Bunker Cave stalagmites: an archive for central European Holocene climate variability

Holocene climate was characterised by variability on multi-centennial to multi-decadal time scales. In central Europe, these fluctuations were most pronounced during winter. Here we present a record of past winter climate variability for the last 10.8 ka based on four speleothems from Bunker Cave, western Germany. Due to its central European location, the cave site is particularly well suited to record changes in precipitation and temperature in response to changes in the North Atlantic realm. We present high-resolution records of δ18O, δ13C values and Mg/Ca ratios. Changes in the Mg/Ca ratio are attributed to past meteoric precipitation variability. The stable C isotope composition of the speleothems most likely reflects changes in vegetation and precipitation, and variations in the δ18O signal are interpreted as variations in meteoric precipitation and temperature. We found cold and dry periods between 8 and 7 ka, 6.5 and 5.5 ka, 4 and 3 ka as well as between 0.7 and 0.2 ka. The proxy signals in the Bunker Cave stalagmites compare well with other isotope records and, thus, seem representative for central European Holocene climate variability. The prominent 8.2 ka event and the Little Ice Age cold events are both recorded in the Bunker Cave record. However, these events show a contrasting relationship between climate and δ18O, which is explained by different causes underlying the two climate anomalies. Whereas the Little Ice Age is attributed to a pronounced negative phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation, the 8.2 ka event was triggered by cooler conditions in the North Atlantic due to a slowdown of the thermohaline circulation

New insights into the protein aggregation pathology in myotilinopathy by combined proteomic and immunolocalization analyses

Introduction: Myofibrillar myopathies are characterized by progressive muscle weakness and impressive abnormal protein aggregation in muscle fibers. In about 10 % of patients, the disease is caused by mutations in the MYOT gene encoding myotilin. The aim of our study was to decipher the composition of protein deposits in myotilinopathy to get new information about aggregate pathology. Results: Skeletal muscle samples from 15 myotilinopathy patients were included in the study. Aggregate and control samples were collected from muscle sections by laser microdissection and subsequently analyzed by a highly sensitive proteomic approach that enables a relative protein quantification. In total 1002 different proteins were detected. Seventy-six proteins showed a significant over-representation in aggregate samples including 66 newly identified aggregate proteins. Z-disc-associated proteins were the most abundant aggregate components, followed by sarcolemmal and extracellular matrix proteins, proteins involved in protein quality control and degradation, and proteins with a function in actin dynamics or cytoskeletal transport. Forty over-represented proteins were evaluated by immunolocalization studies. These analyses validated our mass spectrometric data and revealed different regions of protein accumulation in abnormal muscle fibers. Comparison of data from our proteomic analysis in myotilinopathy with findings in other myofibrillar myopathy subtypes indicates a characteristic basic pattern of aggregate composition and resulted in identification of a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic marker for myotilinopathy. Conclusions: Our findings i) indicate that main protein components of aggregates belong to a network of interacting proteins, ii) provide new insights into the complex regulation of protein degradation in myotilinopathy that may be relevant for new treatment strategies, iii) imply a combination of a toxic gain-of-function leading to myotilin-positive protein aggregates and a loss-of-function caused by a shift in subcellular distribution with a deficiency of myotilin at Z-discs that impairs the integrity of myofibrils, and iv) demonstrate that proteomic analysis can be helpful in differential diagnosis of protein aggregate myopathies

Mapping Vesta: First Results from Dawn’s Survey Orbit

The geologic objectives of the Dawn Mission [1] are to derive Vesta’s shape, map the surface geology, understand the geological context and contribute to the determination of the asteroids’ origin and evolution.Geomorphology and distribution of surface features will provide evidence for impact cratering, tectonic activity, volcanism, and regolith processes. Spectral measurements of the surface will provide evidence of the compositional characteristics of geological units. Age information, as derived from crater sizefrequency distributions, provides the stratigraphic context for the structural and compositional mapping results, thus revealing the geologic history of Vesta. We present here the first results of the Dawn mission from data collected during the approach to Vesta, and its first discrete orbit phase – the Survey Orbit, which lasts 21 days after the spacecraft had established a circular polar orbit at a radius of ~3000 km with a beta angle of 10°-15°

Sphingosine 1-phosphate modulates antigen capture by murine langerhans cells via the S1P2 receptor subtype

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in the development of cutaneous contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and atopic dermatitis as they capture and process antigen and present it to T lymphocytes in the lymphoid organs. Recently, it has been indicated that a topical application of the sphingolipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) prevents the inflammatory response in CHS, but the molecular mechanism is not fully elucidated. Here we indicate that treatment of mice with S1P is connected with an impaired antigen uptake by Langerhans cells (LCs), the initial step of CHS. Most of the known actions of S1P are mediated by a family of five specific G protein-coupled receptors. Our results indicate that S1P inhibits macropinocytosis of the murine LC line XS52 via S1P2 receptor stimulation followed by a reduced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activity. As down-regulation of S1P2 not only diminished S1P-mediated action but also enhanced the basal activity of LCs on antigen capture, an autocrine action of S1P has been assumed. Actually, S1P is continuously produced by LCs and secreted via the ATP binding cassette transporter ABCC1 to the extracellular environment. Consequently, inhibition of ABCC1, which decreased extracellular S1P levels, markedly increased the antigen uptake by LCs. Moreover, stimulation of sphingosine kinase activity, the crucial enzyme for S1P formation, is connected not only with enhanced S1P levels but also with diminished antigen capture. These results indicate that S1P is essential in LC homeostasis and influences skin immunity. This is of importance as previous reports suggested an alteration of S1P levels in atopic skin lesions

Ryugu as seen close up by MASCOT

In October 2018, MASCOT landed on the surface of Ryugu to start a campaign of in-situ measurements. Its brief mission was successful, with the onboard camera revealing the surface of this C-type asteroid in unpre- cedented detail. The presence of abundant mm-sized, multi-colored inclusions in one rock suggests a link between Ryugu and carbonaceous chondrites

Surface roughness of asteroid (162173) Ryugu and comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko inferred from in-situ observations

Alteration processes on asteroid and comet surfaces, such as thermal fracturing, (micrometeorite) impacts or volatile outgassing, are complex mechanisms that form diverse surface morphologies and roughness on various scales. These mechanisms and their interaction may differ on the surfaces of different bodies. Asteroid Ryugu and comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, both, have been visited by landers that imaged the surfaces in high spatial resolution. We investigate the surface morphology and roughness of Ryugu and 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko based on high-resolution in situ images of 0.2 and 0.8 mm pixel resolution over an approximately 25 and 80 cm wide scene, respectively. To maintain comparability and reproducibility, we introduce a method to extract surface roughness descriptors (fractal dimension, Hurst exponent, joint roughness coefficient, root-mean-square slope, hemispherical crater density, small-scale roughness parameter, and Hapke mean slope angle) from in situ planetary images illuminated by LEDs. We validate our method and choose adequate parameters for an analysis of the roughness of the surfaces. We also derive the roughness descriptors from 3D shape models of Ryugu and orbiter camera images and show that the higher spatially resolved images result in a higher roughness. We find that 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is up to 6 per cent rougher than Ryugu depending on the descriptor used and attribute this difference to the different intrinsic properties of the materials imaged and the erosive processes altering them. On 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko sublimation appears to be the main cause for roughness, while on Ryugu micrometeoroid bombardment as well as thermal fatigue and solar weathering may play a significant role in shaping the surface

Characteristics of Polygonal Craters on (1) Ceres

The Dawn spacecraft arrived at Ceres in March 2015. There, the on-board Framing Camera (FC) collects image data with a resolution of up to 35 m/pixel, which reveal a large variety of impact crater morphologies including polygonal craters. Polygonal craters show straight rim sections aligned to form an angular shape. They are com- monly associated with fractures in the target material, which may be preserved as linear structures on Ceres [3, 4]. On Ceres, we find polygonal craters with a size ranging between 5 km and 280 km in diameter. However, the ma- jority of polygonal craters have diameters ranging between 10 km and 50 km diameter. A preferential hexagonal shape is observed and some polygonal craters exhibit central peaks or relaxed crater floors. On average there are eight to ten polygonal craters per 100,000 km 2 , however the northern latitudes have a slightly higher and the southern latitudes a slightly lower polygonal crater density. This may hint at an older and younger age of the northern (> 60°N) and southern regions (> 60°S) compared to the mid latitudes, respectively. Alter- natively, the relaxation of craters may be advanced in the mid latitudes which are generally warmer than the poles and thus support the relaxation of depressions. Also, the southern region harbors relatively large craters which may have altered or destroyed preexisting structures in the crust which are necessary for the formation of polygonal craters. Most polygonal craters have six or seven straight rim sections; however, there is a tendency for fewer edges with decreasing crater size. Although this observation may be biased due to the map resolution, it is also possible that the impactor creating a relatively small polygonal crater embeds less energy and thus forms the straight rim sections during the excavation stage. This may result in fewer straight rim sections compared to more energetic impactors which form their polygonal shape during the modification stage. Straight rim sections and edges of polygonal craters often align with linear features associated with Ceres’ tec- tonics. Small and medium-sized polygonal crater rims tend to align with the general direction of linear features, whereas very large polygonal crater edges tend to be intersected by the linear features. This may hint at the differ- ent formation processes of polygonal craters depending on the embedded energy. In contrast, polygonal craters are also present in areas with no obvious tectonic features. These polygonal craters may be produced by subresolution or subsurface fractures. [3] Buczkowski, D. et al., GSA 2015, 1-4 November 2015, Baltimore, MD, USA, #282-8, 2015 [4] von der Gathen, I. et al., GSA 2015, 1-4 November 2015, Baltimore, MD, USA, #282-9, 201