Microfluidics to Follow Spatiotemporal Dynamics at the Nucleo-Cytoplasmic Interface During Plant Root Growth.

Nuclear dynamics refers to global/local changes in the molecular and spatial organization of genomic DNA that can occur during development or in response to environmental stress signals and eventually impact genomic functions. In plants, nuclear dynamics relies notably on the connection of the nucleus with the cytoskeleton during development. It orchestrates genomic functions in response to developmental and environmental cues.

Composition and metabolism of microbial communities in soil pores.

Delineation of microbial habitats within the soil matrix and characterization of their environments and metabolic processes are crucial to understand soil functioning, yet their experimental identification remains persistently limited. We combined single- and triple-energy X-ray computed microtomography with pore specific allocation of C labeled glucose and subsequent stable isotope probing to demonstrate how long-term disparities in vegetation history modify spatial distribution patterns of soil pore and particulate organic matter drivers of microbial habitats, and to probe bacterial communities populating such habitats. Here we show striking differences between large (30-150 µm Ø) and small (4-10 µm Ø) soil pores in (i) microbial diversity, composition, and life-strategies, (ii) responses to added substrate, (iii) metabolic pathways, and (iv) the processing and fate of labile C.

The soil pore structure encountered by roots affects plant-derived carbon inputs and fate.

Plant roots are the main supplier of carbon (C) to the soil, the largest terrestrial C reservoir. Soil pore structure drives root growth, yet how it affects belowground C inputs remains a critical knowledge gap. By combining X-ray computed tomography with C plant labelling, we identified root-soil contact as a previously unrecognised influence on belowground plant C allocations and on the fate of plant-derived C in the soil.

Partitioning and subsampling statistics in compartment-based quantification methods.

The precision of compartment-based quantification methods is subject to multiple effects, of which partitioning and subsampling play a major role. Partitioning is the process of aliquoting the sample liquid and consequently the contained target molecules, whereas subsampling denotes the fact that usually only a portion of a sample is analyzed. In this work, we present a detailed statistical description comprising the effects of partitioning and subsampling on the relative uncertainty of the test result.

Distribution of Mn Oxidation States in Grassland Soils and Their Relationships with Soil Pores.

Manganese (Mn) is known to be an active contributor to processing and cycling of soil organic carbon (C), yet the exact mechanisms behind its interactions with C are poorly understood. Plant diversity in terrestrial ecosystems drives feedback links between plant C inputs and soil pores, where the latter, in turn, impact the redox environment and Mn. This study examined associations between soil pores (>36 μm Ø) and Mn within intact soils from two grassland ecosystems, after their >6-year implementation in a replicated field experiment.

Cover crop influence on pore size distribution and biopore dynamics: Enumerating root and soil faunal effects.

Pore structure is a key determinant of soil functioning, and both root growth and activity of soil fauna are modified by and interact with pore structure in multiple ways. Cover cropping is a rapidly growing popular strategy for improving agricultural sustainability, including improvements in pore structure. However, since cover crop species encompass a variety of contrasting root architectures, they can have disparate effects on formation of soil pores and their characteristics, thus on the pore structure formation.

Influence of the Available Surface Area and Cell Elasticity on Bacterial Adhesion Forces on Highly Ordered Silicon Nanopillars.

Initial bacterial adhesion to solid surfaces is influenced by a multitude of different factors, e.g., roughness and stiffness, topography on the micro- and nanolevel, as well as chemical composition and wettability.

Pore architecture and particulate organic matter in soils under monoculture switchgrass and restored prairie in contrasting topography.

Bioenergy cropping systems can substantially contribute to climate change mitigation. However, limited information is available on how they affect soil characteristics, including pores and particulate organic matter (POM), both essential components of the soil C cycle. The objective of this study was to determine effects of bioenergy systems and field topography on soil pore characteristics, POM, and POM decomposition under new plant growth.

Shorter Telomeres Among Individuals With Physical Disability: The Moderating Role of Perceived Stress.

Objectives: Evidence suggests that individuals with physical disability may suffer from psychological distress and accelerated cellular aging, manifested by shortened telomere length (TL), compared with healthy individuals. Studies indicate that high levels of perceived stress and depression may increase the physiological susceptibility and, thus, may contribute to a short TL. However, the moderating role of perceived stress and depression within the relationship between physical disability and TL remains unknown.

A modular microfluidic bioreactor to investigate plant cell-cell interactions.

Plants produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites, which often are of interest to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry. Plant-cell cultures allow producing these metabolites in a standardised manner, independently from various biotic and abiotic factors difficult to control during conventional cultivation. However, plant-cell fermentation proves to be very difficult, since these chemically complex compounds often result from the interaction of different biosynthetic pathways operating in different cell types.

Enhancing the soft-tissue integration of dental implant abutments-in vitro study to reveal an optimized microgroove surface design to maximize spreading and alignment of human gingival fibroblasts.

Within this work, we demonstrate the influences of different microgrooved surface topographies on the alignment and spreading of human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells and present the optimal parameters for an improved soft-tissue integration design for dental implant abutments for the first time. Microgrooves with lateral widths from 2.5 to 75 μm were fabricated by UV-lithography and wet etching on bulk Ti6Al4V ELI material.

Chronic Pain and Premature Aging - The Moderating Role of Physical Exercise.

Chronic pain induces a multitude of harmful effects; recently it has been suggested that chronic pain is also associated with premature aging, manifested in shortened telomere length (TL). However, evidence for this hypothesis is scarce and inconsistent. The aim was twofold: 1) Investigate whether chronic pain is associated with premature aging, and 2) Determine whether physical exercise (PE) moderates this association if it exists.

New Concept of Patient-specific Flow Diversion Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms : Design Aspects and in vitro Fluid Dynamics.

Purpose: Current flow diverter (FD) designs limit the possibilities to achieve ideal functional parameters for intra-aneurysmal flow alteration in the implanted state. In this work, we evaluate the technical feasibility of a new patient-specific FD concept and the impact on intra-aneurysmal flow reduction compared to standard FD.

Methods: Based on a literature review, we defined functional requirements, followed by the design and manufacturing of two different prototypes, which we implanted in a patient-specific phantom model.

Testing Os Staining Approach for Visualizing Soil Organic Matter Patterns in Intact Samples via X-ray Dual-Energy Tomography Scanning.

Challenges with visualization of nonparticulate organics in porous materials limit understanding and modeling processes of transport, decomposition, and storage of organic compounds. In particular, it impedes deciphering the mechanisms driving accumulation and protection of soil organic matter (SOM), processes crucial for sustaining soil fertility and mitigating effects of global climate change. A recently proposed method of staining soil organics by OsO vapors with subsequent dual-energy X-ray computed microtomography scanning (μCT) offers new opportunities to visualize SOM within intact soil matrix.

Initial Bacterial Adhesion Properties of Anodically Oxidized TiAlV.

This paper reports about the initial interaction of bacteria with anodically oxidized Ti6Al4V for the use as dental implant abutment surfaces. Ti6Al4V samples are anodically oxidized in hydrofluoric acid using different voltages. The resulting nanotopographies are characterized by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and contact angle measurements.

Author Correction: Microbial spatial footprint as a driver of soil carbon stabilization.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Microbial spatial footprint as a driver of soil carbon stabilization.

Increasing the potential of soil to store carbon (C) is an acknowledged and emphasized strategy for capturing atmospheric CO. Well-recognized approaches for soil C accretion include reducing soil disturbance, increasing plant biomass inputs, and enhancing plant diversity. Yet experimental evidence often fails to support anticipated C gains, suggesting that our integrated understanding of soil C accretion remains insufficient.

Wrist-Sensor Pulse Oximeter Enables Prolonged Patient Monitoring in Chronic Lung Diseases.

Pulse oximetry is an important diagnostic tool in monitoring and treating both in-patients and ambulatory patients. Modern pulse oximeters exploit different body sites (eg fingertip, forehead or earlobe). All those are bulky and uncomfortable, resulting in low patient compliance.

Functional Evaluation of Three Manure-Borne Indicator Bacteria Release Models with Multiyear Field Experiment Data.

Modeling the fate and transport of is of substantial interest because of how this organism serves as an indicator of fecal contamination in microbial water quality assessment. The efficacy of models used to assess the export of from agricultural fields is dependent, in part, on submodels they utilize to simulate release from land-applied manure and animal waste. Although several release submodels have been proposed, they have only been evaluated and compared with data from laboratory or small plot release experiments.

Inhaled Tranexamic Acid for Hemoptysis Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Tranexamic acid (TA) is an antifibrinolytic drug currently used systemically to control bleeding. To date, there have been no prospective studies of the effectiveness of inhaled TA for the treatment of hemoptysis.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to prospectively assess the effectiveness of TA inhalations (ie, nebulized TA) for hemoptysis treatment.

EBUS-TBNA is Sufficient for Successful Diagnosis of Silicosis with Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy.

Background: Silicosis is an occupational lung disease resulting from inhalation of respirable crystalline silica. Recently, an international silicosis epidemic has been noted among artificial stone workers.

Objective: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is currently used for patients with unexplained lymphadenopathy.

The role of bacterial culture by bronchoscopy in patients with lung cancer: a prospective study.

Background: Patients with lung cancer undergoing surgical and medical treatment are at increased risk for pulmonary complications. The importance of routine bronchoscopy procedure in populations with lung cancer has rarely been defined. We aimed to determine the growth of potentially pathogenic microorganisms (PPM) among patients evaluated by bronchoscopy for lung cancer.