Unveiling the landscape predictors of resilient vegetation in coastal wetlands to inform conservation in the face of climate extremes.

Unveiling spatial variation in vegetation resilience to climate extremes can inform effective conservation planning under climate change. Although many conservation efforts are implemented on landscape scales, they often remain blind to landscape variation in vegetation resilience. We explored the distribution of drought-resilient vegetation (i.e., vegetation that could withstand and quickly recover from drought) and its predictors across a heterogeneous coastal landscape under long-term wetland conversion, through a series of high-resolution satellite image interpretations, spatial analyses, and nonlinear modelling. We found that vegetation varied greatly in drought resilience across the coastal wetland landscape and that drought-resilient vegetation could be predicted with distances to coastline and tidal channel. Specifically, drought-resilient vegetation exhibited a nearly bimodal distribution and had a seaward optimum at ~2 km from coastline (corresponding to an inundation frequency of ~30%), a pattern particularly pronounced in areas further away from tidal channels. Furthermore, we found that areas with drought-resilient vegetation were more likely to be eliminated by wetland conversion. Even in protected areas where wetland conversion was slowed, drought-resilient vegetation was increasingly lost to wetland conversion at its landward optimum in combination with rapid plant invasions at its seaward optimum. Our study highlights that the distribution of drought-resilient vegetation can be predicted using landscape features but without incorporating this predictive understanding, conservation efforts may risk failing in the face of climate extremes.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Pregnancy Complications and Outcomes: A Mendelian Randomization Study and Retrospective Validation.

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) tend to have a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, but the potential causal role remained unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the causal relationship between SLE and some common pregnancy complications and outcomes using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: The genetic tools were derived from genome-wide association studies of SLE and pregnancy complications and outcomes. MR analysis was performed using inverse variance weighting as primary method. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the results. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 200 pregnant women with SLE and a control group of pregnant women delivering at Tongji Hospital. Results: In the results, we found that genetic susceptibility to SLE was associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.028, 95% CI: 1.006-1.050), premature delivery (OR = 1.039, 95% CI: 1.013-1.066), polyhydramnios (OR = 1.075, 95% CI: 1.004-1.151) and premature rupture of membranes (OR = 1.030, 95% CI: 1.001-1.060). Some of the retrospective analysis results align with the findings from the MR analysis, indicating that pregnant women with SLE have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus and preterm birth. Additionally, although MR analysis did not reveal a causal relationship between SLE and preeclampsia/eclampsia, retrospective analysis discovered that SLE pregnant women are more susceptible to developing preeclampsia/eclampsia (OR = 2.935, 95% CI: 1.118-7.620). Conclusion: Our study findings suggest a potential causal relationship between SLE and increased risks of gestational diabetes and preterm delivery. Clinical data indicate that pregnant women with SLE are more prone to developing preeclampsia/eclampsia. Clinicians need to be vigilant about the occurrence of these conditions when managing pregnant women with SLE.

Correlation between COVID-19 and hepatitis B: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently present with liver impairment. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health threat in current society. Both severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and HBV can cause liver damage, and current findings on whether HBV infection increases disease severity in COVID-19 patients are inconsistent, and whether SARS-CoV-2 infection accelerates hepatitis B progression or leads to a worse prognosis in hepatitis B patients has not been adequately elucidated. AIM: To explore the complex relationship between COVID-19 and hepatitis B in order to inform the research and management of patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 and HBV. METHODS: An experienced information specialist searched the literature in the following online databases: PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Google Scholar, Scopus, Wiley, Web of Science, Cochrane, and ScienceDirect. The literature published from December 2019 to September 1, 2022 was included in the search. We also searched medRxiv and bioRxiv for gray literature and manually scanned references of included articles. Articles reporting studies conducted in humans discussing hepatitis B and COVID-19 were included. We excluded duplicate publications. News reports, reports, and other gray literature were included if they contained quantifiable evidence (case reports, findings, and qualitative analysis). Some topics that included HBV or COVID-19 samples but did not have quantitative evidence were excluded from the review. RESULTS: A total of 57 studies were eligible and included in this review. They were from 11 countries, of which 33 (57.9%) were from China. Forty-two of the 57 studies reported abnormalities in liver enzymes, three mainly reported abnormalities in blood parameters, four indicated no significant liver function alterations, and another eight studies did not provide data on changes in liver function. Fifty-seven studies were retrospective and the total number of co-infections was 1932, the largest sample size was 7723, and the largest number of co-infections was 353. Most of the studies suggested an interaction between hepatitis B and COVID-19, while 12 studies clearly indicated no interaction between hepatitis B and COVID-19. Six of the 57 studies clearly reported HBV activation. Six studies were related to liver transplant patients. CONCLUSION: There is some association between COVID-19 and hepatitis B. Future high-quality randomized trials are needed to further elucidate the interaction between COVID-19 and hepatitis B.

Dynamic Recognition and Analysis of Gait Contour of Dance Movements Based on Generative Adversarial Networks.

With the generation of images, videos, and other data, how to identify the gait of the action in the video has gradually become the focus of research. Aiming at the problems of complex and changeable movements, strong coherence, and serious occlusion in dance video images, this paper proposes a dynamic recognition model of gait contour of dance movements based on GAN (generative adversarial networks). GAN method is used to convert the gait diagrams in any state into a group of gait diagrams in normal state with multiple angles, which are arranged in turn. In order to retain as much original feature information as possible, multiple loss strategy is adopted to optimize the network, increase the distance between classes, and reduce the distance within classes. Experimental results show that the average recognition rates of this model at 50°, 90°, and 120°are 93.24, 98.24, and 97.93, respectively, which shows that the recognition accuracy of dance movement recognition method is high. And this method can effectively improve the dynamic recognition of gait contour of dance movements.

An invasive species erodes the performance of coastal wetland protected areas.

The world has increasingly relied on protected areas (PAs) to rescue highly valued ecosystems from human activities, but whether PAs will fare well with bioinvasions remains unknown. By analyzing three decades of seven of the largest coastal PAs in China, including World Natural Heritage and/or Wetlands of International Importance sites, we show that, although PAs are achieving success in rescuing iconic wetlands and critical shorebird habitats from once widespread reclamation, this success is counteracted by escalating plant invasions. Plant invasions were not only more extensive in PAs than non-PA controls but also undermined PA performance by, without human intervention, irreversibly replacing expansive native wetlands (primarily mudflats) and precluding successional formation of new native marshes. Exotic species are invading PAs globally. This study across large spatiotemporal scales highlights that the consequences of bioinvasions for humanity's major conservation tool may be more profound, far reaching, and critical for management than currently recognized.

Effect of COVID-19 on Male Reproductive System - A Systematic Review.

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2), a receptor for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to enter host cells, is widely expressed in testes and prostate tissues. The testis and prostate produce semen. At present, there are contradictory reports about whether SARS-CoV-2 can exist in the semen of infected men. Objective: To provide a comprehensive overview of the topic of whether COVID-19 can impact on male reproductive system. Methods: We reviewed the relevant publications on the possible impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on male reproductive system and summarized the latest and most important research results so far. Literature published in English from December 2019 to January 31, 2021 regarding the existence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen, testis, and prostatic fluid and the effects of COVID-19 on male reproductive were included. Results: We identified 28 related studies, only one of which reported the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in semen. The study found that the semen quality of patients with moderate infection was lower than that of patients with mild infection and healthy controls. The impaired semen quality may be related to fever and inflammation. Pathological analysis of the testis/epididymis showed that SARS-CoV-2 viral particles were positive in 10 testicular samples, and the spermatogenic function of the testis was impaired. All 94 expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Conclusion: The likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 in the semen of COVID-19 patients is very small, and semen should rarely be regarded as a carrier of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material. However, COVID-19 may cause testicular spermatogenic dysfunction via immune or inflammatory reactions. Long-term follow-up is needed for COVID-19 male patients and fetuses conceived during the father's infection period.

The Correlation between Psychiatric Disorders and COVID-19: A Narrative Review.

Since December 2019, the havoc caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has increased exponentially in a short period of time. As the COVID-19 pandemic is raging around the world, scientists are trying to reveal its mysteriousness. Although COVID-19 is predominantly a respiratory disease, the most common symptoms are fever, dry cough, and fatigue, but extrapulmonary manifestations are increasingly recognized. Recent studies have shown that there is a strong genetic correlation between one or more psychiatric disorders and the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Historical epidemiological perspectives and recent neurobiological evidence link infection and psychosis. What is the relationship between COVID-19 and psychiatric disorders? In this article, we will review the correlation between COVID-19 and psychoses, the possible reasons, and the possible pathophysiological mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to provide a reference for clinicians to make correct judgment and treatment when facing patients with COVID-19 and/or psychiatric disorders.

Syngeneic homograft of framework regions enhances the affinity of the mouse anti-human epidermal receptor 2 single-chain antibody e23sFv.

e23sFv is a HER2-targeted single-chain variable fragment (scFV) that was characterized as the targeting portion of a HER2-targeted tumour proapoptotic molecule in our previous study. In vitro antibody affinity maturation is a method to enhance antibody affinity either by complementarity-determining region (CDR) mutagenesis or by framework region (FR) engraftment. In the present study, the affinity of e23sFv was enhanced using two strategies. In one approach, site-directed mutations were introduced into the FRs of e23sFv (designated EMEY), and in the other approach e23sFv FRs were substituted with FRs from the most homologous screened antibodies (designated EX1 and EX2). Notably, EX1 derived from the FR engraftment strategy demonstrated a 4-fold higher affinity for HER2 compared with e23sFv and was internalized into HER2-overexpressing cells; however, EMEY and EX2 exhibited reduced affinity for HER2 and decreased internalization potential compared with EX1. The 3D structure of EX1 and the HER2-EX1 complex was acquired using molecular homology modelling and docking and the HER2 epitopes of EX1 and the molecular interaction energy of the EX1-HER2 complex were predicted. In the present study, it was demonstrated that scFv affinity improvement based on sequence alignment was feasible and effective. Moreover, the FR grafting strategy was indicated to be more effective and simple compared with site-directed mutagenesis to improve e23sFv affinity. In conclusion, it was indicated that the affinity-improved candidate EX1 may present a great potential for the diagnosis and treatment of HER2-overexpressing tumours.

HER2-targeted recombinant protein immuno-caspase-6 effectively induces apoptosis in HER2-overexpressing GBM cells in vitro and in vivo.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), which is associated with a high rate of morbidity and mortality, is among the most malignant and treatment-refractory neoplasms in human adults. As GBM is highly resistant to conventional therapies, immunotherapies are a promising treatment candidate. HER2 is an attractive target for GBM immunotherapy, as its expression is highly associated with various types of GBM. We previously reported that a novel HER2-targeted recombinant protein e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 has an antitumor effect on HER2-positive gastric cancer cells. In this study, we established a genetically modified Chinese hamster ovary cell line, which produced and secreted e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 proteins. Following specific binding to and internalization into HER2-overexpressing tumor cells, the e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 protein induced tumor cell apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of HER2-overexpressing A172 and U251MG cells in vitro, but not in U87MG cells with undetectable HER2. The e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 gene was introduced into severe combined immunodeficient mice bearing human glioblastoma xenografts by using intramuscular injections of a liposome-encapsulated vector. The recombinant protein e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 specifically targeted tumor cells and induced apoptosis, thereby leading to potent inhibition of tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. We concluded that e23sFv­Fdt­casp6 represents a promising HER2-targeted treatment option for human gliomas.

The homing and inhibiting effects of hNSCs-BMP4 on human glioma stem cells.

Malignant gliomas patients have a poor survival rate, partially due to the inability in delivering therapeutic agents to the tumors, especially to the metastasis of human glioma stem cells (hGSCs). To explore whether the human neural stem cells (hNSCs) with an over-expression of BMP4 (hNSCs-BMP4) can trace and inhibit hGSCs, in this study, we examined the migration of hNSCs to hGSCs using transwell assay in vitro and performed the fluorescent tracer experiment in vivo. We examined the proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and migration of hGSCs after co-culturing with hNSCs-BMP4 in vitro and tested the tropism and antitumor effects of hNSCs-BMP4 in the established brain xenograft models of hGSCs. We found that hNSCs-BMP4 could secrete BMP4 and trace hGSCs both in vitro and in vivo. When compared to the normal human astrocytes (NHAs) and hNSCs, hNSCs-BMP4 could significantly inhibit the invasive growth of hGSCs, promote their differentiation and apoptosis by activating Smad1/5/8 signaling, and prolong the survival time of the tumor-bearing nude mice. Collectively, this study suggested that hNSCs-BMP4 may help in developing therapeutic approaches for the treatment of human malignant gliomas.

The effect of direct translocation across endosomes on the cytotoxicity of the recombinant protein e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 to HER2 positive gastric cancer cells.

HER2-positive cancers represent a class of malignancies with high metastasis and poor prognosis. We previously generated the e23sFv-PEA II-casp6 recombinant, which contains an anti-HER2 single-chain antibody (e23sFv), a Pseudomonas exotoxin A translocation domain (PEA II), and a constitutively active caspase-6 (casp6), and demonstrated its potent selective anti-tumor activities. In this study, we generated a smaller-sized recombinant e23sFv-Fdt-casp6, in which the PEA II domain was replaced with the furin cleavage sequence from diphtheria toxin (Fdt), and explored its translocation pathway and specific killing mechanism. We found that e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 proteins, following their receptor-mediated endocytosis in HER2-positive gastric cancer cells, underwent furin-mediated cleavage in endosome and engaged in direct translocation of the released C-terminal fragment (active caspase-6) instead of via the trans-Golgi and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) pathway. The active caspase-6 cleaved its well-documented substrate, Lamin A, and subsequently triggered the apoptosis of cancer cells. The e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 proteins produced from genetically modified cells showed a selective cytotoxicity to cultured HER2-positive gastric cancer cells. Similar to the results of our previous research on e23sFv-PEA II-casp6, the delivery of liposome-encapsulated e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 constructs in tumor-adjacent muscles also inhibited tumor growth and prolonged animal survival in a nude mouse xenograft tumor model. Moreover, e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 proteins were also cytotoxic to trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer cells characterized by downregulated HER2 expression. Accordingly, e23sFv-Fdt-casp6 recombinant provides a promising therapeutic alternative for HER2-positive and trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancers.

[Expression of a chimeric gene containing poly-arginine as the protein transduction domain and its killing activity against HER2 positive gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells].

AIM: To construct a eukaryotic expression vector for chimeric gene containing poly-arginine as the protein transduction domain(PTD) and transiently transfect this vector into HER2 positive SGC-7901 cells and HER2 negative HeLa cells to examine its effect on cell growth. METHODS: PCR amplication was used to obtain the gene of active form caspase-3 fused with nonaarginine, and then fusion gene was cloned into eukaryotic expression vector containing e23sFv DNA fragment. After this chimeric gene transfected into SGC-7901 cells and HeLa cells by Lipofectamine 2000™; reagent, indirect immunofluorescence and cell counting were used to examine the expression in these two cells and the effect on cell growth. RESULTS: The eukaryotic expression vector, named pCMV-e23sFv-R9;-casp3, encoding e23sFv/caspase-3 containing nonaarginine as the PTD was successfully constructed. e23sFv- R9;-casp3 protein was expressed in a secretary manner in both SGC-7901 cells and HeLa cells. Transfected SGC-7901 cells were found obvious growth inhibitory, morphology change and condensed nucleus, whereas neither growth inhibitory nor apparent morphology change was detected in transfected HeLa cells. CONCLUSION: Of the secretary expressed chimeric protein, the antibody moiety against HER2 can mediate targeted recognition, the nonaarginine translocating peptide can promote activation and translocation of the effector molecule, and the active caspase-3 can effectively induce cell killing.

Enhanced treatment of articular cartilage defect of the knee by intra-articular injection of Bcl-xL-engineered mesenchymal stem cells in rabbit model.

Direct intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been proposed as a potential cell therapy for cartilage defects. This cell therapy relies on the survival of the implanted MSCs. However, the arduous local environment may limit cell viability after implantation, which would restrict the cells' regenerative capacity. Thus, it is necessary to reinforce the implanted cells against the unfavourable microenvironment in order to improve the efficacy of cell therapy. We examined whether the transduction of an anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl-xL, into MSCs could prevent cell death and improve the implantation efficiency of MSCs in a rabbit model. Our current findings demonstrate that the group treated with Bcl-xL-engineered MSCs could improve cartilage healing both morphologically and histologically when compared with the controls. These results suggest that intra-articular injection of Bcl-xL-engineered MSCs is a potential non-invasive therapeutic method for effectively treating cartilage defects of the knee.

Recombinant immunoproapoptotic proteins with furin site can translocate and kill HER2-positive cancer cells.

We previously reported the selective killing of HER2-positive tumor cells by a class of immunoproapoptotic proteins containing single-chain antibody, translocation domain of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (domain II; PEA II), and constitutively active human apoptotic molecules. In this study, a novel class of antitumor immunoproapoptotic proteins was explored to mediate tumor-specific apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Three furin cleavage sequences, including a synthetic polyarginine tract, and two furin cleavable sequences from PEA and diphtheria toxin were respectively used to replace PEA II in the previously constructed immunoproapoptotic protein. When produced and secreted by the genetically modified Jurkat cells, the novel targeted proapoptotic proteins selectively bound to HER2, which is often overexpressed on tumor cell surface. Followed by receptor-mediated endocytosis and furin cleavage in the endosome, the recombinant proteins could translocate into the cytosol, leading to irreversible cell death. Moreover, delivery of these proteins by either i.m. plasmid injection or i.v. injection of plasmid-expressing Jurkat cells led to tumor regression and prolonged animal survival in a nude mouse xenograft tumor model, indicating in vivo antitumor activity of the recombinant proteins. We conclude that the new class of immunoproapoptotic proteins show comparable activity with PEA II-containing counterpart and provide an attractive therapeutic alternative as they contain much less exogenous fragments.

[Study on apoptosis of human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells with RNA interference targeting hTERT].

AIM: To study the induction of tumor cell apoptosis by RNA interference-mediated inhibition of the expression of telomerase in cancer cells. METHODS: HeLa cells were transfected with the successfully established siRNA(small interfering RNA) expression vectors targeting hTERT (human telomerase reverse transcriptase). By electronic microscopy, Western blot and FCM (flow cytometry), the apoptosis of HeLa cells was tested. RESULTS: The established siRNA expression vectors could induce apoptosis of HeLa cells. CONCLUSION: Transfection of siRNA expression vectors targeting hTERT can induce apoptosis of HeLa cells.