Metabolic stimulation improves bioenergetics and haematologic indices of circulating erythrocytes from sickle cell mice.

Circulating mature red blood cells (RBCs) from patients and mice with sickle cell disease (SCD) abnormally retain mitochondria, a factor shown to contribute to the disease's pathobiology. To further understand the functional implications of RBC mitochondria retention in SCD, we used mitochondria inhibitors and metabolites/substrates from the tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis pathways (ADP, glutamate, malate, pyruvate, succinate or all metabolites combined) and examined RBC bioenergetics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, calcium flux and hydration. In RBCs from sickle mice, mitochondria inhibition reduced ATP levels by 30%-60%, whereas control RBCs were unaffected.

CIROZ is dispensable in ancestral vertebrates but essential for left-right patterning in humans.

Four genes-DAND5, PKD1L1, MMP21, and CIROP-form a genetic module that has specifically evolved in vertebrate species that harbor motile cilia in their left-right organizer (LRO). We find here that CIROZ (previously known as C1orf127) is also specifically expressed in the LRO of mice, frogs, and fish, where it encodes a protein with a signal peptide followed by 3 zona pellucida N domains, consistent with extracellular localization. We report 16 individuals from 10 families with bi-allelic CIROZ inactivation variants, which cause heterotaxy with congenital heart defects.

Effects of sample pre-treatments on the analysis of liquid organic manures by visible and near-infrared spectrometry.

Proper application of a fertilizer requires precise knowledge of its nutrient composition. In the case of liquid organic manures (LOM), this information is often lacking due to heterogeneous nature of these fertilizers. Published "book values" of nutrient contents present the average from a wide range of possible nutrient characteristics, but usually differ considerably from the concentration in a particular manure.

Identification of novel genes including associated with isolated tall stature.

Very tall people attract much attention and represent a clinically and genetically heterogenous group of individuals. Identifying the genetic etiology can provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating linear growth. We studied a three-generation pedigree with five isolated (non-syndromic) tall members and one individual with normal stature by whole exome sequencing; the tallest man had a height of 211 cm.

Calcium flux alterations in erythrocytes from sickle cell mice: The relevance of mean corpuscular volume.

Red blood cells (RBC) from patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) have elevated calcium levels at baseline, which are further elevated upon deoxygenation. Here we examined baseline calcium levels and calcium flux in RBCs from a mouse model of SCD mice. We found that akin to humans with SCD, sickle (HbSS) Townes mice, have higher baseline levels and increased calcium flux in RBCs compared to control (HbAA) animals.

Determining nutrients, dry matter, and pH of liquid organic manures using visual and near-infrared spectrometry.

In agriculture, overfertilization with liquid organic manures (LOM) is causing environmental issues including eutrophication of non-agricultural ecosystems and nitrate pollution of groundwater. To avoid such problems, a precise and demand-oriented fertilization with LOM is needed. This can only be achieved if the nutrient composition of the LOM is known.

Mouse models of sickle cell disease: Imperfect and yet very informative.

The root cause of sickle cell disease (SCD) has been known for nearly a century, however, few therapies to treat the disease are available. Over several decades of work, with advances in gene editing technology and after several iterations of mice with differing genotype/phenotype relationships, researchers have developed humanized SCD mouse models. However, while a large body of preclinical studies has led to huge gains in basic science knowledge about SCD in mice, this knowledge has not led to the development of effective therapies to treat SCD-related complications in humans, thus leading to frustration with the paucity of translational progress in the SCD field.

Nitrite decreases sickle hemoglobin polymerization in vitro independently of methemoglobin formation.

The root cause of sickle cell disease (SCD) is the polymerization of sickle hemoglobin (HbS) leading to sickling of red blood cells (RBC). Earlier studies showed that in patients with SCD, high-dose nitrite inhibited sickling, an effect originally attributed to HbS oxidation to methemoglobin-S even though the anti-sickling effect did not correlate with methemoglobin-S levels. Here, we examined the effects of nitrite on HbS polymerization and on methemoglobin formation in a SCD mouse model.

Quantifying and estimating ecological network diversity based on incomplete sampling data.

An ecological network refers to the ecological interactions among sets of species. Quantification of ecological network diversity and related sampling/estimation challenges have explicit analogues in species diversity research. A unified framework based on Hill numbers and their generalizations was developed to quantify taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity.

Trait-mediated responses of caterpillar communities to spongy moth outbreaks and subsequent tebufenozide treatments.

Outbreaks of the spongy moth Lymantria dispar can have devastating impacts on forest resources and ecosystems. Lepidoptera-specific insecticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (BTK) and tebufenozide, are often deployed to prevent heavy defoliation of the forest canopy.

Ambient and substrate energy influence decomposer diversity differentially across trophic levels.

The species-energy hypothesis predicts increasing biodiversity with increasing energy in ecosystems. Proxies for energy availability are often grouped into ambient energy (i.e.

Intermediate host patterns of acanthocephalans in the Weser river system: co-invasion host capture.

Anthropogenic interference is a major driver of ecological change in freshwater ecosystems. Pollution and the introduction of new species not only alter macrozoobenthic community structures, but can also affect their respective parasite communities. The ecology of the Weser river system experienced a drastic decline in biodiversity over the past century due to salinization caused by the local potash industry.

What makes soil landscape robust? Landscape sensitivity towards land use changes in a Swiss southern Alpine valley.

Landscape sensitivity is a concept referring to the likelihood that changes in land use may affect in an irreversible way physical and chemical soil properties of the concerned landscape. The objective of this study is to quantitatively assess the sensitivity of the southern Alpine soil landscape regarding land use change-induced perturbations. Alpine soil landscapes can be considered as particularly sensitive to land use changes because their effects tend to be enhanced by frequent extreme climatic and topographic conditions as well as intense geomorphologic activity.

FGF-mediated establishment of left-right asymmetry requires Rab7 function in the dorsal mesoderm in .

Gastrulation denotes a very important developmental process, which includes significant structural tissue rearrangements and patterning events that shape the emerging vertebrate organism. At the end of gastrulation, the three body axes are spatially defined while the left-right axis still lacks any molecular or morphological polarity. In most vertebrates, this is established during neurulation by a symmetry breaking LR organizer.

Mitapivat increases ATP and decreases oxidative stress and erythrocyte mitochondria retention in a SCD mouse model.

Polymerization of deoxygenated sickle hemoglobin (HbS) leads to erythrocyte sickling. Enhancing activity of the erythrocyte glycolytic pathway has anti-sickling potential as this reduces 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) and increases ATP, factors that decrease HbS polymerization and improve erythrocyte membrane integrity. These factors can be modulated by mitapivat, which activates erythrocyte pyruvate kinase (PKR) and improves sickling kinetics in SCD patients.

Determination of Soil Constituents Using Shifted Excitation Raman Difference Spectroscopy.

Soil analysis to estimate soil fertility parameters is of great importance for precision agriculture but nowadays it still relies mainly on complex and time-consuming laboratory methods. Optical measurement techniques can provide a suitable alternative. Raman spectroscopy is of particular interest due to its ability to provide a molecular fingerprint of individual soil components.

SARS-CoV-2 Saliva Mass Screening in Primary Schools: A 10-Week Sentinel Surveillance Study in Munich, Germany.

Representative, actively collected surveillance data on asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in primary schoolchildren remain scarce. We evaluated the feasibility of a saliva mass screening concept and assessed infectious activity in primary schools. During a 10-week period from 3 March to 21 May 2021, schoolchildren and staff from 17 primary schools in Munich participated in the sentinel surveillance, cohort study.

Feasibility and Diagnostic Accuracy of Saliva-Based SARS-CoV-2 Screening in Educational Settings and Children Aged <12 Years.

Children have been disproportionately affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to assess a saliva-based algorithm for SARS-CoV-2 testing to be used in schools and childcare institutions under pandemic conditions. A weekly SARS-CoV-2 sentinel study in primary schools, kindergartens, and childcare facilities was conducted over a 12-week-period.

Determination of Nutrients in Liquid Manures and Biogas Digestates by Portable Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry.

Knowing the exact nutrient composition of organic fertilizers is a prerequisite for their appropriate application to improve yield and to avoid environmental pollution by over-fertilization. Traditional standard chemical analysis is cost and time-consuming and thus it is unsuitable for a rapid analysis before manure application. As a possible alternative, a handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer was tested to enable a fast, simultaneous, and on-site analysis of several elements.

Abundance, not diversity, of host beetle communities determines abundance and diversity of parasitoids in deadwood.

Most parasites and parasitoids are adapted to overcome defense mechanisms of their specific hosts and hence colonize a narrow range of host species. Accordingly, an increase in host functional or phylogenetic dissimilarity is expected to increase the species diversity of parasitoids. However, the local diversity of parasitoids may be driven by the accessibility and detectability of hosts, both increasing with increasing host abundance.

Weekly SARS-CoV-2 Sentinel Surveillance in Primary Schools, Kindergartens, and Nurseries, Germany, June‒November 2020.

We investigated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections in primary schools, kindergartens, and nurseries in Germany. Of 3,169 oropharyngeal swab specimens, only 2 were positive by real-time reverse transcription PCR. Asymptomatic children attending these institutions do not appear to be driving the pandemic when appropriate infection control measures are used.

NLRP3 inflammasome and bruton tyrosine kinase inhibition interferes with upregulated platelet aggregation and in vitro thrombus formation in sickle cell mice.

The nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is a critical inflammatory mechanism identified in platelets, which controls platelet activation and aggregation. We have recently shown that the platelet NLRP3 inflammasome is upregulated in sickle cell disease (SCD), which is mediated by Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK). Here, we investigated the effect of pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 and BTK on platelet aggregation and the formation of in vitro thrombi in Townes SCD mice.

Sickle cell disease mice have cerebral oxidative stress and vascular and white matter abnormalities.

Strokes are feared complications of sickle cell disease (SCD) and yield significant neurologic and neurocognitive deficits. However, even without detectable strokes, SCD patients have significant neurocognitive deficits in domains of learning and memory, processing speed and executive function. In these cases, mechanisms unrelated to major cerebrovascular abnormalities likely underlie these deficits.