Genetic Structure of Amblyomma Cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae) Populations Based on Mitochondrial Gene Sequences

Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae) is a common tick species that has a large geographic distribution from the southern regions of the United States (Texas), to the Caribbean Islands, Central, and South America. This tick is a vector of the agent of Brazilian spotted fever, an often fatal disease in South America. Throughout its geographic range, populations of A. cajennense have shown differences in ecological adaptation while feeding on a variety of hosts ranging from livestock, birds, and humans. In order to examine the taxonomic status and phylogeographic evolution of this species, we analyzed mitochondrial 12S rDNA, control region (d-loop), and cytochrome oxidase II gene sequences of A. cajennense specimens collected in eight different localities. The results showed that our samples are grouped in five strongly supported monophyletic lineages, each corresponding to geographically or ecologically distinct populations. The strong phylogenetic structure indicates that A. cajennense may actually be a species complex in need of thorough morphological reassessment

ATUAÇÃO DE ASSISTENTES SOCIAIS EM NÚCLEO DE PRÁTICA JURÍDICA: A EXPERIÊNCIA NA REESTRUTURAÇÃO DO CENTRO UNIVERSITÁRIO UNIBRASIL

Resumo Este artigo tem como finalidade, apresentar o processo de reconstrução do setor de Serviço Social durante a reestruturação do Núcleo de Prática Jurídica (NPJ) Desembargador Cordeiro Clève do Centro Universitário Autônomo do Brasil – Unibrasil, localizado na cidade de Curitiba/Paraná. Entende-se que, por ser um processo, é fundamental constante revisitação em seu projeto de intervenção inicial. Para essa discussão, o presente trabalho divide-se em três partes: no primeiro momento explicita-se brevemente a atuação do referido setor no NPJ e a ligação com o Curso de Serviço Social do UNIBRASIL. Aponta-se a construção e sistematização da prática profissional e posteriormente são relatadas as demandas e atendimentos realizados no NPJ, especificamente, a atuação do Serviço Social. Por fim, destacam-se as considerações finais e as primeiras impressões sobre a atuação da categoria no NPJ

The Effect of In Vitro Cultivation on the Transcriptome of Adult Brugia malayi

Infections with filarial worms cause serious physical impairment and affect tens of millions of people in tropical and subtropical countries. To better understand the biology and phar- macology of these parasites, Brugia malayi is often used as a model. This parasite can be maintained in the laboratory in Mongolian jirds, enabling researchers to test drugs in vivoand in vitro, among other studies. The effects of removing worms from their hosts and cul- turing them may affect many aspects of their physiology, including response to drugs, but the extent to which the worms undergo changes during culture has remained unknown. Using deep RNA sequencing and bioinformatics tools, we examined the global transcriptomic profile of B. malayi females at four different time points over 5 days in culture. Focusing on genes that are differentially expressed at various time points, we observed a general perturbation of the expression profile between dissection from the host and receipt after shipment. The expression of several genes remained changed at the end of the experi- ment, after 5 days under controlled conditions; in particular, genes encoding cuticle colla- gens were prominently represented and strongly overexpressed

The Effects of Ivermectin on Brugia malayi Females In Vitro: A Transcriptomic Approach

Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are tropical diseases caused by infections with parasitic nematodes. Resulting chronic diseases can be strongly blinding and disfiguring, and contribute to an entrenched cycle of poverty in affected populations. Ivermectin is one of the pivotal drugs used to control these infections. The mechanism of antifilarial action of the drug is incompletely resolved. It kills circulating larval stages (microfilariae), but only reversibly sterilizes adult worms without killing them. Our limited understanding of the involved mechanisms hampers treatment optimization and sustainability of the efficacy of the drug, and investigations into its pharmacology are of paramount importance. Working with Brugia malayi adult females, we employed RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses to identify genes for which expression levels changed as a result of exposure to the drug in vitro. Ivermectin exposure altered the expression of genes that are likely to func- tion in the B. malayi female reproductive system even at the lowest concentration tested. Through several biological pathways, genes involved in meiosis were particularly affected. These findings provide some insight into the mechanisms involved in ivermectin-induced reduction in microfilaria output and impaired fertility, embryogenesis, and larval development

Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae), the Cayenne tick: phylogeography and evidence for allopatric speciation

Background: Amblyomma cajennense F. is one of the best known and studied ticks in the New World because of its very wide distribution, its economical importance as pest of domestic ungulates, and its association with a variety of animal and human pathogens. Recent observations, however, have challenged the taxonomic status of this tick and indicated that intraspecific cryptic speciation might be occurring. In the present study, we investigate the evolutionary and demographic history of this tick and examine its genetic structure based on the analyses of three mitochondrial (12SrDNA, d-loop, and COII) and one nuclear (ITS2) genes. Because A. cajennense is characterized by a typical trans-Amazonian distribution, lineage divergence dating is also performed to establish whether genetic diversity can be linked to dated vicariant events which shaped the topology of the Neotropics. Results: Total evidence analyses of the concatenated mtDNA and nuclear + mtDNA datasets resulted in well-resolved and fully congruent reconstructions of the relationships within A. cajennense. The phylogenetic analyses consistently found A. cajennense to be monophyletic and to be separated into six genetic units defined by mutually exclusive haplotype compositions and habitat associations. Also, genetic divergence values showed that these lineages are as distinct from each other as recognized separate species of the same genus. The six clades are deeply split and node dating indicates that they started diverging in the middle-late Miocene. Conclusions: Behavioral differences and the results of laboratory cross-breeding experiments had already indicated that A. cajennense might be a complex of distinct taxonomic units. The combined and congruent mitochondrial and nuclear genetic evidence from this study reveals that A. cajennense is an assembly of six distinct species which have evolved separately from each other since at least 13.2 million years ago (Mya) in the earliest and 3.3 Mya in the latest lineages. The temporal and spatial diversification modes of the six lineages overlap the phylogeographical history of other organisms with similar extant trans-Amazonian distributions and are consistent with the present prevailing hypothesis that Neotropical diversity often finds its origins in the Miocene, after the Andean uplift changed the topology and consequently the climate and ecology of the Neotropics.Fil: Beati, Lorenza. Georgia State University; Estados UnidosFil: Nava, Santiago. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, Rafaela; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Burkman, Erica J.. Georgia State University; Estados UnidosFil: Barros Battesti, Darcy M.. Governo Do Estado de Sao Paulo. Secretaria Da Saude. Instituto Butantan; Brasil;Fil: Labruna, Marcelo B.. Universidade do Sao Paulo; Brasil;Fil: Guglielmone, Alberto Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Santa Fe. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria, Rafaela; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; ArgentinaFil: Cáceres, Abraham G.. Instituto Nacional de Salud; PerúFil: Guzman Cornejo, Carmen. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; México;Fil: Léon, Renato. Universidad San Francisco de Quito; Ecuador;Fil: Durden, Lance A.. Georgia State University; Estados UnidosFil: Faccini, João L.H.. Universidade Federal Rural Do Rio de Janeiro; Brasi

Secretory microRNA Profiles of Third- and Fourth-Stage Dirofilaria immitis Larvae with Different Macrocyclic Lactone Susceptibility: In Search of Biomarkers for Early Detection of Infection

The canine heartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, is among the most important parasites of dogs in the United States and worldwide, and may cause severe and potentially fatal disease. Current diagnostic recommendations rely on serological detection of an adult female antigen, and visualization of microfilariae in the blood. Therefore, a reliable diagnosis can be only performed approximately six months post-infection. There is a growing need to characterize novel diagnostic markers that are capable of detecting the early stages of heartworm infection, in special markers associated with third-stage larvae (L3) and fourth-stage larvae (L4). The early detection of infection would guide medical interventions that could impede the development of patent infections and further parasite transmission. We cultured D. immitis L3 and L4 of two laboratorial strains with different susceptibility statuses to macrocyclic lactone drugs in vitro. Excretory/secretory microRNAs were sequenced and analyzed. We identified two miRNA novel candidates secreted abundantly by both L3 and L4 of both strains. These candidates were previously detected in the secretions of other D. immitis stages and one of them was found in the blood of D. immitis-infected dogs. These miRNAs have not been found in the secretions of other nematodes and could be D. immitis-specific diagnostic biomarkers, which could allow for the early detection of infection

Profiling the macrofilaricidal effects of flubendazole on adult female Brugia malayi using RNAseq

The use of microfilaricidal drugs for the control of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) necessitates prolonged yearly dosing. Prospects for elimination or eradication of these diseases would be enhanced by the availability of a macrofilaricidal drug. Flubendazole (FLBZ), a benzimidazole anthelmintic, is an appealing candidate. FLBZ has demonstrated potent macrofilaricidal effects in a number of experimental rodent models and in one human trial. Unfortunately, FLBZ was deemed unsatisfactory for use in mass drug administration campaigns due to its limited oral bioavailability. A new formulation that enables sufficient bioavailability following oral administration could render FLBZ an effective treatment for onchocerciasis and LF. Identification of drug-derived effects is important in ascertaining a dosage regimen which is predicted to be lethal to the parasite in situ. In previous histological studies, exposure to FLBZ induced damage to tissues required for reproduction and survival at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. However, more precise and quantitative indices of drug effects are needed. This study assessed drug effects using a transcriptomic approach to confirm effects observed histologically and to identify genes which were differentially expressed in treated adult female Brugia malayi. Comparative analysis across different concentrations (1 μM and 5 μM) and durations (48 and 120 h) provided an overview of the processes which are affected by FLBZ exposure. Genes with dysregulated expression were consistent with the reproductive effects observed via histology in our previous studies. This study revealed transcriptional changes in genes involved in embryo development. Additionally, significant downregulation was observed in genes encoding cuticle components, which may reflect changes in developing embryos, the adult worm cuticle or both. These data support the hypothesis that FLBZ acts predominantly on rapidly dividing cells, and provides a basis for selecting molecular markers of drug-induced damage which may be of use in predicting efficacious FLBZ regimens

From College Student to CEO

abstract: The beginnings of this paper developed from the initial question of: how can tribal nations create private economies on their reservations? Written and researched from an undergraduate student perspective, this paper begins to answer the question by analyzing the historical and current states of Indian Country's diverse tribal economies. Additionally, this paper will identify various tribal economic development challenges with a specific emphasis on education attainment as a key factor. Then, a solution will be presented in the form of a tribal business program modeled within the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University located in Tempe, Arizona. The solution is grounded in the idea that a highly qualified workforce is the best resource for economic development

Unique sequence clusters.

<p>4,430,628 reads were distributed into 8 clusters based on miRBase search, genome mapping and secondary structure criteria.</p

Relationship between miRNA copies per ml plasma and microfilaria counts.

<p>A: miR-71; B: miR-34. Empty symbols represent <i>D. immitis-</i> and filled symbols stand for <i>B. pahangi</i>-infected samples.</p