Leaf Preference of Heliothrips hαemorrhoidαlis (Thysonoptera: Thripidae) on Vιburnum tinus

Η προτίμηση του Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouché) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), που αποτελεί σημαντικό εχθρό πολλών καλλωπιστικών φυτών, για φΰλλα διαφορερικής ηλικίας μελετήθηκε σε φυτά του καλλωπιστικού" θάμνου Viburnum tinus. Για το σκοπό αυτό, από βλαστούς μήκους 30-40 cm, συλλέγονταν φύλλα από το ανώτερο, μεσαίο και κατώτερο τμήμα τους. Οι δειγματοληψίες διεξάγονταν ανά εβδομάδα από τις 11 Απριλίου ε'ως τις 15 Σεπτεμβρίου 2000. Βρε'θηκε ότι ο πληθυσμός του θρίπα αυτού διατηρήθηκε σε υψηλά επίπεδα (που κυμάνθηκαν από 10 εως 76 άτομα ανά φύλλο) με'χρι τα μέσα Ιουνίου οπότε και άρχισε η μείωση του μέχρι που μηδενίστηκε στις 4 Ιουλίου. Οι υψηλές θερμοκρασίες που σημειώθηκαν από τα μέσα Ιουνίου και μετέπειτα ήταν πιθανώς η κύρια αιτία για το μηδενισμό του πληθυσμού του. Στις δειγματοληψίες από τις 4 Ιουλίου έως το τέλος της μελέτης αυτής δεν βρέθηκαν άτομα του Η. haemoirhoidalis. Η ανάλυση των δεδομένων έδειξε ότι το Η. haemorrhoidalis προτιμά να αναπτύσσει τον πληθυσμό του στα κατώτερα φύλλα και σε μικρότερο βαθμό στα μεσαία, ενώ στα φύλλα από το κορυφαίο τμήμα τουβλαστού αναπτύσσεται σημαντικά μικρότερο ποσοστό του πληθυσμού του. Όσον αφορά τους φυσικούς εχθρούς βρέθηκε μικρός αριθμός ατόμων Orius vicinus (Ribaut) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). Γενικά, τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι σε περίπτωση που απαιτείται να γίνει αντιμετώπιση του εντόμου αυτού, το γεγονός ότι ο πληθυσμός του αναπτύσσεται κυρίως στα κάτω φύλλα θα πρέπει να λαμβάνεται υπόψη.The leaf preference of larvae, pupae and adults of Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Buche) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a serious pest of several ornamental plants, were studied on Viburnum tinus. Leaves were sampled for thrips from the base, middle and distal end of viburnum twigs at weekly intervals from April 11 to September 15, 2000. The population of this thrips was observed at high levels of between 10 to 76 thrips per leaf, till the middle of June when it sharply declined to zero, probably due to high temperatures. Higher populations developed on the basal than on the middle leaves. The lowest populations were recorded on the distal leaves. The predator Orius vicinus (Ribaut) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) was recorded in low numbers and therefore its effect on thrips populations was considered negligible

Inhibition of LtxA Toxicity by Blocking Cholesterol Binding with Peptides

The leukotoxin (LtxA) produced by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans kills host immune cells, allowing the bacterium to establish an ecological niche in the upper aerodigestive tract of its human host. The interaction of LtxA with human immune cells is both complex and multifaceted, involving membrane lipids as well as cell-surface proteins. In the initial encounter with the host cell, LtxA associates with lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1, a cell surface adhesion glycoprotein. However, we have also demonstrated that the toxin associates strongly with the plasma membrane lipids, specifically cholesterol. This association with cholesterol is regulated by a cholesterol recognition amino acid consensus (CRAC) motif, with a sequence of 334LEEYSKR340, in the N-terminal region of the toxin. Here, we have demonstrated that removal of cholesterol from the plasma membrane or mutation of the LtxA CRAC motif inhibits the activity of the toxin in THP-1 cells. To inhibit LtxA activity, we designed a short peptide corresponding to the CRAC336 motif of LtxA (CRAC336WT). This peptide binds to cholesterol and thereby inhibits the toxicity of LtxA in THP-1 cells. Previously, we showed that this peptide inhibits LtxA toxicity against Jn.9 (Jurkat) cells, indicating that peptides derived from the cholesterol-binding site of LtxA may have a potential clinical applicability in controllinginfections of repeats-in-toxin-producing organisms. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S

Survival and quality of life benefit after endoscopic management of malignant central airway obstruction

Although interventional management of malignant central airway obstruction (mCAO) is well established, its impact on survival and quality of life (QoL) has not been extensively studied.We prospectively assessed survival, QoL and dyspnea (using validated EORTC questionnaire) in patients with mCAO 1 day before interventional bronchoscopy, 1 week after and every following month, in comparison to patients who declined this approach. Material/Patients/Methods: 36 patients underwent extensive interventional bronchoscopic management as indicated, whereas 12 declined. All patients received full chemotherapy and radiotherapy as indicated. Patients of the 2 groups were matched for age, comorbidities, type of malignancy and level of obstruction. Follow up time was 8.0±8.7 (range 1-38) months.Mean survival for intervention and control group was 10±9 and 4±3 months respectively (p=0.04). QoL improved significantly in intervention group patients up to the 6(th) month (p<0.05) not deteriorating for those surviving up to 12 months. Dyspnea decreased in patients of the intervention group 1 month post procedure remaining reduced for survivors over the 12th month. Patients of the control group had worse QoL and dyspnea in all time points.Interventional management of patients with mCAO, may achieve prolonged survival with sustained significant improvement of QoL and dyspnea

Discretization Provides a Conceptually Simple Tool to Build Expression Networks

Biomarker identification, using network methods, depends on finding regular co-expression patterns; the overall connectivity is of greater importance than any single relationship. A second requirement is a simple algorithm for ranking patients on how relevant a gene-set is. For both of these requirements discretized data helps to first identify gene cliques, and then to stratify patients

Bone histology provides insights into the life history mechanisms underlying dwarfing in hipparionins

Size shifts may be a by-product of alterations in life history traits driven by natural selection. Although this approach has been proposed for islands, it has not yet been explored in continental faunas. The trends towards size decrease experienced by some hipparionins constitute a good case study for the application of a life history framework to understand the size shifts on the continent. Here, we analysed bone microstructure to reconstruct the growth of some different-sized hipparionins from Greece and Spain. The two dwarfed lineages studied show different growth strategies. The Greek hipparions ceased growth early at a small size thus advancing maturity, whilst the slower-growing Spanish hipparion matured later at a small size. Based on predictive life history models, we suggest that high adult mortality was the likely selective force behind early maturity and associated size decrease in the Greek lineage. Conversely, we infer that resource limitation accompanied by high juvenile mortality triggered decrease in growth rate and a relative late maturity in the Spanish lineage. Our results provide evidence that different selective pressures can precipitate different changes in life history that lead to similar size shifts

Reconciling the stratigraphy and depositional history of the Lycian orogen-top basins, SW Anatolia

Terrestrial fossil records from the SWAnatolian basins are crucial both for regional correlations and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. By reassessing biostratigraphic constraints and incorporating new fossil data, we calibrated and reconstructed the late Neogene andQuaternary palaeoenvironments within a regional palaeogeographical framework. The culmination of the Taurides inSWAnatolia was followed by a regional crustal extension from the late Tortonian onwards that created a broad array of NE-trending orogen-top basins with synchronic associations of alluvial fan, fluvial and lacustrine deposits. The terrestrial basins are superimposed on the upper Burdigalian marine units with a c. 7 myr of hiatus that corresponds to a shift from regional shortening to extension. The initial infill of these basins is documented by a transition from marginal alluvial fans and axial fluvial systems into central shallow-perennial lakes coinciding with a climatic shift from warm/humid to arid conditions. The basal alluvial fan deposits abound in fossil macro-mammals of an early Turolian (MN11–12; late Tortonian) age. The Pliocene epoch in the region was punctuated by subhumid/humid conditions resulting in a rise of local base levels and expansion of lakes as evidenced by marsh-swamp deposits containing diverse fossilmammal assemblages indicating late Ruscinian (lateMN15; late Zanclean) ageWe are grateful for the support of the international bilateral project between The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and The Russian Scientific Foundation (RFBR) with grant a number of 111Y192. M.C.A. is grateful to the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) for a GEBIP (Young Scientist Award) grant. T.K. and S.M. are grateful to the Ege University Scientific Research Center for the TTM/002/2016 and TTM/001/2016 projects. M.C.A., H.A., S.M. and M.B. have obtained Martin and Temmick Fellowships at Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden). F.A.D. is supported by a Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Scientific Research Grant. T.A.N. is supported by an Alexander-von-Humboldt Scholarship. L.H.O. received support from TUBITAK under the 2221 program for visiting scientists

Evaluation of TLICS for thoracolumbar fractures

Purpose: Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score (TILCS), facilitates the communication between physicians, and guides to treatment decision with better outcome. A composite injury severity score is calculated from these characteristics stratifying patients into operative and non-operative treatment. Aim of this study is to identify the effectiveness of TLICS scoring for thoracolumbar vertebral fractures without neurological deficits and the efficacy of conservative treatment in patients with TILCS 4. Methods: 58 patients with thoracolumbar fracture were included. 38 patients with TLICS 1–3 (group A) and 20 patients with TLICS 4 (group B) treated conservatively, were evaluated with traditional two-plain radiographic examination, CT-scan and MRI. The pain and functional scales were used in the clinical evaluation. Local kyphosis angle, sagittal index and height loss percentage were measured in the radiologic evaluation. Mean follow-up period was 28 months. Post-fracture and follow-up values were compared. Functional scores and clinical outcomes of the groups were compared. Results: The mean pain (1 = worse pain, reverse-VAS) and functional scores at the final follow-up were 8.2 and 86 points, respectively (group A), 6.4 and 76 points (group B). The mean period for returning to work was 3.2 (group A) and 3.8 months (group B). Comparing the two groups did not demonstrate any statistical difference of their clinical and functional outcomes. Conclusion: The study’s results demonstrate that conservative treatment for TLICS 4 thoracolumbar fractures can be safely applied. The conservative treatment of cases scoring TLICS 4 is equally effective to those scoring ≤3. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Salvage of the Foot for Recurrent Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are rare soft tissue tumors accounting for 3% to 10% of all soft tissue tumors. They are strongly related to neurofibromatosis type 1, an autosomal dominant disease, and are characterized by aggressive biologic behavior, high local recurrence rates, and frequent metastases. Although the major nerves of the lower extremities are a common location of these tumors, scarce cases have been reported of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors involving the interdigital nerves of the foot. We report the case of a patient with non-neurofibromatosis type 1 and a recurrent malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the first interdigital nerve of the foot treated successfully with limb salvage surgery with wide resection margins and reconstruction with an autogenous fibula graft. © 2017 American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeon