Chemical Communication in Necturus maculosus and his Cave-Living Relative Proteus anguinus (Proteidae,Urodela)

The chemical communication of the epigean Necturus maculosus and the cave-living Proteus anguinus are compared in laboratory conditions. In both species a specks-specific substance transferred by water could be shown, another was deposited on the substrate.     

A girl with karyotype 46,XX,del(7) (qter→p15:)

Summary A girl with partial deletion of the short arms of one chromosome 7 is described. Among many other symptoms she has craniosynostosis. Early closure of cranio-sutures has previously been described in 2 of 3 patients with partial deletion 7. Investigation of a number of genetic marker systems shows that the HL-A, MN, AcP, and GPT loci are not located in the deleted segment.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird ein Mädchen mit teilweiser Deletion des kurzen Armes eines Chromosoms 7 beschrieben. Außer vielen anderen Symptomen hat sie eine Craniosynostose. Frühzeitiger Verschluß der Schädelnähte wurde auch bei 2 von 3 Patienten mit Deletion 7, die in der Literatur beschrieben sind, beobachtet. Untersuchung einer Reihe genetischer Markersysteme zeigt, daß die HL-A-, MN-, AcP- und GPT-loci nicht in dem deletierten Segment liegen.

     

Comparison of Eleven Methods for Genomic DNA Extraction Suitable for Large-Scale Whole-Genome Genotyping and Long-Term DNA Banking Using Blood Samples

Over the recent years, next generation sequencing and microarray technologies have revolutionized scientific research with their applications to high-throughput analysis of biological systems. Isolation of high quantities of pure, intact, double stranded, highly concentrated, not contaminated genomic DNA is prerequisite for successful and reliable large scale genotyping analysis. High quantities of pure DNA are also required for the creation of DNA-banks. In the present study, eleven different DNA extraction procedures, including phenol-chloroform, silica and magnetic beads based extractions, were examined to ascertain their relative effectiveness for extracting DNA from ovine blood samples. The quality and quantity of the differentially extracted DNA was subsequently assessed by spectrophotometric measurements, Qubit measurements, real-time PCR amplifications and gel electrophoresis. Processing time, intensity of labor and cost for each method were also evaluated. Results revealed significant differences among the eleven procedures and only four of the methods yielded satisfactory outputs. These four methods, comprising three modified silica based commercial kits (Modified Blood, Modified Tissue, Modified Dx kits) and an in-house developed magnetic beads based protocol, were most appropriate for extracting high quality and quantity DNA suitable for large-scale microarray genotyping and also for long-term DNA storage as demonstrated by their successful application to 600 individuals.     

Ecological Consequences of Animal Migration: Prey Partial Migration Affects Predator Ecology and Prey Communities

Ecosystems - Patterns of animal migration and the ecological forces that shape them have been studied for centuries. Yet ecological impacts caused by the migration, such as altered...     

Using anticipatory life cycle assessment to enable future sustainable construction

The built environment is the largest single emitter of CO₂ and an important consumer of energy. Much research has gone into the improved efficiency of building operation and construction products. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is commonly used to assess existing buildings or building products. Classic LCA, however, is not suited for evaluating the environmental performance of developing technologies. A new approach, anticipatory LCA (a‐LCA), promises various advantages and can be used as a design constraint during the product development stage. It helps overcome four challenges: (i) data availability, (ii) stakeholder inclusion, (iii) risk assessment, and (iv) multi‐criteria problems. This article's contribution to the line of research is twofold: first, it adapts the a‐LCA approach for construction‐specific purposes in theoretical terms for the four challenges. Second, it applies the method to an innovative prefabricated modular envelope system, the CleanTechBlock (CTB), focusing on challenge (i). Thirty‐six CTB designs are tested and compared to conventional walls. Inclusion of technology foresight is achieved through structured scenario analysis. Moreover, challenge (iv) is tackled through the analysis of different environmental impact categories, transport‐related impacts, and thickness of the wall assemblies of the CTB. The case study results show that optimized material choice and product design is needed to reach the lowest environmental impact. Methodological findings highlight the importance of context‐specific solutions and the need for benchmarking new products.