Differential Effect Research Articles

Shift-share of the international market for energy forest products

The increase in fossil fuel prices and the growing demand for clean energy has encouraged the consumption of forest biomass for energy around the world. The distribution of production factors for forest products is not homogeneous across space and the specific market characteristics of each country influence the bioenergy potential. Thus, this article analyzed the structural-differential composition (shift-share) of the international market for energy forest products (EFP) between 2000 and 2020. The data are available from the Food and Agriculture Organization. The EFP consists of firewood, charcoal, wood chips, wood waste, pellets and other agglomerates. Conducted a standard structural-differential analysis (shift-share) over the period 2000–2020, then extended it by applying the Esteban-Marquillas variation. North America, Australia and Europe led in terms of the share of countries with positive effects. Charcoal and firewood were the products most used in energy production. The countries with the greatest positive structural effect were the United States (16 × 106), Canada (7 × 106), Japan (7 × 106), Finland (6 × 106), and France (5 × 106). The countries with the greatest positive differential effect were Myanmar (38 × 106), China (36 × 106), Ghana (20 × 106), Ethiopia (20 × 106), and Congo (18 × 106). From 2000–2020, 29 countries demonstrated a specialized competitive advantage (SCA), 51 countries demonstrated a non-specialized competitive advantage (NSCA), 39 countries demonstrated a non-specialized disadvantage (NSD) and 48 countries demonstrated a specialized competitive disadvantage (SCD). With these results it was possible to note that the increase in oil, gas and electricity prices has encouraged the consumption of EFPs worldwide. Hybrid industries (oil/gas/pellets) increased forest biomass consumption in the period 2000–2020. The dynamics of EFP consumption worldwide have been driven by increased demand from competitive and specialized countries.

Fear generalization modulated by shock intensity and protein synthesis inhibitor.

Maladaptive fear responses, including sensitized threat reactions and overgeneralization, contribute to anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Although stress intensity influences the generation and extent of these maladaptive fears, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The present study examined whether varying footshock stress intensity and inhibition of protein synthesis have differential effect on fear sensitization and generalization in mice. Mice were subjected to a classic fear conditioning protocol involving five different levels of footshock intensities. Prior to fear acquisition, the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) was administered intraperitoneally. Fear sensitization to white noise and fear generalization to tones with frequencies differing from the conditioned tone were assessed at either 2 or 4 days after fear acquisition. The results showed that, although varying shock intensities (except the lowest) led to a similar pattern of increased freezing during auditory cues in fear acquisition, the extent of both fear sensitization and generalization increased with the intensity of the footshock in the following days. As shock intensities increased, there was a proportional rise in sensitized fear to white noise and generalized freezing to tones with frequencies progressively closer to the conditioned stimulus. Mildest shocks did not induce discriminative conditioned fear memory, whereas the most intense shocks led to pronounced fear generalization. Administration of CHX before fear acquisition did not affect sensitized fear but reduced generalization of freezing to tones dissimilar from the conditioned stimulus in the group exposed to the most intense shock. Our results suggest that maladaptive fear responses elicited by varying stress intensities exhibit distinct characteristics. The effect of CHX to prevent overgeneralization without affecting discriminative fear memory points to potential therapeutic approaches for fear-related disorders, suggesting the possibility of mitigating overgeneralization while preserving necessary fear discrimination.

Differential Effect of Sex on Mortality According to Age in Heart Failure.

Heart failure exhibits sex-based differences in prevalence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. However, these differences may have an interaction with age. This study investigates these disparities in Asian patients with acute heart failure according to age. We pooled data from the KorHF (Korea Heart Failure) and the KorAHF (Korean Acute Heart Failure) registries including 3200 patients between 2005 and 2009 and 5625 patients between 2011 and2014, respectively, hospitalized for acute heart failure in Korea. Patients were categorized by their age into 2 groups: those with age ≥70 years and those with age <70 years. The primary endpoint was in-hospital and postdischarge outcomes according to sex, stratified by age. Of 8825 patients, 45.7% had an age <70 years, and 54.3% had an age ≥70 years. Women were older on average in both groups. Differences in baseline characteristics were more apparent in the older group, with women having a higher prevalence of hypertension and valvular heart disease, whereas more men had chronic kidney disease, previous myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and strokes. Both in-hospital and postdischarge mortalities showed differences only in the older group, with men dying more (5.08% versus 7.41%, P<0.001; 17.95% versus 22.20%, P<0.001 respectively). This pattern persisted to adjusted analyses, which revealed that men have a 54% (odds ratio, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.17-2.04]) and 30% (hazard ratio, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.13-1.51]) increased in-hospital and 1-year mortality, respectively, compared with women. In patients hospitalized with acute heart failure, male sex is an independent predictor of mortality in older patients but not younger patients.

Region-specific gene expression profiling of early mouse mandible uncovered SATB2 as a key molecule for teeth patterning

Mammalian dentition exhibits distinct heterodonty, with more simple teeth located in the anterior area of the jaw and more complex teeth situated posteriorly. While some region-specific differences in signalling have been described previously, here we performed a comprehensive analysis of gene expression at the early stages of odontogenesis to obtain complete knowledge of the signalling pathways involved in early jaw patterning. Gene expression was analysed separately on anterior and posterior areas of the lower jaw at two early stages (E11.5 and E12.5) of odontogenesis. Gene expression profiling revealed distinct region-specific expression patterns in mouse mandibles, including several known BMP and FGF signalling members and we also identified several new molecules exhibiting significant differences in expression along the anterior–posterior axis, which potentially can play the role during incisor and molar specification. Next, we followed one of the anterior molecules, SATB2, which was expressed not only in the anterior mesenchyme where incisor germs are initiated, however, we uncovered a distinct SATB2-positive region in the mesenchyme closely surrounding molars. Satb2-deficient animals demonstrated defective incisor development confirming a crucial role of SATB2 in formation of anterior teeth. On the other hand, ectopic tooth germs were observed in the molar area indicating differential effect of Satb2-deficiency in individual jaw regions. In conclusion, our data provide a rich source of fundamental information, which can be used to determine molecular regulation driving early embryonic jaw patterning and serve for a deeper understanding of molecular signalling directed towards incisor and molar development.

Differential effect of training impure tacts versus pure tacts plus intraverbal on the emergence of new verbal operants: A conceptual and methodological study.

The aim of this research was to test the effect of training impure tact versus pure tact and intraverbals on the emergence of new verbal operants (impure tacts), thus establishing a conceptual and methodological differentiation on these operants. This was done by varying the training order of intraverbal or impure tact to analyze and confirm whether or not impure tact is the mere sum of pure tact plus intraverbal and therefore has different functions and consequences in learning. An experiment was conducted with 30 participants randomly assigned to three groups. In Group 1, pure tact plus intraverbal and then impure tact were trained. In Group 3 the training order of these operants was counterbalanced. Group 2 was the control group, training only pure tact plus intraverbal. After the training phases, the emergence of impure tacts was tested. The results of this research indicate that the training of impure tacts favors the emergence of new impure tacts to a greater extent than the training of pure tact plus intraverbal and that they therefore have different functions. It is also shown that variation in the order of presentation of the type of training influences the subsequent emergence of new operants (impure tacts), so that creating a previous history of learning in impure tacts favors emergence even when the intraverbal alone is subsequently trained. This has important implications at both conceptual and methodological levels as it would contribute to the development of more effective language training technologies.

Anti-virulence potential of iclaprim, a novel folic acid synthesis inhibitor, against Staphylococcus aureus

Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus pose a significant global public problem. Therefore, new antibiotics and therapeutic strategies are needed to combat this pathogen. This investigation delves into the effects of iclaprim, a newly discovered inhibitor of folic acid synthesis, on S. aureus virulence. The phenotypic and genotypic effects of iclaprim were thoroughly examined in relation to virulence factors, biofilm formation, and dispersal, as well as partial virulence-encoding genes associated with exoproteins, adherence, and regulation in S. aureus MW2, N315, and ATCC 25923. Then, the in vivo effectiveness of iclaprim on S. aureus pathogenicity was explored by a Galleria mellonella larvae infection model. The use of iclaprim at sub-inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) resulted in a reduction of α-hemolysin (Hla) production and a differential effect on the activity of coagulase in S. aureus strains. The results of biofilm formation and eradication assay showed that iclaprim was highly effective in depolymerizing the mature biofilm of S. aureus strains at concentrations of 1 MIC or greater, however, inhibited the biofilm-forming ability of only strains N315 and ATCC 25923 at sub-MICs. Interestingly, treatment of strains with sub-MICs of iclaprim resulted in significant stimulation or suppression of most virulence-encoding genes expression. Iclaprim did not affect the production of δ-hemolysin or staphylococcal protein A (SpA), nor did it impact the total activity of proteases, nucleases, and lipases. In vivo testing showed that sub-MICs of iclaprim significantly improves infected larvae survival. The present study offered valuable insights towards a better understating of the influence of iclaprim on different strains of S. aureus. The findings suggest that iclaprim may have potential as an anti-virulence and antibiofilm agent, thus potentially mitigating the pathogenicity of S. aureus and improving clinical outcomes associated with infections caused by this pathogen.Key points• Iclaprim effectively inhibits α-hemolysin production and biofilm formation in a strain-dependent manner and was an excellent depolymerizing agent of mature biofilm• Iclaprim affected the mRNA expression of virulence-encoding genes associated with exoproteins, adherence, and regulation• In vivo study in G. mellonella larvae challenged with S. aureus exhibited that iclaprim improves larvae survival

Cognitive reserve as a modulator of cognitive decline and of behavioral symptoms in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has heterogeneous manifestations ranging from motor neuron degeneration to cognitive and behavioral impairment. This study aims to clarify the interactions between cognition and behavioral symptoms with relevant disease predictors and with cognitive reserve (CR), quantified through education, physical activity, and occupation proxies. Methods: A prospective sample of 162 ALS patients and 61 controls were evaluated with the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) (dependent variable), a Cognitive Reserve Index questionnaire (CRIq) and demographic data (age and sex), and, for patients, clinical variables: disease duration, site of onset, the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS), forced vital capacity (FVC), and gene mutation chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) (independent variables). Multiple regression and mediation analyses were performed to predict cognitive and behavioral symptoms. Results: For the ALS group, the statistical model explained 38.8% of variance in ECAS total (p < 0.001), 59.4% of executive functions (p < 0.001), and 55% of behavioral symptoms (p < 0.001). For controls, it accounted for 52.8% of variance in ECAS total (p < 0.001). Interaction effects and mediation analysis showed CR is an ECAS total modulator, with a differential effect within groups (p < 0.001). Verbal fluency was the single best cognitive score to differentiate patients from controls (p = 0.004), and the gene mutation C9orf72 was found to be a behavioral symptom’ predictor in patients (p = 0.009). Conclusion: This study supports the proposed concept that CR acts as a cognitive modulator in ALS patients and healthy individuals. Moreover, CR also modulates behavioral manifestations in ALS.

PENGARUH DIFERENSIASI PRODUK, DIGITAL MARKETING DAN KEBIJAKAN HARGA TERHADAP KEPUTUSAN WISATAWAN MENGINAP DI THE COMPASS ROSE UBUD

AbstractThe tourism industry is an important sector in national development. Bali is a province in Indonesia which is well known for having extraordinary tourism potential. Hotel is an accommodation facility that provides lodging facilities as well as food and beverage services which are commercial in nature and are growing rapidly. The beauty of the beaches in Bali can be an added value for the hotel itself and an attraction for tourists who will stay at that place. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of Product Differentiation, Digital Marketing and Pricing Policies on Tourist Decisions di The Compass Rose Ubud.The research location is The Compass Rose Ubud Bali. The method of determining the sample using the method purposive sampling. The sample of this research is consumers or customers who are aged 17 years and over as many as 110 respondents. The analysis technique used is multiple linear regression analysis.The results of the study show that product differentiation has a positive and significant effect on tourists' decisions at The Compass Rose Ubud. Digital marketing positive and significant effect on tourists' decisions The Compass Rose Ubud. Pricing policy has a positive and significant effect on tourist decisions. Product differentiation, digital marketing and price policy has a positive and significant effect on tourists' decisions The Compass Rose Ubud. Differentiation variables the product has the most dominant influence on tourists' decisions at The Compass Rose Ubud.

Abstract Mo019: Angiotensin II Links Cardiovascular Disease With Enhanced Cancer Growth

Introduction: It has been demonstrated that CVD promote tumor growth in mouse models of breast, lung, and colon cancer, suggesting a causal relationship between both diseases. Cancer and CVD share several risk factors and pathophysiological mechanisms, e.g. inflammation and oxidative stress, that could explain why patients with CVD are prone to develop cancer. Recent reports also suggest a link between hypertension, hypertrophy and lung cancer. Angiotensin II (ANGII) is a hormone involved in blood pressure regulation, vascular hemostasis and hypertrophy development. Moreover, ANGII is cancerogenic by increasing proliferation of several cancer cell types. Hence, ANGII could be a link in CVD-induced enhancement of cancer growth. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that ANGII treatment, and subsequent hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy, could promote cancer growth. Methods: ANGII (2000 ng.kg -1 .min -1 ; 4w) was administered to 10w old C57B6/J mice using osmotic minipumps. After 4w, pumps were removed and 5*10 5 Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells injected onto the right flank. To study the direct impact of the ANGII peptide on the cancer growth mice were treated with ANGII as mentioned above and LLC cells were injected after 3w to allow concomitant ANGII treatment and cancer growth. A similar experiment was performed by injecting 2*10 5 MC38 colon cancer cells. Tumor growth was monitored for 21d after which the mice were sacrificed. Results are expressed as mean ± SEM. Results: ANGII treatment concomitantly with cancer growth resulted in significantly larger tumors as shown by post-mortem tumor volume (881 ± 111 control vs. 1467 ± 154 mm^3 ANGII, P=0.013). In contrast, no increased tumor growth was observed when ANGII was administered non-concomitant with cancer growth. Interestingly, MC38 tumor growth significantly decreased in the ANGII treated group as portrayed by tumor volume (462 ± 65 control vs. 227 ± 81 mm^3 ANGII). Conclusion: Our data suggest a role for ANGII in CVD-enhanced cancer growth, but also that this effect is not universal, illustrated by a differential effect of ANGII on distinct cancer types. Although further investigation is required to unravel the role of ANGII, screening cancer patients with CVD comorbidities for ANGII involvement might be warranted.

An observational analysis of the impact of indoor residual spraying in two distinct contexts of Burkina Faso

BackgroundIndoor residual spraying (IRS) is a cornerstone malaria control intervention in Burkina Faso. From 2018 to 2021, non-pyrethroid IRS was implemented annually in two regions of Burkina Faso with distinct malaria transmission patterns, concurrently with annual seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), and a mass insecticide-treated net (ITN) distribution in 2019.MethodsA retrospective quasi-experimental approach was used to evaluate the impact of the 2018, 2020, and 2021 IRS campaigns on routinely reported confirmed malaria case incidence at health facilities. The 2019 campaign was excluded due to lack of data reporting during a health sector strike. Controlled interrupted time series models were fit to detect changes in level and trend in malaria case incidence rates following each IRS campaign when compared to the baseline period 24-months before IRS. IRS districts Solenzo (Sudano-Sahelien climate), and Kampti (tropical climate) were compared with neighbouring control districts and the analyses were stratified by region. Modelled health facility catchment population estimates based on travel time to health facilities and weighted by non-malaria outpatient visits were used as an offset. The study period encompassed July 2016 through June 2022, excluding July 2018 to June 2019.ResultsDistrict-level population and structure coverage achieved by IRS campaigns was greater than 85% in 2018, 2020, and 2021 in Solenzo and Kampti. In Solenzo a significant difference in malaria case incidence rates was detected after the 2018 campaign (IRR = 0.683; 95% CI 0.564–0.827) when compared to the control district. The effect was not detected following the 2020 or 2021 IRS campaigns. In Kampti, estimated malaria incidence rates were between 36 and 38% lower than in the control district following all three IRS campaigns compared to the baseline period.ConclusionsImplementation of IRS in Kampti, a tropical region of Burkina Faso, appeared to have a consistent significant beneficial impact on malaria case rates. An initial positive impact in Solenzo after the first IRS campaign was not sustained in the successive evaluated IRS campaigns. This study points to a differential effect of IRS in different malaria transmission settings and in combination with ITN and SMC implementation.

RNA Editing by ADAR Adenosine Deaminases in the Cell Models of CAG Repeat Expansion Diseases: Significant Effect of Differentiation from Stem Cells into Brain Organoids in the Absence of Substantial Influence of CAG Repeats on the Level of Editing.

Expansion of CAG repeats in certain genes is a known cause of several neurodegenerative diseases, but exact mechanism behind this is not yet fully understood. It is believed that the double-stranded RNA regions formed by CAG repeats could be harmful to the cell. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that these RNA regions might potentially interfere with ADAR RNA editing enzymes, leading to the reduced A-to-I editing of RNA and activation of the interferon response. We studied induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from the patients with Huntington's disease or ataxia type 17, as well as midbrain organoids developed from these cells. A targeted panel for next-generation sequencing was used to assess editing in the specific RNA regions. Differentiation of iPSCs into brain organoids led to increase in the ADAR2 gene expression and decrease in the expression of protein inhibitors of RNA editing. As a result, there was increase in the editing of specific ADAR2 substrates, which allowed identification of differential substrates of ADAR isoforms. However, comparison of the pathology and control groups did not show differences in the editing levels among the iPSCs. Additionally, brain organoids with 42-46 CAG repeats did not exhibit global changes. On the other hand, brain organoids with the highest number of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (76) showed significant decrease in the level of RNA editing of specific transcripts, potentially involving ADAR1. Notably, editing of the long non-coding RNA PWAR5 was nearly absent in this sample. It could be stated in conclusion that in most cultures with repeat expansion, the hypothesized effect on RNA editing was not confirmed.

When Moral Leads to Immoral: Differential Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Employee UPOB

When Moral Leads to Immoral: Differential Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Employee UPOB

Crystal plasticity finite element simulations on extruded Mg-10Gd rod with texture gradient

The mechanical properties of an extruded Mg-10Gd sample, specifically designed for vascular stents, are crucial for predicting its behavior under service conditions. Achieving homogeneous stresses in the hoop direction, essential for characterizing vascular stents, poses challenges in experimental testing based on standard specimens featuring a reduced cross section. This study utilizes an elasto-visco-plastic self-consistent polycrystal model (ΔEVPSC) with the predominant twinning reorientation (PTR) scheme as a numerical tool, offering an alternative to mechanical testing. For verification, various mechanical experiments, such as uniaxial tension, compression, notched-bar tension, three-point bending, and C-ring compression tests, were conducted. The resulting force vs. displacement curves and textures were then compared with those based on the ΔEVPSC model. The computational model's significance is highlighted by simulation results demonstrating that the differential hardening along with a weak strength differential effect observed in the Mg-10Gd sample is a result of the interplay between micromechanical deformation mechanisms and deformation-induced texture evolution. Furthermore, the study highlights that incorporating the axisymmetric texture from the as-received material incorporating the measured texture gradient significantly improves predictive accuracy on the strength in the hoop direction. Ultimately, the findings suggest that the ΔEVPSC model can effectively predict the mechanical behavior resulting from loading scenarios that are impossible to realize experimentally, emphasizing its valuable contribution as a digital twin.

Differential effect of asparagine and glutamine removal on three adenocarcinoma cell lines

Asparagine and glutamine depletion operated by the drug Asparaginase (ASNase) has revolutionized therapy in pediatric patients affected by Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), bringing remissions to a remarkable 90 % of cases. However, the knowledge of the proproliferative role of asparagine in adult and solid tumors is still limited. We have here analyzed the effect of ASNase on three adenocarcinoma cell lines (A549, lung adenocarcinoma, MCF-7, breast cancer, and 786-O, kidney cancer). In contrast to MCF-7 cells, 786-O and A549 cells proved to be a relevant target for cell cycle perturbation by asparagine and glutamine shortage. Indeed, when the cell-cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry, A549 showed a canonical response to asparaginase, 786-O cells, instead, showed a reduction of the percentage of cells in the G1 phase and an increase of those in the S-phase. Despite an increased number of PCNA and RPA70 positive nuclear foci, BrdU and EdU incorporation was absent or strongly delayed in treated 786-O cells, thus indicating a readiness of replication forks unmatched by DNA synthesis. In 786-O asparagine synthetase was reduced following treatment and glutamine synthetase was totally absent. Interestingly, DNA synthesis could be recovered by adding Gln to the medium. MCF-7 cells showed no significant changes in the cell cycle phases, in DNA-bound PCNA and in total PCNA, but a significant increase in ASNS and GS mRNA and protein expression. The collected data suggest that the effect observed on 786-O cells following ASNase treatment could rely on mechanisms which differ from those well-known and described for leukemic blasts, consisting of a complete block in the G1/S transition in proliferating cells and on an increase on non-proliferative (G0) blasts.

Therapeutic potential of Chinese medicinal herbs stimulating osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis (OP) is a common and complex chronic metabolic disease with an increasing incidence rate, which has markedly increased the human health burden worldwide. The predominant cause of OP is an imbalance between osteoblasts (OB) and osteoclasts (OC). Studies on the correlation between bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and OP have indicated that BMSCs-induced OB differentiation is an important pathway for bone tissue renewal. Chinese medicinal herbs have been used for centuries to treat various types of OPs because they are safer and more effective. The in vivo and in vitro experiments have confirmed that these herbs or their primary phytochemicals may exert therapeutic effects by stimulating BMSCs differentiation, which restores OB and OP balance, inhibits adipocyte differentiation, exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, regulates the immune system, etc. This review summarizes the research on how Chinese medicinal herbs or their primary phytochemicals treat OP by stimulating BMSC differentiation and provides a scientifically reliable basis and perspective for their future clinical application.

Predicting Response to Neuropsychological Intervention in Developmental Dyslexia: A Retrospective Study.

Identifying the patients who are likely to be non-responders to a certain treatment may allow clinicians to provide alternative strategies and avoid frustration and unrealistic expectations for the patients and their families. A retrospective study on 145 children treated with visual hemisphere-specific stimulation examined the specific profiles (reading, writing, metaphonology, memory, callosal functions) of non-responders, and identified predictors of response to intervention (reading, reading and writing) through linear regression models. The effects of additional variables such as rapid automatized naming (RAN) and Visual Search were investigated in a subsample of 48 participants. Subgroups related to gender and dyslexia subtype were considered in the analyses. The results highlight an Intervention Differential Effect (IDE) not depending on regression to the mean and mathematical coupling effects. The characteristics of non-responders for reading seem to correspond children with mild reading and severe writing impairments; non-responders for reading and writing are those with impaired callosal transfer. Predictors of overall response to intervention were pre-test reading and writing scores; phoneme blending, accuracy in visual search and speed in rapid automatized naming contributed to explaining response variance. Specific predictors for female vs. male participants and dyslexia subtypes were identified.

The potential of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 to produce viscosin enhances wheat root colonization and shapes root-associated microbial communities in a plant genotype-dependent manner in soil systems.

Understanding parameters governing microbiome assembly on plant roots is critical for successfully exploiting beneficial plant-microbe interactions for improved plant growth under low-input conditions. While it is well-known from in vitro studies that specialized metabolites are important for plant-microbe interactions, e.g., root colonization, studies on the ecological role under natural soil conditions are limited. This might explain the often-low translational power from laboratory testing to field performance of microbial inoculants. Here, we showed that viscosin synthesis potential results in a differential impact on the microbiome assembly dependent on wheat cultivar, unlinked to colonization potential. Overall, our study provides novel insights into factors governing microbial assembly on plant roots, and how this has a derived but differential effect on the bacterial and protist communities.

Filaments of the Slime Mold Cosmic Web and How They Affect Galaxy Evolution

We present a novel approach for identifying cosmic web filaments within the DisPerSE structure identification framework, using cosmic density field estimates from the Monte Carlo Physarum Machine (MCPM), inspired by the slime mold organism. We apply our method to the IllustrisTNG (TNG100) cosmological simulations and investigate the impact of filaments on galaxies. The MCPM density field is superior to the Delaunay tessellation field estimator in tracing the true underlying matter distribution and allows filaments to be identified with higher fidelity, finding more low-prominence/diffuse filaments. Using our new filament catalogs, we find that ≳90% of galaxies are located within ∼1.5 Mpc of a filamentary spine, with little change in the median star formation activity with distance to the nearest filament. Instead, we uncover a differential effect of the local filament line density, Σfil (MCPM)—the total MCPM overdensity per unit length along a filament segment—on galaxy formation: most galaxies are quenched and gas-poor near high-line density filaments at z ≤ 1. At earlier times, the filamentary environment appears to have no effect on galactic gas supply and quenching. At z = 0, quenching in log(M*/M⊙)≳10.5 galaxies is mainly driven by mass, while lower-mass galaxies are significantly affected by the filament line density. Satellites are far more susceptible to filaments than centrals. The local environments of massive halos are not sufficient to account for the effect of filament line density on gas removal and quenching. Our new approach holds great promise for observationally identifying filaments from galaxy surveys such as SDSS and DESI.

Differential effect of an evolving amyloid and tau pathology on brain phospholipids and bioactive lipid mediators in rat models of Alzheimer-like pathology

BackgroundBrain inflammation contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, and it is manifested by glial cell activation, increased production of cytokines/chemokines, and a shift in lipid mediators from a pro-homeostatic to a pro-inflammatory profile. However, whether the production of bioactive lipid mediators is affected at earlier stages, prior to the deposition of Aβ plaques and tau hyperphosphorylation, is unknown. The differential contribution of an evolving amyloid and tau pathology on the composition and abundance of membrane phospholipids and bioactive lipid mediators also remains unresolved.MethodsIn this study, we examined the cortical levels of DHA- and AA-derived bioactive lipid mediators and of membrane phospholipids by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry in transgenic rat models of the Alzheimer’s-like amyloid and tau pathologies at early and advanced pathological stages.ResultsOur findings revealed a complex balance between pro-inflammatory and pro-resolving processes in which tau pathology has a more pronounced effect compared to amyloid pathology. At stages preceding tau misfolding and aggregation, there was an increase in pro-resolving lipid mediators (RVD6 and NPD1), DHA-containing phospholipids and IFN-γ levels. However, in advanced tau pathology displaying NFT-like inclusions, neuronal death, glial activation and cognitive deficits, there was an increase in cytokine and PGD2, PGE2, and PGF2α generation accompanied by a drop in IFN-γ levels. This pathology also resulted in a marked increase in AA-containing phospholipids. In comparison, pre-plaque amyloid pathology already presented high levels of cytokines and AA-containing phospholipids together with elevated RVD6 and NPD1 levels. Finally, Aβ plaque deposition was accompanied by a modest increase in prostaglandins, increased AA-containing phospholipids and reduced DHA-containing phospholipids.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a dynamic trajectory of inflammatory and lipid mediators in the evolving amyloid and tau pathologies and support their differing roles on membrane properties and, consequentially, on signal transduction.

Clinical changes in serum intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in cervical cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.

The levels of soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) increased in cervical cancer patients and those patients with recurrence. However, the pattern of change in sICAM-1 and its association with prognosis in cervical cancer patients after radiotherapy remain unknown. sICAM-1 level was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in different patient groups. The predictive value of sICAM-1 for cervical cancer occurrence was evaluated using receiver operating characteristics analysis. The association of sICAM-1 with clinical pathology was analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Association of sICAM-1 with prognosis was evaluated by alteration of sICAM-1 level in cervical cancer patients with or without complete remission at pre-radiotherapy, post-radiotherapy, and post-follow-up. The survival rate of cervical cancer patients with low or high sICAM-1 was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier curve. sICAM-1 level significantly increased in cervical cancer patients and could predict the occurrence of cervical cancer. sICAM-1 was closely associated with tumor size, differentiation, and radiotherapy effect. Importantly, the level of sICAM-1 gradually decreased in patients with complete remission after radiotherapy, while it remained unchanged in those without complete remission. Furthermore, the cervical cancer patients with high expression of sICAM-1 had a shorter survival time. The level of sICAM-1 could predict the occurrence of cervical cancer and is closely related to the prognosis of cervical cancer patients after radiotherapy.