Correct species identification of blow flies is a crucial step for understanding their biology, which can be used not only for designing fly control programs, but also to determine the minimum time ...since death. Identification techniques are usually based on morphological and molecular characters. However, the use of classical morphology requires experienced entomologists for correct identification; while molecular techniques rely on a sound laboratory expertise and remain ambiguous for certain taxa. Landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of insect wings has been extensively applied in species identification. However, few wing morphometric analyses of blow fly species have been published.
We applied a landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of wings for species identification of 12 medically and forensically important blow fly species of Thailand. Nineteen landmarks of each right wing of 372 specimens were digitised. Variation in wing size and wing shape was analysed and evaluated for allometric effects. The latter confirmed the influence of size on the shape differences between species and sexes. Wing shape variation among genera and species were analysed using canonical variates analysis followed by a cross-validation test.
Wing size was not suitable for species discrimination, whereas wing shape can be a useful tool to separate taxa on both, genus and species level depending on the analysed taxa. It appeared to be highly reliable, especially for classifying Chrysomya species, but less robust for a species discrimination in the genera Lucilia and Hemipyrellia. Allometry did not affect species separation but had an impact on sexual shape dimorphism.
A landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of wings is a useful additional method for species discrimination. It is a simple, reliable and inexpensive method, but it can be time-consuming locating the landmarks for a large scale study and requires non-damaged wings for analysis.
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•Freshwater mussels of the Unio crassus complex were sampled comprehensively throughout Eurasia.•Sequences of COI, whole mitogenomes and nuclear Anchored Hybrid Enrichment were used ...to infer phylogenies.•The Unio crassus complex was divided into 12 geographically structured species.•Morphometry of the shell outline revealed morphospace overlaps among several species.•New systematics, taxonomy, and conservation remarks on these species are provided.
The global decline of freshwater mussels and their crucial ecological services highlight the need to understand their phylogeny, phylogeography and patterns of genetic diversity to guide conservation efforts. Such knowledge is urgently needed for Unio crassus, a highly imperilled species originally widespread throughout Europe and southwest Asia. Recent studies have resurrected several species from synonymy based on mitochondrial data, revealing U. crassus to be a complex of cryptic species. To address long-standing taxonomic uncertainties hindering effective conservation, we integrate morphometric, phylogenetic, and phylogeographic analyses to examine species diversity within the U. crassus complex across its entire range. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (815 specimens from 182 populations) and, for selected specimens, whole mitogenome sequences and Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) data on ∼ 600 nuclear loci. Mito-nuclear discordance was detected, consistent with mitochondrial DNA gene flow between some species during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. Fossil-calibrated phylogenies based on AHE data support a Mediterranean origin for the U. crassus complex in the Early Miocene. The results of our integrative approach support 12 species in the group: the previously recognised Unio bruguierianus, Unio carneus, Unio crassus, Unio damascensis, Unio ionicus, Unio sesirmensis, and Unio tumidiformis, and the reinstatement of five nominal taxa: Unio desectusstat. rev., Unio gontieriistat. rev., Unio mardinensisstat. rev., Unio nanusstat. rev., and Unio vicariusstat. rev. Morphometric analyses of shell contours reveal important morphospace overlaps among these species, highlighting cryptic, but geographically structured, diversity. The distribution, taxonomy, phylogeography, and conservation of each species are succinctly described.
Abstract
The study presents a data-driven framework for modelling parameters of hardfacing deposits by GMAW using neural models to estimate the influence of process parameters without the need of ...creating experimental samples of the material and detailed measurements. The process of GAS Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) hardfacing does sometimes create non-homogenous structures in the material not only in deposited material, but also in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and base material. Those structures are not fully deterministic, so the modelling method should account for this unpredictable component and only learn the generic structure of the hardness of the resulting material. Artificial neural networks (ANN) were used to create a model of the process using only measured samples without any knowledge of equations governing the process. Robust learning was used to decrease the influence of outliers and noise in the measured data on the neural model performance. The proposed method relies on modification of the loss function and several of them are compared and evaluated as an attempt to construct general framework for analysing the hardness as a function of electric current and arc velocity. The proposed method can create robust models of the hardfacing layers deposition or other welding processes and predict the properties of resulting materials even for unseen parameters based on experimental data. This modelling framework is not typically used for metallurgy, and it requires further case studies to verify its generalisability.
The general Bohr Hamiltonian is applied to a description of low-lying collective excitations in even-even isotopes of Te, Xe, Ba, Ce, Nd and Sm. The collective potential and inertial functions are ...determined by means of the Strutinsky method and the cranking model, respectively. A shell-dependent parametrization of the Nilsson potential is used. An approximate particle-number projection is performed in the treatment of pairing correlations. The effect of coupling with the pairing vibrations is taken into account approximately when determining the inertial functions. The calculation does not contain any free parameter.
The bluebottle blow fly Calliphora vicina is a common species distributed throughout Europe that can play an important role as forensic evidence in crime investigations. Developmental rates of C. ...vicina from distinct populations from Germany and England were compared under different temperature regimes to explore the use of growth data from different geographical regions for local case work. Wing morphometrics and molecular analysis between these populations were also studied as indicators for biological differences. One colony each of German and English C. vicina were cultured at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Frankfurt, Germany. Three different temperature regimes were applied, two constant (16°C & 25°C) and one variable (17-26°C, room temperature = RT). At seven time points (600, 850, 1200, 1450, 1800, 2050, and 2400 accumulated degree hours), larval lengths were measured; additionally, the durations of the post feeding stage and intrapuparial metamorphosis were recorded. For the morphometric and molecular study, 184 females and 133 males from each C. vicina population (Germany n = 3, England n = 4) were sampled. Right wings were measured based on 19 landmarks and analyzed using canonical variates analysis and discriminant function analysis. DNA was isolated from three legs per specimen (n = 61) using 5% chelex. A 784 bp long fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was sequenced; sequences were aligned and phylogenetically analyzed. Similar larval growth rates of C. vicina were found from different geographic populations at different temperatures during the major part of development. Nevertheless, because minor differences were found a wider range of temperatures and sampling more time points should be analyzed to obtain more information relevant for forensic case work. Wing shape variation showed a difference between the German and English populations (P<0.0001). However, separation between the seven German and English populations at the smaller geographic scale remained ambiguous. Molecular phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood method could not unambiguously separate the different geographic populations at a national (Germany vs England) or local level.
•Sigma 1 Receptor mediates cancer-specific apoptosis induced by combination treatment with p53 plus Rimcazole.•ROS production and ER stress are induced by combination treatment with p53 plus ...Rimcazole.•Calcium mobilization is induced by combination treatment with p53 plus Rimcazole.•p38 MAPK is activated by combination treatment with p53 plus Rimcazole.•p53 plus Rimcazole induces activation of caspase-3 and the upregulation of Bax.
Over the last years, many improvements have been made in the treatment of breast cancer; however, novel and less toxic therapies are still needed, especially for relapsing and chemo-resistant patients. Here, we analyzed the therapeutic potential of p53 and Rimcazole, a Sigma 1 Receptor antagonist. Rimcazole and p53 are being evaluated in preclinical and clinical trials, respectively. While p53 is a promising antitumor therapeutic agent, antagonists of Sigma 1 Receptor also inhibit tumor cell survival and induce apoptosis. Our current study demonstrates for the first time the synergistic effect of p53 in combination with the Sigma 1 Receptor antagonist Rimcazole. Furthermore, we show that shRNA knockdown of Sigma 1 Receptor in combination with p53, lead to a similar synergistic effect, and that this synergistic effect, in breast cancer growth suppression occurs independent of p53 status. Furthermore, this combination treatment induced ER stress, p38 MAPK activation, ROS production, and proteins involved in apoptosis (caspases-3, Bax) in breast cancer cells. Combining these therapeutic anti-cancer molecules provides an innovative approach for potentially treating human breast cancer.
In 2020, newly diagnosed breast cancer (BC) cases surpassed that of lung cancer among women, making it the most common female cancer globally. In spite of recent increases in incidence rates, ...mortality due to BC has declined since 1989. These declines have been attributed to advancements in treatment modalities as well as increased mammography surveillance. Despite these advances, African American (AA) women are 40% more likely to die from BC than Caucasian women. Multifactorial etiology has been implicated in the disparity of BC mortality rates among AA women. As an example, AA women have a disproportionate incidence of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), which has a poor prognosis and marginal treatment options. Increasingly, the tumor microenvironment (TME) has gained relevance as it relates to primary tumor progression, metastasis and treatment possibilities. The treatment outcomes or pathological complete response (pCR) in TNBC among AA women are affected by differences in TME. The TME of AA women exhibit several variances in acellular and cellular components associated with pro‐tumorigenic effects. For example, increased levels of the adipocyte‐related hormone, resistin, the pro‐inflammatory cytokine, IL‐6, and the CC chemokine, CCL2, within the TME of AA women gives rise to an increased density of M2 macrophages, also known as tumor‐associated macrophages. Elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in the TME of AA women increase the vascular density or vascularity, which facilitate aggressive tumor growth and metastasis. Furthermore, a pro‐tumorigenic TME is supported by increased levels of the CXC chemokine, CXCL12 that results in the recruitment of regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs). Due to these and other differences in the TME of AA women, precision oncology can target specific aspects of the TME that may contribute to a poorer prognosis. In addition to the discrepancies in the TME, AA women face socio‐economic barriers that limit their ability to access state‐of‐the‐art, novel therapies against metastatic TNBC. In this review, we will provide a brief overview of the tumor immune microenvironment, immune‐based treatment options for TNBC and their potential to decrease health disparities due to ethnicity.
Prolonged initial intensive care unit (ICU) stay after liver transplantation (LT) is associated with prolonged total hospitalization, increased hospital mortality, and impaired patient and graft ...survival. Recent data suggested that model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score at the time of LT and the length of surgery were the two independent risk factors for an ICU stay longer than 3 days after LT. We further identified factors influencing prolonged ICU stay in single-center liver graft recipients.
One hundred fifty consecutive LT recipients (M/F 94/56, median age 55 (range, 39–60), 36% with viral hepatitis, were prospectively enrolled into the study. Associations between clinical factors and prolonged ICU stay were evaluated using logistic regression models. Receiver operating characteristic curves were analyzed to determine the appropriate cutoffs for continuous variables. Threshold for significance was P ≤ .05.
Highly prolonged (≥8 days) and moderately prolonged (≥6 days) postoperative ICU stay was noted in 19 (12.7%) and 59 (39.3%) patients, respectively. Serum bilirubin (P = .001) and creatinine concentrations (P = .011), international normalized ratio (P = .004), and sodium-MELD (P < .001) were all significantly associated with postoperative intensive care unit stay over or equal to 75th percentile (6 days). Sodium-MELD was significantly associated with postoperative care unit stay greater or equal to the 90th percentile (8 days; P = .018).
Sodium-MELD might be a novel risk factor of prolonged ICU stay in this single-center experience.
•Sodium-MELD and its components are associated with moderately prolonged ICU stay after LT.•Only sodium-MELD is associated with highly prolonged ICU stay (≥8 days) after LT.•Pretransplant sodium-MELD ≥ 23 points carries a 75% risk of prolonged postoperative ICU stay.
Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition changes the retention, transformation, and fluxes of N in ombrotrophic peatlands. To evaluate such effects we applied a 15N tracer (NH4 15NO3) at a rate of ...2.3 g N m−2 yr−1 to mesocosms of five European peatlands with differing long-term N deposition rates for a period of 76 days of dry and 90 days of wet conditions. We determined background N content and moss length growth, and recovered the 15N tracer from the mosses, graminoids, shrubs, the peat, and dissolved N. Background N contents in Sphagnum mosses increased from 5.5 (Degerö Stormyr, deposition < 0.2 g N m−2 yr−1) up to 12.2 mg g−1 (Frölichshaier Sattelmoor, 4.7–6.0 g N m−2 yr−1). In peat from Degerö, nitrate and ammonium concentrations were below 3 mg L−1, whereas up to 30 (nitrate) and 11 mg L−1 (ammonium) was found in peat from Frölichshaier Sattelmoor. Sphagnum mosses (down to 5 cm below surface) generally intercepted large amounts of 15N (0.2–0.35 mg g−1) and retained the tracer most effectively relative to their biomass. Similar quantities of the 15N were recovered from the peat, followed by shrubs, graminoids, and the dissolved pool. At the most polluted sites we recovered more 15N from shrubs (up to 12.4 %) and from nitrate and ammonium (up to 0.7 %). However, no impact of N deposition on 15N retention by Sphagnum could be identified and their length growth was highest under high N background deposition. Our experiment suggests that the decline in N retention at levels above ca. 1.5 g m−2 yr−1, as expressed by elevated near-surface peat N content and increased dissolved N concentrations, is likely more modest than previously thought. This conclusion is related to the finding that Sphagnum species can apparently thrive at elevated long-term N deposition rates in European peatlands.
Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition changes the retention, transformation, and fluxes of N in ombrotrophic peatlands. To evaluate such effects we applied a15N tracer (NH4 15NO3) at a rate of 2.3 g N m-2 ...yr-1 to mesocosms of five European peatlands with differing long-term N deposition rates for a period of 76 days of dry and 90 days of wet conditions. We determined background N content and moss length growth, and recovered the 15N tracer from the mosses, graminoids, shrubs, the peat, and dissolved N. Background N contents in Sphagnum mosses increased from 5.5 (Degerö Stormyr, deposition <0.2 g N m-2 yr-1) up to 12.2 mg g-1 (Frölichshaier Sattelmoor, 4.7–6.0 g N m-2 yr-1). In peat from Degerö, nitrate and ammonium concentrations were below 3 mg L-1, whereas up to 30 (nitrate) and 11 mg L-1 (ammonium) was found in peat from Frölichshaier Sattelmoor. Sphagnum mosses (down to 5 cm below surface) generally intercepted large amounts of 15N (0.2–0.35 mg g-1) and retained the tracer most effectively relative to their biomass. Similar quantities of the 15N were recovered from the peat, followed by shrubs, graminoids, and the dissolved pool. At the most polluted sites we recovered more 15N from shrubs (up to 12.4 %) and from nitrate and ammonium (up to 0.7 %). However, no impact of N deposition on15N retention by Sphagnum could be identified and their length growth was highest under high N background deposition. Our experiment suggests that the decline in N retention at levels above ca. 1.5 g m-2 yr-1, as expressed by elevated near-surface peat N content and increased dissolved N concentrations, is likely more modest than previously thought. This conclusion is related to the finding thatSphagnum species can apparently thrive at elevated long-term N deposition rates in European peatlands.
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