Identifying species likely threatened by international trade on the IUCN Red List can inform CITES trade measures.

Overexploitation is a major threat to biodiversity and international trade in many species is regulated through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, there is no established method to systematically determine which species are most at risk from international trade to inform potential trade measures under CITES. Here, we develop a mechanism using the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species to identify species that are likely to be threatened by international trade.

A (conditional) role for labdane-related diterpenoid natural products in rice stomatal closure.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the staple food for over half the world's population. Drought stress imposes major constraints on rice yields. Intriguingly, labdane-related diterpenoid (LRD) phytoalexins in maize (Zea mays) affect drought tolerance, as indicated by the increased susceptibility of an insertion mutant of the class II diterpene cyclase ZmCPS2/An2 that initiates such biosynthesis.

The environmental impacts of palm oil in context.

Delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires balancing demands on land between agriculture (SDG 2) and biodiversity (SDG 15). The production of vegetable oils and, in particular, palm oil, illustrates these competing demands and trade-offs. Palm oil accounts for ~40% of the current global annual demand for vegetable oil as food, animal feed and fuel (210 Mt), but planted oil palm covers less than 5-5.

Use of Dapsone in the Treatment of Chronic Idiopathic and Autoimmune Urticaria.

Importance: The first-line treatment for patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), which is divided into idiopathic and autoimmune subtypes, consists of H1-antihistamines. However, limited evidence guides the treatment of CSU after maximal therapy with antihistamines fails. Two randomized clinical trials suggest that dapsone may be a successful second-line therapy.

Biochemistry, Physiology, and Tissue Interactions of Contemporary Biodegradable Injectable Dermal Fillers.

Background: Injectable dermal fillers are becoming increasingly popular for soft tissue augmentation and rejuvenation. Most contemporary biodegradable products are derived from hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite, or poly-L-lactic acid. Achievement of desired cosmetic outcomes is largely dependent on selection of the optimal injectable product based on the chemical composition, the physiologic interactions with surrounding tissue, product longevity, and a thorough understanding of potential adverse reactions.

Dermatology in Ghana: a retrospective review of skin disease at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Dermatology Clinic.

Introduction: Ghana is currently developing its provision of dermatology services. Epidemiologic studies of the skin diseases seen by Ghanaian dermatologists are needed to guide these efforts. We aimed to describe the skin conditions seen by and management practices of Ghanaian dermatologists in a specialized clinic.

Acral keratoses and squamous-cell carcinomas likely associated with arsenic exposure.

Chronic arsenic exposure is known to inducepunctate keratoses with an increased risk ofprimary squamous-cell carcinoma. Drinking wateris currently the major source of arsenic exposureworldwide and is considered one of the mostsubstantial environmental carcinogens. We describethe case of a 61-year-old Hungarian woman withscattered, acral, hyperkeratotic papules and a historyof five palmoplantar squamous-cell carcinomasas well as two other extremity non-melanomaskin cancers.

Luciferase inhibition by a novel naphthoquinone.

The novel naphthoquinone 12,13-dihydro-N-methyl-6,11,13-trioxo-5H-benzo[4,5]cyclohepta[1,2-b]naphthalen-5,12-imine (hereafter called TU100) was created as a potential chemotherapeutic agent. Previous work showed it is an irreversible inhibitor of type I and II topoisomerases that alkylates specific enzyme thiols. While analyzing the effect of TU100 on cancer cells, we discovered it is a potent inhibitor of luciferase derived from both Photinus pyralis (fireflies) and Renilla reniformis (sea pansy).

Serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms are associated with emotional modulation of pain but not emotional modulation of spinal nociception.

The short allele of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) is associated with greater negative emotionality. Given that emotion modulates pain, short allele carriers (s-carriers) may also demonstrate altered pain modulation. The present study used a well-validated emotional picture-viewing paradigm to modulate pain and the nociceptive flexion reflex (NFR, a measure of spinal nociception) in 144 healthy genotyped participants.