The sense of smell in Odonata: an electrophysiological screening.

Volatile chemicals mediate a great range of intra- and interspecific signalling and information in insects. Olfaction has been widely investigated mostly in Neoptera while the knowledge of this sense in most basal insects such as Paleoptera (Odonata and Ephemeroptera) is still poor. In the present study we show the results of an electrophysiological screening on two model species, Libellula depressa (Libellulidae) and Ischnura elegans (Coenagrionidae), representatives of the two Odonata suborders Anisoptera and Zygoptera, with the aim to deep the knowledge on the sense of smell of this insect order.

A tale of two morphs: modeling pollen transfer, magic traits, and reproductive isolation in parapatry.

The evolution of the flower is commonly thought to have spurred angiosperm diversification. Similarly, particular floral traits might have promoted diversification within specific angiosperm clades. We hypothesize that traits promoting the precise positional transfer of pollen between flowers might promote diversification.

Development of 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the high alpine perennial Primula halleri (Primulaceae).

Premise Of The Study: Primula halleri is a high alpine endemic species with a patchy distribution in Central and Eastern European mountains. Little is known about the structure of genetic variation and mating system in populations of this species. •

Methods And Results: We report on the development of 12 novel, polymorphic microsatellite loci for P.

The molecular architecture of the TRAMP complex reveals the organization and interplay of its two catalytic activities.

The TRAMP complex is involved in the nuclear surveillance and turnover of noncoding RNAs and intergenic transcripts. TRAMP is associated with the nuclear exosome and consists of a poly(A)polymerase subcomplex (Trf4-Air2) and a helicase (Mtr4). We found that N-terminal low-complexity regions of Trf4 and Air2 bind Mtr4 in a cooperative manner.

Development and application of molecular gut-content analysis to detect aphid and coccinellid predation by Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Italy.

Despite their positive effect in reducing pest populations, exotic generalist predators sometimes become invasive and contribute to the displacement of indigenous species in the same trophic level. Although laboratory experiments have linked intraguild predation (IGP) to these interactions, field evidence and quantification of IGP are still lacking for most systems. The recent establishment of the exotic Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Italy raises concern about the detrimental effect that the ladybird could have on native coccinellids.

Valproate Treatment in an ALS Patient Carrying a c.194G>A Spastin Mutation and SMN2 Homozygous Deletion.

Here we report the case of an ALS patient found to carry both a novel heterozygous change (c.194G>A) within the spastin gene and a homozygous deletion of the SMN2 gene. The patient was started on valproic acid (VPA, 600 mg/die per os) considering the capacity of this drug of increasing survival motor neuron through an epigenetic mechanism.

Simultaneous assessment of kinetic, site-specific, and structural aspects of enzymatic protein phosphorylation.

Protein phosphorylation is a widespread process forming the mechanistic basis of cellular signaling. Up to now, different aspects, for example, site-specificity, kinetics, role of co-factors, and structure-function relationships have been typically investigated by multiple techniques that are incompatible with one another. The approach introduced here maximizes the amount of information gained on protein (complex) phosphorylation while minimizing sample handling.

Phospho-dependent and phospho-independent interactions of the helicase UPF1 with the NMD factors SMG5-SMG7 and SMG6.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic surveillance pathway that recognizes mRNAs with premature stop codons and targets them for rapid degradation. Evidence from previous studies has converged on UPF1 as the central NMD factor. In human cells, the SMG1 kinase phosphorylates UPF1 at the N-terminal and C-terminal tails, in turn allowing the recruitment of the NMD factors SMG5, SMG6 and SMG7.

The structure of the Pan2-Pan3 core complex reveals cross-talk between deadenylase and pseudokinase.

Pan2-Pan3 is a conserved complex involved in the shortening of mRNA poly(A) tails, the initial step in eukaryotic mRNA turnover. We show that recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pan2-Pan3 can deadenylate RNAs in vitro without needing the poly(A)-binding protein Pab1. The crystal structure of an active ~200-kDa core complex reveals that Pan2 and Pan3 interact with an unusual 1:2 stoichiometry imparted by the asymmetric nature of the Pan3 homodimer.

Anticoagulants (heparin, low molecular weight heparin and oral anticoagulants) for intermittent claudication.

Background: Anticoagulant treatment for intermittent claudication might improve functional capacity and prevent acute cardiovascular complications caused by peripheral obstructive arterial disease. This is an update of the review first published in 2001.

Objectives: To assess the effects of anticoagulant drugs (heparin, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and oral anticoagulants) in patients with intermittent claudication (Fontaine stage II) in terms of improving walking capacity (pain-free walking distance or absolute walking distance), mortality, cardiovascular events, ankle/brachial pressure index, progression to surgery, amputation-free survival and side effects of these drugs.

Structural and biochemical insights to the role of the CCR4-NOT complex and DDX6 ATPase in microRNA repression.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control gene expression by regulating mRNA translation and stability. The CCR4-NOT complex is a key effector of miRNA function acting downstream of GW182/TNRC6 proteins. We show that miRNA-mediated repression requires the central region of CNOT1, the scaffold protein of CCR4-NOT.

Heterostyly accelerates diversification via reduced extinction in primroses.

The exceptional species diversity of flowering plants, exceeding that of their sister group more than 250-fold, is especially evident in floral innovations, interactions with pollinators and sexual systems. Multiple theories, emphasizing flower-pollinator interactions, genetic effects of mating systems or high evolvability, predict that floral evolution profoundly affects angiosperm diversification. However, consequences for speciation and extinction dynamics remain poorly understood.

Hypertension in pregnancy: the most recent findings in pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapy.

Hypertension in pregnancy is a major cause of maternal, fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, both in developing and developed countries. That is because it is the most common pathological condition during pregnancy and its development is associated with high risk of severe complications: mother could be affected by placental abruption, cerebrovascular events, organ dysfunction and could develop disseminated intravascular coagulation, instead the foetus could be affected by intrauterine growth retardation, premature birth and intrauterine death. Aware that preeclampsia still remains an enigma for different aspects, this review aims to provide a comprehensive update of all the current literature regarding this disease.

Revisiting the relationship between blood pressure and insulin-like growth factor-1.

Conflicting evidence exists on the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). We reviewed available articles and pooled extrapolated regression coefficients for the association between BP and total IGF-1 as reported in the literature and included additional data from 912 individuals from the general population. We identified 20 studies including 11 704 subjects.

Compromised bioavailable IGF-1 of black men relates favourably to ambulatory blood pressure: The SABPA study.

Objectives: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has potent endothelial-protective, anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic activities, and also exerts mitogenic and proliferatory actions on vascular smooth muscle cells. Conflicting reports exist regarding the role of IGF-1 in vascular protection and atherogenesis. We therefore investigated the relationships of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) with a range of components of the IGF-1 axis in a bi-ethnic population.

In vitro assembly and activity of an archaeal CRISPR-Cas type I-A Cascade interference complex.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems of type I use a Cas ribonucleoprotein complex for antiviral defense (Cascade) to mediate the targeting and degradation of foreign DNA. To address molecular features of the archaeal type I-A Cascade interference mechanism, we established the in vitro assembly of the Thermoproteus tenax Cascade from six recombinant Cas proteins, synthetic CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) and target DNA fragments. RNA-Seq analyses revealed the processing pattern of crRNAs from seven T.

First evidence of the use of olfaction in Odonata behaviour.

Dragonflies and damselflies are among the most ancient winged insects. Adults belonging to this order are visually oriented and are considered anosmic on the basis of neuroanatomical investigations. As a consequence, the chemical ecology of these predatory insects has long been neglected.

Diazepam binding inhibitor and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate plasma levels in borderline personality disorder adolescents.

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients display a complex and heterogeneous clinical phenotype that plausibly implies variable underlying pathogenic mechanisms. A dysregulation of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors has previously been shown in BPD peripheral tissues, implying possible alterations of its ligand, the diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI) or of the downstream products of its activation, i.e.

Intraguild Predation Responses in Two Aphidophagous Coccinellids Identify Differences among Juvenile Stages and Aphid Densities.

(1) Intraguild predation (IGP) can occur among aphidophagous predators thus reducing their effectiveness in controlling crop pests. Among ladybirds, Coccinella septempunctata L. and Hippodamia variegata Goeze are the most effective predators upon Aphis gossypii Glov.

Topo-climatic microrefugia explain the persistence of a rare endemic plant in the Alps during the last 21 millennia.

Ongoing rapid climate change is predicted to cause local extinction of plant species in mountain regions. However, some plant species could have persisted during Quaternary climate oscillations without shifting their range, despite the limited evidence from fossils. Here, we tested two candidate mechanisms of persistence by comparing the macrorefugia and microrefugia (MR) hypotheses.

Small and ugly? Phylogenetic analyses of the "selfing syndrome" reveal complex evolutionary fates of monomorphic primrose flowers.

One of the most common trends in plant evolution, loss of self-incompatibility and ensuing increases in selfing, is generally assumed to be associated with a suite of phenotypic changes, notably a reduction of floral size, termed the selfing syndrome. We investigate whether floral morphological traits indeed decrease in a deterministic fashion after losses of self-incompatibility, as traditionally expected, using a phylogeny of 124 primrose species containing nine independent transitions from heterostyly (heteromorphic incompatibility) to homostyly (monomorphic self-compatibility), a classic system for evolution of selfing. We find similar overall variability of homostylous and heterostylous species, except for diminished herkogamy in homostyles.

Decreased whole-blood global DNA methylation is related to serum hormones in anorexia nervosa adolescents.

Objectives: The one-carbon metabolism, also known as methionine-homocysteine cycle, governs the dynamics of DNA methylation, epigenetically regulating gene expression, and has been reported altered in anorexia nervosa (AN) adult patients. The aim of this study consisted in assessing whole-blood DNA methylation in adolescent AN patients, assessing its significance in relationship to clinical and hormonal variables.

Methods: Whole-blood global DNA methylation was measured as incorporation of [(3)H]dCTP following HpaII cut in 32 adolescent females affected by restrictive type AN and compared to 13 healthy controls.

Reorganization of visual fields after periventricular haemorrhagic infarction: potentials and limitations.

Visual functions are often impaired in preterm infants with periventricular haemorrhagic infarction, because of the involvement of the region where the optic radiations are located. In some cases an unexpected sparing of the visual fields has been described, and related to the plasticity of thalamo-cortical afferents that are supposedly able to bypass the lesion when it occurs in the early third trimester of gestation. We systematically reviewed the literature in the field to determine the limits and potentials of this type of reorganization.

Host chemical footprints induce host sex discrimination ability in egg parasitoids.

Trissolcus egg parasitoids, when perceiving the chemical footprints left on a substrate by pentatomid host bugs, adopt a motivated searching behaviour characterized by longer searching time on patches were signals are present. Once in contact with host chemical footprints, Trissolcus wasps search longer on traces left by associated hosts rather than non-associated species, and, in the former case, they search longer on traces left by females than males. Based on these evidences, we hypothesized that only associated hosts induce the ability to discriminate host sex in wasps.