A CTCF-binding site in the Mdm1-Il22-Ifng locus shapes cytokine expression profiles and plays a critical role in early Th1 cell fate specification

Cytokine expression during T cell differentiation is a highly regulated process that involves long-range promoter-enhancer and CTCF-CTCF contacts at cytokine loci. Here, we investigated the impact of dynamic chromatin loop formation within the topologically associating domain (TAD) in regulating the expression of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-22 (IL-22); these cytokine loci are closely located in the genome and are associated with complex enhancer landscapes, which are selectively active in type 1 and type 3 lymphocytes. In situ Hi-C analyses revealed inducible TADs that insulated Ifng and Il22 enhancers during Th1 cell differentiation. Targeted deletion of a 17 bp boundary motif of these TADs imbalanced Th1- and Th17-associated immunity, both in vitro and in vivo, upon Toxoplasma gondii infection. In contrast, this boundary element was dispensable for cytokine regulation in natural killer cells. Our findings suggest that precise cytokine regulation relies on lineage- and developmental stage-specific interactions of 3D chromatin architectures and enhancer landscapes.

The role of platelet-rich plasma in androgenetic alopecia: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA), also referred to as male or female pattern hair loss, is the commonest cause of chronic hair loss and affects up to 80% of men by the age of 70. Despite a high prevalence, there are few approved therapies, which show minimal efficacy.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PrP) in the treatment of AGA in male patients.

METHODS

MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane (CENTRAL), CINAHL, clinicaltrials.gov, Google Scholar and the Science Citation Index database were searched to identify eligible studies. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies related to PrP use in AGA were included. Primary outcomes included changes in hair density and hair count. Methodological quality was assessed using bias assessment tools.

RESULTS

Eight RCTs and one cohort study were included in the review with a total of 291 participants. Six studies reported a statistically significant increase in hair density in the PrP group versus the control. Five studies reported a statistically significant increase in hair count with PrP. Seven studies showed moderate risk and two showed low risk of bias.

CONCLUSION

In a methodologically robust review on the effectiveness of PrP on male AGA, PrP demonstrated some potential to be used therapeutically. However, the low quality of evidence, moderate risk of bias, and high heterogeneity of included studies limit inferences and call for more robust designs to investigate this further.

TLR2 Supports γδ T cell IL-17A Response to ocular surface commensals by Metabolic Reprogramming

The ocular surface is a mucosal barrier tissue colonized by commensal microbes, which tune local immunity by eliciting IL-17 from conjunctival γδ T cells to prevent pathogenic infection. The commensal Corynebacterium mastitidis (C. mast) elicits protective IL-17 responses from conjunctival Vγ4 T cells through a combination of γδ TCR ligation and IL-1 signaling. Here, we identify Vγ6 T cells as a major C. mast-responsive subset in the conjunctiva and uncover its unique activation requirements. We demonstrate that Vγ6 cells require not only extrinsic (via dendritic cells) but also intrinsic TLR2 stimulation for optimal IL-17A response. Mechanistically, intrinsic TLR2 signaling was associated with epigenetic changes and enhanced expression of genes responsible for metabolic shift to fatty acid oxidation to support Il17a transcription. We identify one key transcription factor, IκBζ, which is upregulated by TLR2 stimulation and is essential for this program. Our study highlights the importance of intrinsic TLR2 signaling in driving metabolic reprogramming and production of IL-17A in microbiome-specific mucosal γδ T cells.

Novel chair graphene nanotubes as adsorbing medium for alanine and asparagine amino acids - A DFT outlook

Amino acids are required to make protein. The deficiency of amino acids leads to a lack of sleep and mood. Among various amino acids, we conducted the adsorption studies of alanine and asparagine amino acids on a novel one-dimensional material, chair graphene nanotube. The stability of the chair graphene nanotube is ensured with the negative formation energy, which is -6.490 eV/atom. The energy band gap of bare chair graphene nanotube is 1.022 eV, which possesses a semiconductor nature. The stable chair graphene nanotube is used as adsorbing material for alanine and asparagine amino acids. Besides, alanine and asparagine are physisorbed on chair graphene nanotubes that are confirmed by the range of adsorption energy from -0.107 eV to -0.718 eV. Upon adsorption of amino acids, the charge transfer outcome shows that chair graphene nanotubes behave as donors of electrons to alanine and asparagine. Further, the changes in the band gap of the chair graphene nanotube are noticed from the results of band structure and PDOS spectrum. The changes in the electron density also reveal the changes in the electronic properties of the chair graphene nanotube owing to alanine and asparagine sorption. The proposed report portrays the adsorption attributes of alanine and asparagine amino acids on 1D chair graphene nanotubes.

Too Much of a Good Thing: Extended Duration of Gut Microbiota Depletion Reverses Protection From Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis

Purpose

Using the model of experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) induced by immunization with a retinal antigen, two studies have reported contradictory results on disease development following oral antibiotic treatment (ABX). We showed that long-term ABX did not affect EAU, but another study showed that short-term ABX was protective. We therefore studied the effects of ABX on EAU, gut microbiota, and host immune responses as a function of treatment duration.

Methods

EAU-susceptible mice were treated orally with broad-spectrum antibiotics starting at least 10 weeks (long-term) or 1 week (short-term) before immunization until termination of the experiment. Gut microbiota were characterized by 16S amplicon sequencing, and host gut immune elements were studied phenotypically and functionally.

Results

Long-term ABX had no effect, whereas short-term ABX delayed EAU, as previously reported by us and others, respectively. Microbial sequencing revealed progressive reduction of gut microbiota that showed some differences in the two ABX groups. Interestingly, duration of ABX was associated with a gradual disappearance of the CD4+ and CD4+CD8+ subset of gut intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs). This IEL subset is microbiota dependent and is absent in germ-free mice. Relative abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri correlated with the frequencies of CD4+CD8+ IELs. IELs suppressed antigen-specific activation of autoreactive T cells in culture.

Conclusions

Gut microbiota may play dual roles in uveitis development: They promote EAU development but also help maintain IEL populations that have regulatory function against autoreactive T cells. We propose that the progressive loss of this population during long-term ABX reverses the EAU-ameliorating effects of microbiota depletion.

N-Nitrosamine sensing properties of novel penta-silicane nanosheets-a first-principles outlook

CONTEXT

N-Nitrosamine is one of the highly toxic carcinogenic compounds that are found almost in the entire environment. In the present work, novel penta-silicene (penta-Si) and penta-silicane (penta-HSi) are utilised to sense the N-nitrosamine in the air environment. Initially, structural firmness of penta-Si and penta-HSi is confirmed using cohesive energy. Subsequently, the electronic properties of penta-Si and penta-HSi are discussed with the aid of electronic band structure and projected density of states (PDOS) maps. The calculated band gap of penta-Si and penta-HSi is 0.251 eV and 3.117 eV, correspondingly. Mainly, the adsorption property of N-nitrosamine on the penta-Si and penta-HSi is studied based on adsorption energy, Mulliken population analysis along with relative energy gap changes. The computed adsorption energy range is in physisorption (- 0.101 to - 0.619 eV), which recommends that the proposed penta-Si and penta-HSi can be employed as a promising sensor to detect the N-nitrosamine in the air environment.

METHODS

The structural, electronic and adsorption behaviour of N-nitrosamine on penta-Si and penta-HSi are studied based on the density functional theory (DFT) approach. The hybrid generalized gradient approximation (GGA) with Becke's three-parameter (B3) + Lee-Yang-Parr (LYP) exchange correlation functional is used to optimise the base material. All calculations in the present work are carried out in Quantum-ATK-Atomistic Simulation Software.

Interaction studies of propylene and butadiene on tricycle graphane nanosheet - A DFT outlook

In this research work, we employed a tricycle graphane nanosheet as a chemical sensor to monitor the toxic hydrocarbon molecules, namely propylene, and 1,3-butadiene, which are emitted from automobile industries. At first, the structural stability and dynamical permanency of tricycle graphane is ascertained based on cohesive energy and phonon-band-spectrum. Sequentially, the electronic properties of tricycle graphane are conferred with the results of the projected density of states spectrum and band structure. The computed band gap of tricycle graphane is 5.53 eV. Chiefly, the adsorption behaviour of target propylene and 1, 3-butadiene on tricycle graphane is explored by determining adsorption energy, relative band gap variation, and Mulliken population analysis. Furthermore, the range of adsorption energy magnitudes (-0.16 eV to -1.03 eV) demonstrates that the target hydrocarbon molecules are physically adsorbed on tricycle graphane material. The overall outcome endorses that the tricycle graphane can be utilised as a prominent sensor to sense the hydrocarbon molecules released from automobiles and monitor air pollutants.

Recent progress on the synthesis, properties and applications of antimonene - A mini-review

The recent advancement in group VA monolayer and few-layer materials leads to fascinating applications. In this mini-review, we present the state-of-the-art in the synthesis of antimonene, its properties and various applications. Besides, the electronic properties of antimonene depend on its allotropes. Furthermore, we studied the electronic properties of δ, ε, and twisted-θ antimonene nanosheets, nanoribbons, and nanoring, and the results are reported. Moreover, the structural stability and electronic properties of antimonene is influenced by its allotrope and nanostructure. The report will give insights into the synthesis, properties, applications, and future outlook of antimonene.

Single-cell multiomic analysis reveals the involvement of Type I interferon-responsive CD8+ T cells in amyloid beta-associated memory loss

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, but there are limited therapeutic options and no current cure. While the involvement of microglia in AD has been highly appreciated, the role of other innate and adaptive immune cells remains largely unknown, partly due to their scarcity and heterogeneity. This study aimed to study non-microglial immune cells in wild type and AD-transgenic mouse brains across different ages. Our results uncovered the presence of a unique CD8+ T cell population that were selectively increased in aging AD mouse brains, here referred to as "disease-associated T cells (DATs)". These DATs were found to express an elevated tissue-resident memory and Type I interferon-responsive gene signature. Further analysis of aged AD mouse brains showed that these CD8+ T cells were not present in peripheral or meningeal tissues. Preventing CD8+ T cell development in AD-transgenic mice via genetic deletion of beta-2 microglobulin ( B2m ) led to a reduction of amyloid-β plaque formation in aged mice, and improved memory in AD-transgenic mice as early as four months of age. The integration of transcriptomic and epigenomic profiles at the single-cell level revealed potential transcription factors that reshape the regulomes of CD8+ T cells. These findings highlight a critical role for DATs in the progression of AD and provide a new avenue for treatment.

Adsorption studies of camphene and eucalyptol molecules on orthorhombic germanane nanosheet - A first-principles investigation

In the present work, we deployed a novel orthorhombic germanane nanosheet (ortho-GeNS) as a sensing material to detect camphene and eucalyptol molecules, the indoor air pollutants in the ambient environment. In the beginning, the structural and dynamical permanency of ortho-GeNS is confirmed with cohesive energy (-4.164eV/atom) and phonon-band maps. Successively, the electronic features of ortho-GeNS are conferred using band structure along with the projected density of states maps. The energy gap of ortho-GeNS at the hybrid GGA/B3LYP level of theory is computed to be 3.948 eV. Mainly, the adsorption properties of terpinene molecules, namely camphene and eucalyptol on ortho-GeNS are investigated via ascertaining adsorption energy, Mulliken population analysis, and relative band gap variations. Besides, the scope of adsorption energy values (-0.405eVto-0.669eV) exemplifies that the target molecules are physisorbed on ortho-GeNS. Overall results suggested that the ortho-GeNS can be deployed as a worthy chemiresistive sensor to sense indoor air pollutants for monitoring indoor air quality.

Modelling of wastewater treatment, microalgae growth and harvesting by flocculation inside photo bioreactor using machine learning technique

Biological wastewater treatment with the use of algae-bacteria consortia for the uptake of nutrient and recovery of resource is considered as the ‘paradigm shift’ from the process of mainstream wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) so as to mitigate the pollution and thus promoting the circular economy. In this regard, the application of machine learning algorithms (MLAs) was found to be effectual and beneficial for the prediction of uncertain performances in the process of treatment and it shows a satisfactory result for the effective optimization, monitoring, uncertainty prediction and so on in the environment systems. The proposed approach aims at modelling the treatment of wastewater, growth of micro algae and flocculation harvesting at the photobioreactor (PBR) along with the utilization of machine learning techniques. Initially, the raw data from the PBR was taken and is pre-processed using z-score normalization technique followed by extraction and selection of features that are more appropriate. The Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model is built along with the modified Fuzzy C-Means algorithm (MFCM) so as to cluster the huge amount of data. ANFIS is employed for the estimation of controller output parameters and for controlling the temperature inside the reactor. The output controller parameter performance can be enhanced by the use of optimization approach. The discrete Multilayer perceptron (DMLP) with the hyper tuning parameters of Iterative Levi’s Flight Dependent Cuckoo search optimization algorithm (ILF-CSO) is employed for the prediction purpose of attained cultivation growth rate and the pH of treated wastewater. The optimization technique based on machine learning model in turn offers the best possible solution needed for the estimation of output parameters. Thus, the removal rate of effluent T-N concentrations from the wastewater treatment is predicted with some intervals of day. At last, the performance is estimated in terms of growth rate, temperature variations, biomass, nitrate and phosphate concentrations, and error rates (RMSE, APE), and determination coefficient (R2). The attained outcome shows that the presented model is effectual and has the potential to apply for controlling and predicting the biological wastewater treatment plants.

Draft Reference Genome Sequence of Corynebacterium mastitidis RC, an Ocular Commensal, Isolated from Mouse Conjunctiva

Here, we report the genome sequence of a protective commensal, Corynebacterium mastitidis RC, isolated from mouse conjunctiva. The C. mastitidis RC genome sequence is 2,153,054 bp in size and 96.95% complete, and we believe that it can contribute to the understanding of the functional immune attributes of the ocular commensal microbiome.

Sorption studies of sulfadimethoxine and tetracycline molecules on β-antimonene nanotube - A first-principles insight

We ascertained the structural firmness of β-antimonene nanotube and studied the adsorption behaviour of sulfadimethoxine (SM) and tetracycline (TC) molecules on the base substrate using density functional theory (DFT) with B86LYP-D3 level of theory. Significantly, β-antimonene nanotube displays a semiconducting character with an energy band-gap of 0.263 eV. The three dissimilar preferential adsorption sites namely, bride-, hollow-, tube-inner site of SM and TC molecules on β-antimonene nanotube were investigated using average band gap changes, Bader charge transfer along with adsorption energy. Further, the calculated adsorption energy for preferential adsorption sites is noticed to be in the scope of -0.813 eV to -3.752 eV signifying to physisorption and chemisorption form of interaction on β-antimonene nanotube. The inclusive outcome recommends that β-antimonene nanotube can be deployed as a chemi-resistive sensor to sense and remove SM and TC molecules from the contaminated aqueous medium.

Comparative evaluation of long-term fluoride release and antibacterial activity of an alkasite, nanoionomer, and glass ionomer restorative material – An in vitro study

Background:

The antibacterial activity of restorative material and the amount of fluoride released are interlinked. Hence, these are the two foremost properties to be studied.

Aim:

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the amount and pattern of fluoride release from Type IX GIC (GC HS posterior), nanoionomer (Ketac N100), and alkasite (Cention N), and the antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans at 24 and 48 h.

Settings and Design:

This in vitro study was carried out in laboratory settings with six samples of each group for fluoride release using an ion-chromatography (IC) machine and five samples of each group for antibacterial activity using agar plates.

Materials and Methodology:

Samples of each group, Group I – Type IX GIC, Group II – nanoionomer, and Group III –alkasite, were prepared, immersed in 2 ml of artificial saliva, and fluoride release recorded using IC after 1, 7, 14, and 28 days intervals. The antibacterial activity against S. mutans was evaluated by placing samples of each group in the agar plates and measuring the diameter of zones of inhibition after 24 and 48 h.

Statistical Analysis:

One-way ANOVA test to check to mean differences between the groups and Tukey's honestly significant difference post hoc test for multiple intergroup comparisons (P = 0.05).

Results:

The Type IX GIC showed the highest fluoride release after day1. However, nanoionomer showed the maximum fluoride release for the remaining days. The least amount of fluoride released was from the alkasite throughout the study. The antibacterial activity of nanoionomer was the highest, followed by Type IX GIC and alkasite at both 24 and 48 h.

Conclusions:

Nanoionomer showed the highest fluoride release and antibacterial activity.

Adsorption studies of nucleobases on ε-arsenene nanosheet based on first-principles research

The electronic attributes and energetics of ε-arsenene nanosheet (ε-As) are explored with regard to the density functional theory basis. Initially, based on formation energy (-3.715 eV/atom), we ensured the structural firmness of ε-As. The ε-As is used as a base substrate to adsorb nucleobases viz., adenine (A), guanine (G), thymine (T), cytosine (C) & uracil (U). The surface adsorption of nucleobases on ε-As is analysed based on band structure, the density of states, adsorption energy, energy gap variation & charge transfer. Besides, we observed the exothermic nature of binding energy (ranging from -0.453 eV to -0.819 eV) upon nucleobase adsorption on ε-As. Also, the energy gap variation & charge transfer takes place owing to adsorption of nucleobases on the ε-As sheet. The present report reveals the adsorption of nucleobases on ε-arsenene nanosheet.