A Fork in the Road: An Unusual Case of Duodenal-Cecal Fistula Due to a Chronic Foreign Body.

A duodenal-cecal fistula is characterized as an unnatural connection between the duodenum and cecum. Here, we present the case of a 40-year-old male with unintentional weight loss and a history of foreign body ingestion a few years prior. Computerized tomography (CT) small bowel enterography showed a linear soft tissue tract extending from the inferior aspect of the distal duodenum to the cecum.

Key triggers of adaptive genetic variability of sessile oak [Q. petraea (Matt.) Liebl.] from the Balkan refugia: outlier detection and association of SNP loci from ddRAD-seq data.

Knowledge on the genetic composition of Quercus petraea in south-eastern Europe is limited despite the species' significant role in the re-colonisation of Europe during the Holocene, and the diverse climate and physical geography of the region. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct research on adaptation in sessile oak to better understand its ecological significance in the region. While large sets of SNPs have been developed for the species, there is a continued need for smaller sets of SNPs that are highly informative about the possible adaptation to this varied landscape.

The miR-181 family regulates colonic inflammation through its activity in the intestinal epithelium.

The intestinal epithelium is a key physical interface that integrates dietary and microbial signals to regulate nutrient uptake and mucosal immune cell function. The transcriptional programs that regulate intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) quiescence, proliferation, and differentiation have been well characterized. However, how gene expression networks critical for IECs are posttranscriptionally regulated during homeostasis or inflammatory disease remains poorly understood.

High-dimensional profiling reveals Tc17 cell enrichment in active Crohn's disease and identifies a potentially targetable signature.

The immune-pathology in Crohn's disease is linked to dysregulated CD4+ T cell responses biased towards pathogenic TH17 cells. However, the role of CD8+ T cells able to produce IL-17 (Tc17 cells) remains unclear. Here we characterize the peripheral blood and intestinal tissue of Crohn's disease patients (n = 61) with flow and mass cytometry and reveal a strong increase of Tc17 cells in active disease, mainly due to induction of conventional T cells.

Exhaustion of CD39-Expressing CD8 T Cells in Crohn's Disease Is Linked to Clinical Outcome.

Background & Aims: Exhaustion of CD8 T cells has been suggested to inform different clinical outcomes in Crohn's disease, but detailed analyses are lacking. This study aimed to identify the role of exhaustion on a single-cell level and identify relevant CD8 T cell populations in Crohn's disease.

Methods: Blood and intestinal tissue from 58 patients with Crohn's disease (active disease or remission) were assessed for CD8 T cell expression of exhaustion markers and their cytokine profile by highly multiplexed flow and mass cytometry.

High Pinning Force Values of a Fe(Se, Te) Single Crystal Presenting a Second Magnetization Peak Phenomenon.

The magnetization M of an Fe(Se, Te) single crystal has been measured as a function of temperature T and dc magnetic field H. The sample properties have been analyzed in the case of a magnetic field parallel to its largest face H||ab. From the M(T) measurement, the T of the sample and a magnetic background have been revealed.

A precursor mechanism triggering the second magnetization peak phenomenon in superconducting materials.

The correlation in type-II superconductors between the creep rate S and the Second Magnetization Peak (SMP) phenomenon which produces an increase in J, as a function of the field (H), has been investigated at different temperatures by starting from the minimum in S(H) and the onset of the SMP phenomenon detected on a FeSeTe sample. Then the analysis has been extended by considering the entire S(H) curves and comparing our results with those of many other superconducting materials reported in literature. In this way, we find evidence that the flux dynamic mechanisms behind the appearance of the SMP phenomenon in J(H) are activated at fields well below those where the critical current starts effectively to increase.

Inhibitory signaling sustains a distinct early memory CD8 T cell precursor that is resistant to DNA damage.

The developmental origins of memory T cells remain incompletely understood. During the expansion phase of acute viral infection, we identified a distinct subset of virus-specific CD8 T cells that possessed distinct characteristics including expression of CD62L, T cell factor 1 (TCF-1), and Eomesodermin; relative quiescence; expression of activation markers; and features of limited effector differentiation. These cells were a quantitatively minor subpopulation of the TCF-1 pool and exhibited self-renewal, heightened DNA damage surveillance activity, and preferential long-term recall capacity.

Norovirus-Specific CD8 T Cell Responses in Human Blood and Tissues.

Background & Aims: Noroviruses (NoVs) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Moreover, an asymptomatic carrier state can persist following acute infection, promoting NoV spread and evolution. Thus, defining immune correlates of NoV protection and persistence is needed to guide the development of future vaccines and limit viral spread.

Pinning energy and anisotropy properties of a Fe(Se, Te) iron based superconductor.

The measurements of DC magnetization M as a function of magnetic field (H) and time (t) have been performed in order to study the superconducting and pinning properties of a Fe(Se, Te) iron based superconductor fabricated by means of the Bridgman technique. By performing the superconducting hysteresis loops M(H) at different temperatures in the case of perpendicular and parallel field, the critical current density J (H) has been extracted in the framework of the Bean critical state model for both configurations. The J (H) curves have shown the presence of the second magnetization peak effect that causes an anomalous increase in the field dependence of the critical current density.

High-dimensional immune phenotyping and transcriptional analyses reveal robust recovery of viable human immune and epithelial cells from frozen gastrointestinal tissue.

Simultaneous analyses of peripheral and mucosal immune compartments can yield insight into the pathogenesis of mucosal-associated diseases. Although methods to preserve peripheral immune cells are well established, studies involving mucosal immune cells have been hampered by lack of simple storage techniques. We provide a cryopreservation protocol allowing for storage of gastrointestinal (GI) tissue with preservation of viability and functionality of both immune and epithelial cells.

Three novel SLC2A1 mutations in Bulgarian patients with different forms of genetic generalized epilepsy reflecting the clinical and genetic diversity of GLUT1-deficiency syndrome.

Purpose: GLUT1-deficiency syndrome (GLUT1-DS) is a metabolic brain disorder with a great clinical heterogeneity underlined by various mutations in the SLC2A1 gene which make the clinical and genetic diagnosis complicated. The purpose of our study is to investigate the genetic defects affecting the SLC2A1 gene in a group of Bulgarian patients with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE), and to bring new insights into the molecular pathology of GLUT1-DS that would strengthen the genotype-phenotype correlations and improve the diagnostic procedure.

Methods: We have performed sequencing analysis of the SLC2A1 gene in thirty-eight Bulgarian patients with different forms of GGE having emerged in childhood followed by array comparative genome (aCGH) hybridization in patients with severe forms of GLUT1-DS who display extraneurological features.

Differentiation and Protective Capacity of Virus-Specific CD8 T Cells Suggest Murine Norovirus Persistence in an Immune-Privileged Enteric Niche.

Noroviruses can establish chronic infections with active viral shedding in healthy humans but whether persistence is associated with adaptive immune dysfunction is unknown. We used genetically engineered strains of mouse norovirus (MNV) to investigate CD8 T cell differentiation during chronic infection. We found that chronic infection drove MNV-specific tissue-resident memory (Trm) CD8 T cells to a differentiation state resembling inflationary effector responses against latent cytomegalovirus with only limited evidence of exhaustion.

Gut microbiota and IBD: causation or correlation?

A general consensus exists that IBD is associated with compositional and metabolic changes in the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis). However, a direct causal relationship between dysbiosis and IBD has not been definitively established in humans. Findings from animal models have revealed diverse and context-specific roles of the gut microbiota in health and disease, ranging from protective to pro-inflammatory actions.

Correction: Type I Interferon Receptor Deficiency in Dendritic Cells Facilitates Systemic Murine Norovirus Persistence Despite Enhanced Adaptive Immunity.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.

Cutting Edge: B Cell-Intrinsic T-bet Expression Is Required To Control Chronic Viral Infection.

The role of Ab and B cells in preventing infection is established. In contrast, the role of B cell responses in containing chronic infections remains poorly understood. IgG2a (IgG1 in humans) can prevent acute infections, and T-bet promotes IgG2a isotype switching.

Type I Interferon Receptor Deficiency in Dendritic Cells Facilitates Systemic Murine Norovirus Persistence Despite Enhanced Adaptive Immunity.

In order for a virus to persist, there must be a balance between viral replication and immune clearance. It is commonly believed that adaptive immunity drives clearance of viral infections and, thus, dysfunction or viral evasion of adaptive immunity is required for a virus to persist. Type I interferons (IFNs) play pleiotropic roles in the antiviral response, including through innate control of viral replication.

An optimized patient-reported ulcerative colitis disease activity measure derived from the Mayo score and the simple clinical colitis activity index.

Background: There is a need for simple, noninvasive patient-driven disease assessment instruments in ulcerative colitis (UC). We sought to further assess and refine the previous described 6-point Mayo score.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 282 UC patients was conducted assessing the correlation of the 2 patient-reported Mayo score components (6-point Mayo score) with the simple clinical colitis activity index (SCCAI) and a single Likert scale of patient-reported disease activity.

Growth and characterization of Pb₃Ni₁.₅Mn₅.₅O₁₅ single crystal.

Single crystals of the mixed valence compound Pb₃Ni₁.₅Mn₅.₅O₁₅ were successfully grown.

Host-encoded reporters for the detection and purification of multiple enveloped viruses.

The identification of host cell factors for virus replication holds great promise for the development of new antiviral therapies. Recently, high-throughput screening methods have emerged as powerful tools to identify candidate host factors for therapeutic intervention. The development of assay systems suitable for large-scale automated screening is of particular importance for novel viruses with high pathogenic potential for which limited biological information can be developed in a short period of time.

Characterization of the outer domain of the gp120 glycoprotein from human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

The core of the gp120 glycoprotein from human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is comprised of three major structural domains: the outer domain, the inner domain, and the bridging sheet. The outer domain is exposed on the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer and contains binding surfaces for neutralizing antibodies such as 2G12, immunoglobulin G1b12, and anti-V3 antibodies. We expressed the outer domain of HIV-1(YU2) gp120 as an independent protein, termed OD1.