Interdisciplinary Rendez-Vous Approach in Endovascular Stroke Treatment: A New Concept to Accelerate Mechanical Thrombectomy in Primary Stroke Centers.

PURPOSE: Prompt endovascular treatment of patients with stroke due to intracranial Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) is a major challenge in rural areas because neurointerventionalists are usually not available. As a result, treatment is delayed, and clinical outcomes are worse compared with patients primarily treated in comprehensive stroke centers (CSC). To address this problem, we present a concept in which interdisciplinary, on-site endovascular treatment is performed in a Primary Stroke Center (PSC) by a team of interventional neuroradiologists and cardiologists: the Rendez-Vous approach. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with LVO who underwent interdisciplinary thrombectomy on-site at the PSC as part of the Rendez-Vous concept were compared with 72 patients who were transferred from a PSCs to the CSC for thrombectomy when diagnosed with LVO in terms of temporal sequences and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Patients treated on-site at the PSC as part of the Rendez-Vous approach were managed as successfully and without an increase in complication rates compared with patients treated secondarily at a CSC (91.7% successful interventions in Rendez-Vous vs. 87.3% in control group, p = 0.57). The time from diagnosis of LVO to groin puncture was reduced by mean 74.3 min with the Rendez-Vous concept (p < 0.01). Regarding the clinical outcome, a functionally independent status was achieved in 45.5% in the Rendez-Vous group and in 22.6% in the control group (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Thanks to interdisciplinary teamwork between cardiology and interventional neuroradiology in local PSCs, times to successful reperfusion can be reduced. This has a potentially positive impact on the clinical outcome of stroke patients.

A new species of Anisophya (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from Argentina, its ultrasound male-female communication, life history and ecology.

Anisophya arreguii sp. nov. is added as third species of the genus in Buenos Aires Province. A population living in humid meadows near La Plata, regularly observed during the last five years, was found to be different from A. punctinervis. It appears in two distinct annual generations. The male produces a continuous ultrasound calling song, to which the female responds with short signals after particular syllables. The verification of all Anisophya observations from Argentina on iNaturalist helped clarifying the distinctiveness of the new species. Some ecological aspects are briefly discussed, such as a vulnerable population in the city of La Plata.

Do basophile structures as age dependent phenomenon indicate small vessel wall damage?

Here we demonstrate basophile structures located in the arteriolar wall and being associated with a plasma-protein-leakage. We assume, that the structures indicate blood-brain-barrier-disturbances and degenerative small vessel wall alterations.

An interesting new species of Conocephalus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae) from Argentina.

Conocephalus cinnamonifrons sp. nov. is distinguished by a cinnamon brown head and a distinctly upcurved ovipositor from South American congeners with usually green heads and practically straight ovipositors. The short-winged species lives in wetlands near the coast of the Río de la Plata, and has also been recorded from Entre Ríos Province. The calling song of the male shows a distinctive pattern of long syllable trains alternating with short sequences of a few isolated syllables, quite different to the songs of the syntopically occurring C. doryphorus and C. longipes. Some ecological aspects are briefly discussed.

The tribe Dysoniini part VI: Phylogeny, biogeography and evolutionary trends of the lichen katydid genera (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae). Eleventh contribution to the suprageneric organization of Neotropical phaneropterines.

The tribe Dysoniini is widely distributed in the Neotropics, ranging from northeastern Mexico across Central and South America to northern Argentina. In the latter subcontinent it is most diverse. These tettigoniids are remarkable for their lichen- and bryophyte-mimicking camouflage and for having a particularly elevated vertex, which is unusual in the family Phaneropterinae. A cladistic analysis for 23 terminal taxa has been performed (20 in the ingroup and 3 in the outgroup), using 76 morphological and ecological characters in order to prove monophyly of the following genera and tribes: Hammatoferina n. subtr. (including Hammatofera), Markiina n. subtr. (Machimoides (Machima (Apolinaria (Lichenodraculus + Markia)))) and Dysoniina n. stat. (Quiva (Yungasacris (Dissonulichen (Alexanderellus n. gen. (Paraphidnia + Anaphidna) (Dysonia (Lichenomorphus + Lichenodentix)))))). The tribes genera resulted as monophyletic, except for Dysonia sensu Gorochov, so it was necessary to revalidate generic status for Dissonulichen n. stat. to recover monophyly for Dysonia. The three aforementioned subtribes and a new subgenus Dissonulichospinus n. subgen. (within Dissonulichen n. stat.) are proposed, as well as five new combinations of species so far included in Dysonia: Alexanderellus mariposa n. comb., Dissonulichen diffusus n. comb., D. ornatus n. comb., D. elegans n. comb. and Lichenomorphus pirani n. comb. Four species names are considered as synonyms: Hammatofera brasiliensis n. syn. (under H. nodicornis), Dysonia similis n. syn. (under Dissonulichen minensis), Dysonia cuiabensis n. syn. (under Dissonulichen hebardi) and Lichenomorphus nigriventer n. syn. (under L. puntifrons). Dysonia lamellipes is considered a nomen dubium. Characters referring to camouflage, mimicry, and behaviors associated with these adaptative preferences were optimized. Optimizations for structural phylogenies were indicated on each of the optimized characters, displaying nodes in which the different optimizations by characters differ. Characters analyzed on the ambulatory behavior of the studied taxa are closely related to the type of mimicry or camouflage occurring in each group, so those taxa that camouflage in foliose lichen move in a slow, circumspect fashion, contrasting to taxa mimicking crustose or fruticose lichen, which simulate lichen parts stirred by a breeze. This most effective strategy makes them almost impossible to spot in their natural habitat. Likewise, species with wasp mimicry tend to show behaviors that make their imitation strategy more efficient. The ancestral state of the tribe is a phyllomorphic type (leaf camouflage) as is usual in most genera of the family Phaneropterinae. The appearance of camouflage and mimicry in the species of the tribe is discussed, and how these converge with taxa of other areas of the planet. The relationship between optimized characters is then grouped in the most parsimonious tree, indicating frequency and relation between taxa and characters. A biogeographic dispersal-vicariance analysis of the tribes genera indicates that the ancestral area is in the Brazilian Shield as the only resulting ancestral distribution, with a secondary center of radiation in the Andes. Four vicariant events are postulated: 1) The differentiation of some genera by the rising of the Andes, 2) forming a barrier between species groups of the genus Markia. 3) Expansion from the ancestral area towards the Amazon and 4) the Andes. Diagnoses and a pictorial key to the identification of all genera, plus conventional keys for identification of all species are provided, along with distribution maps. A list presents all taxa of the tribe within the proposed classification, including distribution data, depositories of type specimens, and additional comments.

Possible solar origin of the 1,470-year glacial climate cycle demonstrated in a coupled model.

Many palaeoclimate records from the North Atlantic region show a pattern of rapid climate oscillations, the so-called Dansgaard-Oeschger events, with a quasi-periodicity of approximately 1,470 years for the late glacial period. Various hypotheses have been suggested to explain these rapid temperature shifts, including internal oscillations in the climate system and external forcing, possibly from the Sun. But whereas pronounced solar cycles of approximately 87 and approximately 210 years are well known, a approximately 1,470-year solar cycle has not been detected. Here we show that an intermediate-complexity climate model with glacial climate conditions simulates rapid climate shifts similar to the Dansgaard-Oeschger events with a spacing of 1,470 years when forced by periodic freshwater input into the North Atlantic Ocean in cycles of approximately 87 and approximately 210 years. We attribute the robust 1,470-year response time to the superposition of the two shorter cycles, together with strongly nonlinear dynamics and the long characteristic timescale of the thermohaline circulation. For Holocene conditions, similar events do not occur. We conclude that the glacial 1,470-year climate cycles could have been triggered by solar forcing despite the absence of a 1,470-year solar cycle.

An interesting new record of the almost unknown brachypterous phaneropterine katydid Xenicola dohrni (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from Argentina, and its high-ultrasound male-female communication.

The southernmost record of the neotropical genus Xenicola is documented. An apparently tiny population of X. dohrni, a species described long ago from southern Brazil without other published records, lives at the shore of the Río de la Plata, 1000 km further south. Perhaps it has been established there by means of floating vegetation. The acoustic communication of this species is also very interesting: The male produces with its minuscule tegmina brief signals with a carrier frequency range between 80 and 100 kHz. The female responds, and the male modifies its song when engaged in a duet. It modifies it further, when the female responds from very close. The paper includes a review of the records of Xenicola species on biodiversity observation platforms.

Mikrischyrum musicum, a new katydid species from montane rainforest in southern Ecuador with complex pure-tone calling song (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae: Platyphyllini).

The katydid Mikrischyrum musicum sp. nov. is described as third species of the genus, along with the remarkable low-ultrasound musical calling song of the male. It is the first species of the genus with known females, which are considerably larger than males and lack the conspicuous white spots on the pronotum. Pure-tone songs among pseudophyllines and development of pronotum markings of Platyphyllini are briefly discussed.

A population of serum deprivation-induced bone marrow stem cells (SD-BMSC) expresses marker typical for embryonic and neural stem cells.

The bone marrow represents an easy accessible source of adult stem cells suitable for various cell based therapies. Several studies in recent years suggested the existence of pluripotent stem cells within bone marrow stem cells (BMSC) expressing marker proteins of both embryonic and tissue committed stem cells. These subpopulations were referred to as MAPC, MIAMI and VSEL-cells. Here we describe SD-BMSC (serumdeprivation-induced BMSC) which are induced as a distinct subpopulation after complete serumdeprivation. SD-BMSC are generated from small-sized nestin-positive BMSC (S-BMSC) organized as round-shaped cells in the top layer of BMSC-cultures. The generation of SD-BMSC is caused by a selective proliferation of S-BMSC and accompanied by changes in both morphology and gene expression. SD-BMSC up-regulate not only markers typical for neural stem cells like nestin and GFAP, but also proteins characteristic for embryonic cells like Oct4 and SOX2. We hypothesize, that SD-BMSC like MAPC, MIAMI and VSEL-cells represent derivatives from a single pluripotent stem cell fraction within BMSC exhibiting characteristics of embryonic and tissue committed stem cells. The complete removal of serum might offer a simple way to specifically enrich this fraction of pluripotent embryonic like stem cells in BMSC cultures.

Studies in Neotropical Pseudophyllinae: A new genus of Cocconotini from the Colombian Andes and new subfamily assignment of the Dominican genus Anacaona (Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae: Cocconotini).

Acuscercus eudaldoleondiazi n. gen et n. sp. from the Eastern slopes of the Colombian Andes is described, a typical long-winged member of the tribe Cocconotini, distinguished by peculiar morphology of male cerci. On the other hand, the Dominican genus Anacaona is moved from Cocconotini to the tribe Copiphorini (Conocephalinae). The status and tribal boundaries of Cocconotini and Eucocconotini are briefly discussed.

Time-dependent segmentation of BrdU-signal leads to late detection problems in studies using BrdU as cell label or proliferation marker.

Bromodeoxyuridine incorporates into DNA during mitosis. A long-term stability of the incorporated BrdU is important for the recovery of BrdU-labeled cells. For testing the stability of BrdU incorporation into DNA we pulse-labeled mesenchymal stem cells with BrdU and observed these cells in vitro over 4 weeks. During this time the BrdU-signal was permanently decreasing. Starting with cells containing evenly stained BrdU-nuclei, so-called filled cells, already 3 days after BrdU removal we detected cells containing so-called segmented and punctated BrdU-signals. The number of those labeled cells continuously increased over time. Interestingly, the loss of BrdU in the nucleus was accompanied by an increasing labeling of the cytosol. Further, we injected BrdU intraperitoneally into rats after ischemia and detected BrdU-positive cells in the hippocampus 3 and 23 days after the last BrdU injection. While after 3 days most of the BrdU-positive cells in the hippocampus displayed a filled BrdU-signal, 23 days after BrdU removal an increased number of segmented and punctated BrdU-positive nuclei was detected. The gradual degradation of the BrdU-signal was not caused by cell death. The consequence of this BrdU degradation would be an underestimation of cell proliferation and an overestimation of cell death of newly generated cells.

Clarifying the identity of the Uruguayan meadow katydid Conocephalus doryphorus (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalini).

Conocephalus doryphorus (Karny, 1907), a member of the lesser meadow katydids, with around 150 recognized species in this genus with worldwide distribution, and around 25 of them living in South America, has been described from a unique immature female from an unknown locality in Uruguay.

On brachypterous phaneropterine katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae:br />Phaneropterinae) from the Iguaçu National Park, Brazil: three new species, new record and bioacoustics.

The species of brachypterous Phaneropterinae (Tettigoniidae) inhabiting the Iguaçu National Park, Paraná, Brazil, were studied. Four species have been recognized, Anisophya melanochloris (Rehn, 1911) and three new species described here: Anisophya una sp. n., as well as Xenicola taroba sp. n. and Xenicola xukrixi sp. n. We present relevant characters used in Orthoptera taxonomy, such as male genitalia, male and female stridulatory files, cerci and subgenital plates for all four species. Calling songs of three species are also described. X. xukrixi sp. n. stands out by its high carrier frequency with a peak above 70 kHz.

Anti-inflammatory treatment with the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB239063 is neuroprotective, decreases the number of activated microglia and facilitates neurogenesis in oxygen-glucose-deprived hippocampal slice cultures.

We investigated the effect of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor SB239063 on inflammation and neurogenesis after ischemia in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures. Our study shows that after oxygen-glucose deprivation, the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and the extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) are strongly activated. The p38 MAPK phosphorylation returned to basal levels within 1 h after oxygen-glucose deprivation, whereas the ERK1/2 phosphorylation reached the basal level only after 24 h. Treatment with 20 microM and 100 microM SB239063 strikingly reduced cell death after oxygen-glucose deprivation and significantly diminished microglia activation in the cornu ammonis (CA-region), but not in the area dentata. Levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1beta were reduced by 84% after treatment with SB239063 whereas the cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha were not affected. After 6 days, neurogenesis was significantly increased in the posterior periventricle. Based on these findings, our study shows that anti-inflammatory treatment with SB239063 reduces cell death, inflammation and microglia activation and, at high concentrations, enhances the oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced neurogenesis in the posterior periventricle.

The presence of the family Anostostomatidae (Orthoptera: Ensifera) in Argentina.

The family Anostostomatidae comprises about 250 known species of robust insects, similar to crickets, which are widely distributed predominantly in the southern hemisphere. They are divided into eight subfamilies, of which five occur in the Neotropics (Cadena-Castañeda Cortés-Torres 2013). While there are six species described from central and southern Chile (three in each of the genera Cratomelus and Leiomelus), the only published record of the Anostostomatidae for Argentina refers to two old specimens of Apotetamenus clipeatus in the collection of the Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle in Paris (Griffini 1912, Karny 1935, Cadena-Castañeda Cortés-Torres 2013).

Meadow katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalini) from the Central-West Region of Brazil: Morphological, bioacoustic and cytogenetic study.

Three species of Conocephalus and two of Euxiphidion from several localities of the Central-West Region of Brazil were studied. Conocephalus goianus Piza, 1977, C. saltator (Saussure, 1859) and C. versicolor (Redtenbacher, 1891) are recorded for the first time from Mato Grosso do Sul, one new species Euxiphidion veroni sp. nov. is described, and a new combination, Euxiphidion caizanum comb. nov. is proposed. The calling songs of C. saltator, C. versicolor, and E. veroni sp. nov. are described. All these three species call very continuously, also in the daytime. The three species of Conocepha-lus have mitotic metaphases with 2n♂ = 33 = 32 + X and 2n♀ = 34 = 32 + XX. Euxiphidion caizanum comb. nov. and    E. veroni sp. nov. have 2n♂ = 31 = 30 + X and 2n♀ = 32 = 30 + XX. Most of the autosomes of C. saltator and C. versicolor are meta/submetacentric, differing from C. goianus that has seven biarmed and nine monoarmed autosomes. Both Euxiphidion species present mostly telo/subtelocentric autosomes. The X chromosome is metacentric, and the largest element of the karyotype in the five species. No interstitial telomeric site (ITS) was observed in mitotic metaphases submitted to telomeric fluorescent in situ hybridization. Ecological aspects of the studied species are discussed.

Neuronal differentiation of transplanted embryonic stem cell-derived precursors in stroke lesions of adult rats.

Stroke represents one of the leading causes of death and disability in Western countries, but despite intense research, only few options exist for the treatment of stroke-related infarction of brain tissue. In experimental stroke, cell therapy can partly reverse some behavioural deficits. However, the underlying mechanisms have remained unknown as most studies revealed only little, if any, evidence for neuronal replacement and the observed behavioural improvements appeared to be related rather to a graft-derived induction of a positive response in the remaining host tissue than to cell replacement by the graft itself. The present study was performed to test a murine embryonic stem cell (ESC)-based approach in rats subjected to endothelin-induced middle cerebral artery occlusion. Efficacy of cell therapy regarding graft survival, neuronal yield and diversity, and electrophysiological features of the grafted cells were tested after transplanting ESC-derived neural precursors into the infarct core and periphery of adult rats. Here, we show that grafted cells can survive, albeit not entirely, most probably as a consequence of an ongoing immune response, within the infarct core for up to 12 weeks after transplantation and that they differentiate with high yield into immunohistochemically mature glial cells and neurons of diverse neurotransmitter-subtypes. Most importantly, transplanted cells demonstrate characteristics of electrophysiologically functional neurons with voltage-gated sodium currents that enable these cells to fire action potentials. Additionally, during the first 7 weeks after transplantation we observed spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents in graft-derived cells indicating synaptic input. Thus, our observations show that ESC-based regenerative approaches may be successful in an acutely necrotic cellular environment.

Preparation of a tissue-like cortical primary culture from embryonic rats using Matrigel and serum free Start V Medium.

To address the scientific quest for unravelling signalling pathways crucial in CNS development and function, cell culture systems have to be developed that are mimicking the physiological state of brain cells more efficiently. Here, we describe a method for cultivation of a virtual three-dimensional structure consisting of neural stem cell-derived cell types by using Matrigel as surface substrate and Start V as a serum free medium. We demonstrate that free floating dissociated cells form attached neurospheres from which cells start migration to surrounding areas and develop a virtual three-dimensional cell structure composed of neurons, glia and neural stem cells. Neuronal precursor cells differentiate into cholinergic and GABAergic cells and express vesicle proteins. Further, neuronal cells are interwoven with Nestin positive stem cells and GFAP positive astrocytes. Additionally, oligodendrocytes and microglia can also be detected in this neural tissue-like structure. As an example for studying cell migration we added externally microglial cells (BV2) and performed a confocal time lapse study. It revealed, that co-cultivated microglial cells migrated towards neurospheres within 14 h. Thus, the described method provides a serum free, tissue-like primary cell culture system of neural cells useful for the investigations of basic cell-cell interactions under in vitro conditions.

Phlugis ocraceovittata and its ultrasonic calling song (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phlugidini).

Some observations on the small predatory katydid Phlugis ocraceovittata Piza 1960 from southern Brazil are presented. A male was calling both day and night, producing long uniformly structured sequences with maximum energy between 40 and 60 kHz. According to anecdotal and indirect evidence the species is not exclusively predacious and can live partly also on vegetable food.

Little walking leaves from southeast Ecuador: biology and taxonomy of Typophyllum species (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Pterochrozinae).

Eight katydid species of the leaf-mimicking specialist genus Typophyllum were found in the southeast of Ecuador in an area comprising part of the eastern Andean cordillera and foothills toward the Cordillera del Cóndor in elevations between 850 and 3000 m. They are described along with the peculiar calling songs and other interesting aspects of their biology. Three of these species are new: T. morrisi sp. nov., T. onkiosternum sp. nov. and T. vignoni sp. nov. A fourth species represented by a single male is possibly new as well. In males and females of a species considered as identical with T. egregium Hebard 1924, which was previously known from a unique female specimen, was found a remarkable variation of coloration, in addition to the striking sexual dimorphism typical for the genus, with the females being twice as large as the small males. The latter is related to the curious mating behaviour, which is documented for this species and T. erosifolium Walker 1870. The two other species found in the region are T. bolivari Vignon 1925 and T. mortuifolium Walker 1870. The calling songs of four species were recorded. In T. erosifolium and T. morrisi sp. nov. the sounds are almost pure sine waves at the lower boundary of ultrasound. In T. egregium and T. onkiosternum sp. nov. the spectrum of the carrier frequency is broader, which might be related to lower and denser vegetation at higher elevation. Based on the intraspecific variety found in T. egregium and T. erosifolium, which includes variation in tegmina shape and venation pattern, are established several syonymies among Typophyllum species from western South America. T. erosifolium is found to be identical with T. peruvianum Pictet 1888 syn. nov. Additionally are considered identical T. inflatum Vignon 1925 and T. gibbosusm Vignon 1925 syn. nov., T. trigonum Vignon 1925 and T. quadriincisum Vignon 1925 syn. nov., and finally T. lacinipenne Enderlein 1917 and T. acutum Vignon 1925 syn. nov. and T. undulatum Caudell 1918 syn. nov. The discussion treats the problematic taxonomy of the little walking leaves, bioacoustics, the pre-copulatory riding behaviour, the sophisticated mimesis, and very briefly the uncertain position within the katydid phylogeny.