University of Kentucky Measurements of Wind, Temperature, Pressure and Humidity in Support of LAPSE-RATE Using Multisite Fixed-Wing and Rotorcraft Unmanned Aerial Systems

In July 2018, unmanned aerial systems (UASs) were deployed to measure the properties of the lower atmosphere within the San Luis Valley, an elevated valley in Colorado, USA, as part of the Lower Atmospheric Profiling Studies at Elevation – a Remotely-piloted Aircraft Team Experiment (LAPSE-RATE). Measurement objectives included detailing boundary layer transition, canyon cold-air drainage and convection initiation within the valley. Details of the contribution to LAPSE-RATE made by the University of Kentucky are provided here, which include measurements by seven different fixed-wing and rotorcraft UASs totaling over 178 flights with validated data. The data from these coordinated UAS flights consist of thermodynamic and kinematic variables (air temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed and direction) and include vertical profiles up to 900 m above the ground level and horizontal transects up to 1500 m in length. These measurements have been quality controlled and are openly available in the Zenodo LAPSE-RATE community data repository (https://zenodo.org/communities/lapse-rate/, last access: 23 July 2020), with the University of Kentucky data available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3701845 (Bailey et al., 2020)

Different Fish-Eating Habits and Cytokine Production in Chronic Urticaria with and without Sensitization against the Fish-Parasite Anisakis simplex

Background:Anisakis simplexsensitization has been associated with acute, but also with chronic urticaria.The objective of this study is to characterize chronic urticaria with (CU+) and without sensitization (CU-) againstthe ubiquitous fish parasiteA. simplexin a transversal and longitudinal evaluation.Methods:16 CU+ and 22 CU- patients were included and assessed for Urticaria activity score (UAS), fish-eating habits by standardized questionnaire and cytokine production (assessed by flow cytometric bead-basedarray) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells after stimulation withA. simplexextract or Concanavalin A (ConA). Patients were randomly put on a fish-free diet for three months and UAS, as well as cytokine productionwere again assessed. A difference of"1 in UAS was defined as improvement.Results:There was no difference in UAS in both groups.Anisakisinduced IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-γproduction washigher in CU+. Con A induced IL-6 and IL-10 production was higher in CU+. CU+ was associated with highertotal fish intake, whereas CU- was associated with oily fish intake. The correlation of UAS was positive with oilyfish, but negative with total fish intake.There was a better UAS-based prognosis in CU+ without diet. Improvement was associated with higher ConA induced IL-10!IFN-γas well as IL-10!IL-6 ratios. Further, previous higher oily fish intake was associated withimprovement.Conclusions:Our data confirm the different clinical and immunological phenotype of CU+. Our results show acomplex relationship between fish-eating habits, cytokine production and prognosis, which could have impor-tant consequences in dietary advice in patients with CU. When encounteringA. simplexsensitization, patientsshould not be automatically put on a diet without fish in order to reduce contact withA. simplexproductsThe study was funded by grants from Fundación Sociedad Española de Alergología e Inmunología Clínica (SEAIC) 2009 and Fundación Mutua Madrileña 2009, SpainS

IL-17RA Signaling Reduces Inflammation and Mortality during Trypanosoma cruzi Infection by Recruiting Suppressive IL-10-Producing Neutrophils

Members of the IL-17 cytokine family play an important role in protection against pathogens through the induction of different effector mechanisms. We determined that IL-17A, IL-17E and IL-17F are produced during the acute phase of T. cruzi infection. Using IL-17RA knockout (KO) mice, we demonstrate that IL-17RA, the common receptor subunit for many IL-17 family members, is required for host resistance during T. cruzi infection. Furthermore, infected IL-17RA KO mice that lack of response to several IL-17 cytokines showed amplified inflammatory responses with exuberant IFN-γ and TNF production that promoted hepatic damage and mortality. Absence of IL-17RA during T. cruzi infection resulted in reduced CXCL1 and CXCL2 expression in spleen and liver and limited neutrophil recruitment. T. cruzi-stimulated neutrophils secreted IL-10 and showed an IL-10-dependent suppressive phenotype in vitro inhibiting T-cell proliferation and IFN-γ production. Specific depletion of Ly-6G+ neutrophils in vivo during T. cruzi infection raised parasitemia and serum IFN-γ concentration and resulted in increased liver pathology in WT mice and overwhelming wasting disease in IL-17RA KO mice. Adoptively transferred neutrophils were unable to migrate to tissues and to restore resistant phenotype in infected IL-17RA KO mice but migrated to spleen and liver of infected WT mice and downregulated IFN-γ production and increased survival in an IL-10 dependent manner. Our results underscore the role of IL-17RA in the modulation of IFN-γ-mediated inflammatory responses during infections and uncover a previously unrecognized regulatory mechanism that involves the IL-17RA-mediated recruitment of suppressive IL-10-producing neutrophils

A communal catalogue reveals Earth's multiscale microbial diversity

Our growing awareness of the microbial world's importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community samples collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of diversity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth's microbial diversity.Peer reviewe

A communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity

Our growing awareness of the microbial world’s importance and diversity contrasts starkly with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA sequencing, a lack of standardized protocols and common analytical frameworks impedes comparisons among studies, hindering the development of global inferences about microbial life on Earth. Here we present a meta-analysis of microbial community samples collected by hundreds of researchers for the Earth Microbiome Project. Coordinated protocols and new analytical methods, particularly the use of exact sequences instead of clustered operational taxonomic units, enable bacterial and archaeal ribosomal RNA gene sequences to be followed across multiple studies and allow us to explore patterns of diversity at an unprecedented scale. The result is both a reference database giving global context to DNA sequence data and a framework for incorporating data from future studies, fostering increasingly complete characterization of Earth’s microbial diversity