A New Soldier-Producing Aphid Species, Pseudoregma baenzigeri, sp. nov., from Northern Thailand

Pseudoregma baenzigeri, sp. nov., is described from northern Thailand. This species forms dense, huge colonies on shoots of the bamboo Dendrocalamus sp., and produces many first-instar, pseudoscorpion-like soldiers. Alate sexuparae were found from the end of September to mid October. Two syrphids, Eupeodes sp. A (allied to E. confrater) and Dideoides chrysotoxoides, and the pyralid Dipha aphidivora were recorded as predators of P. baenzigeri. The aphids were also likely to be eaten by some rodents. The apterous adult, nymphs, soldier and alate sexupara of P. baenzigeri can be distinguished from those of the other congeners by the longer, conical ultimate rostral segment. A tentative key to the species of Pseudoregma living on bamboo is provided

In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of a Novel and Long-Acting Fungicidal Azole, PC1244, on Aspergillus fumigatus Infection

The antifungal effects of the novel triazole, PC1244, designed for topical or inhaled administration, againstA. fumigatushave been tested in a range ofin vitroandin vivostudies. PC1244 demonstrated potent antifungal activities against clinicalA. fumigatusisolates (N=96) with a MIC range of 0.016--0.25 μg/ml, whereas the MIC range for voriconazole was 0.25--0.5 μg/ml. PC1244 was a strong tight-binding inhibitor of recombinantA. fumigatusCYP51A and CYP51B (sterol 14α-demethylase) enzymes and strongly inhibited ergosterol synthesis inA. fumigatuswith an IC50of 8 nM. PC1244 was effective against a broad spectrum of pathogenic fungi (MIC ranged from <0.0078∼2 μg/ml), especially onAspergillus terreus,Trichophyton rubrum,Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida krusei,Cryptococcus gattii,Cryptococcus neoformans and Rhizopus oryzaePC1244 also proved to be quickly absorbed into bothA. fumigatushyphae and bronchial epithelial cells, producing persistent antifungal effects. In addition, PC1244 showed fungicidal activity (MFC, 2 μg/ml), which was 8-fold more potent than voriconazole.In vivo, once daily intranasal administration of PC1244 (3.2 ∼ 80μg/mL) to temporarily neutropenic, immunocompromised mice 24h after inoculation with itraconazole-susceptibleA. fumigatussubstantially reduced fungal load in the lung, galactomannan in serum and circulating inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, 7 days extended prophylaxis with PC1244 showed superiorin vivoeffects when compared against 1 day of prophylactic treatment, suggesting accumulation of the effects of PC1244. Thus, PC1244 has the potential to be a novel therapy for the treatment ofA. fumigatusinfection in the lungs of humans

CZ415, a Highly Selective mTOR Inhibitor Showing in Vivo Efficacy in a Collagen Induced Arthritis Model

CZ415, a potent ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitor with unprecedented selectivity over any other kinase is described. In addition to a comprehensive characterization of its activities in vitro, in vitro ADME, and in vivo pharmacokinetic data are reported. The suitability of this inhibitor for studying in vivo mTOR biology is demonstrated in a mechanistic mouse model monitoring mTOR proximal downstream phosphorylation signaling. Furthermore, the compound reported here is the first ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitor described to show efficacy in a semitherapeutic collagen induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model.</p