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Drainage and agricultural use transform natural peatlands from a net carbon (C) sink to a net C source. Rewetting of peatlands, despite of high methane (CH4) emissions, holds the potential to mitigate climate change by greatly reducing CO2 emissions. However, the time span for this transition is unknown because most studies are limited to a few years. Especially, nonpermanent open water areas often created after rewetting, are highly productive. Here, we present 14 consecutive years of CH4 flux measurements following rewetting of a formerly long-term drained peatland in the Peene valley. Measurements were made at two rewetted sites (non-inundated vs. inundated) using manual chambers. During the study period, significant differences in measured CH4 emissions occurred. In general, these differences overlapped with stages of ecosystem transition from a cultivated grassland to a polytrophic lake dominated by emergent helophytes, but could also be additionally explained by other variables. This transition started with a rapid vegetation shift from dying cultivated grasses to open water floating and submerged hydrophytes and significantly increased CH4 emissions. Since 2008, helophytes have gradually spread from the shoreline into the open water area, especially in drier years. This process was periodically delayed by exceptional inundation and eventually resulted in the inundated site being covered by emergent helophytes. While the period between 2009 and 2015 showed exceptionally high CH4 emissions, these decreased significantly after cattail and other emergent helophytes became dominant at the inundated site. Therefore, CH4 emissions declined only after 10 years of transition following rewetting, potentially reaching a new steady state. Overall, this study highlights the importance of an integrative approach to understand the shallow lakes CH4 biogeochemistry, encompassing the entire area with its mosaic of different vegetation forms. This should be ideally done through a study design including proper measurement site allocation as well as long-term measurements.

The integration of perception and action has long been studied in psychological science using overarching cognitive frameworks. Despite these being very successful in explaining perception-action integration, little is known about its neurophysiological and especially the functional neuroanatomical foundations. It is unknown whether distinct brain structures are simultaneously involved in the processing of perception-action integration codes and also to what extent demands on perception-action integration modulate activities in these structures. We investigate these questions in an EEG study integrating temporal and ICA-based EEG signal decomposition with source localization. For this purpose, we used data from 32 healthy participants who performed a 'TEC Go/Nogo' task. We show that the EEG signal can be decomposed into components carrying different informational aspects or processing codes relevant for perception-action integration. Importantly, these specific codes are processed independently in different brain structures, and their specific roles during the processing of perception-action integration differ. Some regions (i.e., the anterior cingulate and insular cortex) take a 'default role' because these are not modulated in their activity by demands or the complexity of event file coding processes. In contrast, regions in the motor cortex, middle frontal, temporal, and superior parietal cortices were not activated by 'default' but revealed modulations depending on the complexity of perception-action integration (i.e., whether an event file has to be reconfigured). Perception-action integration thus reflects a multi-region processing of specific fractions of information in the neurophysiological signal. This needs to be taken into account when further developing a cognitive science framework detailing perception-action integration.

Kucharski aptly moves through epidemiological and social network theory to explain the spread of these diseases as well as explain how and why theories and modeling approaches are used to better understand contagion. Firmly entrenched in theory and history, Kucharski brings out the rules of contagion through learning from past outbreaks as well as adding in key insights on the statistical and behind the scenes aspects of tracking outbreaks. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of World Medical & Health Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Organometallic N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes with intercalating bis-naphthalimide ligands were prepared and evaluated biologically. Cytotoxic effects against tumor cells or bacteria were strongly ligand dependent with minor influence of the metal (Ag, Ru, Rh, Au) centers. Complex 8b with a rhodium(I) NHC moiety was studied in more detail for its DNA interacting properties in comparison to the metal free ligand. These studies showed a good DNA binding pattern with some preference for the telomeric quadruplex structure hTelo. Complex 8b was also shown to trigger additional coordinative binding to the DNA and therefore represents an useful tool compound with a mixed intercalative/coordinative DNA binding mode.

Es besteht ein groser Bedarf an besseren Diagnosen von Infektionen in tieferliegenden Korperregionen durch nichtinvasive molekulare Bildgebung. In diesem Zusammenhang wurden Sonden entwickelt, die auf Siderophor-Konjugaten mit Catechol-Einheiten und einem zentralen DOTAM-Kern beruhen. Diese Sonden konnen sowohl ein Metallion als auch einen antibiotischen Wirkstoff tragen und eignen sich daher fur theranostische Anwendungen. Die Translokation der Konjugate durch die innere und ausere Zellmembran von E. coli wurde durch Experimente zur Wiederherstellung des Wachstums mit Enterobactin-defizienten Bakterienstammen, durch die antibakterielle Wirkung Ampicillin-tragender Konjugate sowie durch Konfokalmikroskopie bestatigt. Fur Letztere wurde ein auf E. coli adaptiertes System aus Fluorogen-aktivierendem Protein und Malachitgrun verwendet. Eine erste Anwendung der Verbindungen fur die In-vivo-Bildgebung wurde mit einem Cy5.5-Konjugat in P.-aeruginosa-infizierten Mausen gezeigt.

Synthetic antimicrobial peptides (SynAMPs) are an interesting class of novel antibiotic agents used to fight infections caused by resistant bacterial strains. Herein we report the synthesis of a ferrocene-containing lysine (FcLys) suitable for standard Fmoc/tBu solid-phase peptide synthesis. A library of (Arg-Trp)3-based antimicrobial peptides have been synthesized in which all the tryptophan residues were replaced systematically by FcLys and their biological activities evaluated. We call this technique a “ferrocene scan”, in analogy with the well-established “alanine scan” used to investigate crucial interactions in peptides. The FcLys-peptides showed excellent activity against gram-positive bacterial strains compared with the metal-free parent peptide, including a four-fold increase in activity against the resistant bacterial strain MRSA. Moreover, some members of this family of ferrocenoyl peptides also showed an up to 16-fold increased activity compared with the parent peptide against the gram-negative bacterium A. baumannii. This behavior distinguishes these synAMPs from the previously investigated N-terminally ferrocenoylated peptides, which in general showed a dramatically reduced activity against gram-negative bacteria. The FcLys-peptides also showed low hemolytic activity against red blood cells (RBCs), which indicates excellent bacterial selectivity, making them an attractive class of novel peptide-based organometallic antimicrobial agents.

Purpose Trimethoprim is a folate biosynthesis inhibitor. Tetrahydrofolates are essential for the transfer of C1 units in several biochemical pathways including purine, thymine, methionine, and glycine biosynthesis. This study addressed the effects of folate biosynthesis inhibition on bacterial physiology. Experimental design Two complementary proteomic approaches were employed to analyze the response of Bacillus subtilis to trimethoprim. Acute changes in protein synthesis rates were monitored by radioactive pulse labeling of newly synthesized proteins and subsequent 2DE analysis. Changes in protein levels were detected using gel-free quantitative MS. Results Proteins involved in purine and histidine biosynthesis, the σB -dependent general stress response, and sporulation were upregulated. Most prominently, the PurR-regulon required for de novo purine biosynthesis was derepressed indicating purine depletion. The general stress response was activated energy dependently and in a subpopulation of treated cultures an early onset of sporulation was observed, most likely triggered by low guanosine triphosphate levels. Supplementation of adenosine triphosphate, adenosine, and guanosine to the medium substantially decreased antibacterial activity, showing that purine depletion becomes the bottleneck in trimethoprim-treated B. subtilis. Conclusions and clinical relevance The frequently prescribed antibiotic trimethoprim causes purine depletion in B. subtilis, which can be complemented by supplementing purines to the medium.

Iron-promoted cyclization of 1-benzyl-2-alkynylbenzenes with diorganyl diselenides led to the synthesis of 9-(organoselanyl)-5H-benzo[7]annulenes whereby the mutual action between diorganyl diselenides and iron(III) chloride in a 0.5:1.0 mol ratio was essential in order to achieve the maximal yields of the products. The cyclization reaction tolerated a variety of functional groups, such as trifluoromethyl, chloro, fluoro and methoxy, in both the 1-benzyl-2-alkynylbenzenes and the diorganyl diselenides, giving the seven-membered heterocyclic products exclusively via a 7-endo-dig cyclization process.

This study examined the effects of distinct hydrofluoric acid concentrations on the mechanical behavior of a lithium disilicate-based glass ceramic. Bar-shaped specimens were produced from ceramic blocks (e.max CAD, Ivoclar Vivadent). The specimens were polished, chamfered, and sonically cleaned in distilled water. The specimens were randomly divided into five groups (n = 23). The HF1, HF3, HF5, and HF10 specimens were etched for 20 s with acid concentrations of 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%, respectively, while the SC (control) sample was untreated. The etched surfaces were evaluated using a scanning electron microscope and an atomic force microscope. Finally, the roughness was measured, and 3-point bending flexural tests were performed. The data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). The Weibull modulus and characteristic strength were also determined. No statistical difference in the roughness and flexural strength was determined among the groups. The structural reliabilities (Weilbull moduli) were similar for the tested groups; however, the characteristic strength of the HF1 specimen was greater than that of the HF10 specimen. Compared with the untreated ceramic, the surface roughness and flexural strength of the ceramic were unaffected upon etching, regardless of the acid concentration. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 885-891, 2017.

In this study, we demonstrate that atmospheric air plasma bubbles are an effective, energy-efficient, residue-free alternative to current decontamination techniques. Five to fifteen minutes of plasma-bubble treatments of inoculated chicken skin led to a significant reduction in colony-forming units (CFUs). We show that the activation efficiency is dependent on the plasma discharge frequency, with a higher one (2,000 Hz) leading to a higher CFU reduction (1.4 log) as compared with a lower (0.3 log) reduction at 1,000 Hz. Scanning electron microscopy pictures of treated bacteria reveal damage to the cells. An evaluation of the physicochemical properties of the generated plasma-activated water revealed an increase in conductivity and in ozone, nitrite, nitrate, hydroxyl, and peroxide concentrations with higher frequencies, all contributing to the observed antimicrobial effect.

Simkania negevensis infection has been hypothesized to play a role in lung transplant rejection. The incidence of S. negevensis infection and its association with acute cellular rejection (ACR) were determined in a prospective cohort study of 78 lung transplant recipients (LTRs) in Toronto, Canada, and Pittsburgh, USA, from July 2007 to January 2010. Simkania negevensis testing was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The relationship between S. negevensis and ACR was examined using Cox proportional hazards models and generalized linear and latent mixed models. Cumulative incidence estimates for time-to-ACR in S. negevensis PCR-positive vs. PCR-negative LTRs were 52.7% vs. 31.1% at six months and 68.9% vs. 44.6% at one yr, respectively. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend toward a higher risk of ACR among S. negevensis PCR-positive vs. PCR-negative LTRs in all statistical models.

Peptide dendrimers are a class of molecules of high interest in the search for new antibiotics. We used microwave-assisted, copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC; "click" chemistry) for the simple and versatile synthesis of a new class of multivalent antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) containing solely arginine and tryptophan residues. To investigate the influence of multivalency on antibacterial activity, short solid-phase- synthesized azide-modified Arg-Trp-containing peptides were "clicked" to three different alkyne-modified benzene scaffolds to access scaffolds with one, two, or three peptides. The antibacterial activity of 15 new AMPs was investigated by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) assays on five different bacterial strains, including a multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain. With ultrashort (2-3 residues) peptides, a clear synergistic effect of the trivalent display was observed, whereas this effect was not apparent with longer peptides. The best candidates showed activities in the low-micromolar range against Gram-positive MRSA. Surprisingly, the best activity against Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii was observed with an ultrashort dipeptide on the trivalent scaffold (MIC: 7.5 μM). The hemolytic activity was explored for the three most active peptides. At concentrations ten times the MIC values

With the expected increase in poultry meat consumption water use will increase as well. The objective of this study is to quantify the effects of fattening systems on the water productivity in broiler chicken production with consideration given to conditions in Germany. Four fattening systems were analyzed in terms of water use for feed production, drinking, cleaning, and the parent stock. The fattening systems differed in intensity, ranging from fast fattening with a fattening period of 30 days and a carcass weight of 1.1 kg to slow fattening with a period up to 46 days and a carcass weight of 2.1 kg. During the fattening period the broiler chicken were fed with performance-linked feed. The water productivity of the feed components varied from 0.4 kg dry mass per m3 water input for soybean meal to 1.8 kg dry mass per m3 water input for maize. In all fattening systems the water input for feed production accounted for 90 to 93% of the total water input. The share for the parent stock was 7 to 10%, while drinking and cleaning water accounted for less than 1%. For all fattening systems the water productivity was 0.3 kg carcass weight per m3 water input, 2.8 MJ food energy per m3 water input and 57 g food protein per m3 water input. The shorter fattening period and lower feed demand in the more intensive fattening systems were juxtaposed to the higher carcass weight and higher water productivity of the feed components in the more extensive systems.

Proteomics 19(24), 19000064 (2019). doi:10.1002/pmic.201900064, Published by Wiley VCH, Weinheim

Biogas production from grassland biomass harvested during landscape management may help to maintain species-rich grassland biotopes, but extensive management and late harvests often result in low-quality biomass. Biogas production from the vegetation of Alopecuretum pratensis, Molinietum caeruleae and Caricetum gracilis, three typical grassland biotopes in north German nature reserves, was investigated in relation to harvest date. In addition, the A. pratensis vegetation was investigated for ensiling and the application of bacterial silage additives. Results indicate that biogas production might be a reasonable utilization pathway for grassland biomass from landscape management if the first cut occurs up to late summer. Methane yields of grassland biomass decreased substantially with later harvest, from up to 309 lN kg−1 organic dry matter (ODM) in May to below 60 lN kg−1 ODM in February, in correlation with increasing crude fibre contents. Caricetum gracilis vegetation was the least suitable feedstock for biogas production. It showed a rapid decline in methane yields with later harvest and 25% lower methane yields compared with other types of grassland vegetation. Application of silage additives is recommended for adequate preservation of grassland biomass from landscape management by ensiling. Addition of homofermentative lactic acid bacteria improved acidification during ensiling if sufficient fermentable sugar was available. The use of inoculant and molasses enhanced methane yields by 3–55%. Additional carbohydrate source is necessary to ensure proper ensilage when grasses are harvested after late autumn.

The Rehabilitation Gaming System (RGS) has been designed as a flexible, virtual-reality (VR)-based device for rehabilitation of neurological patients. Recently, training of visuomotor processing with the RGS was shown to effectively improve arm function in acute and chronic stroke patients. It is assumed that the VR-based training protocol related to RGS creates conditions that aid recovery by virtue of the human mirror neuron system. Here, we provide evidence for this assumption by identifying the brain areas involved in controlling the catching of approaching colored balls in the virtual environment of the RGS. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging of 18 right-handed healthy subjects (24 ± 3 years) in both active and imagination conditions. We observed that the imagery of target catching was related to activation of frontal, parietal, temporal, cingulate and cerebellar regions. We interpret these activations in relation to object processing, attention, mirror mechanisms, and motor intention. Active catching followed an anticipatory mode, and resulted in significantly less activity in the motor control areas. Our results provide preliminary support for the hypothesis underlying RGS that this novel neurorehabilitation approach engages human mirror mechanisms that can be employed for visuomotor training.

Indicators for water use at farm scale can assist farmers in understanding the water flows on their farms and in optimizing water use by adapting agronomic measures and farm management. The objective of this work is to develop a methodology to estimate water flows at the farm scale, to derive indicators for farm water use, and to apply them in a first case study. After the spatial and temporal boundaries of the farm system and the water flows are defined, three indicators to assess water use at the farm scale are developed: farm water productivity, degree of water utilization, and specific inflow of technical water. Farm water productivity describes the ratio of farm output to water input, where the water input is the total of those water inflows into the farm system that can be assigned to the generation of farm output. Farm output is expressed on a mass basis, food energy basis, and monetary basis. The degree of water utilization characterizes the relationship between productive water to the total water inflow into the farm system, where productive water comprises those water flows that directly contribute to biomass generation via plant and animal metabolism. The specific technical water inflow quantifies the water inflow into the system by technical means relative to the farm area. The application of the methodology in a first case study for a mixed crop-livestock farm with 2869 ha in Germany results in a farm water productivity of 2.30 kg fresh mass per , 1.03 kg dry mass per , 5.96 GJ , and 0.25 € . The degree of water utilization is 0.56. The specific technical water inflow is 36.5 m3 ha−1 year−1. Factors that mainly effect these indicators and general approaches to optimize water use in farms are discussed as well as the further research required for practical implementation.

Objectives Little is known about the recently introduced ultrasonic implant site preparation. The purpose of this study was to compare material attrition and micromorphological changes after ultrasonic and conventional implant site preparations. Material and methods Implant site preparations were performed on fresh bovine ribs using one conventional (Straumann, Freiburg, Germany) and two ultrasonic (Piezosurgery®; Mectron Medical Technology, Carasco, Italy and Variosurg®; NSK, Tochigi, Japan) systems with sufficient saline irrigation. Sections were examined by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was performed to evaluate the metal attrition within the bone and the irrigation fluid. Results ESEM: After conventional osteotomy, partially destroyed trabecular structures of the cancellous bone that were loaded with debris were observed, whereas after ultrasonic implant site preparations, the anatomic structures were preserved. EDX: None of the implant site preparation methods resulted in metal deposits in the adjacent bone structures. However, within the irrigation liquid, there was significantly higher metal attrition with ultrasonic osteotomy (P

This study presents a cradle-to-gate assessment of the energy balances and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Indonesian palm oil biodiesel production, including the stages of land-use change (LUC), agricultural phase, transportation, milling, biodiesel processing, and comparing the results from different farming systems, including company plantations and smallholder plantations (either out growers or independent growers) in different locations in Kalimantan and Sumatra of Indonesia. The findings demonstrate that there are considerable differences between the farming systems and the locations in net energy yields (43.6–49.2 GJ t−1 biodiesel yr−1) as well as GHG emissions (1969.6–5626.4 kg CO2eq t−1 biodiesel yr−1). The output to input ratios are positive in all cases. The largest GHG emissions result from LUC effects, followed by the transesterification, fertilizer production, agricultural production processes, milling, and transportation. Ecosystem carbon payback times range from 11 to 42 years.

Objectives: The recently introduced ultrasonic osteotome procedure is an alternative to conventional methods of osteotomy. The aim of the present study was to establish the differences between five recently introduced ultrasonic osteotomes and to perform micromorphological and quantitative roughness analyses of osteotomized bone surfaces. Materials and methods: Fresh, standard-sized bony samples were taken from a rabbit skull using the following ultrasonic osteotomes: the Piezosurgery® 3 with insert tip OT7, Piezosurgery® Medical with insert tip MT1-10, Piezon Master Surgery® with insert tip SL1, VarioSurg® with inert tip SG1, and Piezotome 2 with insert tip BS1 II. The required duration of time for each osteotomy was recorded. The prepared surfaces were examined via light microscopy, environmental surface electron microscopy (ESEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results: All of the investigated piezoelectric osteotomes preserved the anatomical structure of bone. The mean roughness values of the osteotomized bone edge obtained using the investigated piezoelectric osteotomes were as follows: 2.47 μm (Piezosurgery® 3), 9.79 μm (Piezosurgery® Medical), 4.66 μm (Piezon Master Surgery®), 6.38 μm (VarioSurg®), and 6.06 μm (Piezotome 2). Significantly higher roughness values were observed when using the Piezosurgery® Medical in comparison with those achieved by the Piezosurgery® 3 (P