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The role of neutrophils during cancer formation and elimination is diverse. Here, for the first time, we investigate neutrophil helper cells (NBH), their influence on B cell activity in the regional lymph nodes (RLN) of head-and-neck cancer patients and the effect of this neutrophil/B cell interaction on patient prognosis. Circulating and RLN neutrophils of patients with stage I–IV head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma were investigated with flow cytometry and qPCR. In addition, neutrophil/B cell co-localization in RLNs was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. B cell proliferation was assessed and correlated with the distance to neutrophils. Patient survival was evaluated. Neutrophils with the helper cell phenotype were identified in the RLN of HNC patients. B cells in close proximity to such NBH showed significantly higher proliferation rates, together with elevated activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression. Notably, patient survival was significantly higher in individuals with high NBH frequencies in the B follicles of RLNs. Neutrophils in RLN can support T cell-independent activation of the adaptive immune system through B cell stimulation, capturing helper cell phenotype character. The presence of such helper neutrophils in the RLNs of HNC patients positively correlates with patient prognosis.

Waterways provide many ecological and socialservices, such as water supply, navigation,freshwater reservoirs for aquatic organisms,recreation, and fisheries. However, in heavilydeveloped waterways, the diversity andproductivity of fish assemblages typicallybecome reduced, mainly due to migrationbarriers, pollution, habitat loss, and biotopesimplification. Additionally, navigation maydirectly or indirectly reduce fish assemblages,amplifying the effects of habitat destruction.This study summarizes navigation impacts toimprove the evaluation of direct navigationeffects on fish assemblages. Literature onhydraulic forces created by moving tows wasreviewed to compare the pressures induced byshipping with the biological capabilities offish, especially with their swimming speeds.Available studies of swimming performance offreshwater fishes were compiled to developgeneral models of length-specific burst, aswell as critical swimming speeds. Modelsregressing total length on burst and criticalswimming speeds were highly significant.Linking applied hydrology and hydraulicengineering with fish ecology and physiology,absolute speed was concluded to be the bestpredictor for thresholds and limitations ofhabitat use by fish. A navigation-inducedhabitat bottleneck hypothesis (NBH) wasinferred from the threshold flow velocity,determining habitat availability for fish.According to the NBH presented here, swimmingperformance of juvenile freshwater fish is themajor bottleneck for fish recruitment inwaterways, as a result of their inability towithstand bank-directed navigation-inducedphysical forces. In essence, under commonnavigation conditions, with respect to inlandwaterway morphology, channel cross section,vessel speeds, and dimensions of commercialvessels, the navigation-induced return currentsalong the shore are usually around 0.8 ms (0.7-1.0 m s) accompanied by a0.1-0.3 m drawdown. Under such conditions, theproposed threshold for small fish survival wasestimated to be 147 mm total length at criticalswimming performance (>20 s - 60 min withoutfatigue) and 47 mm at burst performance (<20s). These theoretical findings were supportedby empirical studies of fish recruitment inwaterways. The strong dependence of fishrecruitment on hydraulic forces opens uppossibilities of formulating suitable criteriafor safe ship operation (speed and distance tobank), as well as for effective fairwaymanagement (construction and maintenance) andsustainable fish conservation (species andproduction). A more ecologically orientatedhydraulic engineering will not constraincommercial navigation and their socioeconomicbenefits, but it will substantially enhancefish recruitment in waterways and theirecological sustainability, for the overallbenefit of fish, fisheries, and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Neutrophils exhibit multiple functions during cancer progression and are believed to regulate adaptive immune responses to cancer. In addition to their interactions with T cells in this context, these cells are also believed to interact with B cells. Neutrophils have been found in the marginal zone of the spleen, where they exhibit helper cell characteristics, supporting B cell proliferation and activation. Here, we investigate the effect of neutrophils on B cells in the regional lymph nodes (RLN) of head-and-neck cancer (HNC) patients. We have identified that, in RLNs, neutrophils express a helper cell phenotype that was associated with the increased activation and proliferation of B cells. Importantly, the high abundance of neutrophils in the B cell follicles of regional lymph nodes is associated with significantly improved HNC patient survival. The role of neutrophils during cancer formation and elimination is diverse. Here, for the first time, we investigate neutrophil helper cells (NBH), their influence on B cell activity in the regional lymph nodes (RLN) of head-and-neck cancer patients and the effect of this neutrophil/B cell interaction on patient prognosis. Circulating and RLN neutrophils of patients with stage I–IV head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma were investigated with flow cytometry and qPCR. In addition, neutrophil/B cell co-localization in RLNs was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. B cell proliferation was assessed and correlated with the distance to neutrophils. Patient survival was evaluated. Neutrophils with the helper cell phenotype were identified in the RLN of HNC patients. B cells in close proximity to such NBH showed significantly higher proliferation rates, together with elevated activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) expression. Notably, patient survival was significantly higher in individuals with high NBH frequencies in the B follicles of RLNs. Neutrophils in RLN can support T cell-independent activation of the adaptive immune system through B cell stimulation, capturing helper cell phenotype character. The presence of such helper neutrophils in the RLNs of HNC patients positively correlates with patient prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]