Searching for the roots of the first free African American community

San Basilio de Palenque is an Afro-descendant community near Cartagena, Colombia, founded in the sixteenth century. The recognition of the historical and cultural importance of Palenque has promoted several studies, namely concerning the African roots of its first inhabitants. To deepen the knowledge of the origin and diversity of the Palenque parental lineages, we analysed a sample of 81 individuals for the entire mtDNA Control Region as well as 92 individuals for 27 Y-STRs and 95 for 51 Y-SNPs. The results confirmed the strong isolation of the Palenque, with some degree of influx of Native American maternal lineages, and a European admixture exclusively mediated by men. Due to the high genetic drift observed, a pairwise FST analysis with available data on African populations proved to be inadequate for determining population affinities. In contrast, when a phylogenetic approach was used, it was possible to infer the phylogeographic origin of some lineages in Palenque. Contradicting previous studies indicating a single African origin, our results evidence parental genetic contributions from widely different African regions.We thank all sample donors for their contribution to this work and all the people who helped with sample collection, namely, Regina Miranda from the Community of San Basilio de Palenque, the personnel of the Benkos Biojó Rural school, and Miguel Obeso from the etnoeducación program. This work was supported by the University of Cartagena and FPIT—Fundación para la promoción de la investigación y la tecnología del Banco de la República, Colombia (FPIT-388) and partially financed by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020—Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação in the framework of the projects “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274). FS was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro—FAPERJ (E-26/202.275/2019). LG was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—CNPq (ref. 306342/2019-7), and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro—FAPERJ (CNE-2018). VG was supported by FCT, under the program contract provided in Decree-Law no.57/2016 of August 29. The IPATIMUP integrates the i3S research unit, which is partially supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology

Potent hepatoprotective effect in CCl4-induced hepatic injury in mice of phloroacetophenone from Myrcia multiflora

Background: This study investigated the hepatoprotective effect and antioxidant properties of phloroacetophenone (2',4',6'-trihydroxyacetophenone - THA), an acetophenone derived from the plant Myrcia multiflora. Material & Method: The free radical scavenging activity in vitro and induction of oxidative hepatic damage by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) (0.5 ml/kg, i.p.) were tested in male Swiss mice (2595 g). Results: This compound exhibited in vitro antioxidant effects on FeCl2-ascorbate-induced lipid peroxidation (LPO) in mouse liver homogenate, scavenging hydroxyl and superoxide radicals, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. The in vivo assays showed that THA significantly (p<0.01) prevented the increases of hepatic LPO as measured by the levels of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, mitochondrial swelling. It also protected hepatocytes against protein carbonylation and oxidative DNA damage. Consistent with these observations, THA pre-treatment normalized the activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, and increased the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) in CCl4-treated mice. In addition, THA treatment significantly prevented the elevation of serum enzymatic activities of alanine amino transferase, aspartate amino transferase, and lactate dehydrogenase, as well as histological alterations induced by CCl4. Silymarin (SIL) (24 mg/kg), a known hepatoprotective drug used for comparison, led to a significant decrease (p<0.01) in activities of theses enzymes in way very similar to that observed in pre-treatment with THA. Conclusion: These results suggest that the protective effects are due to reduction of oxidative damage induced by CCl4 resulting from the antioxidant properties of THA.Keywords: antioxidant; hepatoprotective; 2',4',6'-trihydroxyacetophenone; Myrcia multiflora; CCl4; Silymari

The biogeographical history of the interaction between mycoheterotrophic Thismia (Thismiaceae) plants and mycorrhizal Rhizophagus (Glomeraceae) fungi

Aim Achlorophyllous mycoheterotrophic plants and mycorrhizal fungi often have highly specific interactions that potentially limit the plants’ distribution and diversification potential. However, specificity in biotic interactions may differ considerably over a species’ distribution range and therefore interactions need to be studied over their entire range to assess their evolution in space and time. The present study investigates the biogeographical history of the interaction between five closely related mycoheterotrophic Thismia species and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi over the distribution range of the plant species. Location Temperate south-east Australia and New Zealand. Methods Phylogenetic relationships of Thismia (nrITS and mtcob) and their arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (partial nrSSU) were reconstructed based on data from 65 plant specimens. The diversification times in Thismia were estimated with a Bayesian relaxed clock approach using a Dioscoreales framework (nrSSU, mtatp1, mtmatR, mtnad1 b-c). Ancestral geographical ranges were reconstructed using a maximum likelihood approach. The same approach was used to reconstruct ancestral mycorrhizal associations. Results Our analysis shows that Thismia plants have highly specific, phylogenetically conserved and evolutionarily persistent interactions with Rhizophagus fungi. Nevertheless, Thismia was able to diversify and radiate recently due to the wide geographical distribution of the host fungi. In addition, we find that although the mycorrhizal interactions of this clade of mycoheterotrophs are strictly bound to a fungal lineage, host switches remain possible. Main conclusions In this clade of closely related mycoheterotrophs, dependency on highly specific fungal interactions is the result of phylogenetic niche conservatism, acting over at least 12 million years. Nevertheless, plants that are dependent on highly specific fungal interactions have ample opportunities to disperse and radiate over the geographical range of their hosts. Our study highlights the need to link the ecology and evolution of species interactions over broad geographical and evolutionary scales for understanding mycorrhizal interactions

The ancestry of eastern paraguay: A typical south american profile with a unique pattern of admixture

Immigrants from diverse origins have arrived in Paraguay and produced important demographic changes in a territory initially inhabited by indigenous Guarani. Few studies have been performed to estimate the proportion of Native ancestry that is still preserved in Paraguay and the role of females and males in admixture processes. Therefore, 548 individuals from eastern Paraguay were genotyped for three marker sets: mtDNA, Y-SNPs and autosomal AIM-InDels. A genetic homogeneity was found between departments for each set of markers, supported by the demographic data collected, which showed that only 43% of the individuals have the same birthplace as their parents. The results show a sex-biased intermarriage, with higher maternal than paternal Native American ancestry. Within the native mtDNA lineages in Paraguay (87.2% of the total), most haplogroups have a broad distribution across the subcontinent, and only few are concentrated around the Paraná River basin. The frequency distribution of the European paternal lineages in Paraguay (92.2% of the total) showed a major contribution from the Iberian region. In addition to the remaining legacy of the colonial period, the joint analysis of the different types of markers included in this study revealed the impact of post-war migrations on the current genetic background of Paraguay.Funding: F.S. and L.G. were supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Rio de Janeiro–FAPERJ, Brazil (process E-26/202.275/2019 and CNE-2018). L.G. was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico–CNPq, Brazil (ref. 306342/2019-7). V.G. is supported by FCT under the program contract provided in Decree-Law no.57/2016 of August 29

Geographical distribution of American cutaneous leishmaniasis and its phlebotomine vectors (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is a re-emerging disease in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is important to understand both the vector and disease distribution to help design control strategies. As an initial step in applying geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) tools to map disease-risk, the objectives of the present work were to: (i) produce a single database of species distributions of the sand fly vectors in the state of São Paulo, (ii) create combined distributional maps of both the incidence of ACL and its sand fly vectors, and (iii) thereby provide individual municipalities with a source of reference material for work carried out in their area.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A database containing 910 individual records of sand fly occurrence in the state of São Paulo, from 37 different sources, was compiled. These records date from between 1943 to 2009, and describe the presence of at least one of the six incriminated or suspected sand fly vector species in 183/645 (28.4%) municipalities. For the remaining 462 (71.6%) municipalities, we were unable to locate records of any of the six incriminated or suspected sand fly vector species (<it>Nyssomyia intermedia</it>, <it>N. neivai</it>, <it>N. whitmani</it>, <it>Pintomyia fischeri</it>, <it>P. pessoai </it>and <it>Migonemyia migonei</it>). The distribution of each of the six incriminated or suspected vector species of ACL in the state of São Paulo were individually mapped and overlaid on the incidence of ACL for the period 1993 to 1995 and 1998 to 2007. Overall, the maps reveal that the six sand fly vector species analyzed have unique and heterogeneous, although often overlapping, distributions. Several sand fly species - <it>Nyssomyia intermedia </it>and <it>N. neivai </it>- are highly localized, while the other sand fly species - <it>N. whitmani, M. migonei, P. fischeri </it>and <it>P. pessoai </it>- are much more broadly distributed. ACL has been reported in 160/183 (87.4%) of the municipalities with records for at least one of the six incriminated or suspected sand fly vector species, while there are no records of any of these sand fly species in 318/478 (66.5%) municipalities with ACL.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The maps produced in this work provide basic data on the distribution of the six incriminated or suspected sand fly vectors of ACL in the state of São Paulo, and highlight the complex and geographically heterogeneous pattern of ACL transmission in the region. Further studies are required to clarify the role of each of the six suspected sand fly vector species in different regions of the state of São Paulo, especially in the majority of municipalities where ACL is present but sand fly vectors have not yet been identified.</p

Genetic parameters and selection strategies for soybean genotypes resistant to the stink bug-complex

Soybean genotypes resistant to stink bugs are derived from complex breeding processes obtained through indirect selection. The aim of the present work was to estimate genetic parameters for guiding selection strategies towards resistant genotypes, based on those traits associated with responses to pod-attacking stink bugs, such as the grain filling period (GFP), leaf retention (LR), percentage index of pod damage (PIPD) and percentage of spotted seeds (PSS). We assessed the parental lines IAC-100 (resistant) and FT-Estrela (susceptible), the progenies F2 and F 4 , 30 progenies F 2:3 , 30 progenies BC 1 F 2:3 and 30 progenies BC 2 F 2:3 , besides the cultivars BRS Celeste and MGBR-46 (Conquista). Three field experiments, using randomized complete block design with three replications, were installed in Goiânia-GO, in the 2002/03 season. Each experiment consisted of 36 treatments (6 common and 30 regular). Heritability estimates were: 74.6 and 36.1 (GFP); 51.9 and 19.9 (LR); 49.6 and 49.6 (PIPD) and 55.8 and 20.3 (PSS), in both the broad and narrow senses, respectively. Based on these results, we concluded that the best strategy for obtaining stink bug-resistant genotypes consists of selecting the PIPD trait in early generations (F 3 or F 4 ), followed by selection for the GFP, LR and PSS traits in generations with higher endogamy levels

The Microbiome of Brazilian Mangrove Sediments as Revealed by Metagenomics

Here we embark in a deep metagenomic survey that revealed the taxonomic and potential metabolic pathways aspects of mangrove sediment microbiology. The extraction of DNA from sediment samples and the direct application of pyrosequencing resulted in approximately 215 Mb of data from four distinct mangrove areas (BrMgv01 to 04) in Brazil. The taxonomic approaches applied revealed the dominance of Deltaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria in the samples. Paired statistical analysis showed higher proportions of specific taxonomic groups in each dataset. The metabolic reconstruction indicated the possible occurrence of processes modulated by the prevailing conditions found in mangrove sediments. In terms of carbon cycling, the sequences indicated the prevalence of genes involved in the metabolism of methane, formaldehyde, and carbon dioxide. With respect to the nitrogen cycle, evidence for sequences associated with dissimilatory reduction of nitrate, nitrogen immobilization, and denitrification was detected. Sequences related to the production of adenylsulfate, sulfite, and H2S were relevant to the sulphur cycle. These data indicate that the microbial core involved in methane, nitrogen, and sulphur metabolism consists mainly of Burkholderiaceae, Planctomycetaceae, Rhodobacteraceae, and Desulfobacteraceae. Comparison of our data to datasets from soil and sea samples resulted in the allotment of the mangrove sediments between those samples. The results of this study add valuable data about the composition of microbial communities in mangroves and also shed light on possible transformations promoted by microbial organisms in mangrove sediments

Measurement of the cross-section of high transverse momentum vector bosons reconstructed as single jets and studies of jet substructure in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents a measurement of the cross-section for high transverse momentum W and Z bosons produced in pp collisions and decaying to all-hadronic final states. The data used in the analysis were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider at a centre-of-mass energy of √s = 7 TeV;{\rm Te}{\rm V}$and correspond to an integrated luminosity of$4.6\;{\rm f}{{{\rm b}}^{-1}}$. The measurement is performed by reconstructing the boosted W or Z bosons in single jets. The reconstructed jet mass is used to identify the W and Z bosons, and a jet substructure method based on energy cluster information in the jet centre-of-mass frame is used to suppress the large multi-jet background. The cross-section for events with a hadronically decaying W or Z boson, with transverse momentum${{p}_{{\rm T}}}\gt 320\;{\rm Ge}{\rm V}$and pseudorapidity$|\eta |\lt 1.9$, is measured to be${{\sigma }_{W+Z}}=8.5\pm 1.7$ pb and is compared to next-to-leading-order calculations. The selected events are further used to study jet grooming techniques