‘Guangzhou: Industrial Road Project’ - Temporary Research Space event

Using Guangzhou’s historic Industrial Road as a case study, the project investigates the transformation of everyday life and landscapes in the Chinese megacity. In the Maoist era, Industrial Road typified the emphasis on the city as a site of collectivized industrial production, with State Owned Enterprises and workers housing compounds, densely packed along the five and a half kilometres stretch of road. Today the factories along Industrial Road have either closed or are being relocated to the expanding outskirts of the city. Traditional workers housing and public spaces associated with the factories are being demolished and replaced by spaces of consumption and luxury apartment complexes. Project researchers will share their work in progress in the form of a Temporary Research Space, designed as an open public forum. Guests will be invited to view or handle some of the materials generated so far, including photographs and video of walks and interviews with project participant Mr Li, a resident of Industrial Road and former shipyard worker. John van Aitken, Jane Brake (IUD) and Dr Huizhen Du (GDUFS) will give short presentations, inviting the audience to participate in a dialogue about what is lost and gained in the process of urban change, which is shaping world cities everywhere. The Industrial Road Project is a collaboration between the Institute of Urban Dreaming (IUD), Salford UK & Dr Du, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), Guangzhou China. Manchester's Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art will host the space and the event. IUD engages in research, practice and interdisciplinary partnerships about housing and planned environments, with a commitment to spatial justice. www.iudblog.or

Characterization of a novel thermophilic cyanobacterium within Trichocoleusaceae, Trichothermofontia sichuanensis gen. et sp. nov., and its CO2-concentrating mechanism

Thermophiles from extreme thermal environments have shown tremendous potential regarding ecological and biotechnological applications. Nevertheless, thermophilic cyanobacteria remain largely untapped and are rarely characterized. Herein, a polyphasic approach was used to characterize a thermophilic strain, PKUAC-SCTB231 (hereafter B231), isolated from a hot spring (pH 6.62, 55.5°C) in Zhonggu village, China. The analyses of 16S rRNA phylogeny, secondary structures of 16S-23S ITS and morphology strongly supported strain B231 as a novel genus within Trichocoleusaceae. Phylogenomic inference and three genome-based indices further verified the genus delineation. Based on the botanical code, the isolate is herein delineated as Trichothermofontia sichuanensis gen. et sp. nov., a genus closely related to a validly described genus Trichocoleus. In addition, our results suggest that Pinocchia currently classified to belong to the family Leptolyngbyaceae may require revision and assignment to the family Trichocoleusaceae. Furthermore, the complete genome of Trichothermofontia B231 facilitated the elucidation of the genetic basis regarding genes related to its carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM). The strain belongs to β-cyanobacteria according to its β-carboxysome shell protein and 1B form of Ribulose bisphosphate Carboxylase-Oxygenase (RubisCO). Compared to other thermophilic strains, strain B231contains a relatively low diversity of bicarbonate transporters (only BicA for HCO3− transport) but a higher abundance of different types of carbonic anhydrase (CA), β-CA (ccaA) and γ-CA (ccmM). The BCT1 transporter consistently possessed by freshwater cyanobacteria was absent in strain B231. Similar situation was occasionally observed in freshwater thermal Thermoleptolyngbya and Thermosynechococcus strains. Moreover, strain B231 shows a similar composition of carboxysome shell proteins (ccmK1-4, ccmL, -M, -N, -O, and -P) to mesophilic cyanobacteria, the diversity of which was higher than many thermophilic strains lacking at least one of the four ccmK genes. The genomic distribution of CCM-related genes suggests that the expression of some components is regulated as an operon and others in an independently controlled satellite locus. The current study also offers fundamental information for future taxogenomics, ecogenomics and geogenomic studies on distribution and significance of thermophilic cyanobacteria in the global ecosystem

Accurate Application of the Levator Palpebrae Superioris Anterior Migration and Shortening Technique in Blepharoptosis Correction Surgery

ABSTRACT: Background: Accurate preoperative evaluation of the levator palpebrae superioris (LPS) strength is required for specific calculation of anterior migration or shortening. This information serves as a surgical reference for more accurate correction of ptosis. Methods: Between June 2017 and June 2019, 155 eyes of 97 patients were studied. Patients were divided into the following 3 groups based on the ptosis degree: mild (28 cases), moderate (53 cases), and severe (16 cases). The LPS strength was evaluated preoperatively and used to calculate LPS anterior migration and shortening. The LPS aponeurosis and Müller's muscle (L-M) complex was separated from the upper margin of the tarsal plate to the calculated height according to the levator muscle suspension system retention approach. The complex was subsequently fixed to the planned tarsal plate location. The upper eyelid margin (UEM) height, eyelid morphology, eyelid closure, eye symmetry, exposure keratitis status, and patient satisfaction were evaluated at 1 week and at 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Results: In all cases, the UEM positions were normal, and only patients with severe ptosis exhibited lagophthalmos in the early posterative period. Six months postoperatively, 13% of eyes in the severe group had residual ptosis; all mild and moderate cases exhibited good surgical outcomes. The eyelids closed well with no exposure keratitis. All patients were satisfied with the eyelid contour. Conclusions: Accurate LPS anterior migration and aponeurosis shortening can eliminate various factors affecting surgical blepharoptosis treatment. These procedures not only reduce operation time but also enhance the stability of postoperative correction

Reevaluation of <i>Parasynechococcus</i>-like Strains and Genomic Analysis of Their Microsatellites and Compound Microsatellites

Morphologically similar to Synechococcus, a large number of Parasynechococcus strains were misclassified, resulting in extreme underestimation of their genetic diversity. In this study, 80 Synechococcus-like strains were reevaluated using a combination of 16S rRNA phylogeny and genomic approach, identifying 54 strains as Parasynechococcus-like strains and showing considerably intragenus genetic divergence among the subclades identified. Further, bioinformatics analysis disclosed diversified patterns of distribution, abundance, density, and diversity of microsatellites (SSRs) and compound microsatellites (CSSRs) in genomes of these Parasynechococcus-like strains. Variations of SSRs and CSSRs were observed amongst phylotypes and subclades. Both SSRs and CSSRs were in particular unequally distributed among genomes. Dinucleotide SSRs were the most widespread, while the genomes showed two patterns in the second most abundant repeat type (mononucleotide or trinucleotide SSRs). Both SSRs and CSSRs were predominantly observed in coding regions. These two types of microsatellites showed positive correlation with genome size (p p n, (AG)n and (AGC)n was a major one in the corresponding category. Meanwhile, distinctive motifs of CSSRs were found in 39 genomes. This study characterizes SSRs and CSSRs in genomes of Parasynechococcus-like strains and will be useful as a prerequisite for future studies regarding their distribution, function, and evolution. Moreover, the identified SSRs may facilitate fast acclimation of Parasynechococcus-like strains to fluctuating environments and contribute to the extensive distribution of Parasynechococcus species in global marine environments

Filamentation in Candida auris, an emerging fungal pathogen of humans: passage through the mammalian body induces a heritable phenotypic switch

Abstract Morphological plasticity has historically been an indicator of increased virulence among fungal pathogens, allowing rapid adaptation to changing environments. Candida auris has been identified as an emerging multidrug-resistant human pathogen of global importance. Since the discovery of this species, it has been thought that C. auris is incapable of filamentous growth. Here, we report the discovery of filamentation and three distinct cell types in C. auris: typical yeast, filamentation-competent (FC) yeast, and filamentous cells. These cell types form a novel phenotypic switching system that contains a heritable (typical yeast-filament) and a nonheritable (FC-filament) switch. Intriguingly, the heritable switch between the typical yeast and the FC/filamentous phenotype is triggered by passage through a mammalian body, whereas the switch between the FC and filamentous phenotype is nonheritable and temperature-dependent. Low temperatures favor the filamentous phenotype, whereas high temperatures promote the FC yeast phenotype. Systemic in vivo and in vitro investigations were used to characterize phenotype-specific variations in global gene expression, secreted aspartyl proteinase (SAP) activity, and changes in virulence, indicating potential for niche-specific adaptations. Taken together, our study not only sheds light on the pathogenesis and biology of C. auris but also provides a novel example of morphological and epigenetic switching in fungi

Microcystin leucine arginine induces human sperm damage: Involvement of the Ca2+/CaMKKβ/AMPK pathway

As a common pollutant in the water environment, microcystin leucine arginine (MC-LR) can enter semen and damage the sperm in animals. However, the mechanism by which MC-LR damages human sperm is unclear. Therefore, human sperm samples were obtained from the Henan Provincial Sperm Bank and exposed to different concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 100 μg/L) of MC-LR for 1, 2, 4, and 6 h, to invegest the effects and potential mechanism of MC-LR on sperm. The results showed that MC-LR mainly accumulated in the neck and flagellum of human sperm. Compared to the control group, the sperm capacitation rate and motility were significantly decreased in the 100 μg/L group. After exposure of 100 μg/L of MC-LR, the central microtubule and microtubule doublet of sperm flagellum were blurred, asymmetrical, or even lost. Furthermore, the expression levels of flagellin DNAH17, SPEF2, SPAG16, SPAG6, and CFAP44 in human sperm were reduced. Also, the phosphorylation levels of CaMKKβ and AMPK can be inhibited by MC-LR. These findings revealed that MC-LR can induce functional and structural damage in human sperm, and the Ca2+/CaMKKβ/AMPK pathway may be involved in this process. This study will provide a basis for prevention and treatment of male fertility declines caused by MC-LR

Filamentous growth is a general feature of Candida auris clinical isolates

A striking feature of pathogenic Candida species is morphological plasticity that facilitates environmental adaptation and host infection. Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen first described in Japan in 2009. In this study, we demonstrate that clinical isolates of C. auris have multiple colony and cellular morphologies including the yeast, filamentous, aggregated, and elongated forms. This phenotypic diversity has been observed in eight clinical isolates of C. auris representing four major genetic clades, suggesting that it could be a general characteristic. We further demonstrate that different cell types of C. auris exhibit distinct antifungal resistance and virulence properties in a Galleria mellonella infection model. Our findings imply that morphological diversity is an important biological feature of C. auris and could be a contributor to its emergence and rapid prevalence worldwide.Lay summaryCandida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen. Morphological analyses indicate that filamentation is a general feature of clinical isolates of C. auris. This ability is associated with antifungal resistance and virulence

Resveratrol Ameliorates Microcystin-LR-Induced Testis Germ Cell Apoptosis in Rats via SIRT1 Signaling Pathway Activation

Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR), a cyclic heptapeptide produced by cyanobacteria, is a strong reproductive toxin. Studies performed in rat Sertoli cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells have demonstrated typical apoptosis after MC-LR exposure. However, little is known on how to protect against the reproductive toxicity induced by MC-LR. The present study aimed to explore the possible molecular mechanism underlying the anti-apoptosis and protective effects of resveratrol (RES) on the co-culture of Sertoli&ndash;germ cells and rat testes. The results demonstrated that MC-LR treatment inhibited the proliferation of Sertoli&ndash;germ cells and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and Bcl-2 were inhibited, while p53 and Ku70 acetylation, Bax expression, and cleaved caspase-3 were upregulated by MC-LR. However, RES pretreatment ameliorated MC-LR-induced apoptosis and SIRT1 inhibition, and downregulated the MC-LR-induced increase in p53 and Ku70 acetylation, Bax expression, and caspase-3 activation. In addition, RES reversed the MC-LR-mediated reduction in Ku70 binding to Bax. The present study indicated that the administration of RES could ameliorate MC-LR-induced Sertoli&ndash;germ cell apoptosis and protect against reproductive toxicity in rats by stimulating the SIRT1/p53 pathway, suppressing p53 and Ku70 acetylation and enhancing the binding of Ku70 to Bax