New Host-plant Records For Neotropical Agromyzids (diptera: Agromyzidae) From Asteraceae Flower Heads

Agromyzidae is a large and cosmopolitan fly family with approximately 2,500 known species. Here we present 22 new records of agromyzid-host plant associations. Plants were sampled from 2002 to 2005 in São Paulo state, Brazil. A total of eight agromyzid species were reared from 18 Asteraceae host species. The genus Melanagromyza Hendel was the commonest. This is the first detailed study reporting associations between non-leafmining Agromyzidae and their host plants in Brazil.3719799Almeida, A.M., C.R. Fonsceca, P.I. Prado, M. Almeida Neto, S. Diniz, U. Kubota, M.R. Braun, R.L.G. Raimundo, L.A. Anjos, T.G. Mendonça, S.M. Futada & T.M. Lewinsohn. 2005. Diversidade e ocorrência de Asteraceae em cerrados de São Paulo. Biota Neotrop. 5: http://www.biotaneotropica. org.br/v5n2/pt/abstract?article+BN00105022005 . ISSN 1676-0603Andersen, A., Sjursen, H., Rafoss, T., Biodiversity of Agromizydae (Diptera) and biologically and conventionally grown spring barley and grass field (2004) Biol. Agric. Hortic, 22, pp. 143-155Benavent-Corai, J., Martinez, M., Jimenez Peydró, R., Catalogue of the host-plants of the world Agromyzidae (Diptera) (2005) Boll. Zool. Agrar. Bachic. Serie II, 37, pp. 1-97Bremer, K., (1994) Asteraceae: Cladistics and classification, , Timber Press, Portland, 752pChen, X., Lang, F., Xu, Z., He, J., Ma, Y., The occurrence of leafminers and their parasitoids on vegetables and weeds in Hangzhou area, Southeast China (2003) BioControl, 48, pp. 515-527Eiten, G., Cerrado vegetation of Brazil (1972) Bot. Rev, 38, pp. 201-341Fonseca, C.R., Prado, P.I., Almeida Neto, M., Kubota, U., Lewinsohn, T.M., Flower heads, herbivores, and their parasitoids: Food web structure along a fertility gradient (2005) Ecol. Entomol, 30, pp. 36-46Gagné, R.J., (1994) The gall midges of the Neotropical region, , Cornell Univ. Press, Ithaca, 352pLewinsohn, T.M. 1991. Insects in flower heads of Asteraceae in southeast Brazil: a case study on tropical species richness, p.525-560. In P.W. Price, T.M. Lewinsohn, G.W. Fernandes & W.W. Benson (eds.). Plant-animal interactions: Evolutionary ecology in tropical and temperate regions. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 639pLewinsohn, T.M., Novotny, V., Basset, Y., Insects on plants: Diversity of herbivore assemblages revisited (2005) Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst, 36, pp. 597-620Schuster, D.J., Gilreath, J.P., Wharton, R.A., Seymour, P.R., Agromyzidae (Diptera) leafminers and their parasitoids in weeds associated with potato in Florida (1991) Environ. Entomol, 20, pp. 720-723Spencer, K.A., Notes on the Neotropical Agromyzidae (Diptera) (1966) Pap. Avulsos Zool, 19, pp. 142-150Spencer, K.A., The Agromyzidae of Canada and Alaska (1969) Mem. Entomol. Soc. Can, 64, pp. 1-311Spencer, K.A. 1973a. Agromyzidae (Diptera) of economic importance. Dr. W. Junk B. V. The Hague, Serie Entomologica, 418pSpencer, K.A., The Agromyzidae (Diptera) of Venezuela. Rev. Fac. Agrom (1973), pp. 5-107. , Mar. VIIISpencer, K.A., (1990) Host specialization in the world Agromyzidae, , Diptera, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 444pSpencer, K.A. 1996. Australasian/Oceanian Diptera Catalog - Web Version. URL: http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/aocat/agromyzidae.html. Accessed in 12/09/2006Spencer, K.A. & C.E. Stegmaier. 1973. Arthropods of Florida (EUA) and neighboring land areas, v. 7. Agromyzidae of Florida (USA) with a Supplement on Species from the Caribbean. Fla. Dep. Agri. Cons. Serv., Gainesville, 205pSpencer, K.A. & G.C. Steyskal. 1986. Manual of the Agromyzidae (Diptera) of the United States. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook. n. 638. Washington, U.S.ASpencer, K.A., Martinez, M., Etienne, J., Les Agromyzidae (Diptera) de Guadeloupe. (1992) Ann. Soc. Entomol. Fr, 28, pp. 251-302Zwölfer, H. 1988. Species richness, species packing, and evolution in insect-plant systems, p.301-319. In E.D. Schulze & H. Zwölfer (eds.), Potentials and limitations of ecosystem analysis. Springer-Verlag. Berlin, 435

Clinicopathological And Immunohistochemical Evaluation Of Oral And Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Chilean Population

In oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC and OPSCC) exist an association between clinical and histopathological parameters with cell proliferation, basal lamina, connective tissue degradation and surrounding stroma markers. We evaluated these associations in Chilean patients. A convenience sample of 37 cases of OCSCC (n=16) and OPSCC (n=21) was analyzed clinically (TNM, clinical stage) and histologically (WHO grade of differentiation, pattern of tumor invasion). We assessed the expression of p53, Ki67, HOXA1, HOXB7, type IV collagen (ColIV) and carcinoma-associated fibroblast (a-SMA-positive cells). Additionally we conducted a univariate/bivariate analysis to assess the relationship of these variables with survival rates. Males were mostly affected (56.2% OCSCC, 76.2% OPSCC). Patients were mainly diagnosed at III/IV clinical stages (68.8% OCSCC, 90.5% OPSCC) with a predominantly infiltrative pattern invasion (62.9% OCSCC, 57.1% OPSCC). Significant association between regional lymph nodes (N) and clinical stage with OCSCC-HOXB7 expression (Chi-Square test P < 0.05) was observed. In OPSCC a statistically significant association exists between p53, Ki67 with gender (Chi-Square test P < 0.05). In OCSCC and OPSCC was statistically significant association between ki67 with HOXA1, HOXB7, and between these last two antigens (Pearson's Correlation test P < 0.05). Furthermore OPSCC-p53 showed significant correlation when it was compared with a-SMA (Kendall's Tau-c test P < 0.05). Only OCSCC-pattern invasion and OPSCC-primary tumor (T) pattern resulted associated with survival at the end of the follow up period (Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio, P < 0.05). Clinical, histological and immunohistochemical features are similar to seen in other countries. Cancer proliferation markers were associated strongly from each other. Our sample highlights prognostic value of T and pattern of invasion, but the conclusions may be limited and should be considered with caution (small sample). Many cases were diagnosed in the advanced stages of the disease, which suggests that the diagnosis of OCSCC and OPSCC is made late.7959685977Wang, Q., Gao, P., Wang, X., Duan, Y., Investigation and identification of potential biomarkers in human saliva for the early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (2013) Clin Chim Acta, 427 C, pp. 79-85Parkin, D., Bray, F., Ferlay, J., Pisani, P., Global cancer statistics, 2002 (2005) CA Cancer J Clin, 55, p. 74Dissanayaka, W.L., Pitiyage, G., Kumarasiri, P.V., Liyanage, R.L., Dias, K.D., Tilakaratne, W.M., Clinical and histopathologic parameters in survival of oral squamous cell carcinoma (2012) Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol, 113, pp. 518-525Koontongkaew, S., The tumor microenvironment contribution to development, growth, invasion and metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (2013) J Cancer, 4, p. 66Dalianis, T., Human papillomavirus and oropharyngeal cancer, the epidemics, and significance of additional clinical biomarkers for prediction of response to therapy (2014) Int J Oncol, 44, pp. 1799-1805Kostareli, E., Holzinger, D., Hess, J., New concepts for translational head and neck oncology: Lessons from HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (2012) Front Oncol, 2, p. 36Rivera, C., Venegas, B., Histological and molecular aspects of oral squamous cell carcinoma (2014) Oncol Lett, 8, pp. 7-11Bryne, M., Koppang, H.S., Lilleng, R., Kjærheim, Å., Malignancy grading of the deep invasive margins of oral squamous cell carcinomas has high prognostic value (2005) J Pathol, 166, pp. 375-381Santos-Garcia, A., Abad-Hernandez, M.M., Fonseca-Sanchez, E., Julian-Gonzalez, R., Galindo-Villardon, P., Cruz-Hernandez, J.J., Bullon-Sopelana, A., E-cadherin, laminin and collagen IV expression in the evolution from dysplasia to oral squamous cell carcinoma (2006) Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal, 11, pp. E100-E105Ramqvist, T., Dalianis, T., Oropharyngeal cancer epidemic and human papillomavirus (2010) Emerg Infect Dis, 16, pp. 1671-1677Rodrigues, P.C., Miguel, M.C., Bagordakis, E., Fonseca, F.P., de Aquino, S.N., Santos-Silva, A.R., Lopes, M.A., Coletta, R.D., Clinicopathological prognostic factors of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study of 202 cases (2014) Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 43, pp. 795-801Agarwal, A., Sethi, A., Sareen, D., Dhingra, S., Oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in our population: the clinic-pathological and morphological description of 153 casescarcinoma de Células Escamosas Oral y Orofaríngeo en Nuestra Población: Descripción Clínico-Patológica y Morfológica de 153 Casos (2011) Int J Morphol, 29, pp. 686-693Roosli, C., Tschudi, D.C., Studer, G., Braun, J., Stoeckli, S.J., Outcome of patients after treatment for a squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (2009) Laryngoscope, 119, pp. 534-540Riera, P., Martinez, B., [Morbidity and mortality for oral and pharyngeal cancer in Chile] (2005) Rev Med Chil, 133, pp. 555-563Marsh, D., Suchak, K., Moutasim, K.A., Vallath, S., Hopper, C., Jerjes, W., Upile, T., Thomas, G.J., Stromal features are predictive of disease mortality in oral cancer patients (2011) J Pathol, 223, pp. 470-481Woolgar, J., Rogers, S., West, C., Errington, R., Brown, J., Vaughan, E., Survival and patterns of recurrence in 200 oral cancer patients treated by radical surgery and neck dissection (1999) Oral Oncol, 35, pp. 257-265Bórquez, P., Capdeville, F., Madrid, A., Veloso, M., Cárcamo, M., Sobrevida global y por estadios de 137 pacientes con cáncer intraoral: experiencia del Instituto Nacional del CáncerAnalysis of survival of 137 patients with oral cancer (2011) Rev Chil Cir, 63, pp. 351-355Woolgar, J.A., Triantafyllou, A., Pitfalls and procedures in the histopathological diagnosis of oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and a review of the role of pathology in prognosis (2009) Oral Oncol, 45, pp. 361-385Li, Y., Bai, S., Carroll, W., Dayan, D., Dort, J.C., Heller, K., Jour, G., Brandwein-Gensler, M., Validation of the risk model: high-risk classification and tumor pattern of invasion predict outcome for patients with low-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (2013) Head Neck Pathol, 7, pp. 211-223Chang, Y.C., Nieh, S., Chen, S.F., Jao, S.W., Lin, Y.L., Fu, E., Invasive pattern grading score designed as an independent prognostic indicator in oral squamous cell carcinoma (2010) Histopathology, 57, pp. 295-303Adeyemi, B.F., Olusanya, A.A., Lawoyin, J.O., Oral squamous cell carcinoma, socioeconomic status and history of exposure to alcohol and tobacco (2011) J Natl Med Assoc, 103, pp. 498-502De Souza Setubal Destro, M.F., Bitu, C.C., Zecchin, K.G., Graner, E., Lopes, M.A., Kowalski, L.P., Coletta, R.D., Overexpression of HOXB7 homeobox gene in oral cancer induces cellular proliferation and is associated with poor prognosis (2010) Int J Oncol, 36, pp. 141-149Bitu, C.C., Destro, M.F., Carrera, M., Da Silva, S.D., Graner, E., Kowalski, L.P., Soares, F.A., Coletta, R.D., HOXA1 is overexpressed in oral squamous cell carcinomas and its expression is correlated with poor prognosis (2012) BMC Cancer, 12, p. 146Liao, W.T., Jiang, D., Yuan, J., Cui, Y.M., Shi, X.W., Chen, C.M., Bian, X.W., Ding, Y.Q., HOXB7 as a prognostic factor and mediator of colorectal cancer progression (2011) Clin Cancer Res, 17, pp. 3569-357

Mutagenicactivity of glycoallkaloids from Solanum palinacanthum Dunal (Solanaceae) found in the brazilian cerrado

Solanaceous plants are widely distributed around the world and they are traditionally used as drugs for the treatment of cancer and herpes, and include familiar foods such as potato, tomato and eggplant and some berries popular in Brazil. As part of a program of research on pharmacologically active new molecules, the aim in this study was to assess the mutagenic effects of Solanum palinacanthum, known popularly as joá. The crude 95% ethanol extract and purified solamargine obtained from the fruits of S. palinacanthum Dunal were investigated by the Ames test, using the Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA97a, TA100 and TA102 as test organisms, with and without metabolic activation. The concentrations tested ranged from 0.07 to 15.0 mg/plate for the crude ethanolic extract and from 1.25 to 5.0 mg/plate for the solamargine. The results showed a mutagenic effect of both the extract and the solamargine in the TA98 strain (without metabolic activation). The present study showed the potential mutagenicity and suggests confirming this effect in other models, before recommending their indiscriminate consumption by the population.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Magnetic hyperthermia experiments with magnetic nanoparticles in clarified butter oil and paraffin: A thermodynamic analysis

In specific power absorption models for magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) experiments, the magnetic relaxation time of nanoparticles (NPs) is known to be a fundamental descriptor of the heating mechanisms. The relaxation time is mainly determined by the interplay between the magnetic properties of NPs and the rheological properties of NPs’ environment. Although the role of magnetism in MFH has been extensively studied, the thermal properties of the NP medium and their changes during MFH experiments have been underrated so far. Herein, we show that ZnxFe3-xO4 NPs dispersed through different media with phase transition in the temperature range of experiment as clarified butter oil (CBO) and paraffin. These systems show nonlinear behavior of the heating rate within the temperature range of MFH experiments. For CBO, a fast increase at ~306 K is associated with changes in the viscosity (¿(T)) and specific heat (cp(T)) of the medium at its melting temperature. This increment in the heating rate takes place around 318 K for paraffin. The magnetic and morphological characterization of NPs together with the observed agglomeration of NPs above 306 and 318 K for CBO and paraffin, respectively, indicate that the fast increase in MFH curves could not be associated with the change in the magnetic relaxation mechanism, with Neél relaxation being dominant. In fact, successive experimental runs performed up to temperatures below and above the CBO and paraffin melting points resulted in different MFH curves due to agglomeration of NPs driven by magnetic field inhomogeneity during the experiments. Our results highlight the relevance of the thermodynamic properties of the system NP-medium for an accurate measurement of the heating efficiency for in vitro and in vivo environments, where the thermal properties are largely variable within the temperature window of MFH experiments

Adjusting the Neel relaxation time of Fe3O4/ZnxCo1-xFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles for optimal heat generation in magnetic hyperthermia

In this work it is shown a precise way to optimize the heat generation in high viscosity magnetic colloids, by adjusting the Neel relaxation time in core/shell bimagnetic nanoparticles, for magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) applications. To pursue this goal, Fe3O4/ZnxCo1-xFe2O4 core/shell nanoparticles were synthesized with 8.5 nm mean core diameter, encapsulated in a shell of similar to 1.1 nm of thickness, where the Zn atomic ratio (Zn/(Zn + Co) at%) changes from 33 to 68 at%. The magnetic measurements are consistent with a rigid interface coupling between the core and shell phases, where the effective magnetic anisotropy systematically decreases when the Zn concentration increases, without a significant change of the saturation magnetization. Experiments of MFH of 0.1 wt% of these particles dispersed in water, in Dulbecco modified Eagles minimal essential medium, and a high viscosity butter oil, result in a large specific loss power (SLP), up to 150 W g(-1), when the experiments are performed at 571 kHz and 200 Oe. The SLP was optimized adjusting the shell composition, showing a maximum for intermediate Zn concentration. This study shows a way to maximize the heat generation in viscous media like cytosol, for those biomedical applications that require smaller particle sizes

Effects of Zn Substitution in the Magnetic and Morphological Properties of Fe-Oxide-Based Core-Shell Nanoparticles Produced in a Single Chemical Synthesis

Magnetic, compositional, and morphological properties of Zn-Fe-oxide core-shell bimagnetic nanoparticles were studied for three samples with 0.00, 0.06, and 0.10 Zn/Fe ratios, as obtained from particle-induced X-ray emission analysis. The bimagnetic nanoparticles were produced in a one-step synthesis by the thermal decomposition of the respective acetylacetonates. The nanoparticles present an average particle size between 25 and 30 nm as inferred from transmission electron microscopy (TEM). High-resolution TEM images clearly show core-shell morphology for the particles in all samples. The core is composed by an antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase with a Wüstite (Fe1-yO) structure, whereas the shell is composed by a ZnxFe3-xO4 ferrimagnetic (FiM) spinel phase. Despite the low solubility of Zn in the Wüstite, electron energy-loss spectroscopy analysis indicates that Zn is distributed almost homogeneously in the whole nanoparticle. This result gives information on the formation mechanisms of the particle, indicating that the Wüstite is formed first, and the superficial oxidation results in the FiM ferrite phase with similar Zn concentration than the core. Magnetization and in-field Mössbauer spectroscopy of the Zn-richest nanoparticles indicate that the AFM phase is strongly coupled to the FiM structure of the ferrite shell, resulting in a bias field (HEB) appearing below TNFeO, with HEB values that depend on the core-shell relative proportion. Magnetic characterization also indicates a strong magnetic frustration for the samples with higher Zn concentration, even at low temperatures

Integrating Economic Costs And Biological Traits Into Global Conservation Priorities For Carnivores

Background: Prioritization schemes usually highlight species-rich areas, where many species are at imminent risk of extinction. To be ecologically relevant these schemes should also include species biological traits into area-setting methods. Furthermore, in a world of limited funds for conservation, conservation action is constrained by land acquisition costs. Hence, including economic costs into conservation priorities can substantially improve their conservation cost-effectiveness. Methodology/Principal Findings: We examined four global conservation scenarios for carnivores based on the joint mapping of economic costs and species biological traits. These scenarios identify the most cost-effective priority sets of ecoregions, indicating best investment opportunities for safeguarding every carnivore species, and also establish priority sets that can maximize species representation in areas harboring highly vulnerable species. We compared these results with a scenario that minimizes the total number of ecoregions required for conserving all species, irrespective of other factors. We found that cost-effective conservation investments should focus on 41 ecoregions highlighted in the scenario that consider simultaneously both ecoregion vulnerability and economic costs of land acquisition. Ecoregions included in priority sets under these criteria should yield best returns of investments since they harbor species with high extinction risk and have lower mean land cost. Conclusions/Significance: Our study highlights ecoregions of particular importance for the conservation of the world's carnivores defining global conservation priorities in analyses that encompass socioeconomic and life-history factors. We consider the identification of a comprehensive priority-set of areas as a first step towards an in-situ biodiversity maintenance strategy. © 2009 Loyola et al.48Margules, C.R., Pressey, R.L., Systematic conservation planning (2000) Nature, 405, pp. 243-253Margules, C.R., Sarkar, S., (2007) Systematic conservation planning, , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 278 pCowling, R.M., Pressey, R.L., Rouget, M., Lombard, A.T., A conservation plan for a global biodiversity hotspot - the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa (2003) Biol Conserv, 112, pp. 191-216Smith, R.J., Goodman, P.S., Matthews, W.S., Systematic conservation planning: A review of perceived limitations and an illustration of the benefits, using a case study from Maputaland, South Africa (2006) Oryx, 40, pp. 400-410Loyola, R.D., Kubota, U., Lewinsohn, T.M., Endemic vertebrates are the most effective surrogates for identifying conservation priorities among Brazilian ecoregions (2007) Divers Distrib, 13, pp. 389-396Dinerstein, E., (1995) A conservation assessment of the terrestrial ecoregions of Latin America and the Caribbean, , Washington DC: WWF and the World Bank. 129 pBurgess, D.N., (2004) Terrestrial ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A conservation assessment, , Washington: Island Press. 483 pLoyola, R.D., Becker, C.G., Kubota, U., Haddad, C.F.B., Fonseca, C.R., Hung out to dry: Choice of priority ecoregions for conserving threatened Neotropical anurans depends on life-history traits (2008) PLoS ONE, 3 (5), pp. e2120. , doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002120Loyola, R.D., Oliveira, G., Diniz-Filho, J.A.F., Lewinsohn, T.M., Conservation of Neotropical carnivores under different prioritization scenarios: Mapping species traits to minimize conservation conflicts (2008) Divers Distrib, 14, pp. 949-960Loyola, R.D., Kubota, U., Fonseca, G.A.B., Lewinsohn, T.M., Key Neotropical ecoregions for conservation of terrestrial vertebrates (2009) Biodivers Conserv, 18, pp. 2017-2031Mittermeier, R.A., Robles-Gil, P., Hoffman, M., Pilgrim, J., Brooks, T., (2004) Hotspots revisited: Earth's biologically richest and most endangered terrestrial ecoregions, , Mexico City: CEMEX. 392 pOlson, D.M., Dinerstein, E., The Global 200: Priority ecoregions for global conservation (2002) Ann Miss Bot Gard, 89, pp. 199-224Bode, M., Wilson, K.A., Brooks, T.M., Turner, W.R., Mittermeier, R.A., Cost-effective global conservation spending is robust to taxonomic group (2008) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 105, pp. 6498-6501Brooks, T.M., Mittermeier, R.A., da Fonseca, G.A.B., Gerlach, J., Hoffmann, M., Global biodiversity conservation priorities (2006) Science, 313, pp. 58-61Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., Brooks, T.M., Pilgrim, J.D., Konstant, W.R., Wilderness and biodiversity conservation (2003) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 100, pp. 10309-10313Stattersfield, A.J., Crosby, M.J., Long, A.J., Wege, D.C., (1998) Endemic bird areas of the world: Priorities for biodiversity conservation, , Cambridge: BirdLife International. 846 pCardillo, M., Mace, G.M., Gittleman, J.L., Purvis, A., Latent extinction risk and the future battlegrounds of mammal conservation (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 103, pp. 4157-4161Becker, C.G., Loyola, R.D., Extinction risk assessments at the population and species level: Implications for amphibian conservation (2008) Biodiv Conserv, 17, pp. 2297-2304Cardillo, M., Mace, G.M., Jones, K.E., Bielby, J., Bininda-Emonds, O.R.P., Multiple causes of high extinction risk in large mammal species (2005) Science, 309, pp. 1239-1241Cardillo, M., Purvis, A., Sechrest, W., Gittleman, J.L., Bielby, J., Human population density and extinction risk in the world's carnivores (2004) PLoS Biology, 2, pp. 909-914Valenzuela-Galván, D., Vázquez, L.B., Prioritizing areas for conservation of Mexican carnivores considering natural protected areas and human population density (2008) Anim Conserv, 11, pp. 215-223Valenzuela-Galván, D., Arita, H.T., Macdonald, D.W., Conservation priorities for carnivores considering protected natural areas and human population density (2008) Biodivers Conserv, 17, pp. 539-558Gittleman, J.L., Funk, S.M., MacDonald, D.W., Wayne, R.K., (2001) Carnivore conservation, , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 690 pDirzo, R., Miranda, A., Altered patterns of herbivory anddiversity in the forest understory: A case study of the possible consequences of contemporary defaunation (1991) Plant-animal interactions: Evolutionary ecology in tropical and temperate regions, pp. 273-287. , Price P, Lewinsohn TM, Fernandes GW, Benson WW, eds, New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. ppLaurance, W.F., Peres, C.A., (2006) Emerging threats to tropical forests, , Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 520 pRondinini, C., Boitani, L., Systematic Conservation Planning and the Cost of Tackling Conservation Conflicts with Large Carnivores in Italy (2007) Conserv Biol, 21, pp. 1455-1462Underwood, E.C., Shaw, M.R., Wilson, K.A., Kareiva, P., Klausmeyer, K.R., (2008) Protecting Biodiversity when Money Matters: Maximizing Return on Investment, ONE 3, pp. e1515. , PLoS, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001515Naidoo, R., Balmford, A., Ferraro, P.J., Polasky, S., Ricketts, T.H., Integrating economic costs into conservation planning (2006) Trends Ecol Evol, 21, pp. 681-686Davis, F.W., Costello, C., Stoms, D., (2006) Efficient conservation in a utility-maximization framework, p. 11. , http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol11/iss11/art33, Ecol Soc, Available(2006) WildFinder: Online database of species distributions, version Jan-06, , http://www.worldwildlife.org/WildFinder, AvailableRondinini, C., Stuart, S., Boitani, L., Habitat suitability models and the shortfall in conservation planning for African vertebrates (2005) Conserv Biol, 19, pp. 1488-1497Das, A., Krishnaswamya, J., Bawaa, K.S., Kirana, M.C., Srinivasc, V., Prioritisation of conservation areas in the Western Ghats, India (2006) Biol Conserv, 133, pp. 16-31Laurance, W.F., Lovejoy, T.E., Vasconcelos, H.L., Bruna, E.M., Didham, R.H., Ecosystem decay of Amazonian forest fragments: A 22-year investigation (2002) Conserv Biol, 16, pp. 605-618Boyd, C., Brooks, T.M., Butchart, S.H.M., Edgar, G.J., da Fonseca, G.A.B., Spatial scale and the conservation of threatened species (2008) Conserv Lett, 1, pp. 37-43Gittleman, J.L., Carnivore life histories: A reanalysis in the light of new models (1993) Mammals as predators, pp. 65-86. , Dunstone N, Gorman ML, eds, Oxford: Oxford University Press. ppCarbone, C., Gittleman, J.L., A common rule for the scaling of carnivore density (2002) Science, 295, pp. 2273-2276Urbina-Cardona JN, Loyola RD (2008) Applying niche-based models to predict endangered-hylid potential distributions: are Neotropical protected areas effective enough? 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Mood and anxiety disorders across the adult lifespan: a European perspective

BACKGROUND: The World Mental Health Survey Initiative (WMHSI) has advanced our understanding of mental disorders by providing data suitable for analysis across many countries. However, these data have not yet been fully explored from a cross-national lifespan perspective. In particular, there is a shortage of research on the relationship between mood and anxiety disorders and age across countries. In this study we used multigroup methods to model the distribution of 12-month DSM-IV/CIDI mood and anxiety disorders across the adult lifespan in relation to determinants of mental health in 10 European Union (EU) countries. METHOD: Logistic regression was used to model the odds of any mood or any anxiety disorder as a function of age, gender, marital status, urbanicity and employment using a multigroup approach (n = 35500). This allowed for the testing of specific lifespan hypotheses across participating countries. RESULTS: No simple geographical pattern exists with which to describe the relationship between 12-month prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders and age. Of the adults sampled, very few aged ≥ 80 years met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for these disorders. The associations between these disorders and key sociodemographic variables were relatively homogeneous across countries after adjusting for age. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is required to confirm that there are indeed stages in the lifespan where the reported prevalence of mental disorders is low, such as among younger adults in the East and older adults in the West. This project illustrates the difficulties in conducting research among different age groups simultaneously

Rhesus macaques self-curing from a schistosome infection can display complete immunity to challenge

To date there is only one single drug with modest efficacy and no vaccine available to protect from schistosomiasis. Here, Amaral et al. characterize the self-cure process of rhesus macaques following primary infection and secondary challenge with Schistosoma mansoni to inform future vaccine development studies.The rhesus macaque provides a unique model of acquired immunity against schistosomes, which afflict >200 million people worldwide. By monitoring bloodstream levels of parasite-gut-derived antigen, we show that from week 10 onwards an established infection with Schistosoma mansoni is cleared in an exponential manner, eliciting resistance to reinfection. Secondary challenge at week 42 demonstrates that protection is strong in all animals and complete in some. Antibody profiles suggest that antigens mediating protection are the released products of developing schistosomula. In culture they are killed by addition of rhesus plasma, collected from week 8 post-infection onwards, and even more efficiently with post-challenge plasma. Furthermore, cultured schistosomula lose chromatin activating marks at the transcription start site of genes related to worm development and show decreased expression of genes related to lysosomes and lytic vacuoles involved with autophagy. Overall, our results indicate that enhanced antibody responses against the challenge migrating larvae mediate the naturally acquired protective immunity and will inform the route to an effective vaccine.Cancer Signaling networks and Molecular Therapeutic

Body condition score, weight variation and reproductive performance of beef cows in rangelands from the Pantanal region

Objetivou-se avaliar a influência do escore de condição corporal (ECC) sobre a eficiência reprodutiva de vacas de cria nos períodos pré e pós-parto e a probabilidade de parição, usando o escore de condição corporal e a variação ponderal no período crítico do ciclo reprodutivo. Utilizaram-se 248 vacas multíparas mantidas em pastagens nativas distribuídas em quatro estratégias de suplementação: mistura mineral (controle); suplemento farelado; suplemento líquido; suplemento líquido para vacas e bezerros. As avaliações de peso e ECC, na escala de 1 a 9, foram realizadas no período crítico: em agosto (período pré-parto, 60-90 dias antes da parição) e em janeiro (período pós-parto e reprodutivo) durante quatro anos consecutivos. Para a análise dos anos consecutivos de reprodução, criou-se um escore de reprodução, ou seja, somou-se o número de parições de cada vaca durante os quatro anos pecuários avaliados. O escore de condição corporal nos períodos pré e pós-parto e a idade da vaca influenciaram o escore de reprodução. Portanto, para avaliação da probabilidade de parição, foram utilizadas todas as vacas, classificadas em paridas e vazias. Utilizando equações de estimação generalizadas (EEG), foi modelada a probabilidade de as matrizes serem classificadas como paridas considerando variáveis exploratórias ao longo do tempo. Para se obter probabilidade de parição superior a 80%, as vacas devem possuir escore de aproximadamente 5,5 no período pré-parto. Aproximadamente 60% das vacas paridas mantiveram ou ganharam peso no período crítico do ano, o que levou a maior probabilidade de reconcepção, similar ao observado para as vacas vazias, porém com probabilidade menor de parição. O período pré-parto é o melhor para estimar a probabilidade de parição das vacas por meio da avaliação do escore corporal. A seleção de vacas adaptadas às condições bioclimáticas do Pantanal aumenta a probabilidade de produção de um bezerro por vaca por ano. _________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of body condition score (BCS) on reproductive performance of beef cows before and after calving and to evaluate the calving probability using body condition score and weight variation during critical periods of the cow reproductive cycle. From 2001 to 2005, the body condition score was recorded in 248 multiparous cows raised in native pastures, submitted to different supplementation treatments (mineral mixture only - control; dry supplement; liquid supplement and liquid supplement for cow and calves). Weighing and body condition evaluation were made on a 1-9 point scale in August (prepartum period, 60-90 days before parturition) and January (postpartum and reproductive period). A reproduction score was created in function of the body scores in four consecutive years. Except for the treatment, the other factors (body condition score in the prepartum and postpartum periods and cow age) influenced the reproduction score. Thus, the calving probabilities were estimated for all cows. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to evaluate the calving probability in function of the exploratory variables over time. Calving probability higher than 80% was obtained when cows scored 5,5 before calving. In relation to weight, the results showed that about 60% of calving cows maintained or gained weight in the postpartum period, leading to increase in the rebreeding probability. Similar situation occurred with single cows; however, the calving probability was lower. These results indicate that the calving probability using BCS is better estimated before calving. Furthermore, it indicates the presence of cows more adapted to the Pantanal climatic and feeding conditions than others