Peripheral blood T Regulatory cell counts may not predict transplant rejection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent evidence shows that allograft survival rates show a positive correlation with the number of circulating T regulatory cells (Tregs). This study investigated both the number and the cytokine profiles exhibited by Foxp3⁺Tregs in blood, spleen and lymph nodes of Lewis rat recipients of BN rat cardiac allografts after a single-dose of Rapamycin (RAPA).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Rats were divided into three groups: control group (containing healthy control and acute rejection group), and recipients treated with a single dose of RAPA on either Day 1 (1D group)or Day 3 (3D group) post-transplant. We analyzed the number of Foxp3+Tregs and the expression of Foxp3 and cytokines in the peripheral blood and the peripheral lymphoid tissues. No difference was found in the numbers of circulating Foxp3+ Tregs between these three groups. RAPA administration significantly increased Foxp3 expression in peripheral lymphoid tissues after a single dose of RAPA on Day 3 post-transplant. Foxp3+Tregs inhibited the activity of effector T cells (T_eff) via the secretion of TGF-β1.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The number of Tregs in the recipient's blood may not be a good predictor of transplant rejection. Foxp3+Tregs inhibit the activity of T_effcells mainly in the peripheral lymphoid tissues.</p

Nonconvex optimization for optimum retrieval of the transmission matrix of a multimode fiber

Transmission matrix (TM) allows light control through complex media such as multimode fibers (MMFs), gaining great attention in areas like biophotonics over the past decade. The measurement of a complex-valued TM is highly desired as it supports full modulation of the light field, yet demanding as the holographic setup is usually entailed. Efforts have been taken to retrieve a TM directly from intensity measurements with several representative phase retrieval algorithms, which still see limitations like slow or suboptimum recovery, especially under noisy environment. Here, a modified non-convex optimization approach is proposed. Through numerical evaluations, it shows that the nonconvex method offers an optimum efficiency of focusing with less running time or sampling rate. The comparative test under different signal-to-noise levels further indicates its improved robustness for TM retrieval. Experimentally, the optimum retrieval of the TM of a MMF is collectively validated by multiple groups of single-spot and multi-spot focusing demonstrations. Focus scanning on the working plane of the MMF is also conducted where our method achieves 93.6% efficiency of the gold standard holography method when the sampling rate is 8. Based on the recovered TM, image transmission through the MMF with high fidelity can be realized via another phase retrieval. Thanks to parallel operation and GPU acceleration, the nonconvex approach can retrieve an 8685$\times$1024 TM (sampling rate=8) with 42.3 s on a regular computer. In brief, the proposed method provides optimum efficiency and fast implementation for TM retrieval, which will facilitate wide applications in deep-tissue optical imaging, manipulation and treatment

ABI4 Mediates Antagonistic Effects of Abscisic Acid and Gibberellins at Transcript and Protein Levels

Abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellins (GA) are plant hormones which antagonistically mediate numerous physiological processes, and their optimal balance is essential for normal plant development. However, the molecular mechanism underlying ABA and GA antagonism still needs to be determined. Here, we report that ABA- INSENSITIVE 4 (ABI4) is a central factor for GA/ABA homeostasis and antagonism in post-germination stages. ABI4 over-expression in Arabidopsis (OE-ABI4) leads to developmental defects including a decrease in plant height and poor seed production. The transcription of a key ABA biosynthetic gene, NCED6, and of a key GA catabolic gene, GA2ox7, is significantly enhanced by ABI4 over-expression. ABI4 activates NCED6 and GA2ox7 transcription by directly binding to the promoters, and genetic analysis revealed that mutation in these two genes partially rescues the dwarf phenotype of ABI4 overexpressing plants. Consistently, ABI4 overexpressing seedlings have a lower GA/ABA ratio compared to the wild type. We further show that ABA induces GA2ox7 transcription while GA represses NCED6 expression in an ABI4-dependent manner; and that ABA stabilizes the ABI4 protein, whereas GA promotes its degradation. Taken together, these results propose that ABA and GA antagonize each other by oppositely acting on ABI4 transcript and protein levels

The Effects of Gender Differences in Patients with Depression on Their Emotional Working Memory and Emotional Experience

A large amount of research has been conducted on the effects of sex hormones on gender differences in patients with depression, yet research on cognitive differences between male and female patients with depression is insufficient. This study uses emotion pictures to investigate the differences of the emotional working memory ability and emotional experience in male and female patients with depression. Despite identifying that the working memory of patients with depression is impaired, our study found no significant gender differences in emotional working memory. Moreover, the research results revealed that memory effects of mood congruence are produced in both men and women, which may explain why the depression state can be maintained. Furthermore, female patients have more emotional experiences than male patients, which is particularly significant in terms of negative emotional experiences. This result provides cognitive evidence to explain why women suffer from longer terms of depression, are more susceptible to relapse, and can more easily suffer from major depressive disorder in the future

Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim. from distinct locations

Epimedium sagittatum (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim. (ESM) which accumulates several principal flavonoid compounds including epimedin A, B, C and icariin, is extensively utilized in traditional herbs for sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis etc. In China, ESM has a wealth of wild plant resources and characterized by significant variability in medicinal compounds accumulation. Understanding the diversity of ESMs can lead to better utilization of these plant resources. In this study, we integrated the metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of three ESMs that originated in Anhui, Hubei and Jiangxi in China. Results showed that the flavonoid biosynthesis as well as the related gene expression in these ESMs revealed substantial differences. For example, the epimedin A, B, C and icariin as well as some related gene expression in ESMs from Anhui are significantly lower than those of in others. These results suggested that the ESMs from wild population without quality checkout may not be suitable for directly use as the materials for preparation of Chinese medicine and ESMs with different accumulation of metabolites could be used for distinct applications

Progress and hotspot of diet or exercise therapy in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

IntroductionThe primary treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is modifying lifestyle through dietary or exercise interventions. In recent decades, it has received increasing attention. However, the lack of bibliometric analysis has posed a challenge for researchers seeking to understand the overall trends in this field.MethodsAs of February 3rd, 2024, 876 articles on treating NAFLD through diet or exercise therapy from 2013 to 2023 had been retrieved. Two software tools, VOSviewer and CiteSpace, were utilized to analyze the growth of publications, countries, institutions, authors, journals, citations, and keywords. Additionally, the keywords with strong citation burstiness were identified to determine the changes and future trends of research hotspots in this field.ResultsChina had the highest number of articles, followed by the United States and South Korea. Yonsei University and Nutrients were the institutions and journals with the most significant contributions. Professor Younossi Zobair M, from the United States, is the most prolific author in this field. Through analyzing the keywords, three research hotspots were identified: research on the pathogenesis of NAFLD, research on the treatment modalities of NAFLD, and research on the risk factors and diagnosis methods of NAFLD. In recent years, the research emphasis in this field has changed, suggesting that future research will focus on two frontier keywords: “oxidative stress” and “aerobic capacity.”ConclusionIn the past eleven years, the attention in this field was still rising, and the authors, journals, countries and so on had formed a considerable cooperative relationship. There were also many highly influential and productive researchers in this field. It is speculated that new research will continue around “aerobic exercise” and “oxidative stress” in the future