scholarly journals Gut mucosal virome alterations in ulcerative colitis

Gut ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 1169-1179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Zuo ◽  
Xiao-Juan Lu ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
Chun Pan Cheung ◽  
Siu Lam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Rectal Mucosa ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Virus Like Particle ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Viral Communities ◽  
First Time ◽  
Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis

ObjectiveThe pathogenesis of UC relates to gut microbiota dysbiosis. We postulate that alterations in the viral community populating the intestinal mucosa play an important role in UC pathogenesis. This study aims to characterise the mucosal virome and their functions in health and UC.DesignDeep metagenomics sequencing of virus-like particle preparations and bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing were performed on the rectal mucosa of 167 subjects from three different geographical regions in China (UC=91; healthy controls=76). Virome and bacteriome alterations in UC mucosa were assessed and correlated with patient metadata. We applied partition around medoids clustering algorithm and classified mucosa viral communities into two clusters, referred to as mucosal virome metacommunities 1 and 2.ResultsIn UC, there was an expansion of mucosa viruses, particularly Caudovirales bacteriophages, and a decrease in mucosa Caudovirales diversity, richness and evenness compared with healthy controls. Altered mucosal virome correlated with intestinal inflammation. Interindividual dissimilarity between mucosal viromes was higher in UC than controls. Escherichia phage and Enterobacteria phage were more abundant in the mucosa of UC than controls. Compared with metacommunity 1, metacommunity 2 was predominated by UC subjects and displayed a significant loss of various viral species. Patients with UC showed substantial abrogation of diverse viral functions, whereas multiple viral functions, particularly functions of bacteriophages associated with host bacteria fitness and pathogenicity, were markedly enriched in UC mucosa. Intensive transkingdom correlations between mucosa viruses and bacteria were significantly depleted in UC.ConclusionWe demonstrated for the first time that UC is characterised by substantial alterations of the mucosa virobiota with functional distortion. Enrichment of Caudovirales bacteriophages, increased phage/bacteria virulence functions and loss of viral-bacterial correlations in the UC mucosa highlight that mucosal virome may play an important role in UC pathogenesis.

scholarly journals Elemental and Isotopic Characterization of Tobacco from Umbria

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
Luana Bontempo ◽  
Daniela Bertoldi ◽  
Pietro Franceschi ◽  
Fabio Rossi ◽  
Roberto Larcher
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
Stable Isotope Ratios ◽  
Umbria Region ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Isotopic Characterization ◽  
First Time ◽  
Micro Elements

Umbrian tobacco of the Virginia Bright variety is one of the most appreciated tobaccos in Europe, and one characterized by an excellent yield. In recent years, the Umbria region and local producers have invested in introducing novel practices (for production and processing) focused on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Due to this, tobacco from Umbria is a leading commodity in the global tobacco industry, and it claims a high economic value. The aim of this study is then to assess if elemental and isotopic compositions can be used to protect the quality and geographical traceability of this particular tobacco. For the first time the characteristic value ranges of the stable isotope ratios of the bio-elements as a whole (δ2H, δ13C, δ15N, δ18O, and δ34S) and of the concentration of 56 macro- and micro-elements are now available, determined in Virginia Bright tobacco produced in two different areas of Italy (Umbria and Veneto), and from other worldwide geographical regions. The ranges of variability of elements and stable isotope ratios had slightly different results, according to the three geographical origins considered. In particular, Umbria samples presented significantly lower content of metals potentially dangerous for human health. The results of this first exploratory work highlight the possibility of characterizing tobacco from Umbria, and suggest widening the scope of the survey throughout Italy and foreign regions, in order to be used to describe the geographical origin of tobacco in general and verify the origin of the products on the market.

TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF SURFACE AND INTERFACIAL STEPS

1997 ◽  
Vol 04 (03) ◽  
pp. 559-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. GIBSON ◽  
X. CHEN ◽  
O. POHLAND
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
Free Surface ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Stress Fields ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Surface Steps ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
First Time

Transmission electron microscopy is uniquely able to extend techniques for imaging free surface steps to the buried interface regime, without significant loss of detail. Two mechanisms for imaging surface and interfacial steps by transmission electron microscopy are described. They are thickness contrast and strain contrast. The former reveals the position and approximate height of steps, whereas the latter detects stress fields which are commonly associated with steps. The basis for each of these methods is elaborated, and preliminary results are shown for step images at Si/SiO2 interfaces, where measurable stress fields have been directly detected for the first time.

scholarly journals EnteroaggregativeEscherichia coliAdherence Fimbriae Drive Inflammatory Cell Recruitment via Interactions with Epithelial MUC1

mBio ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik J. Boll ◽  
Jorge Ayala-Lujan ◽  
Rose L. Szabady ◽  
Christopher Louissaint ◽  
Rachel Z. Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Inflammatory Responses ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Host Cell Receptor ◽  
Intestinal Infections ◽  
Elevated Expression ◽  
Intestinal Pathogen ◽  
Proinflammatory Role ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACTEnteroaggregativeEscherichia coli(EAEC) causes diarrhea and intestinal inflammation worldwide. EAEC strains are characterized by the presence of aggregative adherence fimbriae (AAF), which play a key role in pathogenesis by mediating attachment to the intestinal mucosa and by triggering host inflammatory responses. Here, we identify the epithelial transmembrane mucin MUC1 as an intestinal host cell receptor for EAEC, demonstrating that AAF-mediated interactions between EAEC and MUC1 facilitate enhanced bacterial adhesion. We further demonstrate that EAEC infection also causes elevated expression of MUC1 in inflamed human intestinal tissues. Moreover, we find that MUC1 facilitates AAF-dependent migration of neutrophils across the epithelium in response to EAEC infection. Thus, we show for the first time a proinflammatory role for MUC1 in the host response to an intestinal pathogen.IMPORTANCEEAEC is a clinically important intestinal pathogen that triggers intestinal inflammation and diarrheal illness via mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. Our findings provide new insight into how EAEC triggers host inflammation and underscores the pivotal role of AAFs—the principal adhesins of EAEC—in driving EAEC-associated disease. Most importantly, our findings add a new dimension to the signaling properties of the transmembrane mucin MUC1. Mostly studied for its role in various forms of cancer, MUC1 is widely regarded as playing an anti-inflammatory role in response to infection with bacterial pathogens in various tissues. However, the role of MUC1 during intestinal infections has not been previously explored, and our results describe the first report of MUC1 as a proinflammatory factor following intestinal infection.

scholarly journals Bovine ephemeral fever epidemics in Kingdom Saudi Arabia: clinical, epidemiological and molecular investigation

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 854-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed A Zaghawa ◽  
Fadhel Housawi ◽  
Abdulmohsen Al-Naeem ◽  
Ahmed Elsify ◽  
Yamen Mohammed Hegazy
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Water Buffalo ◽  
Virus Isolation ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Bovine Ephemeral Fever ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Epidemiological Pattern ◽  
First Time

Introduction: Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) is an arthropod borne Rhabdovirus affects cattle and water buffalo causes acute febrile disease. Methodology: The clinical picture and epidemiological pattern of BEF were described among cattle in epidemics of 2007, 2009 and 2011 in four geographical regions of Kingdom Saudi Arabia (Eastern, Jizan, Qasim, and Riyadh). Serum samples were tested using VNT. Virus isolation and molecular characterization were carried out for the first time in KSA. Results: The main clinical symptoms were fever, stiffness, lameness, salivation and subcutaneous emphysema. The prevalence and the mortality rate of BEF have decreased from 70% and 4.6% in 2007 to 30% and 0.6% in 2011, respectively in the 4 studied areas. There was no region association with higher prevalence of BEF. The intracluster correlation (ICC) was estimated for the first time in KSA as 0.0034. BEFV had been isolated from 11 out of 20 samples (55%) and isolation was confirmed by VNT. The molecular detection of BEFV by RT-PCR and real- time RT-qPCR were found more sensitive for diagnosis of the disease than virus isolation; 80% and 90% for the former tests and 55% for the latter. Three isolates were sequenced, they showed 84.7% - 100% identities in between and shared 90.4%-96.5% sequence identity with a previously published sequence from Australia (KF679404). The generated sequences belonged to 3rd cluster of BEFV glycoprotein. Conclusions: BEF occurrence has cyclic nature and the efficacy of vaccines prepared from local strains has to be evaluated and considered in diseases control.

scholarly journals Blastocystis ratti Contains Cysteine Proteases That Mediate Interleukin-8 Response from Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells in an NF-κB-Dependent Manner

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj K. Puthia ◽  
Jia Lu ◽  
Kevin S. W. Tan
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Intestinal Inflammation ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Cysteine Proteases ◽  
Interleukin 8 ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT Blastocystis is a ubiquitous enteric protozoan found in the intestinal tracts of humans and a wide range of animals. Evidence accumulated over the last decade suggests association of Blastocystis with gastrointestinal disorders involving diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, and fatigue. Clinical and experimental studies have associated Blastocystis with intestinal inflammation, and it has been shown that Blastocystis has potential to modulate the host immune response. Blastocystis is also reported to be an opportunistic pathogen in immunosuppressed patients, especially those suffering from AIDS. However, nothing is known about the parasitic virulence factors and early events following host-parasite interactions. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which Blastocystis activates interleukin-8 (IL-8) gene expression in human colonic epithelial T84 cells. We demonstrate for the first time that cysteine proteases of Blastocystis ratti WR1, a zoonotic isolate, can activate IL-8 gene expression in human colonic epithelial cells. Furthermore, we show that NF-κB activation is involved in the production of IL-8. In addition, our findings show that treatment with the antiprotozoal drug metronidazole can avert IL-8 production induced by B. ratti WR1. We also show for the first time that the central vacuole of Blastocystis may function as a reservoir for cysteine proteases. Our findings will contribute to an understanding of the pathobiology of a poorly studied parasite whose public health importance is increasingly recognized.

scholarly journals Nearest-Neighbour-Induced Isolation Similarity and Its Impact on Density-Based Clustering

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 4755-4762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Qin ◽  
Kai Ming Ting ◽  
Ye Zhu ◽  
Vincent CS Lee
Keyword(s):  
Clustering Algorithm ◽  
Distance Measure ◽  
Nearest Neighbour ◽  
Density Peak ◽  
Density Based Clustering ◽  
New Type ◽  
Density Peak Clustering ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time ◽  
Tree Method

A recent proposal of data dependent similarity called Isolation Kernel/Similarity has enabled SVM to produce better classification accuracy. We identify shortcomings of using a tree method to implement Isolation Similarity; and propose a nearest neighbour method instead. We formally prove the characteristic of Isolation Similarity with the use of the proposed method. The impact of Isolation Similarity on densitybased clustering is studied here. We show for the first time that the clustering performance of the classic density-based clustering algorithm DBSCAN can be significantly uplifted to surpass that of the recent density-peak clustering algorithm DP. This is achieved by simply replacing the distance measure with the proposed nearest-neighbour-induced Isolation Similarity in DBSCAN, leaving the rest of the procedure unchanged. A new type of clusters called mass-connected clusters is formally defined. We show that DBSCAN, which detects density-connected clusters, becomes one which detects mass-connected clusters, when the distance measure is replaced with the proposed similarity. We also provide the condition under which mass-connected clusters can be detected, while density-connected clusters cannot.

Does the cerebellum shape the spatiotemporal organization of muscle patterns? Insights from subjects with cerebellar ataxias

2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (5) ◽  
pp. 1691-1710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise J. Berger ◽  
Marcella Masciullo ◽  
Marco Molinari ◽  
Francesco Lacquaniti ◽  
Andrea d’Avella
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Specific Role ◽  
Modular Organization ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Spatiotemporal Organization ◽  
Motor Commands ◽  
Cerebellar Damage ◽  
Cerebellar Ataxias ◽  
First Time

In recent studies, the decomposition of muscle activity patterns has revealed a modular organization of the motor commands. We show, for the first time, that muscle patterns of subjects with cerebellar damage share with healthy controls spatial, but not temporal and spatiotemporal, modules. Moreover, changes in spatiotemporal organization characterize the severity of the subject’s impairment. These results suggest that the cerebellum has a specific role in shaping the spatiotemporal organization of the muscle patterns.

scholarly journals Effects of the Japanese Encephalitis Virus Genotype V-Derived Sub-Viral Particles on the Immunogenicity of the Vaccine Characterized by a Novel Virus-Like Particle-Based Assay

Vaccines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Sarah Honjo ◽  
Michiaki Masuda ◽  
Tomohiro Ishikawa
Keyword(s):  
Japanese Encephalitis Virus ◽  
Japanese Encephalitis ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Encephalitis Virus ◽  
Virus Genotype ◽  
Virus Like Particle ◽  
Viral Particles ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
Genotype V

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is classified into five genotypes labelled I through V. Although the genotype V (GV) JEV was originally found and had apparently been limited in Malaysia for more than 50 years, its emergence in Korea and China has recently been reported. Therefore, the GV JEV might be spreading over new geographical regions as a cause of potential public health problems. However, it is unknown whether the currently available JEV vaccines are effective against the emerging GV strains. To investigate this issue, a novel virus-like particle-based neutralizing assay was developed in this study. By using this assay, the inactivated JEV vaccine used in Japan and the recombinant sub-viral particles (SVPs) bearing the E protein of the GV Muar strain were characterized for the immunogenicity against the GV JEV. Although the inactivated vaccine alone failed to elicit a detectable level of neutralizing antibodies against the GV JEV, the vaccine added with the Muar-derived SVPs induced relatively high titers of neutralizing antibodies, associated with the efficient Th1 immune responses, against the GV JEV. The results indicate that addition of the GV JEV-derived antigens may be useful for developing the vaccine that is universally effective against JEV including the emerging GV strains.

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