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Scientific Reports Jun 2024Floods affect communities and ecosystems worldwide, emphasizing the importance of identifying their precursors and enhancing resilience to these events. Here, we...
Floods affect communities and ecosystems worldwide, emphasizing the importance of identifying their precursors and enhancing resilience to these events. Here, we calculated Antecedent Total Water Storage (ATWS) anomalies from the new 5-day (5D) Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and its Follow-On (GRACE-FO) satellite solutions to enhance the detection of pre-flood and active flood conditions and to map post-flood storage anomalies. The GRACE data were compared with ~ 3300 flood events reported by the Dartmouth Flood Observatory (2002-2021), revealing distinct ATWS precursor signals in 5D solutions, in contrast to the monthly solutions. Specifically, floods caused by saturation-excess runoff-triggered by persistent rainfall, monsoonal patterns, snowmelt, or rain-on-snow events-show detectable ATWS increases 15 to 50 days before and during floods, providing a valuable opportunity to improve flood monitoring. These 5D solutions also facilitate a more rapid mapping of post-flood storage changes to assess flood recovery from tropical cyclones and sub-monthly weather extremes. Our findings show the promising potential of 5D GRACE solutions, which are still in the development phase, for future integration into operational frameworks to enhance flood detection and recovery, facilitating the rapid analysis of storage changes relative to monthly solutions.
PubMed: 38879658
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64491-w -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations (UN), rise in atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO ) due to...
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations (UN), rise in atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO ) due to anthropogenic factors is considered as the primary driver for global climate change. With almost every major corporation around the world working towards their "net-zero goals", it is becoming increasingly important to have more technologies that can help reduce carbon footprint. Achieving sequestration of CO in the subsurface through Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies like CO -Enhanced Oil Recovery, CO -Enhanced Geothermal Systems, CO -Enhanced Coal Bed Methane, etc. is well accepted. We introduce yet another attractive CCUS opportunity through well rehabilitation. Aqua Freed and Aqua Gard are well-known well rehabilitation and preventive well maintenance technologies that utilize (inject underground) liquid CO for the purpose. The goal of this study was to quantify the storage capacity of Aqua Freed and Aqua Gard, and establish their CCUS credentials. Depending on the well being serviced, these technologies can inject up to 40 US tons of CO per well. Based on field data collection and statistical modeling, we estimated that 82-96% (median 90%) of the injected CO remains in the subsurface post injection. Overall, our results and analysis of the US market suggest that using CO for well rehabilitation and maintenance has a storage potential of several megatonnes of CO annually in the US alone.
PubMed: 38879582
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64135-z -
Journal of Hepatology Jun 2024Biliary complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in liver transplantation. Up to 25% of patients that develop biliary complications require additional...
BACKGROUND & AIMS
Biliary complications are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in liver transplantation. Up to 25% of patients that develop biliary complications require additional surgical procedures, re-transplantation or die in the absence of a suitable regraft. Here, we investigate the role of the primary cilium, a highly-specialised sensory organelle, in biliary injury leading to post-transplant biliary complications.
METHODS
Human biopsies were used to study the structure and function of primary cilia in liver transplant recipients that develop biliary complications (N=7) in comparison with recipients without biliary complications (N=12). To study the biological effects of the primary cilia during transplantation, we generated murine models that recapitulate liver procurement and cold storage, and assessed the elimination of the primary cilia in biliary epithelial cells in the K19CreERKif3a mouse model. To explore the molecular mechanisms responsible for the observed phenotypes we used in vitro models of ischemia, cellular senescence and primary cilia ablation. Finally, we used pharmacological and genetic approaches to target cellular senescence and the primary cilia, both in mouse models and discarded human donor livers.
RESULTS
Prolonged ischemic periods before transplantation result in ciliary shortening and cellular senescence, an irreversible cell cycle arrest that blocks regeneration. Our results indicate that primary cilia damage results in biliary injury and a loss of regenerative potential. Senescence negatively impacts primary cilia structure and triggers a negative feedback loop that further impairs regeneration. Finally, we explore how targeted interventions for cellular senescence and/or the stabilisation of the primary cilia improve biliary regeneration following ischemic injury.
CONCLUSIONS
Primary cilia play an essential role in biliary regeneration and we demonstrate that senolytics and cilia-stabilising treatments provide a potential therapeutic opportunity to reduce the rate of biliary complications and improve clinical outcomes in liver transplantation.
IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS
Up to 25% of liver transplants result in biliary complications, leading to additional surgery, retransplants, or death. We found that the incidence of biliary complications is increased by damage to the primary cilium, an antenna that protrudes from the cell and is key to regeneration. Here, we show that treatments that preserve the primary cilia during the transplant process provide a potential solution to reduce the rates of biliary complications.
PubMed: 38879173
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2024.06.002 -
Brain Research Bulletin Jun 2024The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) controls the majority of protein degradation in cells and dysregulation of the UPS has been implicated in the pathophysiology of...
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) controls the majority of protein degradation in cells and dysregulation of the UPS has been implicated in the pathophysiology of numerous neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease. Further, strong evidence supports a critical role for the UPS in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. However, while proteasome function is known to decrease broadly in the brain across the lifespan, whether it changes in the hippocampus, a region critical for memory storage and among the first impacted in Alzheimer's disease, at rest and following learning in the aged brain remains unknown. Further, which proteins have altered targeting for protein degradation in the aged hippocampus has yet to be explored and whether learning in advanced age interacts with changes in ubiquitin-proteasome function across the lifespan remains unknown. Here, using proteasome activity assays and unbiased proteomic analyses, we report age-dependent changes in proteasome activity and degradation-specific K48 polyubiquitin protein targeting in the hippocampus and retrosplenial cortex of male and female rats across the lifespan. In the hippocampus, the targets of altered protein degradation were involved in transcription and astrocyte structure or G-protein and Interferon signaling in males and females, respectively. Importantly, we found that contextual fear conditioning led to an increase in proteasome activity and K48 polyubiquitin protein targeting in the hippocampus of aged male rats, a result in direct contrast to what was previously reported in young adult animals. Together, these data suggest that changes in protein degradation in the hippocampus across the lifespan may be contributing to age-related memory loss.
PubMed: 38879089
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.111015 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024This review shows the endeavors performed to prepare immobilized formulations of bromelain extract, usually from pineapple, and their use in diverse applications. This... (Review)
Review
This review shows the endeavors performed to prepare immobilized formulations of bromelain extract, usually from pineapple, and their use in diverse applications. This extract has a potent proteolytic component that is based on thiol proteases, which differ depending on the location on the fruit. Stem and fruit are the areas where higher activity is found. The edible origin of this enzyme is one of the features that determines the applications of the immobilized bromelain to a more significant degree. The enzyme has been immobilized on a wide diversity of supports via different strategies (covalent bonds, ion exchange), and also forming ex novo solids (nanoflowers, CLEAs, trapping in alginate beads, etc.). The use of preexisting nanoparticles as immobilization supports is relevant, as this facilitates one of the main applications of the immobilized enzyme, in therapeutic applications (as wound dressing and healing components, antibacterial or anticancer, mucus mobility control, etc.). A curiosity is the immobilization of this enzyme on spores of probiotic microorganisms via adsorption, in order to have a perfect in vivo compatibility. Other outstanding applications of the immobilized enzyme are in the stabilization of wine versus haze during storage, mainly when immobilized on chitosan. Curiously, the immobilized bromelain has been scarcely applied in the production of bioactive peptides.
PubMed: 38878936
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133089 -
Microbial Biotechnology Jun 2024The availability of microbial biobanks for the storage of individual gut microbiota members or their derived and artificially assembled consortia has become fundamental...
The availability of microbial biobanks for the storage of individual gut microbiota members or their derived and artificially assembled consortia has become fundamental for in vitro investigation of the molecular mechanisms behind microbe-microbe and/or microbe-host interactions. However, to preserve bacterial viability, adequate storage and processing technologies are required. In this study, the effects on cell viability of seven different combinations of cryoprotective agents were evaluated by flow cytometry for 53 bacterial species representing key members of the human gut microbiota after one and 3 months of cryopreservation at -80°C. The obtained results highlighted that no universal cryoprotectant was identified capable of guaranteeing effective recovery of intact cells after cryopreservation for all tested bacteria. However, the presence of inulin or skimmed milk provided high levels of viability protection during cryoexposure. These results were further corroborated by cryopreserving 10 artificial gut microbiota produced through in vitro continuous fermentation system technology. Indeed, in this case, the inclusion of inulin or skimmed milk resulted in a high recovery of viable cells, while also allowing consistent and reliable preservation of the artificial gut microbiota biodiversity. Overall, these results suggest that, although the efficacy of various cryoprotective agents is species-specific, some cryoprotectants based on glycerol and the addition of inulin or skimmed milk are preferable to retain viability and biodiversity for both single bacterial species and artificial gut microbiota.
Topics: Humans; Cryoprotective Agents; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Microbial Viability; Bacteria; Cryopreservation; Flow Cytometry
PubMed: 38878269
DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14509 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024As the most promising advanced energy storage system, lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are highly favored by the researchers because of their advantages of high energy...
As the most promising advanced energy storage system, lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) are highly favored by the researchers because of their advantages of high energy density (2500 W h kg), low cost and non-pollution. However, the low conductivity, volume expansion of sulfur, and shuttle effect are still the great hindrance to the practical application of LSBs. Herein, the above problems can be addressed through the following strategies: (1) Hollow carbon microspheres with high specific surface area were constructed as sulfur hosts to increase sulfur loading while also being able to enhance the physical adsorption of polysulfides; (2) the loading of MnO particles on the basis of hollow carbon microspheres facilitates the capture and adsorption of polysulfides; (3) the hollow carbon sphere structure as a conductive network can provide more pathways for rapid electrical/ionic transport and also accelerate electrolyte wetting. Moreover, the thinner shell of hollow carbon microsphere is conducive to ion diffusion and speed up the reaction rate. Thus, the NHCS/MnO/S composites exhibit a high discharge specific capacity of 1010.3 mAh g at first and still maintained a reversible capacity of 269.2 mAh g after 500 cycles. This work presents a facile sustainable and efficient synergistic strategy for the development of advanced LSBs.
PubMed: 38877113
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64067-8 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a cancer affecting skin and internal organs for which the Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a necessary cause. Previous work has...
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a cancer affecting skin and internal organs for which the Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a necessary cause. Previous work has pursued KS diagnosis by quantifying KSHV DNA in skin biopsies using a point-of-care (POC) device which performs quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). These previous studies revealed that extracting DNA from patient biopsies was the rate limiting step in an otherwise rapid process. In this study, a simplified, POC-compatible alkaline DNA extraction, ColdSHOT, was optimized for 0.75 mm human skin punch biopsies. The optimized ColdSHOT extraction consistently produced 40,000+ copies of DNA per 5 µl reaction from 3 mg samples-a yield comparable to standard spin column extractions-within 1 h without significant equipment. The DNA yield was estimated sufficient for KSHV detection from KS-positive patient biopsies, and the LAMP assay was not affected by non-target tissue in the unpurified samples. Furthermore, the yields achieved via ColdSHOT were robust to sample storage in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or Tris-EDTA (TE) buffer prior to DNA extraction, and the DNA sample was stable after extraction. The results presented in this study indicate that the ColdSHOT DNA extraction could be implemented to simplify and accelerate the LAMP-based diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma using submillimeter biopsy samples.
Topics: Humans; DNA, Viral; Herpesvirus 8, Human; Biopsy; Skin; Sarcoma, Kaposi; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Point-of-Care Systems; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques
PubMed: 38877073
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64533-3 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Intestinal preservation for transplantation is accompanied by hypoperfusion with long periods of ischemia with total blood cessation and absolute withdrawal of oxygen...
Intestinal preservation for transplantation is accompanied by hypoperfusion with long periods of ischemia with total blood cessation and absolute withdrawal of oxygen leading to structural damage. The application of intraluminal oxygen has been successfully tested in small-animal series during storage and transport of the organ but have been so far clinically unrelatable. In this study, we tested whether a simple and clinically approachable method of intraluminal oxygen application could prevent ischemic damage in a large animal model, during warm ischemia time. We utilised a local no-flow ischemia model of the small intestine in pigs. A low-flow and high-pressure intraluminal oxygen deliverance system was applied in 6 pigs and 6 pigs served as a control group. Mucosal histopathology, hypoxia and barrier markers were evaluated after two hours of no-flow conditions, in both treatment and sham groups, and in healthy tissue. Macro- and microscopically, the luminal oxygen delivered treatment group showed preserved small bowel's appearance, viability, and mucosal integrity. A gradual deterioration of histopathology and barrier markers and increase in hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α expression towards the sites most distant from the oxygen application was observed. Intraluminal low-flow, high oxygen delivery can preserve the intestinal mucosa during total ischemia of the small intestine. This finding can be incorporated in methods to overcome small bowel ischemia and improve intestinal preservation for transplantation.
Topics: Animals; Intestinal Mucosa; Intestine, Small; Oxygen; Swine; Ischemia; Disease Models, Animal; Organ Preservation; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit
PubMed: 38877069
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64660-x -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024Subcellular membranes have complex lipid and protein compositions, which give rise to organelle-specific membrane packing, fluidity, and permeability. Due to its...
Subcellular membranes have complex lipid and protein compositions, which give rise to organelle-specific membrane packing, fluidity, and permeability. Due to its exquisite solvent sensitivity, the lipophilic fluorescence dye Nile Red has been used extensively to study membrane packing and polarity. Further improvement of Nile Red can be achieved by introducing electron-donating or withdrawing functional groups. Here, we compare the potential of derivatives of Nile Red with such functional substitutions for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy of lipid packing in model membranes and living cells. All studied Nile Red derivatives exhibit cholesterol-dependent fluorescence changes in model membranes, as shown by spectrally resolved stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. STED imaging of Nile Red probes in cells reveals lower membrane packing in fibroblasts from healthy subjects compared to those from patients suffering from Niemann Pick type C1 (NPC1) disease, a lysosomal storage disorder with accumulation of cholesterol and sphingolipids in late endosomes and lysosomes. We also find small but consistent changes in the fluorescence lifetime of the Nile Red derivatives in NPC1 cells, suggesting altered hydrogen-bonding capacity in their membranes. All Nile Red derivatives are essentially non-fluorescent in water but increase their brightness in membranes, allowing for their use in MINFLUX single molecule tracking experiments. Our study uncovers the potential of Nile Red probes with functional substitutions for nanoscopic membrane imaging.
Topics: Oxazines; Humans; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Fluorescent Dyes; Cholesterol; Fibroblasts; Cell Membrane
PubMed: 38877068
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64180-8