A new species of Ormyrus Westwood (Hymenoptera, Ormyridae) developing in figs of Ficus microcarpa in Europe

Known by many names, the Chinese banyan (Ficus microcarpa L.) is a monoecious plant species originating from south-eastern Asia which has been introduced as an ornamental in numerous areas outside its native range, including the Mediterranean. Like every species of Ficus, it is associated with a series of chalcid wasp species, known as fig wasps. These species are distributed in the families Agaonidae, Epichrysomallidae, Eurytomidae, Ormyridae and Pteromalidae. In this publication, we describe a new species of Ormyrus Westwood, 1832 (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Ormyridae), O. microcarpae Askew & Koutsoukos sp. nov., reared from figs of F. microcarpa collected from Greece and Cyprus. The new species is compared with O. lini and O. watshami. This species is likely to be a parasitoid of Meselatus bicolor Chen, 1999 (Hymenoptera, Epichrysomallidae). In addition, the previously unknown female of O. lini is also described and illustrated. This publication constitutes the first report of species of Ormyrus associated with figs in Europe

On-disk coronal rain

Small and elongated, cool and dense blob-like structures are being reported with high resolution telescopes in physically different regions throughout the solar atmosphere. Their detection and the understanding of their formation, morphology and thermodynamical characteristics can provide important information on their hosting environment, especially concerning the magnetic field, whose understanding constitutes a major problem in solar physics. An example of such blobs is coronal rain, a phenomenon of thermal non- equilibrium observed in active region loops, which consists of cool and dense chromospheric blobs falling along loop-like paths from coronal heights. So far, only off-limb coronal rain has been observed and few reports on the phenomenon exist. In the present work, several datasets of on-disk H{\alpha} observations with the CRisp Imaging SpectroPolarimeter (CRISP) at the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) are analyzed. A special family of on-disk blobs is selected for each dataset and a statistical analysis is carried out on their dynamics, morphology and temperatures. All characteristics present distributions which are very similar to reported coronal rain statistics. We discuss possible interpretations considering other similar blob-like structures reported so far and show that a coronal rain interpretation is the most likely one. Their chromospheric nature and the projection effects (which eliminate all direct possibility of height estimation) on one side, and their small sizes, fast dynamics, and especially, their faint character (offering low contrast with the background intensity) on the other side, are found as the main causes for the absence until now of the detection of this on-disk coronal rain counterpart.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for Solar Physic

Automatically extracting functionally equivalent proteins from SwissProt

In summary, FOSTA provides an automated analysis of annotations in UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot to enable groups of proteins already annotated as functionally equivalent, to be extracted. Our results demonstrate that the vast majority of UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot functional annotations are of high quality, and that FOSTA can interpret annotations successfully. Where FOSTA is not successful, we are able to highlight inconsistencies in UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot annotation. Most of these would have presented equal difficulties for manual interpretation of annotations. We discuss limitations and possible future extensions to FOSTA, and recommend changes to the UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot format, which would facilitate text-mining of UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot

Non-pollinator fig wasp impact on the reproductive success of an invasive fig tree: why so little?

Classical biological control agents fail to achieve an impact on their hosts for a variety of reasons and an understanding of why they fail can help shape decisions on subsequent releases. Ornamental Ficus microcarpa is a widely planted avenue fig tree that is invasive in countries where its pollinator (Eupristina verticillata) is also introduced. This tree also supports more than 20 species of non-pollinating fig wasps (NPFW) that feed in the figs and have the potential to reduce the plant’s reproduction. Odontofroggatia galili, one of the most widely introduced NPFW, has larvae that develop in galled ovules that might otherwise develop into seeds or support pollinator larvae. We examined the distribution and relative abundance of the pollinator and O. galili on F. microcarpa in China, towards the northern limit of the tree’s natural range, and in Italy where the two species have been introduced. Where they co-existed, we also recorded the impact of varying densities of O. galili on F. microcarpa seed and pollinator production. O. galili and E. verticillata displayed contrasting habitat preferences in China, with O. galili almost absent from warmer sites. O. galili abundance and sex ratios varied between the natural and introduced ranges. Figs with more O. galili contained fewer seeds and pollinator offspring, but reproduction was rarely inhibited totally. Additional species with a greater impact in the figs they occupy are needed if biocontrol of F. microcarpa is to be effective

Tuning the translational freedom of DNA for high speed AFM

Direct observation is arguably the preferred way to investigate the interactions between two molecular complexes. With the development of high speed atomic force microscopy it is becoming possible to observe directly DNA protein interactions with relevant spatial and temporal resolutions. These interactions are of central importance to biology, bio-nanotechnology but also functional biologically inspired materials. Critically, sample preparation plays a central role in all microscopy studies and minimal perturbation of the sample is desired. Here, we demonstrate the ability to tune the interactions of DNA molecules with the surface such that an association strong enough to enable high resolution AFM imaging while providing sufficient translational freedom to allow the relevant protein DNA interactions to take place, can be maintained. Furthermore, we describe a quantitative method for measuring the DNA mobility, which also allows the dissection of the different contributions to the overall movement of the DNA molecules. We find that for weak surface association, a significant contribution to the movement arises from the interaction of the AFM tip with the DNA. In combination, these methods enable the tuning of the surface translational freedom of DNA molecules to allow the direct study of a wide range of nucleo-protein interactions by high speed atomic force microscopy

Prognostic impact of t(16;21)(p11;q22) and t(16;21)(q24;q22) in pediatric AML: a retrospective study by the I-BFM Study Group

To study the prognostic relevance of rare genetic aberrations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), such as t(16;21), international collaboration is required. Two different types of t(16;21) translocations can be distinguished: t(16;21)(p11;q22), resulting in the FUS-ERG fusion gene; and t(16;21)(q24;q22), resulting in RUNX1-core binding factor (CBFA2T3). We collected data on clinical and biological characteristics of 54 pediatric AML cases with t(16;21) rearrangements from 14 international collaborative study groups participating in the international Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (I-BFM) AML study group. The AML-BFM cohort diagnosed between 1997 and 2013 was used as a reference cohort. RUNX1-CBFA2T3 (n 5 23) had significantly lower median white blood cell count (12.5 3 109/L, P 5 .03) compared with the reference cohort. FUS-ERG rearranged AML (n 5 31) had no predominant French-American-British (FAB) type, whereas 76% of RUNX1-CBFA2T3 had an M1/M2 FAB type (M1, M2), significantly different from the reference cohort (P 5 .004). Four-year event-free survival (EFS) of patients with FUS-ERG was 7% (standard error [SE] 5 5%), significantly lower compared with the reference cohort (51%, SE 5 1%, P < .001). Four-year EFS of RUNX1-CBFA2T3 was 77% (SE 5 8%, P 5 .06), significantly higher compared with the reference cohort. Cumulative incidence of relapse was 74% (SE 5 8%) in FUS-ERG, 0% (SE 5 0%) in RUNX1-CBFA2T3, compared with 32% (SE 5 1%) in the reference cohort (P < .001). Multivariate analysis identified both FUS-ERG and RUNX1-CBFA2T3 as independent risk factors with hazard ratios of 1.9 (P < .0001) and 0.3 (P 5 .025), respectively. These results describe 2 clinically relevant distinct subtypes of pediatric AML. Similarly to other core-binding factor AMLs, patients with RUNX1-CBFA2T3 rearranged AML may benefit from stratification in the standard risk treatment, whereas patients with FUS-ERG rearranged AML should be considered high-risk

Spectroscopic characterization of reaction centers of the (M)Y210W mutant of the photosynthetic bacterium rhodobacter-spaeroides

Biological and Soft Matter PhysicsMicrobial Biotechnolog

The complete digital workflow in fixed prosthodontics: a systematic review

Background The continuous development in dental processing ensures new opportunities in the field of fixed prosthodontics in a complete virtual environment without any physical model situations. The aim was to compare fully digitalized workflows to conventional and/or mixed analog-digital workflows for the treatment with tooth-borne or implant-supported fixed reconstructions. Methods A PICO strategy was executed using an electronic (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar) plus manual search up to 2016–09-16 focusing on RCTs investigating complete digital workflows in fixed prosthodontics with regard to economics or esthetics or patient-centered outcomes with or without follow-up or survival/success rate analysis as well as complication assessment of at least 1 year under function. The search strategy was assembled from MeSH-Terms and unspecific free-text words: {((“Dental Prosthesis” [MeSH]) OR (“Crowns” [MeSH]) OR (“Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported” [MeSH])) OR ((crown) OR (fixed dental prosthesis) OR (fixed reconstruction) OR (dental bridge) OR (implant crown) OR (implant prosthesis) OR (implant restoration) OR (implant reconstruction))} AND {(“Computer-Aided Design” [MeSH]) OR ((digital workflow) OR (digital technology) OR (computerized dentistry) OR (intraoral scan) OR (digital impression) OR (scanbody) OR (virtual design) OR (digital design) OR (cad/cam) OR (rapid prototyping) OR (monolithic) OR (full-contour))} AND {(“Dental Technology” [MeSH) OR ((conventional workflow) OR (lost-wax-technique) OR (porcelain-fused-to-metal) OR (PFM) OR (implant impression) OR (hand-layering) OR (veneering) OR (framework))} AND {((“Study, Feasibility” [MeSH]) OR (“Survival” [MeSH]) OR (“Success” [MeSH]) OR (“Economics” [MeSH]) OR (“Costs, Cost Analysis” [MeSH]) OR (“Esthetics, Dental” [MeSH]) OR (“Patient Satisfaction” [MeSH])) OR ((feasibility) OR (efficiency) OR (patient-centered outcome))}. Assessment of risk of bias in selected studies was done at a ‘trial level’ including random sequence generation, allocation concealment, blinding, completeness of outcome data, selective reporting, and other bias using the Cochrane Collaboration tool. A judgment of risk of bias was assigned if one or more key domains had a high or unclear risk of bias. An official registration of the systematic review was not performed. Results The systematic search identified 67 titles, 32 abstracts thereof were screened, and subsequently, three full-texts included for data extraction. Analysed RCTs were heterogeneous without follow-up. One study demonstrated that fully digitally produced dental crowns revealed the feasibility of the process itself; however, the marginal precision was lower for lithium disilicate (LS2) restorations (113.8 μm) compared to conventional metal-ceramic (92.4 μm) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) crowns (68.5 μm) (p < 0.05). Another study showed that leucite-reinforced glass ceramic crowns were esthetically favoured by the patients (8/2 crowns) and clinicians (7/3 crowns) (p < 0.05). The third study investigated implant crowns. The complete digital workflow was more than twofold faster (75.3 min) in comparison to the mixed analog-digital workflow (156.6 min) (p < 0.05). No RCTs could be found investigating multi-unit fixed dental prostheses (FDP). Conclusions The number of RCTs testing complete digital workflows in fixed prosthodontics is low. Scientifically proven recommendations for clinical routine cannot be given at this time. Research with high-quality trials seems to be slower than the industrial progress of available digital applications. Future research with well-designed RCTs including follow-up observation is compellingly necessary in the field of complete digital processing

Clostridium difficile sortase recognizes a (S/P)PXTG sequence motif and can accommodate diaminopimelic acid as a substrate for transpeptidation

AbstractCovalent attachment of surface proteins to the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria requires a sortase-mediated transpeptidation reaction. In almost all Gram-positive bacteria, the housekeeping sortase, sortase A, recognizes the canonical recognition sequence LPXTG (X=any amino acid). The human pathogen Clostridium difficile carries a single putative sortase gene (cd2718) but neither transpeptidation activity nor specificity of CD2718 has been investigated. We produced recombinant CD2718 and examined its transpeptidation activity in vitro using synthetic peptides and MALDI-ToF(-ToF) MS analysis. We demonstrate that CD2718 has sortase activity with specificity for a (S/P)PXTG motif and can accommodate diaminopimelic acid as a substrate for transpeptidation