Synopsis of the tribe Hureae (Euphorbioideae, Euphorbiaceae)

A synopsis of the tribe Hureae is presented with nomenclatural updates, a discussion of diagnostic features, and summaries of geographical distributions. This study is based on the analysis of approximately 300 voucher specimens, including collections and photographs of types, in addition to bibliographic documentation. Seventeen species distributed in three genera were recognized: Algernonia (11 species), Hura (2), and Ophthalmoblapton (4). All species are American with the majority distributed within the Atlantic Forest, particularly in southeastern Brazil. A key for the identification of genera and species is provided along with illustrations, information on the geographic distributions and conservation status. Lectotypification for Algernonia leandrii is proposed.     

Structure–activity relationships of 6-(aminomethylphenoxy)-benzoxaborole derivatives as anti-inflammatory agent

A series of novel 6-(aminomethylphenoxy)benzoxaborole analogs was synthesized for the investigation of the structure–activity relationship of the inhibition of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-6, from lipopolysaccharide stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Compounds 9d and 9e showed potent activity against all three cytokines with IC₅₀ values between 33 and 83 nM. Chloro substituted analog 9e (AN3485) is considered to be a promising lead for novel anti-inflammatory agent with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile.     

Monitoring vegetation change caused by trampling: a study in the Cairngorms,Scotland

Summary

A study was made in the Cairngorms, Scotland to make recommendations for a monitoring scheme capable of detecting changes in the vegetation caused by recreational pressure following the development of a funicular railway. Four methods were used in field trials to assess percentage cover of plant species and gravel, rock and bare ground, where appropriate, in two vegetation types (open and closed). The methods used were visual estimates in 50 × 40 cm quadrats (Q), the mean of visual estimates in twenty 10 × 10 cm sub-quadrats of the 50 × 40 cm quadrats (Q₂₀), a modified point intercept method (RL) and photography. Variances between observers and between-quadrats were estimated for the different methods. The sampling design for detecting change was based on a model of variance, constructed from field trial data.

Between-observer and between-quadrat variances were related to mean percentage cover and approximated to a binomial distribution. The between-quadrat variance was larger than observer variance. The Q₂₀ method achieved appreciably better precision than the other methods. Analysis of half of the 10 × 10 cmsub-quadrats (1/2Q₂₀) selected in a checker board design achieved a relative efficiency of 78% compared with the Q₂₀. This result suggests that comparable precision to the Q₂₀ method could be achieved by choosing about 14 sub-quadrats in a larger quadrat, thus saving some time. Variation between quadrats also suggested that the Q₂₀ method was the one of choice for maximising precision. The precision of the photographic method was based on fewer data points, so is less accurate than other estimates.

Minimum sample sizes were estimated for detecting a 10% relative change of a species in open vegetation with 30% cover (i.e. a change from 30% to <27 or to >33% cover). With a 10 % Type II error rate and 5 % Type I error rate the minimum sample sizes were 47 quadrats for Q, 18 for Q ₂₀, 43 for RL, and 23 for the means of ten 10 × 10 cm sub-quadrats in open vegetation.

The most time-efficient field recording appeared to be the use of Q despite the required sample size being 2.6 times higher than that of Q₂₀. The far lower time requirement per quadrat, however, compensated for the higher numbers. The number of quadrats would depend on the specified change in percentage cover and on the statistical significance level used. For example, to detect a 10% absolute change in cover (i.e. from 30% to either <20 % or >40 % cover) at 95 % probability the net effective recording time is estimated at 5 h per vegetation type while to detect a 5 % change at 99 % probability would require c. 25 h. Larger samples may be required for other species or for species with a low initial cover.     

Environmental DNA metabarcoding as an effective and rapid tool for fish monitoring in canals

We focus on a case study along an English canal comparing environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding with two types of electrofishing techniques (wade-and-reach and boom-boat). In addition to corroborating data obtained by electrofishing, eDNA provided a wider snapshot of fish assemblages. Given the semi-lotic nature of canals, we encourage the use of eDNA as a fast and cost-effective tool to detect and monitor whole fish communities.     

Recalculating route: dispersal constraints will drive the redistribution of Amazon primates in the Anthropocene

Climate change will redistribute the global biodiversity in the Anthropocene. As climates change, species might move from one place to another, due to local extinctions and colonization of new environments. However, the existence of permeable migratory routes precedes faunal migrations in fragmented landscapes. Here, we investigate how dispersal will affect the outcome of climate change on the distribution of Amazon's primate species. We modeled the distribution of 80 Amazon primate species, using ecological niche models, and projected their potential distribution on scenarios of climate change. Then, we imposed landscape restrictions to primate dispersal, derived from a natural biogeographical barrier to primates (the main tributaries of the Amazon river) and an anthropogenic constraint to the migration of many canopy‐dependent animals (deforested areas). We also highlighted potential conflict zones, i.e. regions of high migration potential but predicted to be deforested. Species response to climate change varied across dispersal limitation scenarios. If species could occupy all newly suitable climate, almost 70% of species could expand ranges. Including dispersal barriers (natural and anthropogenic), however, led to range expansion in only less than 20% of the studied species. When species were not allowed to migrate, all of them lost an average of 90% of the suitable area, suggesting that climate may become unsuitable within their present distributions. All Amazon primate species may need to move as climate changes to avoid deleterious effects of exposure to non‐analog climates. The effect of climate change on the distribution of Amazon primates will ultimately depend on whether landscape permeability will allow climate‐driven faunal migrations. The network of protected areas in the Amazon could work as ‘stepping stones’ but most are outside important migratory routes. Therefore, protecting important dispersal corridors is foremost to allow effective migrations of the Amazon fauna in face of climate change and deforestation.     

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.     

Sperm cryopreservation of Prochilodus brevis using different concentrations of non-permeable cryoprotectants

The action of substances with non-permeable cryoprotectant potential, besides glucose, has not yet been studied for the species Prochilodus brevis. The objective of this work was to evaluate the action of four non-permeable cryoprotectants on this species sperm cryopreservation. Five pools were cryopreserved in a solution of 5% glucose and 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (Me₂SO) associated or not (control) with cryoprotectants egg yolk (5, 10 or 12%), soy lecithin (2.5, 7.5 or 10%), sucrose (5, 10 or 20%) and lactose (5, 8 or 15%). After thawing, samples were evaluated for sperm kinetics (total motility, motility duration, velocities, and wobble - WOB), morphology and membrane and DNA integrity. The treatments containing egg yolk improved significantly (P<0.05) results when compared the control for the membrane integrity parameter. When compared to other treatments, egg yolk, at any concentration, presented higher results (P<0.05) for membrane integrity, total motility, curvilinear velocity (VCL) and average path velocity (VAP) parameters. Egg yolk also showed the best results for WOB, but it did not differ from 5% and 8% lactose and 5% and 20% sucrose. Soy lecithin had the lowest percentages of morphologically normal sperm (P<0.05), while the other treatments did not differ from each other. There was no difference regarding DNA integrity data. Thus, 5% egg yolk is indicated as a non-permeable cryoprotectant for P. brevis, in association with 5% glucose and 10% Me₂SO.     

Detection of Mycobacterium leprae DNA by polymerase chain reaction in the blood and nasal secretion of Brazilian household contacts

DNA samples from blood and nasal swabs of 125 healthy household contacts was submitted to amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a Mycobacterium leprae-specific sequence as a target for the detection of subclinical infection with M. leprae. All samples were submitted to hybridization analysis in order to exclude any false positive or negative results. Two positive samples were confirmed from blood out of 119 (1.7%) and two positive samples from nasal secretion out of 120 (1.7%). The analysis of the families with positive individuals showed that 2.5% (n = 3) of the contacts were relatives of multibacilary patients while 0.8% of the cases (n = 1) had a paucibacilary as an index case. All positive contacts were followed up and after one year none of them presented clinical signs of the disease. In spite of the PCR sensitivity to detect the presence of the M. leprae in a subclinical stage, this molecular approach did not seem to be a valuable tool to screen household contacts, since we determined a spurious association of the PCR positivity and further development of leprosy.     

Evidence for the involvement of the RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR) in the induction of human cytotoxic T lymphocytes against a synthetic peptide of HIV-1 by regulatory RNA

The studies on the inhibitory effect exerted by Cholera Toxin (CT) on cell growth and proliferation indicate a remarkable heterogeneity of cell response suggesting that the inhibition represents the final event of many different ways or mechanisms . After CT binding, cAMP accumulation may not occur (as in L1210 leukemia cells) or, when occurring (as in SR-4987 stromal cells), may not be coupled with the antiproliferative effect of CT. In WEHI-3B cells CT binds a Gal-GalNac-GM1b receptor and the anticlonogenic effect of CT seems correlated with cAMP accumulation.To demonstrate the central role of cAMP in WEHI-3B cells, starting from the sensitive cell strain we selected and established a clone of WEHI-3B resistant to CT. This revertant clone (WEHI-3B/CT/REV) is currently cultured in the absence of CT and in the proliferation assay shows a dramatic resistance (>46,000 than the parental cells). Stimulation of WEHI-3B/CT/REV cells by cholera toxin failed to enhance cAMP and the ganglioside-CT binding studied on Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) blots showed that the resistant cells lost the spot correspondent to the migration of Gal-GalNac-GM1b ganglioside. Both the lines respond at the same level to the adenylate cyclase stimulation by forskolin and the incorporation of GM1a did not decrease the resistance of WEHI-3B/CT/REV. These data confirm that Gal-GalNac-GM1b is the most important functional receptor for CT in WEHI-3B cells able to transduce the signal by enhancing cAMP which in turn inhibits cell proliferation (probably by cAMP dependent protein kinase activation). Our study describes the first cell line resistant to CT originated from a susceptible parental strain and provides a new interesting cell model for studying the cAMP dependent mechanisms involved in cell growth regulation.     

Differential expression of laminin isoform (alpha2), integrins (alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4) and cytokeratin 20 in H. pylori gastritis

The expression of laminin-1 chains (beta1 and gamma1), laminin-2 (merosin), integrin receptors to laminin (alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4) and cytokeratin (CK20) were studied by immunohistochemical methods in gastric biopsies from antrum of 25 patients. H. pylori gastritis was found in 19 cases and intestinal metaplasia (IM) in four from these 19. Another 13 biopsies, all with IM were immunostained to laminin-2. Laminin-1 chains in normal and gastritis areas without IM were expressed as a strong, linear and continuous deposit in the basement membranes of the superficial and glandular epithelium. In metaplastic glands the reactivity to laminin-1 chains was decreased. Merosin was discontinuous when a moderate to accentuated H. pylori glandular colonization was present. Samples with IM were negative to laminin-2. The alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4 integrins were negative only in IM gastric biopsies. The CK20 immunoreactivity was strong and homogeneous in the cells at the tip and the upper portion of foveolae in normal areas and in gastritis with IM the reactivity to CK 20 was heterogeneous. A differential expression of laminin isoforms is related to inflammation and subsequent IM caused by H. pylori. The alterations of alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4 parallel both modifications in merosin and CK20 expression in H. pylori chronic gastritis.