Natural regulatory (CD4+CD25+FOXP+) T cells control the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines during Plasmodium chabaudi adami infection and do not contribute to immune evasion.

Different functions have been attributed to natural regulatory CD4+CD25+FOXP+ (Treg) cells during malaria infection. Herein, we assessed the role for Treg cells during infections with lethal (DS) and non-lethal (DK) Plasmodium chabaudi adami parasites, comparing the levels of parasitemia, inflammation and anaemia. Independent of parasite virulence, the population of splenic Treg cells expanded during infection, and the absolute numbers of activated CD69+ Treg cells were higher in DS-infected mice. In vivo depletion of CD25+ T cells, which eliminated 80% of CD4+FOXP3+CD25+ T cells and 60–70% of CD4+FOXP3+ T cells, significantly decreased the number of CD69+ Treg cells in mice with lethal malaria. As a result, higher parasite burden and morbidity were measured in the latter, whereas the kinetics of infection with non-lethal parasites remained unaffected. In the absence of Treg cells, parasite-specific IFN-γ responses by CD4+ T cells increased significantly, both in mice with lethal and non-lethal infections, whereas IL-2 production was only stimulated in mice with non-lethal malaria. Following the depletion of CD25+ T cells, the production of IL-10 by CD90− cells was also enhanced in infected mice. Interestingly, a potent induction of TNF- and IFN-γ production by CD4+ and CD90− lymphocytes was measured in DS-infected mice, which also suffered severe anaemia earlier than non-depleted infected controls. Taken together, our data suggest that the expansion and activation of natural Treg cells represent a counter-regulatory response to the overwhelming inflammation associated with lethal P.c. adami. This response to infection involves TH1 lymphocytes as well as cells from the innate immune system

Exploring the role of auxin in the androgynophore movement in passiflora

The flowers of the species belonging to the genus Passiflora show a range of features that are thought to have arisen as adaptations to different pollinators. Some Passiflora species belonging to the subgenus Decaloba sect. Xerogona, show touch-sensitive motile androgynophores. We tested the role of auxin polar transport in the modulation of the androgynophore movement by applying auxin (IAA) or an inhibitor of auxin polar transport (NPA) in the flowers. We recorded the movement of the androgynophore during mechano-stimulation and analyzed the duration, speed, and the angle formed by the androgynophore before and after the movement, and found that both IAA and NPA increase the amplitude of the movement in P. sanguinolenta. We hypothesize that auxin might have a role in modulating the fitness of these Decaloba species to different pollination syndromes and demonstrate that an interspecific hybrid between insect- and hummingbird-pollinated Xerogona species present a heterosis effect on the speed of the androgynophore383301307CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQCOORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPES

Molecular Gas in Elliptical Galaxies: Distribution and Kinematics

I present interferometric images (approx. 7" resolution) of CO emission in five elliptical galaxies and nondetections in two others. These data double the number of elliptical galaxies whose CO emission has been fully mapped. The sample galaxies have 10^8 to 5x10^9 solar masses of molecular gas distributed in mostly symmetric rotating disks with diameters of 2 to 12 kpc. Four out of the five molecular disks show remarkable alignment with the optical major axes of their host galaxies. The molecular masses are a few percent of the total dynamical masses which are implied if the gas is on circular orbits. If the molecular gas forms stars, it will make rotationally supported stellar disks which will be very similar in character to the stellar disks now known to be present in many ellipticals. Comparison of stellar kinematics to gas kinematics in NGC 4476 implies that the molecular gas did not come from internal stellar mass loss because the specific angular momentum of the gas is about three times larger than that of the stars.Comment: 47 pages, 6 tables, 27 figures. Accepted by AJ, scheduled for August 200

Expression Patterns Of Passiflora Edulis Apetala1/fruitfull Homologues Shed Light Onto Tendril And Corona Identities

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Passiflora (passionflowers) makes an excellent model for studying plant evolutionary development. They are mostly perennial climbers that display axillary tendrils, which are believed to be modifications of the inflorescence. Passionflowers are also recognized by their unique flower features, such as the extra whorls of floral organs composed of corona filaments and membranes enclosing the nectary. Although some work on Passiflora organ ontogeny has been done, the developmental identity of both Passiflora tendrils and the corona is still controversial. Here, we combined ultrastructural analysis and expression patterns of the flower meristem and floral organ identity genes of the MADS-box AP1/FUL clade to reveal a possible role for these genes in the generation of evolutionary novelties in Passiflora. Results: We followed the development of structures arising from the axillary meristem from juvenile to adult phase in P.edulis. We further assessed the expression pattern of P.edulis AP1/FUL homologues (PeAP1 and PeFUL), by RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization in several tissues, correlating it with the developmental stages of P.edulis. PeAP1 is expressed only in the reproductive stage, and it is highly expressed in tendrils and in flower meristems from the onset of their development. PeAP1 is also expressed in sepals, petals and in corona filaments, suggesting a novel role for PeAP1 in floral organ diversification. PeFUL presented a broad expression pattern in both vegetative and reproductive tissues, and it is also expressed in fruits. Conclusions: Our results provide new molecular insights into the morphological diversity in the genus Passiflora. Here, we bring new evidence that tendrils are part of the Passiflora inflorescence. This points to the convergence of similar developmental processes involving the recruitment of genes related to flower identity in the origin of tendrils in different plant families. The data obtained also support the hypothesis that the corona filaments are likely sui generis floral organs. Additionally, we provide an indication that PeFUL acts as a coordinator of passionfruit development.8Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP, Sao Paulo, Brazil) [2015/18900-3]Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES, Brazil)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPq, Brazil)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Large stellar disks in small elliptical galaxies

We present the rotation velocities V and velocity dispersions sigma along the principal axes of seven elliptical galaxies less luminous than M_B= -19.5. These kinematics extend beyond the half-light radii for all systems in this photometrically selected sample. At large radii the kinematics not only confirm that rotation and "diskiness" are important in faint ellipticals, as was previously known, but also demonstrate that in most sample galaxies the stars at large galactocentric distances have (V/sigma)_max of about 2, similar to the disks in bona-fide S0 galaxies. Comparing this high degree of ordered stellar motion in all sample galaxies with numerical simulations of dissipationless mergers argues against mergers with mass ratios <=3:1 as an important mechanism in the final shaping of low-luminosity ellipticals, and favors instead the dissipative formation of a disk.Comment: 11 pages LaTex with 4 Postscript figure

Lifetime estimation for 316 stainless steel specimens by using a critical plane approach

The lifetimes of 316 stainless steel specimens are herein evaluated using the multiaxial critical plane-based criterion by Carpinteri et al. for high-cycle fatigue (HCF) loading with constant amplitude. In the present paper, the stress-based version of such a criterion is applied to assess the results of experimental tests under HCF triaxial loading, the hollow cylindrical dog-bone specimens being subjected to a quenching heat treatment. The analytical results of fatigue life and initial crack plane orientation are compared with the experimental data

Radio Continuum and Star Formation in CO-rich Early Type Galaxies

In this paper we present new high resolution VLA 1.4 GHz radio continuum observations of five FIR bright CO-rich early-type galaxies and two dwarf early-type galaxies. The position on the radio-FIR correlation combined with striking agreements in morphology between high resolution CO and radio maps show that the radio continuum is associated with star formation in at least four of the eight galaxies. The average star formation rate for the sample galaxies detected in radio is approximately 2 solar masses per year. There is no evidence of a luminous AGN in any of our sample galaxies. We estimate Toomre Q values and find that the gas disks may well be gravitationally unstable, consistent with the above evidence for star formation activity. The radio continuum emission thus corroborates other recent suggestions that star formation in early type galaxies may not be uncommon.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, to be published in the Astronomical Journa

Molecular Disks in the Elliptical Galaxies NGC 83 and NGC 2320

The molecular gas in (some) early type galaxies holds important clues to the history and the future of these galaxies. In pursuit of these clues we have used the BIMA millimeter array to map CO emission in the giant elliptical galaxies NGC 83 and NGC 2320 and to search for CO emission from the S0 galaxy NGC 5838. We also present V and R images of NGC 83 and NGC 2320 which trace their dust distributions and enable a search for disky stellar structures. The molecular gas in NGC 83 is well relaxed, but both CO and dust in NGC 2320 show asymmetric structures which may be linked to a recent acquisition of the gas. However, the specific angular momentum distribution of molecular gas in NGC 2320 is consistent with that of the stars. Internal origin of the gas (stellar mass loss) cannot, therefore, be ruled out on angular momentum grounds alone. We also consider the evidence for star formation activity and disk growth in these two elliptical galaxies. Radio continuum and FIR fluxes of NGCv83 suggest star formation activity. NGC 2320 has bright [O III] emission, but its large radio/FIR flux ratio and the mismatch between the kinematics of CO and [O III] suggest that the ionized gas should not be attributed to star formation. The origin and future of these two CO-rich early type galaxies are thus complex, multi-faceted stories.Comment: accepted to the Astrophysical Journa

The Isophotal Structure of Early-Type Galaxies in the SDSS: Dependence on AGN Activity and Environment

We study the dependence of the isophotal shape of early-type galaxies on their absolute B-band magnitude, their dynamical mass, and their nuclear activity and environment, using an unprecedented large sample of 847 early-type galaxies identified in the SDSS by Hao et al (2006). We find that the fraction of disky galaxies smoothly decreases with increasing luminosity. The large sample allows us to describe these trends accurately with tight linear relations that are statistically robust against the uncertainty in the isophotal shape measurements. There is also a host of significant correlations between the disky fraction and indicators of nuclear activity (both in the optical and in the radio) and environment (soft X-rays, group mass, group hierarchy). Our analysis shows however that these correlations can be accurately matched by assuming that the disky fraction depends only on galaxy luminosity or mass. We therefore conclude that neither the level of activity, nor group mass or group hierarchy help in better predicting the isophotal shape of early-type galaxies.Comment: 31 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Ap