Epidemiological and Hemato-Biochemical Profiles of Diabetic Patients at the Diabetology, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases Department of the Alpha Oumar Diallo Regional Hospital, Kindia (Republic of Guinea)

This study aims to enhance the healthcare services for diabetic patients in the administrative region of Kindia by suggesting dietary interventions to assist diabetics in better managing their condition. Conducted over a period of six months, from February 18 to July 18, 2021, this prospective and descriptive cross-sectional study involved 220 diabetic patients. Among these, 48 patients (22%) maintained balanced glucose levels (2 g/l). Positive glycosuria was observed in 54% of the patients, whereas 46% demonstrated normal glycosuria. An analysis of urinary parameters revealed that 15% of the patients had abnormal Ketone Bodies. Normal HbA1c levels (9%) HbA1c levels. Hematological assessments indicated significant variation: 56% of the patients had low hemoglobin levels, 4% suffered from hyper-eosinophilia, and 1% each from hyper-basophilia and hyper-hemoglobinemia. The anemic profile was characterized as mild anemia in 75%, moderate anemia in 20%, and severe anemia in 5%. Furthermore, 25% of patients were affected by Microcytic anemia and 75% by Normocytic anemia. Demographically, women constituted 65% of the study group compared to 35% of men. The most represented age bracket was 41 to 60 years, accounting for 52% of the patients, while those between 61 and 80 years comprised 36%. Every district in Kindia was impacted by diabetes.

Lipid Profile of Patients Seen in Consultation at the Cardiology Department at the Ignace DEEN National Hospital (City of Conakry, Republic of Guinea)

The study addressed a crucial public health concern of dyslipidemia and its management, with a focus on the Ignace DEEN National Hospital patients, filling a research gap in the Republic of Guinea. It contributed valuable epidemiological data on dyslipidemia in the studied population, emphasizing gender, age, and socio-professional categories, which could inform tailored prevention and management strategies in improving the health care of dyslipidemia patients by proposing diets to help these patients better manage their disease and a food system for preventing dyslipidemia. The study focused on the lipid profile of patients seen at the cardiology department at the Ignace DEEN National Hospital Republic of Guinea (Conakry). This was a prospective, descriptive study lasting six (6) months from January 24 to July 23, 2021;aimed at determining the frequency of lipid abnormalities and pathologies related to the lipid profile. A total of 523 people were included in this study with a female predominance of 59.34% compared to 40.66% of males for a ratio of 1.5 in favor of women. The age groups of 45 - 54 and 55 - 65 were the most affected with respective frequencies of 45.42% and 30.03%. The most represented socio-professional category was that of housewives, i.e. 45.78%, followed by traders 18.68%. Our series was dominated by the married couple, i.e. 77.29%. Dyslipidemia constitutes a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor in patients seen in the cardiology department at the Ignace DEEN Hospital;its control must be strict through the use of hygienic and dietary rules and hypolipidemia medications.

Promising use of metformin in treating neurological disorders:biomarker-guided therapies

Neurological disorders are a diverse group of conditions that affect the nervous system and include neurodegenerative diseases(Alzheimer’s disease,multiple sclerosis,Parkinson’s disease,Huntington’s disease),cerebrovascular conditions(stroke),and neurodevelopmental disorders(autism spectrum disorder).Although they affect millions of individuals around the world,only a limited number of effective treatment options are available today.Since most neurological disorders express mitochondria-related metabolic perturbations,metformin,a biguanide type II antidiabetic drug,has attracted a lot of attention to be repurposed to treat neurological disorders by correcting their perturbed energy metabolism.However,controversial research emerges regarding the beneficial/detrimental effects of metformin on these neurological disorders.Given that most neurological disorders have complex etiology in their pathophysiology and are influenced by various risk factors such as aging,lifestyle,genetics,and environment,it is important to identify perturbed molecular functions that can be targeted by metformin in these neurological disorders.These molecules can then be used as biomarkers to stratify subpopulations of patients who show distinct molecular/pathological properties and can respond to metformin treatment,ultimately developing targeted therapy.In this review,we will discuss mitochondria-related metabolic perturbations and impaired molecular pathways in these neurological disorders and how these can be used as biomarkers to guide metformin-responsive treatment for the targeted therapy to treat neurological disorders.

A comparative study for petroleum removal capacities of the bacterial consortia entrapped in sodium alginate,sodium alginate/poly(vinyl alcohol),and bushnell haas agar

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the degradation efficiencies of free and entrapped bacterial consortia(Staphylococcus capitis CP053957.1 and Achromobacter marplatensis MT078618.1)to different polymers such as Sodium Alginate(SA),Sodium Alginate/Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)(SA/PVA),and Bushnell Haas Agar(BHA).In addition to SA and SA/PVA,which are cost-effective,non-toxic and have different functional groups,BHA,which is frequently encountered in laboratory-scale studies but has not been used as an entrapment material until now.Based on these,the polymers with different surface morphologies and chemical compositions were analyzed by SEM and FT-IR.While the petroleum removal efficiency was higher with the entrapped bacterial consortia than with the free one,BHA-entrapped bacterial consortium enhanced the petroleum removal more than SA and SA/PVA.Accordingly,the degradation rate of bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA was 2.039 day^(-1),SA/PVA was 1.560,SA was 0.993,the half-life period of BHA-entrapped bacterial consortia is quite low(t_(1/2)=0.339)compared with SA(t_(1/2)=0.444)and SA/PVA(t_(1/2)=0.697).The effects of the four main factors such as:amount of BHA(0.5,1,1.5,2,2.5,3 g),disc size(4,5,6,7,8 mm),inoculum concentration(1,2.5,5,7.5,10 mL),and incubation period on petroleum removal were also investigated.The maximum petroleum removal(94.5%)was obtained at≥2.5 mL of bacterial consortium entrapped in 2 g BHA with a 7 mm disc size at 168 h and the results were also confirmed by statistical analysis.Although a decrease was observed during the reuse of bacterial consortium entrapped in BHA,the petroleum removal was still above 50%at 10th cycle.Based on GC-MS analysis,the removal capacity of BHA-entrapped consortium was over 90%for short-chain n-alkanes and 80%for medium-chain n-alkanes.Overall,the obtained data are expected to provide a potential guideline in cleaning up the large-scale oil pollution in the future.Since there has been no similar study investigating petroleum removal with the bacterial consortia entrapped with BHA,this novel entrapment material can potentially be used in the treatment of petroleum pollution in advanced remediation studies.

Brain dysfunctions and neurotoxicity induced by psychostimulants in experimental models and humans:an overview of recent findings

Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that psychostimulants,in addition to having abuse potential,may elicit brain dysfunctions and/or neurotoxic effects.Central toxicity induced by psychostimulants may pose serious health risks since the recreational use of these substances is on the rise among young people and adults.The present review provides an overview of recent research,conducted between 2018 and 2023,focusing on brain dysfunctions and neurotoxic effects elicited in experimental models and humans by amphetamine,cocaine,methamphetamine,3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine,methylphenidate,caffeine,and nicotine.Detailed elucidation of factors and mechanisms that underlie psychostimulant-induced brain dysfunction and neurotoxicity is crucial for understanding the acute and enduring noxious brain effects that may occur in individuals who use psychostimulants for recreational and/or therapeutic purposes.

No evidence of predator odor avoidance in a North American bird community

Recent advances in our understanding of avian chemical communication have highlighted the importance of olfaction in many aspects of avian life.Prior studies investigating predator avoidance behaviors in response to predator odor cues have produced mixed results across species and contexts.Here we assess if a community of birds in eastern Pennsylvania displays avoidance behaviors towards predator odor cues in a natural foraging setting.We use clay caterpillars to measure foraging activity by birds in the presence of predator(bobcat)urine,non-predator(rabbit)urine,and water controls in two different environmental contexts(field vs.forest).Although we detected a weak trend for birds to forage less at predator urine-treated sites,we found no significant difference in avian foraging between the site types.We did find that foraging rates between environmental contexts changed significantly over the course of the experiment,with forest sites showing decreasing foraging rates and field sites showing increasing foraging rates.Our results reinforce the published literature that avoidance of predator odors by birds may not be ubiquitous across contexts and species.

Development of endemicity and conservation importance indices for tropical forests and the floral diversity assessment of Mt.Natoo in Benguet,Philippines

The scientific community faces the challenge of measuring progress toward biodiversity targets and indices have been traditionally used.However,recent inventories in secondary tropical mountain forests using traditional biodiversity indices have yielded results that are indistinct with primary ones.This shows the need to develop complementary indices that goes beyond species count but integrates the distribution and conservation status of the species.This study developed endemicity and conservation importance index for tropical forest that incorporated the distribution and conservation status of the species.These indices were applied to Mt.Natoo,a remnant primary mossy forest in Buguias,Benguet,Philippines,that resulted to endemicity index of 81.07 and conservation importance index of 42.90.Comparing these with secondary forest sites with comparable Shannon-Wiener,Simpson,Evenness and Margalef’s indices,our endemicity and conservation indices clearly differentiates primary forest(our study site)with higher values from secondary forests with much lower values.Thus,we are proposing these indices for a direct but scientifically-informed identification of specific sites for conservation and protection in tropical forests.Additionally,our study documented a total of 168 vascular plant species(79 endemic and 12 locally threatened species)in Mt.Nato-o.Majority are of tropical elements for both generic and species levels with some temperate elements that could be attributed to the site's high elevation and semi-temperate climate.These are important baseline information for conservation plans and monitoring of tropical mossy forests.

The effect of Common Cuckoo parasitism on the annual productivity of a host population

Avian interspecific brood parasitism is an excellent system for studying coevolutionary processes in nature because brood parasites directly affect host reproductive success.Most research on avian brood parasitism has,therefore,focused primarily on specific host anti-parasite behaviours and parasite counter-adaptations.However,the population-level consequences of brood parasitism for host species are poorly understood.This study investigated the effect of Common Cuckoo(Cuculus canorus)parasitism on the productivity of a local population of the Great Reed Warbler(Acrocephalus arundinaceus)host in south-western Slovakia.A total of 495 females nesting at the studied site successfully fledged 1321 of their own young and 63 young of the Common Cuckoo over the course of 15 years(2008-2022),and the annual rate of successful parasitism ranged from 18% to 44% over this period.As predicted,higher rates of successful cuckoo parasitism significantly reduced the annual productivity of the local Great Reed Warbler population,and its contribution to decreased host reproductive success was at about the same rate as overall nest failure caused by predation and other environmental factors.Such a heavily parasitized population was probably maintained by immigrants from other populations and density-dependent selection,which is also consistent with source-sink dynamics.However,further long-term studies monitoring parasitized populations are required to confirm these findings.

Enhancement of endogenous midbrain neurogenesis by microneurotrophin BNN-20 after neural progenitor grafting in a mouse model of nigral degeneration

We have previously shown the neuroprotective and pro-neurogenic activity of microneurotrophin BNN-20 in the substantia nigra of the“weaver”mouse,a model of progressive nigrostriatal degeneration.Here,we extended our investigation in two clinically-relevant ways.First,we assessed the effects of BNN-20 on human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells and neurons derived from healthy and parkinsonian donors.Second,we assessed if BNN-20 can boost the outcome of mouse neural progenitor cell intranigral transplantations in weaver mice,at late stages of degeneration.We found that BNN-20 has limited direct effects on cultured human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells,marginally enhancing their differentiation towards neurons and partially reversing the pathological phenotype of dopaminergic neurons generated from parkinsonian donors.In agreement,we found no effects of BNN-20 on the mouse neural progenitor cells grafted in the substantia nigra of weaver mice.However,the graft strongly induced an endogenous neurogenic response throughout the midbrain,which was significantly enhanced by the administration of microneurotrophin BNN-20.Our results provide straightforward evidence of the existence of an endogenous midbrain neurogenic system that can be specifically strengthened by BNN-20.Interestingly,the lack of major similar activity on cultured human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural progenitors and their progeny reveals the in vivo specificity of the aforementioned pro-neurogenic effect.

Flower morphology of Allium(Amaryllidaceae)and its systematic significance

Allium is a complicated genus that includes approximately 1000 species.Although its morphology is well studied,the taxonomic importance of many morphological traits,including floral traits,are poorly understood.Here,we examined and measured the floral characteristics of 87 accessions of 74 Allium taxa(belonging to 30 sections and nine subgenera)from Central to Eastern Asian countries.We then examined the taxonomic relationships between select flower characteristics and a phylogenetic tree based on ITS sequences.Our results confirm that floral morphology provides key taxonomic information to assess species delimitation in Allium.We found that perianth color is an important characteristic within the subg.Melanocrommyum,Polyprason,and Reticulatobulbosa.In subg.Allium,Cepa,and Rhizirideum,significant characteristics include ovary shape,perianth shape,and inner tepal apex.For species in subg.Angunium,the key taxonomic character is ovule number(only one ovule in per locule).In the subg.Allium,Cepa,Polyprason,and Reticulatobulbosa,which belong to the third evolutionary line of Allium,hood-like appendages occur in the ovary,although these do not occur in subg.Rhizirideum.Our results also indicated that the flower morphology of several species in some sections are not clearly distinguished,e.g.,sect.Sacculiferum(subg.Cepa)and sect.Tenuissima(subg.Rhizirideum).This study provides detailed photographs and descriptions of floral characteristics and information on general distributions,habitats,and phenology of the studied taxa.

Characterization of the infectivity of an Indonesian Zika virus strain in mammalian cell lines

Objective:To characterize the infection patterns and growth characteristics of the Zika virus(ZIKV)strain JMB-185 from Indonesia in various mammalian cell lines.Methods:ZIKV was grown in human(A549,HEK293,HepG2,Huh7,Jurkat,and THP-1)and non-human mammalian(RAW264.7,Vero,and Vero76)cell lines.Viral replication kinetics were measured using plaque assay,while intra-and extracellular viral RNA concentrations were assessed using RT-PCR.Flow cytometry was used to quantify the infected cells and cell viability was measured using an MTT assay.The ability of ZIKV to infect cell lines was visualized using a fluorescence immunostaining assay.Results:This ZIKV strain preferentially infected the lung,kidney,and liver cell lines A549,HEK293,Huh7,Vero,and Vero76,but not the immune cells Jurkat,RAW264.7,and THP-1.By contrast,the ZIKV showed no sign of infection in HepG2 cells,while maintaining viral titer over 3 days post-infection,with no infection recorded in immunostaining,no increase in viral RNA,and no indication of cell deterioration.Conclusions:The Indonesian ZIKV strain has a similar infection profile as other strains,except for its poor infectivity on HepG2 cells.Information on the growth characteristics of Indonesia ZIKV will help expand our understanding of the biology of ZIKV which will be useful for various applications including antiviral discovery.

Levisticum officinale extract protects against CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity through anti-inflammatory,anti-fibrotic,and antioxidant properties in rats

Objective:To investigate the hepatoprotective effects of Levisticum officinale extract on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity.Methods:Different doses of Levisticum officinale extract were given orally to rats for 10 days,then rats received a single dose of CCl4(2.5 mL/kg,50%v/v in liquid paraffin).Biochemical and histopathological assays were performed to assess the effects of the extract on liver function and architecture.Moreover,antioxidant and oxidative markers as well as inflammatory and fibrotic indicators were measured.Results:Pretreatment with Levisticum officinale extract significantly mitigated CCl4-induced damage to liver structure,improved serum levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase,urea,total bilirubin,and total protein,enhanced glutathione content and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the liver,as well as decreased plasma and hepatic malondialdehyde levels.Immunohistochemical results demonstrated that the extract reduced Ki-67 andα-SMA expression and Masson’s trichrome staining revealed decreased liver collagen in rats treated with Levisticum officinale extract.Moreover,Levisticum officinale extract markedly decreased the gene expressions of TNF-α,IL-6,TGF-β1,MCP-1,and COX-2.Conclusions:Levisticum officinale extract exerts hepatoprotective effects on CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity through antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,and anti-fibrotic activities.

A Vertex Network Model of Arabidopsis Leaf Growth

Biology provides many examples of complex systems whose properties allow organisms to develop in a highly reproducible,or robust,manner.One such system is the growth and development of flat leaves in Arabidopsis thaliana.This mechanistically challenging process results from multiple inputs including gene interactions,cellular geometry,growth rates,and coordinated cell divisions.To better understand how this complex genetic and cellular information controls leaf growth,we developed a mathematical model of flat leaf production.This two-dimensional model describes the gene interactions in a vertex network of cells which grow and divide according to physical forces and genetic information.Interestingly,the model predicts the presence of an unknown additional factor required for the formation of biologically realistic gene expression domains and iterative cell division.This two-dimensional model will form the basis for future studies into robustness of adaxial-abaxial patterning.

Genetic mutation of Tas2r104/Tas2r105/Tas2r114 cluster leads to a loss of taste perception to denatonium benzoate and cucurbitacin B

Background:Bitter taste receptors(Tas2rs)are generally considered to sense various bitter compounds to escape the intake of toxic substances.Bitter taste receptors have been found to widely express in extraoral tissues and have important physiological functions outside the gustatory system in vivo.Methods:To investigate the physiological functions of the bitter taste receptor cluster Tas2r106/Tas2r104/Tas2r105/Tas2r114 in lingual and extraoral tissues,multiple Tas2rs mutant mice and Gnat3 were produced using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique.A mixture containing Cas9 and sgRNA mRNAs for Tas2rs and Gnat3 gene was microinjected into the cytoplasm of the zygotes.Then,T7EN1 assays and sequencing were used to screen genetic mutation at the target sites in founder mice.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and immunostaining were used to study the expression level of taste signaling cascade and bitter taste receptor in taste buds.Perception to taste substance was also studied using twobottle preference tests.Results:We successfully produced several Tas2rs and Gnat3 mutant mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique.Immunostaining results showed that the expression of GNAT3 and PLCB2 was not altered in Tas2rs mutant mice.But qRT-PCR results revealed the changed expression profile of m Tas2rs gene in taste buds of these mutant mice.With two-bottle preference tests,these mutant mice eliminate responses to cycloheximide due to genetic mutation of Tas2r105.In addition,these mutant mice showed a loss of taste perception to quinine dihydrochloride,denatonium benzoate,and cucurbitacin B(CuB).Gnat3-mediated taste receptor and its signal pathway contribute to CuB perception.Conclusions:These findings implied that these mutant mice would be a valuable means to understand the biological functions of TAS2Rs in extraoral tissues and investigate bitter compound-induced responses mediated by these TAS2Rs in many extraoral tissues.

Eco-toxicity and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of Burullus Lake in Egypt

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)are ubiquitous environmental contaminants of growing concern due to their potential ecological and human health risks.This study presents a comprehensive assessment of PAHs contamination in the surface sediments of Burullus Lake,a vital and second largest delta lake in Egypt.The aim was to evaluate the eco-toxicity and potential health risks associated with the presence of these compounds.Surface seven sediment samples were collected from various drains in the southern part of Burullus Lake.Soxhlet extraction method was employed to extract PAHs(16PAHs)from the sediment sample.Analytically,target compounds were located using HPLC.The results showed that samples contained PAHs levels ranging from 0.038×10^(-6)to 0.459×10^(-6),which is considered heavily polluted by the European standard for PAHs pollution.Additionally,there was no apparent source of PAHs in the ElKhashah drain or the Brinbal Canal,as HPLC found none of the compounds.The most prevalent compound in sediment samples along the study area was fluoranthene.The diagnostic indices in the present study indicated that the hydrocarbons in the region originated from pyrolytic and man-made sources along the drains of Burullus Lake.The principal component analysis(PCA)and diagnostic ratios revealed that coal combustion and pyrolytic sources were responsible for the PAHs contamination in the surface sediments.The non-carcinogenic risk(HI),which is the product of the HQs for the adult and child populations,respectively,was calculated.HI values under 1,therefore,demonstrated that they had no carcinogenic effects on human health.TEQs and MEQs in the sediments of Burullus Lake do not have a cancer-causing impact on people.For the safety of nearby wildlife,aquatic life,and people,all activities that raise petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Burullus Lake must be adequately regulated and controlled.According to the ecological risk assessment,there is little chance that PAHs will be found in the sediments of Burullus Lake.This study underscores the urgent need for effective pollution control measures and regular monitoring of PAHs levels in Burullus Lake sediments to protect the aquatic ecosystem and public health.It also highlights the importance of considering eco-toxicity and human health risks in integrated risk assessments of PAHs-contaminated environments.

Habitat preferences and nest site selection by sympatric populations of Middle Spotted Woodpecker(Dendrocoptes medius) and Syrian Woodpecker(Dendrocopos syriacus) in natural mountain forests of Southwest Iran

We examined habitat preferences and nesting requirements of sympatric populations of Middle Spotted Woodpecker(Dendrocoptes medius) and Syrian Woodpecker(Dendrocopos syriacus).We carried out our study in 2015–2018 in natural mountain forests of Southwest Iran.We compared selected features of nesting,territory,and outside territory tree stands of the studied woodpeckers.The Middle Spotted Woodpecker occupied only oak forests,but the Syrian Woodpecker inhabited heterogenic forests that included the preferred tree of this species,the Mount Atlas Mastic.We recorded that in the breeding territories of the Middle Spotted Woodpecker,a greater area covered by tree crowns,as well as a larger number of trees,and a larger trunk basal area were observed in comparison to the territories occupied by the more plastic Syrian Woodpecker.Different habitat preferences demonstrated by both species could be a result of the selection of tree stands that provide the necessary food resources for each woodpecker species.Adaptation of Syrian Woodpecker to use heterogenic forest stands including tree species that produce fruits and as Mount Atlas Mastic trees,which likely allowed this species to colonise in Asia and Europe non-forest tree stands as orchards or gardens.Our results showed that poor tree condition and large tree trunk dimensions had a positive impact on the selection of nesting sites by both species.The presence of trees with large trunk dimensions was associated with multiple years of use of woodpecker breeding sites in the studied forests.Maintaining habitats in suitable condition for both studied woodpeckers can be achieved by preserving natural forests in the mountain regions of Iran.

The relationship between DNA fragmentation and the intensity of morphologically abnormal human spermatozoa

Objective:To determine the relationship between teratozoospermia and sperm DNA fragmentation(SDF)in the human ejaculate.Methods:This retrospective study included 100 normozoospermic men as a control cohort(abnormal forms>14%),210 patients with a high level of abnormal forms(≤4%)and 65 patients presenting with a moderate level of abnormal forms(>4%to≤14%)based on the World Health Organization definitions.Sperm morphology was assessed using bright field microscopy.Sperm DNA fragmentation was assessed using the sperm chromatin dispersion assay.Non-parametric analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between abnormal sperm morphology and sperm DNA fragmentation;receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analyses were conducted to assess sensitivity and specificity of this relationship.Results:A correlation analysis revealed that the higher the proportion of abnormal spermatozoa in the ejaculate,the higher the level of SDF(Spearman's Rho=-0.230;P<0.001).Significant differences in the proportion of SDF were found when all cohorts were compared(P<0.001);these significant differences were also retained when the different cohorts were compared pairwise.ROC analysis showed a moderate but significant predictive value for SDF to differentiate patients with different levels of teratozoospemia.Conclusions:Although analysis of a more continuous range of values for teratozoospermia would help further clarify any causal relationship with SDF,there is clearly a synergistic or coincident affiliation between these variables that needs to be acknowledged by the clinician when interpreting the spermiogram.

Bacterial communities and enzyme activities during litter decomposition of Elymus nutans leaf on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The dominant plant litter plays a crucial role in carbon(C)and nutrients cycling as well as ecosystem functions maintenance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).The impact of litter decomposition of dominant plants on edaphic parameters and grassland productivity has been extensively studied,while its decomposition processes and relevant mechanisms in this area remain poorly understood.We conducted a three-year litter decomposition experiment in the Gansu Gannan Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station,an alpine meadow ecosystem on the QTP,to investigate changes in litter enzyme activities and bacterial and fungal communities,and clarify how these critical factors regulated the decomposition of dominant plant Elymus nutans(E.nutans)litter.The results showed that cellulose and hemicellulose,which accounted for 95%of the initial lignocellulose content,were the main components in E.nutans litter decomposition.The litter enzyme activities ofβ-1,4-glucosidase(BG),β-1,4-xylosidase(BX),andβ-D-cellobiosidase(CBH)decreased with decomposition while acid phosphatase,leucine aminopeptidase,and phenol oxidase increased with decomposition.We found that both litter bacterial and fungal communities changed significantly with decomposition.Furthermore,bacterial communities shifted from copiotrophic-dominated to oligotrophic-dominated in the late stage of litter decomposition.Partial least squares path model revealed that the decomposition of E.nutans litter was mainly driven by bacterial communities and their secreted enzymes.Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria were important producers of enzymes BG,BX,and CBH,and their relative abundances were tightly positively related to the content of cellulose and hemicellulose,indicating that Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria are the main bacterial taxa of the decomposition of E.nutans litter.In conclusion,this study demonstrates that bacterial communities are the main driving forces behind the decomposition of E.nutans litter,highlighting the vital roles of bacterial communities in affecting the ecosystem functions of the QTP by regulating dominant plant litter decomposition.

Implications of regional identity for neural stem and progenitor cell transplantation in the injured or diseased nervous system

Neural stem and progenitor cell(NSPC)transpla ntation has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for replacing lost neuronal populations and repairing damaged neural circuits following nervous system injury and disease.A great deal of experimental work has investigated the biology of NSPC grafting in preclinical animal models;more recently.

Caveolin‑1 is critical for hepatic iron storage capacity in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Background:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is associated with disordered lipid and iron metabolism.Our previous study has substantiated the pivotal role of Caveolin-1(Cav-1)in protecting hepatocytes and mediating iron metabolism in the liver.This study aimed to explore the specific mechanisms underlying the regulation of iron metabolism by Cav-1 in NAFLD.Methods:Hepatocyte-specific Cav-1 overexpression mice and knockout mice were used in this study.Cav-1-knockdown of RAW264.7 cells and mouse primary hepatocytes were performed to verify the changes in vitro.Moreover,a high-fat diet and palmitic acid plus oleic acid treatment were utilized to construct a NAFLD model in vivo and in vitro,respectively,while a high-iron diet was used to construct an in vivo iron overload model.Besides,iron concentration,the expression of Cav-1 and iron metabolism-related proteins in liver tissue or serum were detected using iron assay kit,Prussian blue staining,Western blotting,immunofluorescence staining,immunohistochemical staining and ELISA.The related indicators of lipid metabolism and oxidative stress were evaluated by the corresponding reagent kit and staining.Results:Significant disorder of lipid and iron metabolism occurred in NAFLD.The expression of Cav-1 was decreased in NAFLD hepatocytes(P<0.05),accompanied by iron metabolism disorder.Cav-1 enhanced the iron storage capacity of hepatocytes by activating the ferritin light chain/ferritin heavy chain pathway in NAFLD,subsequently alleviating the oxidative stress induced by excess ferrous ions in the liver.Further,CD68^(+) CD163^(+) macrophages expressing Cav-1 were found to accelerate iron accumulation in the liver,which was contrary to the effect of Cav-1 in hepatocytes.Positive correlations were also observed between the serum Cav-1 concentration and the serum iron-related protein levels in NAFLD patients and healthy volunteers(P<0.05).Conclusions:These findings confirm that Cav-1 is an essential target protein that regulates iron and lipid metabolic homeostasis.It is a pivotal molecule for predicting and protecting against the development of NAFLD.