Somatic embryogenesis induction in leaves and petioles of a mature wild olive

We describe a protocol for somatic embryogenesis (SE) induction from an adult wild olive tree (Olea europaea ssp. europaea var. sylvestris. The protocol used confirms for the first time that there is no need to use juvenile or rejuvenated material for SE induction. For SE induction, petiole and leaf (proximal, intermediary and distal zones) explants were grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) or Olive Medium (OM) media with different combinations of plant growth regulators (PGR): α- naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), Zeatin (Zea), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), 2-isopentyl adenine (2iP), thidiazuron (TDZ) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). All media had 30 g/l sucrose and 7 g/l agar, and the pH was adjusted to 5.8. Cultures were incubated in the dark and, after 3 months, they were transferred to MS medium without PGR for expression. Petiole explants gave the highest callus production, while for SE induction and expression distal blade leaf and petiole explants gave the highest rates. The best medium for SE induction was MS with 12.25 μM IBA plus 4.56 μM Zea. Histological analyses confirmed the individuality of globular somatic embryos. This is the first report of SE expression in explants without rejuvenation in Olea genus, and opens perspectives for using this strategy in SE protocols both for this wild genotype and for commercial genotypes.     

A simple and effective air shotgun for collecting small birds and other vertebrates at close range

ABSTRACT Scientific collections are important sources of material for many areas of ornithological research. Although firearms (particularly shotguns) have been the standard for avian scientific collecting for more than 100 years, their use is restricted in many areas of the world. We describe a cheap, relatively silent, and effective air shotgun for collecting birds weighing up to 50 g at distances up to 4 m. This air shotgun is capable of shooting birdshot, uses hollow metal rivets connected to plastic straws as shot shells, and represents a simple adaptation of any 0.177 or 0.22 cal single‐shot, break‐barrel air rifle with at least 25 joules of muzzle energy. This air shotgun will be especially useful for focused sampling of birds (and other small vertebrates) in situations where firearm use or transport is restricted.     

Correction to: Coccidioidomycosis in a Pediatric Patient

Mycopathologia - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-021-00559-9     

How do Robins Erithacus rubecula resident in Iberia respond to seasonal flooding by conspecific migrants?

Capsule?The majority of Robins in Iberia are sedentary and stay in their nesting areas despite the presumed increased competition that results from the seasonal flooding of the area by conspecific migrants.

Aims?To evaluate if Robins in Iberia are displaced from their nesting areas by the presence of large numbers of competitors originating from higher latitudes.

Methods?Data from constant effort ringing sites were used to estimate the proportion of Robins that are strictly sedentary and the seasonal variation in Robin numbers. Hydrogen stable isotope ratios (δ²H) in feathers, and sex ratios determined through molecular techniques, allowed an insight into the numerical importance of invading Robins from higher latitudes.

Results?Robins were more numerous outside the breeding season, with clear influxes in autumn. Around half of the locally nesting Robins were captured during winter, indicating they are truly sedentary. δ²H in feathers suggests that a wide mixture of Robins from all European latitudes were present in winter, and these data, together with sex ratios, suggest that there may be similar numbers of local and foreign individuals in winter at the main study site.

Conclusion?Despite the occupation of their range by migrants, local birds are largely sedentary.     

Plasmodium simium/Plasmodium vivax infections in southern brown howler monkeys from the Atlantic Forest

Blood infection by the simian parasite, Plasmodium simium, was identified in captive (n = 45, 4.4%) and in wild Alouatta clamitans monkeys (n = 20, 35%) from the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. A single malaria infection was symptomatic and the monkey presented clinical and haematological alterations. A high frequency of Plasmodium vivax-specific antibodies was detected among these monkeys, with 87% of the monkeys testing positive against P. vivax antigens. These findings highlight the possibility of malaria as a zoonosis in the remaining Atlantic Forest and its impact on the epidemiology of the disease.     

Local environmental risk assessment of anticancer drugs in a developing country

Abstract

Anticancer drugs used in cancer treatment are excreted unchanged or as metabolites by feces and urine in hospitals and households. These drugs enter the municipal sewage system but wastewater treatment plants are not capable of removing all of these micro pollutants. In many countries such as Brazil, sanitation departments do not provide service, nor have access to all of the population, therefore most sewage is still released into untreated receiving bodies. This study analyzes the consumption of anticancer drugs in a Brazilian hospital located in one of the 10 municipalities with the best sanitation index in the country. It estimates its environmental risk in aquatic matrixes by the European Guideline on the Environmental Risk Assessment of Medicinal Products for Human Use. Among the 20 drugs analyzed, the three most consumed (cyclophosphamide, 5-fluoruracil, and cytarabine) show a predicted environmental concentration value greater than the action limit of 0.01?µg/L recommended by the guideline. The risk assessment was performed on all pharmaceuticals consumed to get a greater awareness of risk. Results do not indicate local environmental risk but, considering that the study was performed under the best sanitation scenario, it cannot be extrapolated in the other municipalities. The study highlights that development of suitable methodologies should be considered to perform environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals in developing countries sanitation conditions.