Elastic properties of the hind foot of the Donkey, Equus asinus

The elastic properties of the hind feet of Donkeys, and of tendons removed from the feet, have been investigated by methods similar to those used in a previous study of the forefoot. The elastic strain energy stored in the foot, during a trotting step, is calculated to be approximately the optimum which would minimize the work required of the muscles in this gait.     

Copper Toxicity in Maize: The Severity of the Stress is Reduced Depending on the Applied Fe-Chelating Agent

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - The wide use of copper (Cu)-based fungicide has caused a stepwise accumulation of Cu in the environment increasing the occurrence of phytotoxicity in crops. To...     

Consequences of prenatal androgen exposure for the reproductive performance of female pheasants (Phasianus colchicus)

Maternal hormones in vertebrate eggs can mediate important forms of maternal effects. However, the function of hormone transfer to the eggs is still debated, especially because long-term fitness consequences have been little studied. We investigated the effect of prenatal exposure to physiologically elevated yolk testosterone (T) levels on reproduction of female pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in captivity. We found that females hatching from T-injected eggs (T-females) had a lower egg-laying rate than controls, and their eggs were more frequently infertile than those laid by control females. There were no effects of prenatal maternal treatment on egg size and yolk T concentration, but eggs carrying a female embryo laid by T-females had smaller yolks than eggs with a male embryo, while there was no sex difference in yolk size among the eggs laid by control females. Progeny sex ratio was unaffected by maternal treatment. These findings suggest that the transfer of high androgen levels to the eggs by the mother is constrained by complex trade-offs between direct effects on her daughters' reproduction and by trans-generational differential consequences on male and female descendants.     

Species boundaries and phylogeography of the "Euscorpius carpathicus complex" (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae) in Italy

Euscorpius tergestinus (C.L. Koch, 1837), Euscorpius concinnus (C.L. Koch, 1837) and Euscorpius sicanus (C.L. Koch, 1837), three presumed closely related species belonging to the "carpathicus group", occur in the Italian peninsula with a largely parapatric distribution and some zones of range overlap. These areas of sympatry represent interesting opportunities to investigate species boundaries in natural populations. Here we report on a study exploring genetic variation in sympatric populations of the three species from central Tuscany. Additional collecting sites, from different localities across Italy, were also included in the analysis in order to explore the phylogeographic structure of the group. Species boundaries and evolutionary relationships were examined by sequence comparison of mitochondrial 16S rRNA and nuclear ITS-1 rRNA gene fragments. DNA sequence data show no evidence of genetic introgression between different evolutionary lineages from the area of range overlap, suggesting the absence of either past or ongoing inter-specific gene flow. It is therefore probable that reproductive barriers exist, preventing gene pools from amalgamating. Furthermore, our results support the recent morphological distinction of E. tergestinus, as traditionally classified, into two different species: E. tergestinus and E. concinnus. Both mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data clearly indicate that the two taxa represent well-supported and deeply divergent lineages. Euscorpius sicanus seems to represent a monophyletic taxon, but the high genetic variability observed within this taxon calls for future investigation. The present distribution patterns across the Italian peninsula were mainly interpreted as the consequence of climatic oscillations.     

Molecular Typing of Lung Adenocarcinoma on Cytological Samples Using a Multigene Next Generation Sequencing Panel

Identification of driver mutations in lung adenocarcinoma has led to development of targeted agents that are already approved for clinical use or are in clinical trials. Therefore, the number of biomarkers that will be needed to assess is expected to rapidly increase. This calls for the implementation of methods probing the mutational status of multiple genes for inoperable cases, for which limited cytological or bioptic material is available. Cytology specimens from 38 lung adenocarcinomas were subjected to the simultaneous assessment of 504 mutational hotspots of 22 lung cancer-associated genes using 10 nanograms of DNA and Ion Torrent PGM next-generation sequencing. Thirty-six cases were successfully sequenced (95%). In 24/36 cases (67%) at least one mutated gene was observed, including EGFR, KRAS, PIK3CA, BRAF, TP53, PTEN, MET, SMAD4, FGFR3, STK11, MAP2K1. EGFR and KRAS mutations, respectively found in 6/36 (16%) and 10/36 (28%) cases, were mutually exclusive. Nine samples (25%) showed concurrent alterations in different genes. The next-generation sequencing test used is superior to current standard methodologies, as it interrogates multiple genes and requires limited amounts of DNA. Its applicability to routine cytology samples might allow a significant increase in the fraction of lung cancer patients eligible for personalized therapy.     

The lectotype of Sphenobaiera Ikorfatensis (Seward) Florin, a ginkgophyte from the Lower Cretaceous of western Greenland

Use of the genus Sphenobaiera Florin for deeply divided ginkgoalean leaves lacking a petiole is discussed. The type material of the species Sphenobaiera ikorfatensis (Seward) Florin from the Lower Cretaceous at Ikorfat in West Greenland is diagnosed, redescribed and the lectotype designated. The cuticle, which is described and figured in detail for the first time, shows the leaf to be amphistomatic and allows previous identifications of Sphenobaiera ikorfatensis in Lower Cretaceous floras from Siberia and China to be confirmed.     

Pairing centers recruit a Polo-like kinase to orchestrate meiotic chromosome dynamics in C. elegans

Faithful segregation of homologous chromosomes during meiosis requires pairing, synapsis, and crossing-over. In C.?elegans, homolog pairing and synapsis depend on pairing centers (PCs), special regions near one end of each chromosome that interact with the nuclear envelope (NE) and cytoplasmic microtubules. Here, we report that PCs are required for nuclear reorganization at the onset of meiosis. We demonstrate that PCs recruit the Polo-like kinase PLK-2 to induce NE remodeling, chromosome pairing, and synapsis. Recruitment of PLK-2 is also required to mediate a cell cycle delay and selective apoptosis of nuclei containing unsynapsed chromosomes, establishing a molecular link between these two quality control mechanisms. This work reveals unexpected functions for the conserved family of Polo-like kinases, and advances our understanding of how meiotic processes are properly coordinated to ensure transmission of genetic information from parents to progeny.     

Rho-kinase inhibition improves vasodilator responsiveness during hyperinsulinemia in the metabolic syndrome

In patients with the metabolic syndrome (MetS), the facilitatory effect of insulin on forearm vasodilator responsiveness to different stimuli is impaired. Whether the RhoA/Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway is involved in this abnormality is unknown. We tested the hypotheses that, in MetS patients, ROCK inhibition with fasudil restores insulin-stimulated vasodilator reactivity and that oxidative stress plays a role in this mechanism. Endothelium-dependent and -independent forearm blood flow responses to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively, were assessed in MetS patients (n = 8) and healthy controls (n = 5) before and after the addition of fasudil (200 μg/min) to an intra-arterial infusion of insulin (0.1 mU/kg/min). In MetS patients (n = 5), fasudil was also infused without hyperinsulinemia. The possible involvement of oxidative stress in the effect of fasudil during hyperinsulinemia was investigated in MetS patients (n = 5) by infusing vitamin C (25 mg/min). In MetS patients, compared with saline, fasudil enhanced endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilator responses during insulin infusion (P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively), but not in the absence of hyperinsulinemia (P = 0.25 and P = 0.13, respectively). By contrast, fasudil did not affect vasoreactivity to ACh and SNP during hyperinsulinemia in controls (P = 0.11 and P = 0.56, respectively). In MetS patients, fasudil added to insulin and vitamin C did not further enhance vasodilation to ACh and SNP (P = 0.15 and P = 0.43, respectively). In the forearm circulation of patients with the MetS, ROCK inhibition by fasudil improves endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilator responsiveness during hyperinsulinemia; increased oxidative stress seems to be involved in the pathophysiology of this phenomenon.     

Temporal trends in femoral curvature and length in medieval and modern Scotland

We measured how much the radius of the anterior curvature and the length of the femoral shaft of cadaveric bones have changed from medieval to recent times. Around 20 (x, y) coordinates of a virtual coordinate system were measured at intervals of 1.5 cm along the shaft of the femur to calculate one single radius of a virtual circle in the (x, y) plane. The median radii of curvature were 119, 141, and 158 cm for medieval, early, and late 20th century femora, respectively. Early and late 20th century femora were of similar length (45 cm), but medieval femora were shorter (43.5 cm). Femora have become not only longer but also straighter since the Middle Ages. These findings account in part for the increase in height of modern generations. Size and shape changes may have significant implications for the biomechanical response of the femur to the forces to which it is subjected in everyday life, in trauma, and following surgical intervention.