Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) were identified more than 50 years ago, and research advances have promoted the translation of pre-clinical studies into clinical settings in several diseases. However, we are only starting to uncover the local factors that regulate cell phenotype, cell function, and cell viability across tissues following administration in different diseases. Advances in pre-clini

Severe viral pneumonia is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally, whether due to outbreaks of endemic viruses, periodic viral epidemics, or the rarer but devastating global viral pandemics. While limited anti-viral therapies exist, there is a paucity of direct therapies to directly attenuate viral pneumonia-induced lung injury, and management therefore remains largely supportive.

Reaching the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement not only requires ambitious goals from national governments, but also the active participation of local municipalities. It is in cities where climate actions need to be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reach international and national climate goals. While the importance of cities and their participation in networks has been well-re

Human alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) encoded by the SERPINA1 gene, is an acute phase glycoprotein that regulates inflammatory responses via both protease inhibitory and non-inhibitory activities. We previously reported that AAT controls ATP-induced IL-1β release from human mononuclear cells by stimulating the release of small bioactive molecules. In the current study, we aimed to elucidate the identity

We introduce the Atmospherically Relevant Chemistry and Aerosol box model ARCA box (v.1.2.2). It is a zero-dimensional process model with a focus on atmospheric chemistry and submicron aerosol processes, including cluster formation. A novel feature in the model is its comprehensive graphical user interface, allowing for detailed configuration and documentation of the simulation settings, flexible

Strengthening of feed security in the Sahel is urgently needed given the climate change and growing human population. A prerequisite to this is sustainable use of rangeland forage resources for livestock. Many studies have focused on the assessment of rangeland resources during the rainy season, while only a few have focused on the dry season which is the longest and most demanding period for live

Predation is a major evolutionary driver of animal adaptation. However, understanding of anti-predator evolution is biased toward vertebrate taxa. Cephalopoda, a class in the invertebrate phylum Mollusca, are known for their diverse anti-predator strategies, characterised by their behavioural flexibility. While ancestral cephalopods were protected by a hard outer shell, extant cephalopods have gre

The primary aim of the study was to identify inflammatory markers relevant for osteoarthritis (OA)-related systemic (plasma) and local (synovial fluid, SF) inflammation. From this, we looked for inflammatory markers that coincided with the increased amount of O-linked Tn antigen (GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr) glycan on SF lubricin. Inflammatory markers in plasma and SF in OA patients and controls were measure

A new empirical parameterization (EP) for multiple groups of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) is implemented in the aerosol-cloud model (AC) to investigate their roles as ice nucleating particles (INPs). The EP describes the heterogeneous ice nucleation by (1) fungal spores, (2) bacteria, (3) pollen, (4) detritus of plants, animals, and viruses, and (5) algae. Each group includes fragm

Land biosphere processes are of central importance to the climate system. Specifically, ecosystems interact with the atmosphere through a variety of feedback loops that modulate energy, water, and CO2 fluxes between the land surface and the atmosphere across a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. Human land use and land cover modification add a further level of complexity to land-atmosphere

The immune control of tuberculosis (TB) infection could be influenced by pregnancy. To elucidate this, we longitudinally characterized Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-specific and nonspecific immune responses in women during pregnancy and postpartum. HIV-uninfected women without past or current active TB, and with blood samples available from the 1st/2nd trimester, 3rd trimester, and 9 months pos

Objective. The diagnostic yield of sural nerve biopsy (SNB) in vasculitis is uncertain. Our aim was to document relevant characteristics of patients undergoing SNB in the investigation of vasculitis; determine the diagnostic yield; relate positive biopsy findings to patient demographic, laboratory, and clinical variables; and to calculate the rate of surgical complications. Methods. Patients with

Ice fragments are generated by sublimation of ice particles in subsaturated conditions in natural clouds. Conceivably, such sublimational breakup would be expected to cause ice multiplication in natural clouds. Any fragment that survives will grow to become ice precipitation that may sublimate and fragment further. As a first step toward assessing this overlooked process, a formulation is proposed

The European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive is of paramount importance for water management. According to the legal text, coordination with other directives like the Floods Directive is imperative and motivated by potential synergy effects. In this paper, the degree to which such coordination is achieved is evaluated for five Nordic and Baltic countries. The evaluation is based on legal docu

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests that animal protein foods may increase the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We therefore examined the NAFLD risk reduction related to substituting plant protein foods for animal protein foods.METHODS: The cohort in North China included 14,541 participants from the Tianjin Chronic Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH) study, and

BACKGROUND: We investigated the causality of IL-8 on carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT), a measure of sub-clinical atherosclerosis.METHODS: The IMPROVE is a multicenter European study (n = 3,711). The association of plasma IL-8 with c-IMT (mm) was estimated by quantile regression. Genotyping was performed using the Illumina CardioMetabo and Immuno chips. Replication was attempted in three inde