The venom gland of the scorpion species Euscorpius mingrelicus (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae): morphological and ultrastructural characterization

The histology and ultrastructure of venom glands in the scorpion Euscorpius mingrelicus (Kessler, 1874) are described and illustrated in the current study for the first time by employing light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The venom apparatus is composed of a pair of venom glands and a stinger, both situated in the last segment of the metasoma. The venom glands are completely separate but similar. The two glands are segregated within the telson by striated muscle bundles, and their outer surfaces are surrounded by a cuticle. An internal layer constitutes the secretory epithelium. This epithelium is made up of simple columnar cells. The nucleus and organelles involved in cellular synthetic activity are situated basally. In the apical portion, near the gland lumen, there are many secretory granules of different sizes, shapes and electron densities

What Fisher Knew About His Relation, We Sometimes Forget

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Expected consumption growth increases the real interest rate as one tries to smooth consumption over time. We demonstrate that placing it in the Fisher relation 1) is consistent with the Euler equation governing the purchase of nominal bonds, 2) explains observed procyclicality of the real interest rate. 3) is supported empirically, and 4) provides an alternative method for estimating the consumer's degree of relative risk aversion. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

An Investigation on the antimicrobial activity of some endemic plant species from Turkey

In this study performed on six endemic plant species, antimicrobial activity was observed in Campanula lyrata subsp.lyrata and Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmuelleriana plants. The minimum inhibitoryconcentration of C. lyrata subsp. lyrata (leaf and flower) extract was found to be 29 mg/ml for Baccillus subtilis and 14.5 mg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Abies nordmanniana subsp. bornmuelleriana (leaf) extract was found to be > 314 mg/ml for B. subtilis and when minimum bacteriocidal concentration (MBC) results were evaluated, it was observed that the plant extracts had bacteriocidal effects. No antimicrobial activity was observed inthe other plant extracts, namely, Onosma bornmuelleri (leaf- flower), Dianthus balansae (leaf- flower), Alyssum pateri subsp. pateri (seed) and Scabiosa columbaria subsp. paphlagonica (leaf) extracts thatwere tested

Morphological characterization of the venom apparatus in the wolf spider Lycosa singoriensis (Laxmann, 1770)

The wolf spider Lycosa singoriensis (Laxmann, 1770) (Lycosidae: Araneae) is distributed throughout central and eastern Europe, including Russia, Kazakhistan and Turkey. This study describes the venom apparatus morphology of L. singoriensis through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Its structure follows the general architecture observed in other spiders. Generally, a venom apparatus is composed by a pair of venom glands and chelicerae. L. singoriensis chelicerae are robust and consist of a stout basis and a movable apical segment (fang). The fang rests in a groove on the basal segment that is covered by different types of hair. L. singoriensis venom glands present equal size and measure about 4 mm in length. Each gland is enclosed by irregular muscular layers

Prognostic image-based quantification of CD8CD103 T cell subsets in high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients

CD103-positive tissue resident memory-like CD8+ T cells (CD8CD103 TRM) are associated with improved prognosis across malignancies, including high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). However, whether quantification of CD8, CD103 or both is required to improve existing survival prediction and whether all HGSOC patients or only specific subgroups of patients benefit from infiltration, remains unclear. To address this question, we applied image-based quantification of CD8 and CD103 multiplex immunohistochemistry in the intratumoral and stromal compartments of 268 advanced-stage HGSOC patients from two independent clinical institutions. Infiltration of CD8CD103 immune cell subsets was independent of clinicopathological factors. Our results suggest CD8CD103 TRM quantification as a superior method for prognostication compared to single CD8 or CD103 quantification. A survival benefit of CD8CD103 TRM was observed only in patients treated with primary cytoreductive surgery. Moreover, survival benefit in this group was limited to patients with no macroscopic tumor lesions after surgery. This approach provides novel insights into prognostic stratification of HGSOC patients and may contribute to personalized treatment strategies in the future

L1CAM mutation in association with X-linked hydrocephalus and Hirschsprung’s disease

X-linked hydrocephalus (XLH) is characterized by increased intracranial ventricle size and head circumference secondary to aqueduct of Sylvius congenital stenosis. Exceedingly rare is the concurrence of XLH and Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR) with a theoretical incidence of 1 in 125–250 million cases. Herein, we are describing a case of a patient with concurrent XLH and HSCR. The patient was delivered via cesarean section at 37 weeks gestation and underwent uneventful ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. As a part of a workup for constipation, we performed a rectal biopsy, which was consistent with HSCR. Genetics testing showed hemizygous for R558X hemizygous mutation in the L1CAM gene. A C → T nucleotide substitution in exon 13 resulted in replacement of an arginine codon with a stop codon, a nonsense mutation. Although it is widely accepted that HSCR represents the failure of early embryonic neural crest cells to migrate properly, the exact mechanism is not known. The association of HSCR with XLH in the presence of L1CAM mutations remains quite interesting because cell adhesion molecules are involved in the proper migration of neural components throughout the body. Additional studies are necessary to fully elucidate the relationship between XLH and HSCR in the presence of L1CAM mutations

De novo mutations in SMCHD1 cause Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome and abrogate nasal development

Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome (BAMS) is an extremely rare and striking condition characterized by complete absence of the nose with or without ocular defects. We report here that missense mutations in the epigenetic regulator SMCHD1 mapping to the extended ATPase domain of the encoded protein cause BAMS in all 14 cases studied. All mutations were de novo where parental DNA was available. Biochemical tests and in vivo assays in Xenopus laevis embryos suggest that these mutations may behave as gain-of-function alleles. This finding is in contrast to the loss-of-function mutations in SMCHD1 that have been associated with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) type 2. Our results establish SMCHD1 as a key player in nasal development and provide biochemical insight into its enzymatic function that may be exploited for development of therapeutics for FSHD