Evolving Mechanistic Concepts of Epileptiform Synchronization and their Relevance in Curing Focal Epileptic Disorders.

The synchronized activity of neuronal networks under physiological conditions is mirrored by specific oscillatory patterns of the EEG that are associated with different behavioral states and cognitive functions. Excessive synchronization can, however, lead to focal epileptiform activity characterized by interictal and ictal discharges in epileptic patients and animal models. This review focusses on studies that have addressed epileptiform synchronization in temporal lobe regions by employing in vitro and in vivo recording techniques.

Comparison of Relative Bias, Precision, and Efficiency of Sampling Methods for Natural Enemies of Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

Generalist natural enemies play an important role in controlling soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in North America. Several sampling methods are used to monitor natural enemy populations in soybean, but there has been little work investigating their relative bias, precision, and efficiency. We compare five sampling methods: quadrats, whole-plant counts, sweep-netting, walking transects, and yellow sticky cards to determine the most practical methods for sampling the three most prominent species, which included Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), Coccinella septempunctata L.

Lacosamide modulates interictal spiking and high-frequency oscillations in a model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective: Nearly one third of patients presenting with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), the most prevalent lesion-related epileptic disorder in adulthood, do not respond to currently available antiepileptic medications. Thus, there is a need to identify and characterize new antiepileptic drugs. In this study, we used the pilocarpine model of MTLE to establish the effects of a third generation drug, lacosamide (LCM), on seizures, interictal spikes and high-frequency oscillations (HFOs, ripples: 80-200 Hz, fast ripples: 250-500 Hz).

Activity-dependent changes in excitability of perirhinal cortex networks in vitro.

Rat brain slices comprising the perirhinal cortex (PC) and a portion of the lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA), in standard medium, can generate synchronous oscillatory activity that is associated with action potential discharge and reflects the activation of glutamatergic and GABAergic receptors. We report here that similar synchronous oscillatory events are recorded in the PC in response to single-shock, electrical stimuli delivered in LA. In addition, we found that the latency of these responses progressively increased when the stimulus interval was varied from 10 to 1 s; for example, the response latency during stimuli delivered at 1 Hz was more than twofold longer than that seen during stimulation at 0.

Environmental consequences of invasive species: greenhouse gas emissions of insecticide use and the role of biological control in reducing emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with pesticide applications against invasive species constitute an environmental cost of species invasions that has remained largely unrecognized. Here we calculate greenhouse gas emissions associated with the invasion of an agricultural pest from Asia to North America. The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, was first discovered in North America in 2000, and has led to a substantial increase in insecticide use in soybeans.

Within-plant bottom-up effects mediate non-consumptive impacts of top-down control of soybean aphids.

There is increasing evidence that top-down controls have strong non-consumptive effects on herbivore populations. However, little is known about how these non-consumptive effects relate to bottom-up influences. Using a series of field trials, we tested how changes in top-down and bottom-up controls at the within-plant scale interact to increase herbivore suppression.

Spatial distribution of Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae): a summary of the suction trap network.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an economically important pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in the United States. Phenological information of A.

Impacts of thiamethoxam seed treatment and host plant resistance on the soybean aphid fungal pathogen, Pandora neoaphidis.

Since the introduction of soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, from Asia, insecticide use in soybean has increased substantially in the north central United States. Insecticide seed treatments and aphid resistant soybean varieties are management tactics that may reduce reliance on foliar applications of broad-spectrum insecticides. Exploring potential nontarget impacts of these technologies will be an important step in incorporating them into aphid management programs.

Novel and viable acetylcholinesterase target site for developing effective and environmentally safe insecticides.

Insect pests are responsible for human suffering and financial losses worldwide. New and environmentally safe insecticides are urgently needed to cope with these serious problems. Resistance to current insecticides has resulted in a resurgence of insect pests, and growing concerns about insecticide toxicity to humans discourage the use of insecticides for pest control.

Neuropathic Nav1.3-mediated sensitization to P2X activation is regulated by protein kinase C.

Background: Increased neuronal excitability and spontaneous firing are hallmark characteristics of injured sensory neurons. Changes in expression of various voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) have been observed under neuropathic conditions and there is evidence for the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) in sensory hyperexcitability. Here we demonstrate the contribution of PKC to P2X-evoked VGSC activation in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in neuropathic conditions.

Ecology and management of the soybean aphid in North America.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, has become the single most important arthropod pest of soybeans in North America. Native to Asia, this invasive species was first discovered in North America in July 2000 and has rapidly spread throughout the northcentral United States, much of southeastern Canada, and the northeastern United States. In response, important elements of the ecology of the soybean aphid in North America have been elucidated, with economic thresholds, sampling plans, and chemical control recommendations widely adopted.

Development and validation of node-based sample units for estimating soybean aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) densities in field cage experiments.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is currently the most important insect threat to soybean, Clycine max (L.) Merr., production in the North Central United States.

Voltage-gated sodium channels as therapeutic targets in epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) are key mediators of intrinsic neuronal and muscle excitability. Abnormal VGSC activity is central to the pathophysiology of epileptic seizures, and many of the most widely used antiepileptic drugs, including phenytoin, carbamazepine, and lamotrigine, are inhibitors of VGSC function. These antiepileptic drugs might also be efficacious in the treatment of other nervous system disorders, such as migraine, multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and neuropathic pain.

Insect-specific irreversible inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase in pests including the bed bug, the eastern yellowjacket, German and American cockroaches, and the confused flour beetle.

Insecticides directed against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are facing increased resistance among target species as well as increasing concerns for human toxicity. The result has been a resurgence of disease vectors, insects destructive to agriculture, and residential pests. We previously reported a free cysteine (Cys) residue at the entrance to the AChE active site in some insects but not higher vertebrates.

Probability of cost-effective management of soybean aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in North America.

Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the most damaging pests of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in the midwestern United States and Canada. We compared three soybean aphid management techniques in three midwestern states (Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota) for a 3-yr period (2005-2007).

Selective and irreversible inhibitors of mosquito acetylcholinesterases for controlling malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.

New insecticides are urgently needed because resistance to current insecticides allows resurgence of disease-transmitting mosquitoes while concerns for human toxicity from current compounds are growing. We previously reported the finding of a free cysteine (Cys) residue at the entrance of the active site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in some insects but not in mammals, birds, and fish. These insects have two AChE genes (AP and AO), and only AP-AChE carries the Cys residue.

Within-plant distribution of soybean aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and development of node-based sample units for estimating whole-plant densities in soybean.

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is capable of reducing soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., yield up to 40% during severe outbreaks.

Proepileptic influence of a focal vascular lesion affecting entorhinal cortex-CA3 connections after status epilepticus.

In limbic seizures, neuronal excitation is conveyed from the entorhinal cortex directly to CA1 and subicular regions. This phenomenon is associated with a reduced ability of CA3 to respond to entorhinal cortex inputs. Here, we describe a lesion that destroys the perforant path in CA3 after status epilepticus (SE) induced by pilocarpine injection in 8-week-old rats.

How do mutant Nav1.1 sodium channels cause epilepsy?

Voltage-gated sodium channels comprise pore-forming alpha subunits and auxiliary beta subunits. Nine different alpha subtypes, designated Nav1.1-Nav1.

Economic threshold for soybean aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

Soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), reached damaging levels in 2003 and 2005 in soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, in most northern U.S.

Reduced GABAB receptor subunit expression and paired-pulse depression in a genetic model of absence seizures.

Neocortical networks play a major role in the genesis of generalized spike-and-wave (SW) discharges associated with absence seizures in humans and in animal models, including genetically predisposed WAG/Rij rats. Here, we tested the hypothesis that alterations in GABA(B) receptors contribute to neocortical hyperexcitability in these animals. By using Real-Time PCR we found that mRNA levels for most GABA(B(1)) subunits are diminished in epileptic WAG/Rij neocortex as compared with age-matched non-epileptic controls (NEC), whereas GABA(B(2)) mRNA is unchanged.

A simple method for in-field sex determination of the multicolored Asian lady beetle Harmonia axyridis.

The multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), has become a popular study organism due to its promise as a biological control agent and its potential adverse, non-target impacts. Behavioral and ecological research on H. axyridis, including examinations of its impacts, could benefit from non-destructive or non-disruptive sexing techniques for this coccinellid.