A first generation whole genome RH map of the river buffalo with comparison to domestic cattle

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of the photoelectrocatalytic method for oxidizing chloride and simultaneous removal of microcystin toxins in surface waters

The production of chlorine was investigated in the photoelectrocatalytic oxidation of a chloride-containing solution using a TiO(2) thin-film electrode biased at current density from 5 to 50 mA cm(-2) and illuminated by UV light. Such parameters as chloride concentrations from 0.001 to 0.10 mol L(-1), pH 2-12, and interfering salts were varied in this study in order to determine their effect on this oxidation process. At an optimum condition this photoelectrocatalytic method can produce active chlorine at levels compatible to water disinfections processes using a chloride concentration higher than 0.010 mol L(-1) at a pH of 4 and a current density of 30 mA cm(-2). The method was successfully applied to treat surface water collected from a Brazilian river. After 150 min of photoelectrocatalytic oxidation, we obtained a 90% reduction in total organic carbon removal, a 100% removal of turbidity, a 93% decrease in colour and a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of around 96% (N=3). The proposed technology based on photoelectrocatalytic oxidation was also tested in treating 250 mL of a solution containing 0.05 mol L(-1) NaCl and 50 mu g L(-1) of Microcystin aeruginosa. The bacteria is completely removed after 5 min of photoelectrocatalysis following an initial rate constant removal of -0.260 min(-1), suggesting that the present method could be considered as a promising alternative to chlorine-based disinfections. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paracetamol degradation intermediates and toxicity during photo-Fenton treatment using different iron species

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Fertility tables of two populations of the parthenogenetic species Poratia salvator (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Pyrgodesmidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Would Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae) be a beneficial species?

Chrysomya albiceps (Widemann) é uma mosca que se desenvolve em carcaças e opcionalmente pode causar miíase secundária. Larvas de segundo estádio foram removidas de uma lesão existente em uma ovelha da raça Merino em Botucatu. Entre a lã, ao redor da lesão, foram encontradas larvas de primeiro estádio. Também no interior da lesão foi obtida uma larva de terceiro estádio. As larvas foram mantidas em laboratório e delas obtidos insetos adultos, com 50 casais formados e mantidos em gaiolas por oito gerações. de cada geração, 100 adultos eram sacrificados e examinados morfologicamente, com os seus caracteres confrontados com os de Chrysomya rufifacies. A larva de terceiro estádio deu origem a Cochliomyia hominivorax e as demais a C. albiceps. Foi verificado que C. albiceps, além de ser capaz de danificar tecido integro, é também uma possível predadora de larvas de C. hominivorax. A importância de C. albiceps para os animais domésticos e sua associação com C. hominivorax é aqui discutida.

Distribution and biological role of the oligopeptide-binding protein (OppA) in Xanthomonas species

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Application of dissociation curve analysis to radiation hybrid panel marker scoring: generation of a map of river buffalo (B-bubalis) chromosome 20

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Transferability of microsatellite loci from Cervidae species to the endangered Brazilian marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomus

Blastocerus dichotomus, the marsh deer, is the largest Brazilian Cervidae species. The species is endangered because of hunting and loss of its natural habitat, i.e., flood plain areas, because of hydroelectric power station construction and agricultural land expansion. In the present study, we tested 38 microsatellite loci from four Cervidae species: Odocoileus virginianus (7), Rangifer tarandus (17), Capreolus capreolus (7), and Mazama bororo (7). Eleven loci showed clear amplification, opening a new perspective for the generation of fundamental population genetic data for devising conservation strategies for B. dichotomus. © FUNPEC-RP.

Major components of energy drinks (caffeine, taurine, and guarana) exert cytotoxic effects on human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells by decreasing reactive oxygen species production

Scope. To elucidate the morphological and biochemical in vitro effects exerted by caffeine, taurine, and guarana, alone or in combination, since they are major components in energy drinks (EDs). Methods and Results. On human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells, caffeine (0.125-2 mg/mL), taurine (1-16 mg/mL), and guarana (3.125-50 mg/mL) showed concentration-dependent nonenzymatic antioxidant potential, decreased the basal levels of free radical generation, and reduced both superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, especially when combined together. However, guarana-treated cells developed signs of neurite degeneration in the form of swellings at various segments in a beaded or pearl chain-like appearance and fragmentation of such neurites at concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 50 mg/mL. Swellings, but not neuritic fragmentation, were detected when cells were treated with 0.5 mg/mL (or higher doses) of caffeine, concentrations that are present in EDs. Cells treated with guarana also showed qualitative signs of apoptosis, including membrane blebbing, cell shrinkage, and cleaved caspase-3 positivity. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed that cells treated with 12.5-50 mg/mL of guarana and its combinations with caffeine and/or taurine underwent apoptosis. Conclusion. Excessive removal of intracellular reactive oxygen species, to nonphysiological levels (or antioxidative stress), could be a cause of in vitro toxicity induced by these drugs. © 2013 Fares Zeidán-Chuliá et al.

A survey of DNA methylation across social insect species, life stages, and castes reveals abundant and caste-associated methylation in a primitively social wasp

DNA methylation plays an important role in the epigenetic control of developmental and behavioral plasticity, with connections to the generation of striking phenotypic differences between castes (larger, reproductive queens and smaller, non-reproductive workers) in honeybees and ants. Here, we provide the first comparative investigation of caste- and life stage-associated DNA methylation in several species of bees and vespid wasps displaying different levels of social organization. Our results reveal moderate levels of DNA methylation in most bees and wasps, with no clear relationship to the level of sociality. Strikingly, primitively social Polistes dominula paper wasps show unusually high overall DNA methylation and caste-related differences in site-specific methylation. These results suggest DNA methylation may play a role in the regulation of behavioral and physiological differences in primitively social species with more flexible caste differences. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Cross-mating experiments detect reproductive compatibility between Triatoma sherlocki and other members of the Triatoma brasiliensis species complex

Phylogenetic approaches based on mitochondrial DNA variation (fragments of Cyt B and 16S ribosomal RNA) have revealed Triatoma sherlocki as the most recent species addition to the Triatoma brasiliensis species complex; a monophyletic group which includes T. brasiliensis, Triatoma melanica, and Triatoma juazeirensis. T. sherlocki is the most differentiated among all species of this complex: it is unable to fly, possesses longer legs than the other members, and has reddish tonality in some parts of its exochorion. We question whether these species are reproductively compatible because of this pronounced morphological differentiation, and therefore, we present a series of cross breeding experiments that test compatibility between T. sherlocki and other members of the T. brasiliensis complex. We extended our analyses to include crosses between T. sherlocki and Triatoma lenti, because the latter has been suggested as a possible member of this complex. T. sherlocki male. ×. T. lenti female pairs failed to produce hybrids. All other crosses of T. sherlocki and members of T. brasiliensis species complex, as well as backcrosses, produced viable offspring through the third generation. This study stresses the importance of searching for the features that may isolate members of the T. brasiliensis species complex. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Efficient Photoelectrochemical Reduction of Nitrite to Ammonium and Nitrogen Containing Gaseous Species Using Ti/TiO2 Nanotube Electrodes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Microsatellite markers for Bokermannohyla species (Anura, Hylidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado and Atlantic Forest domains

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Isolation and characterization of microsatellites markers for two South American frogs (Leptodactylus bufonius and L. chaquensis) using next generation sequencing

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Microsatellite loci in the oceanic whitetip shark and cross-species amplification using pyrosequencing technology

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)