An overview of the tapeworms of vertebrate bowels of the earth

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Neuropathic pain: redefinition and a grading system for clinical and research purposes.

Pain usually results from activation of nociceptive afferents by actually or potentially tissue-damaging stimuli. Pain may also arise by activity generated within the nervous system without adequate stimulation of its peripheral sensory endings. For this type of pain, the International Association for the Study of Pain introduced the term neuropathic pain, defined as "pain initiated or caused by a primary lesion or dysfunction in the nervous system." While this definition has been useful in distinguishing some characteristics of neuropathic and nociceptive types of pain, it lacks defined boundaries. Since the sensitivity of the nociceptive system is modulated by its adequate activation (e.g., by central sensitization), it has been difficult to distinguish neuropathic dysfunction from physiologic neuroplasticity. We present a more precise definition developed by a group of experts from the neurologic and pain community: pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system. This revised definition fits into the nosology of neurologic disorders. The reference to the somatosensory system was derived from a wide range of neuropathic pain conditions ranging from painful neuropathy to central poststroke pain. Because of the lack of a specific diagnostic tool for neuropathic pain, a grading system of definite, probable, and possible neuropathic pain is proposed. The grade possible can only be regarded as a working hypothesis, which does not exclude but does not diagnose neuropathic pain. The grades probable and definite require confirmatory evidence from a neurologic examination. This grading system is proposed for clinical and research purposes

First High‐Resolution Benthic Habitat Map From the Greenland Shelf (Disko Bay Pilot Study)

A healthy ocean where marine habitats and ecosystems are mapped and protected is one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals to sustainably use marine resources. Our study presents the first high-resolution benthic habitat map from Greenland integrating analyses of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, and ground-truth data including video sled, drop camera and day grab. The pilot area of 30 × 20 km is located on the continental shelf in central Disko Bay, West Greenland and all data were collected in a single, 10-day survey. Multibeam bathymetry data were gridded to a 10 × 10 m resolution, whereas backscatter mosaic was built from a 1 × 1 m grid cell to obtain higher resolution manifestation of seafloor properties. Ground-truth data consisted of 14 video transects, 17 drop camera deployments, and 17 sediment samples. Our results were verified with the published shallow seismic and vibrocore data from the Disko Bay region to link the geological background with the sedimentary environment. We distinguished five physical habitats in the area, based on the distribution of sediment types, water depth with general water masses and morphology. In addition, numerous gas seeps alongside pockmarks were observed in the area, as well as recent iceberg ploughmarks. The identified habitats were associated with two basic communities of benthic fauna, linked primarily to the distribution of sediments and representing hard bottom habitats (sessile fauna) and soft bottom habitats (shrimp/polychaetes). Our study is the first step toward mapping the entire seafloor of Disko Bay to provide a scientific context for the management of seafloor and marine resources

Estimates of success in patients with sciatica due to lumbar disc herniation depend upon outcome measure

The objectives were to estimate the cut-off points for success on different sciatica outcome measures and to determine the success rate after an episode of sciatica by using these cut-offs. A 12-month multicenter observational study was conducted on 466 patients with sciatica and lumbar disc herniation. The cut-off values were estimated by ROC curve analyses using Completely recovered or Much better on a 7-point global change scale as external criterion for success. The cut-off values (references in brackets) at 12 months were leg pain VAS 17.5 (0–100), back pain VAS 22.5 (0–100), Sciatica Bothersomeness Index 6.5 (0–24), Maine-Seattle Back Questionnaire 4.5 (0–12), and the SF-36 subscales bodily pain 51.5, and physical functioning 81.7 (0–100, higher values indicate better health). In conclusion, the success rates at 12 months varied from 49 to 58% depending on the measure used. The proposed cut-offs may facilitate the comparison of success rates across studies

Inherited biotic protection in a Neotropical pioneer plant

Chelonanthus alatus is a bat-pollinated, pioneer Gentianaceae that clusters in patches where still-standing, dried-out stems are interspersed among live individuals. Flowers bear circum-floral nectaries (CFNs) that are attractive to ants, and seed dispersal is both barochorous and anemochorous. Although, in this study, live individuals never sheltered ant colonies, dried-out hollow stems - that can remain standing for 2 years - did. Workers from species nesting in dried-out stems as well as from ground-nesting species exploited the CFNs of live C. alatus individuals in the same patches during the daytime, but were absent at night (when bat pollination occurs) on 60.5% of the plants. By visiting the CFNs, the ants indirectly protect the flowers - but not the plant foliage - from herbivorous insects. We show that this protection is provided mostly by species nesting in dried-out stems, predominantly Pseudomyrmex gracilis. That dried-out stems remain standing for years and are regularly replaced results in an opportunistic, but stable association where colonies are sheltered by one generation of dead C. alatus while the live individuals nearby, belonging to the next generation, provide them with nectar; in turn, the ants protect their flowers from herbivores. We suggest that the investment in wood by C. alatus individuals permitting stillstanding, dried-out stems to shelter ant colonies constitutes an extended phenotype because foraging workers protect the flowers of live individuals in the same patch. Also, through this process these dried-out stems indirectly favor the reproduction (and so the fitness) of the next generation including both their own offspring and that of their siblings, alladding up to a potential case of inclusive fitness in plants

Functional alpha-1B adrenergic receptors on human epicardial coronary artery endothelial cells

Alpha-1-adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs) regulate coronary arterial blood flow by binding catecholamines, norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EPI), causing vasoconstriction when the endothelium is disrupted. Among the three α1-AR subtypes (α1A, α1B, and α1D), the α1D subtype predominates in human epicardial coronary arteries and is functional in human coronary smooth muscle cells (SMCs). However, the presence or function of α1-ARs on human coronary endothelial cells (ECs) is unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that human epicardial coronary ECs express functional α1-ARs. Cultured human epicardial coronary artery ECs were studied using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, radioligand binding, immunoblot, and 3H-thymidine incorporation. The α1B-subtype messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) was predominant in cultured human epicardial coronary ECs (90–95% of total α1-AR mRNA), and total α1-AR binding density in ECs was twice that in coronary SMCs. Functionally, NE and EPI through the α1B subtype activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in ECs, stimulated phosphorylation of EC endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and increased deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis. These results are the first to demonstrate α1-ARs on human coronary ECs and indicate that the α1B subtype is predominant. Our findings provide another potential mechanism for adverse cardiac effects of drug antagonists that nonselectively inhibit all three α1-AR subtypes