Anopheles darlingi polytene chromosomes: revised maps including newly described inversions and evidence for population structure in Manaus

Salivary gland polytene chromosomes of 4th instar Anopheles darlingi Root were examined from multiple locations in the Brazilian Amazon. Minor modifications were made to existing polytene photomaps. These included changes to the breakpoint positions of several previously described paracentric inversions and descriptions of four new paracentric inversions, two on the right arm of chromosome 3 and two on the left arm of chromosome 3 that were found in multiple locations. A total of 18 inversions on the X (n = 1) chromosome, chromosome 2 (n = 7) and 3 (n = 11) were scored for 83 individuals from Manaus, Macapá and Porto Velho municipalities. The frequency of 2Ra inversion karyotypes in Manaus shows significant deficiency of heterozygotes (p < 0.0009). No significant linkage disequilibrium was found between inversions on chromosome 2 and 3. We hypothesize that at least two sympatric subpopulations exist within the An. darlingi population at Manaus based on inversion frequencies

Qualitätsentwicklung an Ganztagsschulen

Durch die Verlagerung bzw. Stärkung von Entscheidungskompetenzen auf die bzw. der Ebene der Einzelschule wird es ermöglicht, Lösungs-/Gestaltungsansätze zu entwickeln, die auf die jeweiligen Bedürfnisse und Gegebenheiten vor Ort zugeschnitten werden können. Die kritische Auseinandersetzung mit den Erfahrungen anderer, die auf entsprechenden Fortbildungsveranstaltungen kommuniziert werden können, lässt Good-practice-Beispiele entstehen, aus denen sich Anregungen zur Realisierung eigener Vorhaben im Zuge der Ganztagsschulentwicklung ableiten lassen. Der dritte bayerische Ganztagsschulkongress "Qualitätsentwicklung an Ganztagsschulen" am 1. und 2. März 2012 in Forchheim bot den Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmern anhand diverser Vorträge, Workshops und Schulbesuchen die Möglichkeit zu Diskussion und Austausch. Der vorliegende Band dokumentiert die Veranstaltung

Pulsed electron avalanche knife: new technology for cataract surgery

Background: The pulsed electron avalanche knife (PEAK-fc) is a new pulsed electrosurgical device that allows for precise, ``cold'' and traction-free tissue dissection.Aim: To evaluate the surgical applicability, safety and potential complications of PEAK-fc in complicated cataract surgery.Methods: The study included five children with congenital cataracts, two patients with advanced senile cataracts, six adults with mature cataracts, three of them with posterior iris synechia, three patients with post-traumatic cataracts with zonulolysis, one patient with intumescent traumatic cataract and three patients with massive anterior capsule opacification. Anterior and posterior capsulotomies, iris synechiolysis, dissection of anterior capsule opacification and fibrotic scar tissue were performed. PEAK-fc was set at voltages of 500--700 V, pulse duration of 0.1 m and repetition rate of 40--100 Hz.Results: Anterior and posterior capsulotomies were successfully and safely performed in all eyes. The edges of capsulotomies appeared sharp, showing only limited collateral damage. PEAK-fc worked best by just gently touching the capsule, thereby avoiding tractional forces or pressure on the lens capsule. Posterior iris synechiae could be released and anterior capsule opacification was dissected without complications.Conclusions: PEAK-fc is a very helpful cutting device for complicated cases of cataract surgery, especially for mature and congenital cataracts, traumatic zonulolysis or anterior segment complications after intraocular inflammation

Insight into the development of a carbonate platform through a multi-disciplinary approach - A case study from the Upper Devonian slope deposits of Mount Freikofel (Carnic Alps, Austria/Italy)

The development and behavior of Million year-scaled depositional sequences recorded within Palaeozoic carbonate platform has remained poorly examined. Therefore, the understanding of palaeoenvironmental changes that occur in geological past is still limited. We herein undertake a multi-disciplinary approach (sedimentology, conodont biostratigraphy, magnetic susceptibility and geochemistry) of a long-term succession in the Carnic Alps which offers new insights into the peculiar evolution of one of the best example of Palaeozoic carbonate platform in Europe. The Freikofel section, located in the central part of the Carnic Alps represents an outstanding succession in a fore-reef setting, extending from the latest Givetian (indet. falsiovalis conodont Zones) to the early Famennian (Lower crepida conodont Zone). Sedimentological analysis allowed to propose a sedimentary model dominated by distal slope and fore-reef slope deposits. The most distal setting is characterized by an autochthonous pelagic sedimentation showing local occurrence of thin-bedded turbiditic deposits. In the fore-reef slope, in a more proximal setting, there is an accumulation of various autochthonous and allochthonous fine- to coarse-grained sediments originated from the interplay of gravity-flow currents derived from the shallow-water and deeper-water area. The temporal evolution of microfacies in the Freikofel section evolves in two main steps corresponding to the Freikofel (Unit 1) and the Pal (Unit 2) Limestones. Distal slope to fore-reef lithologies and associate changes are from base to top of the section: (U1) thick bedded litho- and bioclastic breccia beds with local fining upward sequence and fine-grained mudstone intercalations corresponding, in the fore-reef setting, to the dismantlement of the Eifelian – Frasnian carbonate platform during the early to late Frasnian time (falsiovalis to rhenana superzones) with one of the causes being the Late Givetian major rift pulse; (U2) occurrence of thin-bedded red nodular and cephalopod-bearing limestones with local lithoclastic grainstone intercalations corresponding to a significant deepening of the area and the progressive withdrawal of sedimentary influxes toward the basin, in relation with late Frasnian sea-level rise. Magnetic susceptibility and geochemical analyses were also performed along the Freikofel section and demonstrate the inherent-parallel link existing between variation in magnetic susceptibility values and proxy for terrestrial input. Interpretation of magnetic susceptibility in term of palaeoenvironmental processes reflect that even though distality remains the major parameter influencing magnetic susceptibility values, carbonate production and water agitation also play an important role.Grants IGCP 580 and NAP0017 (DP, ACDS), the FWF P 23775-B17 (TS and EK

Complex-type N-glycans but not O-glycans are required for Gal-3 binding to the RPE cell surface.

<p>(A-C) Cultured human RPE cells were treated with swainsonine to block N-glycan elongation followed by incubation with Gal-3 or plant lectins for 30 minutes at 4°C as described in the Materials and Methods Section. (A) Effectiveness of swainsonine treatment is shown by decreased staining with the plant lectin PHA-L (<i>dotted line</i>) compared with control treated cells (<i>thick line</i>). (B) Reduction of complex-type N-glycans on RPE cells results in decreased Gal-3 binding (<i>dotted line</i>). (C) Binding of the control lectin WGA is not modified. (D-F) Treatment of cultured RPE cells with deoxymannojirimycin (DMNJ), another inhibitor of N-glycan branching, reduces binding of the plant lectin PHA-L (<i>dotted line</i>) (D) and Gal-3 (<i>dotted line</i>) (E) compared with control treated cells (<i>thick line</i>) whereas binding of the control lectin WGA (<i>dotted line</i>) is not affected (F). (G-I) RPE cells were treated with BenzylGalNAc, which inhibits elongation of O-glycans and can compete with sialyltransferases resulting in decreased O-glycan sialylation, allowing increased branching of O-glycans. Decreased O-glycan sialylation is shown by increased staining with the plant lectin PNA (<i>dotted line</i>) compared with untreated controls (<i>thick line</i>) (G). (H) Increased accessibility of branched O-glycans does not alter binding of Gal-3 to RPE cells (<i>dotted line</i>), showing that branched O-glycans are not required for Gal-3 binding. (I) Binding of PHA-E as a control lectin is not altered by benzylGalNAc treatment. (J-L) Treatment of RPE cells with neuraminidase increases Gal-3 binding to the surface of cultured human RPE cells. Cultured, myofibroblastic RPE cells were incubated with or without Vibrio Cholera neuraminidase for 30 minutes at 37°C. (J) Binding of MAL-2 (specific for α2,3 sialic acid residues) (<i>thick line</i>) and (L) SNA (specific for α2,6 sialic acid residues) (<i>thick line</i>) confirms the presence of sialic acid residues on glycans on the RPE cell surface. Both, MAL-2 and SNA binding, is reduced after treatment with neuraminidase (<i>dotted line</i>). Binding of Gal-3 (K) to cultured human RPE is increased by removal of sialic acids (<i>dotted line</i>). Results are representative for three independent experiments.</p

Glycomic profiling of native versus cultured, myofibroblastic RPE by lectin blot analysis reveals alterations in the glycan expression pattern upon EMT in vitro.

<p>Equal amounts of whole cellular protein lysates (7.5 μg) derived from native (N) and cultured, myofibroblastic (M) human RPE cells of passage 3 were separated by SDS page. Blots were incubated with the biotin-coupled plant lectins as indicated followed by peroxidase-coupled streptavidin (<i>large boxes</i>, <i>above</i>). Normalization to GAPDH (<i>small boxes</i>, <i>below</i>) shows equal total protein amounts of native RPE cells (N) and passaged RPE cells (M) were loaded in both slots. Molecular weight in kDa is indicated on the left (MW). The experiment was repeated at least three times with protein lysates from different donors of different age groups and different primary RPE cell lines of passage 3–7. A representative blot is shown.</p

Native RPE cells exhibit little binding of Gal-3.

<p>(A) Flow cytometric analysis of Gal-3 binding to native and myofibroblastic RPE cells. Binding of Gal-3 (<i>gray</i>) to native RPE cells was only slightly above background, whereas Gal-3 binding to myofibroblastic RPE cells was evident. ConA binding was markedly above background in both cell populations. Histograms represent the number of cells versus relative fluorescence intensity. Experiments have been repeated two times. (B) Lectin histochemistry of human RPE cells in situ. Human cadaver eyes were incubated with biotinylated lectins as indicated on the left and binding was visualized by incubation with streptavidin-coupled peroxidase and Vector VIP substrate™ (purple color). In control sections with the VIP substrate alone the RPE can be easily discerned by the characteristic brownish pigment (third panel from the top). RPE cells and extracellular matrix reacted strongly with ConA <i>(top panel</i>), whereas PHA-L (<i>second panel</i> from the top) did not recognize native RPE cells and exhibited a staining pattern comparable to that of substrate alone. Biotinylated Gal-3 (purple color, <i>fourth panel</i>) did not bind to native RPE in situ and staining patterns resembled closely the situation in untreated negative control eyes. RPE, retinal pigment epithelium; BM, Bruch´s membrane; CH, choriocapillaris.</p