Distribution, Invasion History, and Ecology of Non-native Pine Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) in Southern South America.

The growth of international trade, coupled with an expansion of large-scale pine plantations in South America during the second half of the twentieth century, has significantly increased the opportunities for the invasion of forest insects. Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are a large and diverse group of insects, commonly recognized as one of the most important tree mortality agents in coniferous forests worldwide and an important group among invasive forest species. In this study, we combined data from field sampling with published records of established non-native pine bark beetles, to describe their distribution and invasion history in pine plantations across southern South America, reviewing the available information on their phenology and host range.

The activity of IKCa and BKCa channels contributes to insulin-mediated NO synthesis and vascular tone regulation in human umbilical vein.

Insulin regulates the l-arginine/nitric oxide (NO) pathway in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), increasing the plasma membrane expression of the l-arginine transporter hCAT-1 and inducing vasodilation in umbilical and placental veins. Placental vascular relaxation induced by insulin is dependent of large conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (BKCa), but the role of KCa channels on l-arginine transport and NO synthesis is still unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the contribution of KCa channels in both insulin-induced l-arginine transport and NO synthesis, and its relationship with placental vascular relaxation.

Introduction and Establishment of Pissodes castaneus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in the Andean Patagonia of Argentina.

The pine weevils that occur in plantations of Pinus spp. in Andean Patagonia of Argentina belong to the species Pissodes castaneus (De Geer), a Eurasian endemic species, according to the identification based on molecular and morphological characters. Sequences of the mitochondrial Cytochrome oxidase subunit I and nuclear genes (28 S rDNA and ITS2) were obtained for individuals of 13 afforestations, covering the entire distribution area of the established populations in the Andean Patagonia of Argentina.

Vascularised iliac graft as a method of acetabular augmentation in subluxed hip in adolescents.

This article presents the clinical experience of patients with a dysplasic subluxated hip treated with the same procedure involving a vascularised graft of iliac crest by sartorius muscle. This study was performed in three different centres, in two different countries, and in 31 patients with 37 hips (9 bilateral). All patients were clinically evaluated according to the Merle d Aubigne scale and radiological measuring of acetabular coverage, Sharp angle, and CE angle.