Type 1 invariant natural killer T cells in chronic inflammation and tissue fibrosis.

Chronic tissue inflammation often results in fibrosis characterized by the accumulation of extracellular matrix components remodeling normal tissue architecture and function. Recent studies have suggested common immune mechanisms despite the complexity of the interactions between tissue-specific fibroblasts, macrophages, and distinct immune cell populations that mediate fibrosis in various tissues. Natural killer T (NKT) cells recognizing lipid antigens bound to CD1d molecules have been shown to play an important role in chronic inflammation and fibrosis.

Evidence of Seasonal Variation in Body Color in Adults of the Parasitoid (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Sicily, Italy.

As part of the studies on the morphological color variation of insects, a case study on the seasonal body color variation of (Nees) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Eulophinae) parasitoid of leafminers is reported. Observations were made from January 2000 to December 2003 in north-western Sicily (Italy), in relation to sex, body regions of adults and seasonal periods. Wasps parasitizing Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) were collected from organic citrus orchards ( L.

Could Europe Apply a Suitable Control Method for the Small Hive Beetle (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)?

The European bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is a fundamental resource for the pollination of a great variety of botanical species used by humans for sustenance. Over the last few decades, bee colonies have become vulnerable to a new pest that has advanced beyond its native sub-Saharan territory: the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae).