The effect of plant diversity on fungus garden development and foraging behavior of leaf-cutting ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The leaf-cutting ants forage a wide variety of plant species, used for symbiotic fungus cultivation. To better understand this tripartite complex interaction, 24 colonies of Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus were conditioned for 4 months to 6 different plants (Citrus spp., Ligustrum spp., Acalypha spp., Eucalyptus spp., Alchornea triplinervia, Melia spp.), to verify the influence of conditioning on foraging behavior of workers. The effect of plants on symbiotic fungus development was studied separately, through macerated plants in Agar and culture medium A as the control. During foraging, workers presented polyphagic foraging behavior, refusing the plants to which they were conditioned. The selection of plants is not correlated with the plant substrate that promotes good development of symbiotic fungus. Such results demonstrate the importance of plant diversity for fungus garden maintenance.

Global sampling reveals low genetic diversity within Compsopogon (Compsopogonales, Rhodophyta)

Twenty-five specimens of the freshwater red alga Compsopogon were collected from locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australasia and Oceania, and from an aquarium, with the goal of determining genetic diversity among specimens and ascertaining the number of phylogenetic species. Specimens were morphologically identified as having either the 'caeruleus' morphology, with regular polyhedral cortical cells, or the 'leptoclados' morphology, with irregular cortical cells with rhizoidal outgrowths. The 'leptoclados' morphology has been used by some researchers to distinguish the genus Compsopogonopsis from Compsopogon, or at least to distinguish C. leptoclados from other Compsopogon species. Sequence data for the rbcL gene and cox1 barcoding region were obtained for most specimens. In addition, SSU and partial LSU (barcode) rDNA were explored for a few specimens, but all sequences were identical. For the 25 newly generated and eight previously published rbcL gene data, there were seven unique haplotypes, but the sequence divergence was very low (≤7 bp, ≤ 0.7%). One haplotype was widespread, represented by 21 specimens from diverse locations in all regions sampled. Likewise, the 22 new and one previously published cox1 barcode region sequences yielded seven unique haplotypes with little sequence divergence (≤13 bp, ≤ 2.0%). One haplotype was widespread, being shared among 16 specimens from all regions. The combined molecular and morphological data showed no genetic differentiation between the 'caeruleus' and 'leptoclados' morphologies. The ubiquitous distribution of Compsopogon in tropical/subtropical regions and its low genetic variation are probably facilitated by the alga's ability to tolerate a wide range of stream conditions and its propagation via asexual spores. Given the findings of previous culture-based studies, morphometric research and field observations, coupled with the results of our study, we conclude there is only a single monospecific genus worldwide and that the species is correctly called C. caeruleus, since this is the oldest validly published name; all other previously described species of Compsopogon and Compsopogonopsis are synonyms. © 2013 British Phycological Society.

Diversity of Mycosphaerella spp. and Teratosphaeria spp. in Eucalyptus globulus plantations in Brazil

Among the most important diseases affecting Eucalyptus is Mycosphaerella Leaf Disease (MLD) caused by Mycosphaerella spp. and Teratosphaeria spp. MLD has led to significant losses in eucalypt plantations in the South and Southeast Region of Brazil, as well as in several countries such as Portugal, Spain, South Africa and Australia. Symptoms of MLD include localized necrotic spots, early defoliation in juvenile plants, stem cankers, early death of branches, and in some cases, atrophy and death. In the present study, single spore isolations from leaves of E. globulus from five locations in Brazil allowed the differentiation of species of Mycosphaerella and Teratosphaeria based on ascospore germination and growth in culture. These isolates were also subjected to sequence analysis of the ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer regions, which allowed their identification to species level. The results of this study showed that six species of Mycosphaerella and four species of Teratosphaeria were associated with leaves showing symptoms of MLD in E. globulus plantations in various locations of Brazil. © 2013 KNPV.

Landscape Diversity Influences Dispersal and Establishment of Pest with Complex Nutritional Ecology

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

Marine-derived fungi: diversity of enzymes and biotechnological applications

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

Diversity and Physiological Characterization of D-Xylose-Fermenting Yeasts Isolated from the Brazilian Amazonian Forest

Background: This study is the first to investigate the Brazilian Amazonian Forest to identify new D-xylose-fermenting yeasts that might potentially be used in the production of ethanol from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysates. Methodology/Principal Findings: A total of 224 yeast strains were isolated from rotting wood samples collected in two Amazonian forest reserve sites. These samples were cultured in yeast nitrogen base (YNB)-D-xylose or YNB-xylan media. Candida tropicalis, Asterotremella humicola, Candida boidinii and Debaryomyces hansenii were the most frequently isolated yeasts. Among D-xylose-fermenting yeasts, six strains of Spathaspora passalidarum, two of Scheffersomyces stipitis, and representatives of five new species were identified. The new species included Candida amazonensis of the Scheffersomyces clade and Spathaspora sp. 1, Spathaspora sp. 2, Spathaspora sp. 3, and Candida sp. 1 of the Spathaspora clade. In fermentation assays using D-xylose (50 g/L) culture medium, S. passalidarum strains showed the highest ethanol yields (0.31 g/g to 0.37 g/g) and productivities (0.62 g/L.h to 0.75 g/L.h). Candida amazonensis exhibited a virtually complete D-xylose consumption and the highest xylitol yields (0.55 g/g to 0.59 g/g), with concentrations up to 25.2 g/L. The new Spathaspora species produced ethanol and/or xylitol in different concentrations as the main fermentation products. In sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic fermentation assays, S. stipitis UFMG-XMD-15.2 generated the highest ethanol yield (0.34 g/g) and productivity (0.2 g/L.h), while the new species Spathaspora sp. 1 UFMG-XMD-16.2 and Spathaspora sp. 2 UFMG-XMD-23.2 were very good xylitol producers. Conclusions/Significance: This study demonstrates the promise of using new D-xylose-fermenting yeast strains from the Brazilian Amazonian Forest for ethanol or xylitol production from sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysates.

Effects of eating disorders on oral fungal diversity

Background. The eating disorders anorexia and bulimia nervosa can cause several systemic and oral alterations related to poor nutrition and induced vomiting; however, the oral microflora of these patients is poorly studied. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate fungal microflora in the oral cavity of these patients by culture-dependent and culture-independent methods. Study Design. Oral rinse samples were cultured to assess the prevalence of Candida species, and the isolates were identified by API system. Microorganism counts were compared by the Mann-Whitney test (5%). Ribotyping, a type of molecular analysis, was performed by sequencing the D1/D2 regions of 28S rRNA. Results. Our results demonstrated that the eating disorder group showed higher oral Candida spp. prevalence with culture-dependent methods and higher species diversity with culture-independent methods. Conclusions. Eating disorders can lead to an increased oral Candida carriage. Culture-independent identification found greater fungal diversity than culture-dependent methods. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol 2012;113:512-517)

Sense of Community in contexts of multi culture

The theme “Belongingness” has a central role in the current debate on Community Psychology and in daily life. To try to understand the consequences of these changes, the research focuses on the concept of Sense of Community. In fact, Sense of Community has always been a central tool (Sarason, 1974; MacMillan & Chavis, 1986) to study communities (McMillan, 2011; Nowell & Boyd, 2011) and for a long time has represented positive values and something to aspire to. However, current debates indicate that Sense of Community is an outmoded concept and underline the problematic issue of “promotion of Sense of Community” in contexts of multi culture. The aim of the present research is to analyze Sense of Community in context of multi culture, as we consider that it can still be a fundamental tool to study and understand communities. In particular we are interested in understanding the role of Multiple Sense of Community (Brodsky, 2009) on Identity and Wellbeing (and its dimensions). We focused on a specific context, the Station Zone in Reggio Emilia, that is characterized by high levels of cultural diversity and different social problems (Giovannini & Vezzali, 2011). The research is developed and divided into two parts. The first part consists of an exploratory qualitative study that analyzes meanings of community among leaders of different ethnic groups living in the Station Zone. The second part consists of a “General Model” study and four parallel studies to analyze Multiple Sense of Community in different ethnic groups (Albanians, Moroccans, Chinese and Italians. The results indicate the different role of Multiple SOC in the relation between Identity and Wellbeing, in particular the relevance of Relational SOC and its different implications. Moreover, the factor “culture” represents an significant element in order to consider differences among ethnic groups.

La traduzione dei racconti di Pat Mora: muoversi tra due lingue e due culture

This dissertation deals with the translations of seven books for children written by the Chicano author Pat Mora. I started to be interested in the Chicano world, a world suspended between Mexico and the United States, after reading a book by Sandra Cisneros. I decided to deepen my curiosity and for this reason, I discovered a hybrid reality full of history, culture and traditions. In this context, the language used is characterized by a continuous code switching between Spanish and English and I thought it was an interesting phenomenon from the literary and translation point of view. During my research in the Chicano culture, I ran across Pat Mora. Her books for children fascinated me because of their actual themes (the cultural diversity and the defense of identity) and their beautiful illustrations. For this reason, I chose to translate seven of her books because I believe they could be an enrichment for children literature in Italy. The work consists of five chapters. The first one deals with the identity of Chicano people, their history, their literature and their language. In the second chapter, I outline Pat Mora’s profile. I talk about her biography and I analyze her most famous works. In the third chapter, I introduce the seven books for children to be translated and I point out their plots and main themes. In the fourth chapter, I present the translation of the books. The fifth chapter is the translation comment. I deal with the linguistic analysis of the source texts and the analysis of the target texts focusing on the choices made during the translation process.

Endocarditis due to Tropheryma whipplei: rapid detection, limited genetic diversity, and long-term clinical outcome in a local experience

The characteristic features of Whipple's disease include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, wasting, and arthralgias, with the causative agent, Tropheryma whipplei, being detected mainly in intestinal biopsies. PCR technology has led to the identification of T. whipplei in specimens from various other locations, including the central nervous system and the heart. T. whipplei is now recognized as one of the causes of culture-negative endocarditis, and endocarditis can be the only manifestation of the infection with T. whipplei. Although it is considered a rare disease, the true incidence of endocarditis due to T. whipplei is not clearly established. With the increasing use of molecular methods, it is likely that T. whipplei will be more frequently identified. Questions also remain about the genetic variability of T. whipplei strains, optimal diagnostic procedures and therapeutic options. In the present study, we provide clinical data on four new patients with documented endocarditis due to T. whipplei in the context of the available published literature. There was no clinical involvement of the gastrointestinal tract. Genetic analysis of the T. whipplei strains with DNA isolated from the excised heart valves revealed little to no genetic variability. In a selected case, we describe acridine orange staining for early detection of the disease, prompting early adaptation of the antibiotic therapy. We provide long-term follow-up data on the patients. In our hands, an initial 2-week course of intravenous antibiotics followed by cotrimoxazole for at least 1 year was a suitable treatment option for T. whipplei endocarditis.

Be United, Be Virtuous: Composite Culture and the Growth of Shirdi Sai Baba Devotion

In one popular devotional poster the Indian god-man Shirdi Sai Baba (d. 1918) gazes out at the viewer, his right hand raised in blessing. Behind him are a Hindu temple, a Muslim mosque, a Sikh gurdwara, and a Christian church; above him is the slogan, “Be United, Be Virtuous.” In his lifetime, Shirdi Sai Baba acquired a handful of Hindu and Muslim devotees in western India. Over the past several decades, he has been transformed from a regional figure into a revered persona of pan-Indian significance. While much scholarship on religion in modern India has focused on Hindu nationalist groups, new religious movements seeking to challenge sectarianism have received far less attention. Drawing upon primary devotional materials and ethnographic research, this article argues that one significant reason for the rapid growth of this movement is Shirdi Sai Baba’s composite vision of spiritual unity in diversity, construed by many devotees as a needed corrective to rigid sectarian ideologies.

Culture, risk factors and mortality: can Switzerland add missing pieces to the European puzzle?

BACKGROUND: The aim was to compare cause-specific mortality, self-rated health (SRH) and risk factors in the French and German part of Switzerland and to discuss to what extent variations between these regions reflect differences between France and Germany. METHODS: Data were used from the general population of German and French Switzerland with 2.8 million individuals aged 45-74 years, contributing 176 782 deaths between 1990 and 2000. Adjusted mortality risks were calculated from the Swiss National Cohort, a longitudinal census-based record linkage study. Results were contrasted with cross-sectional analyses of SRH and risk factors (Swiss Health Survey 1992/3) and with cross-sectional national and international mortality rates for 1980, 1990 and 2000. RESULTS: Despite similar all-cause mortality, there were substantial differences in cause-specific mortality between Swiss regions. Deaths from circulatory disease were more common in German Switzerland, while causes related to alcohol consumption were more prevalent in French Switzerland. Many but not all of the mortality differences between the two regions could be explained by variations in risk factors. Similar patterns were found between Germany and France. CONCLUSION: Characteristic mortality and behavioural differentials between the German- and the French-speaking parts of Switzerland could also be found between Germany and France. However, some of the international variations in mortality were not in line with the Swiss regional comparison nor with differences in risk factors. These could relate to peculiarities in assignment of cause of death. With its cultural diversity, Switzerland offers the opportunity to examine cultural determinants of mortality without bias due to different statistical systems or national health policies.

The UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity: An Appraisal Five Years after Its Entry into Force

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted in 2005 the first legally binding international instrument on culture. The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was agreed upon with an overwhelming majority and after the swiftest ratification process in the history of the UNESCO entered into force on 18 March 2007. Now, five years later and with some 125 Members committed to implementing the Convention, not only observers with a particular interest in the topic but also the broader public may be eager to know what has happened and in how far has the implementation progress advanced. This is the question that animates this paper and which it seeks to answer by giving a brief background to the UNESCO Convention, clarifying its legal and political status and impact, as well as by looking at the current implementation activities in the domestic and international contexts.

Trade and Culture in International Law : Paths to (Re)Conciliation

The UNESCO Convention on cultural diversity marks a wilful separation between the issues of trade and culture on the international level. The present article explores this intensified institutional, policy- and decision-making disconnect and exposes its flaws and the considerable drawbacks it brings with it. These drawbacks, the article argues, become particularly pronounced in the digital media environment that has impacted upon both the conditions of trade with cultural products and services and upon the diversity of cultural expressions in local and global contexts. Criticising the strong and now increasingly meaningless path dependencies of the analogue age, the article sketches some possible ways to reconciling trade and culture, most of which lead back to the WTO, rather than to UNESCO.

Trade and Culture : Keep the Border Fuzzy, Please

The relationship between trade and culture can be singled-out and deservedly labelled as unique in the discussion of 'trade and ...' issues. The reasons for this exceptional quality lie in the intensity of the relationship, which is indeed most often framed as 'trade versus culture' and has been a significant stumbling block, especially as audiovisual services are concerned, in the Uruguay Round and in the subsequent developments. The second specificity of the relationship is that the international community has organised its efforts in a rather effective manner to offset the lack of satisfying solutions within the framework of the WTO. The legally binding UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is a clear sign of the potency of the international endeavour, on the one hand, and of the (almost desperate) desire to contest the existing WTO norms in the field of trade and culture, on the other. A third distinctive characteristic of the pair 'trade and culture', which is rarely mentioned and blissfully ignored in any Geneva or Paris talks, is that while the pro-trade and pro-culture opponents have been digging deeper in their respective trenches, the environment where trade and cultural issues are to be regulated has radically changed. The emergence and spread of digital technologies have modified profoundly the conditions for cultural content creation, distribution and access, and rendered some of the associated market failures obsolete, thus mitigating to a substantial degree the 'clash' nature of trade and culture. Against this backdrop, the present paper analyses in a finer-grained manner the move from 'trade and culture' towards 'trade versus culture'. It argues that both the domain of trade and that of culture have suffered from the aspirations to draw clearer lines between the WTO and other trade-related issues, charging the conflict to an extent that leaves few opportunities for practical solutions, which in an advanced digital setting would have been feasible.