Potential distribution of a climate sensitive species, the White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis in Europe

The White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis nivalis is assumed to be highly threatened by climate change, but this high elevation species has been little studied and the current breeding distribution is accurately known only for a minor portion of its range. Here, we provide a detailed and spatially explicit identification of the potentially suitable breeding areas for the Snowfinch. We modelled suitable areas in Europe and compared them with the currently known distribution. We built a distribution model using 14,574 records obtained during the breeding period that integrated climatic, topographic and land-cover variables, working at a 2-km spatial resolution with MaxEnt. The model performed well and was very robust; average annual temperature was the most important occurrence predictor (optimum between c.-3°C and 0°; unsuitable conditions below -10° and above 5°). The current European breeding range estimated by BirdLife International was almost three times greater than that classified as potentially suitable by our model. Discrepancies between our model and the distribution estimated by BirdLife International were particularly evident in eastern Europe, where the species is poorly monitored. Southern populations are likely more isolated and at major risk because of global warming. These differences have important implications for the supposed national responsibility for conservation of the species and highlight the need for new investigations on the species in the eastern part of its European range

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as a prognostic factor for colorectal cancer.

ANTICANCER RESEARCH (ATHENS

Immunocytochemical detection of hMSH2 and hMLH1 expression in oral melanoma.

The DNA mismatch repair system (MMR) plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic stability. To date few studies have been performed on hMSH2 and hMLH1 expression and melanoma of the head and neck region. A study of two cases revealed no mutations of the mismatch repair genes hMSH2 and hMLH1.To verify the possibility of implication of hMSH2 and hMLH1 alterations in melanocytic cancerogenesis, the authors examined the protein expression pattern of hMSH2 and hMLH1 by immunohistochemistry in 9 paraffin-embedded oral melanoma.One case (11\%) showed nuclear positivity for hMSH2, 3 cases (33\%) showed cytoplasmic positivity, and five cases (55\%) showed no staining in the tumoral cells, even if normal squamous epithelium available in this section showed a nuclear positivity. Four cases (44\%) showed no hMLH1 staining in the tumoral cells, even if normal squamous epithelium available in this section showed a nuclear positivity. Two cases (22\%) showed nuclear positivity, and three cases (33\%) showed cytoplasmic positivity.The analysis of mismatch repair genes can be a new molecular diagnostic tools for the detection of patients at high risk of developing melanoma and other neoplasia, or metastasis and recurrences

Carcinoma associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote breast cancer motility by suppressing mammalian Diaphanous-related formin-2 (mDia2)

<div><p>The tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes tumor cell invasion and metastasis. An important step in the shift to a pro-cancerous microenvironment is the transformation of normal stromal fibroblasts to carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs are present in a majority of solid tumors and can directly promote tumor cell motility via cytokine, chemokine and growth factor secretion into the TME. The exact effects that the TME has upon cytoskeletal regulation in motile tumor cells remain enigmatic. The conserved formin family of cytoskeleton regulating proteins plays an essential role in the assembly and/or bundling of unbranched actin filaments. Mammalian Diaphanous-related formin 2 (mDia2/DIAPH3/Drf3/Dia) assembles a dynamic F-actin cytoskeleton that underlies tumor cell migration and invasion. We therefore sought to understand whether CAF-derived chemokines impact breast tumor cell motility through modification of the formin-assembled F-actin cytoskeleton. In MDA-MB-231 cells, conditioned media (CM) from WS19T CAFs, a human breast tumor-adjacent CAF line, significantly and robustly increased wound closure and invasion relative to normal human mammary fibroblast (HMF)-CM. WS19T-CM also promoted proteasome-mediated mDia2 degradation in MDA-MB-231 cells relative to control HMF-CM and WS21T CAF-CM, a breast CAF cell line that failed to promote robust MDA-MB-231 migration. Cytokine array analysis of CM identified up-regulated secreted factors in WS19T relative to control WS21T CM. We identified CXCL12 as a CM factor influencing loss of mDia2 protein while increasing MDA-MB-231 cell migration. Our data suggest a mechanism whereby CAFs promote tumor cell migration and invasion through CXCL12 secretion to regulate the mDia2-directed cytoskeleton in breast tumor cells.</p></div

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding due to Meckel's diverticulum heterotopic gastric mucosa.

Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract occurring in approximately 2% of the population. In our retrospective study, we analyzed 58 surgical specimens of Meckel's diverticulum operated on in our hospital. Heterotopic gastric mucosa was found in ten. Aim of this study was to establish the aetiopathogenesis of inflammation and consequent haemorrhage in Meckel's diverticulum with heterotopic gastric mucosa. Some studies showed that Helicobacter-like bacteria could play an important role in determining local phlogosis in heterotopic gastric mucosa of Meckel's diverticulum, however, none were found in our biopsy specimens. Analyzing patients with acute intestinal haemorrhage (4 out of 10 with heterotopic gastric mucosa) in Meckel's diverticulum a history of previous oral administration of NSAID's was positive in 3 of them. Although in the recent literature there were few case reports on the use of NSAID's and bleeding from Meckel's diverticulum, our results suggest that even short-term use, in small quantities, of NSAID's can play an important role in determining acute bleeding from Meckel's diverticulum with heterotopic gastric mucosa

WS19T-CM reduces mDia2 protein expression.

<p>A. MDA-MB-231 cells were incubated in monolayers with WS19T-CM for 8-72h and western blotted for the indicated proteins. B. Densitometry was performed on A using Image J and mDia2 expression was normalized to GAPDH and compared to MDA-MB-231 cells in DMEM. *p<0.001 relative to DMEM (0h). C. MDA-MB-231 cells spheroids were cultured in WS19T-CM for 48-72h and cell lysates were blotted for the indicated proteins. Mono = MDA-MB-231 monolayer lysate. The DMEM condition were cells held in DMEM for the duration of the experiment. The D/D condition are cells that were plated in DMEM and underwent a media change at the same time point as the CM condition but was changed back into DMEM. D. Densitometry was performed on C using Image J with mDia2 expression normalized to GAPDH and compared to MDA-MB-231 spheroids in DMEM. *p<0.004 relative to DMEM. Each experiment was repeated thrice. E-G. MDA-MB-231 cells were incubated in monolayers with HMF-CM, 3T3-CM, or WS21T-CM for 8-72h and western blotted for the indicated proteins.</p