18 research outputs found
SPATIAL VARIABILITY AND VITALITY OF EPIGEOUS TERMITE MOUNDS IN PASTURES OF MATO GROSSO DO SUL, BRAZIL
Preservation Methods Alter Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Values in Crickets (Orthoptera: Grylloidea)
<div><p>Stable isotope analysis (SIA) is an important tool for investigation of animal dietary habits for determination of feeding niche. Ideally, fresh samples should be used for isotopic analysis, but logistics frequently demands preservation of organisms for analysis at a later time. The goal of this study was to establish the best methodology for preserving forest litter-dwelling crickets for later SIA analysis without altering results. We collected two cricket species, <i>Phoremia</i> sp. and <i>Mellopsis doucasae</i>, from which we prepared 70 samples per species, divided among seven treatments: (i) freshly processed (control); preserved in fuel ethanol for (ii) 15 and (iii) 60 days; preserved in commercial ethanol for (iv) 15 and (v) 60 days; fresh material frozen for (vi) 15 and (vii) 60 days. After oven drying, samples were analyzed for <i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N, <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C values, N(%), C(%) and C/N atomic values using continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry. All preservation methods tested, significantly impacted <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C and <i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N and C/N atomic values. Chemical preservatives caused <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C enrichment as great as 1.5‰, and <i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N enrichment as great as 0.9‰; the one exception was <i>M. doucasae</i> stored in ethanol for 15 days, which had <i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N depletion up to 1.8‰. Freezing depleted <i>δ</i><sup>13</sup>C and <i>δ</i><sup>15</sup>N by up to 0.7 and 2.2‰, respectively. C/N atomic values decreased when stored in ethanol, and increased when frozen for 60 days for both cricket species. Our results indicate that all preservation methods tested in this study altered at least one of the tested isotope values when compared to fresh material (controls). We conclude that only freshly processed material provides adequate SIA results for litter-dwelling crickets.</p></div
Allometric Scaling of Patrolling Rate and Nest Volume in Constrictotermes cyphergaster Termites: Hints on the Settlement of Inquilines
Prognostic value of morphologic and clinical parameters in pT2 - pT3 prostate cancer
OBJECTIVES: Verify the efficacy of clinical and morphologic parameters currently applied, including an immunohistochemical panel, in the prognostic of prostate cancer, in specific stages of the disease MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period from 2002 to 2005, 40 surgical specimens were selected from patients submitted to radical prostatectomy, with their respective diagnostic biopsies. Based on the pathological stage pT2 or pT3, the specimens were separated into two groups, each one with 20 specimens. The results were confronted with pre- and postoperative clinical data. Between the groups studied, the following was also analyzed: the profile of the expression of molecular markers such as PSA, E-caderin, chromogranin-A, synaptofisin, P53 and Ki-67, both in the material coming from the prostatic biopsy and from the surgical specimens of all patients RESULTS: Data showed that patients with prostate-confined disease (pT2) presented lower PSA and Gleason score rates, in relation to the group with extra-prostatic disease (pT3). Quantitative measures obtained for the percentage of positive fragments from the biopsy revealed that patients from the pT2 group presented a lower mean percentage when compared to the pT3 group. Positive margins of both groups influenced the need for complementary treatment before biochemical progression. The comparison of the molecular marker expression in both stages was not significantly different CONCLUSION: It is evident the need to improve new methods, predominantly morphologic and molecular, that are able to further exploit the study of the material from the prostatic biopsy. As to the profile of the molecular markers used in both studied groups, there was no significant difference in the sense of outlining an additional prognostic factor in the clinical practice