The reemergence of human infectious viruses such as SARS-CoV2, influenza and monkeypox are considered as a huge threat to mankind and vaccine development is the only preventive strategy available against these viral diseases. However, the lesson we learnt from the recent pandemic is the necessity to address the gap between demand and supply ratio of vaccines. Thereby it is primary task for the pharmaceutical industries to increase the supply of vaccines much faster to compensate the global need. The traditional vaccine pipeline including cell lines, chick embryos and bacterial production are much complex industrial processes and cold chain supply vaccines cannot reach patients in remote areas. Around 1.1 billion vaccine doses are wasted globally due to lack of cold chain supply. The need for the novel vaccine manufacturing platform to overcome this limitation is still superficial. Plant molecular farming is an ideal choice for rapid preparedness, cost-effective and flexible vaccine production for emerging and reemerging viruses. Also, plant cell encapsulation technology will allow us to develop thermal stable and oral deliverable vaccines for the global needs. This article comprehensively summarizes the current and future perspectives of plant-based vaccine development for emerging and reemerging infectious viruses.

Reviewing published articles on COVID-19 and death is the goal of the study. In this review, we conducted a thorough analysis of the literature from 2019 to 2022. To search the literature, we chose the Web of Science database. Every step of the process is documented on excel sheets for more transparency and clarity, and all research is subjected to stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria before being considered. For this bibliometric analysis, a total of 4,746 papers were chosen, and all irrelevant publications were disregarded. PRISMA 2020 is applied to the process of inclusion and exclusion. The findings showed that COVID-19 and mortality variables such as pneumonia, obesity, and influenzas are frequently discussed in the literature. According to the review, the United States has published the most articles of any country that its authors are from. However, several Chinese universities and authors have had the most influence on the Covid-19 and death research. There is room for more study that focuses on regional differences in COVID-19 and mortality.

As many other physicians and researchers, we have had the great pleasure to be fellows in the laboratory of Dean Metcalfe, the Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, Bethesda, USA (Figure [1](#fig-cap-0001)). The open atmosphere, research driven by curiosity, hypotheses originating from clinical observations, and mutual trust and respect are the cornerstones of Dean’s mentorship. Dean and his laboratory have made major contributions on mast cell biology, from basic studies on the regulation of mast cell development and functions, to clinical studies on mast cells in diseases, such as systemic mastocytosis. After more than 50 years of exploring human mast cells, Dean’s impact on what we know today about these cells, their biology and how they affect diseases is outstanding and unique.

Numerical computations for natural systems and acquiring travelling wave solutions of nonlinear wave equations in relation to sciences such as optics, fluid mechanics, solid state physics, plasma physics, kinetics, and geology have become very important in the field of mathematical modeling recently. For this, many methods have been suggested. The strategy applied for this article is to obtain more perfect numerical solutions of Modified Equal Width equation (MEW), which is one of the equations used to model the nonlinear phenomena mentioned. For this purpose, the Lie-Trotter splitting technique is applied to the MEW equation. Firstly, the problem is split into two sub-problems, one linear and the other nonlinear, containing derivative with respect to time. Secondly, each subproblem is reduced to the algebraic equation system by using collocation finite element method (FEM) based on the quintic B-spline approximate functions for spatial discretization and the convenient classical finite difference approaches for temporal discretization. Then, the obtained systems are solved with the Lie Trotter splitting algorithm. Explanatory test problems are considered, showing that the newly proposed algorithm has superior accuracy than previous methods, and the numerical results produced by the proposed algorithm are shown in tables and graphs. In addition, the stability analysis of the new approach is examined. Therefore, it is appropriate to state that this new technique can be easily applied to partial differential equations used in other disciplines in terms of the results obtained and the cost of Matlab calculation software.

This paper presents the latest achievements concerning 3GPP Release-17 adjacent band coexistence simulation work on 5G New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) for satellite communications. For the first time, 3GPP considered the introduction of Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) frequency bands for 3GPP User Equipment (UE) direct connectivity with satellites and had to consider the coexistence in adjacent bands with Terrestrial Networks (TNs). This paper will further explain the most challenging and the main surprising outcomes of this work, which opened new market opportunities for both terrestrial and non-terrestrial stakeholders. The main conclusions can be summarized as (1) NTN UE can reuse the current requirements of the TN UE, (2) the satellite connectivity does not require a dedicated satellite waveform, and (3) TN can co-exist with NTN on adjacent channels with relaxed ACIR requirements for the tested simulation scenario.

The huge amount of bank operations that occur every day makes it extremely hard for financial institutions to spot malicious money laundering related operations. Although some predefined heuristics are used they aren't restrictive enough, still leaving to much work for human analyzers. This motivates the need for intelligent systems that can help financial institutions fight money laundering in a diversity of ways, such as: intelligent filtering of bank operations, intelligent analysis of suspicious operations, learning of new detection and analysis rules. In this paper, we present a multiagent based approach to deal with the problem of money laundering by defining a multiagent system designed to help financial institutions in this task, helping them to deal with two main problems: volume and rule improvement. We define the agent architecture , and characterize the different types of agents, considering the distinct roles they play in the process.

Symbiosis is an evolutionary strategy that may provide biological advantages. The most complex and tight cooperation between symbiotic organisms is achieved in endosymbiosis, as it is the symbiosis between green hydra (Hydra viridissima Pallas, 1766) and unicellular photoautotrophic alga. We aimed to evaluate whether this symbiotic cooperation bestows higher resistance to environmental stressors of different nature, in terms of higher preservation of DNA integrity, compared to free-living brown hydra (Hydra oligactis Pallas, 1766). Hydras were exposed to herbicide norflurazon at of 2×10-7 or 2×10-6 mol/L and UV-B light of 254 nm, 0.023 mW/cm separately or simultaneously to detect additive or synergistic effect. We used alkaline comet assay to determine the level of primary DNA damage and fluorescent staining to detect apoptosis and necrosis. Norflurazon at 2×10-6 mol/L significantly increased both comet assay descriptors in brown hydra compared to negative control (6.17±0.6µm and 5.2±1.7% vs. 2.9 ± 0.2µm and 1.2 ± 0.2 %). The frequency of apoptotic and necrotic cells was significantly elevated either, being higher in brown hydra (25.7±3.5% and 8.2±0.2%) than green hydra (20.3±2.5% and 2.8±0.2%). UV-B irradiation induced significant DNA damage in brown hydra only (13.5±1.0µm, 4.1±1.0%). Simultaneous exposure to UV-B light and norflurazon led to synergistic increase in intensity of adverse effects. A concentration of 2×10-7 mol norflurazon/L combined with UV-B light induced significantly increased DNA lesion-level in brown hydra (15.8 ± 3.1%) and at concentration of 2×10-6 mol/L in both species (brown: 15.0±2.6%, green: 22.0±3.0%). Significant cytotoxicity and increased hedgehog nucleoids frequency were recorded, significantly more pronounced in brown (78.3±9.4% and 56.4±6.0%) compared to green hydra (34.7±2.5% and 24.2±0.6%). Besides genotoxicity, comet assay descriptors were significantly affected by and reflected cytotoxicity of norflurazon and/or UV-B light. We proved that evolutionary established symbiotic cooperation may contribute to higher resistance to cyto/genotoxic stressors.

Temperature is a key abiotic factor controlling population dynamics. In facultatively sexual animals inhabiting the temperate zone, temperature regulates the switch between asexual and sexual modes of reproduction, initiates growth or dormancy and acts together with photoperiod to mediate seasonal physiological transitions. Increasing temperature due to recent global warming are likely to disrupt population dynamics of facultatively sexual animals because of the strong temperature-dependence of multiple fitness components. However, the fitness consequences of warming in these animals are still poorly understood. This is unfortunate, since facultatively sexual animals – through their ability for asexual reproduction resulting in quick population growth and sexual reproduction enabling long-term persistence – are key components of freshwater ecosystems. Here, I studied the fitness effects of warming in Hydra oligactis, a freshwater cnidarian that reproduces asexually throughout most of the year but switches to sexual reproduction under decreasing temperatures. I exposed hydra polyps to simulated short summer heatwaves or long-term elevated winter temperatures. Since sexual development in this species is dependent on low temperature, I predicted reduced sexual investment (gonad production) and elevated asexual fitness (budding) in polyps exposed to higher temperatures. The results show a complex effect of warming on sexual fitness: while gonad number decreased in response to warming, polyps exposed to high winter temperature were capable of multiple rounds of gamete production. Asexual reproduction and survival rate, on the other hand, clearly increased in response to higher temperatures, especially in males. These results predict increased population growth of H. oligactis in temperate freshwater habitats, which will likely affect the population dynamics of its’ main prey (freshwater zooplankton), and through that, the whole food web.

Since its identification in late 2019 the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) In Wuhan, China, by the World Health Organization (WHO), which cause the coronavirus disease 2019, it is rapidly spreading, resulting in the global pandemic. As of 19 December 2022, a total of 64 million (649,038,437) confirmed cases including 6,645,812 deaths have been reported across the world. Over time, the SARS-CoV-2 acquired genetic mutations resulting in multiple types of SARS-CoV-2 variants and subvariants that have been confirmed. The Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant was identified later in November 2021, with enhanced immune escape and was followed with various sublineages BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4 and BA.5 and Other sublineages BQ.1, BQ.11, BF.7, BA.2.75, and XBB due to mutations in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2. In response to the current surge in the COVID-19 reports by Omicron subvariant BF.7 also known as BA.2.75.2, in China and other countries, triggering global alarm. The present review was conducted to understand the virology, factors associated with increased transmissibility with BF.7 and possible urgent preventing strategies to be taken to curtail the novel omicron variants outbreak across the world.

Background Serum inflammatory biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) are an established tool for predicting mortality in COVID-19 patients. Data have also suggested that such biomarkers are persistently elevated in patients with Long-COVID. In this study we aimed to assess the relationship between a panel of serum biomarkers (CRP, IL-6, troponin-T, and ferritin), inpatient mortality, and persistent symptoms post-discharge in COVID-19 survivors. Methods Data were collected retrospectively for all patients with COVID-19 admitted between 1st September 2020 and 10th January 2021. Admission CRP, IL-6, ferritin, and troponin-T were collected alongside routinely collected clinical data. A standardised dataset was collected for survivors when they attended clinical follow-up with the local post-hospitalisation COVID-19 follow-up service. Results A total of 626 patients (mean age 70.1 [SD=15.8], 55% male) had all biomarkers recorded. The overall mortality rate in this cohort was 28.4%. Higher levels of IL-6 (p<0.001) and troponin-T (p<0.001) were associated with a significantly higher risk of inpatient mortality. A total of 144 patients received 3-month follow-up, the commonest reported symptoms were fatigue (54.2%), breathlessness (52.8%), and sleep disturbance (37.5%). Patients who reported myalgia, low mood, and anxiety were found to have lower median levels of IL-6, CRP, and ferritin, respectively. Conclusions Raised levels of IL-6 and TT on admission are associated with a significantly increased risk of inpatient mortality in those hospitalised with COVID-19, however, raised inflammatory markers at the time of hospital admission show no association with residual symptom burden at 3-month follow-up in surviving patients.

Database is the part and parcel of the conceptual hydrological model which is being developed solely for the Indian Territory with an objective of water resources assessment and sustainable management. Inputs, outputs and other information in details are stored in the database (both static and dynamic). The model has 5 km X 5 km grid cells and properties at the center of a cell have been taken as the properties of that cell for hydrological estimation purposes. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) of the database (relational database) of the model has been developed in Java programming language. Data import, storage and visualization have been done using open source software, namely MySQL, and robust Structured Query Language (SQL). The database works as a limitless container of data, whether the other models' databases have (e.g. database developed with MS Access) this limitation. All the data, planned to be used in the model, are satellite imageries and are updated into the database as time series. The database is easily accessible and editable in comparison to other models' databases. The database consists of nine files namely master database, LULC data, soil data, time series data table, time series input table, time series output table, CN table, outlet table and output table at outlets. The database has been planned to support the idea of capturing the spatio-temporal complexity of the hydrologic system. This type of database can be a new path opener in the research on hydrological model development.

Background Left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions are important cardiovascular risk predictors in patients with hypertension. However, data on segmental, layer-specific strain, and diastolic strain rates in these patients are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate segmental two-dimensional strain rate imaging (SRI)-derived parameters to characterize LV systolic and diastolic function in hypertensive individuals compared with that in normotensive individuals. Methods The study sample comprised 1194 participants from population studies in Arkhangelsk and Novosibirsk, Russia, and 1013 individuals from the Seventh Tromsø Study in Norway. The study population was divided into four subgroups: A. healthy individuals with normal blood pressure (BP), B. individuals on antihypertensive medication with normal BP, C. individuals with systolic BP 140–159 mmHg and/or diastolic BP >90 mm HG, and D. individuals with systolic BP ≥160 mmHg. In addition to conventional echocardiographic parameters, global and segmental layer-specific strains and strain rates in early diastole and atrial contraction (SR E, SR A) were extracted. The strain and SR (S/SR) analysis included only segments without strain curve artifacts. Results With increasing BP, the systolic and diastolic global and segmental S/SR gradually decreased. SR E, a marker of impaired relaxation, showed the most distinctive differences between the groups. In normotensive controls and the three hypertension groups, all segmental parameters displayed apico-basal gradients, with the lowest S/SR in the basal septal and highest in apical segments. Only SR A did not differ between the segmental groups but increased gradually with increasing BP. End-systolic strain showed incremental epi-towards endocardial gradients, irrespective of the study group. Conclusion Arterial hypertension reduces global and segmental systolic and diastolic left ventricular S/SR parameters. Impaired relaxation determined by SR E is the dominant factor of diastolic dysfunction, whereas end-diastolic compliance (by SR A) does not seem to be influenced by different degrees of hypertension. Segmental strain, SR E and SR A provide new insights into the LV cardiomechanics in hypertensive hearts.

Background: Elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (E/T/I), has broadened access to life-changing pharmacotherapy for people living with cystic fibrosis (plwCF). However, case reports suggest CFTR modulators may induce psychiatric adverse symptoms. To systematically examine this, we studied depression and anxiety symptoms before and after initiation of E/T/I. Methods: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9, depression symptoms) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7, anxiety symptoms) scores recorded in a clinic database were studied. Patients who had scores collected pre- and post-E/T/I initiation were included. Mean total score changes were calculated for each questionnaire, and regression analyses described associations between score changes and age, race, ethnicity, sex, CFTR mutation, and prior depression and/or anxiety diagnoses. Secondary analyses examined the possible confounding effects of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. Results: Eighty-six patients were included. Mean GAD-7 and PHQ-9 total scores did not change from pre-initiation (4.90 ± 5.31 and 4.98 ± 5.77, respectively) to post-initiation (5.27 ± 5.59 and 4.82 ± 5.55, respectively). Although patients (N = 40) evaluated prior to the COVID-19 pandemic showed a significant worsening of GAD-7 scores post-E/T/I initiation, this difference was not observed in the overall cohort (N=92). Pre-existent anxiety, depression, or other clinical factors did not predict an increased risk of mental health symptoms post-E/T/I initiation. Conclusions: Treatment with E/T/I does not lead to changes in depression or anxiety symptoms at the population level. No clinical predictors were identified to stratify potential risk. Overall, these findings are reassuring for clinicians and pwCF when deciding about initiating E/T/I treatment.

A consensus protocol for the Basophil Activation Test for multicenter collaboration and External Quality AssuranceAuthors: Pascal, M# 1, Edelman SM#2, Nopp, A#3, Möbs, C4, Geilenkeuser, WJ5, Knol, EF6, Ebo, DG7, Mertens C7, Shamji, MH8, Santos, AF9,10, Patil, S11, Eberlein, B*12, Mayorga, C*13, Hoffmann HJ14*Affiliations1 Immunology Department, Centre de Diagnòstic Biomèdic, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.2 Skin and Allergy Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland, present address Aimmune Therapeutics, Finland3 Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, and Sachs´ Children and Youth Hospital, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden4 Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany5 Reference Institute for Bioanalytics, Bonn, Germany6 Center of Translational Immunology and Dermatology/Allergology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.7 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Immunology-Allergology- Rheumatology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium8 National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, UK and NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, UK9 Department of Women and Children’s Health (Pediatric Allergy) & Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom10 Children’s Allergy Service, Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom11 Division of Allergy and Immunology, Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States12 Department of Dermatology and Allergy Biederstein, School of Medicine, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany13 Allergy Clinical Unit, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga and Allergy Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA-BIONAND, Malaga, Spain;14 Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Department of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark# shared first authors, * shared senior authorsCOIM Pascal, SM Edelman, A Nopp, C Möbs, EF Knol, SU Patil and C Mayorga have no conflict of interest regarding this work. B Eberlein received methodological and technical support from the company BUEHLMANN Laboratories AG (Schönenbuch, Switzerland) outside the submitted work. Dr Hoffmann reports grant from the Innovation Fund of Denmark, outside the submitted work. Dr Shamji reports grants awarded to institution from the Immune Tolerance Network, UK Medical Research Council, Allergy Therapeuitics, LETI Laboratories, Revolo biotherapeutics and Angany Inc. He has received consulting fees from Bristol Meyers Squibb and lecture fees from Allergy Therapeutics and LETI laboratories, all outside the submitted work. Dr. Santos reports grants from Medical Research Council (MR/M008517/1; MC/PC/18052; MR/T032081/1), Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the NIH, Asthma UK (AUK-BC-2015-01), the Immune Tolerance Network/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, NIH) and the NIHR through the Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) award to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, during the conduct of the study; speaker or consultancy fees from Thermo Scientific, Nutricia, Infomed, Novartis, Allergy Therapeutics, IgGenix, Stallergenes, Buhlmann, as well as research support from Buhlmann and Thermo Fisher Scientific through a collaboration agreement with King’s College London, outside the submitted work. Dr Geilenkeuser is an employee of Referenizinstitut für Bioanalytik, DE that provided logistic assistance and reagent support for the study.To the editorThe basophil activation test (BAT) has significant potential as a diagnostic tool to better phenotype and manage patients with IgE-mediated allergies, so that only a small proportion of patients need to be challenged. Sample, reagent, laboratory procedure, analysis protocols, and population characteristics can influence BAT performance (1,2). Regulatory approval and clinical implementation require extensive standardization of laboratory protocols, cytometer settings, and results interpretation (3). European national authorities require External Quality Assurance (EQA) of the performance of modern diagnostic laboratories by agencies independent of test suppliers to meet ISO 15189:2012, 15189:2013 and 9001:2015.Based on an online survey among 59 responding European laboratories performing BAT in 2017 (4,5) (Online Supplement; Results of the online survey), a Task Force was launched in 2018 to create the basis for a BAT-EQA. Round Robins (RR) were organized with seven shipments of 2 donors each to 7-10 European centers with overnight courier service from Bonn, DE. To minimize variation, prior to shipment, blood basophils were activated with 1 ul FcεRI antibody/ml of blood and stabilized with 0.2 mL Transfix (Cytomark, UK) per mL of blood to stabilize activated basophils up to 48 hours for staining (6). Fresh blood was included for stimulation and staining at the participating laboratory sites.We met after the third shipment to reach consensus on a protocol for BAT (Online Supplement; Proposed SOP for in house BAT). The threshold set on an unstimulated control sample was determined empirically on an independent data set as equal or greater than 2.5% with ROC curves based on data from patients with hypersensitivity to amoxicillin and patients with peanut allergy, (Online supplement, tables S1 and S2). This proposal did not find universal consensus among the authors.Data analysis started with identification of the relevant region in a scatter plot, followed by identification of basophils with the relevant markers, for instance, using low SSC and CD193 only or CD193 and CD123. Finally, the threshold was set at 2.5% of CD63 expression on resting basophils (Figure 1A). >5% CD63+basophils above that threshold in an activated sample was considered a positive response. This setting was used to obtain the percentage of CD63+ cells in centrally preactivated and locally activated blood samples; however, it was not adopted in all labs. Data from participating labs analyzed with their proprietary and the above standardized analysis compared well (online supplement, figure S4).The first two RR were used to establish coherence between participating laboratories. Data from RR3–RR7 were comparable. The standard deviation of activation measured at all participating centers was 16.8% in preactivated blood (Figure 1B) compared with 49.2% for samples activated and analyzed locally, illustrating the utility of using preactivated blood for EQA. Shipment to Málaga took 48h, and local activation of blood basophils was consistently suboptimal, consistent with a preliminary round robin from 2012, where the clinical outcome was robust up to 24 h. Centrally activated basophils performed as well in Málaga as in other centers.EQA for BAT is critical to facilitate routine implementation of this assay in the field of in vitro allergy diagnostics. The variability of the responses to our survey highlighted the importance and need for multicenter validation. Full validation and standardization of the BAT protocol and analysis is essential and possible for setting the grounds for controlled multicenter research studies as well as EQA. The BAT-EQA Task Force provides a standard operating protocol (Online supplement; Proposed SOP for in house BAT) and reference materials for the test to standardize and enhance the accuracy of BAT for both clinical and research collaborations and EQA.

The present article discusses the investigation of CuIn 1-xGa xS 2 (CIGS) thin films for photovoltaic applications. For decades, a Cu-rich composition has been used to create solar cells with efficiencies of up to 13.5%; however, interest in chalcopyrite sulfide has recently been revived due to its high and adjustable bandgap, making it a serious candidate as a top cell in tandem configurations. Although chalcopyrite selenides share many properties with CIGS thin films, crucial differences have been reported. To further understand these materials, we studied more than 500 samples of absorbers and resulting solar cells. First, we found that the compositional window for obtaining single-phase CIGS thin films with a 3-stage co-evaporation process is very narrow. Second, we reported that a combination of low copper content and sodium addition during growth is required to maximize the Photoluminescence intensity ( i.e. to minimize the absorber-related open-circuit voltage losses). Finally, we showed that solar cell performance and stability depend not only on absorber quality but also on phenomena at interfaces (absorber/buffer and grain boundaries). Altogether, we formulate growth recommendations for the manufacture of stable CIGS/CdS solar cells with state-of-the-art efficiency.

Robotic facilities that can perform advanced cultivation (e.g., fed-batch or continuous) in high throughput have drastically increased the speed and reliability of the bioproduct development pipeline in the last decades. Still, developing reliable analytical technologies, that can cope with the throughput of the cultivation system, has proven to be very challenging. On the one hand, the analytical accuracy suffers from the low sampling volumes, and on the other hand, the number of samples that must be treated rapidly is very large. These issues have been a major limitation to implement feedback control methods in miniaturized bioreactor systems, where the observations of the process states are typically obtained after the experiment has finished. In this work, we implement a Sigma-Point Kalman filter in a high-throughput platform with 24 parallel experiments at the mL-scale to demonstrate its viability and added value in high throughput experiments. This method exploits the information generated by the ammonia-based pH control to enable the continuous estimation of biomass, a critical state to monitor the specific rates of production and consumption in the process. The objective in our case study is to ensure that the selected specific growth rate is tightly controlled throughout the complete Escherichia coli cultivations for recombinant production of antibody fragment.

As an important halophyte in the Yellow River Delta, the Amaranthaceae C3 Suaeda salsa (L.) Pall. has attracted much attention for the “red carpet” landscape, and could be simply divided into red and green phenotypes according to the betacyanin content in the fleshy leaves. However, S. salsa has not been sequenced yet, which limited people’s understanding at the molecular level. We constructed a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome by combining high-throughput sequencing, PacBio Single Molecule Real-Time (SMRT) sequencing, and Hi-C sequencing techniques with a genome size of 445 MB and contigs N50 of 2.94 Mb. Through the annotation of the reference genome, a total of 288.23 Mb of the repeating elements (64.76% of the total genome size) and 23,965 protein-coding genes were identified. Comparative genomics indicated that S. salsa undergone a WGD event about 146.15 million years ago (mya), and the estimated divergence time between S. salsa and S. aralocaspica was about 16.9 mya. A total of four betacyanins including betanidin, celosianin II, amaranthin and 6’-O-malonyl-celosianin II were identified and purified in both phenotypes, while two significantly up-regulated betacyanins (celosianin II and amaranthin) may be the main reason for the red color in red phenotype. In addition, we also performed transcriptomics and metabolomics in both phenotypes to explore the molecular mechanisms of pigment synthesis, and a series of structural genes and transcription factors concerned with betacyanin production were selected in S. salsa.

Tall clonal grasses commonly display competitive advantages with nitrogen (N) enrichment. However, it is currently unknown whether their height is derived from the vegetative or reproductive module. Moreover, it is unclear whether the height of the vegetative or reproductive system regulates the probability of extinction and colonization, and determines species richness (frequency). In this study, the impacts on clonal grasses were studied in a field experiment employing two frequencies (twice a year or monthly) crossed with nine N addition rates in a temperate grassland. We found that the N addition decreased species frequency and increased extinction probability, but did not change the species colonization probability. A low frequency of N addition decreased species frequency and colonization probability, but increased extinction probability. Species reproductive height is the best index to predict the extinction probability of clonal grasses in N-enriched conditions relative to the vegetative height, average height, and species biomass. No significant relationships were detected between plant height and species colonization probability. The low frequency of N addition may overestimate the negative effect from N deposition on clonal grass diversity, suggesting that a higher frequency of N addition is more suitable in assessing the ecological effects of N deposition. Moreover, this study illustrates that reproductive height, not the vegetative height, was associated with the clonal species extinction probability under N-enriched environment.

During inflammation hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow (BM) and periphery rapidly expand and preferentially differentiate into myeloid cells that mediate innate immune responses. HSCs can be directed into quiescence or differentiation by sensing alterations to the hematopoietic niche, including cytokines, chemokines, and pathogen-derived products. Most studies attempting to identify the mechanisms of hematopoiesis have focused on bacterial and viral infections. From intracellular protozoan infections to large multicellular worms, parasites are a global health burden and represent major immunological challenges that remain poorly defined in the context of hematopoiesis. Immune responses to parasites vary drastically, and parasites have developed sophisticated immunomodulatory mechanisms that allow development of chronic infections. Recent advances in imaging, genomic sequencing and mouse models have shed new light on how parasites induce unique forms of emergency hematopoiesis. In addition, parasites can modify the hematopoiesis in the BM and periphery to improve their survival in the host. Parasites can also induce long-lasting modifications to HSCs, altering future immune responses to infection, inflammation or transplantation, a term sometimes referred to as central trained immunity. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of parasite-induced hematopoiesis and how parasites target this process to promote chronic infections.

In the present study, we tried to prepare and formulate a chemotherapeutic drug (Silver nanoparticles in aqueous medium using Scrophularia striata leaf extract) for the treatment of nerve cancer. The chemical characterization tests including UV–Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE‐SEM) were used for the characterization of silver nanoparticles. To survey the cytotoxicity and anti-nerve cancer effects of AgNO3, S. striata aqueous extract, and AgNPs, MTT assay was used on the nerve (Human peripheral nerve sheath tumor (S462 and BL1391)) cancer cell lines. For investigating the antioxidant properties of AgNO3, S. striata aqueous extract, and AgNPs, the DPPH test was used in the presence of butylated hydroxytoluene as the positive control. In the FE-SEM images, the silver nanoparticles were in an average size of 36.19 nm with the spherical shape. The results of MTT assay confirmed removing the S462 and BL1391 cell lines after treating with low concentrations of AgNPs. AgNPs inhibited half of the DPPH molecules in the concentration of 97 µg/mL. As mentioned, AgNPs had significant anti-nerve cancer properties against the above cell lines.

The liquid-like thermoelectric materials have fascinated extensive attention in the field of waste heat recovery into useful energy. In this aspect, di-chalcogenides Cu2X were considered superionic thermoelectric materials due to their highly disordered degree of Cu-ion in the lattice, which realizes the ultralow thermal conductivity. However, their rigid sublattice can decently maintain the electrical performance, and thus make this group distinct from the other state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials. This review summarizes the well-designed strategies to realize the impressive performance in thermoelectric materials and their modules by linking the adopted approaches, with the moderate design of the device. Some recent reports are selected to outline the fundamentals, underlined challenges, outlooks, and future development of Cu2(S, Se, Te) liquid-like thermoelectric materials. We expect that this review will cover the needs of future researchers in choosing some potential materials to further explore thermoelectricity in other energy storage and efficient conversion technologies.

Background. Therapy for relapsed or refractory (r/r) T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) in children is challenging, and new treatment methods are needed. Previous studies have shown a promising response to the addition of nelarabine to chemotherapy for r/r T-ALL and T-LBL. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the therapy of nelarabine in combination with etoposide, cyclophosphamide, and intrathecal therapy in eight pediatric patients with r/r T-ALL and T-LBL. The treatment regimen consisted of five consecutive days each of nelarabine (650mg/m 2/dose) and etoposide (100mg/m 2/dose)/cyclophosphamide (440mg/m 2/dose) separated by at least three days. Results. Five patients had T-ALL, and three patients had T-LBL. Of all patients, five achieved complete response, and the other three achieved partial response. All the patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after two cycles of the treatment, except for one case with one course. Three patients who had previously received HSCT were treated with reduced-intensity conditioning regimens, including fludarabine, melphalan, and nelarabine; one of whom is still alive over five years after the second HSCT. Grade 2 neuropathy occurred in one patient, and other severe toxicities commonly associated with nelarabine were not observed during nelarabine-containing salvage therapy. With a median follow-up of 900 days for survivors, the 2-year overall survival and event-free survival rates were 60.0% and 36.5%, respectively. Conclusion. The addition of nelarabine to reinduction chemotherapy was useful for HSCT in remission and did not lead to excessive toxicity. In addition, a conditioning regimen including nelarabine appeared to be effective in previous HSCT patients.

Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a rare disease, particularly amongst men. Herein, we present a case of GM diagnosed in a 63-year-old male patient who showed reduction in the tumor size during 3 months of observation.

We reported a case of Turner syndrome combined with diabetes, double hip dislocation (congenital), osteoporosis, Papillary thyroid carcinoma, and hypertension. The patient was a 38-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital for elevated blood sugar.