Contact zones reveal restricted introgression despite frequent hybridization across a recent lizard radiation.

Introgression - the exchange of genetic material through hybridization - is now recognized as common among animal species. The extent of introgression, however, can vary considerably even when it occurs: for example, introgression can be geographically restricted or so pervasive that populations merge. Such variation highlights the importance of understanding the factors mediating introgression.

Lens-sparing vitrectomy for stage 4A retinopathy of prematurity in infants with aggressive-posterior ROP: Anatomic and functional results.

Aim: To assess long-term anatomic and functional outcomes of early lens-sparing vitrectomy (LSV) for stage 4A retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in infants with aggressive-posterior ROP (AP-ROP) which progressed to retinal detachment despite laser treatment.

Methods: Chart review of infants who underwent early 25-gage LSV for stage 4A ROP. Outcomes were anatomic success, mean visual acuity (VA), development of postoperative complications, and refractive changes.

Potential vulnerability of oak forests to climate change-induced flooding: effects of mild oxygen deficiency on Quercus robur and Quercus petraea seedling physiology.

Flooding is characterized by saturation of soil pores with water, leading to hypoxic conditions which affect plant root development and metabolism. We investigated the oxygen deficiency tolerance observed in Quercus robur and Quercus petraea and seek to understand whether it can be explained by enhanced efficiency in oxygen use in the roots, as estimated through radial oxygen loss visualization in relation to growth measurements and root apex respiration. The study showed that root growth, under oxygen deficiency conditions, was significantly reduced only in Q.

Predictive algorithms for early detection of retinopathy of prematurity.

Purpose: To evaluate sensitivity, specificity and the safest cut-offs of three predictive algorithms (WINROP, ROPScore and CHOP ROP) for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in three centres from 2012 to 2014; 445 preterms with gestational age (GA) ≤ 30 weeks and/or birthweight (BW) ≤ 1500 g, and additional unstable cases, were included. No-ROP, mild and type 1 ROP were categorized.

Intravitreal bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularization due to pathologic myopia: long-term outcomes.

Purpose: To report the long-term results of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy for choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathological myopia (PM).

Methods: Prospective interventional study with extension phase. Eyes affected by CNV due to PM included.

Early effects of dexamethasone implant on macular morphology and visual function in patients with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion.

Purpose: To evaluate the early effects of the intravitreal erodible dexamethasone implant Ozurdex in patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Methods: Eyes with macular edema due to RVO were prospectively included in the study and received a 700-μg dexamethasone implant. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurement, complete ophthalmic evaluation and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were performed at baseline and 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 60, and 90 days after treatment.

Effects of VEGF inhibition on retinal morphology, neovascular network size, and visual acuity in patients with vascularized pigment epithelium detachment because of occult choroidal neovascularization.

Purpose: To report the results of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibition for vascularized pigment epithelium detachment associated with choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients affected by vascularized pigment epithelium detachment treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (0.5 mg of ranibizumab or 1 mg of bevacizumab) and a follow-up of 12 months.

Human osteosarcoma cells release matrix degrading enzymes in response to chemokine activation.

Matrix degrading enzymes released upon autocrine and/or paracrine induction exert a key role in modulating tumor cell behavior. Osteosarcoma is a highly metastatic cancer, with a redundancy of autocrine loops. Here we report that human osteosarcoma cells express a wide array of chemokine receptors and respond to chemokine activation with the release of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase and gelatinase/collagenase activity.

Lowering effects of four different statins on serum triglyceride level.

Objectives: The main effect of statins is the decrease of serum level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, due to the inhibition of intracellular cholesterol biosynthesis which brings about an upregulation of LDL receptors. A minor effect is the decrease of serum triglycerides. The present study was undertaken to verify whether all statins are effective in reducing serum triglycerides and whether their effect on triglycerides is related to the LDL cholesterol lowering activity.

Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular chemokines in chondrocytes in vivo: constitutive expression and enhancement in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Chemokines play a key role in modulating leukocyte functions at sites of inflammation. To assess chondrocyte contribution to the chemotactic environment of inflamed joints the intracellular content of CC and CXC chemokines was investigated. IL-8, GROalpha, MCP-1, RANTES, MIP-1alpha and MIP-1beta expression was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis and RT-PCR in chondrocytes isolated from cartilage specimens obtained from patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and multiorgan donors as normal controls.

Multiple sclerosis: an immune system activation disease.

Two-color flow-cytometric analysis on peripheral blood lymphocytes of 46 untreated multiple sclerosis patients (MS), 36 other medical disease patients (OMD) and 19 healthy control subjects (HC) was performed to know the relationships between T and B cell subpopulations. In MS patients we observed an increase of total lymphocyte count and an increase of CD4+CD29+ cells, which are adjuvant to B cell in antibody production. We hypothesized this change is related to the reduction of CD21+ cells, expressing B2 antigen which disappears after B cell activation.

CD21+ (B2 antigen+) cell decrement and CD4+CD29+ (helper-inducer) cell increment suggest an activation of cell immune reactivity in multiple sclerosis.

Two-color flow cytometric analysis on peripheral blood lymphocytes of 35 untreated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, 17 other medical disease (OMD) patients and 14 healthy control (HC) subjects was performed to evaluate the levels of different T and B cell subpopulations. In MS patients we observed an increase in CD4+CD29+ helper-inducer cells but this increase was not related to the different phases of the disease. We hypothesize that this change is related to the reduction of CD21+ cells expressing B2 antigen, a 140 kDa molecule disappearing after B cell activation.

Amplifications of multiple regions of the HTLV-I genome from DNA of an Italian spastic paraparesis patient but not from DNA of multiple sclerosis patients.

We searched for evidence of infection by the human T-cell lymphoma/leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) in patients with multiple sclerosis (40 cases); brainstem encephalitis (1 case); Friedreich's ataxia (1 case); spastic paraparesis of unknown etiology (1 case). All patients were from the region of Abruzzo, Italy. Sera were all negative for anti-HTLV-I reactivity by the Western blotting (WB) analysis.