Short-Lived Trace Gases in the Surface Ocean and the Atmosphere

The two-way exchange of trace gases between the ocean and the atmosphere is important for both the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere and the biogeochemistry of the oceans, including the global cycling of elements. Here we review these exchanges and their importance for a range of gases whose lifetimes are generally short compared to the main greenhouse gases and which are, in most cases, more reactive than them. Gases considered include sulphur and related compounds, organohalogens, non-methane hydrocarbons, ozone, ammonia and related compounds, hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Finally, we stress the interactivity of the system, the importance of process understanding for modeling, the need for more extensive field measurements and their better seasonal coverage, the importance of inter-calibration exercises and finally the need to show the importance of air-sea exchanges for global cycling and how the field fits into the broader context of Earth System Science

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Usefulness of plant leaf baits for detection of Phytophthora spp. from water

Top leaves of Alnus glutinosa, Quercus robur and Rhododendron sp. cv. Nova Zembla were used as baits in detection of Phytophthora spp. from 2 rivers and one water pond. About 800 isolates were obtained from these water sources with domination of Phytophthora Salixsoil taxon (84%), P. citricola (10%) and P. cambivora (6%). Salixsoil taxon was detected from all investigated water sources, whereas the other species only from rivers. Rhododendron leaves were the most effective bait in detection of Phytophthora from rivers, pond and from different levels of water

Współzależność pomiędzy źródłem wody a występowaniem i patogenicznością Phytophthora plurivora

Phytophthora plurivora was the most often detected species from water using rhododendron baits. The species was isolated from water of two rivers, Jasieniec and Korabiewka, a water pond and a drainage canal from March to November, 2008 (in Korabiewka river also in December). The highest population density of P. plurivora was observed in March and April in water pond and canal, and in May in both analysed rivers. In laboratory trials all tested isolates colonized rhododendron and poplar leaves. Isolates from drainage canal were the most pathogenic for rhododendron. Isolates detected in March from water pond and two rivers caused the quickest spread of necrosis on leaf blades. On poplar leaves the fastest development of necrotic spots was observed when isolates obtained in June and November were used for inoculation, while the isolate from September sample was less pathogenic.Phytophthora plurivora izolowano od marca do listopada 2008 roku z dwóch rzek Jasieniec (RJ) i Korabiewka (RK), zbiornika wodnego (S1) zlokalizowanego na terenie szkółki oraz kanału (C1) odprowadzającego nadmiar wody z kontenerowni. Największą liczbę izolatów uzyskano w marcu i kwietniu z kanału i zbiornika, a w maju z obu rzek. W warunkach laboratoryjnych wszystkie testowane kultury kolonizowały blaszki liściowe różanecznika i topoli. Izolaty z kanału okazały się najbardziej patogenicznymi dla różanecznika. Kultury z marca, uzyskane z trzech źródeł wody (S1, RJ, RK), powodowały szybszy rozwój nekrozy niż pochodzące z prób z innych miesięcy. Najszybsze tempo zasiedlania tkanek liści topoli obserwowano po inokulacji kulturami uzyskanymi z prób z lipca i listopada, a najwolniejsze w przypadku izolatu z września

Influence of water sources on frequency of Phytophthora occurrence

Badano obecność gatunków rodzaju Phytophthora w rzekach Jasieniec, Pisia i Wisła, 2 kanałach oraz 2 stawach. Jasieniec i Pisia przepływają przez tereny ogrodnicze w województwie łódzkim i mazowieckim, natomiast Wisłę badano na odcinku Puław. Kanały oraz stawy znajdują się w pobliżu, bądź na terenie gospodarstw szkółkarskich i są źródłem wody do podlewania upraw. Do wykrywania Phytophthora w wodzie zastosowano pułapki z liści różanecznika odmiany ‘Nova Zembla', bardzo wrażliwej na Phytophthora spp. Pułapki zastawiano w każdym miesiącu od marca do listopada. Miarą liczebności Phytophthora spp. w wodzie była liczba nekrotycznych plam na liściach pułapkowych. Występowanie Phytophthora stwierdzono we wszystkich źródłach wody, niezależnie od okresu detekcji. W kanałach najwięcej plam na liściach odnotowano w maju i czerwcu, a w rzekach Jasieniec i Pisia oraz w stawach w marcu, kwietniu, maju oraz we wrześniu, październiku i listopadzie, natomiast w Wiśle w maju. Najczęściej izolowanym gatunkiem był P. citricola. Stosunkowo często izolowano P. cryptogea, P. cinnamomi, P. citrophthora oraz P. taxon Salixsoil, a najrzadziej P. cactorum, P. cambivora oraz P. megasperma.Influence of water source on frequency of Phytophthora occurrence was the purpose of this study. Phytophthora spp. was detected in 3 rivers, 2 canals and 2 ponds. Rivers were situated in different part of Poland. Two of them (Jasieniec and Pisia) is following through horticulture areas, whereas Wisła – through area with hardy ornamental nursery stocks. Water canals and ponds are situated nearly or in nursery. Rhododendron leaves baits cv. ‘Nova Zembla’ were used for detection Phytophthora in water from March to November. Number of necrotic spots on baiting leaves was the measure of population density of Phytophthora in water. Phytophthora spp. were detected from water from March to November. In canals, the most of necrotic spots on baiting leaves were observed in May and June. In rivers Jasieniec and Rawka and water ponds significantly more necrotic spots on baiting leaves were noticed in March, April, May and in September, October and November. P. cirticola was recovered as the most often occurring species and next P. cryptogea, P. cinnamomi, P. citrophthora, P. taxon Salixsoil

Hinge-loop mutation can be used to control 3D domain swapping and amyloidogenesis of human cystatin C.

Cystatins are natural inhibitors of cysteine proteases, enzymes that are widely distributed in animals, plants, and microorganisms. Human cystatin C (hCC) has been also recognized as an aggregating protein directly involved in the formation of pathological amyloid fibrils, and these amyloidogenic properties greatly increase in a naturally occurring L68Q hCC variant. For a long time only dimeric structure of wild-type hCC has been known. The dimer is created through 3D domain swapping process, in which two parts of the cystatin structure become separated from each other and next exchanged between two molecules. Important role in the domain swapping plays the L1 loop, which connects the exchanging segments and, upon dimerization, transforms from a β-turn into a part of a long β-strand. In the very recently published first monomeric structure of human cystatin C (hCC-stab1), dimerization was abrogated due to clasping of the β-strands from the swapping domains by an engineered disulfide bridge. We have designed and constructed another mutated cystatin C with the smallest possible structural intervention, that is a single-point mutation replacing hydrophobic V57 from the L1 loop by polar asparagine, known as a stabilizer of a β-turn motif. V57N hCC mutant occurred to be stable in its monomeric form and crystallized as a monomer, revealing typical cystatin fold with a five-stranded antiparallel β-sheet wrapped around an α-helix. Here we report a 2.04 Å resolution crystal structure of V57N hCC and discuss the architecture of the protein in comparison to chicken cystatin, hCC-stab1 and dimeric hCC

Występowanie gatunków Phytophthora w rzekach, kanałach i zbiornikach wodnych w zależności od ich lokalizacji, okresu detekcji i pozostałości fungicydów

Phytophthora spp. were detected from 3 rivers, 2 nursery canals and 2 reservoirs during all year. Number of Phytophthora necrotic spots on rhododendron leaves, used as baits, in March, July and October indicated on the lack of significant differences in that group of pathogens in relation to water sources, their location as well as during observation period. Only in one water reservoir Phytophthora density was about 2–3 times higher than in 6 other sources. In vitro trials showed different reaction of P. cinnamomi, P. citricola and P. citrophthora, often detected in water, on fenamidon and metalaxyl. P. cinnamomi was the most sensitive whereas P. citrophthora the most resistant. Amendment of river water contaminated with P. cinnamomi with metalaxyl at dose 1.6 g/cm3 reduced at least twice pathogen density in water. In case of fenamidon such effect was obtained when water was amendment with 8 g of that compound /cm3.Stosując wierzchołkowe liście różanecznika odm. Nova Zembla, wykrywano Phytophthora spp. przez cały rok w 3 rzekach, 2 kanałach i 2 zbiornikach wodnych. Liczba nekrotycznych plam, stwierdzanych na liściach pułapkowych w marcu, lipcu i październiku wykazała brak znaczących różnic w liczebności tej grupy patogenów w badanych źródłach wody niezależnie od miejsca ich usytuowania, zagospodarowania oraz czasu detekcji. Tylko w jednym zbiorniku wodnym w szkółce liczebność Phytophthora spp. była około 3-krotnie wyższa aniżeli w pozostałych 6 źródłach wody. Doświadczenie in vitro wykazało zróżnicowaną reakcję P. cinnamomi, P. citricola i P. citrophthora na fenamidon i metalaksyl. Gatunek P. cinnamomi okazał się najwrażliwszy na te środki, podczas gdy najodporniejszym. okazał się P. citrophthora. Wprowadzenie metalaksylu w stężeniu 1,6 g/cm3 do wody rzecznej, skażonej przez P. cinnamomi, spowodowało redukcję liczebności patogenu na liściach pułapkowych co najmniej dwukrotnie. W przypadku fenamidonu taki efekt uzyskano, gdy środek dodano do wody w stężeniu 8 g/cm3