New records of Rhagomys rufescens (Rodentia : Sigmodontinae) in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

Since it was trapped in the XIX(th) century, Rhagomys rufescens has been considered a rare endangered sigmodontine rodent and an endemic species of the Atlantic forest. Only a handful of vouchers of this taxon were known by Thomas, 1886. Recently, eight new individuals were collected, providing new geographical, morphological and phylogenetic (based on molecular evidence) information on this species. In the present work we report the southernmost occurrence record for R. rufescens at Indaial, Santa Catarina State, with the largest collected series of this species, the northernmost occurrence record at Santa Teresa, Espirito Santo State, and new records from Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais State, from Ibiuna and Ribeirao Grande, Sao Paulo State.

The genus Rhagomys (Thomas 1917) (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) in South America: morphological considerations, geographic distribution and zoogeographic comments

American Museum of Natural History

New species of Anastrepha Schiner (Diptera, Tephritidae) from remnant area of the Atlantic Rain Forest and surroundings in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil

Four new species of Anastrepha Schiner were collected in McPhail-type traps hung in trees in a natural reserve and in commercial papaya orchards in Linhares, Espirito Santo state, Brazil. They are described and named herein as follows: Anastrepha atlantica n. sp., Anastrepha glochin n. sp., Anastrepha linharensis n. sp. and Anastrepha martinsi n. sp. Only the latter was collected in traps hung in papaya orchards. The classification of these species in species groups of Anastrepha is also discussed.

Fruit flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) and their associations with native host plants in a remnant area of the highly endangered Atlantic Rain Forest in the State of Espirito Santo, Brazil

The results presented in this paper refer to a host survey, lasting approximately three and a half years (February 2003-july 2006), undertaken in the Vale do Rio Doce Natural Reserve, a remnant area of the highly endangered Atlantic Rain Forest located in Linhares County, State of Espirito Santo, Brazil. A total of 330 fruit samples were collected from native plants, representing 248 species and 51 plant families. Myrtaceae was the most diverse family with 54 sampled species. Twenty-eight plant species, from ten families, are hosts of ten Anastrepha species and of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Among 33 associations between host plants and fruit flies, 20 constitute new records, including the records of host plants for A. fumipennis Lima and A. nascimentoi Zucchi. The findings were discussed in the light of their implications for rain forest conservation efforts and the study of evolutionary relationships between fruit flies and their hosts.

In vitro cytotoxic activity of Baccharis dracunculifolia and propolis against HEp-2 cells

Baccharis dracunculifolia is the most important vegetal source of propolis in southeast Brazil, and researchers have been investigating its biological properties. Propolis is a complex resinous hive product collected by bees from several plants, showing a very complex chemical composition. It has been employed since ancient times due to its therapeutic properties, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antitumour activities, among others. The goal of this work was to compare the cytotoxic action of B. dracunculifolia, propolis and two isolated compounds (caffeic and cinnamic acids) on human laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma (HEp-2) cells in vitro. These cells were incubated with different concentrations of each variable, and cell viability was assessed by the crystal violet method. Lower concentrations of B. dracunculifolia (extract and essential oil), propolis, as well as caffeic and cinnamic acids, showed no cytotoxic activity against HEp-2 cells. On the other hand, elevated concentrations (50 and 100 mu g per 100 mu L) exerted a cytotoxic action, and propolis showed a more efficient action than its vegetal source and isolated compounds. Further investigation is still needed in order to explore the potential of these variables as antitumour agents and to understand their mechanisms of action.

Control of experimental pulmonary tuberculosis depends more on immunostimulatory leukotrienes than on the absence of immunosuppressive prostaglandins

Prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrienes (LTs) are produced in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected lungs and have immune suppressive and protective effects, respectively. Considering that both of these mediators are produced during mycobacterial infection, we investigated the specific and relative biological importance of each in regulating host response in experimental tuberculosis. Administration of celecoxib, which was found to reduce lung levels of PGE(2) and increase LTB(4), enhanced the 60-day survival of Mtb-infected mice in 14%. However administration of MK-886, which reduced levels of LTB(4) but did not enhance PGE(2), reduced 60-day survival from 86% to 43% in Mtb-infected mice, and increased lung bacterial burden. MK-886 plus celecoxib reduced survival to a lesser extent than MK-886 alone. MK-886- and MK-886 plus celecoxib-treated animals exhibited reduced levels of the protective interleukin-12 and gamma-interferon. Our findings indicate that in this model, the protective effect of LTs dominates over the suppressive effect of PGs. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ky's visit - do gifts justify more conscripts?

Woman with placard during visit of former South Vietnamese vice president Nguyen Cao Ky to Brisbane, Australia in January 1967.

Thomas Parmeter: Poetaster and Rhymist

The life of Dr. Thomas Parmeter MD was one of astonishing complexity. Convicted of bigamy in London, he arrived in Sydney on 16 January 1816 and almost immediately resumed his medical practice. In England he had engaged in several literary activities and these too he soon resumed in New South Wales, contributing to contemporary newspapers. A riding accident in 1820 and a stroke in 1825 restricted his ability to practise medicine and so he turned to writing and farming for an income. Neither activity was a financial success and he died in poverty. Herein are collected together his poems, epigrams, aphorisms and quotations from poets and other writers. His contribution to the cultural life of Sydney, though not fully documented, was very likely significant.

Fast Structure-Based Assignment of 15N HSQC Spectra of Selectively 15N-Labeled Paramagnetic Proteins

A novel strategy for fast NMR resonance assignment of N-15 HSQC spectra of proteins is presented. It requires the structure coordinates of the protein, a paramagnetic center, and one or more residue-selectively N-15-labeled samples. Comparison of sensitive undecoupled N-15 HSQC spectra recorded of paramagnetic and diamagnetic samples yields data for every cross-peak on pseudocontact shift, paramagnetic relaxation enhancement, cross-correlation between Curie-spin and dipole-dipole relaxation, and residual dipolar coupling. Comparison of these four different paramagnetic quantities with predictions from the three-dimensional structure simultaneously yields the resonance assignment and the anisotropy of the susceptibility tensor of the paramagnetic center. The method is demonstrated with the 30 kDa complex between the N-terminal domain of the epsilon subunit and the theta subunit of Escherichia Coll DNA polymerase III. The program PLATYPUS was developed to perform the assignment, provide a measure of reliability of the assignment, and determine the susceptibility tensor anisotropy.

A shift from passive teaching at medical conferences to more interactive methods improves physician learning

Conferences that deliver interactive sessions designed to enhance physician participation, such as role play, small discussion groups, workshops, hands-on training, problem- or case-based learning and individualised training sessions, are effective for physician education.

Can globalisation result in less efficient and more vulnerable industries?

Growing economic globalisation (a means of market extension) may increase the economic vulnerability of firms in modern industries, especially those in which firms experience substantial economies of scale. The possibility is explored that globalisation activates competitive pressures that forces firms into a situation where their leverage (fixed costs relative to variable costs, or overhead cost relative to operating costs or capital intensity) rises substantially. Consequently, they become increasingly vulnerable to a sudden adverse change in economic conditions, such as a collapse in the demand for their industry’s product. This is explored for monopolistically competitive markets and also for oligopolistic markets of the type considered and modelled by Sweezy using kinked demand curves. In addition, globalisation is hypothesised to induce firms to become more uniformly efficient. While this has static efficiency advantages, this lack of heterogeneity in productive efficiency of firms can make for economic inefficiency in the adjustment of the industry to altered economic conditions. It is shown that lack of variation in the economic efficiency of firms can impede the speed of market adjustment to new equilibria and may destabilise market equilibria.

Bioimpedance spectrometry in the determination of body water compartments: Accuracy and clinical significance

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) offers the potential for a simple, portable and relatively inexpensive technique for the in vivo measurement of total body water (TBW). The potential of BIA as a technique of body composition analysis is even greater when one considers that body water can be used as a surrogate measure of lean body mass. However, BIA has not found universal acceptance even with the introduction of multi-frequency BIA (MFBIA) which, potentially, may improve the predictive accuracy of the measurement. There are a number of reasons for this lack of acceptance, although perhaps the major reason is that no single algorithm has been developed which can be applied to all subject groups. This may be due, in part, to the commonly used wrist-to-ankle protocol which is not indicated by the basic theory of bioimpedance, where the body is considered as five interconnecting cylinders. Several workers have suggested the use of segmental BIA measurements to provide a protocol more in keeping with basic theory. However, there are other difficulties associated with the application of BIA, such as effects of hydration and ion status, posture and fluid distribution. A further putative advantage of MFBIA is the independent assessment not only of TBW but also of the extracellular fluid volume (ECW), hence heralding the possibility of,being able to assess the fluid distribution between these compartments. Results of studies in this area have been, to date, mixed. Whereas strong relationships of impedance values at low frequencies with ECW, and at high frequencies with TBW, have been reported, changes in impedance are not always well correlated with changes in the size of the fluid compartments (assessed by alternative and more direct means) in pathological conditions. Furthermore, the theoretical advantages of Cole-Cole modelling over selected frequency prediction have not always been apparent. This review will consider the principles, methodology and applications of BIA. The principles and methodology will,be considered in relation to the basic theory of BIA and difficulties experienced in its application. The relative merits of single and multiple frequency BIA will be addressed, with particular attention to the latter's role in the assessment of compartmental fluid volumes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of segmental and wrist-to-ankle methodologies of bioimpedance analysis

The common approach of bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate body water uses a wrist-to-ankle methodology which, although not indicated by theory, has the advantage of ease of application particularly for clinical studies involving patients with debilitating diseases. A number of authors have suggested the use of a segmental protocol in which the impedances of the trunk and limbs are measured separately to provide a methodology more in keeping with basic theory. The segmental protocol hits not, however, been generally adopted, partly because of the increased complexity involved in its application, and partly because studies comparing the two methodologies have not clearly demonstrated a significant improvement from the segmental methodology. We have conducted a small pilot study involving ten subjects to investigate the efficacy of the two methodologies in a group of normal subjects. The study did not require the independent measure of body water, by for example isotope dilution, as the subjects were maintained in a state of constant hydration with only the distribution between limbs and trunk changing as a result of change in posture. The results demonstrate a significant difference between the two methodologies in predicting the expected constancy of body water in this study, with the segmental methodology indicating a mean percentage change in extracellular water of -2.2%; which was not significantly different from the expected null result, whereas the wrist-to-ankle methodology indicated a mean percentage change in extracellular water of -6.6%. This is significantly different from the null result, and from the value obtained from the segmental methodology (p = 0.006). Similar results were obtained using estimates of total body water from the two methodologies. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.