Feather holes and flight performance in the barn swallow Hirundo rustica

Feather holes are small (0.5–1?mm in diameter) deformities that appear on the vanes of flight feathers. Such deformities were found in many bird species, including galliforms and passerines. Holey flight feathers may be more permeable to air, which could have a negative effect on their ability to generate aerodynamic forces. However, to date the effects of feather holes on flight performance in birds remained unclear. In this study we investigated the relationship between the number of feather holes occurring in the wing or tail feathers and short term flight performance traits – aerial manoeuvrability, maximum velocity and maximum acceleration – in barns swallows, which are long distance migrating aerial foragers. We measured short-term flight performance of barn swallows in a standardized manner in flight tunnels. We found that acceleration and velocity were significantly negatively associated with the number of holes in the wing flight feathers, but not with those in the tail feathers. In the case of acceleration the negative relationship was sex specific – while acceleration significantly decreased with the number of feather holes in females, there was no such significant association in males. Manoeuvrability was not significantly associated with the number of feather holes. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that feather holes are costly in terms of impaired flight. We discuss alternative scenarios that could explain the observed relationships. We also suggest directions for future studies that could investigate the exact mechanism behind the negative association between the number of feather holes and flight characteristics.     

Antibodies against the envelope glycoprotein promote infectivity of immature dengue virus serotype 2

Cross-reactive dengue virus (DENV) antibodies directed against the envelope (E) and precursor membrane (prM) proteins are believed to contribute to the development of severe dengue disease by facilitating antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. We and others recently demonstrated that anti-prM antibodies render essentially non-infectious immature DENV infectious in Fcγ-receptor-expressing cells. Immature DENV particles are abundantly present in standard (st) virus preparations due to inefficient processing of prM to M during virus maturation. Structural analysis has revealed that the E protein is exposed in immature particles and this prompted us to investigate whether antibodies to E render immature particles infectious. To this end, we analyzed the enhancing properties of 27 anti-E antibodies directed against distinct structural domains. Of these, 23 bound to immature particles, and 15 enhanced infectivity of immature DENV in a furin-dependent manner. The significance of these findings was subsequently tested in vivo using the well-established West Nile virus (WNV) mouse model. Remarkably, mice injected with immature WNV opsonized with anti-E mAbs or immune serum produced a lethal infection in a dose-dependent manner, whereas in the absence of antibody immature WNV virions caused no morbidity or mortality. Furthermore, enhancement infection studies with standard (st) DENV preparations opsonized with anti-E mAbs in the presence or absence of furin inhibitor revealed that prM-containing particles present within st virus preparations contribute to antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. Taken together, our results support the notion that antibodies against the structural proteins prM and E both can promote pathogenesis by enhancing infectivity of prM-containing immature and partially mature flavivirus particles.     

Toll receptors type-2 and CR3 expression of canine monocytes and its correlation with immunohistochemistry and xenodiagnosis in visceral leishmaniasis

The aim of the present study was to investigate TLR2 expression in peripheral blood monocytes from dogs naturally infected with Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum to determine whether it correlates with CD11b/CD18 (CR3) expression, and to evaluate the potential of dogs as sources of infection using phlebotomine xenodiagnosis. Forty eight dogs were serologically diagnosed with L. infantum infection by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Parasitological exams from bone-marrow aspirates were positive by PCR analysis. All dogs were clinical defined as symptomatic. Ear skin tissue samples were obtained for immunohistochemistry (IHQ) analysis. The potential of these dogs as a source of infection using phlebotomine xenodiagnosis (XENO) was evaluated. Flow cytometry was carried out on peripheral blood mononuclear cells using superficial receptors including CD14, CD11b, TLR2 and MHCII. IHQ ear skin tissue parasite load and XENO where done where we found a strict correlation (r = 0.5373). Dogs with higher expression of MFI of CD11b inside CD14 monocytes were represented by dogs without parasite ear tissue load that were unable to infect phlebotomines (IHQ⁻/XENO⁻). Dogs with lower expression of MFI of CD11b inside CD14 monocytes were represented by dogs with parasite ear tissue load and able to infect phlebotomines (IHQ⁺/XENO⁺) (p = 0,0032). Comparable results were obtained for MFI of MHCII (p = 0.0054). In addition, considering the population frequency of CD11b⁺TLR2⁺ and CD11b⁺MHCII⁺, higher values were obtained from dogs with IHQ⁻/XENO⁻ than dogs with IHQ⁺/XENO⁺ (p = 0.01; p = 0.0048, respectively). These data, together with the TLR2 and NO assays results (CD11b⁺TLR2⁺ and NO with higher values for dogs with IHQ⁻/XENO⁻ than dogs with IHQ⁺/XENO⁺), led to the conclusion that IHQ⁻/XENO⁻ dogs are more resistant or could modulate the cellular immune response essential for Leishmania tissue clearance.     

Influence of photoperiods on the growth rate and biomass productivity of green microalgae

The effect of different photoperiods: 24 h illumination and a 12:12-h light/dark (12L:12D) cycle on the growth rate and biomass productivity was studied in five algal species: Neochloris conjuncta, Neochloris terrestris, Neochloris texensis, Botryococcus braunii and Scenedesmus obliquus. The green microalgae examined differ in the reproduction mode. Continuous illumination stimulated the growth of B. braunii and S. obliquus more effectively than the growth of the microalgal species from the genus Neochloris. However, under shorter duration of light of the same intensity (12L:12D cycle), the growth of all the three species of Neochloris was stimulated. Under continuous illumination, the specific growth rate in the first phase of B. braunii and S. obliquus cultures was higher than the growth rate of Neochloris, whereas under the 12L:12D cycle, the specific growth rate of all the three Neochloris species was generally higher than that in B. braunii and S. obliquus. As a result, the light regime influenced algal biomass productivity differently. The maximum biomass productivity was obtained in B. braunii and S. obliquus cultures carried out at continuous illumination. All the Neochloris species produced biomass more efficiently at the 12L:12D cycle, which was two–threefold higher than that of B. braunii and S. obliquus. The unicellular species of the green microalgae from the genus Neochloris, examined for the first time in this study, are promising prospective objects for algal biotechnology.     

The Content of Fluoride, Calcium and Magnesium in the Hair of Young Men of the Bantu Language Group from Tanzania Versus Social Conditioning

The present study aimed at analysing the content of fluorine (F), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in the hair of young male students (n?=?52) of a secondary school in Mafinga in Tanzania (Africa) who participated in anthropological examinations. Ca and Mg concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer while F levels using a potentiometric method. F in the hair of boys from older group (≥16 years old; n?=?24) was significantly higher than in the younger group (<16 years old; n?=?28) versus Ca and Mg levels. High carbohydrate diet was predominant—mainly based on corn or bean and meat served once a week, with few fruit and raw vegetables. Collective catering in the dormitory reflected habits and culinary preferences at home. The lack of balanced diet, with majority of the nutritional energy supplied by easily accessible and cheap carbohydrates, was reflected in dietary deficiencies, characterised, among others, by visible skin conditions and tooth decay.     

Cities through the Prism of People’s Spending Behavior

Scientific studies of society increasingly rely on digital traces produced by various aspects of human activity. In this paper, we exploit a relatively unexplored source of data–anonymized records of bank card transactions collected in Spain by a big European bank, and propose a new classification scheme of cities based on the economic behavior of their residents. First, we study how individual spending behavior is qualitatively and quantitatively affected by various factors such as customer’s age, gender, and size of his/her home city. We show that, similar to other socioeconomic urban quantities, individual spending activity exhibits a statistically significant superlinear scaling with city size. With respect to the general trends, we quantify the distinctive signature of each city in terms of residents’ spending behavior, independently from the effects of scale and demographic heterogeneity. Based on the comparison of city signatures, we build a novel classification of cities across Spain in three categories. That classification exhibits a substantial stability over different city definitions and connects with a meaningful socioeconomic interpretation. Furthermore, it corresponds with the ability of cities to attract foreign visitors, which is a particularly remarkable finding given that the classification was based exclusively on the behavioral patterns of city residents. This highlights the far-reaching applicability of the presented classification approach and its ability to discover patterns that go beyond the quantities directly involved in it.     

Identification of Biomarkers of Mercury Contamination in Brachyplatystoma filamentosum of the Madeira River,Brazil, Using Metalloproteomic Strategies

Biological Trace Element Research - Predator fish can accumulate high levels of mercury, which qualifies them as potential indicators of this toxic metal. The predatory species Brachyplatystoma...     

Follow-up assessment of patients with Pure Neural Leprosy in a reference center in Rio de Janeiro—Brazil

IntroductionPure Neural Leprosy (PNL) is a rare clinical form of leprosy in which patients do not present with the classical skin lesions but have a high burden of the disability associated with the disease. Clinical characteristics and follow up of patients in PNL are still poorly described in the literature.ObjectiveThis paper aims to describe the clinical, electrophysiological and histopathological characteristics of PNL patients, as well as their evolution after multidrug therapy (MDT).MethodsFifty-two PNL patients were selected. Clinical, nerve conduction studies (NCS), histopathological and anti-PGL-1serology were evaluated. Patients were also assessed monthly during the MDT. At the end of the MDT, all of the patients had a new neurological examination and 44 were submitted to another NCS.ResultsParesthesia was the complaint most frequently reported by patients, and in the neurological examination the most common pattern observed was impairment in sensory and motor examination and a mononeuropathy multiplex. Painful nerve enlargement, a classical symptom of leprosy neuropathy, was observed in a minority of patients and in the motor NCS axonal injuries, alone or in combination with demyelinating features, were the most commonly observed. 88% of the patients did not present any leprosy reaction during MDT. There was no statistically significant difference between the neurological examinations, nor the NCS pattern, performed before and after the MDT.DiscussionThe classical hallmarks of leprosy neuropathy are not always present in PNL making the diagnosis even more challenging. Nerve biopsy is an important tool for PNL diagnosis as it may guide therapeutic decisions. This paper highlights unique characteristics of PNL in the spectrum of leprosy in an attempt to facilitate the diagnosis and management of these patients.     

Occurrence of bacteria in the mouth from genera of Micrococcus,Kocuria, Nesterenkonia,Kytococcus and Dermacoccus

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of different bacteria in the oral cavity. The bacteria were present in the oral cavities of 73 (48.7%) of 150 individuals. Nesterenkonia halobia, the most frequently isolated species, was found in 20 (27%) individuals, Micrococcus luteus in 16 (22%), Kocuria kristinae in 12 (16%), Kocuria varians in 10 (14%), Dermacoccus sedentarius in 9 (12%), Micrococcus lylae in 8 (11%), and Kytococcus nishinomiyaensis in 3 (4%). Mean counts of these microorganisms were relatively low and amounted in log10 CFU/ml saliva for M. luteus 1.87 +/- 0.52, for M. lylae 2.03 +/- 0.39, for N. halobia 2.14 +/- 0.56, for K. kristinae 2.20 +/- 0.69, for K. varians 2.19 +/- 0.67, for K. nishinomiyaensis 1.72 +/- 0.39, and for D. sedentarius 2.27 +/- 0.55. The factor limiting the population sizes of these microorganisms was most probably the antagonistic activity of the bacteria living in oral cavity.