Concerted Complex Assembly and GTPase Activation in the Chloroplast Signal Recognition Particle

The universally conserved signal recognition particle (SRP) and SRP receptor (SR) mediate the cotranslational targeting of proteins to cellular membranes. In contrast, a unique chloroplast SRP in green plants is primarily dedicated to the post-translational targeting of light harvesting chlorophyll a/b binding (LHC) proteins. In both pathways, dimerization and activation between the SRP and SR GTPases mediate the delivery of cargo; whether and how the GTPase cycle in each system adapts to its distinct substrate proteins were unclear. Here, we show that interactions at the active site essential for GTPase activation in the chloroplast SRP and SR play key roles in the assembly of the GTPase complex. In contrast to their cytosolic homologues, GTPase activation in the chloroplast SRP–SR complex contributes marginally to the targeting of LHC proteins. These results demonstrate that complex assembly and GTPase activation are highly coupled in the chloroplast SRP and SR and suggest that the chloroplast GTPases may forego the GTPase activation step as a key regulatory point. These features may reflect adaptations of the chloroplast SRP to the delivery of their unique substrate protein

Living with deafblindness during COVID-19:An international webinar to facilitate global knowledge translation

Arguably, individuals living with deafblindness are among the hardest hit by the effects of the corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID- 19), given the importance of the sense of touch for their ability to interact with the world. To address this challenge, it is imperative to facilitate the implementation of evidence- and experience-based recommendations, and to improve knowledge translation on a global scale. Deafblind International organized a webinar to provide a platform where participants could exchange experiences and solutions to overcome the challenges created by the arrival of COVID-19, in order to facilitate information exchange among stakeholders in deafblindness during this pandemic. We present an overview of its content here and place the summarized themes in context with existing research literature. Abstract submission was open for 4 weeks in May 2020, resulting in 30 submissions from 13 countries across 5 continents. Of the 26 presenter teams, 9 (35%) had a co-presenter that was living with deafblindness themselves. The number of individual participants across all sessions ranged from 55 to 140 (M = 98), with a total of 3709 session registrations overall, and the organizers estimate a total attendance of around 400 participants. Based on extensive field notes taken during the webinar, and repeated viewing of the recordings, qualitative description allowed the team to synthesize eight principal themes across the event: access to information, communication, service accessibility, adaptations to service delivery, online safety and security, physical distancing, mental health and research. The first Deafblind International webinar was able to fill an important gap by bringing together a variety of stakeholders in deafblindness across the globe. The event created a sense of group membership and peer support, brought the participants, researchers, the professionals as well as their service agencies closer together and generated a sense of hope and collaboration

Experimental characterization of the COndensation PArticle counting System for high altitude aircraft-borne application

A characterization of the ultra-fine aerosol particle counter COPAS (COndensation PArticle counting System) for operation on board the Russian high altitude research aircraft M-55 Geophysika is presented. The COPAS instrument consists of an aerosol inlet and two dual-channel continuous flow Condensation Particle Counters (CPCs) operated with the chlorofluorocarbon FC-43. It operates at pressures between 400 and 50 hPa for aerosol detection in the particle diameter (dp) range from 6 nm up to 1 micro m. The aerosol inlet, designed for the M-55, is characterized with respect to aspiration, transmission, and transport losses. The experimental characterization of counting efficiencies of three CPCs yields dp50 (50% detection particle diameter) of 6 nm, 11 nm, and 15 nm at temperature differences (DeltaT) between saturator and condenser of 17°C, 30°C, and 33°C, respectively. Non-volatile particles are quantified with a fourth CPC, with dp50=11 nm. It includes an aerosol heating line (250°C) to evaporate H2SO4-H2O particles of 11 nm<dp<200 nm at pressures between 70 and 300 hPa. An instrumental in-flight inter-comparison of the different COPAS CPCs yields correlation coefficients of 0.996 and 0.985. The particle emission index for the M-55 in the range of 1.4–8.4×10 16 kg -1 fuel burned has been estimated based on measurements of the Geophysika's own exhaust

The Role of Application Portfolio Management in Application Services Outsourcing: Explicating Variations in Application Portfolio Management among Outsourcing Gestalts

Prior research has identified different outsourcing strategy types most likely to succeed, described by the outsourcing extent, the contract type, and duration. Each of the strategy types serves a particular outsourcing outcome. Since application portfolio management pursues improvement and optimization in the application landscape, it supports and enables decisions in the field of application services outsourcing. The aim of our research is to investigate the varying role of application portfolio management (APM) for different application services outsourcing strategies. Therefore, we conducted case study research with eleven large German and Swiss companies. In order to identify the varying role of APM, we compared the behaviors of the companies successfully applying particular strategy types, analyzing the differences in APM capabilities, application portfolio structure, and the influence of application characteristics. The results reveal that the companies applying different strategies vary in the extent to which APM is implemented in an organization

Explicating Performance Impacts of IT Governance and Data Governance in Multi-Business Organisations

Achieving regulatory compliance, a 360 degree view on customer data, and an effective and efficient reporting are critical business requirements that can be traced back to a high quality of IT and data resources. Addressing these requirements, the regulation of decision rights and accountabilities for organisational decision-making about IT and data assets has become a key success factor for organisations. The aim of this paper is to analyse the performance impact of a combined IT and data governance concept. The study uses the resource-based perspective and integrates the theory of complementarities and the concept of relatedness. The proposed increase in business process performance is grounded in the generation of sustainable competitive advantages. The framework is developed by using nine exploratory case studies in multi-business organisations. The results suggest that IT and data governance are positively related with business process performance through the mediators of IT relatedness and data relatedness

Associated deaths and disability-adjusted life-years caused by infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Switzerland, 2010 to 2019.

BackgroundCassini et al. (2019) estimated that, in 2015, infections with 16 different antibiotic-resistant bacteria resulted in ca 170 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100,000 population in the European Union and European Economic area (EU/EEA). The corresponding estimate for Switzerland was about half of this (87.8 DALYs per 100,000 population) but still higher than that of several EU/EEA countries (e.g. neighbouring Austria (77.2)).AimIn this study, the burden caused by the same infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria ('AMR burden') in Switzerland from 2010 to 2019 was estimated and the effect of the factors 'linguistic region' and 'hospital type' on this estimate was examined.MethodsNumber of infections, DALYs and deaths were estimated according to Cassini et al. (2019) whereas separate models were built for each linguistic region/hospital type combination.ResultsDALYs increased significantly from 3,995 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 3;327-4,805) in 2010 to 6,805 (95% UI: 5,820-7,949) in 2019. Linguistic region and hospital type stratifications significantly affected the absolute values and the slope of the total AMR burden estimates. DALYs per population were higher in the Latin part of Switzerland (98 DALYs per 100,000 population; 95% UI: 83-115) compared with the German part (57 DALYs per 100,000 population; 95% UI: 49-66) and in university hospitals (165 DALYs per 100,000 hospitalisation days; 95% UI: 140-194) compared with non-university hospitals (62 DALYs per 100,000 hospitalisation days; 95% UI: 53-72).ConclusionsThe AMR burden estimate in Switzerland has increased significantly between 2010 and 2019. Considerable differences depending on the linguistic region and the hospital type were identified - a finding which affects the nationwide burden estimation

Associated deaths and disability-adjusted life-years caused by infections with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Switzerland, 2010 to 2019

Background: Cassini et al. (2019) estimated that, in 2015, infections with 16 different antibiotic-resistant bacteria resulted in ca 170 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100,000 population in the European Union and European Economic area (EU/EEA). The corresponding estimate for Switzerland was about half of this (87.8 DALYs per 100,000 population) but still higher than that of several EU/EEA countries (e.g. neighbouring Austria (77.2)). Aim: In this study, the burden caused by the same infections due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria ('AMR burden') in Switzerland from 2010 to 2019 was estimated and the effect of the factors 'linguistic region' and 'hospital type' on this estimate was examined.MethodsNumber of infections, DALYs and deaths were estimated according to Cassini et al. (2019) whereas separate models were built for each linguistic region/hospital type combination. Results: DALYs increased significantly from 3,995 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 3;327-4,805) in 2010 to 6,805 (95% UI: 5,820-7,949) in 2019. Linguistic region and hospital type stratifications significantly affected the absolute values and the slope of the total AMR burden estimates. DALYs per population were higher in the Latin part of Switzerland (98 DALYs per 100,000 population; 95% UI: 83-115) compared with the German part (57 DALYs per 100,000 population; 95% UI: 49-66) and in university hospitals (165 DALYs per 100,000 hospitalisation days; 95% UI: 140-194) compared with non-university hospitals (62 DALYs per 100,000 hospitalisation days; 95% UI: 53-72). Conclusions: The AMR burden estimate in Switzerland has increased significantly between 2010 and 2019. Considerable differences depending on the linguistic region and the hospital type were identified - a finding which affects the nationwide burden estimation

Annually repeated influenza vaccination improves humoral responses to several influenza virus strains in healthy elderly

The benefit of annually repeated influenza vaccination on antibody formation is still under debate. In this study the effect of annually repeated influenza vaccination on haemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibody formation in the elderly is investigated. Between 1990 and 1993 healthy young and elde

Galacto-oligosaccharides alleviate lung inflammation by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation in vivo and in vitro

Introduction: The lack of effective anti-inflammatory therapies for pneumonia represents a challenge for identifying new alternatives. Non-digestible galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are attractive candidates due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects both locally and systemically. Objectives: The anti-inflammatory properties of GOS were investigated in calves with lung infections and in calf primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs) and human lung epithelial cells (A549). To delineate the mechanism, the potential capacity of GOS to inhibit the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome has been investigated. Methods: GOS were administrated orally to calves with naturally occurring lung infections during early life or used as pretreatments in cell cultures exposed to M. haemolytica, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), leukotoxin or ATP. The cell composition, cytokine/chemokine concentrations, and M. haemolytica-LPS lgG levels in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and blood were investigated, while the M. haemolytica positivity in BALF and bronchial mucosa was detected in vivo. Key markers of NLRP3 inflammasome activation were measured in vivo and in vitro. Results: GOS reduced M. haemolytica positivity and M. haemolytica-LPS lgG levels in calves with lung infections. Regulation of immune function and suppression of inflammatory response by GOS is related to the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome as observed in bronchial mucosal tissue of infected calves. The M. haemolytica-induced IL-1β production in PBECs was lowered by GOS, which was associated with NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition caused by the decreased reactive oxygen species and ATP production. GOS inhibited leukotoxin-induced ATP production in PBECs. The LPS- and ATP-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in PBECs and A549 cells was suppressed by GOS. Conclusion: GOS exert anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome activation in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a potential role for GOS in the prevention of lung infections