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NO3-N and dye colors discharged from textile wastewater pose environmental problems in Thailand. This study aimed to observe the nitrogen removal rate (NRR) with and without RB-5 color contamination via hydrogenotrophic denitrification (HD) processing, which uses H2 gas as electron donor to reduce NO3-N and NO2-N; comparing with bioreactors treatment to evaluate systems that can simultaneously remove NO3-N and dye color. Five reactors under different operation and gas supply conditions were set-up under HRT of 24 h, including an aerobic reactor using air, two anaerobic reactors using argon and H2, and a combined process using intermittent air/argon and air/H2. NRR without dye varied between 45 and 90% for H2 and air/H2 by HD processing, while it was completely removed when adding color. H2 and air/H2 reactors experienced partial decolorization of approximately 20–30%, whereas the other three reactors remained unchanged. Effluent of NO3-N were close to wastewater standards, but the color was still easy to detect, which indicated that the treatment time needs to be sufficient. In conclusion, HD and intermittent air/H2 processing can completely remove NO3-N and NO2-N when contaminated with RB-5 color. Furthermore, RB-5 did not affect the NRR, whereas some particles of dye color can also reduce in these processes. HIGHLIGHTS NRR with and without RB-5 dye contamination was evaluated in HD reactors and compared with bioreactors under various conditions using air, argon and H2 gas supplies.; Simultaneous NO3-N, NO2-N and RB-5 dye removal occurred in H2 and combined air/H2 reactors.; HD processing accelerated when contaminated with RB-5 dye.; RB-5 dye does not affect the NRR removal, while some partial removal can occur with HD processing.; NO3-N, NO2-N was removed faster than RB-5 dye color.;

Distant metastasis is the most important prognostic factor for head and neck cancer. This report discusses the case of a 50-year-old man with distant metastasis to the vastus lateralis muscle of tongue carcinoma. The tumorectomy was performed under a diagnosis of tongue carcinoma (cT2N0M0, Stage II). After seven months, radical neck dissection was performed for detected lymph node metastasis in a left supraclavicular lymph node. In addition, metastasis was then detected outside the neck dissection region. Tumorectomy and radiotherapy (50 Gy) were therefore performed. However, left-sided vastus lateralis muscle metastasis was then observed. To the best of knowledge, this is the first report to describe distant metastasis to the vastus lateralis muscle of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Continuous...

Memory helper T (Th) cells are crucial for secondary immune responses against infectious microorganisms but also drive the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases. Therefore, it is of fundamental importance to understand how memory T cells are generated. However, the molecular mechanisms governing memory Th cell generation remain incompletely understood. Here, we identified CD30 as a molecule heterogeneously expressed on effector Th1 and Th17 cells, and CD30hi effector Th1 and Th17 cells preferentially generated memory Th1 and Th17 cells. We found that CD30 mediated signal induced Transglutaminase-2 (TG2) expression, and that the TG2 expression in effector Th cells is essential for memory Th cell generation. In fact, Cd30-deficiency resulted in the impaired generation of memory Th1 and Th17 cells, which can be rescued by overexpression of TG2. Furthermore, transglutaminase-2 (Tgm2)-deficient CD4 T cells failed to become memory Th cells. As a result, T cells from Tgm2-deficient mice displayed impaired antigen-specific antibody production and attenuated Th17-mediated allergic responses. Our data indicate that CD30-induced TG2 expression in effector Th cells is essential for the generation of memory Th1 and Th17 cells, and that CD30 can be a marker for precursors of memory Th1 and Th17 cells.

Summary: During V(D)J recombination, RAG proteins introduce DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at recombination signal sequences (RSSs) that contain either 12- or 23-nt spacer regions. Coordinated 12/23 cleavage predicts that DSBs at variable (V) gene segments should equal the level of breakage at joining (J) segments. Contrary to this, here we report abundant RAG-dependent DSBs at multiple Vκ gene segments independent of V-J rearrangement. We find that a large fraction of Vκ gene segments are flanked not only by a bone-fide 12 spacer but also an overlapping, 23-spacer flipped RSS. These compatible pairs of RSSs mediate recombination and deletion inside the Vκ cluster even in the complete absence of Jκ gene segments and support a V(D)J recombination center (RC) independent of the conventional Jκ-centered RC. We propose an improved model of Vκ-Jκ repertoire formation by incorporating these surprisingly frequent, evolutionarily conserved intra-Vκ cluster recombination events. : Shinoda et al. demonstrate previously unknown, frequent RAG-dependent recombination within the Ig Vκ gene cluster, which is mediated by evolutionarily conserved flipped RSS embedded in bona fide RSS. These intra-Vκ cluster recombination events alter the available Vκ gene pool by deleting Vκ segments and shape the Vκ-Jκ immune repertoire. Keywords: END-seq, HTGTS, ig kappa locus, ig repertoire, immunoglobulin, RAG, recombination center, recombination signal sequence, variable, VDJ recombination

Abstract Background Immunological memory is critical for long-standing protection against microorganisms; however, certain antigen-specific memory CD4+ T helper (Th) cells drive immune-related pathology, including chronic allergic inflammation such as asthma. The IL-5-producing memory-type Tpath2 subset is important for the pathogenesis of chronic allergic inflammation. This memory-type pathogenic Th2 cell population (Tpath2) can be detected in various allergic inflammatory lesions. However, how these pathogenic populations are maintained at the local inflammatory site has remained unclear. Methods We performed a series of experiments using mice model for chronic airway inflammation. We also investigated the human samples from patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis. Results We recently reported that inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) was shaped during chronic inflammation in the lung. We also found that memory-type Tpath2 cells are maintained within iBALT. The maintenance of the Tpath2 cells within iBALT is supported by specific cell subpopulations within the lung. Furthermore, ectopic lymphoid structures consisting of memory CD4+ T cells were found in nasal polyps of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis patients, indicating that the persistence of inflammation is controlled by these structures. Conclusion Thus, the cell components that organize iBALT formation may be therapeutic targets for chronic allergic airway inflammation.

Immunological memory is an important protective mechanism that enables host organisms to respond rapidly and vigorously to pathogens that have been previously encountered. In addition to the protective function, memory CD4+ T helper (Th) cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory disorders, including asthma. Recently, several investigators have identified phenotypically and functionally distinct memory Th2 cell subsets that produce IL-5. These memory Th2 cell subsets play an important role in the pathology of allergic inflammation and function as memory-type “pathogenic Th2 (Tpath2) cells” both in mice and humans. We review the role of lung Tpath2 cells in the development of allergic inflammation and, in the context of recent findings, propose a mechanism by which Tpath2 cells not only survive but also continue to function at the sites where antigens were encountered. A greater understanding of the functional molecules or signaling pathways that regulate the inflammatory niche for Tpath2 cells may aid in the design of more effective treatments for chronic inflammatory disorders.

The primary function of the lung is efficient gas exchange between alveolar air and alveolar capillary blood. At the same time, the lung protects the host from continuous invasion of harmful viruses and bacteria by developing unique epithelial barrier systems. Thus, the lung has a complex architecture comprising a mixture of various types of cells including epithelial cells, mesenchymal cells, and immune cells. Recent studies have revealed that Interleukin (IL-)33, a member of the IL-1 family of cytokines, is a key environmental cytokine that is derived from epithelial cells and induces type 2 inflammation in the barrier organs, including the lung. IL-33 induces allergic diseases, such as asthma, through the activation of various immune cells that express an IL-33 receptor, ST2, including ST2+ memory (CD62LlowCD44hi) CD4+ T cells. ST2+ memory CD4+ T cells have the capacity to produce high levels of IL-5 and Amphiregulin and are involved in the pathology of asthma. ST2+ memory CD4+ T cells are maintained by IL-7- and IL-33-produced lymphatic endothelial cells within inducible bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) around the bronchioles during chronic lung inflammation. In this review, we will discuss the impact of these immune cells-epithelial/mesenchymal interaction on shaping the pathology of chronic allergic inflammation. A better understanding of pathogenic roles of the cellular and molecular interaction between immune cells and non-immune cells is crucial for the development of new therapeutic strategies for intractable allergic diseases.

Textile wastewater (TW) contains toxic pollutants that pose both environmental and human health risks. Reportedly, some of these pollutants, including NO3−, NO2− and reactive black 5 (RB-5) dye, can be removed via hydrogen-based denitrification (HD); however, it is still unclear how different factors affect their simultaneous removal. This study aimed to investigate the effect of H2 flow rate, the sparging cycle of air and H2, and initial dye concentration on the TW treatment process. Thus, two reactors, an anaerobic HD reactor and a combined aerobic/anaerobic HD reactor, were used to investigate the treatment performance. The results obtained that increasing the H2 flow rate in the anaerobic HD reactor increased nitrogen removal and decolorization removal rates. Further, increasing the time for anaerobic treatment significantly enhanced the pollutant removal rate in the combined reactor. Furthermore, an increase in initial dye concentration resulted in lower nitrogen removal rates. Additionally, some of the dye was decolorized during the HD process via bacterial degradation, and increasing the initial dye concentration resulted in a decrease in the decolorization rate. Bacterial communities, including Xanthomonadaceae, Rhodocyclaceae, and Thauera spp., are presented as the microbial species that play a key role in the mechanisms related to nitrogen removal and RB-5 decolorization under both HD conditions. However, both reactors showed similar treatment efficiencies; hence, based on these results, the use of a combined aerobic/anaerobic HD system should be used to reduce organic/inorganic pollutant contents in real textile wastewater before discharging is recommended.

High nitrate-nitrogen (NO3−–N) content is a typical feature of groundwater, which is the primary water source in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Considering the Kathmandu Valley’s current problem of water scarcity, a user-friendly system for removing NO3−–N from groundwater is promptly desired. In this study, a simplified hydrogenotrophic denitrification (HD) reactor was developed for the Kathmandu Valley, and its effectiveness was evaluated by its ability to treat raw groundwater. The reactor operated for 157 days and showed stability and robustness. It had an average nitrogen removal efficiency of 80.9 ± 16.1%, and its nitrogen loading rate and nitrogen removal rate varied from 23.8 to 92.3 g–N/(m3∙d) and from 18.3 to 73.7 g–N/(m3∙d), respectively. Compared to previous HD reactors, this simplified HD reactor is a more user-friendly option for the Kathmandu Valley, as most of the materials used for the reactor were locally available and require less maintenance. The reactor is recommended for groundwater treatment at the household level. It has a current treatment capacity of 40 L/d, which can fulfill the daily requirements for drinking and cooking water in a household with 4–5 people.

Bach2 limits T cell effector functions. Here the authors show that Bach2–Batf complex antagonizes the recruitment of the Batf–Irf4 complex to AP-1 motifs and suppresses Th2 cytokine production, and describe mechanisms of negative feedback by which Bach2 restricts Baft-mediated Th2 response.

Although IFNγ is a Th1 signature cytokine and is repressed in Th2 cells, it is reactivated in a subset of memory Th2 cells. Here the authors show that Hdac2 is released from Gata3 by Akt-mediated phosphorylation, leading to transcriptional derepression of Tbx21 and IFNγin these cells.

Chronic inflammation due to obesity contributes to the development of metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Reciprocal interactions between metabolic systems and immune cells have pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated diseases, although the mechanisms regulating obesity-associated inflammatory diseases are still unclear. In the present study, we performed transcriptional profiling of memory phenotype CD4 T cells in high-fat-fed mice and identified acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1, the gene product of Acaca) as an essential regulator of Th17 cell differentiation in vitro and of the pathogenicity of Th17 cells in vivo. ACC1 modulates the DNA binding of RORγt to target genes in differentiating Th17 cells. In addition, we found a strong correlation between IL-17A-producing CD45RO+CD4 T cells and the expression of ACACA in obese subjects. Thus, ACC1 confers the appropriate function of RORγt through fatty acid synthesis and regulates the obesity-related pathology of Th17 cells.

Background: : Some polyphenols possess anti-allergic activities. Naringenin chalcone is one of the polyphenols that is present in the skin of red tomatoes. In this study, we investigated the effect of naringenin chalcone in allergic responses in vivo using an experimental mouse model system of allergic asthma. Methods: : Allergic airway inflammation was induced in mice by sensitization and challenge with ovalbumin. Naringenin chalcone was orally administrated every day during the course of the experiment. Airway hyperreactivity, the eosinophilic infiltration in the bronchioalveolar lavage fluid and Th2 cytokine production from splenic CD4 T cells were assessed. Results: : Eosinophilic airway inflammation, airway hyperreactivity and Th2 cytokine production from CD4 T cells were significantly suppressed in mice that were treated with naringenin chalcone. Hyperproduction of mucus was slightly reduced. Conclusions: : The results of this study suggest that naringenin chalcone suppresses asthmatic symptoms by inhibiting Th2 cytokine production from CD4 T cells. Thus, naringenin chalcone may be a useful supplement for the suppression of allergic symptoms in humans.