First avifaunal survey of a Cerrado dry forest enclave on the right bank of the São Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil, with insights on geographic variation of some species

Cerrado dry forest enclaves have been treated as an endemic bird area. In the last years, some avifaunal surveys have been conducted in dry forests on the left bank of the São Francisco River, eastern Brazil. Nevertheless, there is a gap of detailed ornithological surveys in the Cerrado dry forest enclaves on the right bank of this river. Here, we present the first avifaunal survey of a Cerrado dry forest enclave on the right bank of the São Francisco River. The study area, named “Curral de Pedras”, comprises a dry forest enclave and other associated habitats in central Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. We recorded 172 bird species; nine taxa have their ranges strongly associated to the Caatinga; six present their ranges associated to the Atlantic Forest and one is typical of the Cerrado. Important records are those of Campylopterus calcirupicola, a recently described species associated with dry forests of central Brazil, and Celeus ochraceus, collected in its southernmost range. Furthermore, we obtained specimens that present intermediate phenotypes between the following woodcreeper species: Lepidocolaptes squamatus / L. wagleri and Xiphocolaptes albicollis / X. falcirostris. Those records reinforce the need of further sampling and collecting activities in those dry forest enclaves aiming future researches in taxonomy, geographic variation, and phylogeography

ASSESSMENT OF STOMACH CONTENTS OF SOME AMAZONIAN BIRDS

Studies on avian diet provide important information about biology and ecological relationships of species, for instance, predation and competition. Despite the importance, studies about trophic ecology in the Neotropical region are still scarce, especially in the Amazonian region. The Brazilian Amazon hosts a high diversity of birds, with about 1300 resident species. However, trophic ecology of the regional avifauna is still poorly studied. This paper aims to describe the composition of the diet of some Amazonian bird species. Bird specimens were collected in the Aripuanã municipality, northern Mato Grosso state, Brazil. The analysis of the stomach contents of the collected birds was the method used to assess diets of birds. We analysed the stomach contents of 59 birds of 40 species. A total of 573 food items were identified and could be assigned to 16 different classes. Hymenoptera was the most abundant class. Hymenoptera and Coleoptera classes were the most frequent. Our results provide information on the diet of endemic Amazonian species, of which there is a lack of information in the literature. These facts are therefore important for future studies on the biology and ecology of these birds

Taxonomy and biogeography of Stephanoxis Simon, 1897 (Aves: Trochilidae)

After the description in the 19th century of two hummingbird species currently allocated to the genus Stephanoxis, Peters (1945) merged both taxa into a single species without providing any rationale. Here we re-evaluate the taxonomy and species limits of the representatives of this genus based on an extensive number of specimens. We demonstrate these taxa are better treated as full species under both the Biological and Phylogenetic Species Concepts due to their well-defined range and plumage patterns and reciprocally diagnosability. They have distinct, allopatric distributions segregated by a 160 km gap between the Serra do Mar, to the east, and Serra de Paranapiacaba, to the west, in the state of São Paulo. Stephanoxis species have ranges which are congruent with other montane bird species suggesting shared vicariance events during preterit interglacial periods.Após a descrição no século XIX de duas espécies de beija-flores atualmente alocados no gênero Stephanoxis, ambos os táxons foram considerados subespécies por Peters (1945), sem que o autor fornecesse qualquer justificativa para tal decisão taxonômica. Com base em um expressivo número de exemplares nós reavaliamos a taxonomia e o limite de espécies dos representantes deste gênero, e demonstramos que ambos são mais bem tratados como espécies plenas sob os Conceitos Biológico e Filogenético de Espécie devido aos bem definidos padrões de plumagem e de distribuição geográfica, assim como pela distinta reciprocidade monofilética. Ambos os táxons são separados por cerca de 160 quilômetros entre a Serra do Mar, a leste, e a Serra de Paranapiacaba, a oeste, dentro do Estado de São Paulo. A distribuição das duas espécies de Stephanoxis é congruente com as de outras espécies de aves montanas, o que sugere eventos vicariantes compartilhados durante períodos interglaciais pretéritos

Analysis of the use of open technique in Eruptioned Third Molars / Análise do uso da técnica aberta em Terceiros Molares em Erupção

Purpose: To describe the clinical situations in which the open technique was used after the attempt to use the closed technique in surgical procedures for extraction of lower third molars of 1A classification. Methodology: Lower third molar extractions were performed at the University Department of Sobral Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology from September 2016 to May 2019. Seventy-three patients aged 18 to 38 years, ASA I and II, with indications for extraction of fully erupted vertical IA classification third molars were selected for research. Results: The sample consisted of 73 patients, in which 90 lower 1A vertical molar extractions were performed. Regarding the outline of the surgical technique, of the 90 surgeries performed, only 22 followed the previous planning. Of the 69 surgeries that had alterations in the technique, 64 had failures regarding dislocation and removal of the tooth via the socket and 4 presented trans-surgical accidents such as corono-radicular fractures, leading the surgeon to transalveolar extraction. Conclusion: Root anatomy, previously evaluated by imaging exams, may directly influence the type of technique to be recommended for removal of lower third molars of vertical IA classification, it is necessary to evaluate and question the classification of root types to assist in the preoperative planning of this type of tooth, optimizing the surgical time

Cordycepin activates autophagy through AMPK phosphorylation to reduce abnormalities in Machado-Joseph disease models

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal expansion of citosine-adenine-guanine trinucleotide repeats in the disease-causing gene. This mutation leads to an abnormal polyglutamine tract in the protein ataxin-3 (Atx3), resulting in formation of mutant Atx3 aggregates. Despite several attempts to develop a therapeutic option for MJD, currently there are no available therapies capable of delaying or stopping disease progression. Recently, our group reported that reducing the expression levels of mutant Atx3 lead to a mitigation of several MJD-related behavior and neuropathological abnormalities. Aiming a more rapid translation to the human clinics, in this study we investigate a pharmacological inhibitor of translation-cordycepin-in several preclinical models. We found that cordycepin treatment significantly reduced (i) the levels of mutant Atx3, (ii) the neuropathological abnormalities in a lentiviral mouse model, (iii) the motor and neuropathological deficits in a transgenic mouse model and (iv) the number of ubiquitin aggregates in a human neural model. We hypothesize that the effect of cordycepin is mediated by the increase of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels, which is accompanied by a reduction in the global translation levels and by a significant activation of the autophagy pathway. Overall, this study suggests that cordycepin might constitute an effective and safe therapeutic approach for MJD, and probably for the other polyglutamine diseases.European Union through the European social fund, funds Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through the Competitive Factors Operational Program-COMPETE, POPH and QRENFrench Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM-Telethon) [18776]Ataxia UKFundacao para a Ciencia e TecnologiaPortuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BD/133192/2017]FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I.P. [UID/BIM/04773/2013 CBMR

Genome-wide diversity and differentiation in New World populations of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax.

BACKGROUND: The Americas were the last continent colonized by humans carrying malaria parasites. Plasmodium falciparum from the New World shows very little genetic diversity and greater linkage disequilibrium, compared with its African counterparts, and is clearly subdivided into local, highly divergent populations. However, limited available data have revealed extensive genetic diversity in American populations of another major human malaria parasite, P. vivax. METHODS: We used an improved sample preparation strategy and next-generation sequencing to characterize 9 high-quality P. vivax genome sequences from northwestern Brazil. These new data were compared with publicly available sequences from recently sampled clinical P. vivax isolates from Brazil (BRA, total n = 11 sequences), Peru (PER, n = 23), Colombia (COL, n = 31), and Mexico (MEX, n = 19). PRINCIPAL FINDINGS/CONCLUSIONS: We found that New World populations of P. vivax are as diverse (nucleotide diversity π between 5.2 × 10-4 and 6.2 × 10-4) as P. vivax populations from Southeast Asia, where malaria transmission is substantially more intense. They display several non-synonymous nucleotide substitutions (some of them previously undescribed) in genes known or suspected to be involved in antimalarial drug resistance, such as dhfr, dhps, mdr1, mrp1, and mrp-2, but not in the chloroquine resistance transporter ortholog (crt-o) gene. Moreover, P. vivax in the Americas is much less geographically substructured than local P. falciparum populations, with relatively little between-population genome-wide differentiation (pairwise FST values ranging between 0.025 and 0.092). Finally, P. vivax populations show a rapid decline in linkage disequilibrium with increasing distance between pairs of polymorphic sites, consistent with very frequent outcrossing. We hypothesize that the high diversity of present-day P. vivax lineages in the Americas originated from successive migratory waves and subsequent admixture between parasite lineages from geographically diverse sites. Further genome-wide analyses are required to test the demographic scenario suggested by our data

Análise da diversidade da microbiota intestinal de ratos submetidos à ressecção da valva ileocecal e criação de esfíncter artificial

Objective : To analyze, through molecular biology, the diversity of the intestinal microbiota before and after resection of the ileocecal junction and reconstruction of intestinal transit with and without the creation of a neosphincter. Methods Methods Methods Methods Methods : Fourteen Wistar rats were divided into two groups: Group A (n = 7), submitted to resection of the ileocecal valve and end-to-end, single- layer ileocolic anastomosis; and Group B (n = 7) with resection of the ileocecal valve and end-to-end, single-layer ileocolic anastomosis followed by construction of an artificial sphincter. Intraluminal contents were collected from both groups. The animals were reoperated 20 days after the first procedure, with new collection of intraluminal contents of the ileum and colon. From the samples collected, DNA was extracted for PCR-DGGE. The electrophoretic banding patterns generated in the reaction were analyzed for similarities and diversities of the microbiota. Results Results Results Results Results : The diversity of microorganisms was larger and in more samples when collected from the ileum than from the colon. The group with the neosphincter showed the highest variation in the colon, from 2.11 to 2.93. In three animals from each group w established similarity comparison, and they displayed no similarity with controls. Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion : ileocecal resection led to changes in ileal microbiota and, with the creation of new sphincter, the changes were even greater.OBJETIVO: analisar através de biologia molecular a diversidade da microbiota da junção ileocecal antes e após a ressecção da válvula ileocecal e reconstrução do trânsito com e sem a criação de "neoesfíncter". MÉTODOS: Os animais foram distribuídos em dois grupos: Grupo A (n=7) com ressecção da válvula ileocecal e anastomose ileocólica término-terminal em plano único, e Grupo B (n=7) com ressecção da válvula ileocecal e anastomose ileocólica término-terminal em plano único e confecção do esfíncter artificial. Reoperados com 20 dias coletou-se novamente conteúdo intraluminar do íleo e do cólon. Das amostras coletadas, extraiu-se DNA para reação de PCR-DGGE. Os padrões de bandas eletroforéticas , gerados na reação, foram submetidos ao programa Bionumerics para análise da similaridade e da diversidade da microbiota. RESULTADOS: a diversidade da microbiota foi maior e em mais amostras do íleo do que as do cólon. O grupo com a válvula apresentou os maiores valores e variações no cólon de 2,11 a 2,93. Em três animais de cada grupo estabeleceu-se comparação da similaridade e não se assemelharam ao controle. CONCLUSÃO: a ressecção da válvula ileocecal levou à mudanças da microbiota ileal e, com a criação de novo esfíncter, as variações foram maiores

Human Hantavirus Infection, Brazilian Amazon

Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Amazonas State University. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Nilton Lins University Center. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Amazonas State University. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Nilton Lins University Center. Manaus, AM, Brasil / University of Brasília. Brasília, DF, Brasil.Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Amazonas State University. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Nilton Lins University Center. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Health Surveillance Foundation. Manaus, AM, Brasil.Ministry of Health. Brasília, DF, Brazil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Belém, PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Belém, PA, Brasil.Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Belém, PA, Brasil.Tropical Medicine Foundation of Amazonas. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Amazonas State University. Manaus, AM, Brasil / Nilton Lins University Center. Manaus, AM, Brasil / University of Brasília. Brasília, DF, Brasil