Microbiology and atmospheric processes: Biological, physical and chemical characterization of aerosol particles

The interest in bioaerosols has traditionally been linked to health hazards for humans, animals and plants. However, several components of bioaerosols exhibit physical properties of great significance for cloud processes, such as ice nucleation and cloud condensation. To gain a better understanding of their influence on climate, it is therefore important to determine the composition, concentration, seasonal fluctuation, regional diversity and evolution of bioaerosols. In this paper, we will review briefly the existing techniques for detection, quantification, physical and chemical analysis of biological particles, attempting to bridge physical, chemical and biological methods for analysis of biological particles and integrate them with aerosol sampling techniques. We will also explore some emerging spectroscopy techniques for bulk and single-particle analysis that have potential for in-situ physical and chemical analysis. Lastly, we will outline open questions and further desired capabilities (e. g., in-situ, sensitive, both broad and selective, on-line, time-resolved, rapid, versatile, cost-effective techniques) required prior to comprehensive understanding of chemical and physical characterization of bioaerosols

Towards Verification of Unstructured-Grid Solvers

New methodology for verification of computational methods using unstructured grids is presented. The discretization order properties are studied in computational windows, easily constructed within a collection of grids or a single grid. The windows can be adjusted to isolate the interior discretization, the boundary discretization, or singularities. A major component of the methodology is the downscaling test, introduced previously for studying the convergence rates of truncation and discretization errors of finite-volume discretization schemes on general unstructured grids. Demonstrations of the method are shown, including a comparative accuracy assessment of commonly-used schemes on general mixed grids and the identification of local accuracy deterioration at intersections of tangency and inflow/outflow boundaries. Recommendations for the use of the methodology in large-scale computational simulations are given

Atomistic Simulations of Nanotube Fracture

The fracture of carbon nanotubes is studied by atomistic simulations. The fracture behavior is found to be almost independent of the separation energy and to depend primarily on the inflection point in the interatomic potential. The rangle of fracture strians compares well with experimental results, but predicted range of fracture stresses is marketly higher than observed. Various plausible small-scale defects do not suffice to bring the failure stresses into agreement with available experimental results. As in the experiments, the fracture of carbon nanotubes is predicted to be brittle. The results show moderate dependence of fracture strength on chirality.Comment: 12 pages, PDF, submitted to Phy. Rev.

Obesity: A Biobehavioral Point of View

Excerpt: If you ask an overweight person, “Why are you fat?’, you will, almost invariably, get the answer, “Because 1 eat too much.” You will get this answer in spite of the fact that of thirteen studies, six find no significant differences in the caloric intake of obese versus nonobese subjects, five report that the obese eat significantly less than the nonobese, and only two report that they eat significantly more

TGA2 signaling in response to reactive electrophile species is not dependent on cysteine modification of TGA2

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Reactive electrophile species (RES), including prostaglandins, phytoprostanes and 12-oxo phytodienoic acid (OPDA), activate detoxification responses in plants and animals. However, the pathways leading to the activation of defense reactions related to abiotic or biotic stress as a function of RES formation, accumulation or treatment are poorly understood in plants. Here, the thiol-modification of proteins, including the RES-activated basic region/leucine zipper transcription factor TGA2, was studied. TGA2 contains a single cysteine residue (Cys186) that was covalently modified by reactive cyclopentenones but not required for induction of detoxification genes in response to OPDA or prostaglandin A1. Activation of the glutathione-S-transferase 6 (GST6) promoter was responsive to cyclopentenones but not to unreactive cyclopentanones, including jasmonic acid suggesting that thiol reactivity of RES is important to activate the TGA2-dependent signaling pathway resulting in GST6 activation We show that RES modify thiols in numerous proteins in vivo, however, thiol reactivity alone appears not to be sufficient for biological activity as demonstrated by the failure of several membrane permeable thiol reactive reagents to activate the GST6 promoter.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Do lambs perceive regular human stroking as pleasant? Behavior and heart rate variability analyses

Stroking by humans is beneficial to the human-animal relationship and improves welfare in many species that express intraspecific allogrooming, but very few studies have looked at species like sheep that do not express such contact except around parturition. This study investigated the way lambs perceive regular human tactile contact using behavioral and physiological responses. Twenty-four lambs were reared and bucket-fed in groups of four. All were stroked daily by their familiar caregiver. At 8 weeks of age, the lambs were individually tested in their home pen but in a 1×1m open-barred pen after a 15h period of habituation to physical separation from peers while remaining in visual and auditory contact. Half of the lambs received stroking by their caregiver for 8min and half were exposed to their caregiver’s immobile presence. Heart rate and heart rate variability were recorded and analyzed by 2-min slots over the same interval based on three measures: mean heart rate value (HR), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and standard deviation of all intervals measured between consecutive sinus beats (SDNN). Behavioral responses (ear postures of the lamb and time spent in contact with the familiar caregiver, on the knees of the familiar caregiver, and moving) were recorded throughout the test. Lamb HR decreased continuously while in the presence of their caregiver. Lambs being stroked showed slower HR and higher RMSSD which reflected positive emotional states compared to lambs left unstroked. All behavioral variables were highly correlated with the main component axis of the PCA analyses: the more the animals stayed in contact with their caregiver, the less they moved and the more their ears were hanging. This first component clearly differentiates lambs being stroked or not. Behavioral and physiological observations support the hypothesis that gentle physical contact with the caregiver is perceived positively by lambs

Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Screening and Preventive Practice Recommendations from the CIBMTR and EBMT

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of cardiovascular risk factors that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and all-cause mortality. Long-term survivors of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have a substantial risk of developing MetS and cardiovascular disease, with an estimated prevalence of MetS of 31% to 49% among HCT recipients. Although MetS has not yet been proven to impact cardiovascular risk after HCT, an understanding of the incidence and risk factors for MetS in HCT recipients can provide the foundation to evaluate screening guidelines and develop interventions that may mitigate cardiovascular-related mortality. A working group was established through the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation with the goal to review literature and recommend practices appropriate to HCT recipients. Here we deliver consensus recommendations to help clinicians provide screening and preventive care for MetS and cardiovascular disease among HCT recipients. All HCT survivors should be advised of the risks of MetS and encouraged to undergo recommended screening based on their predisposition and ongoing risk factors

Allelic diversity of S‑RNase alleles in diploid potato species

S-ribonucleases (S-RNases) control the pistil specificity of the self-incompatibility (SI) response in the genus Solanum and several other members of the Solanaceae. The nucleotide sequences of S-RNases corresponding to a large number of S-alleles or S-haplotypes have been characterised. However, surprisingly few S-RNase sequences are available for potato species. The identification of new S-alleles in diploid potato species is desirable as these stocks are important sources of traits such as biotic and abiotic resistance. S-RNase sequences are reported here from three distinct diploid types of potato: cultivated Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja, S. tuberosum Group Stenotomum, and the wild species Solanum okadae. Partial S-RNase sequences were obtained from pistil RNA by RT-PCR or 3’RACE (Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends) using a degenerate primer. Full length sequences were obtained for two alleles by 5’RACE. Database searches with these sequences, identified sixteen S-RNases in total, all of which are novel. The sequence analysis revealed all the expected features of functional S-RNases. Phylogenetic analysis with selected published S-RNase and S-like-RNase sequences from the Solanaceae revealed extensive trans-generic evolution of the S-RNases and a clear distinction from S-like-RNases. Pollination tests were used to confirm the self-incompatibility status and cross-compatibility relationships of the S. okadae accessions. All the S. okadae accessions were found to be self-incompatible as expected with crosses amongst them exhibiting both cross-compatibility and semi-compatibility consistent with the S-genotypes determined from the S-RNase sequence data. The progeny analysis of four semi-compatible crosses examined by allele-specific PCR provided further confirmation that these are functional S-RNases

Modulation of vascular reactivity by perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT)

Purpose of Review: In this review we discuss the role of perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) in the modulation of vascular contractility and arterial pressure, focusing on the role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and oxidative stress/inflammation. Recent Findings: PVAT possesses an relevant endocrine-paracrine activity, which may be altered in several pathophysiological and clinical conditions. During the last two decades it has been shown PVAT may modulate vascular reactivity. It has also been previously demonstrated that inflammation in adipose tissue may be implicated in vascular dysfunction. In particular, adipocytes secrete a number of adipokines with various functions, as well as several vasoactive factors, together with components of the renin-angiotensin system which may act at local or at systemic level. It has been shown that the anticontractile effect of PVAT is lost in obesity, probably as a consequence of the development of adipocyte hypertrophy, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Summary: Adipose tissue dysfunction is interrelated with inflammation and oxidative stress, thus contributing to endothelial dysfunction observed in several pathological and clinical conditions such as obesity and hypertension. Decreased local adiponectin level, macrophage recruitment and infiltration, and activation of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system could play an important role in this regards