Life-history studies of heterophyid trematodes in the Neotropical Region: Ascocotyle (Phagicola) diminuta (Stunkard & Haviland, 1924) and A. (P.) angrense Travassos, 1916

The life-cycle of Ascocotyle (Phagicola) diminuta (Stunkard & Haviland, 1924) was reproduced experimentally, starting from cercariae from naturally infected Littoridina castellanosae and L. parchappei (Hydrobiidae) collected from artificial ponds in the Zoological Garden in Buenos Aires and from Los Ranchos stream, Buenos Aires Province, respectively. Metacercariae were found encysted in the gills of experimentally exposed Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (Poecilidae) and of other naturally infected freshwater fishes. Adults were obtained experimentally in chicks and mice and from a naturally infected egret, Egretta thula. A. (P.) angrense Travassos, 1916 was found parasitising the egret Ixobrychus involucris; it is considered a valid species and the morphological differences between it and A. (P.) diminuta were established. The “Phagicola-form” of the cercaria in the present life-cycle is also known in the genus Pygidiopsis.     

Whole-cell recording of neuroblastoma x glioma cells during downregulation of a major substrate, 80K/MARCKS,of protein kinase C

Summary Differentiated neuroblastoma cells exhibit both the delayed rectifier potassium current (I _K) and the M-current (I _M). The present study was designed to determine the roles of protein kinase C (PKC) and of the calmodulin-binding protein 80K/MARCKS, a prominent substrate for PKC and possible regulator of these currents. Neuroblastoma x glioma (NG108-15) hybrid cells transfected with m1 muscarinic receptors were grown with 1% fetal bovine serum (FBS) without the prostaglandin E₁ (PGE₁) and isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX) usually added in preparation for electrophysiological studies. Under these conditions, the usual pleomorphism was largely abolished, leaving two populations of small cells with stellate and spherically symmetrical geometries. Whole-cell patch clamping indicated that the two cell types had identical electrophysiological properties, displaying: I _k, a small current through a T-like Ca²⁺ channel, and no M-current.Stimulation with carbachol shifted the distribution of cells to a more stellate morphology within 24 hr and later (after 48 hr) reduced the PKC substrate 80K/MARCKS by 22±7%. In contrast to the stimulation of I _k observed with cardiac cells, PKC activation produced only a small inhibition of I _k, which was independent of carbachol pretreatment. Thus, PKC and 80K/MARCKS can be dissociated from the regulation of I _k in neuroblastoma cells.Supported in part by research grants from the National Institutes of Health (DK-40145 and EY-08343) and from the U.K. Medical Research Council.We thank Dr. Peter J. Parker for his generous gift of PKC, and Yvonne Vallis for her skillful assistance with the cultures and harvesting of the NG108-15 transfected cells.     

The detection and attribution of extreme reductions in vegetation growth across the global land surface

Negative extreme anomalies in vegetation growth (NEGs) usually indicate severely impaired ecosystem services. These NEGs can result from diverse natural and anthropogenic causes, especially climate extremes (CEs). However, the relationship between NEGs and many types of CEs remains largely unknown at regional and global scales. Here, with satellite-derived vegetation index data and supporting tree-ring chronologies, we identify periods of NEGs from 1981 to 2015 across the global land surface. We find 70% of these NEGs are attributable to five types of CEs and their combinations, with compound CEs generally more detrimental than individual ones. More importantly, we find that dominant CEs for NEGs vary by biome and region. Specifically, cold and/or wet extremes dominate NEGs in temperate mountains and high latitudes, whereas soil drought and related compound extremes are primarily responsible for NEGs in wet tropical, arid and semi-arid regions. Key characteristics (e.g., the frequency, intensity and duration of CEs, and the vulnerability of vegetation) that determine the dominance of CEs are also region- and biome-dependent. For example, in the wet tropics, dominant individual CEs have both higher intensity and longer duration than non-dominant ones. However, in the dry tropics and some temperate regions, a longer CE duration is more important than higher intensity. Our work provides the first global accounting of the attribution of NEGs to diverse climatic extremes. Our analysis has important implications for developing climate-specific disaster prevention and mitigation plans among different regions of the globe in a changing climate.     

Biological traits and living conditions of Maya Indian and non Maya girls from Merida,Mexico

A total of 522 girls and their families from low and middle social strate were examined in the northern part of Merida (Yucatan) during 1988 and 1989. Marital radius in the parental generation was relatively long (146 km), and it was six times longer for non-Maya and mixed couples than Maya. Living and housing conditions were similar for both Maya and non-Maya (mixed couples typically had an intermediate condition), except for sewage system (sanitation). The Maya income was 64% lower. Maya men and women were short. The girls from Merida were short, hyper-brachycephalic (short headed), and europrosopic (broad face). Among them, Maya girls were even shorter, more round-headed, and more broad-faced than non-Maya girls. Menarche occurred on the average at an age of 12.6 years in mothers and 12.1 years in daughters. As the generation time was about 25 years, there was a slow acceleration of maturation (0.2 years per decade). Presumably, also stature has increased in recent years.     

Identification of photo-inactive phytochrome A in etiolated seedlings and photo-active phytochrome B in green leaves of the aurea mutant of tomato

The contents of spectrophotometrically measurable phytochrome A (PhyA) and phytochrome B (PhyB) and the corresponding immunochemically detectable apoproteins (PHYA and PHYB) were examined in dark- and light-grown tissues of the aurea mutant of tomato and its wild-type (WT). The amount of PHYA in etiolated aurea seedlings was found to be about 20% of that in the WT; this PHYA showed no photoreversible changes in absorbance, no downregulation of the level of PHYA in light-grown seedlings, and no differential proteolysis of Pr and Pfr species in vitro which was seen in the case of the WT. By contrast, the amount of PHYB in aurea seedlings was not significantly different from that in WT seedlings. Phytochrome isolated from green leaves of the aurea mutant and purified by ion-exchange chromatography showed a red/far-red reversible spectral change, and its elution profile during chromatography was essentially similar to that of PHYB. The results indicate that aurea is a mutant that is deficient in photoactive PhyA at the etiolated stage, when it contains a spectrally inactive PHYA. However, the mutant contains spectrally active PhyB in its green tissue as does the WT.     

Effect of culture conditions on lipolytic enzyme production by Penicillium candidum in a solid state fermentation

Lipolytic enzymes were produced using wheat bran as substrate in a solid state fermentation with Penicillium candidum. The best production of lipolytic activity occurred at 29 degrees C. One hundred micromoles of free butyric acid (FBA) was released from tributyrin by 1 mL of cell free supernatant in the absence of control of environmental relative humidity. When a closed chamber saturated with water vapour was used the lipolytic activity increased to 320 micromoles of free butyric acid. The best initial reaction pH was 7.0. The highest activity, 480 micromoles of FBA, was obtained at a moisture content of 67.5 % of saturation.     

A novel and high-throughput approach to assess photosynthetic thermal tolerance of kelp using chlorophyll α fluorometry

Foundation seaweed species are experiencing widespread declines and localized extinctions due to increased instability of sea surface temperature. Characterizing temperature thresholds are useful for predicting patterns of change and identifying species most vulnerable to extremes. Existing methods for characterizing seaweed thermal tolerance produce diverse metrics and are often time-consuming, making comparisons between species and techniques difficult, hindering insight into global patterns of change. Using three kelp species, we adapted a high-throughput method – previously used in terrestrial plant thermal biology – for use on kelps. This method employs temperature-dependent fluorescence (T–F₀) curves under heating or cooling regimes to determine the critical temperature (T_crit) of photosystem II (PSII), i.e., the breakpoint between slow and fast rise fluorescence response to changing temperature, enabling rapid assays of photosynthetic thermal tolerance using a standardized metric. This method enables characterization of T_crit for up to 48 samples per two-hour assay, demonstrating the capacity of T–F₀ curves for high-throughput assays of thermal tolerance. Temperature-dependent fluorescence curves and their derived metric, T_crit, may offer a timely and powerful new method for the field of phycology, enabling characterization and comparison of photosynthetic thermal tolerance of seaweeds across many populations, species, and biomes.     

Immunogenicity of recombinant human interleukin-2: Biological features and clinical relevance

The immunogenicity of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2, EuroCetus, Amsterdam, Netherlands) was studied in seventy-six patients receiving different subcutaneous immunotherapy regimens. Patients presented with progressive metastatic renal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, colorectal cancer, B-cell lymphoma, and Hodgkin's disease. An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was employed to screen patients for development of non-neutralizing antibodies against rIL-2, antibody specificity was confirmed by a standard Western blot. Neutralizing serum activity against rIL-2 was detected using a standard CTLL mouse proliferation assay. Additionally, serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors and lymphocyte subsets expressing the CD56 natural killer (NK) associated antigen were measured.In a proportion of approximately 35% to 90% of the patients treated, non-neutralizing antibodies against rIL-2 could be detected after all treatment courses were evaluated. Antibodies were of the IgG, IgM, IgA and IgD subtypes. None of the 76 patients exhibited serum neutralizing activity after one treatment course. Five patients exhibited neutralizing anti-rIL-2 serum activity after two or more treatment courses of systemic rIL-2. In three of these patients, antibodies neutralized both recombinant and natural IL-2. Patients developing neutralizing anti-rIL-2 antibodies, exhibited significantly lower serum sIL-2 receptor levels upon the emergence of serum neutralizing activity than patients without antibody. Additionally, NK cell associated CD56 positivity was significantly lower in patients who exhibited neutralizing anti-rIL-2 serum activity than in patients who did not. A significant decrease in levels of soluble IL-2 receptors and CD56 NK cell positivity was observed, when comparing values prior to and after onset of serum neutralizing activity against rIL-2. However, while emergence of neutralizing antibodies to rIL-2 diminished rIL-2 induced biological activation, it did not coincide with abrogation of treatment response.Abbreviations rIL-2 recombinant interleukin-2 - EIA enzyme immuno assay - rIFN-2 recombinant interferon- 2     

An electrogenetic toggle switch model

Synthetic biology uses molecular biology to implement genetic circuits that perform computations. These circuits can process inputs and deliver outputs according to predefined rules that are encoded, often entirely, into genetic parts. However, the field has recently begun to focus on using mechanisms beyond the realm of genetic parts for engineering biological circuits. We analyse the use of electrogenic processes for circuit design and present a model for a merged genetic and electrogenetic toggle switch operating in a biofilm attached to an electrode. Computational simulations explore conditions under which bistability emerges in order to identify the circuit design principles for best switch performance. The results provide a basis for the rational design and implementation of hybrid devices that can be measured and controlled both genetically and electronically.     

Isolation of Histoplasma capsulatum from an oil bird (steatornis caripensis) cave in Venezuela

Summary 1.Histoplasma capsulatum was recovered from two of fifteen soil specimens collected in a Venezuelan cave. This cave, located near Caripe in the state of Monagas, harbors a large colony of the oil bird,Steatornis caripensis.2. This finding confirms the previous discovery in Tingo Maria, Peru, of the association ofH. capsulatum with oil birds.3. The relationship ofH. capsulatum with animal habitats is discussed along with the public health importance of this association.

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Zusammenfassung 1.Histoplasma capsulatum ist in zwei Bodenproben aus fünfzehn, die einer Höhle in Venezuela entnommen wurden, gefunden worden. Diese Höhle, die sich in der Nähe von Caripe, im Staate Monagas befindet, herbergt eine grosse Kolonie von Fettvögeln,Steatornis caripensis.2. Dieser Befund bestätigt die Vergesellschaftung vonH. capsulatum mit den Fettvögeln, wie es vorher bereits in Tingo Maria, Peru, entdeckt worden ist.3. Die Beziehung vonH. capsulatum zum tierischen Habitat wird diskutiert unter Betonung der Wichtigkeit dieser Vergesellschaftung vom Standpunkte des öffentlichen Gesundheitswesens.