Seascape configuration leads to spatially uneven delivery of parrotfish herbivory across a Western Indian Ocean seascape

Spatial configuration of habitat types in multihabitat seascapes influence ecological function through links of biotic and abiotic processes. These connections, for example export of organic matter or fishes as mobile links, define ecosystem functionality across broader spatial scales. Herbivory is an important ecological process linked to ecosystem resilience, but it is not clear how herbivory relates to seascape configuration. We studied how herbivory and bioerosion by 3 species of parrotfish were distributed in a multi-habitat tropical seascape in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO). We surveyed the abundance of three species with different life histories—Leptoscarus vaigiensis (seagrass species), Scarus ghobban (juvenile-seagrass/adults-reefs) and Scarus rubroviolaceus (reef species) —in seagrass meadows and on reefs and recorded their selectivity of feeding substrate in the two habitats. Herbivory rates for L. vaigiensis and S. ghobban and bioerosion for S. rubroviolaceus were then modelled using bite rates for different size classes and abundance and biomass data along seascape gradients (distance to alternative habitat types such as land, mangrove and seagrass). Bioerosion by S. rubroviolaceus was greatest on reefs far from seagrass meadows, while herbivory rates by S. ghobban on reefs displayed the opposite pattern. Herbivory in seagrass meadows was greatest in meadows close to shore, where L. vaigiensis targeted seagrass leaves and S. ghobban the epiphytes growing on them. Our study shows that ecological functions performed by fish are not equally distributed in the seascape and are influenced by fish life history and the spatial configuration of habitats in the seascape. This has implications for the resilience of the system, in terms of spatial heterogeneity of herbivory and bioerosion and should be considered in marine spatial planning and fisheries management

Fluorescent patterning of paper through laser engraving

While thermal treatment of paper can lead to the formation of aromatic structures via hydrothermal treatment (low temperature) or pyrolysis (high temperature), neither of these approaches allow patterning the substrates. Somewhere in between these two extremes, a handful of research groups have used CO2 lasers to pattern paper and induce carbonization. However, none of the previously reported papers have focused on the possibility to form fluorescent derivatives via laser-thermal engraving. Exploring this possibility, this article describes the possibility of using a CO2 laser engraver to selectively treat paper, resulting in the formation of fluorescent compounds, similar to those present on the surface of carbon dots. To determine the most relevant variables controlling this process, 3 MM chromatography paper was treated using a standard 30 W CO2 laser engraver. Under selected experimental conditions, a blue fluorescent pattern was observed when the substrate was irradiated with UV light (365 nm). The effect of various experimental conditions (engraving speed, engraving power, and number of engraving steps) was investigated to maximize the fluorescence intensity. Through a comprehensive characterization effort, it was determined that 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural and a handful of related compounds were formed (varying in amount) under all selected experimental conditions. To illustrate the potential advantages of this strategy, that could complement those applications traditionally developed from carbon dots (sensors, currency marking, etc.), a redox-based optical sensor for sodium hypochlorite was developed.Fil: Clark, Kaylee M.. Clemson University; Estados UnidosFil: Skrajewski, Lauren. Clemson University; Estados UnidosFil: Benavidez, Tomás Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Físico-química de Córdoba; Argentina. Clemson University; Estados UnidosFil: Mendes, Letícia F.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Bastos, Erick L.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Dörr, Felipe A.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Sachdeva, Rakesh. Clemson University; Estados UnidosFil: Ogale, Amod A.. Clemson University; Estados UnidosFil: Paixão, Thiago R. L. C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Garcia, Carlos D.. Clemson University; Estados Unido

Genomic Analyses, Gene Expression and Antigenic Profile of the Trans-Sialidase Superfamily of Trypanosoma cruzi Reveal an Undetected Level of Complexity

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, a highly debilitating human pathology that affects millions of people in the Americas. The sequencing of this parasite's genome reveals that trans-sialidase/trans-sialidase-like (TcS), a polymorphic protein family known to be involved in several aspects of T. cruzi biology, is the largest T. cruzi gene family, encoding more than 1,400 genes. Despite the fact that four TcS groups are well characterized and only one of the groups contains active trans-sialidases, all members of the family are annotated in the T. cruzi genome database as trans-sialidase. After performing sequence clustering analysis with all TcS complete genes, we identified four additional groups, demonstrating that the TcS family is even more heterogeneous than previously thought. Interestingly, members of distinct TcS groups show distinctive patterns of chromosome localization. Members of the TcSgroupII, which harbor proteins involved in host cell attachment/invasion, are preferentially located in subtelomeric regions, whereas members of the largest and new TcSgroupV have internal chromosomal locations. Real-time RT-PCR confirms the expression of genes derived from new groups and shows that the pattern of expression is not similar within and between groups. We also performed B-cell epitope prediction on the family and constructed a TcS specific peptide array, which was screened with sera from T. cruzi-infected mice. We demonstrated that all seven groups represented in the array are antigenic. A highly reactive peptide occurs in sixty TcS proteins including members of two new groups and may contribute to the known cross-reactivity of T. cruzi epitopes during infection. Taken together, our results contribute to a better understanding of the real complexity of the TcS family and open new avenues for investigating novel roles of this family during T. cruzi infection

The new nitric oxide donor cyclohexane nitrate induces vasorelaxation, hypotension, and antihypertensive effects via NO/cGMP/PKG pathway

We investigated the cardiovascular effects induced by the nitric oxide donor Cyclohexane Nitrate (HEX). Vasodilatation, NO release and the effects of acute or sub-chronic treatment with HEX on cardiovascular parameters were evaluated. HEX induced endothelium-independent vasodilatation (Maximum effect- [efficacy, ME] = 100.4±4.1%; potency [pD2] = 5.1±0.1). Relaxation was attenuated by scavenging nitric oxide (ME = 44.9±9.4% vs. 100.4±4.1%) or by inhibiting the soluble guanylyl cyclase (ME = 38.5±9.7% vs. 100.4±4.1%). In addition, pD2 was decreased after non-selective blockade of K+ channels (pD2 = 3.6±0.1 vs. 5.1±0.1) or by inhibiting KATP channels (pD2 = 4.3±0.1 vs. 5.1±0.1). HEX increased NO levels in mesenteric arteries (33.2±2.3 au vs. 10.7±0.2 au, p<0.0001). Intravenous acute administration of HEX (1-20 mg/kg) induced hypotension and bradycardia in normotensive and hypertensive rats. Furthermore, starting at six weeks after the induction of 2K1C hypertension, oral treatment with the HEX (10 mg/Kg/day) for seven days reduced blood pressure in hypertensive animals (134±6 vs 170±4 mmHg, respectively). Our data demonstrate that HEX is a NO donor able to produce vasodilatation via NO/cGMP/PKG pathway and activation of the ATP-sensitive K+ channels. Furthermore, HEX acutely reduces blood pressure and heart rate as well as produces antihypertensive effect in renovascular hypertensive rats

Desenvolvimento e Aplicação do CDA Introdução aos Estudos Virtuais

O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de mostrar o processo de desenvolvimento de um construto digital de aprendizagem criado pelo Laboratório de Objetos de Aprendizagem da Universidade Feevale. O artigo introduz autores que sustentam o uso de jogos digitais na educação e que serviram para embasar a metodologia utilizada na criação e validação do construto. Os resultados foram obtidos através da aplicação do projeto em um grupo de 101 estudantes dos cursos a distância da própria instituição

Non-deterministic reef fish community assembly in an upwelling-influenced transitional subprovince of the southwestern Atlantic

There are two major theories for setting up ecological communities, the Niche Theory and the Neutral Theory. Both seek to explain the main factors that form a community, which is a great challenge, since each community has its particularities and the environment has different ways to manifest. We devised a process-oriented study that sought to establish the role of environmental niche driven by coastal upwelling in the assembly of reef fish communities from exposed and sheltered environments a few kilometers apart, in the region of Arraial do Cabo (southwestern Atlantic). A multivariate hierarchical generalized linear mixed model fitted with Bayesian inference was applied to abundance and presence-absence data from visual census, together with environmental data from satellite and reanalysis. We found a stronger contribution of random effects to abundance variance with 24% for sites and 20.7% for sheltered vs. exposed locations, and weaker environmental effects with 7.1% for surface chlorophyll-a concentration (SCC) and 5.4% for sea surface temperature (SST). Environmental effects had a stronger contribution in the presence-absence model, with 20.1% for SCC and 14.6% for SST. The overall influence of the upwelling environment across all species was negative, e.g., Gymnothorax moringa and Canthigaster figueiredoi showing negative responses to SCC and Parablennius pilicornis and Malacoctenus delalandii to SST. The joint action of migration-niche mechanisms is inferred from the dominance of spatio-temporal structure, limited influence of life history traits and phylogeny, explaining around 95% of species niches in the abundance model. Our results bring new evidence for the importance of different filters for community assembly other than the environment, such as phylogenetic history and dispersal. We also discuss the balance between niche (environment) and neutral (stochasticity) processes for the assembly of reef fish communities in a tropical-subtropical transition zone

Determinants of reef fish assemblages in tropical Oceanic islands

Diversity patterns are determined by biogeographic, energetic, and anthropogenic factors, yet few studies have combined them into a large‐scale framework in order to decouple and compare their relative effects on fish faunas. Using an empirical dataset derived from 1527 underwater visual censuses (UVC) at 18 oceanic islands (five different marine provinces), we determined the relative influence of such factors on reef fish species richness, functional dispersion, density and biomass estimated from each UVC unit. Species richness presented low variation but was high at large island sites. High functional dispersion, density, and biomass were found at islands with large local species pool and distance from nearest reef. Primary productivity positively affected fish richness, density and biomass confirming that more productive areas support larger populations, and higher biomass and richness on oceanic islands. Islands densely populated by humans had lower fish species richness and biomass reflecting anthropogenic effects. Species richness, functional dispersion, and biomass were positively related to distance from the mainland. Overall, species richness and fish density were mainly influenced by biogeographical and energetic factors, whereas functional dispersion and biomass were strongly influenced by anthropogenic factors. Our results extend previous hypotheses for different assemblage metrics estimated from empirical data and confirm the negative impact of humans on fish assemblages, highlighting the need for conservation of oceanic islands.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología (CIMAR

Can type of school be used as an alternative indicator of socioeconomic status in dental caries studies? A cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Despite the importance of collecting individual data of socioeconomic status (SES) in epidemiological oral health surveys with children, this procedure relies on the parents as respondents. Therefore, type of school (public or private schools) could be used as an alternative indicator of SES, instead of collecting data individually. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the variable type of school as an indicator of socioeconomic status as a substitute of individual data in an epidemiological survey about dental caries in Brazilian preschool children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study followed a cross-sectional design, with a random sample of 411 preschool children aged 1 to 5 years, representative of Catalão, Brazil. A calibrated examiner evaluated the prevalence of dental caries and parents or guardians provided information about several individual socioeconomic indicators by means of a semi-structured questionnaire. A multilevel approach was used to investigate the association among individual socioeconomic variables, as well as the type of school, and the outcome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When all significant variables in the univariate analysis were used in the multiple model, only mother's schooling and household income (individual socioeconomic variables) presented significant associations with presence of dental caries, and the type of school was not significantly associated. However, when the type of school was used alone, children of public school presented significantly higher prevalence of dental caries than those enrolled in private schools.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The type of school used as an alternative indicator for socioeconomic status is a feasible predictor for caries experience in epidemiological dental caries studies involving preschool children in Brazilian context.</p

Enxaqueca em 746 pacientes com esclerose múltipla

Enxaqueca piora o sofrimento do paciente que tem esclerose múltipla (EM). ID-migraine é uma ferramenta útil para seleção de pacientes com enxaqueca e Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) é um questionário que avalia o impacto da doença. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a presença e impacto de enxaqueca em pacientes com EM. Métodos: Pacientes diagnosticados com EM e tratados em clínicas especializadas foram convidados a responder um questionário online se também apresentassem cefaleia. Resultados: O estudo incluiu 746 participantes com cefaleia e EM que preencheram completamente as respostas. Foram 625 mulheres e 121 homens, sendo 69% dos pacientes com idade entre 20 e 40 anos. Enxaqueca foi identificada em 404 pacientes (54,1%) e moderado a grave impacto da doença foi observado em 68,3% dos casos. Conclusão: Enxaqueca é uma cefaleia primária frequente e incapacitante relatada por pacientes com EM.Migraine adds to the burden of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). The ID-migraine is a useful tool for screening migraine, and the Migraine Disability Assessment questionnaire can evaluate disease burden. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence and burden of migraine in patients with MS. Methods: Patients diagnosed with MS attending specialized MS units were invited to answer an online survey if they also experienced headache. Results: The study included 746 complete responses from patients with MS and headache. There were 625 women and 121 men, and 69% of all the patients were aged between 20 and 40 years. Migraine was identified in 404 patients (54.1%) and a moderate-to-high burden of disease was observed in 68.3% of the patients. Conclusion: Migraine is a frequent and disabling type of primary headache reported by patients with MS

Exploring interactions of plant microbiomes

A plethora of microbial cells is present in every gram of soil, and microbes are found extensively in plant and animal tissues. The mechanisms governed by microorganisms in the regulation of physiological processes of their hosts have been extensively studied in the light of recent findings on microbiomes. In plants, the components of these microbiomes may form distinct communities, such as those inhabiting the plant rhizosphere, the endosphere and the phyllosphere. In each of these niches, the "microbial tissue" is established by, and responds to, specific selective pressures. Although there is no clear picture of the overall role of the plant microbiome, there is substantial evidence that these communities are involved in disease control, enhance nutrient acquisition, and affect stress tolerance. In this review, we first summarize features of microbial communities that compose the plant microbiome and further present a series of studies describing the underpinning factors that shape the phylogenetic and functional plant-associated communities. We advocate the idea that understanding the mechanisms by which plants select and interact with their microbiomes may have a direct effect on plant development and health, and further lead to the establishment of novel microbiome-driven strategies, that can cope with the development of a more sustainable agriculture