Are the TTAGG and TTAGGG telomeric repeats phylogenetically conserved in aculeate Hymenoptera?

Despite the (TTAGG)_n telomeric repeat supposed being the ancestral DNA motif of telomeres in insects, it was repeatedly lost within some insect orders. Notably, parasitoid hymenopterans and the social wasp Metapolybia decorata (Gribodo) lack the (TTAGG)_n sequence, but in other representatives of Hymenoptera, this motif was noticed, such as different ant species and the honeybee. These findings raise the question of whether the insect telomeric repeat is or not phylogenetically predominant in Hymenoptera. Thus, we evaluated the occurrence of both the (TTAGG)_n sequence and the vertebrate telomere sequence (TTAGGG)_n using dot-blotting hybridization in 25 aculeate species of Hymenoptera. Our results revealed the absence of (TTAGG)_n sequence in all tested species, elevating the number of hymenopteran families lacking this telomeric sequence to 13 out of the 15 tested families so far. The (TTAGGG)_n was not observed in any tested species. Based on our data and compiled information, we suggest that the (TTAGG)_n sequence was putatively lost in the ancestor of Apocrita with at least two subsequent independent regains (in Formicidae and Apidae).     

Antiviral Activity of Ctn[15-34], A Cathelicidin-Derived Eicosapeptide,Against Infectious Myonecrosis Virus in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Litopenaeus vannamei</Emphasis> Primary Hemocyte Cultures

The shrimp farming has been converted into a mature aquaculture industry dealing with over millions of metric tonnes of processed commodities. Nevertheless, the global shrimp productions are constantly threatened by disease outbreaks, mainly triggered by rapidly disseminating viruses. Infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) is one of these epizootic agents affecting shrimp production in Brazil, of which no treatment exists. Herein, the antiviral activity against IMNV of an eicosapeptide, named Ctn[15-34], derived from a member of the cathelicidin family of antimicrobial peptides, was demonstrated. Cultures of hemocytes from Litopenaeus vannamei were established that support IMNV replication and infectivity titration. The cytotoxic effect of IMNV in culture and the in vitro anti-IMNV activity of Ctn[15-34] were assessed using a high-sensitive fluorescent-based method in combination with quantitative PCR. The Ctn[15-34] (<12.5 µM) neutralized the toxic effects of IMNV at loads sufficient to kill 50% of shrimp hemocytes. This study reported for the first time the replication of IMNV in vitro and the employment of a straightforward methodology to assess cell viability and viral/antiviral activities. In addition, it provided the basis for the development of the anti-infective multi-effector Ctn[15-34] eicosapeptide and analogs as components of antiviral formulations against shrimp viral diseases.     

Ethnobotany and Management of Dimorphandra gardneriana in a Protected Area of Chapada do Araripe Semiarid Ceará, Northeastern Brazil

The development of conservation strategies for nontimber forest products requires the characterization of the management systems and ethnoecological knowledge of the used species, as well as the analysis of the biological impacts of these processes. This study aimed to evaluate management systems and extractivist areas and related ethnoecological knowledge of Dimorphandra gardneriana (fava d’anta) in the semiarid region of Ceará, Northeast of Brazil. Fava d’anta produces fruits with high concentration of bioflavonoids, substances with various pharmacological properties, being exploited by extractivist communities in the mosaic of protected areas in Chapada do Araripe, Ceará. Ethnoecological knowledge has been concentrated on collectors who have been in activity for a longer time and/or plant the species. We identified three management systems that can impact in different ways on fava d’anta populations, depending on the area and level of human interference with the species. The extractivists respect the zoning of protected areas and do not enter in the full protection area, choosing areas with the highest tree density. The different systems produce a mosaic that creates different extraction opportunities and modifications to the local landscape and to fava d’anta populations. Factors that may have effects on the conservation of the species are the lack of supervision and overexploitation of the resource in native areas, while the factors that affect the health of extractivists are the infrastructure of the work and exposure to wild environments.     

Alternative indicators for monitoring Cryptosporidium oocysts in reclaimed water

With the widespread use of reclaimed water all over the world, there is a clear need to optimise its management in order to guarantee water safety. Model microorganisms (with either indicator or index function) are commonly used to assess risks related to the presence of enteric pathogens in water. Samples from five water reclamation plants located in Northeastern Spain were analysed to validate the use of three model microorganisms (Escherichia coli, somatic coliphages and spores of sulphite-reducing clostridia) as surrogates of Cryptosporidium total or infectious oocysts (TOO and IOO, respectively) in reclaimed water. Probability plots, simple and multiple linear regression and discriminant analyses were performed to assess their relationships. Results show that the detection of E. coli alone is not useful to model either the behaviour or concentrations of Cryptosporidium. However, discriminant analyses showed a high rate of correctly classified samples (91.9 %) when E. coli and somatic coliphages data were used together to predict the presence/absence of IOO. Spores of sulphite-reducing clostridia (SRC) showed parallel reduction patterns and high correlation values (r?=?0.76) with reductions in TOO. Furthermore, simple regression analyses of SRC and TOO in reclaimed water showed high correlation values (r?=?0.85). Therefore, at the treatment plants studied, SRC can be considered to have good indicator and index functions for TOO. From the point of view of health protection, the use of SRC together with E. coli (which is mandatory in the current Spanish regulations) would satisfy the need for improved reclaimed water management.     

Characterization of Fe-humic complexes in an Fe-enriched biosolid by-product of water treatment

The fertilizing potential of Fe-enriched biosolids has been attributed to Fe associations with humic substances contained therein. In this study, alkaline and near-neutral aqueous extractions of humic substances from an Fe-enriched biosolid were followed by gel chromatographic fractionation and characterization (CHNS elemental analysis; UV/visible and FTIR spectroscopy; FAAS analysis). The alkaline bulk humic extract had a strong fulvic character and Fe was predominantly associated with the higher molecular weight (50 000 Da) molecules, possibly including organic-coated Fe oxides from which Fe may be released more slowly. Under both near-neutral and alkaline conditions, associations with lower molecular weight humic molecules were also observed, indicative of the presence of Fe in more readily available forms. Thus the biosolid appears to have good short- and long-term fertilizing potential, particularly for alkaline, Fe-deficient soils.     

Presence of diclofenac,estradiol, and ethinylestradiol in Manzanares River (Spain) and their toxicity to zebrafish embryo development

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Diclofenac (DCF), 17-β-estradiol (E2), and 17-α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) are emerging pollutants included in the first watch list agreed by...     

The ecological apparency hypothesis and the importance of useful plants in rural communities from northeastern Brazil: an assessment based on use value

The ecological apparency hypothesis in ethnobotanical studies predicts that the apparent plants (i.e., the most easily found in the vegetation) would be the most commonly collected and used by people. To test this hypothesis, it has been used the concept of use value (VU), which measures the relative importance of useful plants for a group of people. However, the use value has got some limitations, including the fact that it does not distinguish "current use" (plants which are effectively used) from "potential use" (well known plants, however not used). Therefore, this study has tested whether the obtained results through three different use value calculations could be useful in testing the ecological apparency hypothesis. These calculations have included the current use value, the potential use value, and the general use value. It has been carried out a vegetation survey and an interview for residents from the rural communities from Barrocas and Cachoeira (Soledade, Paraíba, Brazil). It has been used Spearman's coefficient to correlate phytosociological and ethnobotanical data. It has been observed that phytosociological parameters in Cachoeira were not correlated with any of the use values calculations, except the relationship between the current use value and the relative dominance (r(s)?=?0.57; p?相似文献   

Federalism,water, and (de)centralization in Brazil: the case of the São Francisco River water diversion

Regional Environmental Change - The Brazilian Northeastern semi-arid region’s history has been characterized by drought, water scarcity, and poor living conditions. For the last...     

Healing with animals in a semiarid northeastern area of Brazil

This study presents information on the use of medicinal animals in a semiarid area of northeast Brazil, a region where animals have recognized importance in local popular medicine. The information on the use of animals for medicinal purposes was obtained through semi-structured questionnaires, complemented by free interviews and informal conversations. The results obtained showed that the residents of the area studied utilize a considerable richness of animal species (n = 42) for medicinal purposes, as occurs in other areas of Brazil’s semiarid region, demonstrating that zootherapy represents an alternative form of health care that is important to the inhabitants of the region. There is a need for new investigations on medicinal fauna, aimed at promoting the sustainable use of eventual medicinal species and preserving popular knowledge associated with the use of animal species.