Primeiro relato e colonização diferencial de espécies de Passiflora pelo biótipo B de Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) no Brasil

This note is the first report of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B colonizing passionvine in Brazil. We examined the colonization of nine Passiflora species by a wild B type population under greenhouse conditions. P. amethystina Mikan was the most preferred species for oviposition and colonization, whereas P. suberosa L., P. coriacea Juss. and two commercially cultivated species, P. alata Curtis and P. edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Degener, were mostly uncolonised. P. morifolia Mast., P. cincinnata Mast., P. foetida L. and P. caerulea L. showed intermediate levels of colonization. Such differential colonization might suggest some degree of resistance by certain Passiflora species or oviposition preference by B. tabaci.Esse trabalho descreve pela primeira vez a ocorrência do aleirodídeo Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biótipo B colonizando maracujazeiros no Brasil. Também foi examinada a colonização de nove espécies de Passiflora pelo inseto em condições de telado. P. amethystina Mikan foi a espécie de maior preferência para oviposição e colonização, enquanto P. suberosa L., P. coriacea Juss. e duas espécies cultivadas comercialmente, P. alata Curtis e P. edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Degener, foram pouco colonizadas pelo aleirodídeo. P. morifolia Mast., P. cincinnata Mast., P. foetida L. e P. caerulea L. exibiram níveis intermediários de colonização. Esses resultados sugerem que certas espécies de Passiflora exibem diferentes graus de resistência à colonização ou preferência para oviposição de B. tabaci biótipo B

Cardiovascular abnormalities in patients with oral cleft: a clinical-electrocardiographic-echocardiographic study

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to describe the clinical, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic cardiological findings in a group of patients with oral clefts. METHODS: This is a prospective cross-sectional study on 70 children (age range from 13 days to 19 years) with oral clefts who attended the multidisciplinary program of a university hospital from March 2013 to September 2014. The patients were evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist and underwent detailed anamnesis, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and echocardiogram. RESULTS: Sixty percent of the patients were male; 55.7% presented with cleft lip and palate, and 40.0% presented with health complaints. Comorbidities were found in 44.3%. Relevant pregnancy, neonatal, family and personal antecedents were present in 55.7%, 27.1%, 67.2%, and 24.3% of the patients, respectively. Regarding the antecedents, 15.2% of the patients presented with a cardiac murmur, 49.0% with a familial risk of developing plurimetabolic syndrome, and 6% with family antecedents of rheumatic fever. Electrocardiographic evaluation showed one case of atrioventricular block. Echocardiograms were abnormal in 35.7% of the exams, including 5 cases of mitral valve prolapse — one of which was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease. CONCLUSION: The finding of a family risk of developing plurimetabolic syndrome and a diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease indicates that patients with oral clefts may be more prone to developing acquired heart disease. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of anamnesis and methodological triangulation (clinical-electrocardiographic-echocardiographic) in the investigation of patients with oral clefts and emphasize that cardiological follow-up to evaluate acquired and/or rhythm heart diseases is necessary. This strategy permits comorbidity prevention and individualized planned treatment

Lower production of IL-17A and increased susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis in mice coinfected with Strongyloides venezuelensis

The presence of intestinal helminths can down-regulate the immune response required to control mycobacterial infection. BALB/c mice infected with Mycobacterium bovis following an infection with the intestinal helminth Strongyloides venezuelensis showed reduced interleukin-17A production by lung cells and increased bacterial burden. Also, small granulomas and a high accumulation of cells expressing the inhibitory molecule CTLA-4 were observed in the lung. These data suggest that intestinal helminth infection could have a detrimental effect on the control of tuberculosis (TB) and render coinfected individuals more susceptible to the development of TB

Hepatitis B virus: molecular genotypes and HBeAg serological status among HBV-infected patients in the southeast of Brazil

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Knowledge of HBV genotype is very important for clinical treatment. Studies have suggested possible pathogenic and therapeutic differences among HBV genotypes. The aim of this study was to determine HBV subtypes and genotypes in HBV-infected patients in our region (southeast Brazil) and to correlate results with clinical and histopathological data.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>One hundred and thirty-nine HBsAg-positive patients were included in the study. All patients were anti-HCV and anti-HIV negative (64% male; mean age 42 ± 14.5 years; range 7-80 years; 84% Caucasian) and were followed up at the University Hospital. A method for genotyping and subtyping HBV by partial HBsAg gene sequencing with primers common to all known genotypes was used. The viral load was measured by Amplicor Monitor assay (Roche).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HBV genotype A was the most prevalent (55%), while genotypes C, D and F were found in 3%, 38% and 4% of HBV-infected patients, respectively. Among the patients infected by genotype A, 18.3% (14/76) were African descendents and, among the patients infected by genotype D, 11.3% (6/53) were also African descendents. In the four patients infected with genotype C, 2 were Asian descendents and 2 were Caucasians. All (7) genotype F infected patients were Caucasians. Seventy percent of our HBsAg-positive patients were HBeAg negative (62% genotypes A; 26.2% D; 7.1% C and 4.7%F). The viral load of HBV-DNA was about 5 times higher in HBeAg-positive than in HBeAg-negative patients. About 40% of these patients had alanine aminotransferase of up to 1.5 times the normal level. The mean stage of fibrosis in genotype A patients (2.8) was significantly higher than the mean stage of fibrosis in genotype D patients (2.0) (P = 0.0179).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The genotypes encountered in our HBV-infected patients were apparently a consequence of the types of immigration that occurred in our region, where European and African descendents predominate. The HBeAg-negative status predominated, possibly due to the length of time of infection. The viral load in HBeAg-positive patients was higher than in HBeAg-negative individuals. The fibrosis grade in genotype A-infected patients was more advanced than genotype D-infected patients.</p

An extensive reef system at the Amazon River mouth

Large rivers create major gaps in reef distribution along tropical shelves. The Amazon River represents 20% of the global riverine discharge to the ocean, generating up to a 1.3 x 10(6)-km(2) plume, and extensive muddy bottoms in the equatorial margin of South America. As a result, a wide area of the tropical North Atlantic is heavily affected in terms of salinity, pH, light penetration, and sedimentation. Such unfavorable conditions were thought to imprint a major gap in Western Atlantic reefs. We present an extensive carbonate system off the Amazon mouth, underneath the river plume. Significant carbonate sedimentation occurred during lowstand sea level, and still occurs in the outer shelf, resulting in complex hard-bottom topography. A permanent near-bottom wedge of ocean water, together with the seasonal nature of the plume's eastward retroflection, conditions the existence of this extensive (similar to 9500 km(2)) hard-bottom mosaic. The Amazon reefs transition from accretive to erosional structures and encompass extensive rhodolith beds. Carbonate structures function as a connectivity corridor for wide depth-ranging reef-associated species, being heavily colonized by large sponges and other structure-forming filter feeders that dwell under low light and high levels of particulates. The oxycline between the plume and subplume is associated with chemoautotrophic and anaerobic microbial metabolisms. The system described here provides several insights about the responses of tropical reefs to suboptimal and marginal reef-building conditions, which are accelerating worldwide due to global changes.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Coordenadoria de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Fundacao Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERS)Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)BrasoilMCTIBrazilian NavyU.S. NSFGordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF)Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro UFRJ, Inst Biol, BR-21941599 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, COPPE, Inst Alberto Luiz Coimbra Posgrad & Pesquisa Engn, Lab Sistemas Avancados Gestao Prod, BR-21941972 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilInst Pesquisas Jardim Bot Rio de Janeiro, BR-22460030 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Inst Oceanog, BR-05508120 Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Espirito Santo, Dept Oceanog, BR-29199970 Vitoria, ES, BrazilUniv Estadual Norte Fluminense, Lab Ciencias Ambientais, Ctr Biociencias & Biotecnol, BR-28013602 Campos Dos Goytacazes, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Fluminense, Inst Geociencias, BR-24210346 Niteroi, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Fluminense, Inst Biol, BR-24210130 Niteroi, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Museo Nacl, BR-20940040 Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilFed Univ Para, Inst Estudos Costeiros, BR-68600000 Braganca, PA, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Mar, BR-11070100 Santos, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Pernambuco, Dept Oceanog, BR-50670901 Recife, PE, BrazilUniv Georgia, Dept Marine Sci, Athens, GA 30602 USAUniv Fed Paraiba, BR-58297000 Rio Tinto, PB, BrazilUniv Estadual Santa Cruz, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-45650000 Ilheus, BA, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Mar, BR-11070100 Santos, SP, BrazilU.S. NSF: OCE-0934095GBMF: 2293GBMF: 2928Web of Scienc

Latitude dictates plant diversity effects on instream decomposition

Running waters contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes through decomposition of terrestrial plant litter by aquatic microorganisms and detritivores. Diversity of this litter may influence instream decomposition globally in ways that are not yet understood. We investigated latitudinal differences in decomposition of litter mixtures of low and high functional diversity in 40 streams on 6 continents and spanning 113 degrees of latitude. Despite important variability in our dataset, we found latitudinal differences in the effect of litter functional diversity on decomposition, which we explained as evolutionary adaptations of litter-consuming detritivores to resource availability. Specifically, a balanced diet effect appears to operate at lower latitudes versus a resource concentration effect at higher latitudes. The latitudinal pattern indicates that loss of plant functional diversity will have different consequences on carbon fluxes across the globe, with greater repercussions likely at low latitudes