Neutrophil heterogeneity and aging: implications for COVID-19 and wound healing

Neutrophils play a critical role in the immune response to infection and tissue injury. However, recent studies have shown that neutrophils are a heterogeneous population with distinct subtypes that differ in their functional properties. Moreover, aging can alter neutrophil function and exacerbate immune dysregulation. In this review, we discuss the concept of neutrophil heterogeneity and how it may be affected by aging. We then examine the implications of neutrophil heterogeneity and aging for COVID-19 pathogenesis and wound healing. Specifically, we summarize the evidence for neutrophil involvement in COVID-19 and the potential mechanisms underlying neutrophil recruitment and activation in this disease. We also review the literature on the role of neutrophils in the wound healing process and how aging and neutrophil heterogeneity may impact wound healing outcomes. Finally, we discuss the potential for neutrophil-targeted therapies to improve clinical outcomes in COVID-19 and wound healing

Food Waste in Retailing Stores in Sweden A welfare simulation analysis

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current food waste situation among food retailers in Sweden, to introduce the emerging practice of social entrepreneurship in attempts to utilize food waste from food retailers, and to simulate different social welfare scenarios with different alternatives . The analysis of food waste is based on the collection of food waste data from 9 ICA stores with different store size in Gothenburg from 2013 to 2014 period. Welfare models and simulations are conducted with interviews from participating ICA stores and commonly adopted proxies to project the most welfare-generating scenario for food retailers to manage food wastes. The simulation results show that using social enterprise to manage food wastes yields similar social welfare as giving away to NGOs directly. Governmental policy such as a corrective lump sum tax is not desirable according to the simulation, as there are no economic benefits of reputation gain from utilizing non-sold food; neither social benefits of reused food wastes among people in need. Findings suggest that while the social welfare is similar, social enterprise is more likely to reach various goals of reduction in food waste, and governmental regulation would be a more resource efficient option if it leads to prevention of food waste from the beginning. The paper addresses the emerging attention to food waste issue and social enterprise phenomenon using information collected from retailers and offers insight into food waste resolutions

Martensite transformation, mechanical properties and shape memory effects of Ni-Mn-In-Mg shape memory alloys

The martensite transformation (MT), mechanical properties and shape memory effect (SME) of (Ni50Mn35In15)(1−x)Mgx (x = 0%, 0.08%, 0.3%, 0.6% at%) alloys were comprehensively investigated. The results showed that due to Mg doping the MT temperature shifted to higher temperatures and a worm-like second-phase precipitated at grain boundaries and inside the grains. With increasing Mg content, the amount of precipitates gradually increased, the thermal hysteresis was almost invariant, and the SME was not obviously affected at 3% pre-strain, even when the volume of the second phase reached up to 28.75%. Compressive stress and strain experiments showed that both the strain and strength of the Ni-Mn-In-Mg alloys were improved substantially (by 46.9% and 53.4%, respectively, at x = 0.6%) compared with those of the pure Ni50Mn35In15 alloy; this effect is nearly the same as that achieved by the directional solidification method. Because Mg is nonmagnetic, the magnetization difference of the alloy with Mg doping is much lower than that of the alloy without Mg doping. Overall, the results confirm that adding a small amount of Mg is a potentially viable method for improving the mechanical properties of Ni-Mn-In alloys without adversely damaging their functional properties. Keywords: Precipitates, Martensite transformation, Shape memory alloys, Mechanical propertie

A novel multiplex PCR assay for species identification in the Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes) and Little Egret (E garzetta)

National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970380, 31000621, 31000963, 40876077, J1030626]; Fujian or Henan Natural Science Foundation of China [2010Y2007, 2010J05084, 2009J01195, 102102110180]A multiplex PCR assay is described herein for the species identification of juvenile egrets, Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes) and Little Egret (E. garzetta), which colonially breed in a heronary and share similar exterior characteristics. In this new assay, the primers were designed to yield to a 101 bp positive control amplicon of partial ND6 and tRNA(Glu) gene, and the species-specific primers were designed for species identification in E. eulophotes and E. garzetta (partial ND6 and Control Region gene, about 278 and 302 bp, respectively). Using simple agarose gel electrophoresis the PCR products discriminates the two species unambiguously indicated that our new assay could be used for accurate and convenient species identification in E. eulophotes and E. garzetta

Microstructure and magnetic property of LaFe11.6Si1.4 magnetocaloric alloys by a novel short time heat treatment

Microstructure and magnetic property of LaFe11.6Si1.4 magnetocaloric alloys by a novel short time heat treatmen

A novel multiplex PCR assay for species identification in the Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes) and Little Egret (E garzetta)

National Natural Science Foundation of China [30970380, 31000621, 31000963, 40876077, J1030626]; Fujian or Henan Natural Science Foundation of China [2010Y2007, 2010J05084, 2009J01195, 102102110180]A multiplex PCR assay is described herein for the species identification of juvenile egrets, Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes) and Little Egret (E. garzetta), which colonially breed in a heronary and share similar exterior characteristics. In this new assay, the primers were designed to yield to a 101 bp positive control amplicon of partial ND6 and tRNA(Glu) gene, and the species-specific primers were designed for species identification in E. eulophotes and E. garzetta (partial ND6 and Control Region gene, about 278 and 302 bp, respectively). Using simple agarose gel electrophoresis the PCR products discriminates the two species unambiguously indicated that our new assay could be used for accurate and convenient species identification in E. eulophotes and E. garzetta

A Rapid, Simple, Trace, Cost-Effective, and High-Throughput Stable Isotope-Dilution Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Serum Methylmalonic Acid Quantification and Its Clinical Applications

Background: Methylmalonic acid (MMA) is an essential indicator of vitamin B12 (VB12) deficiency and inherited metabolic disorders (IMDs). The increasing number of requests for MMA testing call for higher requirements for convenient MMA testing methods. This study aims to develop a convenient quantification method for serum MMA. Methods: The method was established based on the stable isotope-dilution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectroscopy (ID-LC-MS/MS) technique. The LC-MS/MS parameters and sample preparation were optimized. Specificity, sensitivity, robustness, accuracy, and clinical applicability were validated according to CLSI C62-A guidelines. MMA levels in VB12-sufficient subjects and VB12-deficient subjects were measured. Results: MMA and its intrinsic isomer, i.e., succinic acid (SA), were completely separated. The average slope, intercept, and correlation relationship (R) with 95% confidence intervals, during the two months, were 0.992 (0.926–1.059), −0.004 (−0.012–0.004), and 0.997 (0.995–0.999), respectively. The limit of detection and quantification were <0.058 μmol/L and 0.085 μmol/L, respectively. Intra-run, inter-run, and total imprecisions were 1.42–2.69%, 3.09–5.27%, and 3.22–5.47%, respectively. The mean spiked recoveries at the three levels were 101.51%, 92.40%, and 105.95%, respectively. The IS-corrected matrix effects were small. The VB12-deficient subjects showed higher MMA levels than VB12-sufficient subjects. Conclusions: A convenient LC-MS/MS method for serum MMA measurement was developed and validated, which could be suitable for large-scale MMA testing and evaluating MMA levels in VB12-deficient patients

Whole-exome sequencing reveals a rare missense variant in SLC16A9 in a pedigree with early-onset gout

Gout is a common inflammatory arthritis triggered by monosodium urate deposition after longstanding hyperuricemia. In the general community, the disease is largely polygenic in genetic architecture, with many polymorphisms having been identified in gout or urate-associated traits. In a small proportion of cases, rare high penetrant mutations associated with monogenic segregation of the disease in families have been demonstrated to be disease causative. In this study, we recruited a two-generation pedigree with early-onset gout. To elucidate the genetic predisposition, whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed. After comprehensive variant analyses and cosegregation testing, we identified a missense variant (c.277C>A, p.L93M) in SLC16A9, an extremely rare variant in genetic databases. Moreover, in silico assessments showed strong pathogenicity. This variant cosegregated with the disease phenotype perfectly in the family and is located in a highly conserved functional domain. A few studies supported our results of the association between SLC16A9 and gout and serum urate levels. In conclusion, we provide the first evidence for the association of rare missense in SLC16A9 with early-onset gout. These findings not only expand our current understanding of gout but also may have further implications for the treatment and prevention of gout

Metastatic pattern of ovarian cancer delineated by tracing the evolution of mitochondrial DNA mutations

Abstract Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecologic tumor and is characterized by a high rate of metastasis. Challenges in accurately delineating the metastatic pattern have greatly restricted the improvement of treatment in OC patients. An increasing number of studies have leveraged mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations as efficient lineage-tracing markers of tumor clonality. We applied multiregional sampling and high-depth mtDNA sequencing to determine the metastatic patterns in advanced-stage OC patients. Somatic mtDNA mutations were profiled from a total of 195 primary and 200 metastatic tumor tissue samples from 35 OC patients. Our results revealed remarkable sample-level and patient-level heterogeneity. In addition, distinct mtDNA mutational patterns were observed between primary and metastatic OC tissues. Further analysis identified the different mutational spectra between shared and private mutations among primary and metastatic OC tissues. Analysis of the clonality index calculated based on mtDNA mutations supported a monoclonal tumor origin in 14 of 16 patients with bilateral ovarian cancers. Notably, mtDNA-based spatial phylogenetic analysis revealed distinct patterns of OC metastasis, in which a linear metastatic pattern exhibited a low degree of mtDNA mutation heterogeneity and a short evolutionary distance, whereas a parallel metastatic pattern showed the opposite trend. Moreover, a mtDNA-based tumor evolutionary score (MTEs) related to different metastatic patterns was defined. Our data showed that patients with different MTESs responded differently to combined debulking surgery and chemotherapy. Finally, we observed that tumor-derived mtDNA mutations were more likely to be detected in ascitic fluid than in plasma samples. Our study presents an explicit view of the OC metastatic pattern, which sheds light on efficient treatment for OC patients