We report here genome sequences and comparative analyses of three closely related parasitoid wasps: Nasonia vitripennis, N. giraulti, and N. longicornis. Parasitoids are important regulators of arthropod populations, including major agricultural pests and disease vectors, and Nasonia is an emerging genetic model, particularly for evolutionary and developmental genetics. Key findings include the identification of a functional DNA methylation tool kit; hymenopteran-specific genes including diverse venoms; lateral gene transfers among Pox viruses, Wolbachia, and Nasonia; and the rapid evolution of genes involved in nuclear-mitochondrial interactions that are implicated in speciation. Newly developed genome resources advance Nasonia for genetic research, accelerate mapping and cloning of quantitative trait loci, and will ultimately provide tools and knowledge for further increasing the utility of parasitoids as pest insect-control agents.

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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound clearly improves the differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors and is very helpful in clinical practice when B-scan or power Doppler morphological criteria are missing.

Tumor-specific vascularization pattern in CEUS have a high diagnostic impact on the overall high diagnostic accuracy of CEUS for the differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors in clinical practice.

CEUS and MRI are of equal value for the differentiation and specification of newly discovered liver tumors in clinical practice. CEUS and MRI are extremely reliable for the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions, the diagnosis of liver hemangiomas and FNH. The characterization of metastases and HCC is also very reliable.

In a multi-center approach under routine clinical conditions, this prospective study demonstrates CEUS to be of equal rank to the CT-scan in regard to the assessment of tumor differentiation and specification. No statistically significant differences could be established. CEUS should be employed before computed tomography is performed for the differentiation of liver tumors, because radiation exposure and invasive biopsies can be avoided in veritable numbers of cases, when precise clinical evaluation of the findings is implemented.

Background: Nematocysts are the most sophisticated organelles in the animal kingdom and a hallmark of the phylum Cnidaria.Results: We present the first complete protein map of the Hydra nematocyst. Conclusion:The nematocyst proteome is highly complex and includes novel structural proteins. Significance: The proteome data reveal a eukaryotic origin of the nematocyst and point to common molecular features with the extracellular matrix.