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Untangling interactions between uncultured marine microbes across domains of life through single-cell genomics and timeseries analysis
Get PDFMicrobes of all lifeforms build the foundation of the marine food web and base of the carbon cycle. Diverse unicellular eukaryotes, many uncultivated, occupy key positions in the food web and have evolved complex lifestyles and interact extensively with bacteria in the surface ocean, with major implications for the flow of energy in the ecosystem. Beyond predator-prey relationships, both photosynthetic and phagocytotic protists engage in relationships with other microbes going beyond classical predator-prey interactions, but those remain poorly characterized. We utilized single cell sorting and whole genome sequencing of marine protists to discover bacteria associated with photosynthetic and heterotrophic protists. Putative symbionts from the Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria associated with heterotrophic protists. They resided within choanoflagellates and the MAST-3 lineages, dominant consumers of the most abundant phytoplankton and other microbes. The choanoflagellate and MAST-3 associated Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria lineages including causative agents of disease in human, possess specialized adaptations in the host environment, including complete Type IV secretion systems. However, their manner of symbioses differs, following distinct trajectories. The microbes associated with photosynthetic protists were primarily Planctomycetota, Verrucomicrobiota and Bacteroidota. These members of the phycosphere surrounding the phytoplankton cell encoded pili and flagella enabling varying degrees of motility and attachment in line with an extracellular lifestyle. Observations of microbial interactions changing over time indicates that these interactions are severely impacted by changes in environmental conditions, such as warming of surface waters and a decline in nutrient concentrations, especially in stratified summer conditions in the open ocean, through a decline in phytoplankton and subsequent impact on the heterotrophic community
Intersektionalität als Paradigma einer neuen mediävistischen Didaktik: Eine Problematisierung
Get PDFDie mediävistische Geschichtsdidaktik steht vor der Herausforderung, historische Alteritäten und Kontinuitäten angemessen zu vermitteln, ohne dabei in essentialistische oder teleologische Narrative zu verfallen. Insbesondere die Intersektionalitätsforschung bietet hier ein vielversprechendes heuristisches Instrumentarium, um komplexe Differenzverhältnisse zwischen Mittelalter und Gegenwart kritisch zu reflektieren. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert das Potenzial des Intersektionalitätskonzepts für die mediävistische Forschung und die geschichtsdidaktische Praxis und fragt, inwiefern sich Differenzkategorien wie Race, Class und Gender produktiv auf mittelalterliche Gesellschaften anwenden lassen, ohne anachronistische Verzerrungen zu erzeugen. Dabei wird argumentiert, dass eine intersektionale Perspektive nicht nur zur Dekonstruktion monolithischer Mittelalterbilder beitragen kann, sondern auch Schüler:innen eine kritische Reflexion über gegenwärtige soziale Machtstrukturen ermöglicht. Schließlich wird die Notwendigkeit einer didaktischen Entgrenzung betont, die historische Differenz als dynamisches, diskursiv konstruiertes Phänomen sichtbar macht. Die Reflexion über die epistemischen Grenzen der eigenen Forschung und Lehre wird hierbei als integraler Bestandteil einer verantwortungsvollen machtkritischen Geschichtsdidaktik begriffen, die sich ihrer eigenen disziplinären Verantwortung bewusst ist.Medieval history didactics faces the challenge of appropriately conveying historical alterities and continuities without falling into essentialist or teleological narratives. Intersectionality research in particular offers a promising heuristic toolkit for critically reflecting on complex relations of difference between the Middle Ages and the present. This article discusses the potential of the concept of intersectionality for medieval research and historical didactic practice and asks to what extent categories of difference such as race, class and gender can be productively applied to medieval societies without creating anachronistic distortions. It argues that an intersectional perspective can not only contribute to the deconstruction of monolithic images of the Middle Ages but also enables students to critically reflect on contemporary social power structures. Finally, the necessity of a didactic dissolution of boundaries is emphasised, which makes historical difference visible as a dynamic, discursively constructed phenomenon. Reflection on the epistemic limits of one's own research and teaching is understood as an integral part of responsible history didactics that is critical of power and aware of its own disciplinary responsibility
Human γδ T Cell Function Is Impaired Upon Mevalonate Pathway Inhibition
Get PDFVδ2 T cells, a predominant human peripheral γδ T cell population, are a promising candidate for the development of immunotherapies against cancer and infected cells. Aminobisphosphonate drugs, such as zoledronate, are commonly used to expand Vδ2 T cells. Yet, such in vitro generated cells have limited efficacy in the clinic. We found that despite inducing excessive proliferation of Vδ2 T cells, zoledronate impaired their effector function and caused the upregulation of the inhibitory receptor TIM3. This effect was due to the inhibition of mevalonate metabolism and dysregulation of downstream biological processes such as protein prenylation and intracellular signalling. In vitro and in vivo inhibition of mevalonate metabolism with zoledronate, statins, and 6-fluoromevalonate, as well as genetic deficiency of the mevalonate kinase, all resulted in compromised cytokine and cytotoxic molecule production by Vδ2 T cells. Impaired Vδ2 T cell function was accompanied by transcriptome and kinome changes. Our findings reveal the importance of mevalonate metabolism for the proper functioning of Vδ2 T cells. This observation provides important considerations for improving their therapeutic use and has repercussions for patients with statin or aminobisphosphonate treatments
Exploring the Slab: Pathways Towards Advanced Refractive Index Sensor Systems Using Photonic Crystal Slabs
Get PDFWaveguide gratings commonly known as photonic crystal slabs have been studied as refractive index sensors. Their ability to act as optical transducer in biosensing applications and cheap nano-replication methods make photonic crystal sensors a promising technological platform for decentralized, point-of-care diagnostics. In this thesis two domains of these sensor systems are investigated, the readout system and the geometry as a basis for the optical transducer. A multi-spot time-resolved measurement setup is introduced and the in-situ binding of human thrombine is shown. To overcome the necessity of expensive laboratory equipment, intensity-based read-out of photonic crystal sensors has been proposed and shown in literature. Here different approaches for future read-out systems were studied. Multiperiodic and deterministic aperiodic nanostructures are investigated for refractive index sensing applications. While multi-resonance human thrombine binding measurements show that no benefit is achieved compared to better resolved single-resonance measurements, the use of eight different resonance positions made is possible to measure spatially resolved refractive index dispersion. It is shown that localized fields of aperiodic structures may offer higher sensitivity. Here laser ablation experiments and the resonant, photocatalytic growth of gold nanoclusters are shown, that might open a door to access localized fields for sensing applications. A 2D finite-element COMSOL Multiphysics® model, with simple MATLAB® control, was created and validated that computes spectral responses as well as the electric near-fields of the photonic crystal structures used in this work
The Association Between Schizophrenia and Cardiovascular Diseases: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Primary Care Routine Data in Germany
Get PDFThis novel study addresses the question of whether schizophrenia is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) by controlling for metabolic syndrome-related conditions through propensity score matching, using real-world primary care data from Germany. This retrospective cohort study analyzed 12,527 patients aged 18 or older with schizophrenia from 1209 general practices (GPs) in Germany between 2005 and 2023 from the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database. Patients were matched 1:5 with individuals without schizophrenia based on sex, age, index year, consultation frequency, and chronic conditions. CVDs cumulative incidence was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using univariable Cox regression analysis. Over a 10-year follow-up, schizophrenia was associated with a higher risk of heart failure (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.20-1.48) and a lower risk of atrial fibrillation and flutter (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67-0.89). No significant associations were observed for acute myocardial infarction (HR: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.76-1.25), angina pectoris (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.63-0.96), or chronic ischaemic heart disease (HR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.82-1.02). Stratified analyses showed that schizophrenia was most strongly associated with heart failure in women aged 41-50 years (HR: 3.34, 95% CI: 2.11-5.31), followed by women aged 61-70 years (HR: 1.88, 95% CI: 1.45-2.44) and men aged 51-60 years (HR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.34-2.45). Conclusions: This study highlights significant differences in the 10-year cumulative incidence of CVDs between individuals with and without schizophrenia. While patients with schizophrenia appear less likely to be diagnosed with milder or asymptomatic CVDs, they are at increased risk for severe outcomes. The study's findings underscore the need for sex-specific and symptom-sensitive public health strategies to improve early detection and prevention of CVDs in patients with schizophrenia
Using Pole–Pole Measurements to Calculate Arbitrary 4‐Point Configurations—An Approach to Make Electrical Resistivity Tomography More Flexible and Time‐Efficient
Get PDFElectrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is nowadays widely used in archaeological prospection. This study deals with an approach to make ERT more time-efficient and flexible. It is based on calculating arbitrary 4-point configurations by superposition of multiple pole–pole measurements. Investigating its applicability for archaeological purposes is the objective of this work. To do so, a synthetic study and a case study are conducted to gain insights into effects of nonideal field conditions, noise susceptibility and other challenges during processing and interpretation. Remains of an early modern manor in Noer served as an exemplary object of investigation. Their high resistivity contrast in relation to the surrounding soil makes them ideal for a functionality test. Beforehand, ground penetrating radar measurements were carried out to constrain the forward model used in the synthetic study. It turns out that the pole–pole conversion is well applicable for archaeological prospection under some conditions. The synthetic study shows that the approach is relatively prone to systematic errors. Therefore, it is recommended to locate the external electrodes at a distance of at least 0.7 times (preferably 1.7 times) the maximum internal electrode spacing from the area of investigation. Other error sources like nonideal electrode coupling must be excluded to keep relative noise levels below 1%. The pole–pole conversion can be considered reliable for absolute noise levels below 0.3 mV. [...] If all conditions are met, the pole–pole conversion has a great potential to make ERT more time-efficient (up to 50%, depending on configuration sets) and flexible, as it allows to calculate nearly every arbitrary 4-point configuration in the given setup. Combined with optimization approaches like the ‘Compare R’ method, data sets can also be adapted for specific (archaeological) questions or conditions
Author Correction: Collection of the digital data from the neurological examination.
Get PDFIn this article, the corresponding author was inadvertently designated only to “Bruno Kusznir Vitturi” but it should have been “Bruno Kusznir Vitturi” and “Walter Maetzler”. The original article has been corrected
Drying Technologies for Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni: Advances, Challenges, and Impacts on Bioactivity for Food Applications-A Review
Get PDFStevia rebaudiana leaves and extracts need to be promptly dried after harvest to prevent microbial activity and preserve their bioactive compounds, including glycosides, flavonoids, and essential oils. Effective drying also reduces moisture and volume, which lowers packaging, storage, and transportation costs. Therefore, innovative drying methods are necessary to maintain stevia's physicochemical, sensory, and nutritional properties for functional food formulations. This review evaluates various drying technologies for stevia leaves and extracts, including convective hot air, infrared, vacuum, microwave, freeze, and shade drying, and their impacts on product quality and energy efficiency. It also explores the growing applications of dried and extracted stevia in food products. By comparing different drying methods and highlighting the benefits of stevia in these food formulations, this investigation aims to identify future research directions and optimization strategies for utilizing stevia as a natural sweetener and functional ingredient. Convective hot air drying at higher temperatures was found to be the most energy-efficient, though several studies have reported moderate degradation of key bioactive compounds such as stevioside and rebaudioside A, particularly at elevated temperatures and extended drying times. Infrared drying enhanced antimicrobial activity but resulted in lower levels of polyphenols and antioxidants. Vacuum drying effectively preserved anti-inflammatory compounds like flavonoids. Microwave drying presented strong protection of antioxidant activity and superior particle morphology. [...] as dairy and baked products, confectionery, syrups, snacks, jams, preserves, and meat products. Overall, stevia not only serves as a natural, zero-calorie sweetener but also contributes to improved health benefits and product quality in these diverse food formulations
Extending the human pressures-species response system in the MSP challenge ecosystem simulation platform
Get PDFThe MSP Challenge Simulation Platform assists planners and stakeholders in understanding and managing the complexity of Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). It allows users to view various data layers covering an entire sea region, assess the status of the socio-ecological system, and create future scenarios for marine space usage over several decades. The platform integrates the ecosystem modelling approach Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) to support the implementation of evidence-based and ecosystem-based MSP principles from the EU Directive 2014/89/EU. Each regional edition of the MSP Challenge includes a tailored ecosystem model of the basin. The ecosystem model simulates the effects of pressures from human activities by applying functional responses to each trophic group. This article explains how the modelling of pressures and functional responses was extended from the original system, using the western Baltic Sea as an example. It focuses on pressures characteristic of offshore wind farms, an infrastructure increasingly important for achieving European carbon neutrality and reducing reliance on fossil fuels amid energy crises. First, the general noise pressure that included all kinds of noise and vibrations was split into impulsive noise, continuous noise and bottom vibrations, with air disturbance added as a separate component. Second, a new semi-quantitative metric inspired by the Leopold matrix used in Environmental Impact Assessment was applied to link each pressure to the trophic group’s response, making the process more objective. These improvements standardize the functional response inputs and provide detailed insights into the impacts of different human activities on specific trophic groups. The novelties presented here improve the MSP Challenge Platform’s ability to deliver realistic predictions on ecosystem functioning in response to the construction, operation and decommissioning of offshore wind farms, and may foster more robust [...
In memoriam Prof. Dr. Heribert Busse (1926–2024)
Get PDFNachruf auf Heribert Busse, ehemaliger Professor für Orientalistik an der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel und Dekan der Philosophischen Fakultät.Obituary for Heribert Busse, former professor of Oriental Studies at Kiel University and dean of faculty of arts and humanitie