A key to the Mexican and Central America Genera of Anthonomini (Curculionidae, Curculioninae).

Presently the only keys available for identification of genera of Anthonomini are limited to those of the United States of America and Canada. A dichotomous key is presented to identify all genera of Mexican and Central American Anthonomini. Previous keys do not include the genera Achia, Botanebius, Loncophorus, Loncophorellus and Melexerus.

MYC protein expression and genetic alterations have prognostic impact in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with immunochemotherapy.

MYC alterations influence the survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Most studies have focused on MYC translocations but there is little information regarding the impact of numerical alterations and protein expression. We analyzed the genetic alterations and protein expression of MYC, BCL2, BCL6, and MALT1 in 219 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Extensive in vivo human milk peptidomics reveals specific proteolysis yielding protective antimicrobial peptides.

Milk is traditionally considered an ideal source of the basic elemental nutrients required by infants. More detailed examination is revealing that milk represents a more functional ensemble of components with benefits to both infants and mothers. A comprehensive peptidomics method was developed and used to analyze human milk yielding an extensive array of protein products present in the fluid.

Pathogenicity and Host-Parasite Relationships of Heterodera cruciferae in Cabbage.

Stunted cabbage ('Lupini') associated with severe soil infestations by a cyst-forming nematode were observed in large patches of open fields in Castellaneta, province of Taranto, southern Italy. Morphological traits based on mature cysts, males, and second-stage juveniles (J2s) and molecular analysis of ribosomal DNA (D2 to D3 expansion segments of 28S and internal transcribed spacer [ITS]1 region) were used to identify the species. ITS1 sequence information supported the identity of Heterodera cruciferae, also showing a high degree of similarity to other species of the Heterodera Goettingiana group, including H.

Activation of hatching in diapaused and quiescent Globodera pallida.

The potato cyst nematodes (PCN) Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis are major pests of potatoes. The G.

Intraoperative post-conisation human papillomavirus testing for early detection of treatment failure in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: a pilot study.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and utility of intraoperative post-conisation human papillomavirus (IOP-HPV) testing and cytology to detect treatment failure in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2-3 (CIN2-3).

Design: Prospective observational pilot study.

Setting: Barcelona, Spain.

Massive Plasmodium falciparum visceral sequestration: a cause of maternal death in Africa.

Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (PfIE) in the capillaries of the central nervous system (CNS) is the pathognomonic feature of cerebral malaria, a condition frequently leading to death. Sequestration of PfIE in the placental intervillous spaces is the characteristic feature of malaria in pregnancy and is associated with low birthweight and prematurity. Although both patterns of sequestration are thought to result from the expression of different parasite proteins involved in cytoadhesion to human receptors, scant information exists on whether both conditions can coexist and whether this can lead to death.

Routine habitat change: a source of unrecognized transient alteration of intestinal microbiota in laboratory mice.

The mammalian intestine harbors a vast, complex and dynamic microbial population, which has profound effects on host nutrition, intestinal function and immune response, as well as influence on physiology outside of the alimentary tract. Imbalance in the composition of the dense colonizing bacterial population can increase susceptibility to various acute and chronic diseases. Valuable insights on the association of the microbiota with disease critically depend on investigation of mouse models.

Endocannabinoid signaling and synaptic function.

Endocannabinoids are key modulators of synaptic function. By activating cannabinoid receptors expressed in the central nervous system, these lipid messengers can regulate several neural functions and behaviors. As experimental tools advance, the repertoire of known endocannabinoid-mediated effects at the synapse, and their underlying mechanism, continues to expand.

REST-dependent epigenetic remodeling promotes the developmental switch in synaptic NMDA receptors.

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are critical to synaptogenesis, neural circuitry and higher cognitive functions. A hallmark feature of NMDARs is an early postnatal developmental switch from those containing primarily GluN2B to primarily GluN2A subunits. Although the switch in phenotype has been an area of intense interest for two decades, the mechanisms that trigger it and the link between experience and the switch are unclear.

Impact of cadmium exposure during pregnancy on hepatic glucocorticoid receptor methylation and expression in rat fetus.

Adverse fetal environment due to maternal undernutrition or exposure to environmental chemicals alters glucocorticoid (GC) metabolism increasing the risk of metabolic disorders in adulthood. In this study, we investigated the effects of maternal exposure to cadmium (Cd, 50 ppm) during pregnancy in the methylation of fetal hepatic glucocorticoid receptor promoter (GR) and the correlation with its expression and that of the DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1a and 3a). We also studied the expression of liver phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and acyl-CoA oxidase (AOX), two enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids respectively.

Replacing xylene with n-heptane for paraffin embedding.

In standard histological technique, aromatic solvents such as xylene and toluene are used as clearing agents between ethanol dehydration and paraffin embedding. In addition, these solvents are used for de-waxing paraffin sections. Unfortunately, these solvents are harmful and therefore adequate substitutes would be useful.

Postmortem characterization of patients with clinical diagnosis of Plasmodium vivax malaria: to what extent does this parasite kill?

Background: Severe disease attributable to Plasmodium vivax infection is already well described worldwide; however, autopsies in these patients are scarce.

Methods: From 1996 to 2010, 19 patient deaths with a clinical diagnosis of P. vivax infection occurred in a tertiary care center in the Brazilian Amazon.

Human α-defensin 6 promotes mucosal innate immunity through self-assembled peptide nanonets.

Defensins are antimicrobial peptides that contribute broadly to innate immunity, including protection of mucosal tissues. Human α-defensin (HD) 6 is highly expressed by secretory Paneth cells of the small intestine. However, in contrast to the other defensins, it lacks appreciable bactericidal activity.

Estradiol attenuates ischemia-induced death of hippocampal neurons and enhances synaptic transmission in aged, long-term hormone-deprived female rats.

Background: Transient global forebrain ischemia causes selective, delayed death of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, and the ovarian hormone 17β-estradiol (E2) reduces neuronal loss in young and middle-aged females. The neuroprotective efficacy of E2 after a prolonged period of hormone deprivation is controversial, and few studies examine this issue in aged animals given E2 treatment after induction of ischemia.

Methodology/principal Findings: The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of E2 administered immediately after global ischemia in aged female rats (15-18 months) after 6 months of hormone deprivation.

Neto1 and Neto2: auxiliary subunits that determine key properties of native kainate receptors.

Kainate receptors (KARs) are a subfamily of ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) that mediate excitatory synaptic transmission, regulate neurotransmitter release, and show a remarkably selective distribution in the brain. Compared to other iGluRs, the precise contribution of KARs to brain function is less understood. Unlike recombinant KARs, native KARs exhibit characteristically slow channel kinetics.

Synaptic plasticity of NMDA receptors: mechanisms and functional implications.

Beyond their well-established role as triggers for LTP and LTD of fast synaptic transmission mediated by AMPA receptors, an expanding body of evidence indicates that NMDA receptors (NMDARs) themselves are also dynamically regulated and subject to activity-dependent long-term plasticity. NMDARs can significantly contribute to information transfer at synapses particularly during periods of repetitive activity. It is also increasingly recognized that NMDARs participate in dendritic synaptic integration and are critical for generating persistent activity of neural assemblies.

Bifidobacterium bifidum in a rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis: antimicrobial peptide and protein responses.

Introduction: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a devastating disease of premature infants. Probiotics decrease the risk of NEC in clinical and experimental studies. Antimicrobial peptides protect the gut against noxious microbes and shape the commensal microbiota, but their role in NEC remains unclear.

Human papillomavirus as a favorable prognostic biomarker in squamous cell carcinomas of the vagina.

Objective: Recent evidence has confirmed two independent pathways in the development of vaginal squamous cell carcinoma (VaSCC): one related to and the other independent of human papillomavirus (HPV). The aim of our study was to evaluate whether HPV status has prognostic significance in this neoplasm.

Methods: All confirmed primary VaSCCs diagnosed and treated from 1995 to 2009 in two institutions were retrospectively evaluated (n=57).

Analysis of sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling mutants reveals endodermal requirements for the growth but not dorsoventral patterning of jaw skeletal precursors.

Development of the head skeleton involves reciprocal interactions between cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) and the surrounding pharyngeal endoderm and ectoderm. Whereas elegant experiments in avians have shown a prominent role for the endoderm in facial skeleton development, the relative functions of the endoderm in growth versus regional identity of skeletal precursors have remained unclear. Here we describe novel craniofacial defects in zebrafish harboring mutations in the Sphingosine-1-phospate (S1P) type 2 receptor (s1pr2) or the S1P transporter Spinster 2 (spns2), and we show that S1P signaling functions in the endoderm for the proper growth and positioning of the jaw skeleton.

Long-term follow-up of 2 newborns with a combined birth weight of 540 grams.

Long-term growth and developmental data are presented for the smallest and third smallest surviving newborns in the world literature to 5 and 20 years of age, respectively. Both patients exhibited normal motor and language development. Although head circumference for both newborns demonstrated catchup growth, significant differences in height and weight growth velocities persisted.

Presynaptic LTP and LTD of excitatory and inhibitory synapses.

Ubiquitous forms of long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) are caused by enduring increases or decreases in neurotransmitter release. Such forms or presynaptic plasticity are equally observed at excitatory and inhibitory synapses and the list of locations expressing presynaptic LTP and LTD continues to grow. In addition to the mechanistically distinct forms of postsynaptic plasticity, presynaptic plasticity offers a powerful means to modify neural circuits.