Pyrimidin 5´-Nukleotidase in embryonalen Hühnererythrozyten: Sequenzanalyse und cAMP-abhängige Regulation der Expression des Enzyms während der Ontogenese

Die terminale erythroide Differenzierung ist mit einem Abbau von mehr als 90 % der ribosomalen RNA verknüpft. Die Pyrimidin 5´-Nukleotidase (P5N-I) ist ein Schlüsselenzym für den Abbau von dabei entstehenden Pyrimidinnukleosidmonophosphaten. In Humanerythrozyten führt ein Enzymmangel zu einer hämolytischen Anämie, die durch gehemmten Abbau von Ribosomen und erhöhte Konzentrationen von Pyrimidinnukleotiden gekennzeichnet ist. Obwohl seit langem bekannt ist, dass die Enzymaktivität in differenzierenden Erythrozyten erhöht ist, lagen bislang noch keine Daten zur Regulation der Enzymaktivität vor. Während der Ontogenese des Hühnerembryos kommt es infolge einer zunehmenden Hypoxie zu einer Freisetzung von Noradrenalin und Adenosin, die über den cAMP-Signaltransduktionsweg zu einer Aktivitätssteigerung der Pyrimidin 5´-Nukleotidase in den Erythrozyten führt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde erstmals die Regulation der Pyrimidin 5´-Nukleotidase in embryonalen Hühnererythrozyten untersucht. Dabei wurden folgende Experimente durchgeführt: Die Pyrimidin 5´-Nukleotidase wurde mit proteinchemischen Methoden gereinigt und seine Aminosäurensequenz ermittelt. Nach Screening einer cDNA-Bank embryonaler Hühnererythrozyten wurde die Sequenz seiner mRNA erstellt. Mit der Sequenzinformation wurde die Expression der Pyrimidin 5´-Nukleotidase mRNA während der Ontogenese untersucht, sowie der Einfluss einer Hypoxie in vivo bzw. einer Stimulation mit Noradrenalin oder dem Adenosinrezeptoragonisten CPCA in vitro auf die Expression. Während der Ontogenese zeigt sich infolge der fortschreitenden Hypoxie eine markante vorübergehende Steigerung der Expression der P5N-I mRNA zwischen Tag 13 und Tag 17, die zu einer entsprechenden Steigerung der Enzymaktivität führt. Durch kurzzeitige hypoxische Inkubation lässt sich in definitiven Erythrozyten die Expression der P5N-I mRNA bereits an Tag 11 deutlich steigern. Diese Expressionssteigerung lässt sich auch durch hormonelle Stimulierung definitiver Erythrozyten mit Noradrenalin oder CPCA in vitro induzieren

Fungal Traits Important for Soil Aggregation

Soil structure, the complex arrangement of soil into aggregates and pore spaces, is a key feature of soils and soil biota. Among them, filamentous saprobic fungi have well-documented effects on soil aggregation. However, it is unclear what properties, or traits, determine the overall positive effect of fungi on soil aggregation. To achieve progress, it would be helpful to systematically investigate a broad suite of fungal species for their trait expression and the relation of these traits to soil aggregation. Here, we apply a trait-based approach to a set of 15 traits measured under standardized conditions on 31 fungal strains including Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota, all isolated from the same soil. We find large differences among these fungi in their ability to aggregate soil, including neutral to positive effects, and we document large differences in trait expression among strains. We identify biomass density, i.e., the density with which a mycelium grows (positive effects), leucine aminopeptidase activity (negative effects) and phylogeny as important factors explaining differences in soil aggregate formation (SAF) among fungal strains; importantly, growth rate was not among the important traits. Our results point to a typical suite of traits characterizing fungi that are good soil aggregators, and our findings illustrate the power of employing a trait-based approach to unravel biological mechanisms underpinning soil aggregation. Such an approach could now be extended also to other soil biota groups. In an applied context of restoration and agriculture, such trait information can inform management, for example to prioritize practices that favor the expression of more desirable fungal traits

ATLAS Pixel Module Assembly in Dortmund

The ATLAS Pixel detector is the inner- most substructure of the multi-purpose LHC ex- periment ATLAS at CERN and part of the track- ing system. The Pixel vertex system will consist of 1744 hybrid pixel modules, about 280 of them have been assembled at the University of Dortmund. This work provides a detailed description of the ATLAS Pixel module assembly procedure executed at the University of Dortmund. Effort had been put into the developement of a laboratory and testing environment to fulfill all technical demands of a se- rial production of fully efficent pixel modules

Influence of Mineral Liquid Fertilization on the Plant Growth of Perennials on Sheep’s Wool–Coir–Vegetation Mats

The article processing charge was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – 491192747 and the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.Perennials are usually pre-cultivated on vegetation mats consisting of coconut fiber (coir), which require weather-dependent irrigation and regular fertilization with fast-acting fertilizer to achieve a saleable condition as quickly as possible. In the pre-cultivation of sheep’s wool–coir–vegetation mats, nitrogen (N) is already sufficiently contained in the vegetation mats due to the natural nitrogen content of the sheep’s wool fibers, so that additional liquid fertilization during pre-cultivation can be dispensed with if necessary. In this study, sheep’s wool–coir–vegetation mats of 4.5 kg/m2 were pre-cultivated with 16 perennial plants (8 species) in 2018. Variant 1 (V1) received regular fertilization with mineral liquid fertilizer (total 8.7 g N/m2) during pre-cultivation. Variant 2 (V2) was not fertilized during pre-cultivation. In spring 2019, all pre-cultivated vegetation mats were lifted and laid on an area prepared with topsoil. No additional fertilization was applied after laying. The overall impression, plant height, number of flowering perennials, and plant coverage were examined in the 2018 and 2019 growing seasons, with only minor differences observed between V1 and V2. The number of flowers, biomass, and nitrogen content were determined for the two aster species used. There were differences between V1 and V2 in 2018, but not in 2019. The coverage of perennials of 50%, which is the prerequisite for the saleability of the vegetation mats, was already achieved on both V1 and V2 after 4 months of pre-cultivation. The overall impression of the perennials on both V1 and V2 also did not differ during pre-cultivation nor in the following year. Therefore, liquid fertilization is not necessary during the pre-cultivation of perennials on sheep’s wool–coir–vegetation mats.This project was funded by the Berlin Program for Sustainable Development (BENE) as well as by the European Regional Development Fund and the State of Berlin. (Funding code 1171-B5-O, project duration: 01/2018 to 06/2023). The article processing charge was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)—491192747 and the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.Berlin Program for Sustainable Development (BENE) as well as by the European Regional Development Fund and the State of BerlinDeutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftOpen Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinPeer Reviewe

Probing hyperbolic polaritons using infrared attenuated total reflectance micro-spectroscopy

Hyperbolic polariton modes are highly appealing for a broad range of applications in nanophotonics, including surfaced enhanced sensing, sub-diffractional imaging and reconfigurable metasurfaces. Here we show that attenuated total reflectance micro-spectroscopy (ATR) using standard spectroscopic tools can launch hyperbolic polaritons in a Kretschmann-Raether configuration. We measure multiple hyperbolic and dielectric modes within the naturally hyperbolic material hexagonal boron nitride as a function of different isotopic enrichments and flake thickness. This overcomes the technical challenges of measurement approaches based on nanostructuring, or scattering scanning nearfield optical microscopy. Ultimately, our ATR approach allows us to compare the optical properties of small-scale materials prepared by different techniques systematicallyComment: 13 pages 4 figure

The psychopathological and psychosocial outcome of early-onset schizophrenia: Preliminary data of a 13-year follow-up

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Relatively little is known about the long-term psychopathological and psychosocial outcome of early-onset schizophrenia. The existing literature describes more severe courses of illness in these patients compared with adult-onset schizophrenia. This article reports preliminary data of a study exploring the outcome of early-onset schizophrenia 13.4 years (mean) after first admission. Predictors for interindividual outcomes were investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We retrospectively assessed 27 former patients (mean age at first admission 15.5 years, SD = 2.0) that were consecutively admitted to the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Wuerzburg between 1990 and 2000. A multidimensional approach was chosen to assess the outcome consisting of a mail survey including different questions about psychopathological symptoms, psychosocial parameters, and standardized self-reports (ESI and ADS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Concerning the psychopathological outcome, 22.2% reported having acute schizophrenic symptoms. Almost one third (30.8%) described symptoms of depression and 37.0% reported having tried to commit suicide or seriously thought about it. 77.8% of the former patients were still in outpatient treatment. Compared to the general population, the number of patients without a school graduation was relatively high (18.5%). Almost half of participants still live with their parents (48.1%) or in assisted or semi-assisted living conditions (33.3%). Only 18.5% were working in the open market.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Schizophrenia with an early onset has an unfavourable prognosis. Our retrospective study of the psychopathological and psychosocial outcome concludes with a generally poor rating.</p

Conserved redox-dependent DNA binding of ROXY glutaredoxins with TGA transcription factors

peer-reviewedThe Arabidopsis thaliana CC‐type glutaredoxin (GRX) ROXY1 and the bZIP TGA transcription factor (TF) PERIANTHIA (PAN) interact in the nucleus and together regulate petal development. The CC‐type GRXs exist exclusively in land plants, and in contrast to the ubiquitously occurring CPYC and CGFS GRX classes, only the CC‐type GRXs expanded strongly during land plant evolution. Phylogenetic analyses show that TGA TFs evolved before the CC‐type GRXs in charophycean algae. MpROXY1/2 and MpTGA were isolated from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha to analyze regulatory ROXY/TGA interactions in a basal land plant. Homologous and heterologous protein interaction studies demonstrate that nuclear ROXY/TGA interactions are conserved since the occurrence of CC‐type GRXs in bryophytes and mediated by a conserved ROXY C‐terminus. Redox EMSA analyses show a redox‐sensitive binding of MpTGA to the cis‐regulatory as‐1‐like element. Furthermore, we demonstrate that MpTGA binds together with MpROXY1/2 to this motif under reducing conditions, whereas this interaction is not observed under oxidizing conditions. Remarkably, heterologous complementation studies reveal a strongly conserved land plant ROXY activity, suggesting an ancestral role for CC‐type GRXs in modulating the activities of TGA TFs. Super‐resolution microscopy experiments detected a strong colocalization of ROXY1 with the active form of the RNA polymerase II in the nucleus. Together, these data shed new light on the function of ROXYs and TGA TFs and the evolution of redox‐sensitive transcription regulation processes, which likely contributed to adapt land plants to novel terrestrial habitats

Measurement of the production cross section for W-bosons in association with jets in pp collisions at s=7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This Letter reports on a first measurement of the inclusive W + jets cross section in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV at the LHC, with the ATLAS detector. Cross sections, in both the electron and muon decay modes of the W-boson, are presented as a function of jet multiplicity and of the transverse momentum of the leading and next-to-leading jets in the event. Measurements are also presented of the ratio of cross sections sigma (W + >= n)/sigma(W + >= n - 1) for inclusive jet multiplicities n = 1-4. The results, based on an integrated luminosity of 1.3 pb(-1), have been corrected for all known detector effects and are quoted in a limited and well-defined range of jet and lepton kinematics. The measured cross sections are compared to particle-level predictions based on perturbative QCD. Next-to-leading order calculations, studied here for n <= 2, are found in good agreement with the data. Leading-order multiparton event generators, normalized to the NNLO total cross section, describe the data well for all measured jet multiplicitie

ATLAS pixel detector electronics and sensors

The silicon pixel tracking system for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider is described and the performance requirements are summarized. Detailed descriptions of the pixel detector electronics and the silicon sensors are given. The design, fabrication, assembly and performance of the pixel detector modules are presented. Data obtained from test beams as well as studies using cosmic rays are also discussed

Charged-particle multiplicities in pp interactions at root s=900 GeV measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC ATLAS Collaboration

The first measurements from proton–proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC are presented. Data were collected in December 2009 using a minimum-bias trigger during collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 900 GeV. The charged-particle multiplicity, its dependence on transverse momentum and pseudorapidity, and the relationship between mean transverse momentum and charged-particle multiplicity are measured for events with at least one charged particle in the kinematic range |η|500 MeVpT>500 MeV. The measurements are compared to Monte Carlo models of proton–proton collisions and to results from other experiments at the same centre-of-mass energy. The charged-particle multiplicity per event and unit of pseudorapidity at η=0η=0 is measured to be 1.333±0.003(stat.)±0.040(syst.)1.333±0.003(stat.)±0.040(syst.), which is 5–15% higher than the Monte Carlo models predict