Immuno-detection of anthrose containing tetrasaccharide in the exosporium of Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus cereus strains

AIMS: Bacillus anthracis strains of various origins were analysed with the view to describe intrinsic and persistent structural components of the Bacillus collagen-like protein of anthracis glycoprotein associated anthrose containing tetrasaccharide in the exosporium. METHODS AND RESULTS: The tetrasaccharide consists of three rhamnose residues and an unique monosaccharide--anthrose. As anthrose was not found in spores of related strains of bacteria, we envisioned the detection of B. anthracis spores based on antibodies against anthrose-containing polysaccharides. Carbohydrate-protein conjugates containing the synthetic tetrasaccharide, an anthrose-rhamnose disaccharide or anthrose alone were employed to immunize mice. All three formulations were immunogenic and elicited IgG responses with different fine specificities. All sera and monoclonal antibodies derived from tetrasaccharide immunized mice cross-reacted not only with spore lysates of a panel of virulent B. anthracis strains, but also with some of the B. cereus strains tested. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that antibodies to synthetic carbohydrates are useful tools for epitope analyses of complex carbohydrate antigens and for the detection of particular target structures in biological specimens. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Although not strictly specific for B. anthracis spores, antibodies against the tetrasaccharide may have potential as immuno-capturing components for a highly sensitive spore detection system.

Flavor-phenomenology of two-Higgs-doublet models with generic Yukawa structure

In this article, we perform an extensive study of flavor observables in a two-Higgs-doublet model with generic Yukawa structure (of type III). This model is interesting not only because it is the decoupling limit of the minimal supersymmetric standard model but also because of its rich flavor phenomenology which also allows for sizable effects not only in flavor-changing neutral-current (FCNC) processes but also in tauonic B decays. We examine the possible effects in flavor physics and constrain the model both from tree-level processes and from loop observables. The free parameters of the model are the heavy Higgs mass, tanβ (the ratio of vacuum expectation values) and the “nonholomorphic” Yukawa couplings ϵfij(f=u,d,ℓ). In our analysis we constrain the elements ϵfij in various ways: In a first step we give order of magnitude constraints on ϵfij from ’t Hooft’s naturalness criterion, finding that all ϵfij must be rather small unless the third generation is involved. In a second step, we constrain the Yukawa structure of the type-III two-Higgs-doublet model from tree-level FCNC processes (Bs,d→μ+μ−, KL→μ+μ−, D¯¯¯0→μ+μ−, ΔF=2 processes, τ−→μ−μ+μ−, τ−→e−μ+μ− and μ−→e−e+e−) and observe that all flavor off-diagonal elements of these couplings, except ϵu32,31 and ϵu23,13, must be very small in order to satisfy the current experimental bounds. In a third step, we consider Higgs mediated loop contributions to FCNC processes [b→s(d)γ, Bs,d mixing, K−K¯¯¯ mixing and μ→eγ] finding that also ϵu13 and ϵu23 must be very small, while the bounds on ϵu31 and ϵu32 are especially weak. Furthermore, considering the constraints from electric dipole moments we obtain constrains on some parameters ϵu,ℓij. Taking into account the constraints from FCNC processes we study the size of possible effects in the tauonic B decays (B→τν, B→Dτν and B→D∗τν) as well as in D(s)→τν, D(s)→μν, K(π)→eν, K(π)→μν and τ→K(π)ν which are all sensitive to tree-level charged Higgs exchange. Interestingly, the unconstrained ϵu32,31 are just the elements which directly enter the branching ratios for B→τν, B→Dτν and B→D∗τν. We show that they can explain the deviations from the SM predictions in these processes without fine-tuning. Furthermore, B→τν, B→Dτν and B→D∗τν can even be explained simultaneously. Finally, we give upper limits on the branching ratios of the lepton flavor-violating neutral B meson decays (Bs,d→μe, Bs,d→τe and Bs,d→τμ) and correlate the radiative lepton decays (τ→μγ, τ→eγ and μ→eγ) to the corresponding neutral current lepton decays (τ−→μ−μ+μ−, τ−→e−μ+μ− and μ−→e−e+e−). A detailed Appendix contains all relevant information for the considered processes for general scalar-fermion-fermion couplings.

SUSYFLAVOR v2: A Computational tool for FCNC and CP-violating processes in the MSSM

We present SUSY_FLAVOR version 2 — a Fortran 77 program that calculates low-energy flavor observables in the general R-parity conserving MSSM. For a set of MSSM parameters as input, the code gives predictions for: 1. Electric dipole moments of the leptons and the neutron. 2. Anomalous magnetic moments (i.e. g − 2) of the leptons. 3. Radiative lepton decays (μ → eγ and τ → μγ , eγ ). 4. Rare Kaon decays (K0 L → π0 ¯νν and K+ → π+ ¯νν). 5. Leptonic B decays (Bs,d → l+l−, B → τ ν and B → Dτ ν). 6. Radiative B decays (B → ¯ Xsγ ). 7. ΔF = 2 processes ( ¯ K0–K0, ¯D–D, ¯Bd–Bd and ¯Bs–Bs mixing). Comparing to SUSY_FLAVOR v1, where the matching conditions were calculated strictly at one-loop level, SUSY_FLAVOR v2 performs the resummation of all chirally enhanced corrections, i.e. takes into account the enhanced effects from tan β and/or large trilinear soft mixing terms to all orders in perturbation theory. Also, in SUSY_FLAVOR v2 new routines calculation of B → (D)τ ν, g − 2, radiative lepton decays and Br(l → l′γ ) were added. All calculations are done using exact diagonalization of the sfermion mass matrices. The program can be obtained from http://www.fuw.edu.pl/susy_flavor.

Addendum: search for ν μ → ν e oscillations with the OPERA experiment in the CNGS beam

A first result of the search for ν ( )μ( ) → ν ( )e( ) oscillations in the OPERA experiment, located at the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory, is presented. The experiment looked for the appearance of ν ( )e( ) in the CNGS neutrino beam using the data collected in 2008 and 2009. Data are compatible with the non-oscillation hypothesis in the three-flavour mixing model. A further analysis of the same data constrains the non-standard oscillation parameters θ (new) and suggested by the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments. For large values (>0.1 eV(2)), the OPERA 90% C.L. upper limit on sin(2)(2θ (new)) based on a Bayesian statistical method reaches the value 7.2 × 10(−3).

New results on ν μ → ν τ appearance with the OPERA experiment in the CNGS beam

The OPERA neutrino experiment is designed to perform the first observation of neutrino oscillations in direct appearance mode in the νμ→ντ channel, via the detection of the τ-leptons created in charged current ντ interactions. The detector, located in the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory, consists of an emulsion/lead target with an average mass of about 1.2 kt, complemented by electronic detectors. It is exposed to the CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso beam, with a baseline of 730 km and a mean energy of 17 GeV. The observation of the first ντ candidate event and the analysis of the 2008-2009 neutrino sample have been reported in previous publications. This work describes substantial improvements in the analysis and in the evaluation of the detection efficiencies and backgrounds using new simulation tools. The analysis is extended to a sub-sample of 2010 and 2011 data, resulting from an electronic detector-based pre-selection, in which an additional ντ candidate has been observed. The significance of the two events in terms of a νμ→ντ oscillation signal is of 2.40 σ.

Polonofilizm i polskość wśród czeskich emancypantek w drugiej połowie XIX wieku: przykład Karoliny Světlej

The awakening of national consciousness went hand in hand in Bohemia with an anxiety about national disappearance. In this context, the recourse to Pan-Slavism was for the Czechs a way to encourage themselves through the idea of belonging to a great Slavic world, while the Slavic Congress organized in Prague in 1848 was an attempt to realize this ideal. The Congress was a failure from the political point of view, but it did have some socio-cultural repercussions: notably, it served as a pretext for the advancement of women's issues in Bohemia. It is indeed in the wake of the Congress that Honorata z Wiśniowskich Zapová, a Polish women settled in Prague after her marriage to a Czech intellectual, founded, under the guise of collaboration between all Slavic women, the first women's association, as well as a (very short-lived) Czech-Polish institute, where Czech, as well as Polish girls, could get a quality education in their mother tongue. Honorata was undoubtedly the source of the polonophilia wind that seemed to blow over the Czech emancipation movement in the second half of the nineteenth century. In particular, Karolina Světlá showed in her Memoirs a great recognition for Honorata's efforts in matters of emancipation and education, and explicitly took up the challenge launched by the latter in founding another women's association and in inaugurating a school for underprivileged girls. But the tribute Světlá paid to Honorata is even more evident in her literary work, where Poland and the Polish woman (who often wears Honorata's features) play a significant role (see for example her short novel Sisters or her story A Few Days in the Life of a Prague Dandy). Světlá was probably the Czech feminist writer who, in her activities and in her work, relied most strongly on the Polish woman as a model for the Czech woman. However, she wasn't alone. In general, it was a characteristic of the Czech feminist movement of the second half of the nineteenth century to have recourse to the Polish woman and to Poland as a landmark for comparison and as a goal to be achieved.

DYPTOP: a cost-efficient TOPMODEL implementation to simulate sub-grid spatio-temporal dynamics of global wetlands and peatlands

Simulating the spatio-temporal dynamics of inundation is key to understanding the role of wetlands under past and future climate change. Earlier modelling studies have mostly relied on fixed prescribed peatland maps and inundation time series of limited temporal coverage. Here, we describe and assess the the Dynamical Peatland Model Based on TOPMODEL (DYPTOP), which predicts the extent of inundation based on a computationally efficient TOPMODEL implementation. This approach rests on an empirical, grid-cell-specific relationship between the mean soil water balance and the flooded area. DYPTOP combines the simulated inundation extent and its temporal persistency with criteria for the ecosystem water balance and the modelled peatland-specific soil carbon balance to predict the global distribution of peatlands. We apply DYPTOP in combination with the LPX-Bern DGVM and benchmark the global-scale distribution, extent, and seasonality of inundation against satellite data. DYPTOP successfully predicts the spatial distribution and extent of wetlands and major boreal and tropical peatland complexes and reveals the governing limitations to peatland occurrence across the globe. Peatlands covering large boreal lowlands are reproduced only when accounting for a positive feedback induced by the enhanced mean soil water holding capacity in peatland-dominated regions. DYPTOP is designed to minimize input data requirements, optimizes computational efficiency and allows for a modular adoption in Earth system models.

The global carbon budget 1959–2011

Accurate assessment of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and their redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial biosphere is important to better understand the global carbon cycle, support the climate policy process, and project future climate change. Present-day analysis requires the combination of a range of data, algorithms, statistics and model estimates and their interpretation by a broad scientific community. Here we describe datasets and a methodology developed by the global carbon cycle science community to quantify all major components of the global carbon budget, including their uncertainties. We discuss changes compared to previous estimates, consistency within and among components, and methodology and data limitations. Based on energy statistics, we estimate that the global emissions of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion and cement production were 9.5 ± 0.5 PgC yr−1 in 2011, 3.0 percent above 2010 levels. We project these emissions will increase by 2.6% (1.9–3.5%) in 2012 based on projections of Gross World Product and recent changes in the carbon intensity of the economy. Global net CO2 emissions from Land-Use Change, including deforestation, are more difficult to update annually because of data availability, but combined evidence from land cover change data, fire activity in regions undergoing deforestation and models suggests those net emissions were 0.9 ± 0.5 PgC yr−1 in 2011. The global atmospheric CO2 concentration is measured directly and reached 391.38 ± 0.13 ppm at the end of year 2011, increasing 1.70 ± 0.09 ppm yr−1 or 3.6 ± 0.2 PgC yr−1 in 2011. Estimates from four ocean models suggest that the ocean CO2 sink was 2.6 ± 0.5 PgC yr−1 in 2011, implying a global residual terrestrial CO2 sink of 4.1 ± 0.9 PgC yr−1. All uncertainties are reported as ±1 sigma (68% confidence assuming Gaussian error distributions that the real value lies within the given interval), reflecting the current capacity to characterise the annual estimates of each component of the global carbon budget. This paper is intended to provide a baseline to keep track of annual carbon budgets in the future.

Optimal lange Fixationen? Eine experimentelle Studie zu überlangen "QuietEye"-Dauern

Einleitung: Im Zusammenhang mit der Leistungsdienlichkeit langer finaler Fixation (quiet eye, QE) wird vermutet, dass Leistungsverbesserungen nur für eine optimale Dauer zu beobachten sein sollten, also auch bei „überlangen“ QE-Dauern die Leistung wieder abnimmt (u.a. Janelle et al., 2000; Klostermann, 2014). Jedoch liegen zu dieser Vermutung bislang keine empirischen Befunde vor, so dass in der hier präsentierten Studie Präzisionsleistung in einer Wurfaufgabe in Abhängigkeit von (auch) sehr langen experimentell kontrollierten QE-Dauern untersucht wurde. Methode: In einem Within-subject-Design hatten 20 Sportstudierende unter acht verschiedenen QE-Bedingungen (Onset in 400-ms-Schritten von -3200 ms bis -400 ms vor Bewegungsbeginn; 16 Versuche pro Bedingung in randomisierter Abfolge) mit retro-reflektierenden Bällen auf eine Großleinwand projizierte Zielscheiben möglichst mittig zu treffen. Die QE-Manipulation erfolgte über eine an den Bewegungsbeginn gebundene Zielscheibeneinblendung samt Wurfrhythmisierung durch Tonvorgaben. Aus den mit einem Vicon-T20-System (200 Hz) sowie einem integrierten mobilen Eyetracker (EyeSeeCam, 220 Hz) erhobenen Daten wurden die QE-Dauer (ms) und die Wurfleistung (radialer Fehler, mm) als abhängige Variablen berechnet und varianzanalytisch auf Unterschiede untersucht. Resultate und Diskussion: Für die QE-Dauer wurde ein signifikanter Haupteffekt gefunden, F(7, 133) = 38.4, p < .01, ηp2 = .67, mit zumindest tendenziellen (-2000 ms vs. -2400 ms, -2800 ms vs. -3200 ms), größtenteils aber signifikanten QE-Anstiegen gemäß der experimentellen Manipulation (alle ps < .01), obgleich die jeweils angezielten QE-Dauern nicht erreicht und zum Teil deutlich unterschritten wurden (tatsächliche relativ zur angezielten Dauer im Mittel 59.95 %). Für den radialen Fehler ergab sich ein signifikanter Haupteffekt, F(7, 133) = 8.5, p < .01, ηp2 = .31, welcher durch signifikant schlechtere Leistungen bei den Onsets -400 ms und -800 ms gegenüber allen anderen Onsets erklärt wird (alle ps < .05; ausgenommen -400 ms vs. -800 ms und -800 ms vs. -2400 ms). Somit wurde der „klassische“ QE-Effekt schlechterer Leistungen infolge kurzer QE-Dauern repliziert; die Vermutung einer Leistungsverschlechterung bei überlangen QE-Dauern konnte jedoch – zumindest unter den infolge der Manipulation tatsächlich erzielten Werten – nicht untermauert werden. Literatur: Klostermann, A. (2014). Finale Fixationen, sportmotorische Leistung und eine Inhibitionshypothese: Mechanismen des „Quiet Eye“, Sportwissenschaft, 44, 49-59. Janelle, C. M., Hillman, C. H., Apparies, R. J., Murray, N. P., Meili, L., Fallon, E. A. & Hatfield, B. D. (2000). Expertise differences in cortical activation and gaze behavior during rifle shooting. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 22, 167-182.

The effect of pain on involuntary and voluntary capture of attention

BACKGROUND: There is converging evidence for the notion that pain affects a broad range of attentional domains. This study investigated the influence of pain on the involuntary capture of attention as indexed by the P3a component in the event-related potential derived from the electroencephalogram. METHODS: Participants performed in an auditory oddball task in a pain-free and a pain condition during which they submerged a hand in cold water. Novel, infrequent and unexpected auditory stimuli were presented randomly in a series of frequent standard and infrequent target tones. P3a and P3b amplitudes were observed to novel, unexpected and target-related stimuli, respectively. RESULTS: Both electrophysiological components were characterized by reduced amplitudes in the pain compared with the pain-free condition. Hit rate and reaction time to target stimuli did not differ between the two conditions presumably because the experimental task was not difficult enough to exceed attentional capacities under pain conditions. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that voluntary attention serving the maintenance and control of ongoing information processing (reflected by the P3b amplitude) is impaired by pain. In addition, the involuntary capture of attention and orientation to novel, unexpected information (measured by the P3a) is also impaired by pain. Thus, neurophysiological measures examined in this study support the theoretical positions proposing that pain can reduce attentional processing capacity. These findings have potentially important implications at the theoretical level for our understanding of the interplay of pain and cognition, and at the therapeutic level for the clinical treatment of individuals experiencing ongoing pain.

Systemic Scuticociliatosis (Philasterides dicentrarchi) in sharks.

Scuticociliatosis is an economically important, frequently fatal disease of marine fish in aquaculture, caused by histophagous ciliated protozoa in the subclass Scuticociliatida of the phylum Ciliophora. A rapidly lethal systemic scuticociliate infection is described that affected aquarium-captive zebra sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum), Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni), and a Japanese horn shark (Heterodontus japonicus). Animals died unexpectedly or after a brief period of lethargy or behavioral abnormality. Gross findings included necrohemorrhagic hepatitis and increased volumes of celomic fluid. Histologically, 1 or more of a triad of necrotizing hepatitis, necrotizing meningoencephalitis, and thrombosing branchitis were seen in all cases, with necrotizing vasculitis or intravascular fibrinocellular thrombi. Lesions contained variably abundant invading ciliated protozoa. Molecular identification by polymerase chain reaction from formalin-fixed tissues identified these as the scuticociliate Philasterides dicentrarchi (syn. Miamiensis avidus), a novel and potentially emergent pathogen in sharks.

Global carbon budget 2013

Accurate assessment of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and their redistribution among the atmosphere, ocean, and terrestrial biosphere is important to better understand the global carbon cycle, support the development of climate policies, and project future climate change. Here we describe data sets and a methodology to quantify all major components of the global carbon budget, including their uncertainties, based on the combination of a range of data, algorithms, statistics and model estimates and their interpretation by a broad scientific community. We discuss changes compared to previous estimates, consistency within and among components, alongside methodology and data limitations. CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel combustion and cement production (EFF) are based on energy statistics, while emissions from land-use change (ELUC), mainly deforestation, are based on combined evidence from land-cover change data, fire activity associated with deforestation, and models. The global atmospheric CO2 concentration is measured directly and its rate of growth (GATM) is computed from the annual changes in concentration. The mean ocean CO2 sink (SOCEAN) is based on observations from the 1990s, while the annual anomalies and trends are estimated with ocean models. The variability in SOCEAN is evaluated for the first time in this budget with data products based on surveys of ocean CO2 measurements. The global residual terrestrial CO2 sink (SLAND) is estimated by the difference of the other terms of the global carbon budget and compared to results of independent dynamic global vegetation models forced by observed climate, CO2 and land cover change (some including nitrogen–carbon interactions). All uncertainties are reported as ± 1 σ, reflecting the current capacity to characterise the annual estimates of each component of the global carbon budget. For the last decade available (2003–2012), EFF was 8.6 ± 0.4 GtC yr − 1, ELUC 0.9 ± 0.5 GtC yr − 1, GATM 4.3 ± 0.1 GtC yr − 1, S OCEAN 2.5 ± 0.5 GtC yr − 1, and S LAND 2.8 ± 0.8 GtC yr − 1. For year 2012 alone, EFF grew to 9.7 ± 0.5 GtC yr − 1, 2.2 % above 2011, reflecting a continued growing trend in these emissions, GATM was 5.1 ± 0.2 GtC yr − 1, SOCEANwas 2.9 ± 0.5 GtC yr −1, and assuming an ELU Cof 1.0 ± 0.5 GtC yr − 1 (based on the 2001–2010 average), SLAND was 2.7 ± 0.9 GtC yr − 1. GATM was high in 2012 compared to the 2003–2012 average, almost entirely reflecting the high EFF. The global atmospheric CO2 con- centration reached 392.52 ± 0.10 ppm averaged over 2012. We estimate that EFF will increase by 2.1 % (1.1–3.1 %) to 9.9 ± 0.5 GtC in 2013, 61 % above emissions in 1990, based on projections of world gross domestic product and recent changes in the carbon intensity of the economy. With this projection, cumulative emissions of CO2 will reach about 535 ± 55 GtC for 1870–2013, about 70 % from EFF (390 ± 20 GtC) and 30 % from ELUC (145 ± 50 GtC). This paper also documents any changes in the methods and data sets used in this new carbon budget from previous budgets (Le Quéré et al., 2013). All observations presented here can be downloaded from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center.

Natural and anthropogenic methane fluxes in Eurasia: a mesoscale quantification by generalized atmospheric inversion

Eight surface observation sites providing quasi-continuous measurements of atmospheric methane mixingratios have been operated since the mid-2000’s in Siberia. For the first time in a single work, we assimilate 1 year of these in situ observations in an atmospheric inversion. Our objective is to quantify methane surface fluxes from anthropogenic and wetland sources at the mesoscale in the Siberian lowlands for the year 2010. To do so, we first inquire about the way the inversion uses the observations and the way the fluxes are constrained by the observation sites. As atmospheric inver- sions at the mesoscale suffer from mis-quantified sources of uncertainties, we follow recent innovations in inversion techniques and use a new inversion approach which quantifies the uncertainties more objectively than the previous inversion systems. We find that, due to errors in the representation of the atmospheric transport and redundant pieces of information, only one observation every few days is found valuable by the inversion. The remaining high-resolution quasi-continuous signal is representative of very local emission patterns difficult to analyse with a mesoscale system. An analysis of the use of information by the inversion also reveals that the observation sites constrain methane emissions within a radius of 500 km. More observation sites than the ones currently in operation are then necessary to constrain the whole Siberian lowlands. Still, the fluxes within the constrained areas are quantified with objectified uncertainties. Finally, the tolerance intervals for posterior methane fluxes are of roughly 20 % (resp. 50 %) of the fluxes for anthropogenic (resp. wetland) sources. About 50–70 % of Siberian lowlands emissions are constrained by the inversion on average on an annual basis. Extrapolating the figures on the constrained areas to the whole Siberian lowlands, we find a regional methane budget of 5–28 TgCH4 for the year 2010, i.e. 1–5 % of the global methane emissions. As very few in situ observations are available in the region of interest, observations of methane total columns from the Greenhouse Gas Observing SATellite (GOSAT) are tentatively used for the evaluation of the inversion results, but they exhibit only a marginal signal from the fluxes within the region of interest.