Subjects performed point-to-point reaching movements between targets whose locations ensured that the wrist paths spanned a range of lengths and lay in various portions of the arm’s spatial workspace. Movement kinematics were recorded using electromagnetic sensors located on the subject’s arm segments and thorax. Analysis revealed that wrist paths tend to lie in planes and to curve more as movement speed decreases. The orientation of the wrist-path plane depends on the reaching task but does not vary significantly with movement speed. The planarity of wrist paths indicates that the paths have close to zero torsion-a third-order geometric property. Wrist-speed profiles showed multiple peaks for sufficiently

slow and long lasting movements, indicating deviation from the well-known, bell-shaped profile. These kinematic findings are discussed in light of various motor control theories.”
“Event centrality CHIR98014 concentration refers to the degree to which the memory of a negative life event is a core component of a person’s identity. There is evidence that greater event centrality is associated with more intense psychopathology after different events, including the death of a loved one. This study sought to advance our understanding of the variables mediating the linkage between loss centrality and postloss psychopathology. Specifically, using

multiple mediation analyses, we examined the role of a) intrusiveness of memories about the loss event, b) negative future cognitions and catastrophic dbcAMP misinterpretations of one’s own grief reactions, and c) depressive avoidance and rumination in mediating the associations between loss centrality and postloss psychopathology. The outcomes showed that memory intrusiveness, the two cognitive variables, and the two behavioral strategies emerged as unique, independent mediators of the linkages between loss centrality and the indices of postloss psychopathology when controlling

for the shared variance between the proposed mediators. The implications of these findings are discussed.”
“A series of Mn(IV)(salen)(L)(2) complexes bearing different external axial ligands (L = Cl, NO(3), N(3), and OCH(2)CF(3)) from chiral GSK1120212 salen ligands with trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine as a chiral scaffold are synthesized, to gain insight into conformational properties of metal salen complexes. X-ray crystal structures show that Mn(IV)(salen)(OCH(2)CF(3))(2) and Mn(IV)(salen)(N(3))(2) adopt a stepped conformation with one of two salicylidene rings pointing upward and the other pointing downward due to the bias from the trans-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine moiety, which is in clear contrast to a relatively planar solid-state conformation for Mn(IV)(salen)(Cl)(2). The CH(2)Cl(2) solution of Mn(IV)(salen)(L)(2) shows circular dichroism of increasing intensity in the order L = Cl < NO(3) << N(3) < OCH(2)CF(3), which indicates Mn(IV)(salen)(L)(2) adopts a solution conformation of an increasing chiral distortion in this order.

29 m/s in cases with normal

alanine aminotransferase levels and 1.44 m/s in patients with alanine aminotransferase levels > 5x the upper limit of normal. The best cut-off for predicting liver cirrhosis were 1.59 and 1.75 m/s, respectively.\n\nAcoustic ATM Kinase Inhibitor cell line Radiation Force Impulse cut-off for predicting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis were relatively similar in patients with normal alanine aminotransferase and in those with alanine aminotransferase levels between 1.1 and 5x the upper limit of normal: 1.29 m/s vs. 1.36 m/s and 1.59 m/s vs. 1.57 m/s, respectively.\n\nFor predicting cirrhosis, the Transient Elastography cut-offs were significantly higher in patients with alanine aminotransferase levels between 1.1 and 5x the upper limit of normal compared to those with normal alanine aminotransferase: 12.3 kPa vs. 9.1 kPa.\n\nConclusion: Liver stiffness values assessed by Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse and Transient

Elastography are influenced by high aminotransferase levels. Transient Elastography was also influenced by moderately elevated aminotransferase levels. (C) 2013 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Because acute lung injury (ALI) may arise from diverse and heterogeneous clinical insults, monitoring strategies for patients with ALI are heterogeneous as well. This review divides the monitoring strategies for ALI into three distinct phases. Selleckchem CBL0137 The at-risk phase is the period in which patients are at risk for ALI, and interventions may be applied to minimize or eliminate this risk. The ALI phase is the period during which ALI has occurred and requires

attentive clinical management. The resolution phase is the period defined by resolution of ALI and successful discontinuation of mechanical ventilation. These phases are arbitrary, but they provide a useful framework for discussing the temporal changes in patient condition and monitoring goals in ALI. Invasive hemodynamic monitoring has specific roles in each phase of therapy for patients with ALI: pre-ALI, peri-ALI, and https://www.selleckchem.com/products/EX-527.html post-ALI. The primary goals are to optimize fluid resuscitation to prevent organ dysfunction, including ALI, and if ALI occurs to additional optimize fluid balance vis-a-vis the lung. By judicious application of invasive hemodynamic monitoring, particularly in its more modern iterations, clinicians can optimize the ebb and flow phases common to critically ill patients. This is vitally important given our current and growing understanding of the relationship between fluid balance and important clinical outcomes, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and mortality.”
“OBJECTIVE: To assess the visual complaints, reasons, and patient satisfaction for multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) explantation. DESIGN: Retrospective observational case series. METHODS: This study evaluated 50 eyes of 37 patients who underwent multifocal IOL explantation followed by IOL implantation.

In vivo antibody-mediated depletion of CD4-positive and/or CD8-posititve T-cell subpopulations during immunization and/or challenge infection implicated the relevance of CD4-positive T-cells for induction of protective immunity by D1701-V-HAh5n, whereas the absence BLZ945 order of CD8-positive T-cells did not significantly influence protection. In summary, this study validates the potential of the ORFV vectored vaccines also to combat HPAIV.”
“BACKGROUND: The 2001 Bethesda System for gynecologic cervical cytology reporting

classifies squamous intraepithelial lesions into low-grade (LSIL) and high-grade (HSIL) lesions. An intermediate term, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL-H), has been used in a small percentage of LSIL cases. To the authors’ knowledge, little is known regarding

the human papillomavirus (HPV) status in patients with LSIL-H. METHODS: A total of 808 SurePath specimens obtained between December 2009 and April 2011 were tested for 40 HPV GSK2126458 research buy genotypes using DNA microarray, followed by a confirmatory DNA sequencing assay. RESULTS: The infection rate for high-risk HPV in women with LSIL-H (92%) was strikingly close to that for women with HSIL (91%), which was higher than that for those with LSIL (74%); atypical squamous cells, cannot rule out high-grade lesion (ASC-H) (78%); or LSIL and ASC-H combined (74%). HPV type 16, the most common carcinogenic HPV genotype, was detected in 36% of women with LSIL-H, which was significantly higher than that in women with LSIL and ASC-H combined (13.8%), but less than that in women with HSIL (44.6%). Patients with LSIL-H and HSIL had similar infection rates for low-risk/intermediate-risk HPV genotypes, which were lower than those in LSIL or LSIL and ASC-H combined. CONCLUSIONS: Women found to have LSIL-H on a selleck chemicals Papanicolaou test appear to have a unique HPV distribution

pattern that clearly differs from LSIL and is comparable to that for HSIL, suggesting an increased risk of high-grade lesions over that of women with LSIL. Recognizing LSIL-H as an independent diagnostic category may help in the early identification of the high-risk subgroup that may require a management algorithm comparable to that for patients with HSIL. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2012. (c) 2012 American Cancer Society.”
“Functional studies have shown that the sphingolipid ceramide, self-assembles in phospholipid membranes to form large channels capable of allowing proteins to cross the membrane. Here these channels are visualized by negative stain transmission electron microscopy. The images contain features consistent with stain-filled pores having a roughly circular profile. There is no indication of tilt, and the results are consistent with the formation of right cylinders.

The fabricated hybrid gold-copper stamps were tested as embossing templates for production of different microstructures. Their functionality was proven in production of microstructures for several applications, e.g.. AC electroosmotic micropumps or dielectrophoretic separators. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“We conducted a cross-sectional study to compare the prevalence and severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) PD98059 research buy in patients with schizophrenia treated with clozapine

or haloperidol. Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Axis I disorders-patient edition was used to diagnose schizophrenia and OCD. Sixty subjects, 40 of them using clozapine and 20 using haloperidol, completed the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the Clinical Global Impression. The prevalence of OCD in patients taking clozapine was 20%, whereas

the prevalence of patients taking CA4P in vitro haloperidol was 10%, although this difference was not statistically significant (P = .540). However, patients using clozapine showed higher severity of OCSs than patients using haloperidol (P = .027) did. When schizophrenia patients were divided according to the presence or absence of OCD or OCSs, patients with schizophrenia and OCD or OCSs showed higher severity of schizophrenia symptoms when compared to those with schizophrenia without OCD and Selleckchem AZD9291 OCSs (P = .002). A PANSS total score higher than 70 and the use of antidepressants were predictors of the presence of OCSs or OCD. Schizophrenia patients taking clozapine had higher severity

scores both in obsessive-compulsive and schizophrenia rating scales. These results may support an association between the exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive phenomena and the use of clozapine. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Cowpox viruses (CPXV) cause hemorrhagic lesions (“red pocks”) on infected chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) of embryonated chicken eggs, while most other members of the genus Orthopoxvirus produce nonhemorrhagic lesions (“white pocks”). Cytokine response modifier A (CrmA) of CPXV strain Brighton Red (BR) is necessary but not sufficient for the induction of red pocks. To identify additional viral proteins involved in the induction of hemorrhagic lesions, a library of single-gene CPXV knockout mutants was screened. We identified 10 proteins that are required for the formation of hemorrhagic lesions, which are encoded by CPXV060, CPXV064, CPXV068, CPXV069, CPXV074, CPXV136, CPXV168, CPXV169, CPXV172, and CPXV199. The genes are the homologues of F12L, F15L, E2L, E3L, E8R, A4L, A33R, A34R, A36R, and B5R of vaccinia virus (VACV). Mutants with deletions in CPXV060, CPXV168, CPXV169, CPXV172, or CPXV199 induced white pocks with a comet-like shape on the CAM.

Time to peak impact, expressed as the percentage increase of time to peak impact when compared with the no-pad condition, was calculated.\n\nResults: All pads were found to reduce peak impact force and increase time to peak impact. Results varied between 1% and 70%, depending on the drop height and properties of the impactor. The best performing pad was the thickest, and all pads were best able to attenuate click here force under hard-object impacts particularly for the lower loads.\n\nConclusion: Although several limitations exist to laboratory-based studies such as these, the inconsistencies in force attenuation were

nonetheless disappointing. The pads appear to “bottom out” under higher-impact loads and therefore offer little protection when the athlete may need it most.”
“Objective: Chemoradiation is the standard therapy for advanced stages of cervical cancer. In developing countries, where 80% of cervical cancers occur, this is not always available. Carbogen breathing and oral nicotinamide (CON) therapy, aimed at overcoming tumor hypoxia, has shown to improve treatment efficacy in some epithelial tumors. ACY-738 cell line This study investigates the effect of CON during

(chemo) radiation of advanced stages of cervical cancer on overall survival, local and regional control, and toxicity. Methods: From December 2006 to February 2010, 139 patients with stage IB2 to IVA cervical cancer were nonrandomly selleck chemicals assigned to receive radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiation (CRT) with or without CON. Differences in overall survival, local and regional control after 1 year, and toxicity were assessed in 113 evaluable patients. Thirty-two patients received RT, 16

received CRT, 45 received CON-RT, and 20 received CON-CRT. Results: The CON-RT and RT groups contained significantly more patients with a poor performance status and IIIB and IVA tumors. Despite these differences in baseline characteristics, overall survival and local and regional control at 1 year were not significantly different (P = 0.10 and P = 0.19, respectively). Toxicity scores also did not differ (P = 0.60 and P = 0.73 for acute and late toxicity). Conclusions: Addition of CON to standard (chemo) radiation gives comparable survival and control rates. The effect of CON might be underestimated due to differences in baseline characteristics. Because chemotherapy cannot always be (completely) administered in low-resource settings, CON could be a worthy substitute. The CON treatment is feasible and safe.”
“PURPOSE: To evaluate acupuncture as treatment for glaucoma. DESIGN: Prospective double-masked randomized crossover study. METHODS: SETTING: Clinical practice. POPULATION: One eye per patient with primary open-angle glaucoma and stable intraocular pressure (IOP).

The purpose of our study was to evaluate the significance of p53 and EGFR expression in HCC, and to determine whether these two markers correlate with conventional parameters of prognosis. Materials and Methods: Our study included a total of 45 patients, diagnosed Silmitasertib histopathologically with HCC. Clinicopathological data including

sex, age, tumor necrosis, tumor size, histologic grading, tumor stage, the presence of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, were recorded from the Institute database. Three independent microscopic fields were selected for each sample and all the tumor cells within each microscopic field were counted, and then the positive percent of p53 cells were calculated. Three staining patterns were recognized: diffuse, heterogenous and focal. The intensity of EGFR staining was scored on a scale of 0-3+: 0 no staining; 1+ when a weak membrane staining was observed; 2+ when membrane staining is more intense than in 1+, but less than 3+, and 3+ when intense dark brown staining selleck delineated the membrane. To determine the relationship between EGFR expression and p53, we performed double staining in the same HCC specimens. Results: By immunohistochemical staining, p53 protein was detected in tumor cell nuclei in 20 HCCs (44%). We found a significant

correlation between the intensity of p53 expression and the histological grade (p=0.008). EGFR expression was detected in 17 (38%) cases, linked to histological grade (p=0.039). Moreover, the intensity of p53 expression was significantly correlated with EGFR intensity (p=0.014). Conclusions: Our results suggest that overexpression of p53 and EGFR plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and contributes to more advanced disease. These markers are not only valuable predictors of FDA-approved Drug Library cell line prognosis in HCC, but they are also rational targets for new anti-tumor strategies.”
“AimThis study aimed to obtain perspectives from key stakeholders to inform the development of Australian national guidelines for a palliative approach to

aged care in the community setting. MethodsA descriptive, exploratory qualitative design was used. Sampling was purposive. Data were collected during audiotaped, semistructured, individual and focus group interviews that addressed the need for the guidelines and aimed to identify practice areas for inclusion. Thematic analysis was undertaken. ResultsInterviews were conducted across Australia and included 172 participants: health-care providers, consumers, volunteers and researchers/educators. Themes emerging from the data were: Provision of a Palliative Approach in Community Aged Care, Carer Support, Advance Care Planning, Physical and Psychological Symptom Assessment and Management, Psychosocial Support, Spiritual Support, Issues for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander People, Older People from Diverse Cultural and Language Groups, and Clients with Special Needs. ConclusionFindings underpinned development of new guideline documents.

4%) had concentric hypertrophy, 43 (26.2%) had concentric remodelling, 24 (14.6%) had eccentric hypertrophy, and 29 (17.7%) had normal geometry. The Tei index was significantly

higher among the hypertensives with concentric hypertrophy (CH), concentric remodelling (CR) and eccentric hypertrophy (EH) compared to the hypertensives with normal geometry (0.83 +/- 1.0, 0.71 +/- 0.2, 0.80 +/- 0.2 vs 0.61 +/- 0.2, respectively). The Tei index was higher among hypertensives with CH and EH than those with CR. Stepwise regression analysis showed that the Tei index Nocodazole solubility dmso was related to ejection fraction, fractional shortening and mitral E/A ratio.\n\nConclusion: Among Nigerian hypertensives, LV systolic and diastolic functions (using the Tei index) were impaired in all subgroups of hypertensive patients according to their left ventricle geometry compared to the control group. This impairment was more advanced in patients with concentric and eccentric hypertrophy.”
“Dynamics of many amphibian populations are governed by the distribution and availability of water. Therefore, understanding the hydrological mechanisms that explain spatial and temporal variation in occupancy and abundance will improve our ability selleck chemicals llc to conserve and recover populations of vulnerable amphibians. We used 16 years of survey data from intermittent mountain streams in the Sonoran Desert to evaluate how availability of surface water affected survival and adult recruitment

of a threatened amphibian, the lowland leopard frog (Lithobates yavapaiensis). Across the entire study period, monthly survival of adults ranged from 0.72 to 0.99 during summer and 0.59 to 0.94 during winter and increased with availability of surface water (Z = 7.66; P smaller than 0.01). Recruitment of frogs into the

adult age class occurred primarily during winter and ranged from 1.9 to 3.8 individuals/season/pool; selleck chemicals like survival, recruitment increased with availability of surface water (Z = 3.67; P smaller than 0.01). Although abundance of frogs varied across seasons and years, we found no evidence of a systematic trend during the 16-year study period. Given the strong influence of surface water on population dynamics of leopard frogs, conservation of many riparian obligates in this and similar arid regions likely depends critically on minimizing threats to structures and ecosystem processes that maintain surface waters. Understanding the influence of surface-water availability on riparian organisms is particularly important because climate change is likely to decrease precipitation and increase ambient temperatures in desert riparian systems, both of which have the potential to alter fundamentally the hydrology of these systems.”
“Homeostatic proliferation of naive T cells in the spleen and cutaneous lymph nodes supplies memory phenotype T cells. The “systemic” proliferative responses divide distinctly into fast or slow cell division rates.

(C) 2014 ISEH – International Society for Experimental Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc.”
“A 48-year-old Caucasian male patient presented with severe adverse drug events (ADEs) while being treated with a standard dose (600 mg/day) of efavirenz. The patient’s clinical course was favourable; however, he also described intense nightmares, cramps in his legs and anxiety disturbances that made

him highly irritable. Measurement of the patient’s efavirenz plasma concentrations revealed a mean minimum steady-state concentration during a dosage interval (C(min,ss)) of 12.7 mg/L, which was much higher than that recommended for this drug (therapeutic range 1-4 mg/L). Consequently, the dose of efavirenz was reduced to 400 mg/day, which resulted in a decrease selleck chemicals llc HDAC inhibitor in the frequency of ADEs. Subsequent genotype testing showed that the patient was homozygous for both the CYP2B6-G516T (T/T) and CYP2B6-A785G (G/G) alleles; these polymorphisms are associated with reduced enzymatic activity and elevated efavirenz plasma concentrations. Because of this and the fact that the patient’s mean efavirenz C(min,ss) was still high (4.6 mg/L), a second dosage reduction was undertaken, to 200 mg/day. This also resulted in a reduction in ADEs. At present, the patient’s CD4(+) levels remain stable, his

viral load continues to be undetectable and the mean efavirenz C(min,ss) is within the therapeutic range (2.7 mg/L).”
“Cap-binding proteins have been routinely isolated using m(7)GTP-Sepharose; however, this resin is inefficient for proteins such as DcpS (scavenger decapping enzyme), which interacts not only with the 7-methylguanosine, but also with the second cap base. In addition, DcpS purification may be hindered by the reduced resin https://www.selleckchem.com/products/S31-201.html capacity due to the

ability of DcpS to hydrolyze m(7)GTP. Here, we report the synthesis of new affinity resins, m(7)GpCH(2)pp- and m(7)GpCH(2)ppA-Sepharoses, with attached cap analogs resistant to hydrolysis by DcpS. Biochemical tests showed that these matrices, as well as a hydrolyzable m(7)GpppA-Sepharose, bind recombinant mouse eIF4E((28-217)) specifically and at high capacity. In addition, purification of cap-binding proteins from yeast extracts confirmed the presence of all expected cap-binding proteins, including DcpS in the case of m(7)GpCH(2)pp- and m(7)GpCH(2)ppA-Sepharoses. In contrast, binding studies in vitro demonstrated that recombinant human DcpS efficiently bound only m(7)GpCH(2)ppA-Sepharose. Our data prove the applicability of these novel resins, especially m(7)GpCH(2)ppA-Sepharose, in biochemical studies such as the isolation and identification of cap-binding proteins from different organisms.”
“The recently identified bacterial type VI secretion system (T6SS) has rapidly become one of the most interesting areas of research in microbiology. In a relatively short period of time the relationship between the T6SS and the bacteriophage T4 tail and baseplate has been established.

In the new algorithm, the vorticity equation and the generalized Ohm’s law along the magnetic field are derived from the basic equations of the gyrokinetic Vlasov, Poisson, and Ampere system and are used to describe the spatio-temporal evolution of the field quantities of the

electrostatic potential phi and the longitudinal component of the vector potential A(z). The basic algorithm is equivalent to solving the reduced-MHD-type equations with kinetic corrections, in which MHD physics related to Alfven modes are well described. The estimation of perturbed electron pressure from particle dynamics is dominant, while the effects of other moments are negligible. selleck products Another advantage of the algorithm is that the longitudinal induced electric field, E(Tz) = -partial derivative A(z)/partial derivative t, is explicitly estimated by the generalized Ohm’s law and used in the equations of motion. Furthermore, the particle velocities along the magnetic field are used (v(z)-formulation) instead of generalized momentums (p(z)-formulation), hence there is no problem of ‘cancellation’, which

would otherwise appear when A(z) is estimated from the Ampere’s law in the p(z)-formulation. The successful simulation of the collisionless internal kink mode by the new Gpic-MHD with realistic values of the large-scale and high-beta tokamaks revealed the usefulness of the new algorithm.”
“Human-aided GSI-IX solubility dmso dispersal can result in phylogeographic patterns that do not reflect natural historical processes, particularly in species prone to intentional translocations by humans. Here, we use a multiple-gene sequencing approach to assess the effects of human-aided selleck inhibitor dispersal on phylogeography of the tench Tinca tinca, a widespread Eurasian freshwater fish with a long history in aqua-culture. Spatial genetic analysis applied to sequence data from four unlinked loci and 67 geographic localities

(38-382 gene copies per locus) defined two groups of populations that were little structured geographically but were significantly differentiated from each other, and it identified locations of major genetic breaks, which were concordant across genes and were driven by distributions of two phylogroups. This pattern most reasonably reflects isolation in two major glacial refugia and subsequent range expansions, with the Eastern and Western phylogroups remaining largely allopatric throughout the tench range. However, this phylogeographic variation was also present in all 17 cultured breeds studied, and some populations at the western edge of the native range contained the Eastern phylogroup.

To investigate its role in proton translocation, we characterized the electron transfer and proton translocation activity of complex I variants lacking either NuoL or parts of the C-terminal domain. Our data suggest that the H(+)/2e(-) stoichiometry of the Delta NuoL variant is 2, indicating a different stoichiometry for proton translocation as proposed from structural data. In addition, the same H(+)/e(-) stoichiometry is obtained with the variant lacking the C-terminal transmembraneous BMS-754807 helix of NuoL, indicating its role in energy transmission.”
“Today, the reconstruction

of the organismal evolutionary tree is basedmainly on molecular sequence data. However, sequence data are sometimes insufficient to reliably resolve in particular deep branches. Thus, it is highly desirable to find novel, more reliable types of phylogenetic markers that can be derived from the wealth of genomic data. Here, we consider the gain of introns close to older preexisting ones. Because correct splicing is impeded by very small exons, nearby pairs of introns very rarely coexist, that is, the gain of the new intron

is nearly always associated with the loss of the old intron. Both events may even be directly connected as in cases of intron migration. Therefore, it should be possible to identify one of the introns as ancient ( plesiomorphic) and the other as novel ( derived or apomorphic). To test the suitability of such near intron pairs ( NIPs) as a marker class for phylogenetic this website analysis, we undertook an analysis of the evolutionary positions of bees and wasps ( Hymenoptera) and beetles

( Coleoptera) in relation to moths ( Lepidoptera) and dipterans ( Diptera) using recently completed genome project data. By scanning 758 putatively orthologous gene structures of Apis mellifera ( Hymenoptera) and Tribolium castaneum ( Coleoptera), we identified 189 pairs of introns, one from each species, which are located less than 50 nt from each other. A comparison with genes from 5 other holometabolan and 9 metazoan outgroup genomes resulted in 22 shared derived VX-770 price intron positions found in beetle as well as in butterflies and/ or dipterans. This strongly supports a basal position of hymenopterans in the holometabolous insect tree. In addition, we found 31 and 12 intron positions apomorphic for A. mellifera and T. castaneum, respectively, which seem to represent changes inside these branches. Another 12 intron pairs indicate parallel intron gains or extraordinarily small exons. In conclusion, we show here that the analysis of phylogenetically nested, nearby intron pairs is suitable to identify evolutionarily younger intron positions and to determine their relative age, which should be of equal importance for the understanding of intron evolution and the reconstruction of the eukaryotic tree.