The effect of catchment soils on heavy metal concentrations in a brook situated in the historic mining region of Braubach, Germany

Forest soils located in the region of Braubach (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) are characterized by elevated concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb), resulting from local heavy metal emissions. The regional geomorphology is dominated by the low mountain range of the Rhenish Massif and the frequent occurrence of V-shaped valleys crossed by small tributaries of the Rhine River. The frequent occurrence of steep valley slopes should theoretically facilitate the influence of polluted forest soils on brooks of the valley bottoms by intensified processes of slope water influx and soil erosion. To investigate pollution state and soil-water interactions in a heavy metal enriched catchment, concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Pb were determined for catchment soils, sediment, suspended matter, and surface water of a brook situated close to a former smelter area. Heavy metal binding was characterized by BCR sequential extraction method. Total concentrations of Cd increased with the transition from catchment soils to brook sediments and suspended matter, while the proportions of the analyzed binding fractions partially changed. The concentrations of Cu and Pb in soils were marked by a higher heterogeneity and exceeded the concentrations found in sediments and suspended matter. For Pb, the proportions of binding fractions were relatively static, whereas the Cu binding fractions in suspended matter clearly differed in comparison with soils and sediments. For all studied heavy metals, an increase in the concentration of the respective dissolved fraction was found along the course of the brook

Toll-Like Receptor Stimulation by MicroRNAs in Acute Graft-vs.-Host Disease

Acute graft-vs.-host disease (aGVHD) is a frequent complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), accounting for substantial morbidity and mortality associated with this treatment modality. The pathogenesis of aGVHD involves a complex cascade of humoral and cellular interactions in which donor T cells target HLA mismatched host tissues, causing tissue injury through secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and induction of direct cytotoxicity. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key components of the innate immune system that recognize endogenous danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and exogenous pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Patients receiving conditioning chemotherapy and/or whole-body irradiation prior to all-HSCT are prone to gastrointestinal damage and translocation of microbiota across compromised intestinal epithelium, resulting in release of PAMPs and DAMPs. These “danger signals” play critical roles in disease pathogenesis by both initiating and propagating aGVHD through dendritic cell maturation and alloreactive T cell responses. There are 10–15 TLRs identified in mammalian species, a subset of which recognize single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) and serve as a key component of viral immunity. Recently, ssRNAs other than those of viral origin have been investigated as potential ligands of TLRs. MicroRNAs (miRs) are short (19–24 nt) non-coding RNAs that play critical roles in a variety of diseases. While traditionally miRs post-translationally modulate gene expression, non-canonical functions such as regulating TLR stimulation by acting as TLR ligands have been described. Here, we review the role of TLRs in aGVHD pathogenesis, the function of miRs in TLR stimulation, and the recent literature describing miRs as TLR ligands in aGVHD

Gelöste Schwermetallgehalte in Uferbereichen der Unteren Lahn und ihre räumliche Differenzierung in Abhängigkeit von Flussstauungen

Um Konzentrationsverhältnisse und Mobilitätsverhalten gelöster Schwermetalle während saisonalen Wasserstands- und Durchfeuchtungsänderungen zu analysieren, wurden in Bereichen der Unteren Lahn vier Auenböden untersucht. Im Fokus dieser vergleichenden Untersuchung stand die Berücksichtigung standortspezifischer bodenhydrologischer Unterschiede, die in ufernahen Böden theoretisch aus der Stauregulierung des Gewässers hervor gehen können. Um eine solche Beeinflussung in Umfang und Ausmaß einschätzen zu können, wurden Porenwässer der Auenböden über einen Zeitraum von zwei Jahren (2011-2013) regelmäßig entnommen und nach den darin gelösten Schwermetallgehalten untersucht

Author Correction: The long non-coding RNA HOXB-AS3 regulates ribosomal RNA transcription in NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

Publisher Correction: The long non-coding RNA HOXB-AS3 regulates ribosomal RNA transcription in NPM1-mutated acute myeloid leukemia.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper

Sink and Source Functions for Metal(loid)s in Sediments and Soils of Two Water Reservoirs of the Ore Mountains, Saxony, Germany

Since reservoirs can act as sinks for potential contaminants, such as metal(loid)s, sediment management is a challenge for reservoir operators. To exemplify the variability of concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn), the sediments of two differently constituted reservoirs located in the Ore Mountains (Saxony, Germany) were comparatively investigated. In the sediments of the Einsiedel Reservoir, which has a catchment area dominated by forestry, the median values showed an enrichment of Cd (6.7 mg/kg), Co (31.4 mg/kg), Hg (0.57 mg/kg), Ni (39.0 mg/kg) and Zn (283 mg/kg), mainly due to an elevated geogenic background and a preferential input of these elements from the soils of the catchment area. Sediments of the Berthelsdorf Smelter Pond, which has a predominantly agricultural catchment, had relatively high median concentrations of As (62.9 mg/kg), Cd (10.3 mg/kg), Cr (43.1 mg/kg), Cu (50.2 mg/kg), Hg (0.51 mg/kg), Pb (204 mg/kg), V (57.0 mg/kg) and Zn (626 mg/kg), which was due to an elevated geogenic background and heavy anthropogenic metal(loid) inputs over the past. Statistical analyses indicated that site-specific differences (e.g., in the content of organic matter or in the physicochemical properties of sediments) may influence the sink and source functions of the reservoirs for metal(loid)s. In this context, a strong influence of the specific catchment characteristics on the sediment composition of the reservoirs was concluded. Based on the German Federal Soil Protection Ordinance, the status quo of the metal(loid) contamination of the two reservoirs was evaluated and recommendations for further management and investigations were derived