Single syntypes of Somatochlora exuberata Bartenev, 1910 (Odonata: Corduliidae), discovered in both the Milwaukee Public Museum and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, U.S.A., with designation of the lectotype.

A male syntype of Somatochlora exuberata Bartenev, 1910, from Kavykuchi Gazimurskie village, Transbaikalia, Siberia, June 24 (in Julian Calendar, July 7 in Gregorian Calendar) 1909, was discovered in the Milwaukee Public Museum, Wisconsin, U.S.A., as received in exchange from A.N. Bartenev by Richard Anthony Muttkowski. Another male syntype with the same data later was found in the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Michigan, U.S.A. The latter specimen is designated as the lectotype of S. exuberata. The description of Somatochlora vera Bartenev, 1914, a name currently considered a junior synonym of S. exuberata, is critically evaluated.

LepNet: The Lepidoptera of North America Network.

The Lepidoptera of North America Network, or LepNet, is a digitization effort recently launched to mobilize biodiversity data from 3 million specimens of butterflies and moths in United States natural history collections (http://www.lep-net.org/). LepNet was initially conceived as a North American effort but the project seeks collaborations with museums and other organizations worldwide. The overall goal is to transform Lepidoptera specimen data into readily available digital formats to foster global research in taxonomy, ecology and evolutionary biology.

Behavioral recovery from traumatic brain injury after membrane reconstruction using polyethylene glycol.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG; 2000 MW, 30% by volume) has been shown to mechanically repair damaged cellular membranes and reduce secondary axotomy after traumatic brain and spinal cord injury (TBI and SCI respectively). This repair is achieved following spontaneous reassembly of cell membranes made possible by the action of targeted hydrophilic polymers which first seal the compromised portion of the plasmalemma, and secondarily, allow the lipidic core of the compromised membranes to resolve into each other. Here we compared PEG-treated to untreated rats using a computer-managed open-field behavioral test subsequent to a standardized brain injury. Animals were evaluated after a 2-, 4-, and 6-hour delay in treatment after TBI. Treated animals receive a single subcutaneous injection of PEG. When treated within 2 hours of the injury, injured PEG-treated rats showed statistically significant improvement in their exploratory behavior recorded in the activity box when compared to untreated but brain-injured controls. A delay of 4 hours reduced this level of achievement, but a statistically significant improvement due to PEG injection was still clearly evident in most outcome measures compared at the various evaluation times. A further delay of 2 more hours, however, eradicated the beneficial effects of PEG injection as revealed using this behavioral assessment. Thus, there appears to be a critical window of time in which PEG administration after TBI can provide neuroprotection resulting in an enhanced functional recovery. As is often seen in clinically applied acute treatments for trauma, the earlier the intervention can be applied, the better the outcome.