Biological control of apple scab and fire blight by the application of the non-pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Bk3 to the leaf surface

The biological control of plant diseases by application of antagonistic microorganisms to the plant phyllosphere is an alternative strategy to prevent the frequent treatment of plants by pesticides. Microbiological antagonists can firstly interact directly against the pathogen by releasing antimicrobial compounds and/or secondly induce the plant resistance of the host plant by expression of pathogenesis-related proteins (PR proteins). The focus of our study is on the interaction of the non-pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Bk3 to the plant phyllosphere of Malus domestica cv. Holsteiner Cox. After application of P. fluorescens Bk3 to the phyllosphere of M. domestica cv. Holsteiner Cox we observed dramatic changes in the protein composition of the apoplast of the host plant. Sequencing of the induced proteins by ESI-Q-ToF mass spectrometry and homology search identified these additional proteins as pathogenesis related proteins (PR) like ß-1,3- glucanase, thaumatin-like protein, chitinase and hevein-like protein. To confirm these findings, a suppressive subtractive hybridization with total RNA from leaves before and after inoculation of P. fluorescens Bk3 to the leaves of the host plant was performed. It revealed an increased expression level of many PR and stress related genes. The induction of PR proteins and plant defence genes in host plants after application of non-pathogenic bacterial antagonists to the plant phylloshere can presumably prevent or reduce successful infections by plant pathogens

Selektion auf Methioninreichtum des Samenproteins bei heimischen Leguminosen

While grain legumes can be regarded as highly valuable protein source for animal nutrition, certain drawbacks inhibit their use as sole foodstuff for livestock. The nutrient quality is reduced by low concentrations of tryptophan and sulfur amino acids. In the past substantial breeding effort has been invested in the reduction of antinutritional components and disease resistance while the protein quality has not been a focal point. To improve the protein quality the elevation of the low sulfur amino acid content is of prominent importance especially for organic production where high methionine feed components are rare. The present work tries to establish a method to select methionine enriched grain legumes for further breeding steps. Agronomical important European grain legume species were investigated (Lupinus angustifolius L., Pisum sativum L. and Vicia Faba L.). Plants grown from chemically mutagenized seeds were screened according to leaf chlorophyll content, radicle growth in a phytotoxic ethionine solution and seed S-contents. Results indicate usefulness of the screening procedure for L. angustifolius (increase of methionine content by up to 20%) and partly for P. sativum, while not for V. faba

Phenotypic indicators to identify methionine rich European grain legumes and the correlation of grain methionine contents with the sulphur supply

Home grown legumes are a valuable protein source for pure on-farm diets for livestock in organic farming. Whereas protein of Glycine max naturally has higher contents of methionine nand also lysine typical European grain legumes (Pisum sativum L., Vicia faba L., Lupinus angustifolius L.) used in organic farms as component of animal food are relatively low in those amino acids

Templeting of Thin Films Induced by Dewetting on Patterned Surfaces

The instability, dynamics and morphological transitions of patterns in thin liquid films on periodic striped surfaces (consisting of alternating less and more wettable stripes) are investigated based on 3-D nonlinear simulations that account for the inter-site hydrodynamic and surface-energetic interactions. The film breakup is suppressed on some potentially destabilizing nonwettable sites when their spacing is below a characteristic lengthscale of the instability, the upper bound for which is close to the spinodal lengthscale. The thin film pattern replicates the substrate surface energy pattern closely only when, (a) the periodicity of substrate pattern matches closely with the characteristic lengthscale, and (b) the stripe-width is within a range bounded by a lower critical length, below which no heterogeneous rupture occurs, and an upper transition length above which complex morphological features bearing little resemblance to the substrate pattern are formed.Comment: 5 pages TeX (REVTeX 4), other comments: submitted to Phys. Rev.Let

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of exercise programs on lumbo pelvic pain among postnatal women

Background: A substantial number of women tend to be affected by Lumbo Pelvic Pain (LPP) following child birth. Physical exercise is indicated as a beneficial method to relieve LPP, but individual studies appear to suggest mixed findings about its effectiveness. This systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence from randomised controlled trials on the effectiveness of exercise on LPP among postnatal women to inform policy, practice and future research. Methods: A systematic review was conducted of all randomised controlled trials published between January 1990 and July 2014, identified through a comprehensive search of following databases: PubMed, PEDro, Embase, Cinahl, Medline, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group’s Trials Register, and electronic libraries of authors’institutions. Randomised controlled trials were eligible for inclusion if the intervention comprised of postnatal exercise for women with LPP onset during pregnancy or within 3 months after delivery and the outcome measures included changes in LPP. Selected articles were assessed using the PEDro Scale for methodological quality and findings were synthesised narratively as meta-analysis was found to be inappropriate due to heterogeneity among included studies. Results: Four randomised controlled trials were included, involving 251 postnatal women. Three trials were rated as of ‘good’ methodological quality. All trials, except one, were at low risk of bias. The trials included physical exercise programs with varying components, differing modes of delivery, follow up times and outcome measures. Intervention in one trial, involving physical therapy with specific stabilising exercises, proved to be effective in reducing LPP intensity. An improvement in gluteal pain on the right side was reported in another trial and a significant difference in pain frequency in another. Conclusion: Our review indicates that only few randomised controlled trials have evaluated the effectiveness of exercise on LPP among postnatal women. There is also a great amount of variability across existing trials in the components of exercise programs, modes of delivery, follow up times and outcome measures. While there is some evidence to indicate the effectiveness of exercise for relieving LPP, further good quality trials are needed to ascertain the most effective elements of postnatal exercise programs suited for LPP treatment

Editorial: Observational studies in ADHD: the effects of switching to modified-release methylphenidate preparations on clinical outcomes and adherence

Patients with ADHD may have better adherence to treatment with modified-release methylphenidate (MPH-MR) formulations, which are taken once daily, compared with immediate-release (IR) formulations, which need to be taken several times a day. Data on long-term outcomes such as adherence may be lacking from randomised controlled trials as these are usually only short-term. Observational studies, if performed and reported appropriately, can provide valuable long-term data on such outcomes, as well as additional information on effectiveness and efficiency, from a real-life setting. By reviewing previous observational studies that have investigated switching treatment from MPH-IR to MPH-MR, results from a new, naturalistic observational study, the OBSEER study, are put into context. We conclude that, based on observational trial data, switching from MPH-IR to MPH-MR is a valid clinical approach, with the potential for improved clinical outcome and treatment adherence

Indirekte Selektionmethoden auf Methioninreichtum des Samenproteins bei heimischen Leguminosen

While grain legumes can be regarded as highly valuable protein sources for animal nutrition, ceratin drawbacks inhibit their use as sole foodstuff for livestock. The nutrient quality is reduced by low concentrations of tryptophan and sulfur amino acids

Macroscopic transport by synthetic molecular machines

Nature uses molecular motors and machines in virtually every significant biological process, but demonstrating that simpler artificial structures operating through the same gross mechanisms can be interfaced with—and perform physical tasks in—the macroscopic world represents a significant hurdle for molecular nanotechnology. Here we describe a wholly synthetic molecular system that converts an external energy source (light) into biased brownian motion to transport a macroscopic cargo and do measurable work. The millimetre-scale directional transport of a liquid on a surface is achieved by using the biased brownian motion of stimuli-responsive rotaxanes (‘molecular shuttles’) to expose or conceal fluoroalkane residues and thereby modify surface tension. The collective operation of a monolayer of the molecular shuttles is sufficient to power the movement of a microlitre droplet of diiodomethane up a twelve-degree incline.

Family coordination in families who have a child with autism spectrum disorder

Little is known about the interactions of families where there is a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study applies the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP) to explore both its applicability to this population as well as to assess resources and areas of deficit in these families. The sample consisted of 68 families with a child with ASD, and 43 families with a typically developing (TD) child. With respect to the global score for family coordination there were several negative correlations: the more severe the symptoms (based on the child’s ADOS score), the more family coordination was dysfunctional. This correlation was particularly high when parents had to play together with the child. In the parts in which only one of the parents played actively with the child, while the other was simply present, some families did achieve scores in the functional range, despite the child’s symptom severity. The outcomes are discussed in terms of their clinical implications both for assessment and for interventio

Further evidence on the (in-) efficiency of the U.S. housing market

Extending the controversial findings from relevant literature on testing the efficient market hypothesis for the U.S. housing market, the results from the monthly and quarterly transaction-based Case-Shiller indices from 1987 to 2009 provide further empirical evidence on the rejection of the weak-form version of efficiency in the U.S. housing market. In addition to conducting parametric and non-parametric tests, we apply technical trading strategies to test whether or not the inefficiencies can be exploited by investors earning excess returns. The empirical findings suggest that investors might be able to obtain excess returns from both autocorrelation- and moving average-based trading strategies compared to a buy-and-hold strategy