Old Fragments of Forest Inside an Urban Area Are Able to Keep Orchid Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) Assemblages? The Case of a Brazilian Historical City

Retention of habitat fragments within the urban matrix can provide critical resources for the maintenance of regional biodiversity while still providing socio-economic value. Euglossini bees are important components in a community as they are important pollinators for economically valuable plants as well as hundreds of orchid species. However, some species are very sensitive to environmental impacts like urbanization. This study presents the role of antique urban fragments in a historical city in Brazil and compares it with a conservation area on the aspects of orchid bee assemblage, such as richness, composition, and abundance. Four fragments inside the city of Ouro Preto and three inside Parque Estadual do Itacolomi (PEIT) were sampled for Euglossini bees. Sorensen similarity index was used to compare community composition. The Mantel test was applied to verify the hypothesis that an urban center is a barrier for the mobility of the individuals. Fourteen Euglossini species from the region were registered. Close to 75% of the sampled bees were collected from the PEIT sampling areas. The fragments presented differences in Euglossini richness and abundance. A majority of the sampled fragments were dominated by the Eulaema cingulata Fabricius, Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, and Euglossa securigera Dressler species. We found differences on community composition between the fragments localized in PEIT and those located in the urban center. The data suggest that there is a possible flux of individuals between the sampled fragments. The various small forest fragments in Ouro Preto, primarily in backyards, may also serve as stepping stones between sampled fragments.     

The Peculiar Facets of Nitric Oxide as a Cellular Messenger: From Disease-Associated Signaling to the Regulation of Brain Bioenergetics and Neurovascular Coupling

In this review, we address the regulatory and toxic role of ^·NO along several pathways, from the gut to the brain. Initially, we address the role on ^·NO in the regulation of mitochondrial respiration with emphasis on the possible contribution to Parkinson’s disease via mechanisms that involve its interaction with a major dopamine metabolite, DOPAC. In parallel with initial discoveries of the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by ^·NO, it became clear the potential for toxic ^·NO-mediated mechanisms involving the production of more reactive species and the post-translational modification of mitochondrial proteins. Accordingly, we have proposed a novel mechanism potentially leading to dopaminergic cell death, providing evidence that NO synergistically interact with DOPAC in promoting cell death via mechanisms that involve GSH depletion. The modulatory role of NO will be then briefly discussed as a master regulator on brain energy metabolism. The energy metabolism in the brain is central to the understanding of brain function and disease. The core role of ^·NO in the regulation of brain metabolism and vascular responses is further substantiated by discussing its role as a mediator of neurovascular coupling, the increase in local microvessels blood flow in response to spatially restricted increase of neuronal activity. The many facets of NO as intracellular and intercellular messenger, conveying information associated with its spatial and temporal concentration dynamics, involve not only the discussion of its reactions and potential targets on a defined biological environment but also the regulation of its synthesis by the family of nitric oxide synthases. More recently, a novel pathway, out of control of NOS, has been the subject of a great deal of controversy, the nitrate:nitrite:NO pathway, adding new perspectives to ^·NO biology. Thus, finally, this novel pathway will be addressed in connection with nitrate consumption in the diet and the beneficial effects of protein nitration by reactive nitrogen species.

     

The Gut–Brain Axis and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors in the Regulation of Epileptogenesis

Journal of Evolutionary Biochemistry and Physiology - A large proportion of patients with epilepsy suffer from pharmacoresistant forms of the disease, and this makes the search for new treatments...     

The role of oxygen availability in the embryonation of Heterakis gallinarum eggs.

The importance of oxygen availability in the embryonation of the infective egg stages of the gastrointestinal nematode parasite Heterakis gallinarum was studied in the laboratory. Unembryonated H. gallinarum eggs were kept under either aerobic conditions by gassing with oxygen, or anaerobic conditions by gassing with the inert gas nitrogen, under a range of constant temperatures. Oxygenated eggs embryonated at a rate influenced by temperature. Conversely, eggs treated with nitrogen showed no embryonation although when these eggs were transferred from nitrogen to oxygen gas after 60 days of treatment, embryonation occurred. This demonstrated that oxygen is an essential requirement for H. gallinarum egg development, although undeveloped eggs remain viable, even after 60 days in low oxygen conditions. The effects of climate on the biology of free-living stages studied under constant laboratory conditions cannot be applied directly to the field where climatic factors exhibit daily cycles. The effect of fluctuating temperature on development was investigated by including an additional temperature group in which H. gallinarum eggs were kept under daily temperature cycles between 12 and 22°C. Cycles caused eggs to develop significantly earlier than those in the constant mean cycle temperature, 17°C, but significantly slower than those in constant 22°C suggesting that daily temperature cycles had an accelerating effect on H. gallinarum egg embryonation but did not accelerate to the higher temperature. These results suggest that daily fluctuations in temperature influence development of the free-living stages and so development cannot be accurately predicted on the basis of constant temperature culture.     

Random walks and the gas model: spacing behaviour of Grey-Cheeked Mangabeys

1. Simple mechanical models (random walks and the 'gas model') were used to investigate the movement patterns and intergroup encounter rates of a high- and low-density subpopulation of Grey-Cheeked Mangabeys ( Cercocebus albigena johnstoni, Lydeker) at two sites in the Kibale Forest, Western Uganda.
2. Random walk simulations showed that the presence of conspecific groups could act as 'social barriers' which constrained group movements, and promoted high levels of site attachment to a specific home range area.
3. Encounter rate models showed that in the low-density subpopulation (Kanyawara), intergroup encounters occurred no more frequently than expected if groups were moving randomly and independently of each other. This was in contrast to previous analyses which suggested that Grey-Cheeked Mangabeys employed a social spacing mechanism (mediated by male loud calls) in order to reduce the frequency of encounter to below chance levels.
4. Encounters in the high-density subpopulation (Ngogo) were found to occur less frequently than expected at short range (within 100 m). This was suggested to be due to the operation of a territorial mate defence strategy by males at this site.     

Restoring avian wing digits

The precise identification of the digits of the avian wing is of importance in evolutionary studies. If the digits are numbered two, three and four, this has been taken to suggest that birds are not descended directly from dinosaurs. If the digits are numbered one, two and three, dinosaur origins become more plausible. Studies of the development of the avian wing have failed to resolve this dilemma. However, in some instances, it is possible to deduce information about evolutionary morphologies by manipulating development experimentally. We grafted beads loaded with fibroblast growth factor 4 into the distal tip of chick wing buds at times when the apical ectodermal ridge is regressing. The consequence was that the cartilage structure conventionally labelled ''element 5'' increased dramatically in size and acquired a digit-like morphology in some instances. Corresponding changes in soft tissue morphology were also observed. We conclude that it may be possible to resolve the issue of avian digit homology by the induction of experimental atavisms of this kind.