Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luiz Henrique Agra Cavalcante-Silva, Fernanda Silva Almeida, Arthur Gomes de Andrade, Fernando Cezar Comberlang, Leonardo Lima Cardoso, Shayenne Eduarda Ramos Vanderley, Tatjana S. L. Keesen
Summary: The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex causes tuberculosis, a disease characterized by pulmonary inflammation and potential damage to other tissues. Neutrophils, in addition to macrophages, play a role in the immune response to tuberculosis. Neutrophils possess phagocytic abilities and release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) composed of DNA, enzymes, and antimicrobial peptides, which are involved in antimicrobial defense and immune pathogenesis. This review highlights the importance of NETs in tuberculosis and their potential applications in diagnosis and therapy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Trine H. Mogensen
Summary: This article reviews the major IEIs predisposing to severe or chronic viral infections, discussing the clinical implications for individualized prophylaxis and treatment. Insights into genetic predisposition to viral infections in humans, with a focus on defects related to innate immune responses, are provided.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sara A. Healy, Charles Anderson, Bruce J. Swihart, Agnes Mwakingwe, Erin E. Gabriel, Hope Decederfelt, Charlotte Hobbs, Kelly M. Rausch, Daming Zhu, Olga Muratova, Raul Herrera, Puthupparampil Scaria, Nicholas J. MacDonald, Lynn E. Lambert, Irfan Zaidi, Camila H. Coelho, Jonathan P. Renn, Yimin Wu, David L. Narum, Patrick E. Duffy
Summary: In this study, the vaccine candidate Pfs230D1-EPA induced stronger serum functional activity in rhesus monkeys and US adults compared to Pfs25, with complement-dependency noted. This suggests that Pfs230D1 may be more suitable for advancing transmission-blocking vaccines for malaria eradication.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Review
Microbiology
Elissa G. Currie, Scott D. Gray-Owen
Summary: Neisseria meningitidis is both a normal colonizer of the human nasopharynx and a pathogen causing devastating invasive disease. Immunization is the best tool to protect against meningococcal infections. Recent efforts using humanized mouse models have revealed insights into the impact of different meningococcal vaccines on nasal colonization and immunity, shedding light on key mechanistic aspects for future research.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Kristina Dobrindt, Daisy A. Hoagland, Carina Seah, Bibi Kassim, Callan P. O'Shea, Aleta Murphy, Marina Iskhakova, Michael B. Fernando, Samuel K. Powell, P. J. Michael Deans, Ben Javidfar, Cyril Peter, Rasmus Moller, Skyler A. Uhl, Meilin Fernandez Garcia, Masaki Kimura, Kentaro Iwasawa, John F. Crary, Darrell N. Kotton, Takanori Takebe, Laura M. Huckins, Benjamin R. tenOever, Schahram Akbarian, Kristen J. Brennand
Summary: The host response to SARS-CoV-2 shows significant variability among individuals, with genetic variants also influencing susceptibility to infection. Research suggests that common genetic variations, such as the single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs4702), can impact viral infection.
Review
Pediatrics
Brigette Boast, Cristiane De Jesus Nunes-Santos, Hye Sun Kuehn, Sergio D. Rosenzweig
Summary: The normal expression of Ikaros (IKZF1) is crucial for proper functioning of the immune system in both humans and mice. Mutations in IKZF1 have different clinical outcomes in patients, including immunodeficiency, immune dysregulation, and cancer. Studies in mice and humans have provided insights into the biological role of IKZF1 in the immune system and its impact on disease.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jackson S. Turner, Wooseob Kim, Elizaveta Kalaidina, Charles W. Goss, Adriana M. Rauseo, Aaron J. Schmitz, Lena Hansen, Alem Haile, Michael K. Klebert, Iskra Pusic, Jane A. O'Halloran, Rachel M. Presti, Ali H. Ellebedy
Summary: The study found that individuals who had recovered from mild SARS-CoV-2 infections showed rapid decline of serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies in the first 4 months after infection, followed by a more gradual decrease over the following 7 months but remaining detectable at least 11 months after infection. This suggests that mild infection with SARS-CoV-2 can induce robust antigen-specific, long-lived humoral immune memory in humans.
Article
Cell Biology
Frederico R. C. Costa, Jefferson A. Leite, Diane M. Rassi, Josiane F. da Silva, Jefferson Elias-Oliveira, Jhefferson B. Guimaraes, Maria C. Foss-Freitas, Niels O. S. Camara, Alessandra Pontillo, Rita C. Tostes, Joao S. Silva, Daniela Carlos
Summary: NLRP1 plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of T1D by regulating the Th17 cell polarization program and affecting the production of IL-17, leading to pancreatic destruction and increased risk of diabetes.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tom Le Voyer, Anna-Lena Neehus, Rui Yang, Masato Ogishi, Jeremie Rosain, Fayhan Alroqi, Maha Alshalan, Sophie Blumental, Fatima Al Ali, Taushif Khan, Manar Ata, Laurence Rozen, Anne Demulder, Paul Bastard, Conor Gruber, Manon Roynard, Yoann Seeleuthener, Franck Rapaport, Benedetta Bigio, Maya Chrabieh, Danielle Sng, Laureline Berteloot, Nathalie Boddaert, Flore Rozenberg, Saleh Al-Muhsen, Aida Bertoli-Avella, Laurent Abel, Dusan Bogunovic, Nico Marr, Davood Mansouri, Fuad Al Mutairi, Vivien Beziat, Dominique Weil, Seyed Alireza Mahdaviani, Alina Ferster, Shen-Ying Zhang, Bruno Reversade, Stephanie Boisson-Dupuis, Jean-Laurent Casanova, Jacinta Bustamante
Summary: The study reports four patients with intermittent monocytosis and mycobacterial disease, homozygous for ZNFX1 variants predicted to be loss of function. Despite lacking known inborn errors of IFN-gamma, the patients show normal responses to IFN-gamma but have defective ZNFX1 protein, essential for monocyte homeostasis and protective immunity to mycobacteria.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Constantinos Deltas, Gregory Papagregoriou, Stavroula F. Louka, Apostolos Malatras, Frances Flinter, Daniel P. Gale, Susie Gear, Oliver Gross, Julia Hoefele, Rachel Lennon, Jeffrey H. Miner, Alessandra Renieri, Judy Savige, A. Neil Turner
Summary: Familial hematuria is a clinical sign of a genetically heterogeneous group of conditions, most commonly caused by pathogenic variants in the COL4A3/A4/A5 genes. The disease can lead to kidney failure, but the severity and progression vary among patients. Currently, it is still uncertain how to distinguish patients who require prompt medical intervention.
Review
Immunology
Prashanta Silwal, In Soo Kim, Eun-Kyeong Jo
Summary: Autophagy plays a crucial role in enhancing the immune responses and controlling inflammation against NTM infections, and holds potential as a therapeutic target for combating NTM infections.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Jamie L. Courtland, Tyler W. A. Bradshaw, Greg Waitt, Erik J. Soderblom, Tricia Ho, Anna Rajab, Ricardo Vancini, Il Hwan Kim, Scott H. Soderling
Summary: Mutation of SWIP destabilizes the WASH complex, leading to disruptions in endosomal and lysosomal pathways, and resulting in neurodegeneration and motor deficits. These findings support a model where cognitive and motor impairments are driven by endo-lysosomal dysfunction in the brain due to WASH complex destabilization caused by SWIPP1019R.
Article
Hematology
Ethan G. Aguilar, Cordelia Dunai, Sean J. Judge, Anthony E. Zamora, Lam T. Khuat, Logan V. Vick, Craig P. Collins, Kevin M. Stoffel, Maite Alvarez, Isabel Barao, Jeffrey S. Miller, Bruce R. Blazar, Patrice Chevallier, Christelle Retiere, Robert J. Canter, William J. Murphy
Summary: NK cells can be divided into licensed and unlicensed subsets based on their ability to bind to MHC molecules, with unlicensed subsets shown to positively regulate the adaptive T-cell response during viral infections. The effects of licensing patterns on overall immune responses depend on the level of stimulation and activation status.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Prabhu S. Arunachalam, Madeleine K. D. Scott, Thomas Hagan, Chunfeng Li, Yupeng Feng, Florian Wimmers, Lilit Grigoryan, Meera Trisal, Venkata Viswanadh Edara, Lilin Lai, Sarah Esther Chang, Allan Feng, Shaurya Dhingra, Mihir Shah, Alexandra S. Lee, Sharon Chinthrajah, Sayantani B. Sindher, Vamsee Mallajosyula, Fei Gao, Natalia Sigal, Sangeeta Kowli, Sheena Gupta, Kathryn Pellegrini, Gregory Tharp, Sofia Maysel-Auslender, Sydney Hamilton, Hadj Aoued, Kevin Hrusovsky, Mark Roskey, Steven E. Bosinger, Holden T. Maecker, Scott D. Boyd, Mark M. Davis, Paul J. Utz, Mehul S. Suthar, Purvesh Khatri, Kari C. Nadeau, Bali Pulendran
Summary: The study found that vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine can induce immune responses against neutralizing antibodies and CD4, CD8 T cells of SARS-CoV-2. Booster vaccines can significantly enhance innate immune responses, and different innate pathways associated with CD8 T cells and neutralizing antibodies have been identified.
Article
Neurosciences
Xiaoluan Xia, Fei Gao, Zhen Yuan
Summary: The study revealed consistent connectional specialization of the Broca's area in humans and macaques, but quantitative differences between corresponding voxels resulted in inter-hemispheric, inter-subject, and inter-species connectional variabilities. Additionally, higher variabilities were detected in the anatomically defined pars triangularis, and a negative relationship was found between inter-species variability and hemispheric asymmetry in the human brain.
Article
Thermodynamics
S. Vallova, E. Plevova, K. Smutna, B. Sokolova, L. Vaculikova, V. Valovicova, M. Hundakova, P. Praus
Summary: This study evaluates the potential of commercial montmorillonites in removing analgesic drugs from aqueous solutions. The organically modified montmorillonite demonstrated strong adsorption ability, especially exhibiting the best adsorption performance for diclofenac among the three analgesics studied.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL ANALYSIS AND CALORIMETRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Petr Praus, Aneta Smykalova, Krystof Foniok
Summary: Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, or CN) was prepared by heating melamine and melamine-cyanurate complex in air, with the latter showing higher photocatalytic activity in decomposing ofloxacin compared to ampicillin.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Petr Praus
Summary: This study provides an overview of s-C3N4, an allotrope of graphitic carbon nitride, addressing its significance, particularly in terms of its potential as a photocatalyst.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Vlastimil Matejka, Mara Leonardi, Petr Praus, Giovanni Straffelini, Stefano Gialanella
Summary: This study evaluated the role of graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) in friction composites for brake pad manufacturing and found that its main function is as a soft abrasive.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Vlastimil Matejka, Radim Skuta, Krystof Foniok, Vlastimil Novak, Daniel Cvejn, Alexandr Martaus, Monika Michalska, Jiri Pavlovsky, Petr Praus
Summary: This study describes the doping of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) with phosphorus through heat treatment, and investigates the influence of phosphorus content on the photocatalytic degradation activity.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Petr Praus, Lenka Rehackova, Jakub Cizek, Aneta Smykalova, Martin Kostejn, Jiri Pavlovsky, Miroslava Filip Edelmannova, Kamila Koci
Summary: This study synthesized C3N4 from nitrogen-rich precursors, forming vacancy complexes that are beneficial for hydrogen generation, and the photocatalyst exhibited higher performance than bulk C3N4 synthesized in air.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Petr Praus, Aneta Smykalova, Daniel Cvejn, Sandra Losertova, Martin Kostejn, Vlastimil Novak
Summary: By surface modification of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), the pore size distribution and surface structure could be altered, resulting in improved photocatalytic activity. Among the doping agents, the photocatalyst prepared through the reaction of PCl3 and pyridine showed the highest activity.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jiri Horak, Lenka Kubonova, Milan Dej, Jiri Rysavy, Stanislav Bajer, Zdennk Kysucan, Pavel Ulrich, Pavel Marecek, Filip Tesar, Martin Garba, Frantisek Hopan, Petr Praus
Summary: Maintaining a pH value between 6 and 9 in wastewater is crucial for protecting water organisms. The use of dolomite is an effective and affordable way to neutralize the acidic condensate from gas condensing boilers. However, the effectiveness of dolomite may be reduced in the long run due to the aluminum content in the heat exchanger, so aerating the condensate in the neutralization box is recommended for more efficient neutralization.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Petr Praus
Summary: This review summarizes research articles on the photocatalytic fixation of nitrogen using graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) from 2015 onwards. The NH3/NH4+ production rates from these articles were statistically processed, with the highest rate achieved by the composite g-C3N4 and 1T-MoS2 being 11120 mu mol g(-1) L-1 h(-1). The highest reported rate provided by bulk g-C3N4 was 5561 mu mol g(-1) L-1 h(-1), which surpassed 90% of the rates from various g-C3N4 composites. The quantum efficiency of the composites ranged from 0.033 to 5.65% with a median of 1.25%. Although not competitive with the industrial Haber-Bosch process, graphitic carbon nitride shows promise for future investigations into photocatalytic nitrogen fixation under visible light.
Editorial Material
Immunology
Irina Linge, Tatiana Kondratieva, Alexander Apt
Review
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Petr Praus
Summary: This study searched for an empirical relationship between the number of review and research articles published per year. The simple idea based on proportionality between the numbers of both kinds of articles was expressed using a quadratic relationship that accounts for negative or positive deviations from assumed linearity. The quadratic relationship was able to accurately describe the early and mature phases of research fields and detect unexpectedly high numbers of review articles. The findings were verified using articles from 20 different research fields across various time spans obtained from the Web of Science.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Michalska, V. Matejka, J. Pavlovsky, P. Praus, M. Ritz, J. Serencisova, L. Gembalova, M. Kormunda, K. Foniok, M. Reli, G. Simha Martynkova
Summary: This study demonstrates the comparison of two different semiconductor materials, TiO2 and melem/g-C3N4 composites, modified with Ag nanoparticles as photocatalysts for degradation of acid orange 7 (AO7) dye. A new synthesis route for Ag NPs was proposed, and the best photocatalytic performances were achieved for TiO2 and melem/g-C3N4 materials modified with a very low Ag content. The results suggest the potential of these materials for the degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater treatment.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sarka Pausova, Michal Baudys, Jiri Kosina, Petr Praus, Albin Pintar, Gregor Zerjav, Matevz Roskaric, Matjaz Finsgar, Josef Krysa
Summary: Sufficient photochemical stability is crucial for the successful environmental applications of g-C3N4 photocatalyst. This study investigates the photostability of g-C3N4 materials under UV and visible light irradiation, and analyzes the production of organic compounds. The results show that g-C3N4 materials produce organic compounds under UV or visible light, while TiO2 does not. This may be due to the surface oxidation reaction of g-C3N4 materials, which leads to the disruption of C-N bonds and the release of organic compounds.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Halyna Starukh, Martin Kostejn, Vlastimil Matejka, Petr Praus
Summary: By adsorbing silver cations on the surface of exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride (CNE) and reducing them to form silver nanoclusters (NCs), the photocatalytic activity of CNE was enhanced and recombination of photoinduced electrons and holes was reduced. This study demonstrates the capability of CNE to act as a platform for simple and rapid synthesis of Ag NCs without the need for stabilizing compounds.
NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Petr Praus, Aneta Smykalova, Krystof Foniok, Vlastimil Novak, Jan Hrbac
Summary: Bare and oxygen doped graphitic carbon nitride were synthesized by thermal polymerization and mechanical mixtures, with the addition of cyanuric acid leading to changes in morphology and increased surface functional groups, ultimately enhancing photocatalytic activity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
