Search

IntroductionBefore they can produce their own antibodies, newborns are protected from infections by transplacental transfer of maternal IgG antibodies and after birth through breast milk IgA antibodies. Rhinovirus (RV) infections are extremely common in early childhood, and while RV infections often result in only mild upper respiratory illnesses, they can also cause severe lower respiratory illnesses such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.MethodsWe used high-density peptide arrays to profile infant and maternal antibody reactivity to capsid and full proteome sequences of three human RVs - A16, B52, and C11.ResultsNumerous plasma IgG and breast milk IgA RV epitopes were identified that localized to regions of the RV capsid surface and interior, and also to several non-structural proteins. While most epitopes were bound by both IgG and IgA, there were several instances where isotype-specific and RV-specific binding were observed. We also profiled 62 unique RV-C protein loop sequences characteristic of this species’ capsid VP1 protein.DiscussionMany of the RV-C loop sequences were highly bound by IgG from one-year-old infants, indicating recent or ongoing active infections, or alternatively, a level of cross-reactivity among homologous RV-C sites.

Abstract Characterization of moisture origins is crucial to understanding hydroclimatic processes. Nevertheless, documenting past atmospheric moisture contents and their sources remains challenging partially due to insufficient moisture-tracing proxies. Here, we present triple oxygen isotope compositions in 21 cave speleothems from monsoonal Asia to examine spatial moisture origin differences in eastern Asia over the past 300 years. Our data suggest an isotopic equilibrium fractionation during speleothem formation, and thus parent water 17O anomalies (Δ′17O) values reconstructed from speleothems preserve information on moisture origins and recycling across space. Notably, speleothem Δ′17O records exhibit a distinct geographical distribution, with low values in central-eastern and southern China, high values in northwestern and northern China, and relatively high values in the Yangtze River region. This spatial pattern underscores the diverse influence of different moisture sources regulated by regional hydrological circulation, and demonstrates the potential use of speleothem Δ′17O in reconstructing the moisture cycle at spatial scales.

Abstract Background Bcl-3 is a member of the IκB protein family and an essential modulator of NF-κB activity. It is well established that Bcl-3 is critical for the normal development, survival and differentiation of adaptive immune cells, especially T cells. However, the regulation of immune cell function by Bcl-3 through metabolic pathways has rarely been studied. Results In this study, we explored the role of Bcl-3 in the metabolism and function of T cells via the mTOR pathway. We verified that the proliferation of Bcl-3-deficient Jurkat T cells was inhibited, but their activation was promoted, and Bcl-3 depletion regulated cellular energy metabolism by reducing intracellular ATP and ROS production levels and mitochondrial membrane potential. Bcl-3 also regulates cellular energy metabolism in naive CD4+ T cells. In addition, the knockout of Bcl-3 altered the expression of mTOR, Akt, and Raptor, which are metabolism-related genes, in Jurkat cells. Conclusions This finding indicates that Bcl-3 may mediate the energy metabolism of T cells through the mTOR pathway, thereby affecting their function. Overall, we provide novel insights into the regulatory role of Bcl-3 in T-cell energy metabolism for the prevention and treatment of immune diseases.

Abstract Qunf Cave oxygen isotope (δ18Oc) record from southern Oman is one of the most significant of few Holocene Indian summer monsoon cave records. However, the interpretation of the Qunf δ18Oc remains in dispute. Here we provide a multi-proxy record from Qunf Cave and climate model simulations to reconstruct the Holocene local and regional hydroclimate changes. The results indicate that besides the Indian summer monsoon, the North African summer monsoon also contributes water vapor to southern Oman during the early to middle Holocene. In principle, Qunf δ18Oc values reflect integrated oxygen-isotope fractionations over a broad moisture transport swath from moisture sources to the cave site, rather than local precipitation amount alone, and thus the Qunf δ18Oc record characterizes primary changes in the Afro-Asian monsoon regime across the Holocene. In contrast, local climate proxies appear to suggest an overall slightly increased or unchanged wetness over the Holocene at the cave site.

Abstract There is a general agreement that Northern Hemisphere temperatures have cooled over the past two millennia, culminating in the Little Ice Age. However, this understanding partly relies on the compilation of existing proxy records, the majority of which carry a warm season bias such that there is an underrepresentation of cold-season temperatures. Here we report a unique cold-season temperature record based on the alkenone paleothermometer from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau that spans the last two millennia. In contrast to the regional- and hemisphere-scale summer cooling, our reconstruction shows a long-term warming through the Medieval Climate Anomaly into Little Ice Age. We attribute these opposing temperature trends to combined effects of seasonally divergent insolation and North Atlantic subpolar gyre circulation. Our study indicates that the cold season during the Little Ice Age was not the coldest period of the last two millennia at least on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.

New cave records from monsoon regions improve the Greenland ice core chronological framework around the Heinrich Stadial 2 by an order of magnitude, suggesting a more active role of low-latitude hydroclimate in millennial-scale climate oscillations.

Abstract The 8.2 ka event has been extensively studied, whereas its structure is ambiguous in North China. Here we present a high‐resolution (∼1 year) δ18O record from annual laminated speleothem from Beijing to characterize the detailed variability across this event in North China. Our record indicates a dry 8.2 ka event spanning 8.254–8.107 ka BP with a two‐stage structure superimposed by three prominent high δ18O excursions. The identical structure of speleothem δ18O records between North and central China during the event suggests a common forcing/response in East China, whereas the progressively increased offset between their average values may reflect changes in moisture source or rainout effect. A close comparison with the Greenland ice core records suggests a strong linear response of the Asian summer monsoon to the North Atlantic climate changes across the early and middle stages of the event, but a different mechanism in the termination processes.

Piezoelectric materials that can effectively convert natural mechanical energy into electrical energy without time and space constraints have been widely applied for energy harvesting and conversion. The piezocomposites with high piezoelectricity and flexibility have shown great promise for renewable electric energy generation that can power implantable and wearable electronics. This minireview aims to summarize the recent progress of the piezocomposites with different composite structures, as well as the role of the theoretical understandings and designs in the development of new piezoelectric nanogenerator materials. Thereinto, the most common composite structural types (0-3, 1-3, and 3-3) have been discussed systematically. Several strategies for high output performance of piezocomposites are also proposed on the basis of current experimental and simulation results. Finally, the review concludes with perspectives on the future design of flexible piezoelectric nanocomposites for energy harvesters.

Severe cooling at high northern latitudes, which marked the onset of Heinrich Stadial 4, was synchronous with changes in tropical monsoon systems and preceded Antarctic warming by around 300 years, according to a compilation of speleothem and ice core records.

The widely accepted “Milankovitch theory” explains insolation-induced waxing and waning of the ice sheets and their effect on the global climate on orbital timescales. In the past half century, however, the theory has often come under scrutiny, especially regarding its “100-ka problem.” Another drawback, but the one that has received less attention, is the “monsoon problem,” which pertains to the exclusion of monsoon dynamics in classic Milankovitch theory even though the monsoon prevails over the vast low-latitude (∼30° N to ∼30° S) region that covers half of the Earth’s surface and receives the bulk of solar radiation. In this review, we discuss the major issues with the current form of Milankovitch theory and the progress made at the research forefront. We suggest shifting the emphasis from the ultimate outcomes of the ice volume to the causal relationship between changes in northern high-latitude insolation and ice age termination events (or ice sheet melting rate) to help reconcile the classic “100-ka problem.” We discuss the discrepancies associated with the characterization of monsoon dynamics, particularly the so-called “sea-land precession-phase paradox” and the “Chinese 100-ka problem.” We suggest that many of these discrepancies are superficial and can be resolved by applying a holistic “monsoon system science” approach. Finally, we propose blending the conventional Kutzbach orbital monsoon hypothesis, which calls for summer insolation forcing of monsoons, with Milankovitch theory to formulate a combined “Milankovitch-Kutzbach hypothesis” that can potentially explain the dual nature of orbital hydrodynamics of the ice sheet and monsoon systems, as well as their interplays and respective relationships with the northern high-latitude insolation and inter-tropical insolation differential.

Single crystals have been shown to incorporate guest materials (e.g., gel networks and functional particles) and the incorporated materials endow the crystal hosts with non-intrinsic properties. The acquisition of the non-intrinsic crystal properties impels us to diversify the incorporated guest materials and thus to spread the potential applications of single-crystalline materials. Here, fluorescent NIPAM-based microgels have been selected as the guest materials to be incorporated into the crystal hosts. In the presence of microgels, calcite crystallize from either solution or gel media have been examined. Solution-grown crystals exclude the microgels, while two gel-grown methods have proved effective for incorporating these microgels inside calcite single crystals. On one hand, an additional macroscopic agarose gel-network is introduced to trap the microgels. Crystallization in the agarose gel leads to incorporation of agarose gel-network together with the trapped microgels. The microgel concentration in the crystal reaches 33 mg/mL. On the other hand, dispersions of microgels are concentrated to about 352 mg/mL and the microgels aggregate into non-flowing macroscopic gels (termed as macrogels). Crystallization in a macrogel results in its incorporation. By showing the incorporation of microgels through physical entrapment, this work provides a new platform to functionalize single crystals by the microgels.

Virus-host interaction is a tug of war between pathogenesis and immunity, followed by either activating the host immune defense system to eliminate virus or manipulating host immune control mechanisms to survive and facilitate virus propagation. Comprehensive knowledge of interactions between host and viral proteins might provide hints for developing novel antiviral strategies. To gain a more detailed knowledge of the interactions with porcine circovirus type 2 capsid protein, we employed a coimmunoprecipitation combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach and 222 putative PCV2 Cap-interacting host proteins were identified in the infected porcine kidney (PK-15) cells. Further, a protein-protein interactions (PPIs) network was plotted, and the PCV2 Cap-interacting host proteins were potentially involved in protein binding, DNA transcription, metabolism and innate immune response based on the gene ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database enrichment. Verification in vitro assay demonstrated that eight cellular proteins, namely heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C, nucleophosmin-1, DEAD-box RNA helicase 21, importin β3, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A2, snail family transcriptional repressor 2, MX dynamin like GTPase 2, and intermediate chain 1 interacted with PCV2 Cap. Thus, this work effectively provides useful protein-related information to facilitate further investigation of the underlying mechanism of PCV2 infection and pathogenesis.

Abstract Background Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is a potential risk factor for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). Methods We systematically reviewed three electronic databases for relevant articles published in English: PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to supply a pooled estimation of the OR comparing the risk of HDP among healthy pregnant women with and without excessive GWG. Results The pooled estimation for the association between excessive GWG and the risk of HDPs yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 1.79 (95% CI: 1.61–1.99). A subgroup analysis showed that women who had excessive GWG were more likely to have an HDP (OR 1.82; 95% CI 1.53–2.17), preeclampsia (OR 1.92; 95% CI 1.36–2.72), or gestational hypertension (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.43–1.95). The pooled estimation for the association between excessive GWG and the risk of HDPs among pregestational normal weight women yielded an OR of 1.57 (95% CI 1.26–1.96). A subgroup analysis showed that women who had excessive GWG were more likely to have HDP (OR 1.45; 95% CI 1.09–1.92) or gestational hypertension (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.22–1.86). The summary ORs of pre-gestational underweight women and pre-gestational overweight and obese women were 2.17 (95% CI 1.56–3.02) and 1.32 (95% CI 1.08–1.63), respectively. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that excessive GWG in accordance with the IOM recommendations influences the rate of HDP.

Abstract The precipitation variability associated with the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) has profound societal implications. Here, we use precisely dated and seasonally-resolved stalagmite oxygen isotope (δ18O) records from Shihua Cave, North China to reconstruct the EASM variability over the last 145 years. Our record shows a remarkable weakening of the EASM strength since the 1880s, which may be causally linked to the warming of the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. The δ18O record also exhibits a significant ~30-year periodicity, consistent with the instrumental, historical and proxy-based rainfall records from North China, plausibly driven by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Together, these observations imply that ~30-year periodicity is a persistent feature of the EASM, which remains significant with or without anthropogenic forcing. If indeed, the EASM rainfall in North China might decline significantly in the near future, which may affect millions of people in this region.

The specificity of the antibody response against Zika virus (ZIKV) is not well-characterized. This is due, in part, to the antigenic similarity between ZIKV and closely related dengue virus (DENV) serotypes. Since these and other similar viruses co-circulate, are spread by the same mosquito species, and can cause similar acute clinical syndromes, it is difficult to disentangle ZIKV-specific antibody responses from responses to closely-related arboviruses in humans. Here we use high-density peptide microarrays to profile anti-ZIKV antibody reactivity in pregnant and non-pregnant macaque monkeys with known exposure histories and compare these results to reactivity following DENV infection. We also compare cross-reactive binding of ZIKV-immune sera to the full proteomes of 28 arboviruses. We independently confirm a purported ZIKV-specific IgG antibody response targeting ZIKV nonstructural protein 2B (NS2B) that was recently reported in ZIKV-infected people and we show that antibody reactivity in pregnant animals can be detected as late as 127 days post-infection (dpi). However, we also show that these responses wane over time, sometimes rapidly, and in one case the response was elicited following DENV infection in a previously ZIKV-exposed animal. These results suggest epidemiologic studies assessing seroprevalence of ZIKV immunity using linear epitope-based strategies will remain challenging to interpret due to susceptibility to false positive results. However, the method used here demonstrates the potential for rapid profiling of proteome-wide antibody responses to a myriad of neglected diseases simultaneously and may be especially useful for distinguishing antibody reactivity among closely related pathogens.

Asian summer monsoon (ASM) variability significantly affects hydro-climate, and thus socio-economics, in the East Asian region, where nearly one-third of the global population resides. Over the last two decades, speleothem δ18O records from China have been utilized to reconstruct ASM variability and its underlying forcing mechanisms on orbital to seasonal timescales. Here, we use the Speleothem Isotopes Synthesis and Analysis database (SISAL_v1) to present an overview of hydro-climate variability related to the ASM during three periods: the late Pleistocene, the Holocene, and the last two millennia. We highlight the possible global teleconnections and forcing mechanisms of the ASM on different timescales. The longest composite stalagmite δ18O record over the past 640 kyr BP from the region demonstrates that ASM variability on orbital timescales is dominated by the 23 kyr precessional cycles, which are in phase with Northern Hemisphere summer insolation (NHSI). During the last glacial, millennial changes in the intensity of the ASM appear to be controlled by North Atlantic climate and oceanic feedbacks. During the Holocene, changes in ASM intensity were primarily controlled by NHSI. However, the spatio-temporal distribution of monsoon rain belts may vary with changes in ASM intensity on decadal to millennial timescales.

Introduction: Before they can produce their own antibodies, newborns are protected from infections by transplacental transfer of maternal IgG antibodies and after birth through breast milk IgA antibodies. Rhinovirus (RV) infections are extremely common in early childhood, and while RV infections often result in only mild upper respiratory illnesses, they can also cause severe lower respiratory illnesses such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Methods: We used high-density peptide arrays to profile infant and maternal antibody reactivity to capsid and full proteome sequences of three human RVs - A16, B52, and C11. Results: Numerous plasma IgG and breast milk IgA RV epitopes were identified that localized to regions of the RV capsid surface and interior, and also to several non-structural proteins. While most epitopes were bound by both IgG and IgA, there were several instances where isotype-specific and RV-specific binding were observed. We also profiled 62 unique RV-C protein loop sequences characteristic of this species' capsid VP1 protein. Discussion: Many of the RV-C loop sequences were highly bound by IgG from one-year-old infants, indicating recent or ongoing active infections, or alternatively, a level of cross-reactivity among homologous RV-C sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 8.2 ka event has been extensively investigated as a remarkable single event, but rarely considered as a part of multi-centennial climatic evolution. Here, we present absolutely dated speleothem multi-proxy records spanning 9.0-7.9 ka BP from Beijing in North China, near the northern limit of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and thus sensitive to climate change, to provide evidence for the intensified multi-decadal climatic oscillations since 8.5 ka BP. Three extreme excursions characterized by inter-decadal consecutive δ18O excursions exceeding ±1s are identified from 8.5 ka BP in our speleothem record. The former two are characterized by enriched 18O at ~8.40 and 8.20 ka BP, respectively, suggesting a prolonged arid event which is supported by the positive trend in δ13C values, increased trace element ratios, and lower growth rate. Following the 8.2 ka event, an excessive rebound immediately emerges in our δ18O and trace element records but moderate in the δ13C, probably suggesting pluvial conditions and nonlinear response of the local ecosystem. Following two similar severe droughts at 8.40 and 8.20 ka BP, the different behavior of δ13C suggests the recovering degree of resilient ecosystem responding to different rebounded rainfall intensity. A comparison with other high-resolution records suggests that the two droughts-one pluvial patterns between 8.5 and 8.0 ka BP are of global significance instead of a regional phenomenon, which is causally linked to the slowdown and acceleration of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation that was further dominated by the freshwater injections in the North Atlantic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]