关键词： alternative polyadenylation   alternative splicing   apoptosis   T cell activation  

摘要： The latest advances in next-generation sequencing studies and transcriptomic profiling over the past decade have highlighted a surprising frequency of genes regulated by RNA processing mechanisms in the immune system. In particular, two control steps in mRNA maturation, namely alternative splicing and alternative polyadenylation, are now recognized to occur in the vast majority of human genes. Both have the potential to alter the identity of the encoded protein, as well as control protein abundance or even protein localization or association with other factors. In this review, we will provide a summary of the general mechanisms by which alternative splicing (AS) and alternative polyadenylation (APA) occur, their regulation within cells of the immune system, and their impact on immunobiology. In particular, we will focus on how control of apoptosis by AS and APA is used to tune cell fate during an immune response.

关键词： complementary and alternative medicine   decision‐   making   immunisation   information‐   seeking   vaccination  

摘要： While immunisation rates were 94.63% for the whole Nepean Blue Mountains region of New South Wales in 2017, coverage for 1 year olds in the upper Blue Mountains was under 80%. There is a known relationship between vaccine-hesitant parents and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use;however, little is known about how CAM practitioners fit within the information-seeking pathway of parents. This exploratory study sought to address this knowledge gap. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with vaccine-hesitant and vaccine rejecting parents and CAM practitioners purposively sampled from the Blue Mountains area revealed three sets of themes: 1) Parents' search for further information about immunisation;2) Parents' use of CAM practitioners as an immunisation information source;and 3) CAM practitioners' engagement with parents about immunisation. CAM practitioners form a definite, if complex, part of vaccine-hesitant and vaccine-rejecting parents decision-making pathway in the Blue Mountains area. The notion of patient choice is crucial to vaccine discussions. Development of support materials, such as decision resources which give impartial and detailed information while acknowledging and supporting patient choice, are needed to support both CAM practitioners and parents in making informed vaccination decisions.

关键词： Alternative electron flows   Gymnosperms   Photoprotection   Photosynthesis   Photosystem I   Fluctuating light  

摘要： Ginkgo biloba L., the only surviving species of Ginkgoopsida, is a famous relict gymnosperm, it may provide new insight into the evolution of photosynthetic mechanisms. Flavodiiron proteins (FDPs) are conserved in nonflowering plants, but the role of FDPs in gymnosperms has not yet been clarified. In particular, how gymnosperms integrate FDPs and cyclic electron transport (CET) to better adapt to excess light is poorly understood. To elucidate these questions, we measured the P700 signal, chlorophyll fluorescence and electrochromic shift signal under fluctuating and constant light in G. biloba. Within the first seconds after light increased, G. biloba could not build up a sufficient proton gradient (ApH). Concomitantly, photo-reduction of O2 mediated by FDPs contributed to the rapid oxidation of P700 and protected PSI under fluctuating light. Therefore, in G. biloba, FDPs mainly protect PSI under fluctuating light at acceptor side. Under constant high light, the oxidation of PSI and the induction of non-photochemical quenching were attributed to the increase in ApH formation, which was mainly caused by the increase in CET rather than linear electron transport. Therefore, under constant light, CET finely regulates the PSI redox state and non-photochemical quenching through ApH formation, protecting PSI and PSII against excess light. We conclude that, in G. biloba, FDPs are particularly important under fluctuating light while CET is essential under constant high light. The coordination of FDPs and CET fine-tune photosynthetic apparatus under excess light.

关键词： Fuel cell   Proton exchange membrane   SPEEK  

摘要： A proton exchange membrane (PEM) is a crucial component in a fuel cell application as a proton carrier and separator for the anode and cathode. Sulfonated poly(ether ketone ether) (SPEEK) has been recognized as one of the promising alternatives PEM in fuel cell application due to the advantagious properties of SPEEK, including the high thermal stability, proton conductivity, mechanical strength, low fuel crossover, and easy to operate. The proton conductivity properties of SPEEK are influenced by the degree of sulfonation (DS). In practical, high DS of SPEEK-based membrane will produce high proton conductivity and a high density of sulfonic acid functional groups grafted into the polymer backbone. However, the excessive production of DS will have side effects on the stability of membrane dimensional and chemical properties. Meanwhile, the low DS of SPEEK has reduced the ability to diffuse the proton within the polymeric matrix. Therefore, getting the optimal DS SPEEK is very important to fabricate the alternative of PEM. But this process is hard. Thus, the researchers have modified the SPEEK membrane with various types of nanoparticles as a filler. This is one of the promising efforts to improve the SPEEK membrane properties and fuel cell application performance. This review aimed to discuss eight conductive materials such as silica, clay, metal oxide, heteropolyacids, carbon, graphene, metal organic framework, and zeolite used as fillers to develop the PEM component based on SPEEK for fuel cell applications. This review also comprehensively discusses the characterization of SPEEK-based membrane modification, including mechanical properties, water intake, proton conductivity, thermal properties, fuel permeability, crystal and structural analysis, chemical oxidation stability, and single-cell performance. Thus, this article can serve as a reference for researchers to planning the best strategies to optimize the properties and performance of the SPEEK-based membrane f

关键词： cellular immunity   COVID-19   immune cells   MIS-C   PIMS-TS   prognostic markers   subsets  

摘要： Background Lymphopenia is a hallmark of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We aimed to characterize lymphocyte subsets' shifts and their correlations with other severity markers of MIS-C. Methods In this prospective cross-sectional study, we performed peripheral lymphocyte phenotyping in 32 patients with MIS-C. We analyzed lymphocyte subsets at three time points of the disease: the acute (A), convalescent (B), and recovery (C) phases. Based on age-normalized lymphocyte counts, we distinguished two groups of patients: "the mild" (higher lymphocyte counts) and "the severe" (lower lymphocyte counts). In addition, we examined differences between these groups regarding other severity markers. Results In phase A, 84% of children had lymphopenia. Decreased absolute counts of CD3, CD4, and CD8 cells were observed in, respectively, 88%, 72%, and 84% of patients. The natural killer cells were decreased in 63% and CD19 in 59% of children. "The severe" group had significantly higher procalcitonin and troponin I levels and lower platelets and albumin. Moreover, "the severe" group had hypotension more frequently (73% vs. 20%, p = .008). In phase B, all lymphocyte counts increased, and 32% of children had lymphocytosis. The increase of CD3, CD4, and CD8 counts correlated with some laboratory severity markers (hemoglobin, procalcitonin, D-dimer, lactate dehydrogenase, N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide, albumin), but not with steroid use. In phase C, most children had normal lymphocyte counts. Conclusions Substantial shifts in lymphocyte counts during MIS-C apply most to T lymphocytes and correlate with the disease severity markers, particularly hypotension prevalence. A proportion of children with MIS-C develops transient lymphocytosis during convalescence.

关键词： microRNA   alternative splicing   cancer   tissue differentiation   SR proteins   hnRNPs   PTBP1   PTBP2   RBFOX   Quaking   CELF   C. elegans  

摘要： Alternative RNA splicing is an important regulatory process used by genes to increase their diversity. This process is mainly executed by specific classes of RNA binding proteins that act in a dosage-dependent manner to include or exclude selected exons in the final transcripts. While these processes are tightly regulated in cells and tissues, little is known on how the dosage of these factors is achieved and maintained. Several recent studies have suggested that alternative RNA splicing may be in part modulated by microRNAs (miRNAs), which are short, non-coding RNAs (~22 nt in length) that inhibit translation of specific mRNA transcripts. As evidenced in tissues and in diseases, such as cancer and neurological disorders, the dysregulation of miRNA pathways disrupts downstream alternative RNA splicing events by altering the dosage of splicing factors involved in RNA splicing. This attractive model suggests that miRNAs can not only influence the dosage of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level but also indirectly interfere in pre-mRNA splicing at the co-transcriptional level. The purpose of this review is to compile and analyze recent studies on miRNAs modulating alternative RNA splicing factors, and how these events contribute to transcript rearrangements in tissue development and disease.

关键词： Vehicle routing problem   Alternative fuel vehicles   Mixed integer linear programming   Fueling pump reservation  

摘要： The Green Vehicle Routing Problem with Capacitated Alternative Fuel Stations assumes that, at each station, the number of vehicles simultaneously refueling cannot exceed the number of available pumps. The state-of-the-art solution method, based on the generation of all feasible non-dominated paths, performs well only with up to 2 pumps. In fact, it needs cloning the paths between every pair of pumps. To overcome this issue, in this paper, we propose new path-based MILP models without cloning paths, for both the scenario with private stations (i.e., owned by the fleet manager) and that with public stations. Then, a more efficient cutting plane approach is designed for addressing both the scenarios. Numerical results, obtained considering a set of benchmark instances ad hoc generated for this work, show both the efficiency and the effectiveness of this new cutting plane approach proposed. Finally, a sensitivity analysis, carried out by varying the number of customers to be served and their distribution, shows very good performances of the proposed approach.

摘要： Purpose: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a histologic diagnosis describing proliferation of smooth muscle and epithelial cells within the prostatic transition zone. The prevalence and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in aging men are progressive and impact the health and welfare of society. This revised Guideline provides a useful reference on effective evidence-based management of male LUTS/BPH. See the accompanying algorithm for a summary of the procedures detailed in the Guideline ( figures 1 and 2).(C) 2021 by the American Urological Association, Inc.

关键词： alternative reproductive tactics   fisheries-induced evolution   frequency-dependent selection   salmon   simulation   sneaker male  

摘要： Alternative reproductive tactics, where members of a population exhibit divergent mating approaches, are widespread in fishes. The maintenance of such polymorphisms is often explained using game-theoretic concepts such as frequency-dependent selection, which typically assume populations are at equilibrium. However, fish populations exhibit stochastic variability that is inconsistent with the assumption of equilibrium dynamics. We explored how stochastic population dynamics interact with sexual and harvest-induced selection to shape the frequencies of alternative male phenotypes in Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp., Salmonidae). Males of several salmon species are composed of typical "hooknoses" that compete on the spawning grounds for mating opportunities, and rarer "jacks" that mature younger and at smaller sizes to attempt reproduction by "sneaking." Using stochastic simulations, we found that realistic levels of recruitment variation could increase the prevalence of jacks relative to equilibrium expectations. This result is attributable to the "cohort mismatch" phenomenon, whereby differences in age at maturity between male phenotypes cause jacks from strong recruitments to spawn in the same year as hooknoses from weaker cohorts, elevating the proportion of jacks among spawners. Simulations were supported by data from major populations of sockeye salmon (O. nerka, Salmonidae) throughout their North American range, which indicated a positive association between recruitment variability and jack prevalence in some regions. Moreover, we found that frequency-dependent mating dampened population responses to fisheries-induced selection. Our findings emphasize that stochastic ecological processes are important to the maintenance of alternative life histories and interact with selection to produce emergent dynamics that have not previously been recognized.