Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Lagochilascaríase Experimental em Camundongos A/J e B10.A

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:30:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MarianaPrudente.pdf: 450052 bytes, checksum: 74cecdcc148e0b845ab3468516c4fd65 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-31Lagochilascariasis is an infection caused by a parasite from the genus Lagochilascaris and the species is Lagochilascaris minor Leiper 1909 Campos et al (1992) described its experimental evolutive cycle using a model constituted by mice as intermediate hosts and by domestic cats as definitive hosts The availability of murine strains with different genetic characteristics has favored the study of host-parasite relationships which are crucial to the establishment of susceptibility or resistance to infection The aim of this work was to evaluate parasitological histological serological and survival parameters in experimental infection with L. minor in isogenic B10.A and A/J mice to compare the different responses and determine susceptibility or resistance to infection Isogenic B10.A and A/J mice were each inoculated with 2000 infecting L minor eggs using esophagian sonde Three infected mice and one non-infected mouse were sacrificed from 15 to 180 days after infection (DAI) aiming analysis Groups with 22 male B10.A mice and 19 A/J mice were inoculated and the percentage of survival was analyzed during one-year period After mice sacrifice and skin removal the quantity of subcutaneous and muscular nodules was determined Larvae removed from nodules were measured in length and width (Paçô e Campos 1998) The obtention of antigen from crude secreted and excreted products from L minor larvae and the detection of IgM IgG IgA and IgE antibodies were performed according to Freitas (2003)Fragments from lungs liver lymph nodes and spleen were fixed and processed by method of inclusion in paraffin and stained by hematoxiline-eosin Luna stain and Masson Tricrome stain The semi-quantitative analysis of intensity of the inflammatory process and characterization of cell types were performed The percentage of B10.A and A/J mice survival were 33,3% and 90% respectively A/J mice presented higher number of encysted larvae in the superficial subcutaneous tissue until 150 DAI Only at 45 and 60 DAI larvae removed from A/J mice were significantly bigger than larvae removed from B10.A mice The pattern of pulmonary lesions in both mice strains was characterized by focal inflammatory infiltrated forming granulomas with mononuclear cell predominance The A/J mice presented lower inflammatory intensity The liver spleen and lymph nodes presented inflammatory reactional aspect in both strains The seric levels of IgG from A/J and B10.A mice increased during infection with no difference between strains At 45 DAI B10.A mice presented high level of seric IgM and IgA against the antigens from secreted and excreted products (SE) from larvae While A/J mice presented high production of seric IgA against antigens from crude extract between 90 and 180 DAI There were not detected considerable levels of seric IgE in infected animals Analyzing these results we conclude that the pulmonary lesions and the survival percentage clearly demonstrated the different evolution of susceptible and resistant experimental infection in mice Relating the number of subcutaneous nodules size of encysted larvae serology and anatomopathological lesions of liver spleen and lymph nodes the differences found between Lagochilascariasis resistant and susceptible strains are discreteA Lagochilascaríase é uma infecção causada por parasitos do gênero Lagochilascaris cuja espécie é conhecida por Lagochilascaris minor Leiper 1909 Campos et al (1992) descreveram o ciclo evolutivo experimental de L minor utilizando o modelo constituído por camundongo como hospedeiro intermediário e gato doméstico como hospedeiro definitivo A disponibilidade de linhagens murinas com diferentes características genéticas tem favorecido o estudo das relações parasito-hospedeiro cruciais no estabelecimento da resistência ou susceptibilidade às infecções O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar parâmetros parasitológicos histopatológicos sorológicos e de sobrevida na infecção experimental por L minor em camundongos isogênicos B10.A e A/J a fim de se verificar as diferenças das respostas que poderiam refletir os quadros de resistência e susceptibilidade Camundongos isogênicos B10.A e A/J foram inoculados por sonda esofagiana com 2000 ovos infectantes de L minor por animal Três camundongos infectados e 1 não infectado foram sacrificados dos 15 aos 180 dias pós-infecção (DAI) para análise Grupos de 22 camundongos machos da linhagem B10.A e 19 camundongos da linhagem A/J foram inoculados e a porcentagem de sobrevida foi avaliada durante um ano Após o sacrifício e rebatimento da pele dos animais foi determinada a quantidade de nódulos subcutâneos e musculares Larvas retiradas dos nódulos foram mensuradas quanto ao comprimento e largura A obtenção de antígenos dos produtos secretados e excretados e dos extratos brutos de larvas de L minor e a detecção de anticorpos IgM IgG IgA e IgE séricos foi realizada segundo Freitas (2003) Fragmentos de pulmões fígado linfonodos e baço foram fixados e processados pelo método de inclusão em parafina e corado pela hematoxilina eosina coloração de Luna e coloração por Tricrômio de Masson Fez-se análise semi-quantitativa da intensidade do processo inflamatório e caracterização dos tipos celulares A porcentagem de sobrevida dos camundongos B10.A e A/J foram 33,3% e 90% respectivamente Camundongos A/J apresentaram número maior de larvas encistadas no tecido subcutâneo superficial até os 150 DAI Somente aos 45 e 60 DAI larvas retiradas de camundongos A/J foram significativamente maiores que larvas retiradas de camundongos B10.A O padrão das lesões pulmonares nas diferentes linhagens de camundongos foi caracterizado por infiltrado inflamatório focal formando granulomas predominante de células mononucleares Os animais A/J apresentaram menor intensidade de inflamação O fígado baço e linfonodos apresentaram-se com aspecto reacional à infecção em ambas linhagens Os níveis de IgG sérico dos animais A/J e B10.A foram crescentes durante o curso da infecção sem diferença entre as duas linhagens Aos 45 DAI camundongos B10.A apresentaram um alto nível de IgM e IgA sérico contra os antígenos dos produtos secretados e excretados (SE) de larvas Já camundongos A/J apresentaram uma alta produção de IgA sérico contra os antígenos do extrato bruto entre os 90 e 180 DAI Não foram detectados níveis consideráveis de IgE sérico nos animais infectados Com base nesses resultados podemos concluir que as lesões pulmonares e a porcentagem de sobrevida demonstram claramente a diferença de evolução da infecção experimental em camundongos resistentes e susceptíveis Em relação ao número de nódulos subcutâneos tamanho das larvas encistadas sorologia e lesões anatomopatológicas de fígado baço e linfonodos as diferenças entre as linhagens de camundongos resistentes e susceptíveis a Lagochilascaríase são discreta

Lagochilascaris minor: antibody production in experimentally infected mice Lagochilascaris minor: produção de anticorpos em camundongos experimentalmente infectados

Lagochilascaris minor is the causative agent of lagochilascariosis, a disease that affects the neck region and causes festering abscesses, with eggs, adult parasites and L3/L4 larvae within the purulent exudates. Today, mice are considered to be intermediate hosts for the parasite. C57BL/6 mice produce immunoglobulin IgM, IgA and IgG against the crude extract of the parasite; on the other hand, antibodies produced against the secreted/excreted antigens of Lagochilascaris minor present lower levels of IgM, IgA and IgG. This is the first description of antibody detection against different antigens of Lagochilascaris minor.<br>Lagochilascaris minor é o agente etiológico da lagochilascariose, uma doença que afeta a região do pescoço causando abscessos exudativos com presença de ovos, parasitos adultos e larvas nos de exudatos purulentos. Hoje em dia, camundongos são considerados os hospedeiros intermediários para o parasita. Camundongos C57BL/6 produziram imunoglobulinas IgM, IgA e IgG contra o extrato bruto do parasita; por outro lado, anticorpos produzidos contra os antígenos secretados/excretados de Lagochilascaris minor apresentaram níveis mais baixos de IgM, IgA e IgG. Esta é a primeira descrição da detecção de anticorpos contra diferentes antígenos de Lagochilascaris minor

Perfil hematológico, bioquímico sérico e sorológico de Felis domesticus com lagochilascariose experimental Hematological, serum biochemical and serological profile of Felis domesticus with experimental lagochilascariosis

No presente trabalho, avaliou-se o hemograma, diversas proteínas e enzimas séricas ou plasmáticas e a produção de anticorpos específicos em Felis domesticus, experimentalmente infectados por Lagochilascaris minor. Verificou-se nos animais infectados aumento de leucócitos totais, principalmente eosinófilos; queda do número de plaquetas; aumento de aspartato-aminotransferase e alanina-aminotransferase; e principalmente a presença de anticorpos IgG específicos para antígenos do parasita. A reação com extrato bruto de parasitas adultos mostrou-se mais específica, permitindo a discriminação de soros de animais: não infectados, com infecção por outros parasitas, e com lagochilascariose. Esta é a primeira descrição da padronização de uma reação sorológica para diagnóstico da lagochilascariose em Felis domesticus.<br>The present study evaluated the hemogram, different proteins, plasma enzymes, serum enzymes and specific antibody production of Felis domesticus experimentally infected by Lagochilascaris minor. The infected animals were seen to present increased total leukocytes (particularly eosinophils), decreased platelet counts, increased aspartate-aminotransferase and alanine-aminotransferase and, especially, the presence of specific IgG antibodies against antigens of the parasite. The reaction with crude extract of adult parasites was shown to be more specific, thereby enabling serum discrimination between the animals: non-infected, infected with other parasites and infected with lagochilascariosis. This is the first description of the standardization of a serological reaction for diagnosing lagochilascariosis in Felis domesticus