Ontogenetic stage-specific reciprocal intraguild predation

The size or stage of interacting individuals is known to affect the outcome of ecological interactions and can have important consequences for population dynamics. This is also true for intraguild predation (the killing and eating of potential competitors), where the size or ontogenetic stage of an individual determines whether it is the intraguild predator or the intraguild prey. Studying size- or stage-specific interactions is therefore important, but can be challenging in species with complex life histories. Here, we investigated predatory interactions of all feeding stages of the two predatory mite species Neoseiulus californicus and Phytoseiulus macropilis, both of which have complex life cycles, typical for predatory arthropods. Populations of these two species compete for two-spotted spider mites, their prey. We evaluated both the capacity to kill stages of the other predator species and the capacity to benefit from feeding on these stages, both prerequisites for the occurrence of intraguild predation. Ontogeny played a critical role in the occurrence of intraguild predation. Whereas the juveniles of P. macropilis developed from larva until adulthood when feeding on N. californicus eggs, interestingly, adult female P. macropilis did not feed on the smaller stages of the other species. We furthermore show that intraguild predation was reciprocal: both juveniles and adult females of N. californicus preyed on the smallest stages of P. macropilis. These results suggest that a proper analysis of the interactions between pairs of species involved in intraguild predation should start with an inventory of the interactions among all ontogenetic stages of these species

High-quality alternative food reduces cannibalism in the predatory mite <i>Amblyseius herbicolus</i> (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family are important biological control agents. Many species of this family are omnivores, i.e., besides on prey, they can feed on plant resources such as nectar and pollen. It has been shown that the addition of alternative food for predators to a crop enhances biological control. However, factors such as food availability and quality can also affect interactions such as cannibalism, and thus influence biological control. We investigated the role of quality of the alternative food in the tendency of Amblyseius herbicolus to engage in cannibalism, a common ecological interaction in many phytoseiid mite species. Cannibalism on eggs by A. herbicolus was significantly reduced in the presence of high-quality food (cattail pollen) compared to egg cannibalism without alternative food, whereas this was not the case in the presence of low-quality food (cotton pollen). This suggests that cattail pollen is a high-quality alternative food, not only because it results in increased development and reproduction of predators, but also because it can minimize cannibalism

Deleção cromossómica intersticial em 14q “de novo”: apresentação de um caso

Introdução: As deleções intersticiais são anomalias cromossómicas estruturais, desequilibradas, resultantes de dois pontos de quebra, frequentemente associadas a quadros clínicos anormais devido à perda de material genético ativo (eucromatina). As consequências fenotípicas dependem do segmento cromossómico perdido e do número de genes aí localizados. Material e Métodos: Os autores apresentam o caso de um indivíduo do sexo masculino, de 11 anos de idade, referenciado para estudo citogenético por apresentar um quadro clínico de atraso de desenvolvimento psicomotor, défice cognitivo e problemas de comportamento. Realizaram-se culturas sincronizadas de linfócitos de sangue periférico, bandas GTG de alta resolução e, posteriormente, estudos de hibridação in situ por fluorescência (FISH) com sondas de pintura cromossómica total e subtelomérica, específicas para o cromossoma 14. Resultados: A análise das metafases revelou a presença de uma anomalia estrutural no cromossoma 14, interpretada como uma deleção intersticial do segmento compreendido entre as bandas 14q24.3 e 14q32.1. A análise por FISH permitiu confirmar esta deleção intersticial. Como os cariótipos dos pais foram normais, conclui-se que esta anomalia cromossómica é “de novo”, estabelecendo-se o cariótipo do doente como: 46,XY,del(14)(q24.3q32.1).ish del(14)(wcp 14+,SHGC36156+)dn Discussão: A deleção intersticial encontrada no cromossoma 14 implica uma monossomia do segmento 14q24.3→14q32.1. As alterações descritas mais comuns, associadas a esta deleção, incluem ADPM e algumas malformações minor. Os autores apresentam este caso pela raridade da anomalia citogenética encontrada e comparam-no com a literatura atual

Development of β-TCP-Ti6Al4V structures: Driving cellular response by modulating physical and chemical properties

Acknowledgments This work was supported by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through the grants SFRH/BD/140191/2018; SFRH/BPD/112111/2015, SFRH/BD/128657/2017, SFRH/BD/141056/2018; SFRH/BPD/97701/2013, PD/BDE/127836/2016, and the projects PTDC/EMS-TEC/5422/2014_ADAPTPROSTHESIS and NORTE-01- 0145-FEDER-000018-HAMaBICo. Additionally, this work was supported by FCT with the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2013, by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941.Load-bearing implants success is strongly dependent on several physical and chemical properties that are known to drive cellular response. In this work, multi-material β-TCP-Ti6Al4V cellular structures were designed to combine Ti6Al4V mechanical properties and β-Tricalcium Phosphate bioactivity, in order to promote bone ingrowth as the bioactive material is being absorbed and replaced by newly formed bone. In this sense, the produced structures were characterized regarding roughness, wettability, β-TCP quantity and quality inside the structures after fabrication and the pH measured during cell culture (as consequence of β-TCP dissolution) and those aspects were correlated with cellular viability, distribution, morphology and proliferation. These structures displayed a hydrophilic behavior and results showed that the addition of β-TCP to these cellular structures led to an alkalization of the medium, aspect that significantly influences the cellular response. Higher impregnation ratios were found more adequate for lowering the media pH and toxicity, and thus enhance cell adhesion and proliferation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

45S5 BAG-Ti6Al4V structures: The influence of the design on some of the physical and chemical interactions that drive cellular response

This work was supported by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through the grants SFRH/BPD/112111/2015, SFRH/BD/128657/2017, PD/BDE/127836/2016, SFRH/BPD/97701/2013, SFRH/ BD/141056/2018, SFRH/BD/140191/2018 and the projects PTDC/EMSTEC/5422/2014 and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000018-HAMaBICo. Additionally, this work was supported by FCT with the reference project UID/EEA/04436/2013, by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) with the reference project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006941.Multi-material Ti6Al4V cellular structures impregnated with 45S5 bioactive glass were designed and produced using Selective LaserMelting (SLM), an additive manufacturing technique, combinedwith Press and Sintering focusing on load bearing components like hip implants. These structures were designed to combine Ti6Al4V mechanical properties and promote bone ingrowth into the structure as the bioactive material (45S5) is being absorbed and replaced by newly formed bone. The influence of these structures design on some of the physical and chemical aspects that drive cellular response was assessed. Roughness, wettability, bioactive glass quantity and quality on the structures after processing and the pH measured during cell culture (as a consequence of bioactive glass dissolution) were evaluated and correlated with cellular viability, cellular distribution, morphology and proliferation on the surface and inside the structures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Immuno-Transcriptomic Profiling of Blood and Tumor Tissue Identifies Gene Signatures Associated with Immunotherapy Response in Metastatic Bladder Cancer.

Blood-based biomarkers represent ideal candidates for the development of non-invasive immuno-oncology-based assays. However, to date, no blood biomarker has been validated to predict clinical responses to immunotherapy. In this study, we used next-generation sequencing (RNAseq) on bulk RNA extracted from whole blood and tumor samples in a pre-clinical MIBC mouse model. We aimed to identify biomarkers associated with immunotherapy response and assess the potential application of simple non-invasive blood biomarkers as a therapeutic decision-making assay compared to tissue-based biomarkers. We established that circulating immune cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME) display highly organ-specific transcriptional responses to ICIs. Interestingly, in both, a common lymphocytic activation signature can be identified associated with the efficient response to immunotherapy, including a blood-specific CD8+ T cell activation/proliferation signature which predicts the immunotherapy response

Genes for de novo biosynthesis of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are widespread in animals

Marine ecosystems are responsible for virtually all production of omega-3 (ω3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which are essential nutrients for vertebrates. Current consensus is that marine microbes account for this production, given their possession of key enzymes including methyl-end (or "ωx") desaturases. ωx desaturases have also been described in a small number of invertebrate animals, but their precise distribution has not been systematically explored. This study identifies 121 ωx desaturase sequences from 80 species within the Cnidaria, Rotifera, Mollusca, Annelida, and Arthropoda. Horizontal gene transfer has contributed to this hitherto unknown widespread distribution. Functional characterization of animal ωx desaturases provides evidence that multiple invertebrates have the ability to produce ω3 PUFA de novo and further biosynthesize ω3 long-chain PUFA. This finding represents a fundamental revision in our understanding of ω3 long-chain PUFA production in global food webs, by revealing that numerous widespread and abundant invertebrates have the endogenous capacity to make significant contributions beyond that coming from marine microbes. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved.Acknowledgments: We thank A. Magurran and J. Napier for comments on the manuscript and R. Ruivo for drawings in Figs. 1 and 3. Funding: This work received funding from the MASTS pooling initiative (The Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland) funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011), and their support is gratefully acknowledged. Access to the Institute of Aquaculture laboratories was funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 262336 (AQUAEXCEL), Transnational Access Project Number 0095/06/03/13

“Out of the Can”: A Draft Genome Assembly, Liver Transcriptome, and Nutrigenomics of the European Sardine, Sardina pilchardus

Clupeiformes, such as sardines and herrings, represent an important share of worldwide fisheries. Among those, the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) exhibits significant commercial relevance. While the last decade showed a steady and sharp decline in capture levels, recent advances in culture husbandry represent promising research avenues. Yet, the complete absence of genomic resources from sardine imposes a severe bottleneck to understand its physiological and ecological requirements. We generated 69 Gbp of paired-end reads using Illumina HiSeq X Ten and assembled a draft genome assembly with an N50 scaffold length of 25,579 bp and BUSCO completeness of 82.1% (Actinopterygii). The estimated size of the genome ranges between 655 and 850 Mb. Additionally, we generated a relatively high-level liver transcriptome. To deliver a proof of principle of the value of this dataset, we established the presence and function of enzymes (Elovl2, Elovl5, and Fads2) that have pivotal roles in the biosynthesis of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential nutrients particularly abundant in oily fish such as sardines. Our study provides the first sustainableomics datasetexploitation.from a valuable economic marine teleost species, the European sardine, representing an essential resource for their effective conservation, management, and sustainable exploitation. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Funding: We acknowledge the North Portugal Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) that supported this research through the Coral—Sustainable Ocean Exploitation (reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000036). R.R.d.F. thanks the Danish National Research Foundation for its support of the Center for Macroecology, Evolution, and Climate (grant DNRF96). Acknowledgments: Some computational work was performed on the Abel Supercomputing Cluster (Norwegian metacenter for High Performance Computing (NOTUR) and the University of Oslo) operated by the Research Computing Services group at USIT, the University of Oslo IT-department (http://www.hpc.uio.no/). We would like to thank Jette Bornholdt, Amal Al-Chaer and George Pacheco for help with laboratory procedures, and the Bioinformatics Center of the University of Copenhagen for providing laboratory space. This work is part of the CIIMAR-lead initiative Portugal-Fishomics