| 1. |
- Fu, Xi, et al.
(författare)
-
Associations between environmental characteristics, high-resolution indoor microbiome, metabolome and allergic and non-allergic rhinitis symptoms for junior high school students
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Environmental Science. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2050-7887 .- 2050-7895. ; 25:4, s. 791-804
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rhinitis is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases globally. Microbiome exposure affects the occurrence of rhinitis. However, previous studies did not differentiate allergic rhinitis (AR) and non-allergic rhinitis (NAR) in the microbial association analysis. In this study, we investigate 347 students in 8 junior high schools, Terengganu, Malaysia, who were categorized as healthy (70.9%), AR (13.8%) and NAR (15.3%) based on a self-administered questionnaire and skin prick tests of pollen, pet, mould and house dust mite allergens. Classroom microbial and metabolite exposure in vacuumed dust was characterized by PacBio long-read amplicon sequencing, quantitative PCR and LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics. Our findings indicate a similar microbial association pattern between AR and NAR. The richness in Gammaproteobacteria was negatively associated with AR and NAR symptoms, whereas total fungal richness was positively associated with AR and NAR symptoms (p < 0.05). Brasilonema bromeliae and Aeromonas enteropelogenes were negatively associated with AR and NAR, and Deinococcus was positively associated with AR and NAR (p < 0.01). Pipecolic acid was protectively associated with AR and NAR symptoms (OR = 0.06 and 0.13, p = 0.009 and 0.045). A neural network analysis showed that B. bromeliae was co-occurring with pipecolic acid, suggesting that the protective role of this species may be mediated by releasing pipecolic acid. Indoor relative humidity and the weight of vacuum dust were associated with AR and NAR, respectively (p < 0.05), but the health effects were mediated by two protective bacterial species, Aliinostoc morphoplasticum and Ilumatobacter fluminis. Overall, our study reported a similar microbial association pattern between AR and NAR and also revealed the complex interactions between microbial species, environmental characteristics, and rhinitis symptoms.
|
|
| 2. |
- Sun, Yu, et al.
(författare)
-
Indoor microbiome, microbial and plant metabolites, chemical compounds, and asthma symptoms in junior high school students : a multicentre association study in Malaysia
- 2022
-
Ingår i: European Respiratory Journal. - : European Respiratory Society (ERS). - 0903-1936 .- 1399-3003. ; 60:5
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Indoor microbial exposure is associated with asthma, but the health effects of indoor metabolites and chemicals have not been comprehensively assessed.Methods We collected classroom dust from 24 junior high schools in three geographically distanced areas in Malaysia (Johor Bahru, Terengganu and Penang), and conducted culture-independent high-throughput microbiome and untargeted metabolomics/chemical profiling.Results 1290 students were surveyed for asthma symptoms (wheeze). In each centre, we found significant variation in the prevalence of wheeze among schools, which could be explained by personal characteristics and air pollutants. Large-scale microbial variations were observed between the three centres; the potential protective bacteria were mainly from phyla Actinobacteria in Johor Bahru, Cyanobacteria in Terengganu and Proteobacteria in Penang. In total, 2633 metabolites and chemicals were characterised. Many metabolites were enriched in low-wheeze schools, including plant secondary metabolites flavonoids/isoflavonoids (isoliquiritigenin, formononetin, astragalin), indole and derivatives (indole, serotonin, 1H-indole-3-carboxaldehyde), and others (biotin, chavicol). A neural network analysis showed that the indole derivatives were co-occurring with the potential protective microbial taxa, including Actinomycetospora, Fischerella and Truepera, suggesting these microorganisms may pose health effects by releasing indole metabolites. A few synthetic chemicals were enriched in high-wheeze schools, including pesticides (2(3H)-benzothiazolethione), fragrances (2-aminobenzoic acid, isovaleric acid), detergents and plastics (phthalic acid), and industrial materials (4,4-sulfonyldiphenol).Conclusions This is the first association study between high-throughput indoor chemical profiling and asthma symptoms. The consistent results from the three centres indicate that indoor metabolites/chemicals could be a better indicator than the indoor microbiome for environmental and health assessments, providing new insights for asthma prediction, prevention and control.
|
|
| 3. |
- Fu, Xi, et al.
(författare)
-
Self-rated health (SRH), recovery from work, fatigue, and insomnia among commercial pilots concerning occupational and non-occupational factors
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Frontiers In Public Health. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-2565. ; 10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: This study investigated associations of self-rated health (SRH), recovery from work, fatigue, and insomnia with working conditions, the psychosocial work environment, lifestyle, and sense of coherence (SOC) among commercial pilots.Methods: A standardized questionnaire was sent to all pilots in an airline company, of whom 354 (61%) responded. Associations were analyzed via ordinal and logistic regression with mutual adjustment.Results: Overall, 21.8% of participants reported low SRH, 13.0% reported not recovering from work during their free time, 61.9% experienced fatigue, and 70.6% experienced insomnia symptoms. A high level of demand at work was associated with poor SRH and more fatigue, and low social support at work was associated with insomnia and poorer recovery from work. Habits surrounding exercise and BMI were associated with SRH. Part-time pilots and captains reported experiencing better recovery from work than their counterparts, while female pilots and younger pilots reported less fatigue. Amount of free time after work and the type of airplane operated were associated with experience of insomnia symptoms. Finally, having a strong sense of coherence was protectively associated with all health outcomes.Conclusion: The psychosocial environment at work is essential for the health of pilots, and a strong sense of coherence can be protective. Occupational conditions may influence recovery from work, fatigue, and insomnia. Moreover, engaging in exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, working part-time, and having more free time after the working day could improve pilots' health.
|
|
| 4. |
- Guo, Jinan, et al.
(författare)
-
A non-invasive 25-Gene PLNM-Score urine test for detection of prostate cancer pelvic lymph node metastasis
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1365-7852 .- 1476-5608.
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Prostate cancer patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM) have poor prognosis. Based on EAU guidelines, patients with >5% risk of PLNM by nomograms often receive pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) during prostatectomy. However, nomograms have limited accuracy, so large numbers of false positive patients receive unnecessary surgery with potentially serious side effects. It is important to accurately identify PLNM, yet current tests, including imaging tools are inaccurate. Therefore, we intended to develop a gene expression-based algorithm for detecting PLNM. Methods: An advanced random forest machine learning algorithm screening was conducted to develop a classifier for identifying PLNM using urine samples collected from a multi-center retrospective cohort (n = 413) as training set and validated in an independent multi-center prospective cohort (n = 243). Univariate and multivariate discriminant analyses were performed to measure the ability of the algorithm classifier to detect PLNM and compare it with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomogram score. Results: An algorithm named 25 G PLNM-Score was developed and found to accurately distinguish PLNM and non-PLNM with AUC of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.85-1.01) and 0.93 (95% CI: 0.87-0.99) in the retrospective and prospective urine cohorts respectively. Kaplan-Meier plots showed large and significant difference in biochemical recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival in the patients stratified by the 25 G PLNM-Score (log rank P < 0.001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). It spared 96% and 80% of unnecessary PLND with only 0.51% and 1% of PLNM missing in the retrospective and prospective cohorts respectively. In contrast, the MSKCC score only spared 15% of PLND with 0% of PLNM missing. Conclusions: The novel 25 G PLNM-Score is the first highly accurate and non-invasive machine learning algorithm-based urine test to identify PLNM before PLND, with potential clinical benefits of avoiding unnecessary PLND and improving treatment decision-making.
|
|
| 5. |
- Richards, Stephen, et al.
(författare)
-
The genome of the model beetle and pest Tribolium castaneum.
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Nature. - 1476-4687. ; 452:7190, s. 949-55
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tribolium castaneum is a representative of earth’s most numerous eukaryotic order, a powerful model organism for the study of generalized insect development, and also an important pest of stored agricultural products. We describe its genome sequence here. This omnivorous beetle has evolved an ability to interact with a diverse chemical environment as evidenced by large expansions in odorant and gustatory receptors, as well as p450 and other detoxification enzymes. Developmental patterns in Tribolium are more representative of other arthropods than those found in Drosophila, a fact represented in gene content and function. For one, Tribolium has retained more ancestral genes involved in cell-cell communication than Drosophila, and some are expressed in the growth zone crucial for axial elongation in short germ development. Systemic RNAi in T. castaneum appears to use mechanisms distinct from those found in C. elegans, but nevertheless offers similar power for the elucidation of gene function and identification of targets for selective insect control.
|
|
| 6. |
- Zhang, Peng, et al.
(författare)
-
Using in situ nanocellulose-coating technology based on dynamic bacterial cultures for upgrading conventional biomedical materials and reinforcing nanocellulose hydrogels
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Biotechnology progress (Print). - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 8756-7938 .- 1520-6033. ; 32:4, s. 1077-1084
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is a microbial nanofibrillar hydrogel with many potential applications. Its use is largely restricted by insufficient strength when in a highly swollen state and by inefficient production using static cultivation. In this study, an in situ nanocellulose-coating technology created a fabric-frame reinforced nanocomposite of BNC hydrogel with superior strength but retained BNC native attributes. By using the proposed technology, production time could be reduced from 10 to 3 days to obtain a desirable hydrogel sheet with approximately the same thickness. This novel technology is easier to scale up and is more suitable for industrial-scale manufacture. The mechanical properties (tensile strength, suture retention strength) and gel characteristics (water holding, absorption and wicking ability) of the fabric-reinforced BNC hydrogel were investigated and compared with those of ordinary BNC hydrogel sheets. The results reveal that the fabric-reinforced BNC hydrogel was equivalent with regard to gel characteristics, and exhibited a qualitative improvement with regard to its mechanical properties. For more advanced applications, coating technology via dynamic bacterial cultures could be used to upgrade conventional biomedical fabrics, i.e. medical cotton gauze or other mesh materials, with nanocellulose.
|
|
| 7. |
- Zhong, Yi, et al.
(författare)
-
Paleoclimate evolution of the North Pacific Ocean during the late Quaternary : Progress and challenges
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Geosystems and Geoenvironment. - : Elsevier BV. - 2772-8838. ; 2:1
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- High- and low-latitude climatic processes in the North Pacific Ocean are important components of the global climate system. For example, the interplay among North Pacific atmospheric circulation, ocean circulation, and biological productivity affects atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and marine oxygen concentrations. Here we review recent research on the North Pacific paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic evolution during the late Quaternary and its response to external forcings such as orbital insolation, ice-sheet extent, and greenhouse gas concentrations. First, we summarize the principles and application of relative paleointensity as a critical chronological tool in North Pacific paleoclimate research. Second, we illustrate the latest discoveries on the interaction between North Pacific Intermediate Water formation and high-to-low latitude teleconnection processes. Third, recent progress in linking dust fluxes and marine productivity and their global significance for the carbon cycle are presented. Finally, several key scientific problems are highlighted for future research on ocean-atmosphere-climate interactions in the North Pacific, pointing to the importance of combining paleo-records and modeling simulations. Overall, this review also aims to provide a broad insight into possible future changes of ocean-atmosphere circulation in the North Pacific region under a rapidly warming climate.
|
|
