Nosema neumanni n. sp. (Microsporidia, Nosematidae), a new microsporidian parasite of honeybees, Apis mellifera in Uganda

The microsporidium Nosema neumanni n. sp., a new parasite of the honeybee Apis mellifera is described based on its ultra structural and molecular characteristics. Structures resembling microsporidian spores were found by microscopic examination of honeybees from Uganda. Molecular confirmation failed when PCR primers specific for Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae were used, but was successful with primers covering the whole family of Nosematidae. We performed transmission electron microscopy and found typical microsporidian spores which were smaller (length: 2.36 +/- 0.14 m and width: 1.78 +/- 0.06 p.m; n = 6) and had fewer polar filament coils (10-12) when compared to those of known species infecting honeybees. The entire 16S SS(J rRNA region was amplified, cloned and sequenced and was found to be unique with the highest resemblance (97% identity) to N. apis, The incidence of N. neumanni n. sp. in Ugandan honeybees was found to be much higher than of the two other Nosema species

Heritability estimates of the novel trait 'suppressed in ovo virus infection' in honey bees (Apis mellifera)

Honey bees are under pressure due to abnormal high colony death rates, especially during the winter. The infestation by the Varroa destructor mite and the viruses that this ectoparasite transmits are generally considered as the bees' most important biological threats. Almost all efforts to remedy this dual infection have so far focused on the control of the Varroa mite alone and not on the viruses it transmits. In the present study, the sanitary control of breeding queens was conducted on eggs taken from drone brood for 4 consecutive years (2015-2018). The screening was performed on the sideline of an ongoing breeding program, which allowed us to estimate the heritabilities of the virus status of the eggs. We used the term 'suppressed in ovo virus infection' (SOV) for this novel trait and found moderate heritabilities for the presence of several viruses simultaneously and for the presence of single viral species. Colonies that expressed the SOV trait seemed to be more resilient to virus infections as a whole with fewer and less severe Deformed wing virus infections in most developmental stages, especially in the male caste. The implementation of this novel trait into breeding programs is recommended

Yeast Infections after Esophagectomy:A Retrospective Analysis

Esophageal malignancy is a disease with poor prognosis. Curative therapy incorporates surgery and is burdensome with high rates of infection morbidity and mortality. The role of yeast as causative organisms of post-esophagectomy infections is poorly defined. Consequently, the benefits of specific antifungal prophylactic therapy in improving patient outcome are unclear. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the incidence of yeast infections at the University Medical Center Groningen among 565 post-esophagectomy patients between 1991 and 2017. The results show that 7.3% of the patients developed a yeast infection after esophageal resection with significantly increased incidence among patients suffering from diabetes mellitus. For patients with yeast infections, higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores, more frequent intensive care unit readmissions, prolonged hospital stays and higher mortality rates were observed. One-year survival was significantly lower for patients with a yeast infection, as well as diabetes mellitus and yeast-positive pleural effusion. We conclude that the incidence of yeast infections following esophagectomy is considerable, and that patients with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk. Furthermore, yeast infections are associated with higher complication rates and mortality. These observations encourage further prospective investigations on the possible benefits of antifungal prophylactic therapy for esophagectomy patients

Virus Prevalence in Egg Samples Collected from Naturally Selected and Traditionally Managed Honey Bee Colonies across Europe

Monitoring virus infections can be an important selection tool in honey bee breeding. A recent study pointed towards an association between the virus-free status of eggs and an increased virus resistance to deformed wing virus (DWV) at the colony level. In this study, eggs from both naturally surviving and traditionally managed colonies from across Europe were screened for the prevalence of different viruses. Screenings were performed using the phenotyping protocol of the 'suppressed in ovo virus infection' trait but with qPCR instead of end-point PCR and a primer set that covers all DWV genotypes. Of the 213 screened samples, 109 were infected with DWV, 54 were infected with black queen cell virus (BQCV), 3 were infected with the sacbrood virus, and 2 were infected with the acute bee paralyses virus. It was demonstrated that incidences of the vertical transmission of DWV were more frequent in naturally surviving than in traditionally managed colonies, although the virus loads in the eggs remained the same. When comparing virus infections with queen age, older queens showed significantly lower infection loads of DWV in both traditionally managed and naturally surviving colonies, as well as reduced DWV infection frequencies in traditionally managed colonies. We determined that the detection frequencies of DWV and BQCV in honey bee eggs were lower in samples obtained in the spring than in those collected in the summer, indicating that vertical transmission may be lower in spring. Together, these patterns in vertical transmission show that honey bee queens have the potential to reduce the degree of vertical transmission over time

Virus Prevalence in Egg Samples Collected from Naturally Selected and Traditionally Managed Honey Bee Colonies across Europe

Monitoring virus infections can be an important selection tool in honey bee breeding. A recent study pointed towards an association between the virus-free status of eggs and an increased virus resistance to deformed wing virus (DWV) at the colony level. In this study, eggs from both naturally surviving and traditionally managed colonies from across Europe were screened for the prevalence of different viruses. Screenings were performed using the phenotyping protocol of the ‘suppressed in ovo virus infection’ trait but with qPCR instead of end-point PCR and a primer set that covers all DWV genotypes. Of the 213 screened samples, 109 were infected with DWV, 54 were infected with black queen cell virus (BQCV), 3 were infected with the sacbrood virus, and 2 were infected with the acute bee paralyses virus. It was demonstrated that incidences of the vertical transmission of DWV were more frequent in naturally surviving than in traditionally managed colonies, although the virus loads in the eggs remained the same. When comparing virus infections with queen age, older queens showed significantly lower infection loads of DWV in both traditionally managed and naturally surviving colonies, as well as reduced DWV infection frequencies in traditionally managed colonies. We determined that the detection frequencies of DWV and BQCV in honey bee eggs were lower in samples obtained in the spring than in those collected in the summer, indicating that vertical transmission may be lower in spring. Together, these patterns in vertical transmission show that honey bee queens have the potential to reduce the degree of vertical transmission over time

Single‐cell profiling and zebrafish avatars reveal LGALS1 as immunomodulating target in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most malignant primary brain tumor, with a median survival rarely exceeding 2 years. Tumor heterogeneity and an immunosuppressive microenvironment are key factors contributing to the poor response rates of current therapeutic approaches. GBM‐associated macrophages (GAMs) often exhibit immunosuppressive features that promote tumor progression. However, their dynamic interactions with GBM tumor cells remain poorly understood. Here, we used patient‐derived GBM stem cell cultures and combined single‐cell RNA sequencing of GAM‐GBM co‐cultures and real‐time in vivo monitoring of GAM‐GBM interactions in orthotopic zebrafish xenograft models to provide insight into the cellular, molecular, and spatial heterogeneity. Our analyses revealed substantial heterogeneity across GBM patients in GBM‐induced GAM polarization and the ability to attract and activate GAMs—features that correlated with patient survival. Differential gene expression analysis, immunohistochemistry on original tumor samples, and knock‐out experiments in zebrafish subsequently identified LGALS1 as a primary regulator of immunosuppression. Overall, our work highlights that GAM‐GBM interactions can be studied in a clinically relevant way using co‐cultures and avatar models, while offering new opportunities to identify promising immune‐modulating targets.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)Fondation Leducq (Leducq Foundation) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001674Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (FWO) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003130Helmholtz ImagingHHS ¦ National Institutes of Health (NIH) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000002iNAMES (Imaging from NAno to MESo)Kom op tegen Kanker (Fight Cancer) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011851KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004040Vlaamse Overheid (Government of Flanders) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002913VSC (Vlaams Supercomputer Centrum/Flemish Supercomputer Center)Peer Reviewe

Comparison of two alternative store formats using a Malmquist-type index

This paper explores the differences in performance between two groups of retailing stores that operate with different formats. The study uses a Malmquist-type index to distinguish internal inefficiencies from those associated with the group (or format) characteristics. A fundamental characteristic of the new index is to compare groups in a static setting. The study described in this paper combines the use of the Malmquist index with statistical tests. The Malmquist-type index is decomposed into sub-indexes for comparing the efficiency spread between groups and the productivity differences between the best-practice frontiers of the groups. The hypothesis tests are used to verify if the differences between groups captured by the Malmquist-type index and its components are statistically significant. There are several methods based on DEA for comparing the performance of two groups, such as the program efficiency method and the comparison of efficiency distributions using statistical hypothesis tests. The method used in this paper is compared with the existing approaches to highlight its strengths and weaknesses. The applicability of the method is illustrated with a case study that compares the performance of heavy bazaar stores (that sell electrical appliances and consumer electronics) with different formats (megastores versus superstores). The study showed that the overall performance of megastores is better due to the effect of a more productive frontier. However, the efficiency spread is larger in megastores than in superstores meaning that there is scope for efficiency improvements

No evidence for involvement of SDHD in neuroblastoma pathogenesis

BACKGROUND: Deletions in the long arm of chromosome 11 are observed in a subgroup of advanced stage neuroblastomas with poor outcome. The deleted region harbours the tumour suppressor gene SDHD that is frequently mutated in paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma, which are, like neuroblastoma, tumours originating from the neural crest. In this study, we sought for evidence for involvement of SDHD in neuroblastoma. METHODS: SDHD was investigated on the genome, transcriptome and proteome level using mutation screening, methylation specific PCR, real-time quantitative PCR based homozygous deletion screening and mRNA expression profiling, immunoblotting, functional protein analysis and ultrastructural imaging of the mitochondria. RESULTS: Analysis at the genomic level of 67 tumour samples and 37 cell lines revealed at least 2 bona-fide mutations in cell lines without allelic loss at 11q23: a 4bp-deletion causing skip of exon 3 resulting in a premature stop codon in cell line N206, and a Y93C mutation in cell line NMB located in a region affected by germline SDHD mutations causing hereditary paraganglioma. No evidence for hypermethylation of the SDHD promotor region was observed, nor could we detect homozygous deletions. Interestingly, SDHD mRNA expression was significantly reduced in SDHD mutated cell lines and cell lines with 11q allelic loss as compared to both cell lines without 11q allelic loss and normal foetal neuroblast cells. However, protein analyses and assessment of mitochondrial morphology presently do not provide clues as to the possible effect of reduced SDHD expression on the neuroblastoma tumour phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides no indications for 2-hit involvement of SDHD in the pathogenesis of neuroblastoma. Also, although a haplo-insufficient mechanism for SDHD involvement in advanced stage neuroblastoma could be considered, the present data do not provide consistent evidence for this hypothesis