Pollination of tomatoes by the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata and the honey bee Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

The pollination effectiveness of the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata and the honey bee Apis mellifera was tested in tomato plots. The experiment was conducted in four greenhouses as well as in an external open plot in Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil. The tomato plants were exposed to visits by M. quadrifasciata in one greenhouse and to A. mellifera in another; two greenhouses were maintained without bees (controls) and an open field plot was exposed to pollinators in an area where both honey bee and stingless bee colonies are abundant. We counted the number of tomatoes produced in each plot. Two hundred tomatoes from each plot were weighed, their vertical and transversal circumferences were measured, and the seeds were counted. We collected 253 Chrysomelidae, 17 Halictidae, one Paratrigona sp, and one honey bee from the flowers of the tomato plants in the open area. The largest number of fruits (1414 tomatoes), the heaviest and largest tomatoes, and the ones with the most seed were collected from the greenhouse with stingless bees. Fruits cultivated in the greenhouse with honey bees had the same weight and size as those produced in one of the control greenhouses. The stingless bee, M. quadrifasciata, was significantly more efficient than honey bees in pollinating greenhouse tomatoes.

Use of Cassava Peel as Carbon Source for Production of Amylolytic Enzymes by Aspergillus niveus

Aspergillus niveus produced high levels of alpha-amylase and glucoamylase in submerged fermentation using the agricultural residue cassava peel as a carbon source. In static conditions, the amylase production was substantially greater than in the agitated condition. The optimized culture conditions were initially at pH 5.0, 35 degrees C during 48 hours. Amylolytic activity was still improved (50%) with a mixture of cassava peel and soluble starch in the proportion 1:1 (w/w). The crude extract exhibited temperature and pH optima approximately 70 degrees C and 4.5, respectively. Amylase activity was stable for 1 h at 60 degrees C, and at pH values between 3.0 and 7.0. The enzyme hydrolysed preferentially maltose, starch, penetrose, amylose, isomaltose, maltotriose, glycogen and amylopectin, and not hydrolysed cyclodextrin (alpha and beta), trehalose and sucrose. In the first hour of reaction on soluble starch, the hydrolysis products were glucose and maltose, but after two hours of hydrolysis, glucose was the unique product formed, confirming the presence in the crude extract of an alpha-amylase and a glucoamylase.

Validation of reference genes for gene expression studies in the honey bee, Apis mellifera, by quantitative real-time RT-PCR

For obtaining accurate and reliable gene expression results it is essential that quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) data are normalized with appropriate reference genes. The current exponential increase in postgenomic studies on the honey bee, Apis mellifera, makes the standardization of qRT-PCR results an important task for ongoing community efforts. For this aim we selected four candidate reference genes (actin, ribosomal protein 49, elongation factor 1-alpha, tbp-association factor) and used three software-based approaches (geNorm, BestKeeper and NormFinder) to evaluate the suitability of these genes as endogenous controls. Their expression was examined during honey bee development, in different tissues, and after juvenile hormone exposure. Furthermore, the importance of choosing an appropriate reference gene was investigated for two developmentally regulated target genes. The results led us to consider all four candidate genes as suitable genes for normalization in A. mellifera. However, each condition evaluated in this study revealed a specific set of genes as the most appropriated ones.

Study of the antimicrobial peptide indolicidin and a mutant in micelle medium by molecular dynamics simulation

The antimicrobial peptide indolicidin (IND) and the mutant CP10A in hydrated micelles were studied using molecular dynamics simulations in order to observe whether the molecular dynamics and experimental data could be sufficiently correlated and a detailed description of the interaction of the antimicrobial peptides with a model of the membrane provided by a hydrated micelle system could be obtained. In agreement with the experiments, the simulations showed that the peptides are located near the surface of the micelles. Peptide insertions agree with available experimental data, showing deeper insertion of the mutant compared with the peptide IND. Major insertion into the hydrophobic core of the micelle by all tryptophan and mutated residues of CP10A in relation to IND was observed. The charged residues of the terminus regions of both peptides present similar behavior, indicating that the major differences in the interactions with the micelles of the peptides IND and CP10A occur in the case of the hydrophobic residues.

Gene expression relationship between prostate cancer cells of Gleason 3, 4 and normal epithelial cells as revealed by cell type-specific transcriptomes

Background: Prostate cancer cells in primary tumors have been typed CD10(-)/CD13(-)/CD24(hi)/CD26(+)/CD38(lo)/CD44(-)/CD104(-). This CD phenotype suggests a lineage relationship between cancer cells and luminal cells. The Gleason grade of tumors is a descriptive of tumor glandular differentiation. Higher Gleason scores are associated with treatment failure. Methods: CD26(+) cancer cells were isolated from Gleason 3+3 (G3) and Gleason 4+4 (G4) tumors by cell sorting, and their gene expression or transcriptome was determined by Affymetrix DNA array analysis. Dataset analysis was used to determine gene expression similarities and differences between G3 and G4 as well as to prostate cancer cell lines and histologically normal prostate luminal cells. Results: The G3 and G4 transcriptomes were compared to those of prostatic cell types of non-cancer, which included luminal, basal, stromal fibromuscular, and endothelial. A principal components analysis of the various transcriptome datasets indicated a closer relationship between luminal and G3 than luminal and G4. Dataset comparison also showed that the cancer transcriptomes differed substantially from those of prostate cancer cell lines. Conclusions: Genes differentially expressed in cancer are potential biomarkers for cancer detection, and those differentially expressed between G3 and G4 are potential biomarkers for disease stratification given that G4 cancer is associated with poor outcomes. Differentially expressed genes likely contribute to the prostate cancer phenotype and constitute the signatures of these particular cancer cell types.

Infestation by Pyemotes tritici (Acari, Pyemotidae) causes death of stingless bee colonies (Hymenoptera: Meliponina)

We report the infestation of stingless bee nests by the mite Pyemotes tritici, which killed four colonies of Tetragonisca angustula and one colony of Frieseomelitta varia in Brazil. The first infected colony, a colony of T. angustula, came from an area between Uberlandia and Araguari, Minas Gerais. The transfer of the mites to the other colonies occurred through the transfer of infected combs and subsequent manipulations. Other colonies in the same meliponary, which had not been manipulated, were not infected. The infestation was terminated by isolating the dead colonies from the meliponary.

The first record on Brazilian stingless bees published 450 years ago by Hans Staden

Only a few decades after 1492, when Christopher Columbus arrived on a Caribbean island and Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed Brazil for Portugal in 1500, a German mercenary gave the first description of stingless bees in 1557. He got to know them when he was imprisoned for months by an anthropophagous tribe in the coastal region of Santos, today in the State of Sao Paulo. This rather short but nevertheless extremely exact record on stingless bees is hidden in the first book on Brazil. Three species and important aspects of their life history were treated. This early description has been completely overlooked by bee scientists until now. My note intends to close this evident gap.

Analysis of breast cancer by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)

Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) images of normal breast tissue and benign and malignant breast tumour tissues, fixed in formalin, were measured at the momentum transfer range of 0.063 nm(-1) <= q (=4 pi sin(theta/2)/lambda) <= 2.720 nm(-1). Four intrinsic parameters were extracted from the scattering profiles (1D SAXS image reduced) and, from the combination of these parameters, another three parameters were also created. All parameters, intrinsic and derived, were subject to discriminant analysis, and it was verified that parameters such as the area of diffuse scatter at the momentum transfer range 0.50 <= q <= 0.56 nm(-1), the ratio between areas of fifth-order axial and third-order lateral peaks and third-order axial spacing provide the most significant information for diagnosis (p < 0.001). Thus, in this work it was verified that by combining these three parameters it was possible to classify human breast tissues as normal, benign lesion or malignant lesion with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 100%.

Factitious thyrotoxicosis induced by mesotherapy: A case report

Context: Mesotherapy consists of cutaneous injections of a mixture of compounds and has recently been used for cosmetic purposes to reduce local fat and cellulite. To date, several reports have described only local adverse events related to this therapy. We describe the first report of a female patient who developed thyrotoxicosis due to cosmetic mesotherapy with triiodothyroacetic acid in its formulation. Apart from mechanical rupture of the epidermal barrier, a disturbance of type III deiodinase activity or skin fibroblast paracrine function and vascular alterations related to simultaneously injected vasoactive compounds were observed. These findings could be related to thyroid hormone metabolite absorption and systemic consequences in the reported case. Conclusion: We describe factitious thyrotoxicosis induced by mesotherapy, to raise awareness of a systemic adverse effect resulting from this widespread cosmetic practice.

Management of Chronic Unilateral Hematuria by Ureterorenoscopy

Background and Purpose: Chronic unilateral hematuria is characterized by intermittent or continuous gross hematuria that cannot be diagnosed using standard radiology and hematology methods. In the past, it was managed with partial or total nephrectomy. In the age of minimally invasive procedures, however, endoscopy has enabled more accurate diagnosis and management. We analyzed our experience with transurethral ureterorenoscopy using a flexible ureteroscope to determine the feasibility and success of endoscopic management of renal hematuria. Patients and Methods: We reviewed the records of 13 patients who presented with chronic unilateral hematuria, in whom radiologic and laboratory tests failed to reveal the source of bleeding. In the cases in which the lesion was identified, after complete inspection of the collecting systems, the bleeding site was treated ureteroscopically with a holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet ( YAG) laser. Results: Follow-up ranged from 4 to 60 months ( mean 26 mos). During the follow-up of the 13 patients, 11 remained symptom-free, with only one session of flexible ureterorenoscopy necessary. Relapse occurred in two patients after 4 months and 6 months, respectively; during a second session of flexible ureteroscopy, the bleeding site was successfully identified and cauterized with a holmium: YAG laser. No surgical complications occurred. Conclusions: Conservative treatment of patients with chronic unilateral hematuria should always be considered. Laser ureteroscopic treatment is an excellent method and should be considered as the first option for the management of chronic unilateral hematuria.

Phenotypic variation among four family members with congenital hypothyroidism caused by two distinct thyroglobulin gene mutations

Background: Thyroglobulin (Tg) is a large glycoprotein that is intimately involved in the biosynthesis of thyroxine and triiodothyronine. At least 38 mutations have been described in the Tg gene that are associated with varying degrees of hypothyroidism. We studied the Tg gene in four related subjects with congenital hypothyroidism. Summary: We found a novel compound heterozygous constellation (IVS30 + 1G>T/A2215D) in a brother and sister and one previously described related mutation (IVS30+1G>T) in their two sibling second degree cousins. The brother with the IVS30 + 1G>T/A2215D mutation and the two siblings with the IVS30+1G>T mutation had fetal or neonatal goiter and all had hypothyroidism. Conclusions: This study further confirms the association of the IVS30+1G>T mutation of the Tg gene with hypothyroidism. Computer analysis predicts that the A2215D mutation, first reported here, should cause structural instability of Tg but when present as a compound heterozygous mutation with IVS30+G>T/A its effect is unclear but is likely to be influenced by iodine intake.

Evaluating gene by sex and age interactions on cardiovascular risk factors in Brazilian families

Background: In family studies, it is important to evaluate the impact of genes and environmental factors on traits of interest. In particular, the relative influences of both genes and the environment may vary in different strata of the population of interest, such as young and old individuals, or males and females. Methods: In this paper, extensions of the variance components model are used to evaluate heterogeneity in the genetic and environmental variance components due to the effects of sex and age (the cutoff between young and old was 43 yrs). The data analyzed were from 81 Brazilian families (1,675 individuals) of the Baependi Family Heart Study. Results: The models allowing for heterogeneity of variance components by sex suggest that genetic and environmental variances are not different in males and females for diastolic blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol, independent of the covariates included in the models. However, for systolic blood pressure, fasting glucose and triglycerides, the evidence for heterogeneity was dependent on the covariates in the model. For instance, in the presence of sex and age covariates, heterogeneity in the genetic variance component was suggested for fasting glucose. But, for systolic blood pressure, there was no evidence of heterogeneity in any of the two variance components. Except for the LDL-cholesterol, models allowing for heterogeneity by age provide evidence of heterogeneity in genetic variance for triglycerides and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. There was evidence of heterogeneity in environmental variance in fasting glucose and HDL-cholesterol. Conclusions: Our results suggest that heterogeneity in trait variances should not be ignored in the design and analyses of gene-finding studies involving these traits, as it may generate additional information about gene effects, and allow the investigation of more sophisticated models such as the model including sex-specific oligogenic variance components.

Development of Hepatitis C Virus Genotyping by Real-Time PCR Based on the NS5B Region

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping is the most significant predictor of the response to antiviral therapy. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel real-time PCR method for HCV genotyping based on the NS5B region. Methodology/Principal Findings: Two triplex reaction sets were designed, one to detect genotypes 1a, 1b and 3a; and another to detect genotypes 2a, 2b, and 2c. This approach had an overall sensitivity of 97.0%, detecting 295 of the 304 tested samples. All samples genotyped by real-time PCR had the same type that was assigned using LiPA version 1 (Line in Probe Assay). Although LiPA v. 1 was not able to subtype 68 of the 295 samples (23.0%) and rendered different subtype results from those assigned by real-time PCR for 12/295 samples (4.0%), NS5B sequencing and real-time PCR results agreed in all 146 tested cases. Analytical sensitivity of the real-time PCR assay was determined by end-point dilution of the 5000 IU/ml member of the OptiQuant HCV RNA panel. The lower limit of detection was estimated to be 125 IU/ml for genotype 3a, 250 IU/ml for genotypes 1b and 2b, and 500 IU/ml for genotype 1a. Conclusions/Significance: The total time required for performing this assay was two hours, compared to four hours required for LiPA v. 1 after PCR-amplification. Furthermore, the estimated reaction cost was nine times lower than that of available commercial methods in Brazil. Thus, we have developed an efficient, feasible, and affordable method for HCV genotype identification.

Genotoxic potential generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Legal Amazon by Tradescantia micronucleus bioassay: a toxicity assessment study

Background: The Brazilian Amazon has suffered impacts from non-sustainable economic development, especially owing to the expansion of agricultural commodities into forest areas. The Tangara da Serra region, located in the southern of the Legal Amazon, is characterized by non-mechanized sugar cane production. In addition, it lies on the dispersion path of the pollution plume generated by biomass burning. The aim of this study was to assess the genotoxic potential of the atmosphere in the Tangara da Serra region, using Tradescantia pallida as in situ bioindicator. Methods: The study was conducted during the dry and rainy seasons, where the plants were exposed to two types of exposure, active and passive. Results: The results showed that in all the sampling seasons, irrespective of exposure type, there was an increase in micronucleus frequency, compared to control and that it was statistically significant in the dry season. A strong and significant relationship was also observed between the increase in micronucleus incidence and the rise in fine particulate matter, and hospital morbidity from respiratory diseases in children. Conclusions: Based on the results, we demonstrated that pollutants generated by biomass burning in the Brazilian Amazon can induce genetic damage in test plants that was more prominent during dry season, and correlated with the level of particulates and elevated respiratory morbidity.

Cytomegalovirus frequency in neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis determined by serology, histology, immunohistochemistry and PCR

AIM: To determine cytomegalovirus (CMV) frequency in neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis by serology, histological revision (searching for cytomegalic cells), immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and to verify the relationships among these methods. METHODS: The study comprised 101 non-consecutive infants submitted for hepatic biopsy between March 1982 and December 2005. Serological results were obtained from the patient's files and the other methods were performed on paraffin-embedded liver samples from hepatic biopsies. The following statistical measures were calculated: frequency, sensibility, specific positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. RESULTS: The frequencies of positive results were as follows: serology, 7/64 (11%); histological revision, 0/84; immunohistochemistry, 1/44 (2%), and PCR, 6/77 (8%). Only one patient had positive immunohistochemical findings and a positive PCR. The following statistical measures were calculated between PCR and serology: sensitivity, 33.3%; specificity, 88.89%; positive predictive value, 28.57%; negative predictive value, 90.91%; and accuracy, 82.35%. CONCLUSION: The frequency of positive CMV varied among the tests. Serology presented the highest positive frequency. When compared to PCR, the sensitivity and positive predictive value of serology were low. (C) 2009 The WJG Press and Baishicleng. All rights reserved.