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Aim: We examined the effects of space, climate, phylogeny and species traits on module composition in a cross-biomes plant–hummingbird network. Location: Brazil, except Amazonian region. Methods: We compiled 31 local binary plant–hummingbird networks, combining them into one cross-biomes metanetwork. We conducted a modularity analysis and tested the relationship between species’ module membership with traits, geographical location, climatic conditions and range sizes, employing random forest models. We fitted reduced models containing groups of related variables (climatic, spatial, phylogenetic, traits) and combinations of groups to partition the variance explained by these sets into unique and shared components. Results: The Brazilian cross-biomes network was composed of 479 plant and 42 hummingbird species, and showed significant modularity. The resulting six modules conformed well to vegetation domains. Only plant traits, not hummingbird traits, differed between modules, notably plants’ growth form, corolla length, flower shape and colour. Some modules included plant species with very restricted distributions, whereas others encompassed more widespread ones. Widespread hummingbirds were the most connected, both within and between modules, whereas widespread plants were the most connected between modules. Among traits, only nectar concentration had a weak effect on among-module connectivity. Main conclusions: Climate and spatial filters were the main determinants of module composition for hummingbirds and plants, potentially related to resource seasonality, especially for hummingbirds. Historical dispersal-linked contingency, or environmental variations not accounted for by the explanatory factors here evaluated, could also contribute to the spatial component. Phylogeny and morphological traits had no unique effects on the assignment of species to modules. Widespread species showed higher within- and/or among-module connectivity, indicating their key role connecting biomes, and, in the case of hummingbirds, communities within biomes. Our results indicate that biogeography and climate not only determine the variation of modularity in local plant–animal networks, as previously shown, but also affect the cross-biomes network structure.

Aim: The pathogenesis of chronic diabetes complications has oxidative stress as one of the major elements, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes belonging to antioxidant pathways modulate susceptibility to these complications. Considering that melatonin is a powerful antioxidant compound, our aim was to explore, in a longitudinal cohort study of type 1 diabetes (T1D) individuals, the association of microvascular complications and SNPs in the gene encoding melatonin receptor 1A ( MTNR1A )., Methods: Eight SNPs in MTNR1A were genotyped in 489 T1D individuals. Besides cross-sectional analyses of SNPs with each one of the microvascular complications (distal polyneuropathy, cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, retinopathy, and diabetic kidney disease), a longitudinal analysis evaluated the associations of SNPs with renal function decline in 411 individuals followed up for a median of 8 years. In a subgroup of participants, the association of complications with urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) concentration was investigated., Results: The group of individuals with a renal function decline ≥ 5 mL min -1 1.73 m -2 year -1 presented a higher frequency of the A allele of rs4862705 in comparison with nondecliners, even after adjustment for confounding variables (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.20-2.82; p = 0.0046). No other significant associations were found., Conclusions: This is the first study showing an association between a variant in a gene belonging to the melatonin system and renal function decline in the diabetic setting., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Daher, Santos-Bezerra, Cavaleiro, Pelaes, Admoni, Perez, Machado, Amaral, Cipolla-Neto and Correa-Giannella.)

The use of mixed mineral fertilizers consisting of macro- and micronutrients, which are already routinely used for leaf fertilization, in the treatment of corn and soybean seeds would positively influence germination and vigor, consequently improving growth and seedling development. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological potential of corn and soybean seeds treated with mixed mineral fertilizers. The seed treatment efficiency test with mixed mineral fertilizers was conducted at the Federal University of Jataí-UFJ-using Vital ® , Lança ® , Ídolo ® , Massivo ® , and their combinations. The treatments consisted of two controls for soybean and three for corn. Analysis of variance was performed using the F-test ( p ≤ 0.05), and when there was significance, the means were compared using the Scott-Knott test ( p ≤ 0.05). The mixed mineral fertilizers Vital ® + Massivo ® (T6), Lança ® + Ídolo ® (T7), and Vital ® + Lança ® + Ídolo ® (T10) used in the seed treatment benefit the development of soybean (NS7667 IPRO) seeds. The treatments for corn (MG744 PWU) had little effect on germination and seedling development. The use of mixed mineral fertilizers in the seed treatments did not affect the physiological potential of the soybean and corn seeds, keeping the lots with germination values within commercialization standards.

Background: To describe the anatomical and functional outcomes and late complications in patients who developed inferior proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) in silicone oil-filled eyes and who required reoperation with large inferior retinectomy., Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective, interventional case series analysis. The study involved 18 individuals with tractional retinal re-detachment due to PVR development inferiorly in eyes who had undergone prior pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil as a tamponade. All patients included in the study underwent secondary surgery with large inferior retinectomy (from 120° to 270°) and silicone oil filling., Results: The mean follow-up period was 44.0 ± 31.5 (± SD) months (range: 4 to 96 months. The anatomical success, defined as the complete reattachment of the retina until the last follow-up, was observed in 88.9% of the cases. The postoperative visual acuity ranged from 20/100 to hand motion at 60 cm. Only two cases (11.1%) did not achieve anatomical success at the last follow-up due to recurrent PVR and retinal re-detachment (one including hypotony). All of the patients were pseudophakic. The PVR grade, as well as the presence of PVR prior to primary surgery, showed no statistical correlation with BCVA, the extent of retinectomies, and final macular status. There was a statistically significant correlation between "Final BCVA" and "Initial BCVA" (r = 0.654) and between "Final BCVA" and "Extent of Retinectomy" (r = 0.615)., Conclusions: Reoperation in eyes filled with silicone oil may be required when PVR is developed. Secondary surgery in these cases with large inferior retinectomy and silicone oil implantation may reach good anatomical success with low rates of late complications, besides improving visual acuity. A better BCVA at the time of re-RD diagnosis and cases of retinectomies with greater extensions showed a positive correlation with better functional outcomes. Trial registration Research Ethics Committee of the Suel Abujamra Institute reviewed and approved this study protocol (approval number, 5.404.961)., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Purpose: To describe a rare case of a 13 years-old healthy child that presented CRAO secondary to carotid artery dissection, which occurred after a neck rotation movement., Methods: Case report with prospective literature review., Patients: One patient described in the case report., Results: Not applicable., Discussion/conclusion: Internal carotid artery dissection is a rare condition, specially in children, that can lead to serious cerebral-ocular ischemic events. It may occur due to direct vessel trauma or spontaneously. Prompt imaging screening is of paramount importance because early antithrombotic treatment or surgical intervention may significantly reduce the incidence of devastating ischemic events, such as stroke or central retinal artery occlusion., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Introduction: One of the most critical complications in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is the progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The dynamics of clonal evolution in MDS and how acquired mutations can be used as biomarkers to track disease progression remains under investigation., Objective and Method: Herein, we investigated the frequency of common myeloid clonal mutations (FLT3, NPM1, JAK2, IDH1 and IDH2) in 88 patients with MDS and 35 AML patients with myelodysplasia-related changes, followed at a single reference center in northeastern Brazil., Results: Overall, 9/88 (10%) of the MDS patients and 9/35 (26%) of the secondary AML patients had at least one mutation. While the JAK2 V617F mutation was the most frequent in the MDS patients, the FLT3, NPM1, IDH1 and IDH2 mutations were more frequently found in the secondary AML group. Furthermore, there was a higher frequency of FLT3, NPM1, IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in MDS patients classified as high-risk subtypes than in those of lower risk., Conclusion: Despite the limited sample size, our data suggest that mutations in FLT3, NPM1, IDH1 and IDH2 genes could be potential biomarkers to detect early disease progression in MDS., (Copyright © 2020 Associação Brasileira de Hematologia, Hemoterapia e Terapia Celular. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Flowering plant species and their nectar-feeding vertebrates exemplify some of the most remarkable biotic interactions in the Neotropics. In the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, several species of birds (especially hummingbirds), bats, and non-flying mammals, as well as one lizard feed on nectar, often act as pollinators and contribute to seed output of flowering plants. We present a dataset containing information on flowering plants visited by nectar-feeding vertebrates and sampled at 166 localities in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This dataset provides information on 1902 unique interactions among 515 species of flowering plants and 129 species of potential vertebrate pollinators and the patterns of species diversity across latitudes. All plant-vertebrate interactions compiled were recorded through direct observations of visits, and no inferences of pollinators based on floral syndromes were included. We also provide information on the most common plant traits used to understand the interactions between flowers and nectar-feeding vertebrates: plant growth form, corolla length, rate of nectar production per hour in bagged flowers, nectar concentration, flower color and shape, time of anthesis, presence or absence of perceptible fragrance by human, and flowering phenology as well as the plant's threat status by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classification. For the vertebrates, status of threat by IUCN classification, body mass, bill or rostrum size are provided. Information on the frequency of visits and pollen deposition on the vertebrate's body is provided from the original source when available. The highest number of unique interactions is recorded for birds (1771) followed by bats (110). For plants, Bromeliaceae contains the highest number of unique interactions (606), followed by Fabaceae (242) and Gesneriaceae (104). It is evident that there was geographical bias of the studies throughout the southeast of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and that most effort was directed to flower-hummingbird interactions. However, it reflects a worldwide tendency of more plants interacting with birds compared with other vertebrate species. The lack of similar protocols among studies to collect basic data limits the comparisons among areas and generalizations. Nevertheless, this dataset represents a notable effort to organize and highlight the importance of vertebrate pollinators in this hotspot of biodiversity on Earth and represents the data currently available. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or scientific events., (© 2022 The Ecological Society of America.)

Background: The tomographic finding, which has been called the "fingerprint sign" in en face reconstructions, seems to be the result of a variety of processes that cause distension of the outer plexiform layer (OPL) and the Henle fiber layer (HFL). The aim of this paper is to describe the appearance of concentric rings at the OPL/HFL interface visualized using en face reconstructions of cross-sectional optical coherence tomography images of patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease., Methods: Retrospective analysis of images of six eyes of three patients obtained by cross-sectional OCT imaging and en face reconstruction at the level of the OPL/HFL interface., Results: All eyes presented with a dentate or saw-tooth pattern of the OPL/HFL interface on cross-sectional OCT with corresponding concentric rings on en face OCT reconstruction, consistent with the recently published "fingerprint sign". Initial OPL/HFL interface changes were observed between the first and fourth months after treatment and resolution of VKHD associated serous retinal detachments. These OPL/HFL interface changes have persisted for many years following the resolution of the active inflammation., Conclusions: Changes in the OPL/HFL interface can be identified following successful treatment of VKHD. These included both a dentate or saw-tooth pattern on cross-sectional imaging and concentric rings or the "fingerprint sign" on en face reconstructions. These changes persisted for many years despite disease quiescence., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background and Aims: Since hyperglycemia promotes inflammation by different pathways and inflammation participates in the development of chronic diabetes complications, we investigated the association between the leukotriene (LT) pathway and microvascular diabetes complications., Methods and Results: Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to quantify the expression of ALOX5 (encodes 5-lipoxygenase), LTB4R (encodes one of the LTB4 receptors), and MYD88 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 164 type 1 diabetes (T1D) individuals presenting or not diabetes kidney disease, retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN); 26 nondiabetic subjects were included as controls. LTB4 plasmatic concentrations were also evaluated. The expression of LTB4R was significantly higher in T1D individuals than in controls. T1D individuals with microvascular complications presented lower MYD88 mRNA expression when compared to those without microvascular complications. Higher LTB4 concentrations were found in individuals with CAN versus without CAN. The observation of two distinct subgroups of T1D individuals in the correlation analyses motivated us to evaluate the characteristics of each one of these groups separately. The group presenting higher expression of ALOX5 and of LTB4R also presented higher values of HbA 1 C, of fructosamine, and of plasmatic LTB4., Conclusion: In the diabetes setting, the LT pathway is not only activated by hyperglycemia but is also modulated by the status of the autonomic nervous system., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Daniele P. Santos-Bezerra et al.)

Interactions between species are influenced by different ecological mechanisms, such as morphological matching, phenological overlap and species abundances. How these mechanisms explain interaction frequencies across environmental gradients remains poorly understood. Consequently, we also know little about the mechanisms that drive the geographical patterns in network structure, such as complementary specialization and modularity. Here, we use data on morphologies, phenologies and abundances to explain interaction frequencies between hummingbirds and plants at a large geographical scale. For 24 quantitative networks sampled throughout the Americas, we found that the tendency of species to interact with morphologically matching partners contributed to specialized and modular network structures. Morphological matching best explained interaction frequencies in networks found closer to the equator and in areas with low-temperature seasonality. When comparing the three ecological mechanisms within networks, we found that both morphological matching and phenological overlap generally outperformed abundances in the explanation of interaction frequencies. Together, these findings provide insights into the ecological mechanisms that underlie geographical patterns in resource specialization. Notably, our results highlight morphological constraints on interactions as a potential explanation for increasing resource specialization towards lower latitudes.

Aims/introduction: Epigenetics participate in the pathogenesis of metabolic memory, a situation in which hyperglycemia exerts prolonged deleterious effects even after its normalization. We tested the hypothesis that genetic variants in an epigenetic gene could predispose to diabetes complications., Material and Methods: We assessed the frequency of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding deoxyribonucleic acid methytransferase 1 (DNMT1; rs8112895, rs7254567, rs11085721, rs17291414 and rs10854076), and their associations with diabetic kidney disease, retinopathy, distal polyneuropathy and autonomic cardiovascular neuropathy in 359 individuals with long-term type 1 diabetes., Results: None of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms studied was significantly associated with the presence of chronic complications in the overall population. However, after sex stratification, the minor allele C of rs11085721 conferred risk for cardiovascular neuropathy in women after adjustment for confounding variables (odds ratio 2.32; 95% confidence interval 1.26-4.33; P = 0.006)., Conclusions: The fact that heterozygous mutations in DNMT1 are associated with hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy provides plausibility to the present finding. If confirmed in independent samples, it suggests that genetic variants in epigenetic genes might predispose to more or fewer epigenetic changes in the face of similar metabolic derangements triggered by hyperglycemia, constituting the "genetics of epigenetics" for microvascular diabetes complications., (© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Aims: Given the participation of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications, we evaluated, in type 1 diabetes (T1D) individuals, the association between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in regulatory regions of two genes belonging to the antioxidant glutathione (GSH) system: rs17883901 in GCLC and rs713041 in GPX4., Methods: A cross-sectional case-control study included 288 individuals (61% women, 34[±11] years old, diabetes duration of 22[±9] years, mean [±SD]) sorted according to DR stages: absence of DR (ADR), non-proliferative DR (NPDR) and proliferative DR (PDR). SNPs were genotyped by real-time PCR using fluorescent labelled probes. Logistic regression models with adjustment for confounding covariates were employed., Results: The presence of at least one T-allele of rs17883901 in GCLC was an independent risk factor for PDR (OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.38-13.66, p = 0.014) in a polytomous regression model (PDR versus ADR). The presence of at least one T-allele of rs713041 in GPX4 conferred protection against PDR (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.80, p = 0.017) in female T1D individuals., Conclusion: The functional SNPs rs17883901 and rs713041 modulate the risk for PDR in the studied population of T1D individuals, widening the spectrum of candidate genes for this complication., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cacao agroforestry have been considered as biodiversity-friendly farming practices by maintaining habitats for a high diversity of species in tropical landscapes. However, little information is available to evaluate whether this agrosystem can maintain functional diversity, given that agricultural changes can affect the functional components, but not the taxonomic one (e.g., species richness). Thus, considering functional traits improve the understanding of the agricultural impacts on biodiversity. Here, we measured functional diversity (functional richness-FD, functional evenness-FEve, and functional divergence-Rao) and taxonomic diversity (species richness and Simpson index) to evaluate changes of bird diversity in cacao agroforestry in comparison with nearby mature forests (old-growth forests) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We used data from two landscapes with constraining areas of mature forest (49% Una and 4.8% Ilhéus) and cacao agroforestry cover (6% and 82%, respectively). To remove any bias of species richness and to evaluate assembly processes (functional overdispersion or clustering), all functional indices were adjusted using null models. Our analyses considered the entire community, as well as separately for forest specialists, habitat generalists, and birds that contribute to seed dispersal (frugivores/granivores) or invertebrate removal (insectivores). Our findings showed that small cacao agroforestry in the forested landscape sustains functional diversity (FD and FEve) as diverse as nearby forests when considering the entire community, forest specialist, and habitat generalists. However, we observed declines for frugivores/granivores and insectivores (FD and Rao). These responses of bird communities differed from those observed by taxonomic diversity, suggesting that even species-rich communities in agroforestry may capture lower functional diversity. Furthermore, communities in both landscapes showed either functional clustering or neutral processes as the main driver of functional assembly. Functional clustering may indicate that local conditions and resources were changed or lost, while neutral assemblies may reveal high functional redundancy at the landscape scale. In Ilhéus, the neutral assembly predominance suggests an effect of functional homogenization between habitats. Thus, the conservation value of cacao agroforestry to harbor species-rich communities and ecosystem functions relies on smallholder production with reduced farm management in a forested landscape. Finally, we emphasize that seed dispersers and insectivores should be the priority conservation targets in cacao systems., Competing Interests: None declared.

Objective: To compare the serum micro-RNAs (miRNAs) profile of individuals with type 1 diabetes without microvascular complications vs. those with multiple severe microvascular complications, in order to identify epigenetically modulated pathways in these two groups of individuals. Research Design and Methods: A total of 10 subjects were selected among individuals followed in the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic and sorted according to the absence or presence of all microvascular complications. Samples from these participants were used for evaluation of serum miRNA expression profile employing a qRT-PCR assay with hydrolysis probes based on the Taqman Low Density Arrays (TLDA) system. The top six most differentially expressed miRNAs between the aforementioned groups were validated by qRT-PCR in additional 47 type 1 diabetes individuals sorted according to the absence or presence of all microvascular complications and matched for age, sex, degree of metabolic control, diabetes duration, and age at diagnosis. Results: Twenty one out of three hundred and seventy seven miRNAs were upregulated in the group of individuals with all microvascular complications vs. the group without complications. The following miRs were validated: 518-3p, 34a-5p, 126-5p, 425-5p, 618, and 139-5p and logistic regression analyses showed that miRNA-518-3p and miRNA-618 were positively associated with multiple microvascular complications after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes duration, HbA 1 c and use of statin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and amlodipine. Conclusions: In this cohort of type 1 diabetes individuals, serum miR-518d-3p and miR-618 were upregulated in those with diabetes kidney disease, diabetes retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in comparison to individuals with no microvascular complications.

Scientists have long been trying to understand why the Neotropical region holds the highest diversity of birds on Earth. Recently, there has been increased interest in morphological variation between and within species, and in how climate, topography, and anthropogenic pressures may explain and affect phenotypic variation. Because morphological data are not always available for many species at the local or regional scale, we are limited in our understanding of intra- and interspecies spatial morphological variation. Here, we present the ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS, a data set that includes measurements of up to 44 morphological traits in 67,197 bird records from 2,790 populations distributed throughout the Atlantic forests of South America. This data set comprises information, compiled over two centuries (1820-2018), for 711 bird species, which represent 80% of all known bird diversity in the Atlantic Forest. Among the most commonly reported traits are sex (n = 65,717), age (n = 63,852), body mass (n = 58,768), flight molt presence (n = 44,941), molt presence (n = 44,847), body molt presence (n = 44,606), tail length (n = 43,005), reproductive stage (n = 42,588), bill length (n = 37,409), body length (n = 28,394), right wing length (n = 21,950), tarsus length (n = 20,342), and wing length (n = 18,071). The most frequently recorded species are Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 1,837), Turdus albicollis (n = 1,658), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 1,468), Turdus leucomelas (n = 1,436), and Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 1,384). The species recorded in the greatest number of sampling localities are Basileuterus culicivorus (n = 243), Trichothraupis melanops (n = 242), Chiroxiphia caudata (n = 210), Platyrinchus mystaceus (n = 208), and Turdus rufiventris (n = 191). ATLANTIC BIRD TRAITS (ABT) is the most comprehensive data set on measurements of bird morphological traits found in a biodiversity hotspot; it provides data for basic and applied research at multiple scales, from individual to community, and from the local to the macroecological perspectives. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching and educational activities., (© 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of America.)

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to quantify expression of two genes coding for advanced glycation end-product receptors [RAGE ( AGER) and AGER1 ( DDOST)] and of the gene coding the deacetylase SIRT1 ( SIRT1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from type 1 diabetes patients without [Group A, n = 35; 28.5 (24-39) years old; median (interquartile interval)] or with at least one microvascular complication [Group B, n = 117; 34.5 (30-42) years old]; 31 healthy controls were also included. In a subgroup of 48 patients, daily advanced glycation end-products intake before blood collection was assessed. Lower expression of DDOST was found in patients than in controls after adjustment for sex, age, use of statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. Higher expressions of AGER, DDOST and SIRT1 were observed in Group A. Stratifying by complications, AGER and DDOST expressions were higher in those without retinopathy and without diabetic kidney disease, respectively, compared to patients with these complications. Patients using statins or angiotensin receptor blockers presented higher expression of DDOST. Expression of SIRT1 was higher in patients consuming ≥12,872 KU daily of advanced glycation end-products. Although AGER, DDOST and SIRT1 are differently expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from type 1 diabetes patients with and without microvascular complications, they are also influenced by dietary advanced glycation end-products and by statins and angiotensin receptor blockers.

Ecological communities that experience stable climate conditions have been speculated to preserve more specialized interspecific associations and have higher proportions of smaller ranged species (SRS). Thus, areas with disproportionally large numbers of SRS are expected to coincide geographically with a high degree of community-level ecological specialization, but this suggestion remains poorly supported with empirical evidence. Here, we analysed data for hummingbird resource specialization, range size, contemporary climate, and Late Quaternary climate stability for 46 hummingbird-plant mutualistic networks distributed across the Americas, representing 130 hummingbird species (ca 40% of all hummingbird species). We demonstrate a positive relationship between the proportion of SRS of hummingbirds and community-level specialization, i.e. the division of the floral niche among coexisting hummingbird species. This relationship remained strong even when accounting for climate, furthermore, the effect of SRS on specialization was far stronger than the effect of specialization on SRS, suggesting that climate largely influences specialization through species' range-size dynamics. Irrespective of the exact mechanism involved, our results indicate that communities consisting of higher proportions of SRS may be vulnerable to disturbance not only because of their small geographical ranges, but also because of their high degree of specialization., (© 2016 The Author(s).)

During the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic, Portugal was the third most affected country. As a result of a successful national eradication plan, the number of BSE affected animals has been progressively declining in Portugal with no cases identified in 2013. However, within the scope of this active surveillance scheme, we have identified the first H-type BSE case born after the introduction of the reinforced ban in fallen stock. Here, we report the phenotypic features of this case and the analysis of the protein coding sequence of prnp as well as the prnp promoter and intron 1 insertion-deletions.

Background: Studies on popular names of birds help to understand the relationship between human beings and birds and it also contributes to the field of ornithology., Methods: This study aims to register the ethnotaxonomy of birds in the village of Pedra Branca, Santa Teresinha municipality, Bahia State, Brazil, by cataloguing and identifying their popular names, besides understanding the ethnoclassification system of local bird species. The ethno-ornithological data were obtained by means of semi-structured open interviews, and projective tests., Results: We interviewed 48 residents and, in order to identify species, we chose five informants with a more detailed knowledge on local avifauna. We registered 139 common names, distributed into 108 ethnospecies and 33 synonyms, referring to 117 species. Nomenclatural criteria more frequently used were vocalization and coloring patterns. Following Berlin's principles of ethnobiological classification, three hierarchical levels were registered: life form, generic and specific, with three types of correspondence between Linnaean and folk classification systems. The bird life form ("pássaro" in Portuguese) was associated only to wild species., Conclusions: The ethno-ornithological research in Pedra Branca Village has contributed with new information on popular nomenclature of birds and their etymology, showing that folk knowledge on birds is conveyed within the community.

Large-scale geographical patterns of biotic specialization and the underlying drivers are poorly understood, but it is widely believed that climate plays an important role in determining specialization. As climate-driven range dynamics should diminish local adaptations and favor generalization, one hypothesis is that contemporary biotic specialization is determined by the degree of past climatic instability, primarily Quaternary climate-change velocity. Other prominent hypotheses predict that either contemporary climate or species richness affect biotic specialization. To gain insight into geographical patterns of contemporary biotic specialization and its drivers, we use network analysis to determine the degree of specialization in plant-hummingbird mutualistic networks sampled at 31 localities, spanning a wide range of climate regimes across the Americas. We found greater biotic specialization at lower latitudes, with latitude explaining 20-22% of the spatial variation in plant-hummingbird specialization. Potential drivers of specialization--contemporary climate, Quaternary climate-change velocity, and species richness--had superior explanatory power, together explaining 53-64% of the variation in specialization. Notably, our data provides empirical evidence for the hypothesized roles of species richness, contemporary precipitation and Quaternary climate-change velocity as key predictors of biotic specialization, whereas contemporary temperature and seasonality seem unimportant in determining specialization. These results suggest that both ecological and evolutionary processes at Quaternary time scales can be important in driving large-scale geographical patterns of contemporary biotic specialization, at least for co-evolved systems such as plant-hummingbird networks.

Objective: To compare induction with hydromorphone and diazepam (HydroD) or oxymorphone and diazepam (OxyD) followed by maintenance with isoflurane in dogs with induced hypovolemia., Animals: 6 healthy mixed-breed dogs., Procedure: The study used a crossover design. Measurements were obtained in normovolemic dogs during isoflurane. Hypovolemia was induced (blood loss of 30 mL/kg) and measurements repeated following recovery from anesthesia, after HydroD (hydromorphone, 0.1 mg/kg; diazepam, 0.2 mg/kg; i.v.) or OxyD (oxymorphone, 0.05 mg/kg; diazepam, 0.2 mg/kg; i.v.), after another dose of the same opioid, during administration of isoflurane (end-tidal concentration, 0.9%), and after glycopyrrolate (0.01 mg/kg, i.v.). Significant changes were identified., Results: Induction effect was evident within 1 minute. All dogs were intubated after the second dose of opioid. No significant differences were found between inductions. The HydroD decreased heart rate (mean +/- SEM, -41 +/- 9.8 beats/min), whereas both inductions increased stroke index (0.4 +/- 0.09 mL/kg/beat) and caused moderate respiratory depression. Cardiac index was decreased (-30.2 +/- 6.04 mL/kg/min) and there was minor metabolic acidosis during isoflurane following HydroD, compared with values for anesthetized normovolemic dogs. Glycopyrrolate increased heart rate (50 +/- 8.6 beats/min) and decreased systolic blood pressure (-23.2 +/- 4.87 mm Hg) in dogs induced with HydroD and decreased stroke index (-0.3 +/- 0.08 mL/kg/beat) for both inductions., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Similar effects were detected after administration of HydroD or OxyD in hypovolemic dogs. Either combination should be safe for use in hypovolemic dogs. Administration of glycopyrrolate was not beneficial.

The multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein is a transmembrane efflux pump expressed by lymphocytes and is involved in their cytolytic activity. In the present study, we investigated the age-related changes of P-glycoprotein function in normal peripheral blood lymphocytes. Blood samples from 90 normal volunteers (age range, 0 to 86 years) were analyzed. P-glycoprotein function was assessed by the flow cytometric rhodamine 123 assay. P-glycoprotein function was highest in cord blood and progressively declined with age in peripheral blood T CD4+ and CD8+ cells. In contrast, P-glycoprotein function did not vary with age in CD19+ B or CD16+CD56+ natural killer cells. These data suggest that the decline in P-glycoprotein function in T CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes as a function of age may contribute to the decrease in T cell cytolytic activity with aging.