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Hylaea mediterranea Sihvonen, Skou, Flamigni, Fiumi & Hausmann 2014, new species
No full textHylaea mediterranea Sihvonen, Skou, Flamigni, Fiumi & Hausmann, new species Material examined. Holotype male: HOLOTYPE / Hylaea / mediterranea [red rectangle label]; Italy, Sicily, 5.7 km ESE San Stefano Quisquina, near Pizzo della Rondine, 1000 m, 9.-10.x.2010, Peder Skou leg.; Prep. number 1738., Pasi Sihvonen (coll. Skou, Denmark, to be deposited at the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, Denmark). Paratypes altogether 6 males and 4 females. 1 male and 3 females: Italy, Sicily, / 5.7 km ESE San / Stefano Quisquina, / near Pizzo della Rondine, / 1000 m, 9.-10.x.2010, / Peder Skou leg.; Prep. number 1739. /, Pasi Sihvonen. 1 female: Italy, Sicilia, / 7 km S. of Castelbuono, / 1350 m, 5.vi.2005, / Peder Skou leg. (both specimens in coll. Peder Skou, Denmark). 1 male: Italy, Sicily, Mt Etna / Ragabo restaur. / 7 km SW Linguaglossa, / 1450 m, 8–9.ix.2002 / Leg. M. Fibiger & / G. Jeppesen. 1 male: Italy, Sicily, / 5.3 km SE Collesano, / Rifugio Orestano, / 1100 m, 8.x.2010, / Peder Skou leg (all in coll. Skou, Denmark). 1 male: Italien, Sizilien / Aetna, Nicolosi/ Monte San Leo/ 1110 m,/ N3739’ - E1459’/ 2. Juni 2001 / leg. Norbert Pöll; 305 [genitalia dissected, slide number 305 N. Pöll] (in coll. Pöll, Austria). 1 male: Italia / Sicilia / Campo Italia, 442m [38.2508°N 15.5442°E] / 30.5.2010 / leg. M. Infusino [DNA barcode specimenID BC MI 0116] (Universià di Messina, Zoological Collection, Italy). 1 male: Sicilia or. / Mte. Etna / 2km S Milo / (CT) 800m / 20.VIII.2001 / lg. Hausmann [DNA barcode specimen ID BC ZSM Lep 14248] (ZSM). Other material examined: 1 female: Italy, Calabria, M. Cocuzzo, 1150 m, leg. S. Scalercio, 28.7.1997, BC ZSM Lep 14249 (DNA barcode analysed, ZSM). 1 male: Italy, Sicily, Etna, Valverde, 350 m, 29.8.2008, GF Lep 0016 (DNA barcode analysed, Research Collection of Gabriele Fiumi, Italy). 1 male, Italy, Sicily, Etna, Valverde, 350 m, 29.8.2008, GF Lep 0017 (DNA barcode analysed, Research Collection of Gabriele Fiumi, Italy). 3 males: Italy: Molise / Isernia - Pescopennataro/ 1200 m / 41.8769 N, 14.2935 E / A. Sciarretta 30-Jun-2013; GWOTL1120-13; BC ZSM Lep 73518 [other 2 males with same label data except BC ZSM Lep 73519 and BC ZSM Lep 73520] (coll. University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy). Further 4 males and 7 females from Calabria (CS, Monte Cocuzzo; CS, Cava di Melis; CS, Cosenza/Donnici; VV, Lago Angitola; all in ZSM) in habitus corresponding to the characteristic features of H. mediterranea but excluded from the type series because of the distance from the type locality and the missing confirmation by DNA barcodes. Description. External characters and pregenital abdomen (diagnostic characters underlined) (Figures 2, 7): Wingspan male 31 mm (n=4), female 37–41 mm (n=4). Wings light green, medial lines white. Medial line curved before costa, basal part moves away from costa (not parallel with costa). Postmedial line rather straight, only weakly curved, barely angled before it reaches costa near apex and evenly curved outwards on inner margin. Medial area concolorous with rest of wing. Terminal line and fringes concolorous with wings, forewing apex dark red. Hindwing postmedial line distinct, curved. Discal spots absent. Wings below as above, but paler. Frons redbrown, thorax and abdomen concolorous with wings. Area between antennae (vertex) white. Antennae white dorsally, male antennae bipectinate, female antennae fasciculate. Hindleg tibia of both sexes with 2+2 spurs. Tympanal organs medium-sized. Sternites and tergites 3–8 of both sexes undifferentiated. Male genitalia (Figure 11): Generally as in H. fasciaria (Linnaeus) and H. pinicolaria (Bellier). Aedeagus with additional arm, apex not expanded in H. mediterranea (apex expanded in H. compararia). Base of vesica with straight row of microcornuti in H. mediterranea (vesica with angled row of microcornuti, reaching aedeagus apex in H. compararia). Uncus relatively narrower before wide apex in H. mediterranea (uncus relatively wider before wide apex in H. fasciaria and H. pinicolaria, but the differences are not clear-cut). Female genitalia (Figure 15): Generally as in H. fasciaria and H. pinicolaria (Bellier), but with following quantitative difference: signum large in H. mediterranea (signum absent or minute in H. fasciaria, H. pinicolaria and in H. compararia). Genitalia are large in H. mediterranea (genitalia considerably smaller in H. compararia). Shape and size of the lamella antevaginalis, and width and length of the posterior part of the corpus bursae are variable and should be treated with caution. Distribution (Figure 20). Type specimens originate from Sicily (Italy, DNA barcoded), one specimen from Calabria (Italy, taken out of a longer series and DNA barcoded) and three specimens from Molise (Italy, DNA barcoded). One further specimen has been reported from the island of Marettimo, West of Sicily (L. Dapporto, pers. comm., not DNA barcoded). Outside this the distribution area needs verification. Some specimens from Greece, for instance from Mount Parnassos, Karpenision and Lesvos, are externally similar, but the female signum is small, thus not agreeing with the Italian material. DNA barcodes are not available, so far, for Greek populations. Phenology. Bivoltine: In Sicily it flies from late May (rarely early May) to early July and from late August to late October (Flamigni et al. in press). Biology. The species has been reared (G. Fiumi and D. Righini) from the Etna Mountain, Sicily. Female laid eggs on May 1 st (Figure 22), the caterpillars fed on the needles of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies (Figure 23), the first pupa was observed on June 26 th (Figure 24) and the first adult (Figure 25) emerged on 11 July. Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies are not present in Sicily; in the collecting localities Pinus laricio and P. halepensis are common. Habitat (Figure 21). In pine forests and places with more scattered pine trees. Altitude range from sea level to 1780 m (Flamigni et al. in press). Similar species. All four species in the Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria species group are similar. The diagnostic, external characters shown in the Figures 6–9 are somewhat tentative and should not be used in isolation, but should be combined with other information including biology, collecting locality, male and female genitalia and DNA barcodes. An overview of diagnostic morphological features is given in Table 1. The taxon squalidaria (as judged from the original figure) differs in the straight forewing medial line, not curved at costa; forewing medial and postmedial lines at large distance, thus the medial area very broad; hindwing postmedial line strongly curved, parallel to termen. Genetic data. Genetically homogeneous in Calabria, Molise and Sicily (n=8), mean intraspecific variation 0.19%, maximum variation 0.46%. Nearest species: Hylaea fasciaria (minimum pairwise distance 3.3%). See Figure 26. Variation. Little variation in habitus observed, so far. Forewing postmedial line is straight or weakly curved outwards on inner margin. The specimens from Calabria (Italy) often have the forewing postmedial line clearly angled before it reaches costa. Only light green specimens are known. Etymology. The species name mediterranea refers to the Mediterranean area, where the species occurs.Published as part of Sihvonen, Pasi, Skou, Peder, Flamigni, Claudio, Fiumi, Gabriele & Hausmann, Axel, 2014, Revision of the Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) species group in the western Palaearctic (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae), pp. 469-486 in Zootaxa 3768 (4) on pages 478-479, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3768.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/490965
Meiotic spindle imaging in human oocytes frozen with a slow freezing procedure involving high sucrose concentration
No full textZinc is required for the expression of ornithine decarboxylase in a difluoromethylornithine-resistant cell line
No full textDilution of quiescent L1210-DFMO(r) (difluoromethylornithine-resistant) cells in fresh medium containing serum led to the induction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and to the expression of its mRNA, as determined by a sensitive solution-hybridization-RNAase-protection assay. Addition of the chelating agent diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (DTPA) at seeding time caused an inhibition of the induction of ODC activity by up to 90%, and only Zn2+ of the bivalent metal ions tested was effective in reversing this effect. The inhibition of the induction of ODC activity was accompanied by a marked decrease, prevented by Zn2+ supplementation, of the accumulation of immunoreactive ODC protein and ODC mRNA. DTPA treatment also caused a slight acceleration of ODC turnover. These results indicate that a restricted Zn2+ availability in L1210-DFMO(r) cells impairs ODC induction remarkably, mainly by affecting the expression of the messenger
Post-transcriptional inhibition of ornithine decarboxylase induction by zinc in a difluoromethylornithine resistant cell line
No full textAddition of Zn2+_ to cell medium inhibited the induction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in ODC overproducing L1210-DFMOr cells. A significant effect was observed at a concentration as low as 0.01 mM, however a more marked inhibition was caused by the addition of 0.1 mM Zn2+. The inhibition of the induction of ODC activity was accompanied by a proportional decrease in the content of immunoreactive ODC protein, whereas the level of ODC mRNA, detemined by a solution hybridization RNase protection assay, was not affected signigicantly. Instead, some acceleration of ODC turnover was observed. the addition of 0.1 mM Co2+ or Mn2+, but not of other divalent metal ions, also inhibited ODC induction; differently from Zn2+ however, these metals affected cell viability and/or cell growth. Removal of endogenous Zn2+ by a chelator also provoked a strong decrease of ODC induction, which was reversed by Zn2+. However, addition of Zn2+ in excess of the chelator proved to be markedly inhibitory. These results indicate that both a restricted Zn2+ availability and an enhanced presence of the metal can inhibit the induction of ODC in L1210-DFMOr cells. © 1994
FIGURE 20 in Revision of the Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) species group in the western Palaearctic (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae)
No full textFIGURE 20. Distribution areas of Hylaea mediterranea new species, H. pinicolaria (Bellier) and H. compararia (Staudinger). The distribution areas, where the species occurs frequently, are shown in grey. The type localities of Hemithea squalidaria O. G. Costa are shown with open circles.Published as part of Sihvonen, Pasi, Skou, Peder, Flamigni, Claudio, Fiumi, Gabriele & Hausmann, Axel, 2014, Revision of the Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) species group in the western Palaearctic (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae), pp. 469-486 in Zootaxa 3768 (4) on page 480, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3768.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/490965
Ultrastructure of human mature oocytes after slow cooling cryopreservation using different sucrose concentrations
No full textBACKGROUND: We studied the ultrastructural characteristics of human mature oocytes frozen/thawed (F/T) using different concentrations of sucrose. Fresh human mature oocytes were used as controls. METHODS: The oocytes (n = 48) were fixed in 1.5% glutaraldehyde at sampling (n = 16) or after freeze/thawing performed using a slow cooling method with propane-1,2-diol 1.5 mol/l and sucrose at either 0.1 mol/l (n = 16) or 0.3 mol/l (n = 16) in the freezing solution. The oocytes were then processed for electron microscopy observations. RESULTS: Fresh and F/T oocytes belonging to both study groups were regularly rounded in sections, with a homogeneous cytoplasm and an intact zona pellucida (ZP). Organelles (mainly mitochondria -smooth endoplasmic reticulum aggregates and mitochondria-vesicle complexes) were abundant and uniformly dispersed in the ooplasm. The amount and density of cortical granules appeared to be abnormally reduced in some F/T samples, independently of the sucrose concentration in the freezing solution: this feature was frequently associated with an increased density of the inner ZP, possibly related to the occurrence of zona 'hardening'. Furthermore, slight to moderate microvacuolization was revealed in the ooplasm of some F/T oocytes, particularly in those treated with sucrose 0.3 mol/l. CONCLUSIONS: Freeze/thawing procedures are associated with ultrastructural alterations in specific oocyte microdomains, presumably linked to the reduced developmental potential of mature cryopreserved oocytes. Further work is needed to determine whether or not a high concentration of sucrose plays a role, at least in part, in producing the above alterations
Immunoreactive dynorphin A-like material in extracted human hypothalamic-hypophysial plasma
No full textImmunoreactive dynorphin A-like material (ir-dyn A) in human plasma was measured by a validated radioimmunoassay. In peripheral plasma extracts mean concentrations between 20 and 40 fmol/ml were determined in volunteers and in patients with pituitary adenomas. In this latter group superimposable levels were detected three days before and during transsphenoidal microsurgery. Interestingly, ir-dyn A levels evaluated in extracts of hypothalamic-hypophysial plasma obtained during surgery, just after tumor removal, were 4-5 times higher than in peripheral plasma. Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (rp-HPLC) of extracts of peripheral plasma samples revealed two immunoreactive peaks. The major form had the same retention time of dyn A-(1-32); whereas a second, more lipophilic, peak eluted later and was not further characterized. In contrast, rp-HPLC analysis of extracts of plasma collected from the suprapituitary region displayed only one peak eluting in the position of synthetic dyn A-(1-17). The presence of dyn-related peptides in hypothalamic-hypophysial plasma supports the hypothesis that they may play a part in the regulation of hypothalamic and/or pituitary functions in humans. © 1992
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