The Asian parasitoid, Binodoxys communis (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), is a candidate for release against the exotic soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in North America. In this study, we examined preferences by B. communis for the different developmental stages of A. glycines and investigated consequences of these preferences for parasitoid fitness. We also determined to what extent aphid defensive behaviours mediate such preferences. We found that B. communis readily attacks and successfully develops in the different A. glycines developmental stages. Binodoxys communis development time gradually increased with aphid developmental stage, and wasps took longest to develop in alates. An average (±SE) of 54.01±0.08% of parasitized A. glycines alatoid nymphs transformed into winged adult aphids prior to mummification. No-choice assays showed a higher proportion of successful attacks for immature apterous A. glycines nymphs compared to adults and alatoid nymphs. Also, choice trials indicated avoidance and lower attack and oviposition of adults and alatoid nymphs. The different aphid stages exhibited a range of defensive behaviours, including body raising, kicking and body rotation. These defenses were employed most effectively by larger aphids. We discuss implications for the potential establishment, spread and biological control efficacy of A. glycines by B. communis in the event that it is released in North America.

Objective: Cell-based therapies are being investigated as an adjunct to IV thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy in ischemic stroke. This review summarizes the potential applications as well as challenges of intravascular cell delivery in ischemic stroke. Method:We conducted a search of Medline as well as the clinicaltrials.gov Web site for all ongoing human clinical studies using stem cells in ischemic stroke patients. Result:The pros and cons of the various donor cell types and routes of cell delivery, including intravascular delivery, in ischemic stroke are discussed. In addition, the potential challenges in translation from bench to bedside, the optimal techniques for intravascular cell delivery, and an updated comprehensive list of ongoing clinical trials in ischemic stroke are highlighted. Conclusions:Stem cells have shown a promising role in ischemic stroke, in preclinical studies as well as initial pilot studies. Further studies are needed to assess intravascular cell therapy as a potential adjunct to thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy in ischemic stroke. Neurology Cell therapy is emerging as a promising new modality for enhancing neurologic recovery in ischemic stroke.1 Numerous basic science studies have demonstrated positive results in animal models of ischemic stroke following implantation of progenitor cells derived from various sources, including adipose, human fetal/embryonic tissue, bone marrow, peripheral, and umbilical cord blood (figure).2 These animal studies have utilized various methods of cell delivery or implantation (table 1), including direct intracerebral (IC) injection, intracisternal/cerebroventricular (ICV), or intravascular routes of delivery such as IV or intra-arterial (IA) infusion.Methods of cellular delivery and implantation. Intracerebral. Direct injection is invasive, and despite being a precise method of cellular delivery and implantation, it results in a poor distribution of cells in the target lesion.3 Initial pilot human studies investigating stereotactic IC cell implantation in patients with chronic stroke also reported adverse events, including seizures, syncope, asymptomatic subdural hematoma, transient motor worsening, and enhancing lesions on MRI. 4,5Intracisternal/cerebroventricular. The ICV route of cell delivery is less invasive than direct IC implantation but is also associated with variable cell migration to the ischemic site.6,7 In a pilot human study investigating ICV delivery in 10 chronic stroke patients (7 ischemic and 3 hemorrhagic), some patients developed fever and meningeal signs 48 hours after cellular delivery via ICV route. IV.Infusion is the least invasive method, allowing wide distribution of cells with exposure to chemotactic signals that potentially guide them toward the target ischemic lesion. This method, however, results in cells being trapped by peripheral organs, including the lungs, liver, and spleen, thereby limiting potential engraftment in the ischemic lesion in the brain.2 Since patients with ischemic stroke commonly ha...

ObjectiveGulf War Illness is a chronic multisymptom disorder severely impacting the health and well-being of many Veterans of the 1990–1991 Gulf War. Symptoms that define the disease include pain, fatigue, mood and memory impairments, gastrointestinal problems, lung disorders, and skin rashes. In our previous biomarker study, we discovered Gulf War Illness-associated proinflammatory blood biomarkers. Therefore, we hypothesized that chronic inflammation causes the symptoms that define this disorder. Testing the chronic inflammation hypothesis is the objective of this study.ResultsThe biomarker fingerprint of Gulf War Illness is the end-product of a cascade of proinflammatory cytokine signals. In particular, the observed increase in C-reactive protein predicts a corresponding increase in interleukin 6, the cytokine that stimulates hepatocytes to produce C-reactive protein. Therefore, in this study we measured potential upstream cytokine signals in plasma samples from Gulf War Veterans. As predicted, a positive correlation between interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein was observed.