical canal microbiota in the pathogenesis of RM. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Additional research is warranted to elucidate the functional impact of altered components of the microbiota of vaginal and cervical canals on the physiology of the local cervical canal and its participation in the microbiota of the endometrial cavity, especially regarding unsuccessful pregnancies as a result of the disturbed physiology of the local endometrial microenvironment. However, possible applications of real-time PCR-based tests for the screening of subclinical infections in clinical practice require the performance of further investigations in patients with RM.

To define stage-specific cervical canal microbiota signatures across the continuum of gynecologic malignancies from benign endometrial cancer (BE)/cervical cancer precancerous lesions (CIN) to endometrial cancer (EC)/cervical cancers (CC), and to evaluate their potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In the observational study, metagenomic sequencing was employed to investigate the cervical canal microbiota of 45 patients, including BE, EC, CIN, and CC. Specimen collection was performed by an experienced physician. All samples were sequenced utilizing the shotgun approach. The microbial statistical analyses were conducted using R. Compared to the non-cancerous group (BE and CIN), the index related to microbial community stability decreases significantly and the incidence of cervical canal dysbiosis increases in the cancerous group (EC and CC). Microbial diversity exhibited significant differences between BE and EC, CIN and CC, as well as cancerous and non-cancerous groups. At the species level, some species were significantly decreased (eg, Lactobacillus iners) and increased (eg, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Pasteurella multocida, Pseudomonas putida, and other opportunistic pathogen) in the cancerous group. The cervical canal represents a distinct microbial niche, with its dysbiotic progression reflecting the trajectory of oncogenic transformation. The progression from non-cancerous to cancerous states is characterized by the replacement of the vaginal microbial community, which is dominated by Lactobacillus iners, with a gradual shift towards opportunistic pathogen. Disease diagnosis and complementary therapies focused on lactobacilli and hallmark opportunistic pathogen may offer new insights for precision oncology.

Social Stratification: A Comparative Analysis of Structure and Process. By Bernard Barber. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company [Toronto: W. J. Gage and Company Limited]. 1957. Pp. xx, 540. $6.50. - Volume 25 Issue 1

The results of complex studies of the structure and properties of surface-hardened steel 40X after electromechanical treatment with dynamic and static application of deformation force are presented. A comparative analysis of the structure, the maximum degree of strain hardening and the average intensity of hardening of the surface layer from the applied technological method of electromechanical hardening was carried out. It is noted that the best combination of properties (depth and hardness) is observed during thermal shock electromechanical coining. The obtained research results make it possible to improve theoretical and technological aspects in the field of electromechanical metal treatment.

Preparation, characterization and X-ray analysis of [Co 2(Cl) 2tpmc](BF 4) 2. Comparative structural analysis with the complexes having analogous geometries and ligands

The process of nanocasting in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is a versatile approach to modify these porous materials by introducing supporting scaffolds. The nanocast scaffolds can stabilize metal-oxo clusters in MOFs at high temperatures and modulate their chemical environments. Here we demonstrate a range of nanocasting approaches in the MOF NU-1000, which contains hexanuclear oxozirconium clusters (denoted as Zr6 clusters) that are suitable for modification with other metals. We developed methods for introducing SiO2, TiO2, polymeric, and carbon scaffolds into the NU-1000 structure. The responses of NU-1000 toward different scaffold precursors were studied, including the effects on morphology, precursor distribution, and porosity after nanocasting. Upon removal of organic linkers in the MOF by calcination/pyrolysis at 500 °C or above, the Zr6 clusters remained accessible and maintained their Lewis acidity in SiO2 nanocast samples, whereas additional treatment was necessary for Zr6 clusters to become ...

This paper asserts that domestic government loan bonds is an effective investment tool and offers a framework for evaluating government bonds as an investment instrument within a corporate business. The research findings demonstrate that the investment success of the corporate enterprise depends on domestic market bond liquidity and the risks associated with the external environment uncertainty. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of domestic government loan bonds within corporate investment policy. To achieve the research objective, the following methods have been employed: a synthesis – to identify the nature of corporate investment policy, methods of economic statistical analysis – to provide a government bond market analysis, and comparative structural analysis – to explore the preferences and benefits associated with the use of international practice in the area of developing a government debt policy. Data analysis for the period 2013-2017 indicates that the increase in domestic public debt in Ukraine negatively affects the companies in their decision to invest in government bonds. The operation of the united forces (formerly, the anti-terrorist operation) in Eastern Ukraine has triggered a 10 times increase in domestic public debt compared with the real GDP growth. The public increased to 143,2 billion UAH which was perceived as knock-on effects of inflation and 14% of GDP behind the banking crisis and the cost of its overcoming within 2014-2016. Corporate investing in domestic government loan bonds depends on the area of corporate enterprise operation. It is argued that companies with superior financial performance should invest in bonds, thus contributing to their further growth by creating a solid background for building competitiveness. High risks and low financial capacity characterize other sectors of industry, which company should wait for more information before investing in government bonds. High risks and low finance opportunities feature other industry sectors, and firms in these sectors should anticipate additional information prior to investing into the government bonds.

Therapeutically important chitin-binding lectins have been already reported in the literature for Solanum tuberosum and Solanum lycopersicum, but their structural data are unavailable. Therefore, we have done comparative structural and functional analysis of chitin-binding lectins from S. tuberosum (STL) and S. lycopersicum (SLL). From the sequence analysis, it has been observed that there is high percentage of proline residues in STL and SLL, 21% and 30% respectively. We utilized the hybrid homology modeling-ab initio approaches to predict the 3D structures of STL and SLL, which are used for in silico interaction studies with N,N’-Diacetylchitobiose, Triacetylchitotriose and Tetra-N-acetylglucosamine. The best STL-glycan and SLL-glycan complexes were subjected to Molecular dynamics simulation to understand and compare the structural stability and the binding patterns of glycans toward STL and SLL. We observed that the structural stability of the STL and SLL had been improved significantly due to the binding of glycans. Together with the results of global, essential dynamics and MM-PBSA analysis, indicated that N,N’-Diacetylchitobiose has more binding affinity towards STL, whereas Triacetylchitotriose has more binding affinity with SLL. This comprehensive and comparative structural and functional analysis provides critical insights about the structures and their binding sites, binding orientation, and binding affinity of chitin oligomers towards the structures of STL and SLL. These findings can be used to design further experimental studies to explore the potential therapeutic properties of STL and SLL. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma

Light-dependent impact of salinity on the ecophysiology of Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942: Genetic and comparative protein structure analyses of UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) biosynthesis

CAPS1 and CAPS2 Regulate Stability and Recruitment of Insulin Granules in Mouse Pancreatic β Cells