Feeding of the Bat,Sturnira lilium,on Fruits of Solanum riparium Influences Dispersal of this Pioneer Tree in Forests of Northwestern Argentina

The influence of fruit ingestion by the bat, Sturnira lilium, on germination of the seeds of the tree Solanum riparium was studied in a secondary rain forest in northwestern Argentina. Bat frequencies in disturbed areas were analyzed by mist net captures. Germination rates were determined for seeds collected from trees and bat feces. S. lilium was the most abundant fruit bat in the study area. Fruit digestion and the passage of seeds through the intestine did not significantly affect germination in S. riparium. In this case the fruit bats, therefore, probably provide only seed dispersal.     

What Do We Know About Metal Recycling Rates?

The recycling of metals is widely viewed as a fruitful sustainability strategy, but little information is available on the degree to which recycling is actually taking place. This article provides an overview on the current knowledge of recycling rates for 60 metals. We propose various recycling metrics, discuss relevant aspects of recycling processes, and present current estimates on global end‐of‐life recycling rates (EOL‐RR; i.e., the percentage of a metal in discards that is actually recycled), recycled content (RC), and old scrap ratios (OSRs; i.e., the share of old scrap in the total scrap flow). Because of increases in metal use over time and long metal in‐use lifetimes, many RC values are low and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Because of relatively low efficiencies in the collection and processing of most discarded products, inherent limitations in recycling processes, and the fact that primary material is often relatively abundant and low‐cost (which thereby keeps down the price of scrap), many EOL‐RRs are very low: Only for 18 metals (silver, aluminum, gold, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, niobium, nickel, lead, palladium, platinum, rhenium, rhodium, tin, titanium, and zinc) is the EOL‐RR above 50% at present. Only for niobium, lead, and ruthenium is the RC above 50%, although 16 metals are in the 25% to 50% range. Thirteen metals have an OSR greater than 50%. These estimates may be used in considerations of whether recycling efficiencies can be improved; which metric could best encourage improved effectiveness in recycling; and an improved understanding of the dependence of recycling on economics, technology, and other factors.     

Multiomic Metabolic Enrichment Network Analysis Reveals Metabolite–Protein Physical Interaction Subnetworks Altered in Cancer

Metabolism is recognized as an important driver of cancer progression and other complex diseases, but global metabolite profiling remains a challenge. Protein expression profiling is often a poor proxy since existing pathway enrichment models provide an incomplete mapping between the proteome and metabolism. To overcome these gaps, we introduce multiomic metabolic enrichment network analysis (MOMENTA), an integrative multiomic data analysis framework for more accurately deducing metabolic pathway changes from proteomics data alone in a gene set analysis context by leveraging protein interaction networks to extend annotated metabolic models. We apply MOMENTA to proteomic data from diverse cancer cell lines and human tumors to demonstrate its utility at revealing variation in metabolic pathway activity across cancer types, which we verify using independent metabolomics measurements. The novel metabolic networks we uncover in breast cancer and other tumors are linked to clinical outcomes, underscoring the pathophysiological relevance of the findings.     

Targeting age‐specific changes in CD4+ T cell metabolism ameliorates alloimmune responses and prolongs graft survival

Age impacts alloimmunity. Effects of aging on T‐cell metabolism and the potential to interfere with immunosuppressants have not been explored yet. Here, we dissected metabolic pathways of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in aging and offer novel immunosuppressive targets. Upon activation, CD4⁺ T cells from old mice failed to exhibit adequate metabolic reprogramming resulting into compromised metabolic pathways, including oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolysis. Comparable results were also observed in elderly human patients. Although glutaminolysis remained the dominant and age‐independent source of mitochondria for activated CD4⁺ T cells, old but not young CD4⁺ T cells relied heavily on glutaminolysis. Treating young and old murine and human CD4⁺ T cells with 6‐diazo‐5‐oxo‐l‐norleucine (DON), a glutaminolysis inhibitor resulted in significantly reduced IFN‐γ production and compromised proliferative capacities specifically of old CD4⁺ T cells. Of translational relevance, old and young mice that had been transplanted with fully mismatched skin grafts and treated with DON demonstrated dampened Th1‐ and Th17‐driven alloimmune responses. Moreover, DON diminished cytokine production and proliferation of old CD4⁺ T cells in vivo leading to a significantly prolonged allograft survival specifically in old recipients. Graft prolongation in young animals, in contrast, was only achieved when DON was applied in combination with an inhibition of glycolysis (2‐deoxy‐d‐glucose, 2‐DG) and OXPHOS (metformin), two alternative metabolic pathways. Notably, metabolic treatment had not been linked to toxicities. Remarkably, immunosuppressive capacities of DON were specific to CD4⁺ T cells as adoptively transferred young CD4⁺ T cells prevented immunosuppressive capacities of DON on allograft survival in old recipients. Depletion of CD8⁺ T cells did not alter transplant outcomes in either young or old recipients. Taken together, our data introduce an age‐specific metabolic reprogramming of CD4⁺ T cells. Targeting those pathways offers novel and age‐specific approaches for immunosuppression.     

Structural Decomposition Analysis of Raw Material Consumption

The aim of this article is to quantify the drivers for the changes in raw material consumption (domestic material consumption expressed in the form of all materials extracted and used in the production phase) in terms of technology, which refers to the concept of sustainable production; the product structure of final demand, which refers to the concept of sustainable consumption; and the volume of final demand, which is related to economic growth. We also aim to determine to what extent the technological development and a shift in product structure of the final demand compensate for the growth in final consumption volume. Therefore, we apply structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to the change in raw material consumption (RMC) of the Czech Republic between 2000 and 2007. To present the study in a broader context, we also show other material flow indicators for the Czech Republic for 2000 and 2007. Our findings of SDA show that final demand structure has a very limited effect on the change in material flows. The rapid change in final demand volume was not compensated for crude oil, metal ores, construction materials, food crops, and timber. For the material category of non‐iron metal ores, even the change in technology contributes to an increase in material flows. The largest relative increases are reported for non‐iron metal ores (38%) and construction materials (30%). The main changes in material flows related to the Czech Republic are driven by exports and enabled by imports, the main source of these increased material flows. This emphasizes the increasing role of international trade.     

Orientation and ingestion rates of larval Anopheles albimanus in response to floating particles

Response of fourth-instar larvae of Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann (Diptera: Culicidae) to food and inert particles floating at the water surface was studied. In a choice test, larvae aggregated at powdered organic materials (blood meal, liver powder alfalfa flour and wheat flour) but not at inert materials (kaolin, chalk or charcoal). Larvae responded positively to proteins as well as some carbohydrates, but not to cellulose. Retention of larvae at food sources found by random locomotion was found to be responsible for larval aggregation. Larvae ingested food particles 6–9 times faster than insert particles. The significance of Anopheline feeding behavior in the development of formulations of stomach toxins (bacterial agents) used in larval control is discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Studie befasst sich mit Verhaltensreaktionen von Anopheles albimanus Viertlarven auf an der Wasseroberfläche schwimmende Partikel. Verteilung und Orientierung der Larven wurde in einer Wahlapparatur quantifiziert. Nach Auftrag von Alfalfamehl, Weizenmehl, Stärke, Blutmehl, Leberpulver und Fischmehl wurde Aggregation der Larven in den beköderten Fächern der Apparatur beobachtet. Sowohl Proteine (Casein) als auch einige Kohlehydrate (Amylose, Amylopectin) lösten Aggregationen der Larven aus. Im Unterschied dazu führte Auftrag von Kreide, Kaolin, Polyaethylenpulver, Talcum oder Cellulose nicht zu Aggregationen. Zur Beschreibung der Entstehung larvaler Aggregationen bei Futterstoffen wurden die Schwimmbewegungen der Larven in Anwesenheit von Weizenmehl als Ködersubstanz quantifiziert. Da keine Attraktion der Larven im Sinne einer gerichteten Schwimmbewegung beobachtet werden konnte, wird geschlussfolgert, dass sofortige Beendung der Suchaktivität der Larven bei zufällig gefundenen Futterquellen für die beobachteten Aggregationen bei organischen Substanzen verantwortlich ist.Die Fressraten der Larven bei Angebot verschiedener Substanzen im Überschuss wurde bestimmt. Larven fülten drei von insgesamt sechs Darmabschnitten innerhalb von 15–30 min bei Angebot von Futtersubstanzen, während die Füllung von nur zwei Darmabschnitten mit inerten Materialien erst nach 90–120 min zu beobachten war. Die Resultate werden in Bezug auf wasseroberflächengebundene Formulierungen von Frassgiften diskutiert. Inerte Trägersubstanzen werden wahrscheinlich wesentlich langsamer aufgenommen als Futtersubstanzen. Da An. albimanus Larven nicht von Futterquellen angezogen werden, ist eine rasche und wirksame Giftaufnahme besonders dann zu erwarten, wenn die gesamte Oberfläche der Brutgewässer mit toxinhaltigen Trägerpartikeln bedeckt werden kann.

     

Phosphoproteome Profiling of the Receptor Tyrosine Kinase MuSK Identifies Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Rab GTPases

Muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (MuSK) agonist antibodies were developed 2 decades ago to explore the benefits of receptor activation at the neuromuscular junction. Unlike agrin, the endogenous agonist of MuSK, agonist antibodies function independently of its coreceptor low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 4 to delay the onset of muscle denervation in mouse models of ALS. Here, we performed dose–response and time-course experiments on myotubes to systematically compare site-specific phosphorylation downstream of each agonist. Remarkably, both agonists elicited similar intracellular responses at known and newly identified MuSK signaling components. Among these was inducible tyrosine phosphorylation of multiple Rab GTPases that was blocked by MuSK inhibition. Importantly, mutation of this site in Rab10 disrupts association with its effector proteins, molecule interacting with CasL 1/3. Together, these data provide in-depth characterization of MuSK signaling, describe two novel MuSK inhibitors, and expose phosphorylation of Rab GTPases downstream of receptor tyrosine kinase activation in myotubes.     

The disposition of citric acid cycle intermediates by isolated rat heart mitochondria

The mechanism of depletion of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates by isolated rat heart mitochondria was studied using hydroxymalonate (an inhibitor of malic enzymes) and mercaptopicolinate (an inhibitor of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase) as tools. Hydroxymalonate inhibited the respiration rate of isolated mitochondria in state 3 by 40% when 2 mM malate was the only external substrate, but no inhibition was found with 2 mM malate plus 0.5 mM pyruvate as substrates. In the prescence od bicarbonate, arsenite and ATP, propionate was converted to pyruvate and malate at the rates of 14.0 ± 2.9 and 2.8 ± 1.8 nmol/mg protein in 5 min, respectively. Under these conditions, 0.1 mM mercaptopicolinate did not affect this conversion, but 2 mM hydroxymalonate inhibited pyruvate formation completely and resulted in an accumulation of malate up to 13.2 ± 2.9 nmol/mg protein. No accumulation of phosphoenolpyruvate was found under any condition tested. It is concluded that malic enzymes but not phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, are involved in conversion of propionate to pyruvate in isolated rat heart mitochondria.     

Tidal flows and sediment budgets for a salt-marsh system,Essex, England

Studies of tidal flows in salt-marsh creeks in Essex, England, show large variations in water velocity during different tidal cycles, particularly between tides below, at, and above marsh level. Water level, velocity and suspended sediment concentration have been monitored at 5-min intervals during 700 tidal cycles during the year March 1982–March 1983, and the data are being used to calculate sediment budgets for the creek system studied. Completed analyses for two of the tidal cycles show a large positive sediment flux. Because of the importance of velocity in controlling total discharge through a creek cross-section, and hence its effect on total sediment movement, we cannot extrapolate from these two below-marsh tides to any general conclusions about marsh erosion or accretion. We use these preliminary data both to demonstrate our methods and to indicate some of the complexities involved in the analysis.Acknowledgements: This work has been supported by the Natural Environment Research Council. We thank the Philip Lake Fund for financial assistance and the Department of Geography, Cambridge University, for much material support. Mr D. J. Fisher kindly gave access to his land, and Mr W. Bailey helped us greatly. We also thank Mr A. St Joseph for his help, Mr M. Diver for practical support, and Dr J. S. Pethick for discussion.     

KCNJ8/ABCC9-containing K-ATP channel modulates brain vascular smooth muscle development and neurovascular coupling

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