Using an established morphometric model to assess field-based sexing of Arctic grayling

Arctic grayling display sexual dimorphism in dorsal fin shape and size. A recent study established a reliable model for fish sex determination using morphometric measurements, but its application is time-consuming. Our objective is to assess the accuracy of field-based fish sexing using the established morphometric model as a reference

Identification of 24 new microsatellite loci in the sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

OBJECTIVE: The objective here is to identify highly polymorphic microsatellite loci for the Palaearctic sweat bee Lasioglossum malachurum. Sweat bees (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) are widespread pollinators that exhibit an unusually large range of social behaviours from non-social, where each female nests alone, to eusocial, where a single queen reproduces while the other members of the colony help to rear her offspring. They thus represent excellent models for understanding social evolution. RESULTS: 24 new microsatellite loci were successfully optimized. When amplified across 23-40 unrelated females, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 17 and the observed heterozygosities 0.45 to 0.95. Only one locus showed evidence of significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No evidence of linkage disequilibrium was found. These 24 loci will enable researchers to gain greater understanding of colony relationships within this species, an important model for the study of eusociality. Furthermore, 22 of the same loci were also successfully amplified in L. calceatum, suggesting that these loci may be useful for investigating the ecology and evolution of sweat bees in general

CD40-TRAF6 inhibition suppresses cardiovascular inflammation, oxidative stress and functional complications in a mouse model of arterial hypertension

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disease burden and death worldwide and is fueled by vascular inflammation. CD40L–CD40–TRAF signaling is involved in the progression of atherosclerosis and drives the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). The present study investigates whether the CD40L-CD40-TRAF6 signaling pathway with focus on immune cells and adipocytes could be a therapeutic target in arterial hypertension. Arterial hypertension was induced in WT (C57BL6/J) and cell-specific CD40(L) knockout mice (AdipoqCre x CD40 fl/fl, CD4Cre x CD40 fl/fl, CD19Cre x CD40 fl/fl, and GP1baCre x CD40L fl/fl) via angiotensin (AT-II) infusion (1 mg/kg/d) for seven days. Hypertensive WT mice were also treated with a CD40-TRAF6 inhibitor (2.5 mg/kg/d, for 7d). The TRAF6 inhibitor treatment normalized endothelial dysfunction and reduced blood pressure in hypertensive wild type animals. Reactive oxygen species production was decreased by TRAF6 inhibition in blood, aorta, heart, kidney, and perivascular fat tissue. Additionally, FACS analysis revealed that TRAF6 inhibition prevents immune cell migration into the aortic vessel wall observed by reduced CD45+ leukocyte, Ly6G+/Ly6C+ neutrophil, and Ly6Chigh inflammatory monocyte content. The hypertensive cell type-specific CD40(L) knockout animals showed only a minor effect on endothelial function, blood pressure, and oxidative stress. Therefore, we conclude that targeting CD40 directly on adipocytes, B-cells, T-cells, or CD40L on platelets is not a promising target to prevent hypertension complications. In summary, TRAF6 inhibition but not adipocyte, B-cell, or T-cell-specific CD40 or platelet-specific CD40L deficiency reduces pathophysiological vascular inflammation in hypertensive mice, suggesting TRAF6 inhibition as a potential therapeutic target in hypertensive patients

Co-exposure to urban particulate matter and aircraft noise adversely impacts the cerebro-pulmonary-cardiovascular axis in mice

Worldwide, up to 8.8 million excess deaths/year have been attributed to air pollution, mainly due to the exposure to fine particulate matter (PM). Traffic-related noise is an additional contributor to global mortality and morbidity. Both health risk factors substantially contribute to cardiovascular, metabolic and neuropsychiatric sequelae. Studies on the combined exposure are rare and urgently needed because of frequent co-occurrence of both risk factors in urban and industrial settings. To study the synergistic effects of PM and noise, we used an exposure system equipped with aerosol generator and loud-speakers, where C57BL/6 mice were acutely exposed for 3d to either ambient PM (NIST particles) and/or noise (aircraft landing and take-off events). The combination of both stressors caused endothelial dysfunction, increased blood pressure, oxidative stress and inflammation. An additive impairment of endothelial function was observed in isolated aortic rings and even more pronounced in cerebral and retinal arterioles. The increase in oxidative stress and inflammation markers together with RNA sequencing data indicate that noise particularly affects the brain and PM the lungs. The combination of both stressors has additive adverse effects on the cardiovascular system that are based on PM-induced systemic inflammation and noise-triggered stress hormone signaling. We demonstrate an additive upregulation of ACE-2 in the lung, suggesting that there may be an increased vulnerability to COVID-19 infection. The data warrant further mechanistic studies to characterize the propagation of primary target tissue damage (lung, brain) to remote organs such as aorta and heart by combined noise and PM exposure

Exposure to aircraft noise exacerbates cardiovascular and oxidative damage in three mouse models of diabetes

BackgroundEpidemiology links noise to increased risk of metabolic diseases like diabetes and obesity. Translational studies in humans and experimental animals showed that noise causes reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cardiovascular damage. The interaction between noise and diabetes, specifically potential additive adverse effects, remains to be determined.Methods and ResultsC57BL/6 mice were treated with streptozotocin (i.p. injections, 50 mg/kg/d for 5d) to induce type-1 diabetes, with S961 (subcutaneous osmotic minipumps, 0.57 mg/kg/d for 7d) or fed a high-fat diet (HFD, 20 weeks) to induce type-2 diabetes. Control and diabetic mice were exposed to aircraft noise to an average sound pressure level of 72 dB(A) for 4d. While body weight was unaffected, noise reduced insulin production in all diabetes models. The oral glucose tolerance test showed only an additive aggravation by noise in the HFD model. Noise increased blood pressure and aggravated diabetes-induced aortic, mesenteric, and cerebral arterioles endothelial dysfunction. ROS formation in cerebral arterioles, the aorta, the heart, and isolated mitochondria was consistently increased by noise in all models of diabetes. Mitochondrial respiration was impaired by diabetes and noise, however without additive effects. Noise increased ROS and caused inflammation in adipose tissue in the HFD model. RNA sequencing data and alteration of gene pathway clusters also supported additive damage by noise in the setting of diabetes.ConclusionIn all three models of diabetes, aircraft noise exacerbates oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in mice with pre-existing diabetes. Thus, noise may potentiate the already increased cardiovascular risk in diabetic patients

Creating and curating an archive: Bury St Edmunds and its Anglo-Saxon past

This contribution explores the mechanisms by which the Benedictine foundation of Bury St Edmunds sought to legitimise and preserve their spurious pre-Conquest privileges and holdings throughout the Middle Ages. The archive is extraordinary in terms of the large number of surviving registers and cartularies which contain copies of Anglo-Saxon charters, many of which are wholly or partly in Old English. The essay charts the changing use to which these ancient documents were put in response to threats to the foundation's continued enjoyment of its liberties. The focus throughout the essay is to demonstrate how pragmatic considerations at every stage affects the development of the archive and the ways in which these linguistically challenging texts were presented, re-presented, and represented during the Abbey’s history