Seccion Genetica Evolutiva, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay.
Published: April 2023
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Article Abstract
Spirometra Faust, Campbell et Kellogg, 1929 is a genus of cestodes belonging to the family Diphyllobothriidae. To date, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals are known second intermediate hosts of these parasites; humans can also be infected (the zoonotic disease is known as sparganosis or spirometrosis). Although the number of phylogenetic studies on Spirometra spp. has increased worldwide in recent years, there are few in South America. Specifically in Uruguay, molecular studies have shown that tapeworms of S. decipiens (Diesing, 1850) complexes 1 and 2 are present in this country. In this study, we characterised the larvae of Spirometra present in the annual fish Austrolebias charrua Costa et Cheffe. Phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences of these larvae showed that they belong to S. decipiens complex 1. This is the first report of teleost fishes serving as a second intermediate host for tapeworms of the genus Spirometra in nature.
Sesame cultivation was until recently restricted to the northwestern part of Benin. The yield is relatively low, as there are no improved varieties introduced and widely adopted so far. This study aimed to assess the molecular diversity, genetic differentiation, and the agronomic performance of a collection of local cultivars and introduced lines of sesame from China.
The ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE) is a Fe(II)/2-oxoglutarate (2OG) and l-arginine (l-Arg)-dependent oxygenase that primarily decomposes 2OG into ethylene while also catalyzing l-Arg hydroxylation. While the hydroxylation mechanism in EFE is similar to other Fe(II)/2OG-dependent oxygenases, the formation of ethylene is unique. Various redesign strategies have aimed to increase ethylene production in EFE, but success has been limited, highlighting the need for alternate approaches.
Background: Essential tremor (ET) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, with surgery serving as the principal treatment option. This paper presents a bibliometric analysis of research in the field of ET surgery from 2004 to 2024, aiming to identify current research hotspots and inform future research directions.
Methods: This study employs CiteSpace to analyze publication trends, countries/institutions, authors, keywords, and co-cited references in ET surgery, using the Web of Science core database from 2004 to 2024 to delineate the research pathways.
Chronobiology experiments often reveal intriguing non-linear phenomena, which require mathematical models and computer simulations for their interpretation. One example is shown here, where the two circadian oscillators located in the eyes of the mollusk were isolated and measured . By maintaining one eye under control conditions and manipulating the period of the second eye, Page and Nalovic (1992) obtained a diversity of results, including synchronized and desynchronized eyes, associated to weak coupling and period differences.
During retinal visual processing, rod bipolar cells (RBC) transfer scotopic signals from rods to AII amacrine cells as second-order neurons. Elucidation of the RBC's excitation/inhibition is essential for understanding the visual signal transmission. Excitation mechanisms via mGluR6 and voltage-gated Ca2+ channels in the RBCs and GABAergic inhibitory synaptic inputs have been studied in previous studies.
