Some Notes on Heteropteran Trichobothria

Excerpt: There has been much recent interest in the comparative morphology of the Heteroptera. This work has emphasized the land bugs, or Geocorisae, and has been concerned with working out the relationships and taxonomic placement of the higher categories (categories above the genus), and with the phylogenetic lines and sequences of these higher categories. The geocorisine groups with which I have been most concerned are in the closely related superfamilies Lygaeoidea, Pyrrho- coroidea, and Coreoidea (see Schaefer, 1964, for a discussion of the relationships among these groups). Another superfamily, the Pentatomoidea, is less closely related. All four of these superfamilies have arolia and pseudarolia, and all four have trichobothria. Because they possess this last character in common, the four are grouped together under the name Heteroptera Trichophora (Tullgren, 1918), aname of no nomenclatorial standing but nevertheless convenient. Trichobothria are long hairs arising from often darkened sockets on the relatively bald abdominal venter. They are usually easy to distinguish from other hairs, because they are longer, have a darkened base, and are arranged symmetrically in a distinctive pattern on each segment. These patterns and the number of trichobothria in them are characteristic of the higher categories of the Trichophora. Since the trichophoran families are closely related, and since this close relation- ship has been established on evidence from other morphological features than trichobothria, one might look for phylogenetic significance in the variety of patterns. However, very little is known about the function and phylogenetic origin of trichobothria. I shall speculate here on their function and their phylogenetic significance, but more must be learned about trichobothria before speculation becomes knowledge

Annotated Checklist of the Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) of Connecticut

We provide town data for the Pentatomidae in Connecticut. Although this state has been much collected, most sampling has been limited to only a few lo- cations. Species newly recorded for Connecticut are: Halyomorpha halys (Stål), Hymenarcys nervosa (Say), Banasa euchlora Stål, B. sordida (Uhler), and Perillus bioculatus (Fabricius). Podisus neglectus (Westwood) may occur in the state. Other species found in neighboring states may eventually be found in Connecticut: Picromerus bidens (Linnaeus), Rhacognathus americanus Stål, Mcphersonarcys aequalis (Say), Thyanta custator custator (Fabricius), T. custator acerra McAtee, and Amaurochrous brevitylus (Barber and Sailer). We briefly analyze these data, recognizing some faunal elements. More collecting needs to be conducted in the state, so that distribution patterns outlined here can be more broadly understood, and so that species of potential conservation concern can be identified

Annotated Checklist of the Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) of Connecticut

We provide town data for the Pentatomidae in Connecticut. Although this state has been much collected, most sampling has been limited to only a few lo- cations. Species newly recorded for Connecticut are: Halyomorpha halys (Stål), Hymenarcys nervosa (Say), Banasa euchlora Stål, B. sordida (Uhler), and Perillus bioculatus (Fabricius). Podisus neglectus (Westwood) may occur in the state. Other species found in neighboring states may eventually be found in Connecticut: Picromerus bidens (Linnaeus), Rhacognathus americanus Stål, Mcphersonarcys aequalis (Say), Thyanta custator custator (Fabricius), T. custator acerra McAtee, and Amaurochrous brevitylus (Barber and Sailer). We briefly analyze these data, recognizing some faunal elements. More collecting needs to be conducted in the state, so that distribution patterns outlined here can be more broadly understood, and so that species of potential conservation concern can be identified

Novos registros de plantas utilizadas pelos percevejos raros cyrtocoris egeris Packauskas & Schaefer e C. trigonus (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cyrtocoridae) na América do Sul

During March 2000, nymphs and adults of the cyrtocorid bugs Cyrtocoris egeris Packauskas & Schaefer and C. trigonus (Germar) were observed on two different plants at two different localities. In Brazil (Londrina, Paraná State) adult C. trigonus were found feeding on stems of the weed plant arrow leaf sida, Sida rhombifolia L. (Malvaceae). Despite egg deposition in the laboratory, nymphs did not develop on this plant. In Argentina (Reconquista, Santa Fé Province), nymphs and adults of C. egeris were observed feeding on immature soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] pods. Under laboratory conditions, nymphs of neither species could be reared beyond the third instar.Durante o mês de março de 2000, foram coletados adultos dos percevejos cirtocorídeos Cyrtocoris egeris Packauskas & Schaefer e C. trigonus (Germar) em duas espécies de plantas e em dois locais distintos. No Brasil (Londrina, PR) adultos de C. trigonus foram observados alimentandose em hastes de guanxuma, Sida rhombifolia L. (Malvaceae). Apesar de as fêmeas terem ovipositado em laboratório, as ninfas não sobreviveram nesse alimento. Na Argentina (Reconquista, Província de Santa Fé), adultos e ninfas de C. egeris foram observados alimentando-se em vagens imaturas de soja, Glycine max (L.) Merrill. Nas condições de laboratório utilizadas, as ninfas não conseguiram se desenvolver além do terceiro instar.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Adults with RRM2B-related mitochondrial disease have distinct clinical and molecular characteristics.

Mutations in the nuclear-encoded mitochondrial maintenance gene RRM2B are an important cause of familial mitochondrial disease in both adults and children and represent the third most common cause of multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions in adults, following POLG [polymerase (DNA directed), gamma] and PEO1 (now called C10ORF2, encoding the Twinkle helicase) mutations. However, the clinico-pathological and molecular features of adults with RRM2B-related disease have not been clearly defined. In this multicentre study of 26 adult patients from 22 independent families, including five additional cases published in the literature, we show that extra-ocular neurological complications are common in adults with genetically confirmed RRM2B mutations. We also demonstrate a clear correlation between the clinical phenotype and the underlying genetic defect. Myopathy was a prominent manifestation, followed by bulbar dysfunction and fatigue. Sensorineural hearing loss and gastrointestinal disturbance were also important findings. Severe multisystem neurological disease was associated with recessively inherited compound heterozygous mutations with a mean age of disease onset at 7 years. Dominantly inherited heterozygous mutations were associated with a milder predominantly myopathic phenotype with a later mean age of disease onset at 46 years. Skeletal muscle biopsies revealed subsarcolemmal accumulation of mitochondria and/or cytochrome c oxidase-deficient fibres. Multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions were universally present in patients who underwent a muscle biopsy. We identified 18 different heterozygous RRM2B mutations within our cohort of patients, including five novel mutations that have not previously been reported. Despite marked clinical overlap between the mitochondrial maintenance genes, key clinical features such as bulbar dysfunction, hearing loss and gastrointestinal disturbance should help prioritize genetic testing towards RRM2B analysis, and sequencing of the gene may preclude performance of a muscle biopsy

MreB filaments align along greatest principal membrane curvature to orient cell wall synthesis

MreB is essential for rod shape in many bacteria. Membrane-associated MreB filaments move around the rod circumference, helping to insert cell wall in the radial direction to reinforce rod shape. To understand how oriented MreB motion arises, we altered the shape of Bacillus subtilis. MreB motion is isotropic in round cells, and orientation is restored when rod shape is externally imposed. Stationary filaments orient within protoplasts, and purified MreB tubulates liposomes in vitro, orienting within tubes. Together, this demonstrates MreB orients along the greatest principal membrane curvature, a conclusion supported with biophysical modeling. We observed that spherical cells regenerate into rods in a local, self-reinforcing manner: rapidly propagating rods emerge from small bulges, exhibiting oriented MreB motion. We propose that the coupling of MreB filament alignment to shape-reinforcing peptidoglycan synthesis creates a locally-acting, self-organizing mechanism allowing the rapid establishment and stable maintenance of emergent rod shape

Identification of microbial DNA in human cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Microorganisms have been associated with many types of human diseases; however, a significant number of clinically important microbial pathogens remain to be discovered.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have developed a genome-wide approach, called Digital Karyotyping Microbe Identification (DK-MICROBE), to identify genomic DNA of bacteria and viruses in human disease tissues. This method involves the generation of an experimental DNA tag library through Digital Karyotyping (DK) followed by analysis of the tag sequences for the presence of microbial DNA content using a compiled microbial DNA virtual tag library.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To validate this technology and to identify pathogens that may be associated with human cancer pathogenesis, we used DK-MICROBE to determine the presence of microbial DNA in 58 human tumor samples, including brain, ovarian, and colorectal cancers. We detected DNA from Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) in a DK library of a colorectal cancer liver metastasis and in normal tissue from the same patient.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>DK-MICROBE can identify previously unknown infectious agents in human tumors, and is now available for further applications for the identification of pathogen DNA in human cancer and other diseases.</p

Panchromatic Observations of the Textbook GRB 110205A: Constraining Physical Mechanisms of Prompt Emission and Afterglow

We present a comprehensive analysis of a bright, long-duration ( T 90 ~ 257 s) GRB 110205A at redshift z = 2.22. The optical prompt emission was detected by Swift /UVOT, ROTSE-IIIb, and BOOTES telescopes when the gamma-ray burst (GRB) was still radiating in the γ-ray band, with optical light curve showing correlation with γ-ray data. Nearly 200 s of observations were obtained simultaneously from optical, X-ray, to γ-ray (1 eV to 5 MeV), which makes it one of the exceptional cases to study the broadband spectral energy distribution during the prompt emission phase. In particular, we clearly identify, for the first time, an interesting two-break energy spectrum, roughly consistent with the standard synchrotron emission model in the fast cooling regime. Shortly after prompt emission (~1100 s), a bright ( R = 14.0) optical emission hump with very steep rise (α ~ 5.5) was observed, which we interpret as the reverse shock (RS) emission. It is the first time that the rising phase of an RS component has been closely observed. The full optical and X-ray afterglow light curves can be interpreted within the standard reverse shock (RS) + forward shock (FS) model. In general, the high-quality prompt and afterglow data allow us to apply the standard fireball model to extract valuable information, including the radiation mechanism (synchrotron), radius of prompt emission ( R GRB ~ 3 × 10 13 cm), initial Lorentz factor of the outflow (Γ 0 ~ 250), the composition of the ejecta (mildly magnetized), the collimation angle, and the total energy budget.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98559/1/0004-637X_751_2_90.pd

Genome-wide association study implicates immune activation of multiple integrin genes in inflammatory bowel disease

Genetic association studies have identified 215 risk loci for inflammatory bowel disease, thereby uncovering fundamental aspects of its molecular biology. We performed a genome-wide association study of 25,305 individuals and conducted a meta-analysis with published summary statistics, yielding a total sample size of 59,957 subjects. We identified 25 new susceptibility loci, 3 of which contain integrin genes that encode proteins in pathways that have been identified as important therapeutic targets in inflammatory bowel disease. The associated variants are correlated with expression changes in response to immune stimulus at two of these genes ($\textit{ITGA4 }$ and $\textit{ITGB8}$) and at previously implicated loci ($\textit{ITGAL }$and $\textit{ICAM1}$). In all four cases, the expression-increasing allele also increases disease risk. We also identified likely causal missense variants in a gene implicated in primary immune deficiency, $\textit{PLCG2}$, and a negative regulator of inflammation, $\textit{SLAMF8}$. Our results demonstrate that new associations at common variants continue to identify genes relevant to therapeutic target identification and prioritization.This work was co-funded by the Wellcome Trust [098051] and the Medical Research Council, UK [MR/J00314X/1]. Case collections were supported by Crohn’s and Colitis UK. KMdL, LM, CAL, YL, DR, JG-A, NJP, CAA and JCB are supported by the Wellcome Trust [098051; 093885/Z/10/Z; 094491/Z/10/Z]. KMdL is supported by a Woolf Fisher Trust scholarship. CAL is a clinical lecturer funded by the NIHR. We thank Anna Stanton for co-ordinating the Guy’s and St Thomas’ patient recruitment. We acknowledge support from the Department of Health via the NIHR comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre awards to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King’s College London and to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge in partnership with the University of Cambridge. This research was also supported by the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre. The UK Household Longitudinal Study is led by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council