Venom toxicity and deployment method as means of biotic resistance

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Conditional mutualism emerges from a largely antagonistic species network

O correcto estadiamento do cancro do pulmão é importante porque as opções terapêuticas e o prognóstico variam significativamente com o estadio da doença. Este, tal como é feito para outros tumores sólidos, baseia-se no sistema TNM. A tomografia computorizada torácica é importante no estudo anatómico do tumor, da sua proximidade com estruturas locais e na invasão dos gânglios linfáticos hilares e mediastínicos. A tomografia por emissão de positrões fornece informação acerca da actividade funcional dos tecidos, tendo maiores sensibilidade e especificidade que a tomografia computorizada no estadiamento do mediastino. A avaliação clínica, que é composta pela história aprofundada e exame físico, continua a ser o melhor meio de predizer acerca de doença metastática. Se esta for negativa, estudos de imagem posteriores como a tomografia computorizada cerebral, cintigrama ósseo ou tomografia computorizada abdominal são desnecessários e a pesquisa de doença metastática está completa. Caso existam sinais ou sintomas de metastização, deverá ser iniciada uma sequência de exames de imagem, de acordo com aos dados obtidos na avaliação clínica. Uma grande variedade de exames invasivos está disponível para o estadiamento do cancro do pulmão. Cada um deles tem especificidades técnicas e de acuidade diagnóstica que os tornam mais ou menos apropriados consoante a localização da lesão. Assim, a comparação directa entre estes testes invasivos não é possível e o problema é definir qual dos procedimentos é mais útil em cada situação. O estadiamento molecular pode vir a ser um importante meio no estadiamento e estratificação prognóstica dos doentes com cancro do pulmão. No entanto ainda existem alguns problemas que têm limitado a aplicação deste conceito.The correctly staging of lung cancer is important because the treatment options and prognosis differ significantly with the stage of disease. This, as is done for other solid tumors, based on the TNM system. Chest TC imaging is important in the study of the anatomy of tumor, its proximity with local structures and the invasion of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Positron emission tomography provides information about the functional activity of tissues with greater sensitivity and specificity than chest CT in the staging of the mediastinum. The clinical evaluation, which is made by thorough history and physical examination, remains the best way to predict about metastatic disease. If this is negative, further imaging studies such as CT scan of the head, bone scan or abdominal CT scan are unnecessary and the search for metastatic disease is complete. If there are signs or symptoms of metastasis, should be initiated a series of imaging tests, according to data obtained in the clinical evaluation. A variety of invasive tests are available for the staging of lung cancer. Each of them has specific technical and diagnostic accuracy that makes them more or less appropriate depending on the location of the lesion. Thus, direct comparisons between these invasive tests are not possible and the problem is to define which procedures are most useful in each situation. Molecular staging may prove to be an important tool in the staging and prognostic stratification of patients with lung cancer. However, there are still some problems that have limited the application of the concept

Using an integrative taxonomic approach to delimit a sibling species, Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos sp. nov. (Formicidae: Attini: Attina)

The fungus-growing ant Mycetomoellerius (previously Trachymyrmex) zeteki (Weber 1940) has been the focus of a wide range of studies examining symbiotic partners, garden pathogens, mating frequencies, and genomics. This is in part due to the ease of collecting colonies from creek embankments and its high abundance in the Panama Canal region. The original description was based on samples collected on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. However, most subsequent studies have sampled populations on the mainland 15 km southeast of BCI. Herein we show that two sibling ant species live in sympatry on the mainland: Mycetomoellerius mikromelanos Cardenas, Schultz, & Adams and M. zeteki. This distinction was originally based on behavioral differences of workers in the field and on queen morphology (M. mikromelanos workers and queens are smaller and black while those of M. zeteki are larger and red). Authors frequently refer to either species as “M. cf. zeteki,” indicating uncertainty about identity. We used an integrative taxonomic approach to resolve this, examining worker behavior, chemical profiles of worker volatiles, molecular markers, and morphology of all castes. For the latter, we used conventional taxonomic indicators from nine measurements, six extrapolated indices, and morphological characters. We document a new observation of a Diapriinae (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) parasitoid wasp parasitizing M. zeteki. Finally, we discuss the importance of vouchering in dependable, accessible museum collections and provide a table of previously published papers to clarify the usage of the name T. zeteki. We found that most reports of M. zeteki or M. cf. zeteki—including a genome—actually refer to the new species M. mikromelanos

Glomerin and homoglomerin from the North American pill millipede Onomeris sinuata (Loomis, 1943) (Diplopoda, Pentazonia, Glomeridae)

Specimens of the North American glomerid millipede Onomeris sinuata (Loomis, 1943) were collected at the type locality in Alabama, USA, and maintained briefly in the laboratory in native leaf litter. The millipedes could not be induced to produce defensive secretions by rough handling, tapping, squeezing or leg-pinching. Four specimens were extracted in methanol and the extract analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. The analysis revealed the alkaloids glomerin and homoglomerin, previously reported as components in the defensive secretion of the European glomerid Glomeris marginata (Villers, 1789). This report is only the second for the occurrence of quinazolinone alkaloids in animals

Venom Alkaloids from Some Monomorium Species

Volume: 18Start Page: 145End Page: 15