Phylogenetic Diversity and Spatial Distribution of the Microbial Community Associated with the Caribbean Deep-water Sponge Polymastia cf. corticata by 16S rRNA, aprA, and amoA Gene Analysis

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)-based analyses of 16S rRNA, aprA, and amoA genes demonstrated that a phylogenetically diverse and complex microbial community was associated with the Caribbean deep-water sponge Polymastia cf. corticata Ridley and Dendy, 1887. From the 38 archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA phylotypes identified, 53% branched into the sponge-specific, monophyletic sequence clusters determined by previous studies (considering predominantly shallow-water sponge species), whereas 26% appeared to be P. cf. corticata specifically associated microorganisms (“specialists”); 21% of the phylotypes were confirmed to represent seawater- and sediment-derived proteobacterial species (“contaminants”) acquired by filtration processes from the host environment. Consistently, the aprA and amoA gene-based analyses indicated the presence of environmentally derived sulfur- and ammonia-oxidizers besides putative sponge-specific sulfur-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria and a sulfate-reducing archaeon. A sponge-specific, endosymbiotic sulfur cycle as described for marine oligochaetes is proposed to be also present in P. cf. corticata. Overall, the results of this work support the recent studies that demonstrated the sponge species specificity of the associated microbial community while the biogeography of the host collection site has only a minor influence on the composition. In P. cf. corticata, the specificity of the sponge–microbe associations is even extended to the spatial distribution of the microorganisms within the sponge body; distinct bacterial populations were associated with the different tissue sections, papillae, outer and inner cortex, and choanosome. The local distribution of a phylotype within P. cf. corticata correlated with its (1) phylogenetic affiliation, (2) classification as sponge-specific or nonspecifically associated microorganism, and (3) potential ecological role in the host sponge

Homology Modeling of Dissimilatory APS Reductases (AprBA) of Sulfur-Oxidizing and Sulfate-Reducing Prokaryotes

Background. The dissimilatory adenosine-59-phosphosulfate (APS) reductase (cofactors flavin adenine dinucleotide, FAD, and two [4Fe-4S] centers) catalyzes the transformation of APS to sulfite and AMP in sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP); in sulfuroxidizing bacteria (SOB) it has been suggested to operate in the reverse direction. Recently, the three-dimensional structure of the Archaeoglobus fulgidus enzyme has been determined in different catalytically relevant states providing insights into its reaction cycle. Methodology/Principal Findings. Full-length AprBA sequences from 20 phylogenetically distinct SRP and SOB species were used for homology modeling. In general, the average accuracy of the calculated models was sufficiently good to allow a structural and functional comparison between the beta- and alpha-subunit structures (78.8–99.3 % and 89.5–96.8 % of the AprB and AprA main chain atoms, respectively, had root mean square deviations below 1 A ˚ with respect to the template structures). Besides their overall conformity, the SRP- and SOB-derived models revealed the existence of individual adaptations at the electron-transferring AprB protein surface presumably resulting from docking to different electron donor/acceptor proteins. These structural alterations correlated with the protein phylogeny (three major phylogenetic lineages: (1) SRP including LGT-affected Archaeoglobi and SOB of Apr lineage II, (2) crenarchaeal SRP Caldivirga and Pyrobaculum, and (3) SOB of the distinct Apr lineage I) and the presence of potential APS reductase-interacting redox complexes. The almost identical protein matrices surrounding both [4Fe-4S] clusters, the FAD cofactor, the active site channel and center within the AprB/A models of SRP and SOB point to a highly similar catalytic process of APS reduction/sulfite oxidation independent of th

Current and Future Challenges in Knowledge Representation and Reasoning

Knowledge Representation and Reasoning is a central, longstanding, and active area of Artificial Intelligence. Over the years it has evolved significantly; more recently it has been challenged and complemented by research in areas such as machine learning and reasoning under uncertainty. In July 2022 a Dagstuhl Perspectives workshop was held on Knowledge Representation and Reasoning. The goal of the workshop was to describe the state of the art in the field, including its relation with other areas, its shortcomings and strengths, together with recommendations for future progress. We developed this manifesto based on the presentations, panels, working groups, and discussions that took place at the Dagstuhl Workshop. It is a declaration of our views on Knowledge Representation: its origins, goals, milestones, and current foci; its relation to other disciplines, especially to Artificial Intelligence; and on its challenges, along with key priorities for the next decade

Molecular monitoring of minimal residual disease in two patients with MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia and haploidentical transplantation after relapse

This report describes the clinical courses of two acute myeloid leukemia patients. Both had MLL translocations, the first a t(10;11)(p11.2;q23) with MLL-AF10 and the second a t(11;19)(q23;p13.1) with MLL-ELL fusion. They achieved a clinical remission under conventional chemotherapy but relapsed shortly after end of therapy. Both had a history of invasive mycoses (one had possible pulmonary mycosis, one systemic candidiasis). Because no HLA-identical donor was available, a haploidentical transplantation was performed in both cases. Using a specially designed PCR method for the assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD), based on the quantitative detection of the individual chromosomal breakpoint in the MLL gene, all patients achieved complete and persistent molecular remission after transplantation. The immune reconstitution after transplantation is described in terms of total CD3+/CD4+, CD3+/CD8+, CD19+, and CD16+/CD56+ cell numbers over time. The KIR and HLA genotypes of donors and recipients are reported and the possibility of a KIR-mediated alloreactivity is discussed. This report illustrates that haploidentical transplantation may offer a chance of cure without chronic graft-versus-host disease in situations where no suitable HLA-identical donor is available even in a high-risk setting and shows the value of MRD monitoring in the pre- and posttransplant setting

Are you talking to me? Improving the robustness of dialogue systems in a multi party HRI scenario by incorporating gaze direction and lip movement of attendees

Richter V, Carlmeyer B, Lier F, et al. Are you talking to me? Improving the robustness of dialogue systems in a multi party HRI scenario by incorporating gaze direction and lip movement of attendees. In: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Human-agent Interaction. Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Human-agent Interaction. Singapore: ACM Digital Library; 2016.In this paper we present our humanoid robot “Meka”, partici- pating in a multi party human robot dialogue scenario. Active arbitration of the robot's attention based-on multi-modal stim- uli is utilised to attain persons which are outside of the robots field of view. We investigate the impact of this attention management and an addressee recognition on the robot's capability to distinguish utterances directed at it from communication between humans. Based on the results of a user study, we show that mutual gaze at the end of an utterance, as a means of yielding a turn, is a substantial cue for addressee recognition. Verification of a speaker through the detection of lip movements can be used to further increase precision. Further- more, we show that even a rather simplistic fusion of gaze and lip movement cues allows a considerable enhancement in addressee estimation, and can be altered to adapt to the requirements of a particular scenario

Identification and validation of potential new biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis and prognosis using 2D-DIGE and MS

This study was designed to identify and validate potential new biomarkers for prostate cancer and to distinguish patients with and without biochemical relapse. Prostate tissue samples analyzed by 2D-DIGE (two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis) and mass spectrometry (MS) revealed downregulation of secernin-1 (P < 0.044) in prostate cancer, while vinculin showed significant upregulation (P < 0.001). Secernin-1 overexpression in prostate tissue was validated using Western blot and immunohistochemistry while vinculin expression was validated using immunohistochemistry. These findings indicate that secernin-1 and vinculin are potential new tissue biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis and prognosis, respectively. For validation, protein levels in urine were also examined by Western blot analysis. Urinary vinculin levels in prostate cancer patients were significantly higher than in urine from nontumor patients (P = 0.006). Using multiple reaction monitoring-MS (MRM-MS) analysis, prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) showed significant higher levels in the urine of prostate cancer patients compared to controls (P = 0.012), while galectin-3 showed significant lower levels in the urine of prostate cancer patients with biochemical relapse, compared to those without relapse (P = 0.017). Three proteins were successfully differentiated between patients with and without prostate cancer and patients with and without relapse by using MRM. Thus, this technique shows promise for implementation as a noninvasive clinical diagnostic technique

Genomic characterization of pediatric B‐lymphoblastic lymphoma and B‐lymphoblastic leukemia using formalin‐fixed tissues

BackgroundRecurrent genomic changes in B‐lymphoblastic leukemia (B‐ALL) identified by genome‐wide single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray analysis provide important prognostic information, but gene copy number analysis of its rare lymphoma counterpart, B‐lymphoblastic lymphoma (B‐LBL), is limited by the low incidence and lack of fresh tissue for genomic testing.ProcedureWe used molecular inversion probe (MIP) technology to analyze and compare copy number alterations (CNAs) in archival formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded pediatric B‐LBL (n = 23) and B‐ALL (n = 55).ResultsSimilar to B‐ALL, CDKN2A/B deletions were the most common alteration identified in 6/23 (26%) B‐LBL cases. Eleven of 23 (48%) B‐LBL patients were hyperdiploid, but none showed triple trisomies (chromosomes 4, 10, and 17) characteristic of B‐ALL. IKZF1 and PAX5 deletions were observed in 13 and 17% of B‐LBL, respectively, which was similar to the reported frequency in B‐ALL. Immunoglobulin light chain lambda (IGL) locus deletions consistent with normal light chain rearrangement were observed in 5/23 (22%) B‐LBL cases, compared with only 1% in B‐ALL samples. None of the B‐LBL cases showed abnormal, isolated VPREB1 deletion adjacent to IGL locus, which we identified in 25% of B‐ALL.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that the copy number profile of B‐LBL is distinct from B‐ALL, suggesting possible differences in pathogenesis between these closely related diseases.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137353/1/pbc26363.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137353/2/pbc26363_am.pd

Großschutzgebiete, Biodiversität und räumliche Planung

Positionen 1 Stellenwert von Großschutzgebieten in der räumlichen Planung stärken 2 Zuständigkeiten von Großschutzgebieten klarer regeln und administrative Struk-turen harmonisieren 3 Monitoring und Qualitätsmanagement von Großschutzgebieten sicherstellen 4 Neben klassischem Naturschutz mehr Prozessschutz: Dynamik in Großschutz-gebieten zulassen 5 Großschutzgebiete bundesweit einheitlich zonieren 6 Ökosystemleistungen von Großschutzgebieten stärker für Kommunikation und räumliche Planung nutzen 7 Neue Strategien für den Umgang mit aktuellen Herausforderungen wie demo-graphischem Wandel, Klimawandel und Bodenspekulation in Großschutzgebieten ent-wickel