Neurochemical and neuroinflammatory perturbations in two Gulf War Illness models: Modulation by the immunotherapeutic LNFPIII.

Gulf War Illness (GWI) manifests a multitude of symptoms, including neurological and immunological, and approximately a third of the 1990-1991 Gulf War (GW) veterans suffer from it. This study sought to characterize the acute neurochemical (monoamine) and neuroinflammatory profiles of two established GWI animal models and examine the potential modulatory effects of the novel immunotherapeutic Lacto-N-fucopentaose III (LNFPIII). In Model 1, male C57BL/6 J mice were treated for 10 days with pyridostigmine bromide (PB) and permethrin (PM). In Model 2, a separate cohort of mice were treated for 14 days with PB and N,N-Diethyl-methylbenzamide (DEET), plus corticosterone (CORT) via drinking water on days 8-14 and diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) on day 15. LNFPIII was administered concurrently with GWI chemicals treatments. Brain and spleen monoamines and hippocampal inflammatory marker expression were examined by, respectively, HPLC-ECD and qPCR, 6 h post treatment cessation. Serotonergic (5-HT) and dopaminergic (DA) dyshomeostasis caused by GWI chemicals was apparent in multiple brain regions, primarily in the nucleus accumbens (5-HT) and hippocampus (5-HT, DA) for both models. Splenic levels of 5-HT (both models) and norepinephrine (Model 2) were also disrupted by GWI chemicals. LNFPIII treatment prevented many of the GWI chemicals induced monoamine alterations. Hippocampal inflammatory cytokines were increased in both models, but the magnitude and spread of inflammation was greater in Model 2; LNFPIII was anti-inflammatory, more so in the apparently milder Model 1. Overall, in both models, GWI chemicals led to monoamine disbalance and neuroinflammation. LNFPIII co-treatment prevented many of these disruptions in both models, which is indicative of its promise as a potential GWI therapeutic.

Evolution of wing shape in hornets: why is the wing venation efficient for species identification?

Wing venation has long been used for insect identification. Lately, the characterization of venation shape using geometric morphometrics has further improved the potential of using the wing for insect identification. However, external factors inducing variation in wing shape could obscure specific differences, preventing accurate discrimination of species in heterogeneous samples. Here, we show that interspecific difference is the main source of wing shape variation within social wasps. We found that a naive clustering of wing shape data from taxonomically and geographically heterogeneous samples of workers returned groups congruent with species. We also confirmed that individuals can be reliably attributed to their genus, species and populations on the basis of their wing shape. Our results suggested that the shape variation reflects the evolutionary history with a potential influence of other factors such as body shape, climate and mimicry selective pressures. However, the high dimensionality of wing shape variation may have prevented absolute convergences between the different species. Wing venation shape is thus a taxonomically relevant marker combining the accuracy of quantitative characters with the specificity required for identification criteria. This marker may also highlight adaptive processes that could help understand the wing's influence on insect flight.

The Usefulness of the Sting Apparatus in Phylogenetic Reconstructions in Vespids, with Emphasis on the Epiponini: More Support for the Single Origin of Eusociality in the Vespidae.

This study aimed at testing the utility of characters derived from chitinous structures of the sting apparatus for elucidating relationships among the genera of Epiponini. The characters were obtained from the spiracular and quadrate plates, gonostylus, and sting. The data matrix was analyzed using parsimony with equal and implied weighting. Sting characters were also optimized on the tree of Wenzel & Carpenter (1994). Consensus of analysis using equal weights parsimony resulted in a tree with low resolution, but the use of implied weighting improved the results and a consensus tree with a better resolution was obtained. Implied weighting analysis showed an interesting result with Vespinae and Epiponini (the taxa that present the highest degree of sociality) together in a clade. The overall uniformity in morphology of sting apparatus and a possible influence of sociality on morphology could explain these results. The evolution of some characters is discussed.

The early development of neutron diffraction: science in the wings of the Manhattan Project.

Although neutron diffraction was first observed using radioactive decay sources shortly after the discovery of the neutron, it was only with the availability of higher intensity neutron beams from the first nuclear reactors, constructed as part of the Manhattan Project, that systematic investigation of Bragg scattering became possible. Remarkably, at a time when the war effort was singularly focused on the development of the atomic bomb, groups working at Oak Ridge and Chicago carried out key measurements and recognized the future utility of neutron diffraction quite independent of its contributions to the measurement of nuclear cross sections. Ernest O. Wollan, Lyle B. Borst and Walter H. Zinn were all able to observe neutron diffraction in 1944 using the X-10 graphite reactor and the CP-3 heavy water reactor. Subsequent work by Wollan and Clifford G. Shull, who joined Wollan's group at Oak Ridge in 1946, laid the foundations for widespread application of neutron diffraction as an important research tool.

Differences in caste dimorphism among three hornet species (Hymenoptera: Vespidae): forewing size, shape and allometry.

Caste shape dimorphism (CShD) has previously been studied in wasps through comparison of different body parts, originating from different imaginal discs. Using geometric morphometrics with a new protocol for measuring wings of pinned specimens from natural history collections, we tested CShD of three hornet species in an organ developed from a single imaginal disc: the forewing. Gaussian mixture models retrieved most castes and species levels, confirming that caste is an important component of wing variations in females of these hornets. Size and allometry - the influence of size on shape - contribution to wing dimorphism between castes was major, but failed to explain the entire shape dimorphism. This deviation from simple allometric scaling was not similar in the three species: in Vespa tropica, allometric directions in the shape space differed between castes, whereas in V. crabro and V. velutina, they were similar but a significant part of CShD resulted from lateral transpositions. These results clearly indicate that queens are not just enlarged workers. They also support that the different patterns of CShD may result from different developmental mechanisms. Finally, they highlight that even in a highly social group like hornets, there is still variation in caste dimorphism among species.

Birth of a relativistic outflow in the unusual γ-ray transient Swift J164449.3+573451.

Active galactic nuclei, which are powered by long-term accretion onto central supermassive black holes, produce relativistic jets with lifetimes of at least one million years, and the observation of the birth of such a jet is therefore unlikely. Transient accretion onto a supermassive black hole, for example through the tidal disruption of a stray star, thus offers a rare opportunity to study the birth of a relativistic jet. On 25 March 2011, an unusual transient source (Swift J164449.3+573451) was found, potentially representing such an accretion event. Here we report observations spanning centimetre to millimetre wavelengths and covering the first month of evolution of a luminous radio transient associated with Swift J164449.3+573451. The radio transient coincides with the nucleus of an inactive galaxy. We conclude that we are seeing a newly formed relativistic outflow, launched by transient accretion onto a million-solar-mass black hole. A relativistic outflow is not predicted in this situation, but we show that the tidal disruption of a star naturally explains the observed high-energy properties and radio luminosity and the inferred rate of such events. The weaker beaming in the radio-frequency spectrum relative to γ-rays or X-rays suggests that radio searches may uncover similar events out to redshifts of z ≈ 6.

Diversity and nest site selection of social wasps along Guianese forest edges: assessing the influence of arboreal ants.

We examined 424 nests belonging to 61 wasp species along 5 km of rainforest edges in French Guiana (ca. 15,235 plants monitored), and estimate that we recorded up to 73% of the local social wasp fauna. This baseline study was complemented by a long-term survey of the same area and the examination of isolated trees (permitting us to record two additional species, resulting in a total of 63 wasp species). Our results form a continuum from species avoiding nesting on any plant (6.5% of the wasp species) to species nesting on plants but avoiding those sheltering ant nests (82%), to, finally, wasps nesting in association with arboreal ants known to divert army ant raids (11.5%). Consequently, this study documents that most wasp species select plants possibly repulsive to arboreal ants, while associations with arboreal ants, although confirmed here, have been overrepresented in the literature.

Diagnostic accuracy with US: remote radiologists' versus on-site radiologists' interpretations.

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of radiologists interpreting static ultrasonographic (US) images electronically transmitted to an academic medical center (remote radiologists) with that of radiologists performing "hands-on" US at a community-based outpatient site (on-site radiologists). MATERIALS AND METHODS: During 8 months, 80 patients underwent pelvic US at a community-based outpatient site. Images were electronically transmitted to a remote medical center as they were acquired at the community site and were printed on a laser printer identical to the one used at the outpatient site. The reference standard for correct diagnosis was based on histopathologic findings (n = 13), additional imaging results (n = 34), or review by a second independent observer (n = 33). Both an on-site and a remote radiologist interpreted the images, and their interpretations were rated as agree, both correct; agree, both incorrect; or disagree. Cases of disagreement were rated as major or minor. RESULTS: On-site and remote radiologists agreed in 69 of 80 patients (86%), and both radiologists were correct in all of these cases. There were 10 minor discrepancies and one major discrepancy. The diagnostic accuracies of the one-site and remote radiologists were 92% and 94%, respectively. CONCLUSION: High levels of diagnostic accuracy can be achieved by radiologists interpreting static US images. Strict protocols and excellent communication between the radiologist and sonographer are necessary to avoid diagnostic errors.

Properties of a filamentous virus of the honey bee (Apis mellifera).

An ellipsoidal particle, measuring 450 x 150 nm, from honey bees comprises a nucleocapsid measuring 3000 x 40 nm, containing double-stranded DNA with a molecular weight of approximately 12 x 10(6), which is coiled within a membrane. The buoyant densities in CsCl of the whole particle, nucleocapsid, DNA and DNA with ethidium bromide are 1.28, 1.36, 1.71 and 1.61 g/ml, respectively. The particle contains about 12 proteins, with molecular weights ranging from 13,000 to 70,000, which are distributed approximately equally between the membrane and the nucleocapsid.