Extracorporeal cytokine adsorption reduces systemic cytokine storm and improves graft function in lung transplantation

OBJECTIVES Ischemia-reperfusion injury often coincides with a cytokine storm, which can result in primary graft dysfunction following lung transplantation. Our previous research has demonstrated allograft improvement by cytokine adsorption during ex vivo lung perfusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of in vivo extracorporeal cytokine adsorption in a large animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Pig left lung transplantation was performed following 24 hours of cold ischemic storage. Observation period after transplantation was 24 hours. In the treatment group (n = 6), extracorporeal CytoSorb adsorption was started 30 minutes before reperfusion and continued for 6 hours. A control group (n = 3) did not receive adsorber treatment. RESULTS During adsorption, we consistently noticed a significant decrease in plasma proinflammatory interleukin (IL)-2, trends of less proinflammatory, tumor necrosis factor- α, IL-1α, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor as well as significantly reduced systemic neutrophils. In addition, a significantly lower peak airway pressure was detected during the 6 hours of adsorption. After 24 hours of observation, when evaluating the left lung allograft independently, we observed significantly improved CO2 removal, partial pressure of oxygen/inspired oxygen fraction ratio, and less acidosis in the treatment group. At autopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage results exhibited significantly lower recruitment of cells and less pro-inflammatory IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 in the treatment group. Histologically, the treatment group had a strong trend, indicating less neutrophil invasion into the alveolar space. CONCLUSIONS Based on our findings, cytokine adsorption during and after reperfusion is a viable approach to reducing posttransplant inflammation following lung transplantation. CytoSorb may increase the acceptance of extended criteria donor lungs, which are more susceptible to ischemia-reperfusion injury

Limited resilience of the soil microbiome to mechanical compaction within four growing seasons of agricultural management

Soil compaction affects many soil functions, but we have little information on the resistance and resilience of soil microorganisms to this disturbance. Here, we present data on the response of soil microbial diversity to a single compaction event and its temporal evolution under different agricultural management systems during four growing seasons. Crop yield was reduced (up to −90%) in the first two seasons after compaction, but mostly recovered in subsequent seasons. Soil compaction increased soil bulk density (+15%), and decreased air permeability (−94%) and gas diffusion (−59%), and those properties did not fully recover within four growing seasons. Soil compaction induced cropping system-dependent shifts in microbial community structures with little resilience over the four growing seasons. Microbial taxa sensitive to soil compaction were detected in all major phyla. Overall, anaerobic prokaryotes and saprotrophic fungi increased in compacted soils, whereas aerobic prokaryotes and plant-associated fungi were mostly negatively affected. Most measured properties showed large spatial variability across the replicated blocks, demonstrating the dependence of compaction effects on initial conditions. This study demonstrates that soil compaction is a disturbance that can have long-lasting effects on soil properties and soil microorganisms, but those effects are not necessarily aligned with changes in crop yield

Weiterentwicklung der Spatenproben-Methoden BodenDok, VESS2020 und SpadeSubVESS in der Schweiz

Es wird zunehmend wichtiger, die Bodenstruktur zu schützen! Die Beobachtung der Böden durch Landwirte und Landwirtinnen ist dabei ein wichtiges Mittel, um die Bewirtschaftung anzupassen und Schäden zu verhindern. Hierfür sind «Spatenproben» interessant, da sie einfach durchzuführen sind und nur wenig Vorwissen und Vorbereitung benötigen. Das Ziel dieses Artikels ist es, drei solche Spatenproben-Methoden vorzustellen (BodenDok, VESS 2020 und SpadeSubVESS) die kürzlich überarbeitet und neu herausgegeben wurden. Die VESS-Methoden werden schon längere Zeit mit internationalem Erfolg eingesetzt. Ihre Vorzüge sind die schnelle und einfache Anwendung. Beide Methoden sind jeweils auf einer A4-Seite dokumentiert, mit deren Hilfe eine Note zwischen 1 und 5 für die Bodenstruktur vergeben wird. VESS 2020 ist eine Weiterentwicklung von VESS und bezieht sich auf die Bewertung des Oberbodens. SpadeSubVESS ist eine Weiterentwicklung von SubVESS, die auf die Arbeit mit dem Spaten angepasst wurde und zur Beurteilung des Unterbodens dient. BodenDok entstand aus der Harmonisierung verschiedener Methoden mit dem Ziel, eine einheitliche Methode anzubieten, die insbesondere in der Ausbildung in der ganzen Schweiz verwendet werden kann. Bei der BodenDok werden, im Gegensatz zur VESS-Methode, verschiedene Parameter separat angesprochen und notiert, was die Methode präziser macht. Die Unterlagen werden ergänzt durch Interpretations- und Bewertungshilfen, in denen auch Massnahmen zur Verbesserung des Bodens vorgeschlagen werden. Die Modernisierung dieser Methoden, die von Videos und Apps für Mobilgeräte ergänzt wird, soll helfen, den Schutz des Bodens durch seine Beobachtung zu fördern

Fifteen Years of Chandra Operation: Scientific Highlights and Lessons Learned

NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory, designed for three years of operation with a goal of five years is now entering its 15-th year of operation. Thanks to its superb angular resolution, the Observatory continues to yield new and exciting results, many of which were totally unanticipated prior to launch. We discuss the current technical status, review recent scientific highlights, indicate a few future directions, and present what we feel is the most important lesson learned from our experience of building and operating this great observatory

Terranimo® – ein webbasiertes Modell zur Abschätzung des Bodenverdichtungsrisikos

Um die Druckverhältnisse unter Landmaschinen zu simulieren und das Bodenverdichtungsrisiko einschätzen zu können, wurde das webbasierte Modell Terranimo® entwickelt. Darin kann mithilfe von verfügbaren Reifenkennwerten und in Abhängigkeit von der Oberbodenfestigkeit die Kontaktfläche und die Druckverteilung zwischen Reifen und Boden beschrieben werden. Mithilfe von Pedotransferfunktionen wird die Bodenfestigkeit (Vorbelastung) vom Tongehalt und der Saugspannung im Boden abgeleitet. Das Verdichtungsrisiko wird durch den Vergleich von Bodenfestigkeit und ausgeübtem Bodendruck abgeschätzt: Bleibt der durch die Landmaschine ausgeübte Bodendruck unterhalb der aktuellen Bodenfestigkeit, so können das Verdichtungsrisiko minimiert und negative Veränderungen der Bodenstruktur – und somit der Bodenfunktionen – vermieden werden.Based on experimental data from wheeling experiments, a web-based model for the simulation of stress and the evaluation of the soil compaction risk under agricultural machinery named Terranimo® has been developed. Terranimo® incorporates a model for prediction of contact area, shape and stress distribution in the tyre soil interface from wheel load and readily-available tyre parameters and the topsoil strength. In Terranimo® pedotransfer functions are used to estimate soil strength from clay content and matric potential. Principally, by limiting the imposed stress to below soil strength, the risk of soil compaction and undesirable changes of soil structure – and hence soil functions – can be minimized

Toward a Socialism for the Future, in the Wake of the Demise of the Socialism of the Past

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/51230/1/464.pd

Chandra X-Ray Observatory Observations of the Globular Cluster M71

We observed the nearby, low-density globular cluster M71 (NGC 6838) with the Chandra X-ray Observatory to study its faint X-ray populations. Five X-ray sources were found inside the cluster core radius, including the known eclipsing binary millisecond pulsar (MSP) PSR J1953+1846A. The X-ray light curve of the source coincident with this MSP shows marginal evidence for periodicity at the binary period of 4.2 h. Its hard X-ray spectrum and luminosity resemble those of other eclipsing binary MSPs in 47 Tuc, suggesting a similar shock origin of the X-ray emission. A further 24 X-ray sources were found within the half-mass radius, reaching to a limiting luminosity of 1.5 10^30 erg/s (0.3-8 keV). From a radial distribution analysis, we find that 18+/-6 of these 29 sources are associated with M71, somewhat more than predicted, and that 11+/-6 are background sources, both galactic and extragalactic. M71 appears to have more X-ray sources between L_X=10^30--10^31 erg/s than expected by extrapolating from other studied clusters using either mass or collision frequency. We explore the spectra and variability of these sources, and describe the results of ground-based optical counterpart searches.Comment: 36 pages including 7 figures and 8 tables, accepted by The Astrophysical Journa

Chandra Observations of the Anomalous X-ray Pulsar 4U 0142+61

We present X-ray imaging, timing, and phase resolved spectroscopy of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 4U 0142+61 using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The spectrum is well described by a power law plus blackbody model with power law index = 3.35(2), kT_BB=0.458(3) keV, and N_H=0.91(2) x 10^{22} cm^{-2}$; we find no significant evidence for spectral features (0.5-7.0 keV). Time resolved X-ray spectroscopy shows evidence for evolution in phase in either index, or KT_BB, or some combination thereof as a function of pulse phase. We derive a precise X-ray position for the source and determine its spin period, P=8.68866(30) s. We have detected emission beyond 4 arcsec from the central source and extending beyond 100 arcsec, likely due to dust scattering in the interstellar medium.Comment: 15 pages, accepted for publication in Ap

Mikrobielle Schutzkulturen

In der Abteilung Food Science & Management (FSM) der Berner Fachhochschule laufen derzeit mehrere Projekte zur Erforschung antagonistischer Mikroorganismen zur Bekämpfung der Vor- und Nacherntefäule bei Frischprodukten wie Obst und Gemüse