The Neotropical genus Stibadocerina Alexander and its phylogenetic relationship to other Stibadocerinae genera: further evidence of an ancestral trans-Pacific biota (Diptera: Cylindrotomidae)

Stibadocerina Alexander, a monotypic genus, includes the only known Neotropical species of the family Cylindrotomidae, S. chilensis Alexander, 1929, from South Central Chile (ca. 36 degrees 50`S-42 degrees 17`S). In this paper, Stibadocerina chilensis is redescribed and illustrated in detail. A study of wing-vein homology in the subfamily Stibadocerinae is provided, to identify the components of the reduced radial sector in Stibadocerina and related taxa. The proposed hypotheses of wing-vein homology are tested, and the systematic position of Stibadocerina is assessed through a cladistic analysis of 13 characters of the male imago, scored for exemplar species of the four genera included in the Stibadocerinae. A single most parsimonious tree supports the monophyly of the Stibadocerinae and the following relationships among its included genera: Stibadocerodes [Stibadocera (Stibadocerella + Stibadocerina)]. The subfamily includes one example of a vicariant distribution with a sister-group relationship between South Central Chilean and East Asian taxa, and supports a biogeographical interpretation of an ancestral trans-Pacific biota.

The making and the actions of the Holy Inquisition Commissioners` network in Colonial Minas Gerais

Through the study of the action of the inquisition commissioners, this article seeks to reveal the relations between the Portuguese Inquisition and the ecclesiastical structure of the Minas Gerais State Captaincy in the colonial period. The focus of the analysis will be the making and the action of the network of Holy Inquisition commissioners in the gold Captaincy. What was the profile of these commissioners? How were they recruited from the local ecclesiastical hierarchy? What was the role assigned to them in the inquisitional action that took place in Minas Gerais? How did they act? What was the relationship between the introduction of the commissioners into the local ecclesiastical structures and the commissioners` inquisitorial activities?

Mathematically gifted male adolescents activate a unique brain network during mental rotation

Mental rotation involves the creation and manipulation of internal images, with the later being particularly useful cognitive capacities when applied to high-level mathematical thinking and reasoning. Many neuroimaging studies have demonstrated mental rotation to be mediated primarily by the parietal lobes, particularly on the right side. Here, we use fMRI to show for the first time that when performing 3-dimensional mental rotations, mathematically gifted male adolescents engage a qualitatively different brain network than those of average math ability, one that involves bilateral activation of the parietal lobes and frontal cortex, along with heightened activation of the anterior cingulate. Reliance on the processing characteristics of this uniquely bilateral system and the interplay of these anterior/posterior regions may be contributors to their mathematical precocity.

Functional MR Imaging of visuo-spatial network in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are generally thought to have impaired attentional and executive function upon which all their cognitive and behaviour functions are based. Mental Rotation is a recognized visuo-spatial task, involving spatial working memory, known to involve activation in the fronto-parietal networks. To elucidate the functioning of fronto-parietal networks in ASD, the aim of this study was to use fMRI techniques with a mental rotation task, to characterize the underlying functional neural system. Sixteen male participants (seven highfunctioning autism or Asperger's syndrome; nine ageand performance IQ-matched controls) underwent fMRI. Participants were presented with 18 baseline and 18 rotation trials, with stimuli rotated 3- dimensionaUy (45°-180°). Data were acquired on a 3- Tesla scanner. The most widely accepted area reported to be involved in processing of visuo-spatial information. Posterior Parietal Cortex, was found to be activated in both groups, however, the ASD group showed decreased activation in cortical and subcortical frontal structures that are highly interconnected, including lateral and medial Brodmann area 6, frontal eye fields, caudate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate. The suggested connectivity between these regions indicates that one or more circuits are impaired as a result of the disorder. In future it is hoped that we are able to identify the possible point of origin of this dysfunction, or indeed if the entire network is dysfunctional.

Intake of trans Fatty Acids Causes Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Reduces Adipose Tissue Fat Content

We investigated the effects of dietary trans fatty acids, PUFA, and SEA on body and liver fat content, liver histology, and mRNA of enzymes involved in fatty acid metabolism. LDL receptor knockout weaning male mice were fed for 16 wk with diets containing 40% energy as either trans fatty acids (TRANS), PUFA, or SEA. Afterwards, subcutaneous and epididymal fat were weighed and histological markers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were assessed according to the Histological Scoring System for NAFLD. PPAR alpha, PPAR gamma, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT-1), and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA were measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Food intake was similar in the 3 groups, although mice fed the TRANS diet gained less weight than those receiving the PUFA diet. Compared with the PUFA- and SEA-fed mice, TRANS-fed mice had greater plasma total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) concentrations, less epididymal and subcutaneous fat, larger livers with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-like lesions, and greater liver TC and TG concentrations. Macrosteatosis in TRANS-fed mice was associated with a higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA(IR)) index and upregulated mRNA related to hepatic fatty acid synthesis (SREBP-1 c and PPAR gamma) and to downregulated MTP mRNA. Diet consumption did not alter hepatic mRNA related to fatty acid oxidation (PPAR alpha and CPT-1). In conclusion, compared with PUFA- and SFA-fed mice, TRANS-fed mice had less adiposity, impaired glucose tolerance characterized by greater HOMA(IR) index, and NASH-like lesions due to greater hepatic lipogenesis. These results demonstrate the role of trans fatty acid intake on the development of key features of metabolic syndrome. J. Nutr. 140: 1127-1132, 2010.

White matter microstructure underlying default mode network connectivity in the human brain

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) reveals a distinct network of correlated brain function representing a default mode state of the human brain The underlying structural basis of this functional connectivity pattern is still widely unexplored We combined fractional anisotropy measures of fiber tract integrity derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting state fMRI data obtained at 3 Tesla from 20 healthy elderly subjects (56 to 83 years of age) to determine white matter microstructure e 7 underlying default mode connectivity We hypothesized that the functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate and hippocampus from resting state fMRI data Would be associated with the white matter microstructure in the cingulate bundle and fiber tracts connecting posterior cingulate gyrus With lateral temporal lobes, medial temporal lobes, and precuneus This was demonstrated at the p<0001 level using a voxel-based multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) approach In addition, we used a data-driven technique of joint independent component analysis (ICA) that uncovers spatial pattern that are linked across modalities. It revealed a pattern of white matter tracts including cingulate bundle and associated fiber tracts resembling the findings from the hypothesis-driven analysis and was linked to the pattern of default mode network (DMN) connectivity in the resting state fMRI data Out findings support the notion that the functional connectivity between the posterior cingulate and hippocampus and the functional connectivity across the entire DMN is based oil distinct pattern of anatomical connectivity within the cerebral white matter (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved

Scale-free network of a dengue epidemic

In this work we show that the dengue epidemic in the city of Singapore organized itself into a scale-free network of transmission as the 2000-2005 outbreaks progressed. This scale-free network of cluster comprised geographical breeding places for the aedes mosquitoes, acting as super-spreaders nodes in a network of transmission. The geographical organization of the network was analysed by the corresponding distribution of weekly number of new cases. Therefore, our hypothesis is that the distribution of dengue cases reflects the geographical organization of a transmission network, which evolved towards a power law as the epidemic intensity progressed until 2005. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomechanical evaluation on tendon reinsertion by comparing trans-osseous suture and suture anchor at different stages of healing: Experimental study on rabbits

Background: Through an experimental biomechanical study on rabbits, tendon reinsertion by means of trans-osseous suture on a spongy bone bed and suture anchor were evaluated comparatively at different phases of healing. Methods: Twenty-four New Zealand White rabbits were used: 2 as pilots, 4 as the control group, and 18 as the experimental group. These 18 animals underwent sectioning and reinsertion of the Achilles tendon bilaterally, using the technique of trans-osseous suture on 1 side and suture anchor on the other. All the pelvic limbs that underwent the procedure were then immobilized for 3 weeks. The experimental group was divided into 3 groups that were sacrificed, respectively, 3, 6, and 12 weeks later. The tendon-bone complex was subjected to biomechanical tests to evaluate the parameters of maximum strength, stiffness, and yield strength. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the suture anchor group and the trans-osseous suture group, in relation to yield strength (3 weeks, P = .222; 6 weeks, P = .465; and 12 weeks, P = .200) or maximum strength (3 weeks, P = .222; 6 weeks, P = .076; and 12 weeks, P = .078). In relation to stiffness, the suture anchor group showed a statistically significant difference only at 3 weeks of healing ( P = .032) over the trans-osseous suture group. Conclusion: The technique of suturing with an anchor was shown to be similar to the technique of trans-osseous suture for the studied parameters. Level of evidence: Basic Science Study, In-Vitro Biomechanics Study. (C) 2010 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees.

Trans-resveratrol inhibits early blood vessel formation (Vasculogenesis) without impairment of embryonic growth

Resveratrol is a stilbene compound found in grapes and other sources. In this study we examined the effects of trans-resveratrol (4.38-438 mu M/implant) in the vasculogenesis of yolk-sac membranes and its capacity to improve chick embryo growth. High concentrations of the stilbene (43.8-438 mu M) significantly inhibited early vessel formation, decreasing the percentage vitelline vessels of 3.5-day embryos by 50% compared to the control. In addition, basic fibroblast growth factor-stimulated vasculogenesis (140% of vessels as compared to control) was partially reversed by t-resveratrol (35% of inhibition) and treatments with cyclooxygenase inhibitors (acetylsalicylic acid and indomethacin) as well a protein-kinase C (PKC) activator (phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate) decreased the vessel number to 60%, 50%, and 44%, respectively. Treatments with t-resveratrol (4.38-43.8 mu M/implant) significantly increased the body length of embryos incubated in vitro uncoupled from any impairment in the body shape or detectable embryotoxic effect. We suggest that the antivasculogenic activity and the enhancement in embryonic growth promoted by non acute treatments with t-resveratrol were, at least in part, due to PKC inhibition. We suggest that t-resveratrol can be usable not only as a reliable functional nutriment, but also is useful for the development of prophylactic and/or therapeutic agents for treatment of angiogenic-degenerative diseases.

The ""single-section"" Golgi method adapted for formalin-fixed human brain and light microscopy

The Golgi method has been used for over a century to describe the general morphology of neurons in the nervous system of different species. The ""single-section"" Golgi method of Gabbott and Somogyi (1984) and the modifications made by Izzo et al. (1987) are able to produce consistent results. Here, we describe procedures to show cortical and subcortical neurons of human brains immersed in formalin for months or even years. The tissue was sliced with a vibratome, post-fixed in a combination of paraformaldehyde and picric acid in phosphate buffer, followed by osmium tetroxide and potassium dicromate, ""sandwiched"" between cover slips, and immersed in silver nitrate. The whole procedure takes between 5 and 11 days to achieve good results. The Golgi method has its characteristic pitfalls but, with this procedure, neurons and glia appear well-impregnated, allowing qualitative and quantitative studies under light microscopy. This contribution adds to the basic techniques for the study of human nervous tissue with the same advantages described for the ""single-section"" Golgi method in other species; it is easy and fast, requires minimal equipment, and provides consistent results. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

trans-[Ru(NO)(NH(3))(4)(py)](BF(4))(3)center dot H(2)O encapsulated in PLGA microparticles for delivery of nitric oxide to B16-F10 cells: Cytotoxicity and phototoxicity

The NO donor trans-[Ru(NO)(NH(3))(4)(py)](BF(4))(3).H(2)O (py = pyridine) was loaded into poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) microparticles using the double emulsification technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering revealed that the particles are spherical in shape, have a diameter of 1600 nm, and have low tendency to aggregate. The entrapment efficiency was 25%. SEM analysis of the melanoma cell B16-F10 in the presence of the microparticles containing the complex trans-[Ru(NO)(NH(3))(4)(py)](BF(4))(3).H(2)O (pyMP) showed that the microparticles were adhered to the cell surface after 2 h of incubation. The complex with concentrations lower than 1 x 10(-4) M did not show toxicity in B16-F 10 murine cells. The complex in solution is toxic at higher concentrations (> 1 x 10(-3) M), with cell death attributed to NO release following the reduction of the complex. pyMP is not cytotoxic due to the lower bioavailability and availability of the entrapped complex to the medium and its reducing agents. However, pyMP is phototoxic upon light irradiation. The phototoxicity strongly suggests that cell death is due to NO release from trans-[Ru(NO)(NH(3))(4)(py)](3+). This work shows that pyMP can serve as a model for a drug delivery system carrying the NO donor trans-[Ru(NO)(NH(3))(4)(py)](BF(4))(3).H(2)O, which can release NO locally at the tumor cell by radiation with light only. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.