The Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of the Middle East

A list of 285 species of Sarcophagidaе in the Middle East countries is presented with distributional data, including Bahrain (3 species), Cyprus (46), Egypt (both African and Asian parts) (114), Iran (83), Iraq (17), Israel (113), Jordan (14), Kuwait (3), Lebanon (13), Oman (2), Gaza Strip (5), Palestinian Authority (42), Quatar (1), Saudi Arabia (37), Syria (42), Turkey (both European and Asian parts) (157), United Arab Emirates (14) and Yemen (15). Three new synonyms are established: Blaesoxipha delilah Lehrer, 2006 = Agriella setosa Salem, 1938, syn. n.; Blaesoxipha nahaliana Lehrer, 2008 = Blaesoxipha popovi Rohdendorf, 1937, syn. n.; and Liosarcophaga daccanella Lehrer, 2008 = Liosarcophaga (s. str.) dux (Thomson, 1869), syn. n. Four new combinations for species names are proposed: Liopygia (Engelisca) adhamae (Lehrer & Abou-Ziad, 2008), comb. n.; Liosarcophaga (s. str.) pedestris (Villeneuve, 1910), comb. n.; Liosarcophaga (Pandelleisca) theodori (Lehrer, 1998), comb. n., and Liosarcophaga (Pharaonops) tewfiki (Salem, 1940), comb. n.     

New distributional data and an updated and commented list of Czech and Slovak Sarcophagidae (Diptera)

Based on a revision of large recent collections housed by Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Masaryk University, Brno, and in the private collection of Yu. Verves (Kyiv, Ukraine), new distributional data and an updated and commented list of Czech and Slovak Sarcophagidae are presented. The following six species are firstly recorded from the Czech Republic: Macronychia (s. str.) substriginervis Verves & Khrokalo, 2006, Paragusia multipunctata (Rondani, 1859), Oebalia praeclusa (Pandellé, 1895), Nyctia lugubris (Macquart, 1843), Blaesoxipha dupuisi Léonide & Léonide, 1973, and B. grylloctona Loew, 1861. As a result, 143 species of the family Sarcophagidae are currently known from the Czech Republic (109 from Bohemia and 129 from Moravia), and 131 species are known from Slovakia.     

Records of Chrysomya albiceps in the Ukraine

First records of the presence of the blowfly, Chrysomya albiceps in the western and northern Ukraine are presented.     

Structural comparison of fibroblast growth factor-specific heparan sulfates derived from a growing or differentiating neuroepithelial cell line

Heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycans are essential modulators of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) activity both in vivo and in vitro, and appear to act by cross-linking particular forms of FGF to appropriate FGF receptors. We have recently isolated and characterized two separate HS pools derived from immortalized embryonic day 10 mouse neuroepithelial 2.3D cells: one from cells in log growth phase, which greatly potentiates the activity of FGF-2, and the other from cells undergoing contact-inhibition and differentiation, which preferentially activates FGF-1. These two pools of HS have very similar functional activities to those species isolated from primary neuroepithelial cells at corresponding stages of active proliferation or differentiation. We present here a structural comparison between these cell line HS species to establish the nature of the changes that occur in the biosynthesis of HS. A combination of chemical and enzymatic cleavage, low pressure chromatography and strong anion-exchange HPLC were used to generate full chain models of each species. Overall, the HS pools synthesized in the dividing cell line pools possessed less complex sulfation than those derived from more differentiated, growth arrested cells.      

Effects of age,replicative lifespan and growth rate of human nucleus pulposus cells on selecting age range for cell-based biological therapies for degenerative disc diseases

Autologous disc cell implantation, growth factors and gene therapy appear to be promising therapies for disc regeneration. Unfortunately, the replicative lifespan and growth kinetics of human nucleus pulposus (NP) cells related to host age are unclear. We investigated the potential relations among age, replicative lifespan and growth rate of NP cells, and determined the age range that is suitable for cell-based biological therapies for degenerative disc diseases. We used NP tissues classified by decade into five age groups: 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. The mean cumulative population doubling level (PDL) and population doubling rate (PDR) of NP cells were assessed by decade. We also investigated correlations between cumulative PDL and age, and between PDR and age. The mean cumulative PDL and PDR decreased significantly in patients in their 60s. The mean cumulative PDL and PDR in the younger groups (30s, 40s and 50s) were significantly higher than those in the older groups (60s and 70s). There also were significant negative correlations between cumulative PDL and age, and between PDR and age. We found that the replicative lifespan and growth rate of human NP cells decreased with age. The replicative potential of NP cells decreased significantly in patients 60 years old and older. Young individuals less than 60 years old may be suitable candidates for NP cell-based biological therapies for treating degenerative disc diseases.     

New records,synonyms and combinations for oriental Sarcophagidae (Diptera), with updated checklists for Cambodia,India, Taiwan,Thailand and Vietnam

Faunistic records of 29 flesh fly species are presented, and the following new country-level records are provided: 12 species (Senotainia albifrons, Eremasiomyia macularis, Asceloctella calicifera, Pseudothyrsocnema caudagalli, Liosarcophaga dux, L. kohla, L. scopariiformis, L. tuberosa, Parasarcophaga misera, Sarcosolomonia harinasutai, S. shinonagai, Seniorwhitea princeps) new to Cambodia, one species (S. shinonagai) new to India, one species (Brachicoma devia) new to Taiwan, two species (Myorhina thinhi, L. tuberosa) new to Thailand, and two species (E. macularis, P. caudagalli) new to Vietnam. Based on critical revision of all published records and on new data presented herein, 215 species of Sarcophagidae are listed from Cambodia (16 species), India (138), Taiwan (63), Thailand (98) and Vietnam (49). One new subjective generic synonym is proposed: Shinonagaella Verves, 1997 = Lehisca Kurahashi and Tan, 2012, syn. nov. Altogether, total of 21 new subjective synonyms and 16 new combinations are proposed.     

Experience in the application of Java Technologies in telemedicine

Java language has been demonstrated to be an effective tool in supporting medical image viewing in Russia. This evaluation was completed by obtaining a maximum of 20 images, depending on the client's computer workstation from one patient using a commercially available computer tomography (CT) scanner. The images were compared against standard CT images that were viewed at the site of capture. There was no appreciable difference. The client side is a lightweight component that provides an intuitive interface for end users. Each image is loaded in its own thread and the user can begin work after the first image has been loaded. This feature is especially useful on slow connection speed, 9.6 Kbps for example. The server side, which is implemented by the Java Servlet Engine works more effective than common gateway interface (CGI) programs do. Advantages of the Java Technology place this program on the next level of application development. This paper presents a unique application of Java in telemedicine.     

Description of a new species of Liosarcophaga (s. str.) from Turkey (Diptera: Sarcophagidae: Sarcophagini)

Liosarcophaga (s. str.) bartaki sp. n. is described from Turkey based on four males collected at three locations in Western Turkey. A morphological study of the genitalia using light and scanning electron microscopy has been carried out. An original key to the 10 species of Liosarcophaga occurring in Turkey is given.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:117C58FC-E957-4A7B-AB4C-B6DB35357763     

Review of subtribe Pterellina Rohdendorf, 1967 (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Middle East with descriptions of twelve new species

Summary

Based on a revision of large recent collections housed at the Natural History Museum (London), Tel Aviv University and in the private collection of Yu. Verves and L. Khrokalo (Kyiv, Ukraine), new distributional data and an updated list with comments of 28 species of Middle Eastern Sarcophagidae of the subtribe Pterellina are presented. Seventeen of them are recorded for Israel, 11 for Egypt, four for Iran, two each for the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and one each for Jordan and the UAE. No data are known for the territories of Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Syria and Yemen. Twelve species new to science are described, including nine from Israel (Chaetapodacra montana n. sp., Eremasiomyia bicolor n. sp., E. deserta n. sp., E. fuscata n. sp., Protomiltogramma bidentata n. sp., P. serrata n. sp., Pterella hermonica n. sp., P. indigens n. sp., P. zefatica n. sp.), two from Egypt (Chaetapodacra griseola n. sp., Eremasiomyia alba n. sp.) and one from Saudi Arabia (Protomiltogramma arabica n. sp.). The male of Eremasiomyia nigra Rohdendorf, 1935 is described for the first time. One new combination of specific name is proposed ? Protomiltogramma immunita (Villeneuve, 1923), n. comb. Original keys for the identification of genera and species are proposed. An annotated list of all world genera and species and compiled data on larval habits of Pterellina are included.