Contribution of Pentose Catabolism to Molecular Hydrogen Formation by Targeted Disruption of Arabinose Isomerase (\u3ci\u3earaA\u3c/i\u3e) in the Hyperthermophilic Bacterium \u3ci\u3eThermotoga maritima\u3c/i\u3e

Thermotoga maritima ferments a broad range of sugars to form acetate, carbon dioxide, traces of lactate, and near theoretic yields of molecular hydrogen (H2). In this organism, the catabolism of pentose sugars such as arabinose depends on the interaction of the pentose phosphate pathway with the Embden-Myerhoff and Entner-Doudoroff pathways. Although the values for H2 yield have been determined using pentose-supplemented complex medium and predicted by metabolic pathway reconstruction, the actual effect of pathway elimination on hydrogen production has not been reported due to the lack of a genetic method for the creation of targeted mutations. Here, a spontaneous and genetically stable pyrE deletion mutant was isolated and used as a recipient to refine transformation methods for its repair by homologous recombination. To verify the occurrence of recombination and to assess the frequency of crossover events flanking the deleted region, a synthetic pyrE allele, encoding synonymous nucleotide substitutions, was used. Targeted inactivation of araA (encoding arabinose isomerase) in the pyrE mutant was accomplished using a divergent, codon-optimized Thermosipho africanus pyrE allele fused to the T. maritima groES promoter as a genetic marker. Mutants lacking araA were unable to catabolize arabinose in a defined medium. The araA mutation was then repaired using targeted recombination. Levels of synthesis of H2 using arabinose-supplemented complex medium by wild-type and araA mutant cell lines were compared. The difference between strains provided a direct measurement of H2 production that was dependent on arabinose consumption. Development of a targeted recombination system for genetic manipulation of T. maritima provides a new strategy to explore H2 formation and life at an extremely high temperature in the bacterial domain

Peripheral Innate Immune Activation Correlates With Disease Severity in GRN Haploinsufficiency.

Objective: To investigate associations between peripheral innate immune activation and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) in progranulin gene (GRN) haploinsufficiency. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, ELISA was used to measure six markers of innate immunity (sCD163, CCL18, LBP, sCD14, IL-18, and CRP) in plasma from 30 GRN mutation carriers (17 asymptomatic, 13 symptomatic) and 29 controls. Voxel based morphometry was used to model associations between marker levels and brain atrophy in mutation carriers relative to controls. Linear regression was used to model relationships between plasma marker levels with mean frontal white matter integrity [fractional anisotropy (FA)] and the FTLD modified Clinical Dementia Rating Scale sum of boxes score (FTLD-CDR SB). Results: Plasma sCD163 was higher in symptomatic GRN carriers [mean 321 ng/ml (SD 125)] compared to controls [mean 248 ng/ml (SD 58); p < 0.05]. Plasma CCL18 was higher in symptomatic GRN carriers [mean 56.9 pg/ml (SD 19)] compared to controls [mean 40.5 pg/ml (SD 14); p < 0.05]. Elevation of plasma LBP was associated with white matter atrophy in the right frontal pole and left inferior frontal gyrus (p FWE corrected <0.05) in all mutation carriers relative to controls. Plasma LBP levels inversely correlated with bilateral frontal white matter FA (R2 = 0.59, p = 0.009) in mutation carriers. Elevation in plasma was positively correlated with CDR-FTLD SB (b = 2.27 CDR units/μg LBP/ml plasma, R2 = 0.76, p = 0.003) in symptomatic carriers. Conclusion: FTLD-GRN is associated with elevations in peripheral biomarkers of macrophage-mediated innate immunity, including sCD163 and CCL18. Clinical disease severity and white matter integrity are correlated with blood LBP, suggesting a role for peripheral immune activation in FTLD-GRN

Musical Instrument Practice Predicts White Matter Microstructure and Cognitive Abilities in Childhood

Musical training has been associated with advantages in cognitive measures of IQ and verbal ability, as well as neural measures including white matter microstructural properties in the corpus callosum (CC) and the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). We hypothesized that children who have musical training will have different microstructural properties in the SLF and CC. One hundred children aged 7.9–9.9 years (mean age 8.7) were surveyed for their musical activities, completed neuropsychological testing for general cognitive abilities, and underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) as part of a larger study. Children who play a musical instrument for more than 0.5 h per week (n = 34) had higher scores on verbal ability and intellectual ability (standardized scores from the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities), as well as higher axial diffusivity (AD) in the left SLF than those who did not play a musical instrument (n = 66). Furthermore, the intensity of musical practice, quantified as the number of hours of music practice per week, was correlated with axial diffusivity (AD) in the left SLF. Results are not explained by age, sex, socio-economic status, or physical fitness of the participants. The results suggest that the relationship between musical practice and intellectual ability is related to the maturation of white matter pathways in the auditory-motor system. The findings suggest that musical training may be a means of improving cognitive and brain health during development

Seroprevalence of Hepatitis E virus (HEV) in domestic non-commercial pigs reared in small-scale farms and wild boar in South of Brazil

Hepatitis E is a zoonotic emerging disease distributed worldwide. The domestic swine and wild boars (Sus scrofa) are known as important reservoirs of HEV although HEV infections have been detected in other animal species. The southern region of Brazil has the largest swine productions in the country, ranging from highly-specialized commercial swine productions to small-scale non-commercial pig farms. The small-scale farms allow interactions between wild boars and domestic pigs, when occasionally pathogens transmission can occur between these populations. The aim of this study was to determine HEV seroprevalence in non-commercial domestic pigs and wild boars from two southern Brazilian states (RS: Rio Grande do Sul; SC: Santa Catarina), and discuss if the consumption of raw or undercooked meat from these animals is a potential risk to public health. Animals from RS and SC States were sampled. Serum was harvested from wild boar hunted between 2012 and 2016, and from non-commercial small-scale pig farms in 2014. Overall 249 wild boars (56 from RS and 193 from SC) and 382 pigs (261 from RS and 121 from SC) were tested to detect anti-HEV IgG antibodies using a commercial HEV antibody ELISA kit (Thermo fisher), specific for swine. Overall difference was observed (P\u3c0.0001) regarding HEV seroprevalence between wild boar 4.42% (n=249) and non-commercial domestic pigs 46.60% (n=382). In relation to wild boars samples, higher seroprevalence for Hepatitis E was observed in RS (14.29%; n=56) and lower in SC (1.55%; n=193; P\u3c0.0004). In relation to pigs, RS had also higher seroprevalence (53.26%; n=261) than SC (32.23%; n=121; P\u3c0.0002). Although interactions between wild boar and non-commercial domestic pigs are known to occur, the lowest antibody detection in wild boar suggest that these contact may not be sufficient to explain seroprevalence in studied populations. Our results indicate that non-commercial pigs are a more likely source of infection for the human population than wild boar

Knowledge gaps in economic costs of invasive alien fish worldwide

Peer reviewe

Human Subcutaneous Dirofilariasis, Russia

We report 14 cases of human subcutaneous dirofilariasis caused by Dirofilaria repens, diagnosed from February 2003 through July 2004, in patients from Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Serologic analysis showed evidence of high risk of exposure to D. repens. Surveillance studies on prevalence and prevention effectiveness of canine infection are needed to control this emerging zoonosis

Physical Activity Increases White Matter Microstructure in Children

Children are becoming increasingly inactive, unfit, and overweight, yet there is relatively little causal evidence regarding the effects of physical activity on brain health during childhood. The present study examined the effects of an after-school physical activity program (FITKids2) on the microstructure of white matter tracts in 7- to 9-year-old children. We measured the microstructural properties of white matter via diffusion tensor imaging in 143 children before and after random assignment to either a 9-month after-school physical activity program (N = 76, mean age = 8.7 years) or a wait list control group (N = 67, mean age = 8.7 years). Our results demonstrate that children who participated in the physical activity program showed increased white matter microstructure in the genu of the corpus callosum, with no changes in white matter microstructure in the wait list control group which reflects typical development. Specifically, children in the physical activity program showed increases in fractional anisotropy (FA) and decreases in radial diffusivity (RD) in the genu from pre- to post-test, thereby suggesting more tightly bundled and structurally compact fibers (FA) and increased myelination (RD), with no changes in estimates of axonal fiber diameter (axial diffusivity, AD). The corpus callosum integrates cognitive, motor, and sensory information between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and the white matter tract plays a role in cognition and behavior. Our findings reinforce the importance of physical activity for brain health during child development

World Society for Virology first international conference: Tackling global virus epidemics

This communication summarizes the presentations given at the 1st international conference of the World Society for Virology (WSV) held virtually during 16–18 June 2021, under the theme of tackling global viral epidemics. The purpose of this biennial meeting is to foster international collaborations and address important viral epidemics in different hosts. The first day included two sessions exclusively on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. The other two days included one plenary and three parallel sessions each. Last not least, 16 sessions covered 140 on-demand submitted talks. In total, 270 scientists from 49 countries attended the meeting, including 40 invited keynote speakers.Peer reviewe

World Society for Virology first international conference: Tackling global virus epidemics.

Funder: Department of Health, Australian GovernmentThis communication summarizes the presentations given at the 1st international conference of the World Society for Virology (WSV) held virtually during 16-18 June 2021, under the theme of tackling global viral epidemics. The purpose of this biennial meeting is to foster international collaborations and address important viral epidemics in different hosts. The first day included two sessions exclusively on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. The other two days included one plenary and three parallel sessions each. Last not least, 16 sessions covered 140 on-demand submitted talks. In total, 270 scientists from 49 countries attended the meeting, including 40 invited keynote speakers