Prevalence of Dichelobacter nodosus in western Austrian sheep flocks: Comparison of bacterial cultures, clinical foot rot and lameness with PCR and analysis of sample pooling for PCR diagnosis.

Ovine foot rot is a highly contagious and multifactorial claw disease, caused by Dichelobacter nodosus (D. nodosus) and is the main cause of lameness in sheep. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of D.

The multiple roles of trichomes in two Croton species.

Trichomes are common in plants from dry environments, and despite their recognized role in protection and defense, little is known about their role as absorptive structures and in other aspects of leaf ecophysiology. We combine anatomical and ecophysiological data to evaluate how trichomes affect leaf gas exchange and water balance during drought. We studied two congeneric species with pubescent leaves which co-occur in Brazilian Caatinga: Croton blanchetianus (dense trichomes) and Croton adenocalyx (sparse trichomes).

Differential membrane binding of α/β-peptide foldamers: implications for cellular delivery and mitochondrial targeting.

The intrinsic pathway of apoptosis is regulated by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. Inhibition of the anti-apoptotic members represents a strategy to induce apoptotic cell death in cancer cells. We have measured the membrane binding properties of a series of peptides, including modified α/β-peptides, designed to exhibit enhanced membrane permeability to allow cell entry and improved access for engagement of Bcl-2 family members.

Effectiveness of Household Disinfection Techniques to Remove SARS-CoV-2 from Cloth Masks.

To assess the efficacy of washing cloth masks, we simulated SARS-CoV-2 contamination in tricoline fabric and tested decontaminants to reduce viral particles. Viral suspensions using two variants (B.1.

Effectiveness of face masks in blocking the transmission of SARS-CoV-2: A preliminary evaluation of masks used by SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals.

In 2019, a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is transmitted via the airborne route, caused a new pandemic namely, "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19). Although the effectiveness of face masks to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is debated, no study has evaluated the virus-blocking efficacy of masks used by patients. We aimed to evaluate this efficacy of masks used by SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals.

Linking plant hydraulics and the fast-slow continuum to understand resilience to drought in tropical ecosystems.

Tropical ecosystems have the highest levels of biodiversity, cycle more water and absorb more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Consequently, these ecosystems are extremely important components of Earth's climatic system and biogeochemical cycles. Plant hydraulics is an essential discipline to understand and predict the dynamics of tropical vegetation in scenarios of changing water availability.

Antimicrobial Synergy of a Ribonuclease and a Peptide Secreted by Human Cells.

LL-37 is a secretory peptide that has antimicrobial activity. Ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1) is a secretory enzyme that is not cytotoxic. We find that human LL-37 and human RNase 1 can act synergistically to kill Gram-negative bacterial cells.

Stomatal optimization based on xylem hydraulics (SOX) improves land surface model simulation of vegetation responses to climate.

Land surface models (LSMs) typically use empirical functions to represent vegetation responses to soil drought. These functions largely neglect recent advances in plant ecophysiology that link xylem hydraulic functioning with stomatal responses to climate. We developed an analytical stomatal optimization model based on xylem hydraulics (SOX) to predict plant responses to drought.

Foliar water uptake in Amazonian trees: Evidence and consequences.

The absorption of atmospheric water directly into leaves enables plants to alleviate the water stress caused by low soil moisture, hydraulic resistance in the xylem and the effect of gravity on the water column, while enabling plants to scavenge small inputs of water from leaf-wetting events. By increasing the availability of water, and supplying it from the top of the canopy (in a direction facilitated by gravity), foliar uptake (FU) may be a significant process in determining how forests interact with climate, and could alter our interpretation of current metrics for hydraulic stress and sensitivity. FU has not been reported for lowland tropical rainforests; we test whether FU occurs in six common Amazonian tree genera in lowland Amazônia, and make a first estimation of its contribution to canopy-atmosphere water exchange.

Modelling tropical forest responses to drought and El Niño with a stomatal optimization model based on xylem hydraulics.

The current generation of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) lacks a mechanistic representation of vegetation responses to soil drought, impairing their ability to accurately predict Earth system responses to future climate scenarios and climatic anomalies, such as El Niño events. We propose a simple numerical approach to model plant responses to drought coupling stomatal optimality theory and plant hydraulics that can be used in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The model is validated against stand-scale forest transpiration () observations from a long-term soil drought experiment and used to predict the response of three Amazonian forest sites to climatic anomalies during the twentieth century.

The functional role of sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide NTCP in the life cycle of hepatitis B, C and D viruses.

Chronic hepatitis B, C and D virus (HBV, HCV and HDV) infections are a major cause of liver disease and cancer worldwide. Despite employing distinct replication strategies, the three viruses are exclusively hepatotropic, and therefore depend on hepatocyte-specific host factors. The sodium taurocholate co-transporting polypeptide (NTCP), a transmembrane protein highly expressed in human hepatocytes that mediates the transport of bile acids, plays a key role in HBV and HDV entry into hepatocytes.

Xylem hydraulic safety and construction costs determine tropical tree growth.

Faster growth in tropical trees is usually associated with higher mortality rates, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood. In this study, we investigate how tree growth patterns are linked with environmental conditions and hydraulic traits, by monitoring the cambial growth of 9 tropical cloud forest tree species coupled with numerical simulations using an optimization model. We find that fast-growing trees have lower xylem safety margins than slow-growing trees and this pattern is not necessarily linked to differences in stomatal behaviour or environmental conditions when growth occurs.

Comparative functional analysis of ribonuclease 1 homologs: molecular insights into evolving vertebrate physiology.

Pancreatic-type ribonucleases (ptRNases) comprise a class of highly conserved secretory endoribonucleases in vertebrates. The prototype of this enzyme family is ribonuclease 1 (RNase 1). Understanding the physiological roles of RNase 1 is becoming increasingly important, as engineered forms of the enzyme progress through clinical trials as chemotherapeutic agents for cancer.

Generation of human bispecific common light chain antibodies by combining animal immunization and yeast display.

Bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) pave the way for novel therapeutic modes of action along with potential benefits in several clinical applications. However, their generation remains challenging due to the necessity of correct pairings of two different heavy and light chains and related manufacturability issues. We describe a generic approach for the generation of fully human IgG-like bsAbs.

Characterization and Validation of the LT-SYS Copper Assay on a Roche Cobas 8000 c502 Analyzer.

Objective: Validation of the LT-SYS quantitative in vitro copper assay on a Roche Cobas 8000 c502 analyzer and comparison with a BIOMED assay on a Roche Cobas Mira analyzer.

Methods: Imprecision and bias were quantified at different concentration levels (serum and plasma) over a 20-day period. Linearity was assessed covering a range from 4.

Effects of Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 in Cerebellar Development: Role in Synapse Formation.

Granule cells (GC) are the most numerous glutamatergic neurons in the cerebellar cortex and represent almost half of the neurons of the central nervous system. Despite recent advances, the mechanisms of how the glutamatergic synapses are formed in the cerebellum remain unclear. Among the TGF-β family, TGF-beta 1 (TGF-β1) has been described as a synaptogenic molecule in invertebrates and in the vertebrate peripheral nervous system.

Cloud forest trees with higher foliar water uptake capacity and anisohydric behavior are more vulnerable to drought and climate change.

Many tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) trees are capable of foliar water uptake (FWU) during leaf-wetting events. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that maintenance of leaf turgor during periods of fog exposure and soil drought is related to species' FWU capacity. We conducted several experiments using apoplastic tracers, deuterium labeling and leaf immersion in water to evaluate differences in FWU among three common TMCF tree species.

Molecular characterisation of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli isolates from hospital and ambulatory patients in Germany.

The increase of Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBL) in hospitals and their emergence as intestinal colonisers of healthy humans is of concern. Transmission ways and the extent of spread of distinct E. coli clones or ESBL genes among humans and animals via the food chain or the environment is a matter of debate.

Human Cancer Antigen Globo H Is a Cell-Surface Ligand for Human Ribonuclease 1.

Pancreatic-type ribonucleases are secretory enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of RNA. Recent efforts have endowed the homologues from cow (RNase A) and human (RNase 1) with toxicity for cancer cells, leading to a clinical trial. The basis for the selective toxicity of ribonuclease variants for cancerous versus noncancerous cells has, however, been unclear.

α/β-Peptide Foldamers Targeting Intracellular Protein-Protein Interactions with Activity in Living Cells.

Peptides can be developed as effective antagonists of protein-protein interactions, but conventional peptides (i.e., oligomers of l-α-amino acids) suffer from significant limitations in vivo.

Complete Genome Sequence of a CTX-M-15-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Outbreak Strain from Multilocus Sequence Type 514.

We report here the genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strain, which caused an outbreak in a neonatal ward in 2011. The genome consists of a single chromosome (5,278 kb) and three plasmids (362 kb, 5 kb, and 4 kb).

What caused the outbreak of ESBL-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in a neonatal intensive care unit, Germany 2009 to 2012? Reconstructing transmission with epidemiological analysis and whole-genome sequencing.

Objective: We aimed to retrospectively reconstruct the timing of transmission events and pathways in order to understand why extensive preventive measures and investigations were not sufficient to prevent new cases.

Methods: We extracted available information from patient charts to describe cases and to compare them to the normal population of the ward. We conducted a cohort study to identify risk factors for pathogen acquisition.

Thiophene synthesis via 1,1-carboboration.

Reaction of bis(tert-butylethynyl)sulfide with the boron Lewis acid reagents X-B(C6F5)2 (X = CH3, Cl, C6F5) in pentane at r.t. gave the respective borylated thiophenes in a sequence of 1,1-carboboration reactions.