From algae to plants: understanding pyrenoid-based CO-concentrating mechanisms.

Pyrenoids are the key component of one of the most abundant biological CO concentration mechanisms found in nature. Pyrenoid-based CO-concentrating mechanisms (pCCMs) are estimated to account for one third of global photosynthetic CO capture. Our molecular understanding of how pyrenoids work is based largely on work in the green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

SAGA1 and MITH1 produce matrix-traversing membranes in the CO-fixing pyrenoid.

Approximately one-third of global CO assimilation is performed by the pyrenoid, a liquid-like organelle found in most algae and some plants. Specialized pyrenoid-traversing membranes are hypothesized to drive CO assimilation in the pyrenoid by delivering concentrated CO, but how these membranes are made to traverse the pyrenoid matrix remains unknown. Here we show that proteins SAGA1 and MITH1 cause membranes to traverse the pyrenoid matrix in the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Controls on regional sulphate distribution in shallow groundwater in the western Canadian Interior Plains.

Sulphate (SO), predominantly derived from sulphur (S)-bearing glacial sediments distributed widely across the Canadian Interior Plains, contributes to high groundwater salinity and can be detrimental to riparian and dry-land ecosystems, agricultural production, and water use. While previous researchers investigated SO distribution and dynamics in shallow groundwater at local scales (<1500 km), we examine SO occurrence in groundwater at larger scales, and to depths of ∼150 m, considering variations in geology, glacial history, climate, and geochemical and hydrogeological settings in the Canadian province of Alberta. Sulphate concentrations in groundwater vary considerably, with 15 % of 139,130 samples above the 500 mg/L Canadian drinking water aesthetic objective.

Biogenesis, engineering and function of membranes in the CO -fixing pyrenoid.

Approximately one-third of global CO assimilation is performed by the pyrenoid , a liquid-like organelle found in most algae and some plants . Specialized membranes are hypothesized to drive CO assimilation in the pyrenoid by delivering concentrated CO , but their biogenesis and function have not been experimentally characterized. Here, we show that homologous proteins SAGA1 and MITH1 mediate the biogenesis of the pyrenoid membrane tubules in the model alga and are sufficient to reconstitute pyrenoid-traversing membranes in a heterologous system, the plant .

Evaluating spatially enabled machine learning approaches to depth to bedrock mapping, Alberta, Canada.

Maps showing the thickness of sediments above the bedrock (depth to bedrock, or DTB) are important for many geoscience studies and are necessary for many hydrogeological, engineering, mining, and forestry applications. However, it can be difficult to accurately estimate DTB in areas with varied topography, like lowland and mountainous terrain, because traditional methods of predicting bedrock elevation often underestimate or overestimate the elevation in rugged or incised terrain. Here, we describe a machine learning spatial prediction approach that uses information from traditional digital elevation model derived estimates of terrain morphometry and satellite imagery, augmented with spatial feature engineering techniques to predict DTB across Alberta, Canada.

Knowing Your Patient Population: Techniques to Capture Infants at High Risk for Physical Abuse in a Trauma Registry.

Background: Physical abuse is a major public health concern and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in infants. Clinical decision tools derived from trauma registries can facilitate timely risk-stratification. The Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database does not report age for children <1 year who are at highest risk for abuse.

Clinical utility of maternal TORCH screening in fetal growth restriction: A retrospective two-centre study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the indications for maternal TORCH (Toxoplasma gondii, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and herpes simplex virus (HSV)) serology, with a focus on the yield in isolated fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of antenatal TORCH testing between January 2014 and December 2018 was carried out at two hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. TORCH testing ordered for pregnancy losses and stillbirth was excluded.

SAGA1 and SAGA2 promote starch formation around proto-pyrenoids in Arabidopsis chloroplasts.

The pyrenoid is a chloroplastic microcompartment in which most algae and some terrestrial plants condense the primary carboxylase, Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) as part of a CO-concentrating mechanism that improves the efficiency of CO capture. Engineering a pyrenoid-based CO-concentrating mechanism (pCCM) into C3 crop plants is a promising strategy to enhance yield capacities and resilience to the changing climate. Many pyrenoids are characterized by a sheath of starch plates that is proposed to act as a barrier to limit CO diffusion.

Determination of Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase (TPMT) Activity in Human Erythrocytes by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) is a cytosolic enzyme involved in the metabolism of thiopurine medications that are used in the treatment of multiple malignant and nonmalignant immunologic conditions. Polymorphisms in the TPMT gene associated with low enzyme activity can produce pronounced pharmacologic effects during therapy. The determination of TPMT erythrocyte activity is a valuable adjunct test to genotyping for the assignment of TPMT phenotype, especially in the presence of indeterminate genotypes.

Quantification of Thiopurine Metabolites in Human Erythrocytes by Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

The thiopurine drugs, azathioprine, mercaptopurine, and thioguanine, are widely used in the treatment of several malignant and nonmalignant diseases. These inactive prodrugs undergo extensive metabolism to form active cytotoxic metabolites, which act mainly by incorporating into DNA and affecting cell replication. Thiopurine methyltransferase is a highly variable cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the S-methylation of the thiopurine bases-an inactivating pathway.

The role of BST4 in the pyrenoid of .

In many eukaryotic algae, CO fixation by Rubisco is enhanced by a CO-concentrating mechanism, which utilizes a Rubisco-rich organelle called the pyrenoid. The pyrenoid is traversed by a network of thylakoid-membranes called pyrenoid tubules, proposed to deliver CO. In the model alga (), the pyrenoid tubules have been proposed to be tethered to the Rubisco matrix by a bestrophin-like transmembrane protein, BST4.

Coeliac artery avulsion secondary to high velocity blunt abdominal trauma: a case report.

Coeliac artery (CA) injuries are an extremely rare subset of blunt abdominal trauma with a reported incidence of only 0.01%. Patterns of CA injury include intimal tear, dissection, thrombosis and pseudoaneurysm, with the most rare being complete CA avulsion.

Clinical Outcomes in Neurologically Intact Children With Small Intracranial Bleeds and Simple Skull Fractures.

Introduction Children with minor intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and/or simple skull fractures are often hospitalized for monitoring; however, the majority do not require any medical, surgical, or critical care interventions. Our purpose was to determine the rate of significant clinical sequela (SCS) and identify associated risk factors in neurologically intact children with close head trauma. Methods This is a retrospective observational study.

Microfabrication Process Development for a Polymer-Based Lab-on-Chip Concept Applied in Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroelectrochemistry.

Micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) combining sensing and microfluidics functionalities, as are common in Lab-on-Chip (LoC) devices, are increasingly based on polymers. Benefits of polymers include tunable material properties, the possibility of surface functionalization, compatibility with many micro and nano patterning techniques, and optical transparency. Often, additional materials, such as metals, ceramics, or silicon, are needed for functional or auxiliary purposes, e.

The Role of Toll and Nonnuclear NF-κB Signaling in the Response to Alcohol.

An understanding of neuroimmune signaling has become central to a description of how alcohol causes addiction and how it damages people with an AUD. It is well known that the neuroimmune system influences neural activity via changes in gene expression. This review discusses the roles played by CNS Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling in the response to alcohol.

Diagnostic yield and concordance of image-guided biopsy in musculoskeletal lesions.

Objective: Image-guided biopsy is well-established in the diagnosis of musculoskeletal lesions. While several studies have demonstrated a high diagnostic yield in image-guided biopsy, there are no current guidelines around procedural factors such as number of cores. Furthermore, there have been mixed results regarding which lesions are more favourable to a diagnostic biopsy.

Are the impacts of food systems on climate change being reported by the media? An Australian media analysis.

Objective: Food systems are a major contributor to climate change, producing one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, public knowledge of food systems' contributions to climate change is low. One reason for low public awareness may be limited media coverage of the issue.

Biomarkers in the early prediction of rescue therapy in acute severe colitis-a single-centre retrospective study.

Nil.

Highly Efficient Gene Knockout in Medicago truncatula Genotype R108 Using CRISPR-Cas9 System and an Optimized Agrobacterium Transformation Method.

Medicago truncatula is the model plant species for studying symbioses with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizae, where edited mutants are invaluable for elucidating the contributions of known genes in these processes. Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9)-based genome editing is a facile means of achieving loss of function, including where multiple gene knockouts are desired in a single generation. We describe how the user can customize our vector to target single or multiple genes, then how the vector is used to make M.

Chemical Imaging of Mass Transport Near the No-Slip Interface of a Microfluidic Device using Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.

Mass transport in geometrically confined environments is fundamental to microfluidic applications. Measuring the distribution of chemical species on flow requires the use of spatially resolved analytical tools compatible with microfluidic materials and designs. Here, the implementation of an attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) imaging (macro-ATR) approach for chemical mapping of species in microfluidic devices is described.

Body Mass Index, sex, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug medications, smoking and alcohol are differentially associated with World Health Organisation criteria and colorectal cancer risk in people with Serrated Polyposis Syndrome: an Australian case-control study.

Objective: The unknown aetiology of Serrated Polyposis Syndrome (SPS) impedes risk prediction and prevention. We investigated risk factors for SPS, overall and stratified by World Health Organization (WHO) clinical criteria and by colorectal cancer (CRC).

Method: A retrospective case-control study involving a cross-sectional analysis from 350 unrelated individuals with SPS from the Genetics of Colonic Polyposis Study and 714 controls from the Australasian Colorectal Cancer Family Registry.