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Solitary
Terms modified by Solitary Selected AbstractsSocial organization of white-headed langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) in the Nongguan Karst Hills, Guangxi, ChinaAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Tong Jin Abstract The number of males per group is the most variable aspect of primate social organization and is often related to the monopolizability of females, which is mainly determined by the number of females per group and their reproductive synchrony. Colobines show both inter-specific and intra-specific variations in the number of males per group. Compared with other colobine species, little is known about the social organization of white-headed langur (Trachypithecus leucocephalus), despite its endangered status and unusual limestone habitat. As a part of a long-term study of the white-headed langurs in the Nongguan Karst Hills, Guangxi, China, we quantitatively investigated their social organization by analyzing census data from 1998 to 2003. The population censuses revealed that the predominant social organization of bisexual groups was the one-male group, similar to a previous report on this species and many other Asian colobines. In such groups, one adult male associated with 5.1 adult females, 0.1 sub-adult males, 2.6 juveniles and 2.9 infants on average, with a mean group size of 11.7 individuals. In addition, three multi-male groups were recorded, consisting of 2,3 adult males, 1,5 adult females, 0,2 sub-adult males, 0,7 juveniles and 0,2 infants. They did not contain more adult females than the one-male groups and were unstable in group membership. The langurs outside bisexual groups were organized into small nonreproductive groups or lived as solitaries. The nonreproductive groups averaged 1.3 adult males, 1.3 sub-adult males and 2.6 juveniles. Juvenile females were present in such groups on 52.4% of all occasions. As predicted by the monopolization model, the prevalence of the one-male pattern in this species may mainly be attributed to the small number of females in the group. The possible reasons for the occurrence of multi-male groups and the presence of juvenile females in nonreproductive groups are also discussed. Am. J. Primatol. 71:206,213, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The biology and functional morphology of Arca noae (Bivalvia: Arcidae) from the Adriatic Sea, Croatia, with a discussion on the evolution of the bivalve mantle marginACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 1 2008Brian Morton Abstract In the Croatian Adriatic, Arca noae occurs from the low intertidal to a depth of 60 m; it can live for > 15 years and is either solitary or forms byssally attached clumps with Modiolus barbatus. The shell is anteriorly foreshortened and posteriorly elongate. The major inhalant flow is from the posterior although a remnant anterior stream is retained. There are no anterior but huge posterior byssal retractor muscles and both anterior and posterior pedal retractors. The ctenidia are of Type B(1a) and the ctenidial,labial palp junction is Category 3. The ctenidia collect, filter and undertake the primary sorting of potential food in the inhalant water. The labial palps are small with simple re-sorting tracks on the ridges of their inner surfaces. The ciliary currents of the mantle cavity appear largely concerned with the rejection of particulate material. The mantle margin comprises an outer and an (either) inner or middle fold. The outer fold is divided into outer and inner components that secrete the shell and are photo-sensory, respectively. The latter bears a large number of pallial eyes, especially posteriorly. The inner/middle mantle fold of A. noae, possibly representative of simpler, more primitive conditions, may have differentiated into distinct folds in other recent representatives of the Bivalvia. [source] The role of larval aggression and mobility in the transition between solitary and gregarious development in parasitoid waspsECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 6 2000G. Boivin Models explaining the appearance of gregariousness in insect parasitoids assume the presence of a tolerance gene that enables nonsiblicidal behaviour in gregarious larvae. Under this assumption, nontolerant individuals should attack and kill tolerant individuals when sharing a host, making this behaviour susceptible to invasion by nontolerant individuals. We propose an alternative hypothesis where gregarious larvae retain their aggressiveness but are less mobile. We tested this hypothesis with two sympatric and congeneric species of Mymaridae, Anaphes victus and Anaphes listronoti, respectively, solitary and gregarious egg parasitoids of a Curculionidae, Listronotus oregonensis. Results obtained in competition experiments and from direct observation of movement in mymariform larvae of both species support the reduced mobility hypothesis. By being immobile while retaining their fighting capacity, A. listronoti mymariform larvae appear to optimize host utilization through gregarious development, but can still defend themselves against sympatric aggressive species. [source] Faunal makeup of wild bees and their flower utilization in a semi-urbanized area in central JapanENTOMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2006Masaki HISAMATSU Abstract The species composition of wild bees and their flower utilization patterns were surveyed from April to November in 1996 in a semi-urbanized area adjacent to Sugao Marsh, Ibaraki, central Japan. A total of 750 individuals belonging to 43 species in six families were collected. The most dominant family was Halictidae, for which 13 species and 251 individuals were collected. The most dominant species was Colletes patellatus (120 individuals) of the Colletidae. The results at Sugao were compared with those obtained from three other areas of Ibaraki Prefecture, which have similar climatic conditions, yet have different environmental characteristics in terms of human impact. The four sites in Ibaraki can be classified into two groups: the first comprising Sugao and Mito in cultivated and/or human-dwelling areas, and the second comprising Yamizo and Gozen'yama, in forest areas with more natural elements. The number of species at Sugao was the smallest among the four study sites. On the other hand, the values for species evenness at Sugao were the second-highest of the four study sites. These findings show that the different characteristics of different bee communities reflect their local environmental conditions, including their floral compositions. The bees visited 36 flower species in 20 families, and 70.7% of all individuals studied visited Compositae flowers. The heavy utilization of composite flowers is possibly because of the existence of a simplified flora consisting of a few dominant composite plant species. Among these plants, Solidago altissima and Lactuca indica made large contributions to supporting autumn bees, especially Colletes patellatus and Colletes perforator, which are solitary and oligolectic on Compositae. [source] Plesiomorphic Escape Decisions in Cryptic Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma) Having Highly Derived Antipredatory DefensesETHOLOGY, Issue 10 2010William E. Cooper Jr Escape theory predicts that the probability of fleeing and flight initiation distance (predator,prey distance when escape begins) increase as predation risk increases and decrease as escape cost increases. These factors may apply even to highly cryptic species that sometimes must flee. Horned lizards (Phrynosoma) rely on crypsis because of coloration, flattened body form, and lateral fringe scales that reduce detectability. At close range they sometimes squirt blood-containing noxious substances and defend themselves with cranial spines. These antipredatory traits are highly derived, but little is known about the escape behavior of horned lizards. Of particular interest is whether their escape decisions bear the same relationships to predation risk and opportunity costs of escaping as in typical prey lacking such derived defenses. We investigated the effects of repeated attack and direction of predator turning on P. cornutum and of opportunity cost of fleeing during a social encounter in P. modestum. Flight initiation distance was greater for the second of two successive approaches and probability of fleeing decreased as distance between the turning predator and prey increased, but was greater when the predator turned toward than away from a lizard. Flight initiation distance was shorter during social encounters than when lizards were solitary. For all variables studied, risk assessment by horned lizards conforms to the predictions of escape theory and is similar to that in other prey despite their specialized defenses. Our findings show that these specialized, derived defenses coexist with a taxonomically widespread, plesiomorphic method of making escape decisions. They suggest that escape theory based on costs and benefits, as intended, applies very generally, even to highly cryptic prey that have specialized defense mechanisms. [source] Natal Dispersal Patterns of a Subsocial Spider Anelosimus cf. jucundus (Theridiidae)ETHOLOGY, Issue 9 2003Kimberly S. Powers Species that alternate periods of solitary and social living may provide clues to the conditions that favor sociality. Social spiders probably originated from subsocial-like ancestors, species in which siblings remain together for part of their life cycle but disperse prior to mating. Exploring the factors that lead to dispersal in subsocial species, but allow the development of large multigenerational colonies in social species, may provide insight into this transition. We studied the natal dispersal patterns of a subsocial spider, Anelosimus cf. jucundus, in Southeastern Arizona. In this population, spiders disperse from their natal nests in their penultimate and antepenultimate instars over a 3-mo period. We tracked the natal dispersal of marked spiders at sites with clustered vs. isolated nests. We found that most spiders initially dispersed less than 5 m from their natal nests. Males and females, and spiders in patches with different densities of nests, dispersed similar distances. The fact that both sexes in a group dispersed, the lack of a sex difference in dispersal distance, and the relatively short distances dispersed are consistent with the hypothesis that natal dispersal results from resource competition within the natal nest, rather than inbreeding avoidance in competition for mates. Additionally, an increase in the average distance dispersed with time and with the number of spiders leaving a nest suggests that competition for nest sites in the vicinity of the natal nest may affect dispersal distances. The similar distances dispersed in patches with isolated vs. clustered nests, in contrast, suggest that competition among dispersers from different nests may not affect dispersal distances. [source] Responses of Snow Voles, Chionomys nivalis, Towards Conspecific Cues Reflect Social Organization during Overwintering PeriodsETHOLOGY, Issue 11 2002Juan J. Luque-Larena Among microtine rodents, reaction to chemical cues from conspecifics is assumed to reflect social and spatial relationships. Generally, strong attraction of particular odours correlates with non-aggressive behaviour and high spatial tolerance towards odour donors, whereas weak attraction correlates with greater levels of aggression and spatial segregation. In the present study, we examined whether winter odour preferences of the snow vole Chionomys nivalis, a rock-dwelling microtine principally found at high-mountainous regions, differ from that of other vole species, owing to their different social organization during overwintering periods. The social structure of C. nivalis over the winter period is relatively unusual among vole species in that they become nomadic and solitary. In odour choice trials under laboratory conditions, we found that both males and females avoided zones with conspecific odours of both sexes in comparison with unscented control zones or own odours. These results are consistent with the elevated levels of intraspecific aggression and spatial isolation of C. nivalis during overwintering periods. Furthermore, scent-elicited self-grooming increased when their own odour was offered against conspecific cues. This, in combination with an active avoidance of conspecific odours, might functionally contribute to minimize direct confrontations between solitary individuals, thereby reducing the risks of aggressive encounters during overwintering periods. [source] Olfactory Communication and Neighbor Recognition in Giant Kangaroo RatsETHOLOGY, Issue 2 2001Heather Gardner Murdock We hypothesized that olfactory communication facilitates neighbor recognition in the giant kangaroo rat, Dipodomys ingens, and is therefore influential in coordinating social interactions in this solitary, desert rodent. We tested whether (i) D. ingens can discriminate between odors of same- and opposite-sex conspecifics; and (ii) the kangaroo rats exhibit scent preferences based on familiarity. In habituation-discrimination tests, we found that both genders distinguish differences between the scent of individuals of the same- and opposite-sex. In olfactory preference tests, both males and females spent significantly more time investigating the scent of their familiar cagemate than the scent of an unfamiliar conspecific. Giant kangaroo rats may be able to recognize familiar neighbors from olfactory cues, thus supporting a hypothesis of neighbor recognition. Neighbor recognition may be an important mechanism of social interactions in this endangered species. [source] A new fossil species of Polypodium (Polypodiaceae) from the Oligocene of northern Bohemia (Czech Republic)FEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 3-4 2001Z. Kvacek A new fossil representative of Polypodium L. emend. CHING (Polypodiaceae s.str.) was recovered in the Early Oligocene diatomite shales of the Ceske stredohori Mountains, North Bohemia (localities Bechlejovice, Holy Kluk hill). Polypodium radonii sp. nova is characterised on the basis of fragmentary fronds, which have simple pinnatifid laminas, entire pinnae, free, anadromously branched venation, solitary broadly elliptic superficial sori and monolete spores in situ of the Polypodiisporites bock-witzensis type. This terrestrial (? to epiphytic or epilithic) fern was associated with vegetation of subtropical Mixed Mesophytic (Holy Kluk) and warm temperate Deciduous Broad-leaved (Bechlejovice) forest types. Actual taxonomy of extant Polypodiaceae s.str. as well as the Tertiary records of this fern group within the Holarctis are reviewed. [source] Structure, lymphatic vascularization and lymphocyte migration in mucosa-associated lymphoid tissueIMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2003Giacomo Azzali Summary:, In this review, we consider the morphological aspects and topographical arrangement of gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) (solitary and aggregate lymph nodules or Peyer's patches) and of vermiform appendix in the human child and in some mammals. The spatial arrangement of the vessels belonging to apparatus lymphaticus periphericus absorbens (ALPA) and of blood vessels within each lymphoid follicle as well as the ultrastructural characteristics of the lymphatic endothelium with high absorption capacity are considered. Particular attention is also paid to the morphological and biomolecular mechanisms inducing lymphocyte transendothelial migration to the bloodstream by means of lymphatic vessels as well as their passage from blood into lymphoid tissue through the high endothelial venules (HEVs). The preferential transendothelial passage of lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear neutrophils within ALPA vessels of the interfollicular area does not occur following the opening of intercellular contacts, but rather it occurs by means of ,intraendothelial channels'. In HEVs, on the contrary, the hypothesis is plausible that lymphocyte transendothelial migration into lymphoid tissue occurs through a channel-shaped endothelial invagination entirely independent of interendothelial contacts. The lymph of ALPA vessels of the single Peyer's patch is conveyed into precollector lymphatic vessels and into prelymph nodal collectors, totally independent of the ALPA vessels of the gut segments devoid of lymphoid tissue. The quantitative distribution of T lymphocytes in the lymph of mucosal ALPA vessels suggests a prevalent function of fluid uptake, whereas a reservoir and supply function is implicated for the vessels of interfollicular area. The precollector lymphatic vessels and prelymph nodal collectors are considered to be vessels with low absorption capacity, whose main function is lymph conduction and flow. [source] A panel of p16INK4A, MIB1 and p53 proteins can distinguish between the 2 pathways leading to vulvar squamous cell carcinomaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 12 2008Brigiet M. Hoevenaars Abstract Two pathways leading to vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) exist. The expression of proliferation- and cell-cycle-related biomarkers and the presence of high-risk (hr) HPV might be helpful to distinguish the premalignancies in both pathways. Seventy-five differentiated vulvar intra-epithelial neoplasia (VIN)-lesions with adjacent SCC and 45 usual VIN-lesions (32 solitary and 13 with adjacent SCC) were selected, and tested for hr-HPV DNA, using a broad-spectrum HPV detection/genotyping assay (SPF10 -LiPA), and the immunohistochemical expression of MIB1, p16INK4A and p53. All differentiated VIN-lesions were hr-HPV- and p16-negative and in 96% MIB1-expression was confined to the parabasal layers. Eighty-four percent exhibited high p53 labeling indices, sometimes with parabasal extension. Eighty percent of all usual VIN-lesions were hr-HPV-positive, p16-positive, MIB1-positive and p53-negative. Five (of seven) HPV-negative usual VIN lesions, had an expression pattern like the other HPV-positive usual VIN lesions. In conclusion, both pathways leading to vulvar SCC have their own immunohistochemical profile, which can be used to distinguish the 2 types of VIN, but cannot explain differences in malignant potential. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Linear-agminated juvenile xanthogranulomasINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Despoina Kiorpelidou MD An 8-month-old girl presented with an asymptomatic skin lesion on the right popliteal fossa, which had been present for approximately 6 months. The child had a past medical history of a urinary tract infection at the age of 1 month and had been on daily cotrimoxazole since. There was no history of trauma to the site. Examination revealed a solitary, well-demarcated, plaque-like lesion on the right popliteal fossa, with multiple agminated papules in an almost linear distribution (Fig. 1a). The lesion did not follow Blaschko's lines, but was vertical to them. The plaque was slightly indurated, measuring approximately 4 × 1.5 cm, fixed to the overlying skin but movable over the deeper tissue. The papules were yellowish in color and firm to palpation, showing a positive Darier's sign (Fig. 1b,c). There was no regional adenopathy and no other skin lesions were observed. The physical examination and laboratory investigations were otherwise unremarkable. There was no hepatosplenomegaly, and an ocular examination and chest X-ray were normal. Figure 1. Juvenile xanthogranuloma: agminated nodulopapular lesions on the right popliteal fossa (a) showing positive Darier's sign (b and c; arrows) ,A biopsy from the lesion (Fig. 2a) revealed a dermal infiltrate of histiocytes, some of which were foamy, and admixed Touton-type giant cells, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and mast cells. By immunohistochemistry, the predominant cell population was CD68 (KP-1, MIB-1, and PG-M1, all pursued from Dako) positive, but S-100 protein and CD1a negative (Fig. 2b,e). By Giemsa stain, scattered mast cells (< 5% of the total cell number) were detectable within the lesion. The morphology and immunohistochemistry of the lesion were diagnostic for juvenile xanthogranuloma. Eight months later, the lesion was still present but slightly elongated, proportional to the child's growth, and hyperpigmented. Figure 2. Juvenile xanthogranuloma: histomorphology of skin lesion showing a cell-rich histiocytic dermal infiltrate (a) with immunohistochemical characteristics (b,e) of non-Langerhans dendritic cells (a, hematoxylin and eosin; b, anti-S-100 protein; c, anti-CD-1a; d, e, anti-CD68 monocytic markers MIB-1 and KP-1, respectively; a,e, initial magnification ×40) [source] A case of necrobiotic xanthogranuloma without paraproteinemia presenting as a solitary tumor on the thighINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 6 2003Sung Eun Chang MD A 82-year-old Korean woman had had a 6-month history of an asymptomatic, flat, hard, red to brown tumor on her right thigh. This lesion had been slowly enlarging with an advancing margin. She had noted gradually developing pain associated with necrosis and ulceration on the lesion. Examination revealed a solitary, 8 × 7.5 cm, yellow to dark red, telangiectatic tumor with multiple areas of punched out ulceration and a peripheral elevated yellowish margin on the right inner upper thigh (Fig. 1). No clinically similar lesions on the periorbital area or other sites were seen. Histologic examination revealed a massive palisading granulomatous infiltration with several layers of extensive bands of necrobiotic zone in the entire dermis and deep subcutaneous tissue (Fig. 2a). In the granulomatous infiltrate in the dermis and subcutis, many various-shaped, some bizarre, angulated, foreign-body type multinucleated giant cells, many Touton giant cells, and a few Langhans giant cells were found to be scattered (Fig. 2b). There were numerous xanthomatized histiocytes. Dense infiltration of lymphoplasma cells was seen in the periphery of the granuloma and perivascularly. Conspicuous granulomatous panniculitis composed of lymphoplasma cells, polymorphonuclear cells, foam cells, and Touton and foreign-body giant cells was also seen. However, cholesterol clefts and lymphoid follicles were not seen. Subcutaneous septae were widened by necrobiotic change and fibrosis with thrombosed large vessels. Gram, Gomeri-methenamine silver and acid-fast stains were negative. The necrobiotic areas were positive to alcian blue. Laboratory investigation revealed elevated white blood cell counts, anemia and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The following parameters were within the normal range: lipids, glucose, renal and liver function tests, serum complements, serum immunoglobulins, cryoglobulins and antinuclear antibodies. The findings of chest X-ray, skull X-ray and ectorcardiography were normal. Serum electrophoresis and serum immunoelectrophoresis revealed no abnormality. The patient was diagnosed as having necrobiotic xanthogranuloma without paraproteinemia. She was treated with oral steroid (0.5,0.6 mg/kg) and NSAIDS for 1 month with partial improvement of pain and the lesion ceased to enlarge. In the following 1 year of follow-up, with only intermittent NSAIDS, her lesion did not progress and there were no signs of systemic involvement or new skin lesions. Figure Figure 1 . (a) A solitary, red to brown plaque with multiple ulcerations and a peripheral elevated yellowish margin on the inner upper thigh Figure 2. (a) A dermal and subcutaneous massive xanthogranulomatous infiltrate with zonal necrobiosis of collagen (× 20). (b) Prominent infiltrate of xanthomatized histiocytes and giant cells with perivascular lymphoplasma cells (H&E, × 100) [source] S-100-negative atypical granular cell tumor: report of a caseINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2002Mi-Woo Lee MD A 38-year-old man presented with a solitary, round, 1.2 × 1.2 cm, bluish-colored, dome-shaped, hard nodule on the left side of the neck, which had grown over 2 months (Fig. 1). The nodule was nontender and nonmovable. Light microscopy revealed that the neoplasm was situated in the reticular dermis with extension into the papillary dermis. The tumor showed expansile growth with smooth and round borders, and was made up of sheets of cells arranged in nests or lobules separated by thin delicate connective tissue septa. The tumor cells were round, oval, or polygonal in shape with distinct cellular borders. The cells had abundant eosinophilic granular cytoplasm, and considerable variation of cellular and nuclear size was noted (Fig. 2a). The tumor cell nuclei were vesicular and some had pleomorphism (Fig. 2b). Sometimes multiple nucleoli were seen. Mitoses and necrosis were virtually absent. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that some of the cytoplasmic granules stained positively with periodic acid,Schiff (PAS) after diastase treatment. Tumor cells showed strong reactivity for CD68 and neuron-specific enolase, and negative results for S-100, factor XIIIa, cytokeratin, desmin, CD34, and smooth muscle actin. Electron microscopy revealed that the tumor was composed of polygonal cells with round to irregular nuclei, and the cytoplasm contained numerous secondary lysosomes. The tumor was completely excised. Figure 1. A solitary, round, 1.2 × 1.2 cm, bluish-colored, dome-shaped, hard nodule on the left side of the neck Figure 2. (a) Tumor cells contain granular cytoplasm and show atypical cytologic features (b) Neoplastic cells show variation of cell size and nuclear pleomorphism [source] Metastatic cutaneous leiomyosarcoma from primary neoplasm of the mesenteryINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2001Kyoung Jin Kim MD A 31-year-old South Korean woman was referred to the dermatology department from the oncology department for the evaluation of a subcutaneous nodular lesion on the back. Three years before, she noted a palpable, fingertip-sized, nontender mass on her right lower abdomen. The mass had increased in size slowly. One year ago, she visited a local clinic and physical examination revealed a 7 × 8 × 7 cm, slightly tender, deep-seated mass on the right lower quadrant of the abdomen. The mass on the ilial mesentery was resected by surgical exploration and tissue examination revealed leiomyosarcoma. She refused adjuvant chemotherapy. Approximately 3 months later, she re-visited the clinic with a tender, subcutaneous nodule on the back. Cutaneous examination revealed a solitary, 2 × 2 cm, well-defined, hard, movable, subcutaneous nodule on the upper back without skin color change (Fig. 1). She complained of tenderness on touching the lesion. Histologic examination of a biopsy specimen showed irregularly arranged spindle cells scattered throughout the dermis. They were arranged in haphazardly oriented or interweaving fascicles. Most of the spindle cells possessed elongated nuclei with blunt ends and some cells had a polygonal outline with irregularly shaped nuclei (Fig. 2). There were many mitoses: 3,4 per high-power (× 400) field. Immunohistochemically, smooth muscle actin and desmin were positive in most of the tumor cells (Fig. 3). S-100 reactivity was not observed. A diagnosis of metastatic leiomyosarcoma was made. About 1 month later, computed tomography showed two, ill-defined, heterogeneous, low attenuation masses in the right lobe of the liver, suggesting liver metastasis. The patient was treated with chemotherapy for 2 months and remains in good condition. Figure 1. 2 × 2 cm, solitary, well-defined, hard, movable, subcutaneous nodule without any overlying skin change Figure 2. (a) Characteristic findings of cutaneous leiomyosarcoma with markedly high cellularity and densely packed transverse and longitudinal fascicles of cells (hematoxylin and eosin, × 40). (b) High magnification of the neoplasm revealing spindle cells with blunt-ended nuclei, pleomorphism, and mitotic figures (hematoxylin and eosin, × 200) Figure 3. Dense cytoplasmic reactivity for smooth muscle actin is apparent (smooth muscle actin, × 200) [source] Rare benign tumours of oral cavity , capillary haemangioma of palatal mucosa: a case reportINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 2 2000Aydan Açikgözsurname Haemangiomas are benign tumours composed of blood vessels, they are probably developmental rather than neoplastic in origin. Haemangiomas are often present at birth but may become more apparent during life. The tumours appear as a flat or raised reddish-blue lesions and are generally solitary. They are occasionally seen on the palatal mucosa. Haemangiomas are classified on the basis of their histological appearance as capillary, mixed, cavernous or a sclerosing variety that tends to undergo fibrosis. Their differential clinical diagnosis is based on appearance. The tumours may be slowly progressive, involving extensive portions of the superficial and deep blood vessels. Function may be affected where development of the lesion is extra-invasive. Colour change on pressure is a common finding with return to the original colour on withdrawal of pressure. The case presented here was referred because of swelling and recurrent periodontal bleeding. The lesion was diagnosed as a capillary haemangioma through histopathology. Although different therapeutic procedures have been reported, in this case surgical excision was carried out under general anaesthesia following hospitalization. Despite their benign origins and behaviour, haemangiomas in the region of oral cavity are always of clinical importance to the dental profession and require appropriate clinical management. Dental practitioners and oral surgeons need to be aware of these lesions because they may pose serious bleeding risks. [source] High-resolution synchrotron radiation studies on natural and thermally annealed scleractinian coral biomineralsJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2007J. Stolarski The structural phase transition from aragonite to calcite in biogenic samples extracted from the skeletons of selected scleractinian corals has been studied by synchrotron radiation diffraction. Biogenic aragonite samples were extracted en bloc without pulverization from two ecologically different scleractinian taxa: Desmophyllum (deep-water, solitary and azooxanthellate) and Favia (shallow-water, colonial, zooxanthellate). It was found that natural (not pulverized) samples contribute to narrow Bragg peaks with ,d/d values as low as 1 × 10,3, which allows the exploitation of the high resolution of synchrotron radiation diffraction. A precise determination of the lattice parameters of biogenic scleractinian coral aragonite shows the same type of changes of the a, b, c lattice parameter ratios as that reported for aragonite extracted from other invertebrates [Pokroy, Quintana, Caspi, Berner & Zolotoyabko (2004). Nat. Mater.3, 900,902]. It is believed that the crystal structure of biogenic samples is influenced by interactions with organic molecules that are initially present in the biomineralization hydrogel. The calcite phase obtained by annealing the coral samples has a considerably different unit-cell volume and lattice parameter ratio c/a as compared with reference geological calcite and annealed synthetic aragonite. The internal strain in the calcite structure obtained by thermal annealing of the biomineral samples is about two times larger than that found in the natural aragonite structure. This effect is observed despite slow heating and cooling of the sample. [source] Effects of the paratemnus elongatus pseudoscorpion venom in the uptake and binding of the L -glutamate and GABA from rat cerebral cortexJOURNAL OF BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Wagner Ferreira dos Santos Abstract L -Glu is the most important and widespread excitatory neurotransmitter of the vertebrates. Four types of receptors for L -glu have been described. This neurotransmitter modulates several neuronal processes, and its dysfunction causes chronic and acute diseases. L -Glu action is terminated by five distinct transporters. Antagonists for these receptors and modulators of these transporters have anticonvulsant and neuroprotective potentials, as observed with the acylpoliamines and peptides isolated from spiders, solitary and social wasp venoms. On the other hand, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in mammalian nervous tissue is the GABA. Drugs that enhance GABA neurotransmission comprise effective approaches to protecting the brain against neuronal injury. Is this study, we demonstrate for the first time the inhibition of the [3H]L -glu binding to its specific sites in synaptosomal membranes from rat cerebral cortex, produced by 0.027 U of Paratemnus elongatus venom (EC50). The venom of P. elongatus changes Km and Vmax into the high affinity uptake of the L -glu and decreases Km and Vmax into the parameters of the GABA uptake from rat synaptosomes. This leads us to speculate on the possible presence of selective and specific compounds in this venom that act in L -glu and GABA dynamics, and therefore, that can serve as tools and new drug models for understanding these neurotransmissions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 20:27,34, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20113 [source] Granular cell atypical fibroxanthomaJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Sarah N. Rudisaile Both neoplasms were solitary, light-tan, dome-shaped papules on sun-exposed areas of the head in two elderly white men. Microscopically, these neoplasms showed a dermal proliferation of pleomorphic granular cells with irregular hyperchromatic nuclei, multinucleated cells, and scattered mitoses. Immunohistochemical stains were positive for CD68 and vimentin and negative for Melan-A or human melanoma black (HMB)-45, S-100 protein, pancytokeratin, and actin, consistent with atypical fibroxanthoma. The differential diagnosis of granular cells in neoplasms containing cytological pleomorphism is challenging in view of the many different neoplasms that may present with granular cytoplasm. These include the conventional granular cell tumor and its malignant form, leiomyoma, leiomyosarcoma, dermatofibroma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and angiosarcoma. [source] Epithelioid blue nevus: a rare variant of blue nevus not always associated with the Carney complexJOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 5 2000Carmen Moreno Epithelioid blue nevus is a rare variant of blue nevus that has been recently described in patients with Carney complex. Some of the patients with Carney complex have multiple epithelioid blue nevi and a familial history of similar lesions is often recorded. Epithelioid blue nevus consists of an intradermal melanocytic nevus composed of polygonal epithelioid cells laden with melanin. Neoplastic cells show no maturation at the base of the lesion and, in contrast with the usual stromal changes in blue nevi, epithelioid blue nevus exhibits no fibrosis of the dermis. We have studied three cases of epithelioid blue nevus in three patients with no evidence of Carney complex. The lesions were solitary and there was no family history of similar lesions. Therefore, epithelioid blue nevus is a distinctive variant of blue nevus that may also appear as a sporadic lesion and is not always associated with Carney complex. [source] Extradural spinal juxtafacet (synovial) cysts in three dogsJOURNAL OF SMALL ANIMAL PRACTICE, Issue 2 2007C. S. H. Sale Three dogs were presented for investigation of spinal disease and were diagnosed with extradural spinal juxtafacet cysts of synovial origin. Two dogs that were presented with clinical signs consistent with pain in the lumbosacral region associated with bilateral hindlimb paresis were diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging. Both cysts were solitary and associated with the L6-7 dorsal articulations; both the dogs had a transitional vertebra in the lumbosacral region. A third dog that was presented with progressive paraparesis localised to T3-L3 spinal cord segments and compression of the spinal cord at T13-L1 was diagnosed using myelography. A solitary multiloculated cyst was found at surgery. Decompressive surgery resulted in resolution of the clinical signs in all three dogs. Immunohistological findings indicated that one to two layers of vimentin-positive cells consistent with synovial origin lined the cysts. [source] Phylogenetic reconstruction of carnivore social organizationsJOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 1 2007F. Dalerum Abstract It is generally assumed that carnivore social organizations evolved directionally from a solitary ancestor into progressively more advanced forms of group living. Although alternative explanations exist, this evolutionary hypothesis has never been tested. Here, I used literature data and maximum likelihood reconstruction on a complete carnivore phylogeny to test this hypothesis against two others: one assuming directional evolution from a non-solitary ancestor, and one assuming parallel evolutions from a socially flexible ancestor, that is, an ancestor with abilities to live in a variety of social organizations. The phylogenetic reconstructions did not support any of the three hypotheses of social evolution at the root of Carnivora. At the family level, however, there was support for a non-solitary and socially flexible ancestor to Canidae, a socially flexible or solitary ancestor to Mustelidae, a solitary or socially flexible ancestor to Mephitidae, a solitary or group living ancestor to Phocidae, a group living ancestor to Otariidae and a solitary ancestor to Ursidae, Felidae, Herpestidae and Viverridae. There was equivocal support for the ancestral state of Procyonidae and Hyaenidae. It is unclear whether the common occurrence of a solitary ancestry at the family level was caused by a solitary ancestor at the root of Carnivora or by multiple transitions into a solitary state. The failure to support a solitary ancestor to Carnivora calls for caution when using this hypothesis in an evolutionary framework, and I suggest continued investigations of the pathways of the evolution of carnivore social organizations. [source] The Barcelona approach: Diagnosis, staging, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinomaLIVER TRANSPLANTATION, Issue S2 2004Josep M. Llovet Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common neoplasm in the world, and the third most common cause of cancer-related death. It affects mainly patients with cirrhosis of any etiology. Patients with cirrhosis are thus usually included in surveillance plans aiming to achieve early detection and effective treatment. Only patients who would be treated if diagnosed with HCC should undergo surveillance, which is based on ultrasonography and ,-fetoprotein every 6 months. Upon diagnosis, the patients have to be staged to define tumor extent and liver function impairment. Thereafter, the best treatment option can be indicated and a prognosis estimate can be established. The present manuscript depicts the Barcelona-Clínic Liver Cancer Group diagnostic and treatment strategy. This is based on the analysis of several cohort and randomized controlled studies that have allowed the continuous refinement of treatment indication and application. Surgical resection is considered the first treatment option for early stage patients. It is reserved for patients with solitary tumors without portal hypertension and normal bilirubin. If these conditions are not met, patients are considered for liver transplantation (cadaveric or live donation) or percutaneous ablation if at an early stage (solitary , 5 cm or up to 3 nodules , 3 cm). These patients will reach a 5-year survival between 50 and 75%. If patients are diagnosed at an intermediate stage and are still asymptomatic and have preserved liver function, they may benefit from chemoembolization. Their 3-year survival will exceed 50%. There is no effective treatment for patients with advanced disease and thus, in such instances, the patients have to be considered for research trials with new therapeutic options. Finally, patients with end-stage disease should receive only palliative treatment to avoid unnecessary suffering. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:S115,S120.) [source] Patterns of relatedness and parentage in an asocial, polyandrous striped hyena populationMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 20 2007AARON P. WAGNER Abstract We investigated patterns of relatedness and reproduction in a population of striped hyenas in which individuals are behaviourally solitary but form polyandrous spatial groups consisting of one adult female and multiple adult males. Group-mate males were often close relatives, but were unrelated or distantly related in some cases, indicating that male coalitions are not strictly a result of philopatry or dispersal with cohorts of relatives. Most male,female pairs within spatial groups were unrelated or only distantly related. Considering patterns of relatedness between groups, relatedness was significantly higher among adult males living in non-neighbouring ranges than among neighbouring males. Mean relatedness among male,female dyads was highest for group-mates, but relatedness among non-neighbouring males and females was also significantly higher than among dyads of opposite-sex neighbours. Female,female relatedness also increased significantly with increasing geographic separation. These unusual and unexpected patterns may reflect selection to settle in a nonadjacent manner to reduce inbreeding and/or competition among relatives for resources (both sexes), or mates (males). Finally, resident males fathered the majority of the resident female's cubs, but extra-group paternity was likely in 31% of the cases examined, and multiple paternity was likely in half of the sampled litters. [source] Escaping parasitism in the selfish herd: age, size and density-dependent warble fly infestation in reindeerOIKOS, Issue 3 2007Per Fauchald It has been suggested that animals may escape attack from mobile parasites by aggregating in selfish herds. A selfish herd disperses the risk of being attacked among its members and the per individual risk of parasite infection should therefore decrease with increasing animal density through the encounter,dilution effect. Moreover, in a selfish herd, dominant and agile animals should occupy the best positions and thereby receive fewer attacks compared to lower ranked animals at the periphery. We tested these predictions on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) parasitized by warble flies (Hypoderma tarandi). Warble flies oviposit their eggs on reindeer during summer and induce strong anti-parasitic behavioural responses in the herds. In this period, reindeer are sexually segregated; females and calves form large and dense herds while males are more solitary. After hatching, the warble fly larvae migrate under the skin of their host where they encyst. In the present study encysted larvae were counted on newly slaughtered hides of male calves and 1.5 year old males from 18 different reindeer herds in Finnmark, northern Norway with large contrasts in reindeer density. In reindeer, body mass is correlated with fitness and social status and we hypothesized that individual carcass mass reflected the animal's ability to occupy the best positions within the herd. Larval abundance was higher among the 1.5 year old males than among the calves. For calves we found in accordance with the selfish herd hypothesis a negative relationship between larval abundance and animal density and between larval abundance and body mass. These relationships were absent for the 1.5 year old males. We suggest that these differences were due to different grouping behaviour where calves and females, but not males, aggregated in selfish herds where they escaped parasitism. [source] Collagenous fibroma (desmoplastic fibroblastoma) of the finger in a childPATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2002Jun Nishio Collagenous fibroma (desmoplastic fibroblastoma) is a distinctive benign fibrous soft tissue tumor that typically occurs in the subcutaneous tissue or skeletal muscle in adults. We describe a case of collagenous fibroma in a 7-year-old boy who presented with a 1-cm solitary, firm nodule on the volar aspect of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the left little finger. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of spindle- and stellate-shaped cells embedded in a hypovascular, densely collagenous stroma. No mitotic figures, calcifications or necrosis were identified. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were diffusely positive for vimentin, but negative for smooth muscle actin, muscle-specific actin, desmin, cytokeratin, S-100 protein or CD34. To our knowledge, this is the second reported case of collagenous fibroma in children. Our case report indicates that the clinicopathological features of collagenous fibroma in childhood are similar to those in adults. [source] Adenomyosis with a sex cord-like stromal elementPATHOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2000Masaharu Fukunaga A case of adenomyosis with a sex cord-like stromal element is described. The element was an incidental, solitary, microscopic finding in a focus of adenomyosis. It was characterized by cord and trabecular arrangements of round to polygonal shaped cells in the endometrioid stroma. The cells were immunohistochemically positive for desmin and alpha-smooth muscle actin but negative for sex cord markers (alpha-inhibin and O13). The element appears to originate from the endometrial stromal cells through smooth muscle metaplasia. [source] Acquired Mucosal Indeterminate Cell HistiocytomaPEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2007Marta Ferran M.D. Neoplastic cells express S-100 and CD1a antigens, but lack Birbeck granules. It has been reported in both adults and children, as solitary or multiple cutaneous lesions with rare extracutaneous involvement. We describe a 12-year-old boy with an indeterminate cell histiocytosis manifesting as a solitary verrucous papule on the mucosa of the glans penis. The morphologic features and diagnostic criteria of cutaneous indeterminate cell histiocytic proliferations are reviewed. The possible relationship between indeterminate cell and Langerhans cell histiocytoses is discussed. [source] Plexiform Fibrohistiocytic Tumor in Three ChildrenPEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Fatemeh Jafarian M.D. It can occur at any age but is more prevalent in children and in young adults. Here we present the clinicopathologic findings of three girls with this tumor. The patients were 8 months, 14 months, and 7 years of age. They each presented with a solitary, nontender, subcutaneous nodule or plaque. Light microscopy and immunohistochemical study findings were compatible with plexiform fibrohistiocytic tumor. We also review the previously published cases in the English-language literature. [source] New species of the diatom genus Fryxelliella (Bacillariophyta), Fryxelliella pacifica sp. nov., from the tropical Mexican PacificPHYCOLOGICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008David U. Hernández-Becerril SUMMARY During phytoplankton monitoring of coasts off Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, in the tropical Mexican Pacific, a new species, Fryxelliella pacifica sp. nov., was found and is described in this paper. The species is solitary, with cells of medium size, discoid with three relatively large ocelli on the valve face, located close to the margins (3,5 areolae from the margins) and placed symmetrically. Significantly, it possesses the morphological characters that distinguish the genus Fryxelliella from related genera: the presence of the ,circumferential marginal tube' (siphon marginalis), the external subcircular or subtriangular apertures at the valve margins, and the ,juxtaposed rectangular plates' in the valve mantle. The species that appears to be the most closely related is Fryxelliella floridana Prasad, an extant species and the type of the genus. However Fryxelliella pacifica differs from it (i) the size and shape of the cell; (ii) the size, location and structure of the ocelli (which additionally are not elevated); (iii) the shape and density of the subcircular to subtriangular marginal apertures; (iv) the external morphology of the rimoportulae (short process, two concentric tubes with the outer tube tip as a crown); and (v) it is marine rather than brackish. Externally the rimoportulae have a rather complex structure of two concentric tubes: the exterior tube has a tip divided like a crown. In spite of the fact this species was found in plankton samples, it is considered to inhabit sandy sediments (epipsammic) or as tychoplanktonic. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||