Gastropod-derived haemocyte extracellular traps entrap metastrongyloid larval stages of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior

Background: Phagocyte-derived extracellular traps (ETs) were recently demonstrated mainly in vertebrate hosts as an important effector mechanism against invading parasites. In the present study we aimed to characterize gastropod-derived invertebrate extracellular phagocyte trap (InEPT) formation in response to larval stages of important canine and feline metastrongyloid lungworms. Gastropod haemocytes were isolated from the slug species Arion lusitanicus and Limax maximus, and the snail Achatina fulica, and exposed to larval stages of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior and investigated for gastropod-derived InEPT formation. Results: Phase contrast as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses of lungworm larvae-exposed haemocytes revealed ET-like structures to be extruded by haemocytes thereby contacting and ensnaring the parasites. Co-localization studies of haemocyte-derived extracellular DNA with histones and myeloperoxidase in larvae-entrapping structures confirmed classical characteristics of ETs. In vivo exposure of slugs to A. vasorum larvae resulted in InEPTs being extruded from haemocytes in the slug mucous extrapallial space emphasizing the pivotal role of this effector mechanism against invasive larvae. Functional larval entrapment assays demonstrated that almost half of the haemocyte-exposed larvae were contacted or even immobilized by released InEPTs. Overall, as reported for mammalian-derived ETs, different types of InEPTs were here observed, i.e. aggregated, spread and diffused InEPTs. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study represents the first report on metastrongyloid lungworm-triggered ETosis in gastropods thereby providing evidence of early mollusc host innate immune reactions against invading larvae. These findings will contribute to the better understanding on complex parasite-intermediate host interactions since different gastropod species bear different transmitting capacities for metastrongyloid infections

The influence of topographic microstructures on the initial adhesion of L929 fibroblasts studied by single-cell force spectroscopy

Single-cell force spectroscopy was used to investigate the initial adhesion of L929 fibroblasts onto periodically grooved titanium microstructures (height ~6 μm, groove width 20 μm). The position-dependent local adhesion strength of the cells was correlated with their rheological behavior. Spherical cells exhibited a significantly lower Young’s modulus (<1 kPa) than that reported for spread cells, and their elastic properties can roughly be explained by the Hertz model for an elastic sphere. While in contact with the planar regions of the substrate, the cells started to adapt their shape through slight ventral flattening. The process was found to be independent of the applied contact force for values between 100 and 1,000 pN. The degree of flattening correlated with the adhesion strength during the first 60 s. Adhesion strength can be described by fast exponential kinetics as \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$C_{1} \left[ {1 - \exp \left( { - C_{2} \cdot t} \right)} \right]$$\end{document} with C1 = 2.34 ± 0.19 nN and C2 = 0.09 ± 0.02 s−1. A significant drop in the adhesion strength of up to 50% was found near the groove edges. The effect can be interpreted by the geometric decrease of the contact area, which indicates the inability of the fibroblasts to adapt to the shape of the substrate. Our results explain the role of the substrate’s topography in contact guidance and suggest that rheological cell properties must be considered in cell adhesion modeling

the role of symmetry, dimension, and frustration

Recently, the interplay between spin and lattice degrees of freedom has gained a lot of attention due to its importance for various fundamental phenomena as well as for spintronic and magnonic applications. Examples are ultrafast angular momentum transfer between the spin and lattice subsystems during ultrafast demagnetization, frustration driven by structural distortions in transition-metal oxides, or in acoustically driven spin-wave resonances. In this work, we provide a systematic analysis of spin-lattice interactions for ferro- and antiferromagnetic materials and focus on the role of lattice symmetries and dimensions, magnetic order, and the relevance of spin-lattice interactions for angular momentum transfer as well as magnetic frustration. For this purpose, we use a recently developed scheme, which allows an efficient calculation of spin-lattice interaction tensors from first principles. In addition to that, we provide a more accurate and self-consistent scheme to calculate ab initio spin-lattice interactions by using embedded clusters, which allows us to benchmark the performance of the scheme introduced previously

Calculating spin-lattice interactions in ferro- and antiferromagnets: the role of symmetry, dimension and frustration

Recently, the interplay between spin and lattice degrees of freedom has gained a lot of attention due to its importance for various fundamental phenomena as well as for spintronic and magnonic applications. Examples are ultrafast angular momentum transfer between the spin and lattice subsystems during ultrafast demagnetization, frustration driven by structural distortions in transition metal oxides, or in acoustically driven spin-wave resonances. In this work, we provide a systematic analysis of spin-lattice interactions for ferro- and antiferromagnetic materials and focus on the role of lattice symmetries and dimensions, magnetic order, and the relevance of spin-lattice interactions for angular momentum transfer as well as magnetic frustration. For this purpose, we use a recently developed scheme which allows an efficient calculation of spin-lattice interaction tensors from first principles. In addition to that, we provide a more accurate and self consistent scheme to calculate ab initio spin lattice interactions by using embedded clusters which allows to benchmark the performance of the scheme introduced previously

Feshbach resonance in a strongly repulsive bilayer model: a possible scenario for bilayer nickelate superconductors

Since the discovery of superconductivity in cuprate materials, the minimal ingredients for high-T$_c$ superconductivity have been an outstanding puzzle. Motivated by the recently discovered nickelate bilayer superconductor La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_3$ under pressure, we study a minimal bilayer model, in which, as in La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_3$, inter- and intralayer magnetic interactions but no interlayer hopping are present: a mixed-dimensional (mixD) $t-J$ model. In the setting of a mixD ladder, we show that the system exhibits a crossover associated with a Feshbach resonance: from a closed-channel dominated regime of tightly bound bosonic pairs of holes to an open-channel dominated regime of spatially more extended Cooper pairs. The crossover can be tuned by varying doping, or by a nearest-neighbor Coulomb repulsion $V$ that we include in our model. Using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations and analytical descriptions of both regimes, we find that the ground state is a Luther-Emery liquid, competing with a density wave of tetraparton plaquettes at commensurate filling $\delta=0.5$ at large repulsion, and exhibits a pairing dome where binding is facilitated by doping. Our observations can be understood in terms of pairs of correlated spinon-chargon excitations constituting the open channel, which are subject to attractive interactions mediated by the closed channel of tightly bound chargon-chargon pairs. When the closed channel is lowered in energy by doping or tuning $V$, a Feshbach resonance is realized, associated with a dome in the binding energy. Our predictions can be directly tested in state-of-the art quantum simulators, and we argue that the pairing mechanism we describe may be realized in the nickelate bilayer superconductor La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_3$.Comment: Updated version, 9+8 pages, 8+6 figure

Structure analysis of the protein translocating channel TatA in membranes using a multi-construct approach

AbstractThe twin-arginine-translocase (Tat) can transport proteins in their folded state across bacterial or thylakoid membranes. In Bacillus subtilis the Tat-machinery consists of only two integral (inner) membrane proteins, TatA and TatC. Multiple copies of TatA are supposed to form the transmembrane channel, but little structural data is available on this 70-residue component. We used a multi-construct approach for expressing several characteristic fragments of TatAd, to determine their individual structures and to cross-validate them comprehensively within the architecture of the full-length protein. Here, we report the design, high-yield expression, detergent-aided purification and lipid-reconstitution of five constructs of TatAd, overcoming difficulties associated with the very different hydrophobicities and sizes of these membrane protein fragments. Circular dichroism (CD) and oriented CD (OCD) were used to determine their respective conformations and alignments in suitable, negatively charged phospholipid bilayers. CD spectroscopy showed an N-terminal α-helix, a central helical stretch, and an unstructured C-terminus, thus proving the existence of these secondary structures in TatAd for the first time. The OCD spectra demonstrated a transmembrane orientation of the N-terminal α-helix and a surface alignment of the central amphiphilic helix in lipid bilayers, thus supporting the postulated topology model and function of TatA as a transmembrane channel

Rotationally invariant formulation of spin-lattice coupling in multi-scale modeling

In the spirit of multi-scale modeling, we develop a theoretical framework for spin-lattice coupling that connects, on the one hand, to ab initio calculations of spin-lattice coupling parameters and, on the other hand, to the magneto-elastic continuum theory. The derived Hamiltonian describes a closed system of spin and lattice degrees of freedom and explicitly conserves the total momentum, angular momentum and energy. Using a new numerical implementation that corrects earlier Suzuki-Trotter decompositions we perform simulations on the basis of the resulting equations of motion to investigate the combined magnetic and mechanical motion of a ferromagnetic nanoparticle, thereby validating our developed method. In addition to the ferromagnetic resonance mode of the spin system we find another low-frequency mechanical response and a rotation of the particle according to the Einstein-de-Haas effect. The framework developed herein will enable the use of multi-scale modeling for investigating and understanding a broad range of magneto-mechanical phenomena from slow to ultrafast time scales

Orange is the new green: exploring the restorative capacity of seasonal foliage in schoolyard trees

Urban schoolyard environments are increasingly characterized by a proliferation of hard surfaces with little if any greenery. Schoolyard “greening” initiatives are becoming increasingly popular; however, schoolyard designs often fail to realize their restorative potential. In this quasi-experimental study, a proposed schoolyard greening project was used to visualize alternative planting designs and seasonal tree foliage; these design alternatives were subsequently used as visual stimuli in a survey administered to children who will use the schoolyard to assess the perceived restorative capacity of different design features. The findings indicate that seasonal changes in tree foliage enhance the perceived restorative quality of schoolyard environments. Specifically, fall foliage colour, when compared to green foliage, is rated as being perceived to be equally restorative for children. Additionally, seasonal planting, including evergreen conifers, may enhance the restorative quality of the schoolyard especially when deciduous trees are leafless. Landscape design professionals, community-based organizations, and other decision-makers in schoolyard greening efforts should strategically consider their tree choices to maximize year-round support for healthy attention functioning in children through restoration

Simulation of the Electric Field Distribution Near a Topographically Nanostructured Titanium-Electrolyte Interface: Influence of the Passivation Layer

A major challenge in biomaterials research is the regulation of protein adsorption at metallic implant surfaces. Recently, a number of studies have shown that protein adsorption can be influenced by metallic nanotopographies, which are discussed to increase electric field strengths near sharp edges and spikes. Since many metallic biomaterials form a native passivation layer with semiconducting properties, we have analyzed the influence of this layer on the near-surface electric field distribution of a nanostructure using finite element simulations. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation was solved for a titanium nanostructure covered by a TiO2 passivation layer in contact with a physiological NaCl solution (bulk concentration 0.137 mol/L). In contrast to a purely metallic nanostructure, the electric field strengths near sharp edges and spikes can be lower than in planar regions if a passivation layer is considered. Our results demonstrate that the passivation layer has a significant influence on the near-surface electric field distribution and must be considered for theoretical treatments of protein adsorption on passivated metals like titanium