The NLANR NAI Network Analysis Infrastructure

The National Laboratory for Applied Network Research is creating a network analysis infrastructure to support network research and engineering of high performance research networks. The NAI includes a passive monitoring project, an active monitoring project, and collection of network management and control data. Together these projects have deployed more than 120 monitors around the high-performance research networks in the United States. This article describes NAI and the projects using it. The article concludes with a discussion of the future plans for the infrastructure

Cryo-EM structure of the respiratory I + III2 supercomplex from Arabidopsis thaliana at 2 Å resolution

Protein complexes of the mitochondrial respiratory chain assemble into respiratory supercomplexes. Here we present the high-resolution electron cryo-microscopy structure of the Arabidopsis respiratory supercomplex consisting of complex I and a complex III dimer, with a total of 68 protein subunits and numerous bound cofactors. A complex I-ferredoxin, subunit B14.7 and P9, a newly defined subunit of plant complex I, mediate supercomplex formation. The component complexes stabilize one another, enabling new detailed insights into their structure. We describe (1) an interrupted aqueous passage for proton translocation in the membrane arm of complex I; (2) a new coenzyme A within the carbonic anhydrase module of plant complex I defining a second catalytic centre; and (3) the water structure at the proton exit pathway of complex III2 with a co-purified ubiquinone in the QO site. We propose that the main role of the plant supercomplex is to stabilize its components in the membrane

In Situ Experiments To Reveal the Role of Surface Feature Sidewalls in the Cassie–Wenzel Transition

Waterproof and self-cleaning surfaces continue to attract much attention as they can be instrumental in various different technologies. Such surfaces are typically rough, allowing liquids to contact only the outermost tops of their asperities, with air being entrapped underneath. The formed solid–liquid–air interface is metastable and, hence, can be forced into a completely wetted solid surface. A detailed understanding of the wetting barrier and the dynamics of this transition is critically important for the practical use of the related surfaces. Toward this aim, wetting transitions were studied in situ at a set of patterned perfluoropolyether dimethacrylate (PFPEdma) polymer surfaces exhibiting surface features with different types of sidewall profiles. PFPEdma is intrinsically hydrophobic and exhibits a refractive index very similar to water. Upon immersion of the patterned surfaces into water, incident light was differently scattered at the solid–liquid–air and solid–liquid interface, which allows for distinguishing between both wetting states by dark-field microscopy. The wetting transition observed with this methodology was found to be determined by the sidewall profiles of the patterned structures. Partial recovery of the wetting was demonstrated to be induced by abrupt and continuous pressure reductions. A theoretical model based on Laplace’s law was developed and applied, allowing for the analytical calculation of the transition barrier and the potential to revert the wetting upon pressure reduction

Are there sustained psychological impacts in women diagnosed with in-situ or early invasive breast cancers?

PurposeThe detection of a ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) or an early invasive breast cancer (EIBC), particularly by population-wide mammography-screening-programs, is controversial as an unknown proportion of these cases may be due to overdiagnosis. We investigated whether women with such potentially overdiagnosed breast cancers suffer from sustained adverse psycho-social consequences.MethodsStandardized questionnaires were mailed to 900 survivors, diagnosed with either DCIS or EIBC, requesting self-reports on quality of life using EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire C-30. Levels of anxiety and depression were assessed using the HADS questionnaires. Item score values in the study group were compared to reference data obtained from normative studies in the German female reference population.ResultsThe 577 women who returned completed questionnaires had a mean age of 65.1 years, 387 (67%) had been diagnosed by mammography screening. Median time since diagnosis was 5.9 years. There were no substantial differences between the study sample and the reference population for most of the items. While most score values were even slightly more favorable in the study group, the scores for cognitive function were moderately lower, especially among younger patients. Score values for anxiety were generally higher among younger women (50 to 59 years) from the study group, while depression scores were lower irrespective of age.ConclusionsThis study indicates that the diagnosis of DCIS or EIBC, which is predominantly a result of screening, does not seem to induce sustained, adverse psychological impacts in affected women when compared with the respective general female population. Only anxiety levels remained elevated among younger women

Summary of Milestones 2030 : Elements and milestones for the development of a stable and sustainable bioenergy strategy

This publication is the English version of the summary of the German report „Meilensteine 2030“ (THRÄN et al. 2015) which is published in the series of the funding programme “Biomass energy use”. The report describes elements and milestones for the development of a stable and sustainable bioenergy strategy

Meilensteine 2030: Elemente und Meilensteine für die Entwicklung einer tragfähigen und nachhaltigen Bioenergiestrategie : Endbericht zu FKZ 03KB065, FKZ 03MAP230

In einer weitgehend auf erneuerbaren Energien fußenden Energieversorgung in Deutschland muss Bioenergie künftig die Lücken füllen, die nicht aus anderen Quellen gespeist werden können – diese These hat die Diskussion um Bioenergie im beginnenden 21. Jahrhundert stark bestimmt (BARZANTNY et al., 2009; KIRCHNER & MATTHES, 2009; SaCHVERSTÄNDIGENRAT FÜR UMWELTFRAGEN, 2011; SCHLESINGER et al., 2010, 2011). Dabei gibt es sowohl starke Argumente für den flexiblen Einsatz im Strombereich als auch für ausgewählte Kraftstoffpfade (z. B. Schwerlastverkehr, Schifffahrt, Flugverkehr), während im Wärmebereich Bioenergie als gut durch alternative erneuerbare Versorgungskonzepte ersetzbar gilt. Jedoch hat sich auch gezeigt, dass Biomasse zwar regenerativ, jedoch für den konkreten Zeitraum und unter Nachhaltigkeitsaspekten nur begrenzt verfügbar ist. Künftig wird erwartet, dass der Bedarf an Nahrungs- und Futtermitteln wie auch für die stoffliche Nutzung steigt. Damit wird eine Priorisierung der Einsatzbereiche für den weiteren Ausbau zunehmend notwendig (BMVBS, 2010; THRÄN et al., 2011; KOALITIONSVERTRAG, 2013; MAJER et al., 2013). Es herrscht Einigkeit, dass Bioenergienutzung im Einklang mit den Zielen der nachhaltigen Entwicklung stehen muss und insbesondere gegenüber der Ernährungssicherung nachrangig ist, dass die Nutzung zunehmend an den Erfordernissen des Energiesystems ausgerichtet sein müssen und dass nur bei stetiger Weiterentwicklung der Technologien ein angemessener Beitrag der Bioenergie erreicht werden kann. Auch scheint es sinnvoll, dass man – vor dem Hintergrund der vielfältigen aktuellen Entwicklungen im Bereich der regenerativen, nicht-biogenen Energietechnologien und Energieträger – Bioenergiestrategien favorisiert, die geringe Pfadabhängigkeiten aufweisen und z. B. Technologiekonzepte berücksichtigen, die sowohl im Strom- / Wärme-Bereich als auch im Kraftstoffsektor genutzt werden können

Identification of genetic elements in metabolism by high-throughput mouse phenotyping.

Metabolic diseases are a worldwide problem but the underlying genetic factors and their relevance to metabolic disease remain incompletely understood. Genome-wide research is needed to characterize so-far unannotated mammalian metabolic genes. Here, we generate and analyze metabolic phenotypic data of 2016 knockout mouse strains under the aegis of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) and find 974 gene knockouts with strong metabolic phenotypes. 429 of those had no previous link to metabolism and 51 genes remain functionally completely unannotated. We compared human orthologues of these uncharacterized genes in five GWAS consortia and indeed 23 candidate genes are associated with metabolic disease. We further identify common regulatory elements in promoters of candidate genes. As each regulatory element is composed of several transcription factor binding sites, our data reveal an extensive metabolic phenotype-associated network of co-regulated genes. Our systematic mouse phenotype analysis thus paves the way for full functional annotation of the genome

Analysis of the Aspergillus fumigatus Proteome Reveals Metabolic Changes and the Activation of the Pseurotin A Biosynthesis Gene Cluster in Response to Hypoxia

The mold Aspergillus fumigatus is the most important airborne fungal pathogen. Adaptation to hypoxia represents an important virulence attribute for A. fumigatus. Therefore, we aimed at obtaining a comprehensive overview about this process on the proteome level. To ensure highly reproducible growth conditions, an oxygen-controlled, glucose-limited chemostat cultivation was established. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis analysis of mycelial and mitochondrial proteins as well as two-dimensional Blue Native/SDS-gel separation of mitochondrial membrane proteins led to the identification of 117 proteins with an altered abundance under hypoxic in comparison to normoxic conditions. Hypoxia induced an increased activity of glycolysis, the TCA-cycle, respiration, and amino acid metabolism. Consistently, the cellular contents in heme, iron, copper, and zinc increased. Furthermore, hypoxia induced biosynthesis of the secondary metabolite pseurotin A as demonstrated at proteomic, transcriptional, and metabolite levels. The observed and so far not reported stimulation of the biosynthesis of a secondary metabolite by oxygen depletion may also affect the survival of A. fumigatus in hypoxic niches of the human host. Among the proteins so far not implicated in hypoxia adaptation, an NO-detoxifying flavohemoprotein was one of the most highly up-regulated proteins which indicates a link between hypoxia and the generation of nitrosative stress in A. fumigatus