ORTHOPTEROIDEA FAUNA OF LESOTHO

In total, 134 species in 110 genera and 20 families of the former cohort ‘Orthopteroidea’ were recorded in Lesotho. All records (localities, data of collection, information source) in Lesotho are listed for each species. In southern Africa, the numbers are higher by an order of magnitude, which may indicate how much of the Lesotho fauna is unrecorded. The most speciose order of ‘Orthopteroidea’ in Lesotho is Orthoptera (93 species within 77 genera), and the most speciose family within this order is Acrididae (62 species within 45 genera). All families of ‘Orthopteroidea’ recorded in southern Africa are listed, and the number of species and genera are given separately for the whole subcontinent and Lesotho to elucidate how much is known about Lesotho fauna. At least 10 species of ‘Orthopteroidea’ are endemic to Lesotho: Hyposphaeria guillarmodi, Oxypilus inscriptus, Conocephalus basutoanus, Gymnogryllus politus, Basutacris inflatifrons, Eremidium basutho, Qachas fastigiata, Sphingonotus basutensis, Xiphocera fissa, and Brachyphymus basuto

Bird community of inner La Plata City, Argentina

During the years 1991-2000, 101 bird species were recorded in the city of La Plata, Argentina, 47 of which were breeding ones. The most abundant species were: Zenaida auriculata, Columba livia, Funarius rufus, Pitangus sulphuratus, Zonotrichia capensis and Passer domesticus. Columba maculosa, C. picazuro, Furnarius rufus, Turdus rufiventris and Molothrus bonariensis have increased in number, while Passer domesticus has decreased. Zonotrichia capensis may successfully compete for food with Passer domesticus. Sturnus vulgaris and Acridotheres cristatellus are new species in the breeding avifauna of La Plata city.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

The role of peri-urban wetland and meadow habitats in the protection of trans-Saharan migrant passerine species in a central European city

Densities were estimated for several passerine longdistance migrant species associated with peri-urban wetlands and meadows in the city of Wroclaw (293 km2), SW Poland. Acrocephalus arundinaceus, A. scirpaceus, Locustella naevia and Lanius collurio nested in a crude density of more than 0.2 pairs/territorial males per 100 ha. The group of four other species (Saxicola torquatus, Locustella fluviatilis, L. luscinioides and Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) bred in a crude density between 1.1 and 1.5 pairs per 10 km2. The least numerous were the Sylvia nisoria (0.06 pairs per 100 ha) and Remiz pendulinus (0.02 pairs per 100 ha). Most of these species nested in the city in higher crude density than in a neighbouring rural area, richer of suitable habitats. Most breeding pairs occupied extensive peri-urban wetlands and meadows. These habitats could play an important role in conservation of these trans-Saharan migrants, as well as other water and marshland bird species. Such habitats are postulated to be protected as nature reserves or Special Protection Areas of the Natura 2000

Bird community of inner La Plata City, Argentina

During the years 1991-2000, 101 bird species were recorded in the city of La Plata, Argentina, 47 of which were breeding ones. The most abundant species were: Zenaida auriculata, Columba livia, Funarius rufus, Pitangus sulphuratus, Zonotrichia capensis and Passer domesticus. Columba maculosa, C. picazuro, Furnarius rufus, Turdus rufiventris and Molothrus bonariensis have increased in number, while Passer domesticus has decreased. Zonotrichia capensis may successfully compete for food with Passer domesticus. Sturnus vulgaris and Acridotheres cristatellus are new species in the breeding avifauna of La Plata city.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

LEPIDOPTERA FAUNA OF NAMIBIA II: OKAVANGO RIVER VALLEY, KAVANGO REGION

In total, 37 moth and 112 butterfly species from seven and five families, respectively, have been identified in the Okavango River Valley, Kavango Region, northern Namibia. The family Nymphalidae was by far the most speciose (32 recorded species), followed by Lycaenidae (19 spp.), Pieridae (16 spp.), Sphingidae (13 spp.) and Saturniidae (9 spp.). For each species listed, the date and the site of collection is given, together with data on its global distribution. There are 11 taxa recorded in Namibia for the first time: Eurema regularis (Pieridae); 6 taxa from the family Lycaenidae (Lachnocnema brimo, Iolaus lalos lalos, Hypolycaena caeculus caeculus, H. c. c. forma dolores, Anthene sheppardi and Leptotes brevidentatus) and four species from the family Nymphalidae (Charaxes varanes, Neptis serena, Sevenia rosa and Eurytela drope)

Temporal Analysis of Looting Activity in Tūwāneh (Southern Jordan)

Looting is a worldwide issue that occurs not only in conflict zones or areas with weak governmental control. Although national and international agencies are addressing the problem, we are far from solving it, due to its complexity and the insufficient allocation of resources. In this article, we examine the temporal and spatial patterns of looting at the single site level (Tūwāneh, southern Jordan) over the past decade. Our analysis utilized orthomosaics created in 2018 and 2019, a systematic surface survey conducted in November 2022, and publicly available satellite imagery (via Google Earth Pro) dating back to August 2013. We identified a total of 723 looting pits, of which 259 were excavated before August 2013 and 140 between August 2013 and November 2022; 324 were inconclusive due to methodological limitations. The findings suggest that looting is a persistent issue in the area, highlighting the importance of implementing effective measures to prevent the loss of archaeological heritage

Intratumoral Convergence of the TCR Repertoires of Effector and Foxp3+ CD4+ T cells

The presence of Foxp3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells in tumor lesions is considered one of the major causes of ineffective immune response in cancer. It is not clear whether intratumoral Treg cells represent Treg cells pre-existing in healthy mice, or arise from tumor-specific effector CD4+ T cells and thus representing adaptive Treg cells. The generation of Treg population in tumors could be further complicated by recent evidence showing that both in humans and mice the peripheral population of Treg cells is heterogenous and consists of subsets which may differentially respond to tumor-derived antigens. We have studied Treg cells in cancer in experimental mice that express naturally selected, polyclonal repertoire of CD4+ T cells and which preserve the heterogeneity of the Treg population. The majority of Treg cells present in healthy mice maintained a stable suppressor phenotype, expressed high level of Foxp3 and an exclusive set of TCRs not used by naive CD4+ T cells. A small Treg subset, utilized TCRs shared with effector T cells and expressed a lower level of Foxp3. We show that response to tumor-derived antigens induced efficient clonal recruitment and expansion of antigen-specific effector and Treg cells. However, the population of Treg cells in tumors was dominated by cells expressing TCRs shared with effector CD4+ T cells. In contrast, Treg cells expressing an exclusive set of TCRs, that dominate in healthy mice, accounted for only a small fraction of all Treg cells in tumor lesions. Our results suggest that the Treg repertoire in tumors is generated by conversion of effector CD4+ T cells or expansion of a minor subset of Treg cells. In conclusion, successful cancer immunotherapy may depend on the ability to block upregulation of Foxp3 in effector CD4+ T cells and/or selectively inhibiting the expansion of a minor Treg subset

Visfatin impact on the proteome of porcine luteal cells during implantation

Visfatin (VIS) is a hormone belonging to the adipokines’ group secreted mainly by the adipose tissue. VIS plays a crucial role in the control of energy homeostasis, inflammation, cell differentiation, and angiogenesis. VIS expression was confirmed in the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis structures, as well as in the uterus, placenta, and conceptuses. We hypothesised that VIS may affect the abundance of proteins involved in the regulation of key processes occurring in the corpus luteum (CL) during the implantation process in pigs. In the present study, we performed the high-throughput proteomic analysis (liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, LC–MS/MS) to examine the in vitro influence of VIS (100 ng/mL) on differentially regulated proteins (DRPs) in the porcine luteal cells (LCs) on days 15–16 of pregnancy (implantation period). We have identified 511 DRPs, 276 of them were up-regulated, and 235 down-regulated in the presence of VIS. Revealed DRPs were assigned to 162 gene ontology terms. Western blot analysis of five chosen DRPs, ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif 1 (ADAMTS1), lanosterol 14-α demethylase (CYP51A1), inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA), notch receptor 3 (NOTCH3), and prostaglandin E synthase 2 (mPGES2) confirmed the veracity and accuracy of LC–MS/MS method. We indicated that VIS modulates the expression of proteins connected with the regulation of lipogenesis and cholesterologenesis, and, in consequence, may be involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones, as well as prostaglandins’ metabolism. Moreover, we revealed that VIS affects the abundance of protein associated with ovarian cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis, as well as CL new vessel formation and tissue remodelling. Our results suggest important roles for VIS in the regulation of ovarian functions during the peri-implantation period