Diorganotin dihalide complexes of 2,2'-biimidazole. A preliminary study of their inhibitory effects on cell division

We report the synthesis of new complexes with the general formula (R2SnX2)y.H2BiIm, where y = 1 or 2; R = Me, Et, Bun; X = Cl or Br (for R = Et) and H2BiIm = 2,2'-Biimidazole. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and M?ssbauer, infra-red and 1H n.m.r. spectroscopy and tested (like the ligand, Me2SnCl2 and Et2SnCl2) against P388D1 leukemic cells.     

Possible implication of undescribed SMN1-SMN2 genotype in chronic EMG-pattern of SMA with transitory acute denervation

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) refers to a group of genetic neuromuscular disorders affecting lower motor neurons causative of numerous phenotypes. To date, according to the age of onset, maximum muscular activity achieved, and life expectation four types of SMA are recognized, all caused by mutations in the SMN1 gene with SMN2 copy number influencing disease severity. Herein, we describe the case of a 31-year-old young male with normal psychomotor development who has experienced fatigue, cramps, and muscle fasciculations in the lower limbs for a period of 2 months. Based on electrophysiological and clinical findings we performed SMA genetic, clinical exome and RNA expression of candidate genes which led us to suggest SMN1-SMN2 genes [(2+0) and (0+0)] combination as possibly being implicated in the phenotype.     

An African bat in Europe,Plecotus gaisleri: Biogeographic and ecological insights from molecular taxonomy and Species Distribution Models

Because of the high risk of going unnoticed, cryptic species represent a major challenge to biodiversity assessments, and this is particularly true for taxa that include many such species, for example, bats. Long‐eared bats from the genus Plecotus comprise numerous cryptic species occurring in the Mediterranean Region and present complex phylogenetic relationships and often unclear distributions, particularly at the edge of their known ranges and on islands. Here, we combine Species Distribution Models (SDMs), field surveys and molecular analyses to shed light on the presence of a cryptic long‐eared bat species from North Africa, Plecotus gaisleri, on the islands of the Sicily Channel, providing strong evidence that this species also occurs in Europe, at least on the islands of the Western Mediterranean Sea that act as a crossroad between the Old Continent and Africa. Species Distribution Models built using African records of P. gaisleri and projected to the Sicily Channel Islands showed that all these islands are potentially suitable for the species. Molecular identification of Plecotus captured on Pantelleria, and recent data from Malta and Gozo, confirmed the species' presence on two of the islands in question. Besides confirming that P. gaisleri occurs on Pantelleria, haplotype network reconstructions highlighted moderate structuring between insular and continental populations of this species. Our results remark the role of Italy as a bat diversity hotspot in the Mediterranean and also highlight the need to include P. gaisleri in European faunal checklists and conservation directives, confirming the usefulness of combining different approaches to explore the presence of cryptic species outside their known ranges—a fundamental step to informing conservation.