Last Instar Larvae And Pupae Of Ourocnemis Archytas And Anteros Formosus (lepidoptera: Riodinidae), With A Summary Of Known Host Plants For The Tribe Helicopini.

Last instar larvae and pupae of Ourocnemis archytas (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) are described for the first time and compared with those of Anteros formosus, which are also described in detail. Last instars of both species present body covered with long white plumose setae, a row of orange balloon setae on the prothoracic shield, and clusters of perforated cupola organs (PCOs) near the spiracles; differences are the black cephalic capsule, the placement and format of balloon setae cluster, and the presence of enlarged black tips on some plumose setae. Pupae of O. archytas resemble that of Anteros, covered with the last instar setae and with no balloon setae. Characteristics of the immature stages of these two genera could be useful to establish the still unresolved relationship between them. A summary of the host plants of Helicopini is presented, showing a polyphagous pattern for Anteros, recorded in 21 host plant families, which contrasts with the specialized diet observed in Helicopis and Sarota. 

Partitioning The Net Effect Of Host Diversity On An Emerging Amphibian Pathogen.

The 'dilution effect' (DE) hypothesis predicts that diverse host communities will show reduced disease. The underlying causes of pathogen dilution are complex, because they involve non-additive (driven by host interactions and differential habitat use) and additive (controlled by host species composition) mechanisms. Here, we used measures of complementarity and selection traditionally employed in the field of biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) to quantify the net effect of host diversity on disease dynamics of the amphibian-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Complementarity occurs when average infection load in diverse host assemblages departs from that of each component species in uniform populations. Selection measures the disproportionate impact of a particular species in diverse assemblages compared with its performance in uniform populations, and therefore has strong additive and non-additive properties. We experimentally infected tropical amphibian species of varying life histories, in single- and multi-host treatments, and measured individual Bd infection loads. Host diversity reduced Bd infection in amphibians through a mechanism analogous to complementarity (sensu BEF), potentially by reducing shared habitat use and transmission among hosts. Additionally, the selection component indicated that one particular terrestrial species showed reduced infection loads in diverse assemblages at the expense of neighbouring aquatic hosts becoming heavily infected. By partitioning components of diversity, our findings underscore the importance of additive and non-additive mechanisms underlying the DE.

National Institutes Of Health Consensus Development Project On Criteria For Clinical Trials In Chronic Graft-versus-host Disease: I. The 2014 Diagnosis And Staging Working Group Report.

The 2005 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference proposed new criteria for diagnosing and scoring the severity of chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The 2014 NIH consensus maintains the framework of the prior consensus with further refinement based on new evidence. Revisions have been made to address areas of controversy or confusion, such as the overlap chronic GVHD subcategory and the distinction between active disease and past tissue damage. Diagnostic criteria for involvement of mouth, eyes, genitalia, and lungs have been revised. Categories of chronic GVHD should be defined in ways that indicate prognosis, guide treatment, and define eligibility for clinical trials. Revisions have been made to focus attention on the causes of organ-specific abnormalities. Attribution of organ-specific abnormalities to chronic GVHD has been addressed. This paradigm shift provides greater specificity and more accurately measures the global burden of disease attributed to GVHD, and it will facilitate biomarker association studies.

Contrasting Effects Of Land Use Intensity And Exotic Host Plants On The Specialization Of Interactions In Plant-herbivore Networks.

Human land use tends to decrease the diversity of native plant species and facilitate the invasion and establishment of exotic ones. Such changes in land use and plant community composition usually have negative impacts on the assemblages of native herbivorous insects. Highly specialized herbivores are expected to be especially sensitive to land use intensification and the presence of exotic plant species because they are neither capable of consuming alternative plant species of the native flora nor exotic plant species. Therefore, higher levels of land use intensity might reduce the proportion of highly specialized herbivores, which ultimately would lead to changes in the specialization of interactions in plant-herbivore networks. This study investigates the community-wide effects of land use intensity on the degree of specialization of 72 plant-herbivore networks, including effects mediated by the increase in the proportion of exotic plant species. Contrary to our expectation, the net effect of land use intensity on network specialization was positive. However, this positive effect of land use intensity was partially canceled by an opposite effect of the proportion of exotic plant species on network specialization. When we analyzed networks composed exclusively of endophagous herbivores separately from those composed exclusively of exophagous herbivores, we found that only endophages showed a consistent change in network specialization at higher land use levels. Altogether, these results indicate that land use intensity is an important ecological driver of network specialization, by way of reducing the local host range of herbivore guilds with highly specialized feeding habits. However, because the effect of land use intensity is offset by an opposite effect owing to the proportion of exotic host species, the net effect of land use in a given herbivore assemblage will likely depend on the extent of the replacement of native host species with exotic ones.

Bay 41-2272 Activates Host Defence Against Local And Disseminated Candida Albicans Infections.

In our previous study, we have found that 5-cyclopropyl-2-[1-(2-fluoro-benzyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-3-yl]-pyrimidin-4-ylamine (BAY 41-2272), a guanylate cyclase agonist, activates human monocytes and the THP-1 cell line to produce the superoxide anion, increasing in vitro microbicidal activity, suggesting that this drug can be used to modulate immune functioning in primary immunodeficiency patients. In the present work, we investigated the potential of the in vivo administration of BAY 41-2272 for the treatment of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus infections introduced via intraperitoneal and subcutaneous inoculation. We found that intraperitoneal treatment with BAY 41-2272 markedly increased macrophage-dependent cell influx to the peritoneum in addition to macrophage functions, such as spreading, zymosan particle phagocytosis and nitric oxide and phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated hydrogen peroxide production. Treatment with BAY 41-2272 was highly effective in reducing the death rate due to intraperitoneal inoculation of C. albicans, but not S. aureus. However, we found that in vitro stimulation of peritoneal macrophages with BAY 41-2272 markedly increased microbicidal activities against both pathogens. Our results show that the prevention of death by the treatment of C. albicans-infected mice with BAY 41-2272 might occur primarily by the modulation of the host immune response through macrophage activation.

Two mistletoes are too many?: Interspecific occurrence of mistletoes on the same host tree

Mistletoe can have a major impact on the fitness of the host plant. If there is more than one species of mistletoe on the same host tree, the overall impact might be amplified. We report the occurrence of more than one species of mistletoe on the same host tree. Although it is not a rule in the field, to our knowledge, there have been no studies of this topic. In most cases, two species of mistletoe were recorded on the same host tree, although we recorded three species of mistletoe on one occasion. This demonstrates that different species of mistletoe can be compatible with the same host species. Therefore, compatibility (structural and physiological) might be an important factor for the occurrence of mistletoe. Recent studies have shown that if the mistletoe does not recognize the host species, the deposited seeds will germinate but the haustorium will not penetrate the host branch. This is probably the primary mechanism in the establishment of more than one species of mistletoe on the same host, which can trigger a cascade of harmful effects for the host species.

Insect feeding preferences on Piperaceae species observed in São Paulo city, Brazil

Piperaceae species have been placed among the basal angiosperm and are adapted to a variety of habitats including moist forests, secondary vegetation and dry high lands. The major anatomical/morphology features are of small trees, vines, and shrubs for Piper species, while the epiphytic and succulent characteristics are predominant forms among Peperomia species. Their secondary chemistry can be mostly represented by amides, phenylpropanoids/lignoids, and chromenes in addition to a phletoria of biosynthetically mixed-origin secondary compounds. Although several amides and lignans are known as insecticides, several phytophagous insects, among which some considered pests of economic importance, have been observed feeding vigorously on Piperaceae species. Herein we describe the feeding preferences of fourteen phytophagous species of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Hemiptera over approximately fifty Piperaceae species observed in São Paulo, SP, Brazil, in a long-term basis.

A century of research: what have we learned about the interaction of Trypanosoma cruzi with host cells?

Since the discovery of Trypanosoma cruzi and the brilliant description of the then-referred to "new tripanosomiasis" by Carlos Chagas 100 years ago, a great deal of scientific effort and curiosity has been devoted to understanding how this parasite invades and colonises mammalian host cells. This is a key step in the survival of the parasite within the vertebrate host, and although much has been learned over this century, differences in strains or isolates used by different laboratories may have led to conclusions that are not as universal as originally interpreted. Molecular genotyping of the CL-Brener clone confirmed a genetic heterogeneity in the parasite that had been detected previously by other techniques, including zymodeme or schizodeme (kDNA) analysis. T. cruzi can be grouped into at least two major phylogenetic lineages: T. cruzi I, mostly associated with the sylvatic cycle and T. cruzi II, linked to human disease; however, a third lineage, T. cruziIII, has also been proposed. Hybrid isolates, such as the CL-Brener clone, which was chosen for sequencing the genome of the parasite (Elias et al. 2005, El Sayed et al. 2005a), have also been identified. The parasite must be able to invade cells in the mammalian host, and many studies have implicated the flagellated trypomastigotes as the main actor in this process. Several surface components of parasites and some of the host cell receptors with which they interact have been described. Herein, we have attempted to identify milestones in the history of understanding T. cruzi- host cell interactions. Different infective forms of T. cruzi have displayed unexpected requirements for the parasite to attach to the host cell, enter it, and translocate between the parasitophorous vacuole to its final cytoplasmic destination. It is noteworthy that some of the mechanisms originally proposed to be broad in function turned out not to be universal, and multiple interactions involving different repertoires of molecules seem to act in concert to give rise to a rather complex interplay of signalling cascades involving both parasite and cellular components.

The Process of Simulation Authoring/Creation by Chemistry Teachers: A Service Learning Experience

Two case studies are presented to describe the process of public school teachers authoring and creating chemistry simulations. They are part of the Virtual Didactic Laboratory for Chemistry, a project developed by the School of the Future of the University of Sao Paulo. the documental analysis of the material produced by two groups of teachers reflects different selection process for both themes and problem-situations when creating simulations. The study demonstrates the potential for chemistry learning with an approach that takes students' everyday lives into account and is based on collaborative work among teachers and researches. Also, from the teachers' perspectives, the possibilities of interaction that a simulation offers for classroom activities are considered.

Host status of some selected Brazilian upland rice cultivars to Meloidogyne incognita race 4 and Rotylenchulus reniformis

Nowadays, rice is among the most preferred crops for rotation with soybean and cotton in the large producing areas of Central Brazil. Nevertheless, the host status of the Brazilian upland rice cultivars for Meloidogyne incognita race 4 and Rotylenchulus reniformis has not been investigated and remains unknown. This study dealt with the assessment of the host response of some selected Brazilian upland rice cultivars to these nematodes under glasshouse conditions. The host status for each tested interaction was based on the nematode reproduction factor (RF) and number of nematodes (g root)(-1). Two experiments with M. incognita race 4, referred to as trial I (initial population (IP) = 4000) and trial 2 (IP = 800), included, respectively, 14 cultivars (cvs AN Cirad 141, BRS Monarca, BRS Primavera, AN Cambara, BRS Pepita, BRS Curinga, BRS Sertaneja, IAPAR 9, IAPAR 62, IAPAR 63, IAPAR 64, IAPAR 117, IAC 201, IAC 202) and 19 cultivars (the same ones in Experiment 1 plus cvs BRS Maravilha, BRS Talento, BRS Bonanca, Ricetec Ecco, BRS Soberana). Except for cv. BRS Pepita, rated as resistant, the cultivars were rated as susceptible or moderately susceptible (RF means ranged from 1.09 to 12.56). In a third experiment with R. reniformis (IP = 1800) that included the same cultivars as in Experiment I, all cultivars were rated as resistant (RF means ranged from 0.01 to 0.29).

Complete Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma suis and Insights into Its Biology and Adaption to an Erythrocyte Niche

Mycoplasma suis, the causative agent of porcine infectious anemia, has never been cultured in vitro and mechanisms by which it causes disease are poorly understood. Thus, the objective herein was to use whole genome sequencing and analysis of M. suis to define pathogenicity mechanisms and biochemical pathways. M. suis was harvested from the blood of an experimentally infected pig. Following DNA extraction and construction of a paired end library, whole-genome sequencing was performed using GS-FLX (454) and Titanium chemistry. Reads on paired-end constructs were assembled using GS De Novo Assembler and gaps closed by primer walking; assembly was validated by PFGE. Glimmer and Manatee Annotation Engine were used to predict and annotate protein-coding sequences (CDS). The M. suis genome consists of a single, 742,431 bp chromosome with low G+C content of 31.1%. A total of 844 CDS, 3 single copies, unlinked rRNA genes and 32 tRNAs were identified. Gene homologies and GC skew graph show that M. suis has a typical Mollicutes oriC. The predicted metabolic pathway is concise, showing evidence of adaptation to blood environment. M. suis is a glycolytic species, obtaining energy through sugars fermentation and ATP-synthase. The pentose-phosphate pathway, metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, pyruvate dehydrogenase and NAD(+) kinase are missing. Thus, ribose, NADH, NADPH and coenzyme A are possibly essential for its growth. M. suis can generate purines from hypoxanthine, which is secreted by RBCs, and cytidine nucleotides from uracil. Toxins orthologs were not identified. We suggest that M. suis may cause disease by scavenging and competing for host nutrients, leading to decreased life-span of RBCs. In summary, genome analysis shows that M. suis is dependent on host cell metabolism and this characteristic is likely to be linked to its pathogenicity. The prediction of essential nutrients will aid the development of in vitro cultivation systems.

Supramolecular polymorphism of DNA in non-cationic L(alpha) lipid phases

The structure of a complex between hydrated DNA and a non-cationic lipid is studied, including its phase diagram. The complex is spontaneously formed by adding DNA fragments (ca. 150 base pairs in length) to non-cationic lipids and water. The self-assembly process often leads to highly ordered structures. The structures were studied by combining X-ray scattering, fluorescence and polarized microscopy, as well as freeze-fracture experiments with transmission electron microscopy. We observe a significant increase of the smectic order as DNA is incorporated into the water layers of the lamellar host phase, and stabilization of single phase domains for large amounts of DNA. The effect of confinement on DNA ordering is investigated by varying the water content, following three dilution lines. A rich polymorphism is found, ranging from weakly correlated DNA-DNA in-plane organizations to highly ordered structures, where transmembrane correlations lead to the formation of columnar rectangular and columnar hexagonal superlattices of nucleotides embedded between lipid lamellae. From these observations, we suggest that addition of DNA to the lamellar phase significantly restricts membrane fluctuations above a certain concentration and helps the formation of the lipoplex. The alteration of membrane steric interactions, together with the appearance of interfacial interactions between membranes and DNA molecules may be a relevant mechanism for the emergence of highly ordered structures in the concentrated regime.

Synergistic interaction between gold nanoparticles and nickel phthalocyanine in layer-by-layer (LbL) films: evidence of constitutional dynamic chemistry (CDC)

The concept of constitutional dynamic chemistry (CDC) based on the control of non-covalent interactions in supramolecular structures is promising for having a large impact on nanoscience and nanotechnology if adequate nanoscale manipulation methods are used. In this study, we demonstrate that the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique may be used to produce electroactive electrodes with ITO coated by tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine (NiTsPc) alternated with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) incorporating gold nanoparticles (AuNP), in which synergy has been achieved in the interaction between the nanoparticles and NiTsPc. The catalytic activity toward hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in multilayer films was investigated using cyclic voltammetry, where oxidation of H(2)O(2) led to increased currents in the PAH-AuNP/NiTsPc films for the electrochemical processes associated with the phthalocyanine ring and nickel at 0.52 and 0.81 V vs. SCE, respectively, while for PAH/NiTsPc films (without AuNP) only the first redox process was affected. In control experiments we found out that the catalytic activity was not solely due to the presence of AuNP, but rather to the nanoparticles inducing NiTsPc supramolecular structures that favored access to their redox sites, thus yielding strong charge transfer. The combined effects of NiTsPc and AuNP, which could only be observed in nanostructured LbL films, point to another avenue to pursue within the CDC paradigm.

Polymer matrix sensitizing effect on photoluminescence properties of Eu(3+)-beta-diketonate complex doped into poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in film form

In this work is reported the sensitization effect by polymer matrices on the photoluminescence properties of diaquatris(thenoyltrifluoroacetonate)europium(III), [Eu(tta)(3)(H(2)O)(2)], doped into poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) with doping percentage at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10% (mass) in film form. TGA results indicated that the Eu(3+) complex precursor was immobilized in the polymer matrix by the interaction between the Eu(3+) complex and the oxygen atoms of the PHB polymer when the rare earth complex was incorporated in the polymeric host. The thermal behaviour of these luminescent systems is similar to that of the undoped polymer, however, the T(onset) temperature of decomposition decreases with increase of the complex doping concentration. The emission spectra of the Eu(3+) complex doped PHB films recorded at 298 K exhibited the five characteristic bands arising from the (5)D(0) -> (7)F(J) intraconfigurational transitions (J = 0-4). The fact that the quantum efficiencies eta of the doped film increased significantly revealed that the polymer matrix acts as an efficient co-sensitizer for Eu(3+) luminescent centres and therefore enhances the quantum efficiency of the emitter (5)D(0) level. The luminescence intensity decreases, however, with increasing precursor concentration in the doped polymer to greater than 5% where a saturation effect is observed at this specific doping percentage, indicating that changes in the polymeric matrix improve the absorption property of the film, consequently quenching the luminescent effect.