Reshaping of T-lymphocyte compartment in adult prepubertaly ovariectomised rats: A putative role for progesterone deficiency

This study explores the role of ovarian hormones in the phenotypic shaping of peripheral T-cell pool over the reproductive lifespan of rats. For this purpose, 2-month-old prepubertally ovariectomised (Ox) rats, showing oestrogen and progesterone deficiency, and 11-month-old Ox rats, exhibiting only progesterone deficiency, were examined for thymus output, and cellularity and composition of major TCRαβ+ peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) and splenocyte subsets. Although ovariectomy increased thymic output in both 2- and 11-month-old rats, the count of both CD4+ and CD8+ PBLs and splenocytes increased only in the former. In the blood and spleen of 11-month-old Ox rats only the count of CD8+ cells increased. Although ovariectomy affected the total CD4+ count in none of the examined compartments from the 11-month-old rats, it increased CD4+FoxP3+ PBL and splenocyte relative proportions over those in the age-matched controls. The age-related differences in the cellularity and the major subset composition in Ox rats were linked to the differences in the ovarian steroid hormone levels registered in 2- and 11-month-old rats. The administration of progesterone to Ox rats during the seven days before the sacrificing confirmed contribution of this hormone deficiency to the ovariectomy-induced changes in the TCRαβ+ PBL and splenocyte pool from 11-month-old rats. The expansion of the CD8+ splenocyte subset in the 11-month-old Ox rats reflected increases in cellularity of memory and, particularly, naïve cells. This was due to greater thymic output of CD8+ cells and homeostatic proliferation than apoptosis in 11-month-old Ox rats when compared with age-matched sham-Ox control rats. The homeostatic changes within CD8+ splenocyte pool from 11-month-old Ox rats, most likely, reflected the enhanced splenic IL-7 and TGF-β mRNA expression. Overall, in adult female rats, circulating oestrogen and progesterone provide maintenance of T-cell counts, a diversity of T-cell repertoire, and the main T-cell subset composition in the periphery. Progesterone deficiency affects mainly the CD8+ lymphocyte compartment through increasing thymic CD8+ cell export and upsetting homeostatic regulation within the CD8+ splenocyte pool. These alterations were reversible through progesterone supplementation.     

三氯化镧对CBRH-7919细胞CyclinD1和CDK4蛋白表达的影响

背景与目的:研究三氯化镧(LaCl3)对大鼠肝癌细胞CyclinD1和CDK4蛋白表达的影响.材料与方法:采用体外培养大鼠肝癌细胞株CBRH-7919,分别加入0.01、0.10、1.00 mmol/L LaCl3培养1、3、5 d后观察CBRH-7919细胞生长变化;运用流式细胞术、MTF实验和免疫细胞化学检测与G1期调控有关的CyclinD1和CDK4的变化情况,以培养液中不加LaCl3体外培养CBRH-7919作为对照.结果:0.10、1.00 mmol/L LaCl3组培养后3、5 d对细胞的生长均具有抑制作用,与对照组比差异具有统计学意义(P＜0.01);G0/G1期细胞百分数均有显著性增加,与对照组比差异均具有统计学意义(P＜0.01);CyclinD1、CDK4阳性表达均显著减弱,与对照组比差异具有统计学意义(P＜0.01).结论:LaCl3可通过下调CyclinD1和CDK4,使肿瘤细胞从G1期进入S期受阻,从而抑制CBRH-7919细胞的生长.     

Studies on the Ageing of Cement Stabilized Rammed Earth Material in Different Exposure Conditions

This paper aims to test the deterioration of cement stabilized rammed earth and consider its characteristics during its lifespan in various exposure conditions. Both visual and mechanical properties were tested to determine the impact of long-term exposure to natural weather conditions. Cemented stabilized rammed earth is a variation of the traditional rammed earth building material which has been used since ancient history and is strengthened by the addition of stabilizers in the form of Portland cement. This article analyzes the long-term properties of wall panels made of this material, which were subjected to varying exposure conditions for five years. After this period, compression tests of specimens cut from panels stored in various environmental conditions were carried out. Based on the results and visual properties of the specimens, long-term changes in unconfined compressive strength were observed and primary durability attributes were described. Despite minimal visible wear to the external layers of the wall panels, the natural weather conditions proved to deteriorate material strength characteristics, especially on specimens with high cement content. No correlation between visual characteristics and compressive strength measures were found. The present study is vital in adequately describing cement stabilized rammed earth behavior in natural weather conditions typical of a humid continental climate.     

蕈样肉芽肿皮损中TOX蛋白的表达及其诊断价值评估

【摘要】 目的 探讨TOX蛋白在蕈样肉芽肿（MF）中的诊断价值。方法 在四川大学华西医院皮肤科病理室收集2003—2016年获得的63份石蜡组织标本,其中30份为疑似MF病例标本,23份为确诊MF病例标本,10份良性炎症性皮肤病病例标本。采用TOX免疫组化染色,检测并比较TOX蛋白在各组中的表达情况。结果 26份（86.7%）疑似MF标本TOX免疫组化染色阳性,20份（87%）确诊MF标本阳性。10份良性炎症性皮肤病标本中,3份TOX阳性。疑似MF组及MF组的TOX蛋白阳性率显著高于良性炎症性皮肤病组,且差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论 TOX蛋白在疑似MF和确诊MF病例中均有不同程度表达,且表达阳性率均明显高于良性炎症性皮肤病组,TOX可能作为MF的分子标志物之一。     

Photoluminescence and Energy Transfer in Double- and Triple-Lanthanide-Doped YVO4 Nanoparticles

Optical materials doped with several lanthanides are unique in their properties and are widely used in various fields of science and technology. The study of these systems provides solutions for noncontact thermometry, bioimaging, sensing technology, and others. In this paper, we report on the demonstration of YVO₄ nanoparticles doped with one, two, and three different rare earth ions (Tm³⁺, Er³⁺, and Nd³⁺). We discuss the morphology, structural properties, and luminescence behavior of particles. Luminescence decay kinetics reveal the energy transfer efficiency (up to 78%) for different ions under the selective excitation of individual ions. Thus, we found that the energy transition from Tm³⁺ is more favorable than from Er³⁺ while we did not observe any significant energy rearrangement in the samples under the excitation of Nd³⁺. The observed strong variation of REI lifetimes makes the suggested nanoparticles promising for luminescent labeling, anticounterfeiting, development of data storage systems, etc.     

Forkhead Domain Inhibitor-6 Suppresses Corneal Neovascularization and Subsequent Fibrosis After Alkali Burn in Rats

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Forkhead Domain Inhibitor-6 (FDI-6) on regulating inflammatory corneal angiogenesis and subsequent fibrosis induced by alkali burn.MethodsA corneal alkali burn model was established in Sprague Dawley rats using NaOH and the rat eyes were topically treated with FDI-6 (40 µM) or a control vehicle four times daily for 7 days. Corneal neovascularization, inflammation and epithelial defects were observed on days 1, 4, and 7 under a slit lamp microscope after corneal alkali burn. Analysis of angiogenesis-, inflammation-, and fibrosis-related indicators was conducted on day 7. Murine macrophages (RAW264.7 cells) and mouse retinal microvascular endothelial cells (MRMECs) were used to examine the effects of FDI-6 on inflammatory angiogenesis in vitro.ResultsTopical delivery of FDI-6 significantly attenuated alkali burn-induced corneal inflammation, neovascularization, and fibrosis. FDI-6 suppressed the expression of angiogenic factors (vascular epidermal growth factor, CD31, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and endothelial NO synthase), fibrotic factors (α-smooth muscle actin and fibronectin), and pro-inflammatory factor interleukin-6 in alkali-injured corneas. FDI-6 downregulated the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1, pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3, and vascular endothelial growth factor in RAW264.7 cells and inhibited the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of MRMECs in vitro.ConclusionsFDI-6 can attenuate corneal neovascularization, inflammation, and fibrosis in alkali-injured corneas.     

中国人耻骨肌孔大小测量及其临床意义

目的 通过测量中国人耻骨肌孔大小,为腹股沟疝治疗提供有意义的临床数据以及为补片大小的选择提供参考.方法 根据耻骨肌孔的概念,测量47例50侧手术中男性患者的耻骨肌孔和腹股沟盒的大小,同时测量髂前上棘间距,评价其与耻骨肌孔的相关性.结果 50侧男患者的耻骨肌孔的平均长度为(7.6±0.4) cm,平均宽度为(6.5±0.4) cm.腹股沟盒平均长度为(4.4±0.2) cm,平均宽度为(4.4±0.7) cm.髂前上棘平均间距为(26.1±1.5) cm.腹股沟盒的宽度与髂前上棘间距无相关性(P= 0.052),耻骨肌孔宽度与髂前上嵴间距离也不呈相关关系(P= 0.062).结论 通过对腹股沟疝男患者耻骨肌孔的测量,我们认为腹膜前腹股沟疝修补术使用12 cm×8 cm大小补片可以完全覆盖耻骨肌孔,而对于精索后平片无张力修补术来说10.0 cm×4.5 cm网片是合适的.     

Biodiversity and infrastructure interact to drive tourism to and within Costa Rica

Nature-based tourism has potential to sustain biodiversity and economic development, yet the degree to which biodiversity drives tourism patterns, especially relative to infrastructure, is poorly understood. Here, we examine relationships between different types of biodiversity and different types of tourism in Costa Rica to address three questions. First, what is the contribution of species richness in explaining patterns of tourism in protected areas and country-wide in Costa Rica? Second, how similar are the patterns for birdwatching tourism compared to those of overall tourism? Third, where in the country is biodiversity contributing more than other factors to birdwatching tourism and to overall tourism? We integrated environmental data and species occurrence records to build species distribution models for 66 species of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, and for 699 bird species. We used built infrastructure variables (hotel density and distance to roads), protected area size, distance to protected areas, and distance to water as covariates to evaluate the relative importance of biodiversity in predicting birdwatching tourism (via eBird checklists) and overall tourism (via Flickr photographs) within Costa Rica. We found that while the role of infrastructure is larger than any other variable, it alone is not sufficient to explain birdwatching and tourism patterns. Including biodiversity adds predictive power and alters spatial patterns of predicted tourism. Our results suggest that investments in infrastructure must be paired with successful biodiversity conservation for tourism to generate the economic revenue that countries like Costa Rica derive from it, now and into the future.

The tourism sector is well-poised to generate win–win approaches to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development given its nonextractive nature and its dependence on scenic beauty (1). However, for sustainable tourism to succeed as a strategy for biodiversity conservation, the role that biodiversity plays in driving tourism patterns needs to be better understood. On one hand, wildlife and nature motivate a significant portion of global tourism (2), and protected areas with higher species richness tend to attract more tourists and yield higher economic benefits (3). On the other hand, tourism hotspots also tend to occur in places where more human-built infrastructure (e.g., hotels, roads, and airports) enables access (4, 5). Studies have reached mixed conclusions on the relative importance of biodiversity and accessibility for tourism, and little is known about how they work in concert (6–11). Given the potential negative impacts of infrastructure on biodiversity conservation, their relative contributions to tourism deserves explicit study, particularly in developing countries where both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development are urgently needed (7, 12).Drivers of tourism patterns across landscapes have been explored through questionnaire surveys and structured interviews that ask tourists about their affinity for landscape features (13–15) and through spatial models that predict recreation using photographs (e.g., geographically weighted regression, MaxEnt) (16, 17). Recently, geo-tagged photographs and species lists shared on social media platforms have become popular tools for tourism-focused research (18–22). These studies, however, typically focus narrowly on the role of single taxa (22, 23) and landscape attributes without accounting for species diversity (14, 20), or they focus only on the role of infrastructure as a driver of tourism (5). Recent advances in satellite Earth observations make it possible to capture more of the ecosystem heterogeneity that can drive variability in species distributions, compared to more conventional modeling based on land cover (24–26). An integrated approach is needed, linking species richness of multiple taxa along with infrastructure variables, both modeled and mapped through high resolution Earth observations. Such an approach could be scaled up to larger regions and applied globally, helping to identify where biodiversity is playing a significant role in driving tourism, such that governments and the tourism sector can prioritize investments in biodiversity conservation.Here, we ask three questions in the iconic case of Costa Rica. First, what is the contribution of species richness (of vertebrate taxa) in explaining patterns of tourism in protected areas and also country-wide? Second, how similar are the patterns for birdwatching tourism compared to those of overall tourism? Third, where in the country is biodiversity contributing more than other factors to birdwatching tourism and to overall tourism? We predict that vertebrate species richness is more important for driving tourism in protected areas than in the rest of the country, because nature-seeking tourists often go to protected areas to find wildlife (3). We also expect that birdwatching tourism is predicted by richness of threatened and endemic bird species rather than total species richness, given birdwatchers’ preferences for rare birds (27). We predict a saturating relationship between species richness and tourism, because beyond a large number of species additional species are unlikely to contribute more to tourism (28). Finally, we predict that national-level tourism is better explained by infrastructure (such as roads and hotels) and distance to water than by biodiversity, because tourists going to Costa Rica often seek activities such as surfing and relaxing in beach resorts (29, 30). We predict nonlinear effects of proximity to roads and water, because a place is deemed inaccessible if it is further away from roads, and a beach tourist destination is also either close to water or not a destination at all. Access diminishes rapidly over a few miles (31).To answer our research questions, we analyze patterns of tourism at two different spatial scales. First, we analyze tourism patterns in protected areas only. Many protected areas provide reliable data on visitation rates and biodiversity tends to be higher inside than outside protected areas (29). However, given that they are often visited by tourists who are already interested in biodiversity, protected areas are not representative of all tourism patterns (30). Second, we evaluate the relative importance of biodiversity to all tourism across Costa Rica (excluding offshore islands). Investigating tourism across the whole nation may give a better understanding of how biodiversity contributes to tourism writ large and not only for tourists with a predisposition for finding wildlife. At both the protected area and national scales, we use a modified MaxEnt model that integrates species distribution models for 66 terrestrial vertebrate species (including amphibians, reptiles, and mammals) and 699 bird species, based on remotely sensed climate and habitat variables, with spatial patterns of infrastructure (hotel density and distance to roads) and distance to water. We measure tourism in two ways for both scales: using eBird checklists as a proxy for birdwatching (32), and using Flickr photographs as a proxy for all international and domestic tourism (19).Costa Rica is an ideal country to explore these questions because tourism represents 7% of the national gross domestic product and employs 3% of the working population directly and a further 9% indirectly (33). Approximately 70% of all international visitors to Costa Rica state that the wildlife, dramatic scenery, and opportunities for adventure sports are the main motivation for visiting the country (33, 34). However, the importance of biodiversity as a factor that influences tourism to, or domestically within, the country has not been evaluated (apart from very local studies) (35, 36). The Central Bank of Costa Rica is currently piloting a nature-based tourism account under the United Nations System of Environmental Economic Accounts (UN SEEA). The state of the art with this methodology is to attribute value to different ecosystems, which may vary widely in their biodiversity. Understanding the relationships between biodiversity and tourism in Costa Rica is a key step toward maintaining the vibrant ecotourism industry and can serve as an example for other biodiverse nations that often look to Costa Rica as a leader in sustainable development (37).