Lateral Wings Research Articles

Effects of acute restraint and unpredictable chronic mild stress on brain corticotrophin releasing factor mRNA in the elevated T-maze

Corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) modulates stress/anxiety-related responses. Previous studies showed that exposure to acute restraint and unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) facilitates elevated T-maze (ETM) avoidance responses, an anxiogenic-like effect. This study verified the role of CRF in the modulation of ETM avoidance and escape reactions, in unstressed rats and in animals exposed to acute restraint or to UCMS, by quantifying CRF mRNA concentrations in stress/anxiety-related brain regions, through semiquantitative in situ hybridization. Results showed that stress exposure altered CRF mRNA in regions related to the modulation of stress/anxiety: the cingulate cortex, the hippocampus, the paraventricular and dorsomedial hypothalamus, the medial and central amygdalas, the dorsal region of the dorsal raphe (dDR) and the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray. A regression analysis showed that the anxiogenic-like effects observed in acute restraint animals were particularly associated to increases in CRF mRNA in the paraventricular hypothalamus, medial and central amygdalas and dDR. On the other hand, anxiogenic-like effects observed after UCMS exposure are associated to increases in CRF mRNA in the medial and central amygdalas, in the BNST and in the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey. This observation suggests important differences in the neurocircuitry that mediates responses to acute and chronic stress exposure. CRF mRNA in regions traditionally related to the modulation of panic reactions (the dorsal periaqueductal grey and the lateral wings of the dorsal raphe) were not observed, what might explain the absence of panicogenic-like effects of stress exposure. These results contribute to a better understanding of the role played by CRF in stress/anxiety-related responses.

Improvement of Q0 dummy restraint in lateral sled impacts regarding R129 criteria

ABSTRACTNewborns are one of the most vulnerable car occupants in road accident. Collisions lead to serious head and neck injuries especially in side impact. This work consists in improving child restraint systems (CRS) efficiency in a regulatory context. Two consecutive Design of Experiments (DoEs) have been conducted in which Q0 dummy head, shoulder and pelvis were independently restrained by calibrated absorbers. The first study aims to understand interactions relative to Q0 dummy in side impact. A localised impact wall constituted of instrumented columns has been developed prior to experiments. The second DoE attempts to numerically design the best energy absorption materials to integrate in CRS lateral wings. For that purpose, a simplified finite element model of the experimental device has been developed, and then validated under Radioss® explicit code. Column stiffnesses were changed for all the 250 simulations with the objective to minimise both Head Performance Criterion (HPC) and head acceleration criteria.

Effects of chemical stimulation of the lateral wings of the dorsal raphe nucleus on panic-like defensive behaviors and Fos protein expression in rats

The lateral wings subnucleus of the dorsal raphe nucleus (lwDR) has been implicated in the modulation of panic-like behaviors, such as escape. Infusion of non- excitotoxic doses of the excitatory amino acid kainic acid into this subnucleus promptly evokes a vigorous escape response. In addition, rats exposed to panic-inducing situations show an increase in Fos protein expression in neurons within the lwDR. In the present study, we first investigated whether key structures associated with the mediation of escape behavior are recruited after chemical stimulation of the lwDR with kainic acid. We next investigated whether the infusion of the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline into the lwDR also evoked escape responses measured both in a circular arena and in the rat elevated T-maze. The effects of bicuculline in the circular arena were compared to those caused by the infusion of this antagonist into the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG), an area in close vicinity to the lwDR. The results showed that kainic acid infusion into the lwDR increased Fos protein immunostaining in brain structures deeply involved in panic-like defensive behaviors, such as the periaqueductal gray and hypothalamus, but not the amygdala. As observed with kainic acid, bicuculline evoked a pronounced escape response in the circular arena when microinjected in the lwDR, but not in the vlPAG. The escape-promoting effect of bicuculline in the lwDR was also evidenced in the elevated T-maze. These findings strength the view that dysfunction in mechanisms controlling escape in the lwDR is critically implicated in the pathophysiology of panic disorder.

Description of Euchone anceps sp. nov. (Annelida: Sabellidae) from the Mediterranean Sea and Northeast Atlantic, with remarks on the difficulty of generic definition

ABSTRACTThe problem of the generic placement of some peculiar Mediterranean and Atlantic sabellids, showing a mixture of features found in the genera Euchone and Paradialychone, is addressed. Due to the high similarity to E. pseudolimnicola, this peculiar taxon had previously been informally named Euchone cfr. pseudolimnicola. However, while the presence of a simple pre-pygidial depression without lateral wings or a distinct ridge in the uppermost margin is similar to Dialychone and Paradialychone, the dentition of thoracic and abdominal uncini resembles that found in Paradialychone. In this study, the morphological features of Mediterranean and British material were re-examined and compared to E. pseudolimnicola specimens, and a cladistics analysis was performed. The genus Euchone appears not well defined; E. cfr. pseudolimnicola and E. pseudolimnicola are located close to each other and also located in the area of the phylogenetic tree containing the other examined Euchone species. We suggest to maintain both these taxa within the genus Euchone until a revision based on the examination of type material of all the Euchone species is performed. The new species Euchone anceps sp. nov. has been described, and the large morphological variability existing in some Mediterranean material is also addressed. An updated taxonomic key for the species of the considered genera present in Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea is also provided.

An unusual case of sphenoid wing meningioma and adenocarcinoma of the caecum

Background: Sphenoid wing meningiomas are common in females and association with colon cancer in females is known. An unusual case of meningioma with co-existant caecal cancer is being reported in a male patient. Case description: A 76-year-old male patient diagnosed with left lateral sphenoid wing meningioma underwent total excision of the tumour. Post-operatively he developed intestinal obstruction due to perforation of colonic growth. Histopathology confirmed the lesion as adenocarcinoma. The patient succumbed to septic shock. Conclusion: The uniqueness of male presentation and a perforated colonic cancer manifesting post-operatively has not been reported in the past. The possibility of syndromic presentation should always be kept in mind.

Redescription of Cichlidogyrus philander (Monogenea, Ancyrocephalidae) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and molecular analysis.

The sclerotized structures of monogeneans have traditionally been studied by light microscopy and different staining techniques. Recently, enzymatic digestion followed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has enabled the examination of structural details not visible with light microscopy. In order to obtain better, and more accurate, morphological information on sclerotized structures not affected by mounting medium or cover slip pressure, the sclerites of Cichlidogyrus philander Douëllou, 1993 (Monogenea, Ancyrocephalidae), collected from Pseudocrenilabrus philander (Weber, 1897), were redescribed using SEM. Parasites were collected from Padda Dam, Gauteng, South Africa and soft tissue was digested to release the sclerotized structures. The digested tissue also provided sufficient genetic material for molecular characterization of this species. Cichlidogyrus philander is characterised by a penis with a sharp, curved, lateral termination, an accessory piece with a hook-like extremity that may appear forked terminally, and lack of a visible vagina. The transverse bars have concave and convex surfaces with ribs on the concave surface. The dorsal bar bears fenestrations at the base of the auricles and the ventral and dorsal gripi are dissimilar. Furthermore, the large first pair of uncinuli shows lateral wings on the left side of the base. On top of this wing, a ball-like structure with a small fenestration is visible. Genetic characters derived from the 28S rDNA, the COI mitochondrial DNA and ITS1 rDNA regions distinguish C. philander from all other Cichlidogyrus sequenced species.

Deep brain stimulation of the dorsal raphe inhibits avoidance and escape reactions and activates forebrain regions related to the modulation of anxiety/panic

One of the main neurochemical systems associated with anxiety/panic is the serotonergic system originating from the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). Previous evidence suggests that the DR is composed of distinct subpopulations of neurons, both morphologically and functionally distinct. It seems that mainly the dorsal region of the DR (DRD) regulates anxiety-related reactions, while lateral wings DR (lwDR) serotonin (5-HT) neurons inhibit panic-related responses. In this study we used the technique of deep brain stimulation (DBS) to investigate the role played by the DRD and lwDR in defense. Male Wistar rats were submitted to high-frequency stimulation (100μA, 100Hz) in one of the two DR regions for 1h and immediately after tested in the avoidance or escape tasks of the elevated T-maze (ETM). In clinical terms, these responses have been related to generalized anxiety and panic disorder, respectively. After being submitted to the ETM, animals were placed in an open field for locomotor activity assessment. An additional group of rats was submitted to DBS of the DRD or the lwDR and used for quantification of c-Fos immunoreactive (Fos-ir) neurons in brain regions related to the modulation of defense. Results showed that stimulation of the DRD decreased avoidance latencies, an anxiolytic-like effect. DRD stimulation also led to increases in Fos-ir in the medial amygdala, lateral septum and cingulate cortex. DBS applied to the lwDR increased escape latencies, a panicolytic-like effect. This data highlights the importance of raphe topography and the potential benefit of the DBS technique for the treatment of anxiety-related disorders.

SIX NEW SPECIES OF TETRAPTERYS (MALPIGHIACEAE)

Six new species of the Neotropical genus Tetrapterys (Malpighiaceae) are described and illustrated: T. amazonica C.E.Anderson (Brazil, Colombia and Peru), T. andersonii C.E.Anderson (Mexico), T. callejasii W.R.Anderson (Colombia), T. molinae W.R.Anderson (Honduras), T. rzedowskii W.R.Anderson (Mexico) and T. steyermarkii W.R.Anderson (Colombia and Venezuela). All have 4(–6)-flowered umbels as the ultimate inflorescence units, glabrous yellow petals, and samaras with a small dorsal wing in addition to the four large lateral wings.

A magyar Királyi Pénzügyminisztérium egykori palotája a budai várban

In the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy financial affairs remained the sovereign right of the Hungarian Kingdom. In the decades after the Compromise (1867) the finance ministry functioned at several separate venues in Buda Castle. Without calling a plan competition, finance minister László Lukács commissioned architect Sándor Fellner (1857-1944) to design a building complex that would house the entire ministry, and 4 million crowns were earmarked in article XXXIV of 1900 for the construction. The sketches submitted by Fellner, who started his studies in the forerunner of the Budapest Technical University and completed them in Vienna and Paris, were approved on the very last day of the 19th century. In terms of function, the design adopted the cell model, providing each official a room of his own. The rooms were separated and only accessible from lateral corridors. The most attractive appearance was given to the wing with the main staircase and state-room in Szentháromság square. The pair of towers flanking the projecting central section were crowned by roofs adopting the outline of the gothic tower cap of Maria am Gestade in Vienna. The brass knights on the pinnacles also reminded of the Rathausmann of the imperial city. The first section of the lateral wing in Hess András square contained the minister’s suite of rooms, the wing across from it in Országház street included the secretary of state’s offices and representative rooms. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone was held in spring 1901 and the capping celebration was on 19 September 1902, the centenary of Lajos Kossuth’s birth. (Female day-wage labourers got 2 crowns bonus, the chief master builder received 1500 crowns.) The palace, which caused controversy among contemporaries as well (Wasn’t it in conflict on account of its volume and forms with the architecture of the Matthias Church, the church of coronations, renovated by Frigyes Schulek?) could be occupied in late 1904. In terms of innovation and engineering, the archival wing was outstanding, a witness of early Hungarian concrete iron constructions documented by sources. Built with great craftsmanship and abounding in splendid details – equipped lavishly with materials and products from all over historical Hungary – the palace, which represented its status well, was badly damaged in the siege of Buda in 1944/45 (Festung Budapest). The architect, whose active career of sixty years was acknowledged by his admission to the Incorporated Architects & Surveyors (London) in 1937, did not live to see the crumbling of the walls. The monument he had designed in the Jewish cemetery in Kozma street only features his wife’s name who died young (1907). The new looks of his building resulted from the reconstruction led by Jenő Rados (1947-1950). A contemporary critic with the fresh outlook of the new era declared that the resulting simplified form, particularly of the main façade, turned the former Finance Ministry into a truly monumental building.

Robust modulation of arousal regulation, performance, and frontostriatal activity through central thalamic deep brain stimulation in healthy nonhuman primates.

The central thalamus (CT) is a key component of the brain-wide network underlying arousal regulation and sensory-motor integration during wakefulness in the mammalian brain. Dysfunction of the CT, typically a result of severe brain injury (SBI), leads to long-lasting impairments in arousal regulation and subsequent deficits in cognition. Central thalamic deep brain stimulation (CT-DBS) is proposed as a therapy to reestablish and maintain arousal regulation to improve cognition in select SBI patients. However, a mechanistic understanding of CT-DBS and an optimal method of implementing this promising therapy are unknown. Here we demonstrate in two healthy nonhuman primates (NHPs), Macaca mulatta, that location-specific CT-DBS improves performance in visuomotor tasks and is associated with physiological effects consistent with enhancement of endogenous arousal. Specifically, CT-DBS within the lateral wing of the central lateral nucleus and the surrounding medial dorsal thalamic tegmental tract (DTTm) produces a rapid and robust modulation of performance and arousal, as measured by neuronal activity in the frontal cortex and striatum. Notably, the most robust and reliable behavioral and physiological responses resulted when we implemented a novel method of CT-DBS that orients and shapes the electric field within the DTTm using spatially separated DBS leads. Collectively, our results demonstrate that selective activation within the DTTm of the CT robustly regulates endogenous arousal and enhances cognitive performance in the intact NHP; these findings provide insights into the mechanism of CT-DBS and further support the development of CT-DBS as a therapy for reestablishing arousal regulation to support cognition in SBI patients.

Optimal design of composite lateral wing upper covers. Part II: Nonlinear buckling analysis

The present investigation is devoted to a development of new optimal design concepts of aircraft lateral wing upper covers made of advanced composite materials. In the second part a stiffened composite panel with the best weight/design performance obtained from the linear buckling analysis (Part I) is verified by the nonlinear buckling analysis and re-optimized in the case of necessity. Additionally an effect of shear and fuel pressure as well as an effect of skin post-buckling on its performance is investigated. Three rib bays laminated composite panels with HAT-stiffeners were modeled with ANSYS finite element code to study their buckling behavior as a function of skin and stiffener lay-ups, stiffener height, stiffener top and root width. Due to the large dimension of numerical problems to be solved, an optimization methodology was developed employing the method of experimental design and response surface technique. Weight optimization problems were solved for four load levels, taking into account manufacturing, repairability and damage tolerance requirements. Optimal results were verified successfully using ANSYS shared-node model.

Weight optimal design of lateral wing upper covers made of composite materials

The present investigation is devoted to the development of a new optimal design of lateral wing upper covers made of advanced composite materials, with special emphasis on closer conformity of the developed finite element analysis and operational requirements for aircraft wing panels. In the first stage, 24 weight optimization problems based on linear buckling analysis were solved for the laminated composite panels with three types of stiffener, two stiffener pitches and four load levels, taking into account manufacturing, reparability and damage tolerance requirements. In the second stage, a composite panel with the best weight/design performance from the previous study was verified by nonlinear buckling analysis and optimization to investigate the effect of shear and fuel pressure on the performance of stiffened panels, and their behaviour under skin post-buckling. Three rib-bay laminated composite panels with T-, I- and HAT-stiffeners were modelled with ANSYS, NASTRAN and ABAQUS finite element codes to study their buckling behaviour as a function of skin and stiffener lay-ups, stiffener height, stiffener top and root width. Owing to the large dimension of numerical problems to be solved, an optimization methodology was developed employing the method of experimental design and response surface technique. Optimal results obtained in terms of cross-sectional areas were verified successfully using ANSYS and ABAQUS shared-node models and a NASTRAN rigid-linked model, and were used later to estimate the weight of the Advanced Low Cost Aircraft Structures (ALCAS) lateral wing upper cover.

Bovine lactotroph cultures for the study of prolactin synthesis functions.

The aim of this study was to establish a bovine anterior pituitary-derived lactotroph (BAPDL) line that expresses prolactin (PRL) in vitro to study the mechanisms of bovine PRL synthesis and secretion. Immunohistochemistry assay of PRL in the newborn calves' anterior pituitary glands showed that most lactotrophs were located within the superior border of the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary. Tissues of the superior border of the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary were dispersed and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The limiting dilution method was used to establish BAPDL from single cell clone. BAPDL cells constantly expressed mRNAs for PRL and pituitary-specific transcription factor 1 (Pit-1) gene and grew steadily and rapidly in the DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS. PRL immunoreactivity was present in BAPDL at passage 20. The concentration of bovine PRL in BAPDL at passage 20 culture supernatant was decreased to below 35% compared with that in BAPDL at passage 1. The effects of human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) and dopamine (DA) on the expression and secretion of PRL in BAPDL at passage 4 were also investigated. The results are consistent with those of previous studies. Thus, it can be used successfully for studying the mechanisms of stimuli regulating PRL synthesis and release.

Dpp spreading is required for medial but not for lateral wing disc growth.

Drosophila Decapentaplegic (Dpp) has served as a paradigm to study morphogen-dependent growth control. However, the role of a Dpp gradient in tissue growth remains highly controversial. Two fundamentally different models have been proposed: the 'temporal rule' model suggests that all cells of the wing imaginal disc divide upon a 50% increase in Dpp signalling, whereas the 'growth equalization model' suggests that Dpp is only essential for proliferation control of the central cells. Here, to discriminate between these two models, we generated and used morphotrap, a membrane-tethered anti-green fluorescent protein (GFP) nanobody, which enables immobilization of enhanced (e)GFP::Dpp on the cell surface, thereby abolishing Dpp gradient formation. We find that in the absence of Dpp spreading, wing disc patterning is lost; however, lateral cells still divide at normal rates. These data are consistent with the growth equalization model, but do not fit a global temporal rule model in the wing imaginal disc.

Unpredictable chronic mild stress exerts anxiogenic-like effects and activates neurons in the dorsal and caudal region and in the lateral wings of the dorsal raphe nucleus

In previous studies, we verified that exposure to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) facilitates avoidance responses in the elevated T-maze (ETM) and increased Fos-immunoreactivity in different brain structures involved in the regulation of anxiety, including the dorsal raphe (DR). Since, it has been shown that the DR is composed of distinct subpopulations of serotonergic and non-serotonergic neurons, the present study investigated the pattern of activation of these different subnuclei of the region in response to this stress protocol. Male Wistar rats were either unstressed or exposed to the UCMS procedure for two weeks and, subsequently, analyzed for Fos-immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) in serotonergic cells of the DR. To verify if the anxiogenic effects observed in the ETM could be generalized to other anxiety models, a group of animals was also tested in the light/dark transition test after UCMS exposure. Results showed that the UCMS procedure decreased the number of transitions and increased the number of stretched attend postures in the model, an anxiogenic effect. UCMS exposure also increased Fos-ir and the number of double-labeled neurons in the mid-rostral subdivision of the dorsal part of the DR and in the mid-caudal region of the lateral wings. In the caudal region of the DR there was a significant increase in the number of Fos-ir. No significant effects were found in the other DR subnuclei. These results corroborate the idea that neurons of specific subnuclei of the DR regulate anxiety responses and are differently activated by chronic stress exposure.

5-HT1A receptors of the rat dorsal raphe lateral wings and dorsomedial subnuclei differentially control anxiety- and panic-related defensive responses

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), the main source of 5-HT projections to brain areas involved in anxiety regulation, is composed by 5 subnuclei that differ morphologically, functionally and neurochemically. Based on immunohistochemical evidence, it has been proposed that whereas 5-HT cells of the dorsomedial (dmDR) and caudal subnuclei are implicated in the pathophysiology of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), neurons of the lateral wings (lwDR) are associated with panic disorder (PD). We here tested this hypothesis from a behavioral perspective by investigating the consequences of the non-selective stimulation of neurons within the dmDR and lwDR, or the pharmacological manipulation of 5-HT1A receptors located in these nuclei, of male Wistar rats exposed to the elevated T-maze. This test allows the measurement of both a GAD- (i.e. inhibitory avoidance) and a PD- (i.e. escape) related response in the same animal. Intra-dmDR injection of either the excitatory amino acid kainic acid or the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 facilitated inhibitory avoidance acquisition, suggesting an anxiogenic effect, and inhibited escape expression, a panicolytic-like effect. Microinjection of the 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT caused the opposite effect. Administration of the same drugs into the lwDR only altered escape performance. Whereas kainic acid and 8-OH-DPAT facilitated its expression, WAY-100635 inhibited it. At higher doses, kainic acid administration evoked vigorous escape reactions as measured in an open-field. These findings implicate 5-HT neurons of the dmDR in the regulation of both GAD- and PD-related defensive behaviors. They also support a primary role of the lwDR in the mediation of PD-associated responses.

Roveacrinids (Crinoidea) from the mid-Cretaceous of Texas: ontogeny, phylogeny, functional morphology and lifestyle

New material of known roveacrinids from two Cretaceous sites in Texas is described. Upper Albian strata at Saginaw Quarry furnished rich material of Poecilocrinus latealatus and Roveacrinus pyramidalis; for these two forms cups can be combined with primibrachials and secundibrachials. Some cups of Orthogonocrinus apertus are also present. Juvenile cups of these three species demonstrate ontogenetic changes, which are most prominent in P. latealatus. At the adult stage this species has cups with dish-like lateral wings; the first primibrachials have an aboral bowl; axillary second primibrachials and proximal secundibrachials have a wide aboral bowl; and distal brachials carry spines. The arms lack pinnules. A pelagic lifestyle with a mouth-up position is assumed. In contrast, R. pyramidalis has rod-shaped or stick-like brachials without wings, and food grooves are lacking. The less rich lower Cenomanian strata at the Dottie Lynn site provided a number of cups and brachials of Roveacrinus spinosus. In addition, cups of R. peracutus and R. alatus are present. Styracocrinus Peck is considered synonymous with Roveacrinus Douglas. The double cavity in the cups of the various species is discussed; its proposed function as a hydrostatic organ seems conjectural. Two genera of Saccocominae of the Late Jurassic radiation are thought to be ancestors to similar genera of Roveacrinidae first appearing during the Albian radiation. Derivation of Poecilocrinus may be from Saccocoma, Discocrinus and Plotocrinus possibly from Crassicoma. The ancestry of species of Roveacrinus and Orthogonocrinus with conical cups and two distinct body chambers is unclear. The closely similar juvenile cups of Roveacrinus pyramidalis and Poecilocrinus latealatus suggest a common origin despite the widely diverging arm structure. A comparison of Roveacrinus pyramidalis with the Triassic somphocrinid Osteocrinus reveals similar rod-shaped, smooth and tall brachials lacking a distinct food groove. Based on their mass occurrence and wide distribution, species of Osteocrinus species are thought to have been pelagic. This is substantiated by the presence of cups and rod-shaped brachials in Ladinian black shales of southern China. While food of species of Poecilocrinus presumably consisted of coccolithophores and planktonic foraminifera, collection and transport of food particles by Roveacrinus pyramidalis is enigmatic, as is that of Osteocrinus.

Is postoperative imaging mandatory after meningioma removal? Results of a prospective study.

BackgroundRoutine postoperative imaging (PI) following surgery for intracranial meningiomas is common practice in most neurosurgical departments. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of routine PI and its impact on clinical decision making after resection of meningioma.MethodsPatient and tumor characteristics, details of radiographic scans, symptoms and alteration of treatment courses were prospectively collected for patients undergoing removal of a supratentorial meningioma of the convexity, falx, tentorium, or lateral sphenoid wing at the authors’ institution between January 1st, 2010 and March 31st, 2012. Patients with infratentorial manifestations or meningiomas of the skull base known to be surgically difficult (e.g. olfactory groove, petroclival, medial sphenoid wing) were not included. Maximum tumor diameter was divided into groups of < 3cm (small), 3 to 6 cm (medium), and > 6 cm (large).Results206 patients with meningiomas were operated between January 2010 and March 2012. Of these, 113 patients met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in this study. 83 patients (73.5%) did not present new neurological deficits, whereas 30 patients (26.5%) became clinically symptomatic. Symptomatic patients had a change in treatment after PI in 21 cases (70%), while PI was without consequence in 9 patients (30%). PI did not result in a change of treatment in all asymptomatic patients (p<0.001) irrespective of tumor size (p<0.001) or localization (p<0.001).ConclusionsPI is mandatory for clinically symptomatic patients but it is safe to waive it in clinically asymptomatic patients, even if the meningioma was large in size.

Light and scanning electron microscopical examination of the third stage larva of Physocephalus dromedarii (Nematoda: Spirocercidae)--an abomasal nematode of the one humped camel (Camelus dromedarius).

The life cycle of Physocephalus dromedarii was studied under experimental conditions. Larvae obtained from naturally infected Scarabaeus cristatus and Aphodius sp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) were measured and examined in light and scanning electron microscopy and used to infect a dromedary as final host as well as chicken, mice and a toad as possible paratenic hosts. Larvae with the same morphology and similar measurements were found in naturally infected reptiles (Trapelus flavimaculatus, Eryx jayakari, Cerastes gasperettii). Body length of examined larvae varied between 1450 and 1700μm. Dorsal, ventral and lateral lips, peg-like papillae and amphideal pits are located on the cephalic cone. There are two asymmetrical cervical deirids, long simple lateral wings and a knob-like posterior end covered with minute spines. In the camel, patency is reached within 12weeks after infection while larvae in paratenic hosts migrate into the wall of the alimentary tract and become dormant.

Constructional morphology within the head of hammerhead sharks (sphyrnidae).

The study of functional trade-offs is important if a structure, such as the cranium, serves multiple biological roles, and is, therefore, shaped by multiple selective pressures. The sphyrnid cephalofoil presents an excellent model for investigating potential trade-offs among sensory, neural, and feeding structures. In this study, hammerhead shark species were chosen to represent differences in head form through phylogeny. A combination of surface-based geometric morphometrics, computed tomography (CT) volumetric analysis, and phylogenetic analyses were utilized to investigate potential trade-offs within the head. Hammerhead sharks display a diversity of cranial morphologies where the position of the eyes and nares vary among species, with only minor changes in shape, position, and volume of the feeding apparatus through phylogeny. The basal winghead shark, Eusphyra blochii, has small anteriorly positioned eyes. Through phylogeny, the relative size and position of the eyes change, such that derived species have larger, more medially positioned eyes. The lateral position of the external nares is highly variable, showing no phylogenetic trend. Mouth size and position are conserved, remaining relatively unchanged. Volumetric CT analyses reveal no trade-offs between the feeding apparatus and the remaining cranial structures. The few trade-offs were isolated to the nasal capsule volume's inverse correlation with braincase, chondrocranial, and total cephalofoil volume. Eye volume also decreased as cephalofoil width increased. These data indicate that despite considerable changes in head shape, much of the head is morphologically conserved through sphyrnid phylogeny, particularly the jaw cartilages and their associated feeding muscles, with shape change and morphological trade-offs being primarily confined to the lateral wings of the cephalofoil and their associated sensory structures.