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Societal Impact Statement Summary The use of chemical plant protection products must be reduced to promote sustainability in food production. One possible alternative is biological control agents (BCAs), but their efficacy under commercial conditions does not always reach the standard of chemical control agents. Previously, light has been found to induce mechanisms in bacterial BCAs that can affect their distribution and establishment. This could promote BCA efficacy. We looked into how monochromatic and polychromatic (which is what growers use) light treatments affected the occurrence of three BCAs post‐application. By combining two non‐chemical methods: a biological (BCA) and a cultural (light) control method, this offers a new integrated pest control strategy. The dynamics and functionality of beneficial and non‐beneficial, non‐phototrophic bacteria can be influenced by light quality. We investigated if light could aid the survival of three bacterial biological control agents (BCAs; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens DSM7, Pseudomonas chlororaphis 50083 and Streptomyces griseoviridis CBS904.68) in the canopy of greenhouse‐grown tomatoes at four light treatments. Tomato plants were exposed to 50 μmol m−2 s−1 of either polychromatic light (white) or monochromatic light (blue: 420 nm, green: 530 nm and red: 660 nm) using DYNA LED lamps for a total of 48 h post foliar application of the BCAs. Leaves were harvested from two levels in the canopy at the top and middle of each plant at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h post inoculation. The occurrences of the BCAs were quantified by plate count and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). S. griseoviridis persisted under most treatments, whereas P. chlororaphis and B. amyloliquefaciens preferred the polychromatic and green light treatments as depicted by the viable count analyses. Significant differences between the DNA and cDNA concentrations were only noted for P. chlororaphis, with prominent wavelength effects. Light exposure dose, placement in the canopy and wavelength were found to be decisive factors for BCA re‐isolation, indicating that they have different optimal light environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the continuing efforts in lignin‐first biorefinery concepts, this study concerns a consolidated green processing approach to obtain high yields of hemicelluloses and lignin with a close to native molecular structure, leaving a fiber fraction enriched in crystalline cellulose. This is done by subcritical water extraction of hemicelluloses followed by organosolv lignin extraction. This initial report focuses on a detailed characterization of the lignin component, with the aim of unravelling processing strategies for the preservation of the native linkages while still obtaining good yields and high purity. To this effect, a static cycle process is developed as a physical protection strategy for lignin, and advanced NMR analysis is applied to study structural changes in lignin. Chemical protection mechanisms in the cyclic method are also reported and contrasted with the mechanisms in a reference batch extraction process where the role of homolytic cleavage in subsequent repolymerization reactions is elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel pickling procedure for aluminium is elaborated for successful removal of corrosion products on aluminium embedded and exposed in concrete, allowing subsequent mass loss evaluation. The current recommended standard procedures for mass loss evaluation of aluminium are not sufficiently effective, either leaving significant amounts of concrete and corrosion products on the aluminium surfaces after pickling, or containing hazardous chemicals. Removal of both concrete and corrosion products from the aluminium surfaces require a stepwise combination of an aqueous glycine solution, nitric acid at elevated temperature and careful manual removal of adherent concrete. To enable successful removal of complex corrosion products from aluminium embedded in concrete a novel pickling method was elaborated to facilitate mass loss evaluation. In addition to weighing throughout the pickling procedure, efficient corrosion product removal was confirmed visually and through SEM investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although mounting evidence supports that an unbalanced gut microbiota (GM) is linked to amyloid‐β deposition, the contribution of the GM to tau‐mediated neurodegeneration (TN) is poorly characterized. Our preliminary data have shown that the GM manipulations, using either treatment with a combination of antibiotics (ABX) or raising animals in germ‐free (GF) conditions, regulate TN (Seo, et al., AAIC 2021). However, further investigation is needed to sort out the underlying mechanisms that are involved in the interaction between GM and TN. Here, we explore neuroinflammation as a potential mediator in the interaction between GM and TN. Method: P301S tau transgenic mice were crossed with human ApoE knock‐in mice (ApoE3 or ApoE4) or ApoE knockout mice (EKO) to generate P301S::ApoE3/E3, ApoE4/E4, or P301S/EKO mice, termed TE3F, TE4F, and TEKO, respectively. Each group was gavaged with either ABX or H2O from postnatal day 16‐22, housed in a specific pathogen‐free facility, and euthanized at 9.5 months of age. A separate group of TE4F mice was housed under GF conditions. Collected brains were sectioned and used for immunohistochemistry analysis. Results: In agreement with brain atrophy measurements that we previously reported, TE3F mice treated with a short‐term ABX showed significantly lower phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) staining compared to the H2O‐treated group (p < 0.01), but not TE4F and TEKO mice treated with ABX. GF‐TE4F mice also showed a marked decrease in p‐tau staining compared to conventionally‐raised animals (p < 0.01). Further quantification of gliosis, as measured by GFAP and Iba1 immunostaining, did not reveal any ABX treatment effects. However, when we assessed the expression of clec7a+ microglia, which marks reactive microglia, ABX treated animals showed significantly lower clec7a+ staining across the different APOE isoform groups (p < 0.01). Furthermore, microglial morphology analysis revealed that ABX treatment drive microglia to a more homeostatic‐like state in TE3F mice, but not in TE4F nor TEKO mice. Remarkably, GF‐TE4F mice showed a marked decrease in both GFAP and Iba1 expression compared to the control TE4F mice (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results support the hypothesis that GM manipulation modulates tau‐mediated neurodegeneration via influencing a neuroinflammatory mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) plays an important role in the immune system of vertebrates. MHC genes are extremely polymorphic and this variation is considered to be maintained by selection from pathogens. We investigate whether MHC diversity (number of different alleles per individual) affects the survival and recruitment of nestling house sparrows. We hypothesize that individuals with higher MHC diversity can recognize and combat a wider range of pathogens, and therefore are more likely to survive and recruit into the breeding population. Additionally, we hypothesize that specific MHC class I alleles (MHC-I) could be associated with survival and recruitment. We screened MHC-I genotypes in 518 house sparrow chicks hatched on Lundy Island but we found no evidence for a relationship between nestling survival, post-fledging survival or recruitment success with MHC diversity. Then we investigated effects of specific MHC-I alleles in 195 individuals from a single cohort. Twenty-one MHC-I alleles were tested for relationships with nestling survival, post-fledging survival and recruitment, and we detected associations with survival for three different alleles. This pattern was, however, not different to what would be expected from random, so we could not conclude that particular MHC-I alleles are associated with survival in house sparrows on Lundy Island. Nonetheless, one of these alleles (1105) showed both a tendency for a higher probability of surviving in nestlings, and a significant association with survival in fledglings. We envision that allele 1105 could be an interesting candidate gene for testing associations with survival in house sparrows in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atopic eczema (AE) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disease where the commensal yeast Malassezia can act as a microbial trigger factor. Malassezia activates human DC to produce IL-18, an innate cytokine that is elevated in serum of AE patients; however, the precise role of IL-18 in human AE etiology is unknown. Herein, we investigated the effect of IL-18 on the human invariant NKT (iNKT) cell compartment in AE. We found that IL-18 was a potent activator of human iNKT-cells and promoted a pro-inflammatory CD1d-dependent response, even in the absence of exogenous ligands. Chronic activation via IL-18 on the other hand was inhibitory and skewed the iNKT-cell pool by selectively suppressing CD4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a general discussion of what constitutes a market-oriented approach to optimization. We demonstrate how a general framework can be used to conceptually improve two well-known approaches from the literature, and discuss computational properties of the different approaches. We also show how existing theory could be adjusted to be directly applicable to the theory of the two approaches, thus proving special theory unnecessary. We want to bring out the pedagogical aspects of market mechanisms, to take full advantage of its potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Expression of the gene encoding the MKP-3/Pyst1 protein phosphatase, which inactivates ERK MAPK, is induced by FGF. However, which intracellular signalling pathway mediates this expression is unclear, with essential roles proposed for both ERK and PI(3)K in chick embryonic limb. Here, we report that MKP-3/Pyst1 expression is sensitive to inhibition of ERK or MAPKK, that endogenous MKP-3/Pyst1 co-localizes with activated ERK, and expression of MKP-3/Pyst1 in mice lacking PDK1, an essential mediator of PI(3)K signalling. We conclude that MKP-3/Pyst1 expression is mediated by ERK activation and that negative feedback control predominates in limiting the extent of FGF-induced ERK activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The formation of large network aggregates composed of gold nanoparticles bearing surface-immobilized b-cyclodextrin (CD) hosts whose assembly is driven by adamantyl-terminated guest molecules was studied as a function of the number of interactions and the geometry of the guest molecules. The assembly was shown to be strong, specific, and irreversible by addition of an adamantyl-terminated dendrimer leading to strong aggregation of the CD-Au nanoparticles and consequently to the formation of an insoluble precipitate. The bis-adamantane guest molecule 3 allowed more control over the self-assembly of such aggregates. Intramolecular interactions (at the same particle) were favored in this case over the intermolecular interactions (between particles), and the aggregation process of this guest could be inhibited by a monovalent competitor in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aquaporin PM28A is one of the major integral proteins in spinach leaf plasma membranes. Phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of Ser274 at the C-terminus and of Ser115 in the first cytoplasmic loop has been shown to regulate the water channel activity of PM28A when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. To understand the mechanisms of the phosphorylation-mediated gating of the channel the structure of PM28A is required. In a first step we have used the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris for expression of the pm28a gene. The expressed protein has a molecular mass of 32462 Da as determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry, forms tetramers as revealed by electron microscopy and is functionally active when reconstituted in proteoliposomes. PM28A was efficiently solubilized from urea- and alkali-stripped Pichia membranes by octyl-β-D-thioglucopyranoside resulting in a final yield of 25 mg of purified protein per liter of cell culture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the expression of tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIP) in mature vacuolated plant cells. Presence of aquaporins in water channel proteins found in vacuolar and plasma membranes; Subcellular and tissue distribution of TIP in plants; Characterization of meristematic cells by small vacuoles.