Effect of plant traits on host selection and performance of rape stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll.) (Col.: Curculionidae) on resynthesized lines and cultivars of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

During its long growing season oilseed rape is attacked by a wide range of insect pests. Infestation by rape stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll.) and cabbage stem weevil (Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus (Marsh.)) can cause major economic damage. There is an urgent need for oilseed rape cultivars that are genetically resistant to C. napi, C. pallidactylus and other insect pests as part of integrated pest management systems to minimize the number of insecticide applications. The main objective of the study was to determine the susceptibility of 30 B. napus genotypes, showing a broad genetic variability, for infestation by the specialist stem weevils C. napi and C. pallidactylus. High antixenosis resistance to C. napi in the resynthesized line S30 has been identified. In addition, in S30 a low level of C. pallidactylus infestation was found. To identify plant factors determining host location, host acceptance and larval performance of C. napi and C. pallidactylus, morphological plant traits and metabolic plant compounds were assessed. Oviposition by C. napi was dependent upon the length of stems of genotypes. The number of eggs deposited by C. napi was associated with the content of individual glucosinolates, while the number of C. napi and C. pallidactylus larvae in stems was not associated with the glucosinolate profiles of stems. There was no evidence that the carbon and nitrogen contents in stems affected the host acceptance and larval performance of C. napi and C. pallidactylus. This study has successfully demonstrated the potential of resynthesized lines of B. napus as potential sources of resistance against the stem-mining pest C. napi. The resynthesized line S30 can provide a potential genetic source for breeding oilseed rape cultivars with resistance to C. napi

Die intra- und interkristalline Verteilung der Spurenelemente Phosphor, Scandium, Cobalt und Zink in Orogenen Ultramafititen

Spinel and garnet-bearing orogenic ultramafic rocks from the Alps and Norway were investigated for their intracrystalline distribution and intercrystalline partitioning of the trace elements P, Sc, Co and Zn, using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). For this purpose, high resolution profiles through entire mineral grains were analyzed. Major and minor element concentrations were determined by electron probe micro analysis (EPMA) inter alia to estimate the documented pressures and temperatures. This study proves that the investigation of orogenic ultramafic rocks must take into account the intracrystalline distribution of the elements as well. Otherwise the zonings or inhomogeneities of the minerals in orogenic ultramafic rocks would lead to significantly deviating pressure and temperature estimates and, consequently, to wrong reconstructions of their evolution. The diffusion rate of the trace element P in minerals of orogenic ultramafic rocks is so low that despite of the slow moving processes these rocks had undergone during orogenesis, commonly no state of equilibration for P was reached. Even if the cores of bigger mineral grains show homogeneous intracrystalline P-distributions, no established geothermobaro-meter exists to estimate the pressures and temperatures of this equilibrium. Therefore, P is not suited for the geothermobarometry of orogenic ultramafic rocks. Sc also exhibits a slow diffusion rate, but compared to P it diffuses much faster. This often leads to a conservation of older Sc-equilibrations in the mineral cores, while their rims already responded to the changed pressure and temperature values. Since some Sc partition coefficients show significant dependencies on temperature but only minor dependencies on pressure, this trace element could be used as a geothermometer for older events in the history of an orogenic ultramafic rock. For the trace element Co it could be demonstrated that its diffusion in the minerals of ultramafic rocks runs faster than the already fast diffusing Mg or Fe2+. In addition, Co-partitioning between the primary minerals of orogenic ultramafic rocks seems to be clearly controlled by temperature. An effect by pressure is virtually absent in most cases. On the basis of these properties, Co is ideal for geothermobarometry of orogenic ultramafic rocks because it can reflect the recent temperature changes better than most existing geothermometers. Zn behaves in many ways like Co, but the partitioning of Zn between the minerals is not as dependent on temperature as in the case of Co

Transfer as a reciprocal process: How to foster receptivity to results of transdisciplinary research

Transdisciplinary research (TDR) seeks to address real-world problems and aims to be socially transformative. This normative objective extends beyond particular TDR projects, as real-world problems are embedded in concrete contexts but, at the same time, are also related to wider societal challenges that are not restricted to one context. Therefore, TDR generally entails transfer of knowledge and results to other contexts. However, the TDR discourse has mainly treated transfer efforts from the perspective of scientific generalization, translation and packaging of knowledge. Within this understanding of transfer, little attention has been paid to interplay between contexts and the role of new contexts themselves. This article is based on qualitative explorative research on four TDR projects. Its results were iteratively derived through project analysis, reflection on insights from the literature and discussions with TDR experts. We propose that transfer is a complex reciprocal process in which different types of knowledge are provided and transferred to other contexts, where knowledge is adapted, enriched and modified. In addition to project researchers, actors in other (pick-up) contexts also play an important role for successful transfer and appropriation of TDR results. Generating transfer potential within the duration of a project depends on being aware of potential pick-up contexts. To address the interdependent aspects of transfer (results, mediation, and appropriation in other contexts), we present a comprehensive model outlining TDR transfer processes. To support projects seeking to raise their transfer potential in a more conscious manner, we also formulate three overarching recommendations: 1) process results for transfer adequately, 2) identify and support intermediaries and, 3) increase awareness of and address other contexts. Considering these recommendations while also being aware of their interdependence may increase potential for transfer of knowledge and results to other contexts. Our conceptual understanding acknowledges the complexity and non-linearity of endeavors to take advantage of case-specifically gained knowledge and results in other contexts or at other scales

Societal effects of transdisciplinary sustainability research—How can they be strengthened during the research process?

Transdisciplinary sustainability research aims to mitigate or to solve complex societal problems and advance the production of scientific knowledge. Reflexive approaches to transdisciplinary research processes are outlined to systematically strengthen the potential for societal effectiveness. So far, it is rare to find empirically based analyses of the links between the quality of the research process and the methods applied on the one hand and the effects achieved on the other. This paper thus addresses the issue of heightening the societal effects of transdisciplinary sustainability research. The objective is to explore ways of consciously promoting societal effectiveness in transdisciplinary research. We argue that these possibilities evolve at the intersection between the general project framework and an adaptive shaping of transdisciplinary research processes. A reflexive approach of this kind proactively considers the dynamics of interests and concerns, roles and responsibilities, the collaboration culture within a project, and the connectivity to the context of action addressed. Its deployment presupposes an appreciation of the basic conditions, i.e. the historical development of the respective problem, the heterogeneity of actors involved, the general environment and, finally, the funding conditions

Graph4Med: a web application and a graph database for visualizing and analyzing medical databases

Background: Medical databases normally contain large amounts of data in a variety of forms. Although they grant significant insights into diagnosis and treatment, implementing data exploration into current medical databases is challenging since these are often based on a relational schema and cannot be used to easily extract information for cohort analysis and visualization. As a consequence, valuable information regarding cohort distribution or patient similarity may be missed. With the rapid advancement of biomedical technologies, new forms of data from methods such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) or chromosome microarray (array CGH) are constantly being generated; hence it can be expected that the amount and complexity of medical data will rise and bring relational database systems to a limit. Description: We present Graph4Med, a web application that relies on a graph database obtained by transforming a relational database. Graph4Med provides a straightforward visualization and analysis of a selected patient cohort. Our use case is a database of pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Along routine patients’ health records it also contains results of latest technologies such as NGS data. We developed a suitable graph data schema to convert the relational data into a graph data structure and store it in Neo4j. We used NeoDash to build a dashboard for querying and displaying patients’ cohort analysis. This way our tool (1) quickly displays the overview of patients’ cohort information such as distributions of gender, age, mutations (fusions), diagnosis; (2) provides mutation (fusion) based similarity search and display in a maneuverable graph; (3) generates an interactive graph of any selected patient and facilitates the identification of interesting patterns among patients. Conclusion: We demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of a graph database for storing and querying medical databases. Our dashboard allows a fast and interactive analysis and visualization of complex medical data. It is especially useful for patients similarity search based on mutations (fusions), of which vast amounts of data have been generated by NGS in recent years. It can discover relationships and patterns in patients cohorts that are normally hard to grasp. Expanding Graph4Med to more medical databases will bring novel insights into diagnostic and research

Development of an ultrasonically excited recoating process in laser powder bed fusion to process non-spreadable 316L powder

Part quality in laser powder bed fusion is influenced by the uniformity and density of the powder layer. As a result, requirements for the powder regarding spreadability and flowability are restrictive. Many researchers reported recoating defects for cohesive and agglomerating powders. However, the processing of such powders is highly desirable since e.g. surface roughness can be reduced. Therefore, we propose a novel ultrasonically excited recoater system to process such powder. In order to qualify the new recoater system, five different geometries with various amplitudes and recoating velocities were evaluated and compared to a conventional system. The defect rate, determined with a camera and AI-based analysis, the deposited mass and segregation along the recoated distance and the powder layer density of the resulting powder bed were analyzed. A process window and optimal geometry could be identified. It was possible to reduce segregation to a minimum, while maintaining a smooth, dense layer

Junctional adhesion molecule (JAM)-C deficient C57BL/6 mice develop a severe hydrocephalus

The junctional adhesion molecule (JAM)-C is a widely expressed adhesion molecule regulating cell adhesion, cell polarity and inflammation. JAM-C expression and function in the central nervous system (CNS) has been poorly characterized to date. Here we show that JAM-C−/− mice backcrossed onto the C57BL/6 genetic background developed a severe hydrocephalus. An in depth immunohistochemical study revealed specific immunostaining for JAM-C in vascular endothelial cells in the CNS parenchyma, the meninges and in the choroid plexus of healthy C57BL/6 mice. Additional JAM-C immunostaining was detected on ependymal cells lining the ventricles and on choroid plexus epithelial cells. Despite the presence of hemorrhages in the brains of JAM-C−/− mice, our study demonstrates that development of the hydrocephalus was not due to a vascular function of JAM-C as endothelial re-expression of JAM-C failed to rescue the hydrocephalus phenotype of JAM-C−/− C57BL/6 mice. Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation within the ventricular system of JAM-C−/− mice excluded occlusion of the cerebral aqueduct as the cause of hydrocephalus development but showed the acquisition of a block or reduction of CSF drainage from the lateral to the 3rd ventricle in JAM-C−/− C57BL/6 mice. Taken together, our study suggests that JAM-C−/− C57BL/6 mice model the important role for JAM-C in brain development and CSF homeostasis as recently observed in humans with a loss-of-function mutation in JAM-C

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Aza-Crown Ether Complexes as Biomimetics for Lanthanide and Calcium Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenases**

Understanding the role of metal ions in biology can lead to the development of new catalysts for several industrially important transformations. Lanthanides are the most recent group of metal ions that have been shown to be important in biology, that is, in quinone-dependent methanol dehydrogenases (MDH). Here we evaluate a literature-known pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) and 1-aza-15-crown-5 based ligand platform as scaffold for Ca$^{2+}$, Ba$^{2+}$, La$^{3+}$ and Lu$^{3+}$ biomimetics of MDH and we evaluate the importance of ligand design, charge, size, counterions and base for the alcohol oxidation reaction using NMR spectroscopy. In addition, we report a new straightforward synthetic route (3 steps instead of 11 and 33 % instead of 0.6 % yield) for biomimetic ligands based on PQQ. We show that when studying biomimetics for MDH, larger metal ions and those with lower charge in this case promote the dehydrogenation reaction more effectively and that this is likely an effect of the ligand design which must be considered when studying biomimetics. To gain more information on the structures and impact of counterions of the complexes, we performed collision induced dissociation (CID) experiments and observe that the nitrates are more tightly bound than the triflates. To resolve the structure of the complexes in the gas phase we combined DFT-calculations and ion mobility measurements (IMS). Furthermore, we characterized the obtained complexes and reaction mixtures using Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and show the presence of a small amount of quinone-based radical

Laparoscopic mesh-augmented hiatoplasty without fundoplication as a method to treat large hiatal hernias

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair with additional fundoplication is a commonly recommended standard surgical treatment for symptomatic large hiatal hernias with paraesophageal involvement (PEH). However, due to the risk of persistent side effects, this method remains controversial. Laparoscopic mesh-augmented hiatoplasty without fundoplication (LMAH), which combines hiatal repair and mesh reinforcement, might therefore be an alternative. METHODS: In this retrospective study of 55 (25 male, 30 female) consecutive PEH patients, the perioperative course and symptomatic outcomes were analyzed after a mean follow-up of 72 months. RESULTS: The mean DeMeester symptom score decreased from 5.1 to 1.8 (P < 0.001) and the gas bloating value decreased from 1.2 to 0.5 (P = 0.001). The dysphagia value was 0.7 before surgery and 0.6 (P = 0.379) after surgery. The majority of the patients were able to belch and vomit (96 and 92 %, respectively). Acid-suppressive therapy on a regular basis was discontinued in 68 % of patients. In 4 % of patients, reoperation was necessary due to recurrent or persistent reflux. A mesh-related stenosis that required endoscopic dilatation occurred in 2 % of patients. CONCLUSIONS: LMAH is feasible, safe and provides an anti-reflux effect, even without fundoplication. As operation-related side effects seem to be rare, LMAH is a potential treatment option for large hiatal hernias with paraesophageal involvement