Dysfunctional Senescent Herpes Simplex Virus Specific CD57+CD8+ T cells are Associated with Recurrent Symptomatic Herpes in Humans

Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-specific CD8+ T cells protect mice from herpes infection and disease. However, the phenotype and function of HSV-specific CD8+ T cells that play a key role in the "natural" protection seen in HSV-1-seropositive healthy asymptomatic (ASYMP) individuals (who have never had clinical herpes disease) remain to be determined. We previously reported that symptomatic (SYMP) patients (who have frequent bouts of recurrent herpes disease) had more less-differentiated and dysfunctional HSV-specific CD8+ T cells. In contrast, healthy ASYMP individuals maintained a significantly higher proportion of differentiated polyfunctional CD8+ T cells. Here we report that, HSV-specific CD8+ T cells from SYMP patients, but not from ASYMP individuals, have phenotypic and functional characteristics of cellular senescence, including: (i) high frequency of senescent (CD57+) and exhausted (PD-1+) CD8+ T cells; (ii) late terminally differentiated (KLRG1+), non-proliferating CD8+ T cells; (iii) HSV-specific CD8+ T cells were declined overtime and were not maintained homeostatistically (CD127+CD8+ T cells); (iv) loss of co-stimulatory molecule (CD28)on HSV-specific CD8+ T cells; (v) decreased production of effector molecules (granzyme B and perforin) by HSV-specific CD8+ T cells. Our findings provide insights into the role of senescence in HSV-specific CD8+ T cells in susceptibility to recurrent herpes and have implications for T-cell-based immunotherapeutic strategies against recurrent herpes in humans.

Assessment of Groundwater Vulnerability using COP Method to Support the Groundwater Protection in Karst Area

The karst landform holds considerable water resource potential and is known for its underground rivers. On the other hand, the high porosity carbonate rocks on this landform cause the decrease of the natural protection function against groundwater pollution. Hence, the analysis of groundwater vulnerability in the karst area is prominent before making the spatial planning regulation. This recent study aimed to analyze the groundwater vulnerability in the karst area located in a part of Umbulrejo Village, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and proposed action in groundwater protection. The method used in this research was based on the COP method. The data acquisition was conducted by survey method both for primary and secondary data. The COP (Concentration of flow, overlaying layers, and precipitation) analysis was supported by ArcGis software. The analysis of groundwater vulnerability showed that there were two vulnerability classes, i.e., very high (48.6%) and high (51.4%). These results were influenced mainly by the close distance of the recharge area to swallow holes and the lithology type (karst), which contributed to a very high value in reducing protection against groundwater. A proposed action to support groundwater protection is regulating the land utilization in the area of the settlements.

Oxalic acid binds to gustatory receptor Gr23a and inhibits feeding in the brown planthopper

Plants produce diverse secondary compounds as natural protection against microbial and insect attack. Most of these compounds, including bitters and acids, are sensed by insect gustatory receptors (Grs). Acids are potentially toxic to insects, but there are few reports on sour compounds as ligands of insect Grs. Here, using two different heterologous expression systems, the insect Sf9 cell line and the mammalian HEK293T cell line, we started from crude extracts of rice (Oryza sativa) and successfully identified oxalic acid (OA) as a ligand of NlGr23a, a Gr in the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens. The antifeedant effect of OA on the brown planthopper was dose dependent, and NlGr23a is essential for OA's antifeedant activity in both artificial diets and rice plants. NlGr23a is also indispensable for tarsal OA sensing. To our knowledge, OA is the first identified ligand starting from plant crude extracts and the first known strong acid for insect Grs. These findings on rice-planthopper interactions will be of broad interest for pest control in agriculture and also for better understanding of how insects select host plants.

Research on Eco-geological Environment Carrying Capacity for Pingwu County after Wenchuan Earthquake Based on Modified AHP

Many counties in southwestern China are devastated by the Wenchuan earthquake, and the earthquake also induced lots of geological hazards. So evaluation of the eco-geological environment in the disaster area is essential for county restoration and ecological remediation. This research accounts for Pingwu County, which is 89 km to the epicenter of the Wenchuan earthquake, as a study area to evaluate eco-geological environment carrying capacity. Firstly, three evaluation index layers are built to the eco-geological environment carrying capacity model after the earthquake, including geological environment, ecological environment, and social environment. And then, the evolutionary algorithm(EA) is used to modify Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP). Through optimizing consistency ratio of AHP, the best consistent evaluation matrix can be obtained. Finally, We calculate the eco-geological environment carrying capacity of Pingwu by the best consistent evaluation matrix, and obtain hierarchical map of the eco-geological environment carrying capacity through grid rasterization. The results show that current eco-geological environment carrying capacity in Pingwu county mainly contains two states, equilibrium and surplus. According to the hierarchical map, this study suggests optimizing the construction of the central area in Pingwu, controlling the scale of regional construction, and maintaining the original ecological species in the natural protection area.

Social learning for understanding planning practices at the individual level

Learning is a process of getting the knowledge to achieve better change. So people who learn need a process of guidance and direction to change their attitude and behavior to become independent human. In fact, most of people learn through selective observation and remember the behavior of other people in their environment. As has been done by the people who implement social learning program, the people have traditionally had local wisdom in protecting nature from generation to generation. This regulation has come a long way after the enactment of the government policy on natural protection of forest. As in the case of destroying forest, they will be subject to customary legal sanction in the form of fine which must be paid by someone as a form of apology.

Nationwide Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibodies among Four Groups of Primary Health-Care Workers and Their Household Contacts 6 Months after the Initiation of the COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign in France: SeroPRIM Study Protocol

Background: The protocol study will focus on the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 achieved by vaccination and/or natural protection as well as the history, symptoms, and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 in four primary health-care workers (PHCWs) and their household contacts in metropolitan France. Methods: Here, we propose a protocol for a nationwide survey to determine the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 achieved by vaccination and/or natural protection in four PHCW populations (general practitioners, pediatricians, pharmacists and assistants, and dentists and assistants) and their household contacts. Participants will be included from June to July 2021 (Phase 1) among PHCW populations located throughout metropolitan France. They will be asked to provide a range of demographic and behavioral information since the first SARS-CoV-2 wave and a self-sampled dried blood spot. Phase 1 will involve also a questionnaire and serological study of PHCWs’ household contacts. Seroprevalence will be estimated using two ELISAs designed to detect specific IgG antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in humoral fluid, and these results will be confirmed using a virus neutralization test. This study will be repeated from November to December 2021 (Phase 2) to evaluate the evolution of immune status achieved by vaccination and/or natural protection of PHCWs and to describe the history of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

ASSESSMENT OF THE GEOECOLOGICAL SITUATION WITHIN THE SMALL DRAINS IN THE YASELDA RIVER BASIN

The main topic of research is the drainage basins of small rivers, which in recent years have become objects of close attention due to the high degree of their transformation associated with significant anthropogenic loads. The article presents a methodology for geoecological analysis of anthropogenic loads on the catchments of small rivers, an assessment of the degree of natural protection of the territory and a comprehensive description of the ecological state of the Yaselda river basin using GIS technologies. The paper considers the results of the study of the geoecological state of small catchments by assessing various indicators of the natural protection of the territory and factors of anthropogenic load. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the development of a methodology for assessing the geoecological situation of small catchments of the rivers of the Belarusian Polesye on the basis of a matrix of attributive indicators, which allows, taking into account generalized point estimates, to identify categories of lands with different geoecological situations. As a result of the research, a hydrographic zoning of the river basin was carried out. Yaselda, eight small private catchments (sub-basins) were identified, cartographic material was digitized, statistical data were collected, a database was created on various physical-geographical, socio-economic and ecological-hydrographic indicators. In this work, for the first time, the natural resource potential of small catchments of the Yaselda river basin is studied and presented, the natural environment-forming factors are assessed, and the main anthropogenic factors are identified, their qualitative and quantitative characteristics are carried out.