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Tourism development is being treated as an essential element of national establishment as it has the potential of promoting cultural diversity and increase economic growth of country. However, it is also viewed as a culprit due to depletion of natural resources. In this respect, it is quite thoughtful to probe the government support and its moderating impact on association of tourism development with sociocultural degradation, national resource depletion, economic environment, and pollution reduction in Indonesian context, as Indonesia is known to be rich in terms of natural resources and recognized as the multicultural country. By using PLS methodology, the association among outlined construct and model significance has been probed in the sample of tourism management authorities. Findings disclose that government support and policy intervention significantly moderates tourism development and growth and depletion of natural resources in Indonesia. Insights from the findings finally help in proposing some unique implications that are beneficial for policymakers and practitioners. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of four autochthonous bacteria isolated from juvenile sole (Solea senegalensis) intestine as dietary probiotic supplement against bacterial pathogen infection and handling/transport stressors. Growth performance and immune responses were evaluated after 85 days of feeding trial. Sole (IBW = 16.07 ± 0.11 g) were fed six experimental diets, a control diet (CTRL, without the dietary probiotic supplementation), and five diets supplemented with probiotic bacteria: PB1 (Shewanella hafniensis), PB2 (Enterococcus raffinosus), PB3 (Shewanella hafniensis + Arthrobacter soli), PB4 (Pseudomonas protegens + Arthrobacter soli) and PB5 (Shewanella hafniensis + Arthrobacter soli + Enterococcus raffinosus). All bacteria were selected based on their in vitro antimicrobial activity. After the growth trial, fish were submitted to a stress factor (transport) and then each dietary group was divided in two additional groups: non-infected (placebo) and infected with Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida. Immune and antioxidant responses were evaluated at day 10 post-infection. In infection trial A, fish were infected on the same day of transport, whereas in trial B fish were infected after a 7-day recovery from the transport stress. At the end of the feeding trial, fish fed with PB2 and PB4 showed lower final body weight when compared with the other dietary groups. Respiratory burst activity and nitric oxide production were not affected by probiotic supplementation. Fish fed with PB5 presented lower peroxidase activity compared to CTRL. Lysozyme and alternative complement pathway activity (ACH50) showed no significant differences between treatments. The innate immune responses were significantly affected after handling stress and bacterial infection. In trial A, the ACH50 levels of infected fish were significantly lower than the placebo groups. On the other hand, in trial B fish infected with Pdp demonstrated higher ACH50 levels when compared to placebos. Peroxidase levels were strongly modulated by bacterial infection and handling stress. In trials A and B, infection had a clear downgrade effect in peroxidase levels. Lipid peroxidation, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and glutathione reductase were altered by both bacterial infection and transport. Overall, dietary probiotic supplementation did not influence growth performance of sole. The immune and oxidative defenses of sole responded differently to infection depending on the probiotic and the synergy between pathogen infection and transport. © 2018 The current study was partially supported by the project PROBIOSOLEA (reference 13551), co-funded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2—O Novo Norte), under the Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN) , through the European Regional Development Fund . The current study was also supported by the Research Line INSEAFOOD of the project INNOVMAR-Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources (reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035 ), funded by the Northern Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) through the ERDF. B. Costas was supported by FCT, Portugal ( IF/00197/2015 ).

Since its first appearance in Wuhan, China, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread throughout the world and has become a global pandemic. Several medical comorbidities have been identified as risk factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, it remains unclear whether people living with human immunodefeciency virus (PLWH) are at an increased risk of COVID-19 and severe disease manifestation, with controversial suggestion that HIV-infected individuals could be protected from severe COVID-19 by means of antiretroviral therapy or HIV-related immunosuppression. Several cases of coinfection with HIV and SARS-CoV-2 have been reported from different parts of the globe. This review seeks to provide a holistic overview of SARS-CoV-2 infection in PLWH. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC

The invasive wasp-mimicking Tiger Longicorn Beetle, Xylotrechus chinensis, a potentially lethal pest of mulberry trees (Moraceae: Morus sp.), was first reported in Europe in 2018, although its colonization and establishment were estimated to have occurred during the year 2012 or earlier. In Catalonia the infestation spread from four towns and 44.1 km2 in 2018 to 12 towns and 378.1 km2 in 2020; in the studied town of Barberà del Vallès, infested trees rose from 16.21% in February 2016 to 59.29% in December 2018. Human safety in public parks and avenues is a concern, as beetle infestation increases the risk of falling branches. The main objective of this study was to evaluate how the infestation progresses over time, with and without abamectin treatment, and provide insights into female egg-laying preferences. Such knowledge helps contribute to management efforts to reduce expansion of the range of beetle infestation. Our statistical analysis shows that females prefer laying eggs on larger trees, on the highest part of trunks and on the crown base (this being more preferred than the trunk), and they do so on warmer, SW orientations rather than those facing N, NW and E. Emergence holes and gallery slits predict the spreading of infestations to new trees. An abamectin treatment (trunk injection) carried out at the end of April significantly reduced the number of new infestation. However, for maximum insecticide efficiency, the best time for treating with abamectin would be from mid-July to mid-August, when newly hatched larvae begin feeding on the phloem. Copyright: © 2021 Sarto i Monteys et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

When it comes to the discovery and analysis of yet uncharted bacterial traits, pure cultures are essential as only these allow detailed morphological and physiological characterization as well as genetic manipulation. However, microbiologists are struggling to isolate and maintain the majority of bacterial strains, as mimicking their native environmental niches adequately can be a challenging task. Here, we report the diversity-driven cultivation, characterization and genome sequencing of 79 bacterial strains from all major taxonomic clades of the conspicuous bacterial phylum Planctomycetes. The samples were derived from different aquatic environments but close relatives could be isolated from geographically distinct regions and structurally diverse habitats, implying that ‘everything is everywhere’. With the discovery of lateral budding in ‘Kolteria novifilia’ and the capability of the members of the Saltatorellus clade to divide by binary fission as well as budding, we identified previously unknown modes of bacterial cell division. Alongside unobserved aspects of cell signalling and small-molecule production, our findings demonstrate that exploration beyond the well-established model organisms has the potential to increase our knowledge of bacterial diversity. We illustrate how ‘microbial dark matter’ can be accessed by cultivation techniques, expanding the organismic background for small-molecule research and drug-target detection., This work was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant no. JO 893/4-1) and the Volkswagen foundation (experiment no. 89256). M.Y.G. was funded by the NIH IRP at the US National Library of Medicine. Work in the Mascher lab was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (grant no. MA2837/2-2) and the Bundeministerium für Bildung und Forschung in the framework of the ERAnet Synthetic Biology (project: ERASynBio2-ECFexpress). R.A. and A.M. were funded by the Max Planck Society.

The unicellular green microalga Haematococcus pluvialis accumulates large amounts of the red ketocarotenoid astaxanthin. Aiming to cultivate these microalgae with high astaxanthin efficiency, cultivations were scaled-up from 1000 mL bottle to 2 L and 8 L airlift photobioreactor using volumetric power consumption rate (W/m(3)) as scale up strategy. After cultivations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation was used to investigate the flow patterns, mixing efficiency and gas holdup profile within the 2 L photobioreactor. At the end, astaxanthin content was enhanced with increasing the cultivation volume and highest astaxanthin amount of 49.39 +/- 1.64 mg/g cell was obtained in 8 L photobioreactor. Hydrodynamic characteristics of photobioreactor was simulated and gas holdup showed difference between the riser and the downcomer regions. Velocity profiles of air and medium had higher values inside the draft tube than obtained in downcomer region. However liquid circulation was achieved from draft tube to the downcomer, mixing was not provided effectively considering the turbulence kinetic energy. For the further research, some developments about column configuration, sparger diameter may be necessary to enhance the mixing characteristics. (C) 2019, the Society for Biotechnology, Japan. All rights reserved., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [115M014], This study was a part of Cost action ES1408 and the authors would like to thank the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with the project number of 115M014 for the financial support. the authors declare no conflicts of interest.

WOS: 000428055300023, 29357082, Our aim was to transplant blue catfish germ line stem cells into blastulae of triploid channel catfish embryos to produce interspecific xenogenic catfish. The morphological structure of the gonads of blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) in similar to 90- to 100-day-old juveniles, two-year-old juveniles, and mature adults was studied histologically. Both oogonia (12-15 mu m, diameter with distinct nucleus 7-8 mu m diameter) and spermatogonia (12-15 mu m, with distinct nucleus 6-7.5 mu m diameter) were found in all ages of fish. The percentage of germ line stem cells was higher in younger blue catfish of both sexes. After the testicular tissue was trypsinized, a discontinuous density gradient centrifugation was performed using 70, 45, and 35% Percoll to enrich the percentage of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Four distinct cell bands were generated after the centrifugation. It was estimated that 50% of the total cells in the top band were type A spermatogonia (diameter 12-15 mu m) and type B spermatogonia (diameter 10-11 mu m). Germ cells were confirmed with expression of vasa. Blastula-stage embryos of channel catfish (I. punctatus) were injected with freshly dissociated blue catfish testicular germ cells as donor cells for transplantation. Seventeen days after the transplantation, 33.3% of the triploid channel catfish fry were determined to be xenogenic catfish. This transplantation technique was efficient, and these xenogenic channel catfish need to be grown to maturity to verify their reproductive capacity and to verify that for the first time SSCs injected into blastulae were able to migrate to the genital ridge and colonize. These results open the possibility of artificially producing xenogenic channel catfish males that can produce blue catfish sperm and mate with normal channel catfish females naturally. The progeny would be all C x B hybrid catfish, and the efficiency of hybrid catfish production could be improved tremendously in the catfish industry., USDA-Biotechnology Risk Assessment Program [2009-33522-05774]; Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station [80-009]; Office of the Vice President for Research, Auburn University (OVPR-AU-IGP), This work was partially funded by the USDA-Biotechnology Risk Assessment Program (grant no.: 2009-33522-05774), the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (80-009), and the Office of the Vice President for Research, Auburn University (OVPR-AU-IGP).

The functional trait approach has, as a central tenet, that plant traits are functional and shape individual performance, but this has rarely been tested in the field. Here, we tested the individual-based trait approach in a hyperdiverse Amazonian tropical rainforest and evaluated intraspecific variation in trait values, plant strategies at the individual level, and whether traits are functional and predict individual performance. We evaluated > 1300 tree saplings belonging to > 383 species, measured 25 traits related to growth and defense, and evaluated the effects of environmental conditions, plant size, and traits on stem growth. A total of 44% of the trait variation was observed within species, indicating a strong potential for acclimation. Individuals showed two strategy spectra, related to tissue toughness and organ size vs leaf display. In this nutrient- and light-limited forest, traits measured at the individual level were surprisingly poor predictors of individual growth performance because of convergence of traits and growth rates. Functional trait approaches based on individuals or species are conceptually fundamentally different: the species-based approach focuses on the potential and the individual-based approach on the realized traits and growth rates. Counterintuitively, the individual approach leads to a poor prediction of individual performance, although it provides a more realistic view on community dynamics. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust

Exposure to excessive oxygen in survivors of preterm birth is one of the factors that underlie the adverse neurological outcome in later life. Various pathological changes including enhanced apoptotic activity, oxidative stress and inflammation as well as decreased neuronal survival has been demonstrated in animal models of neonatal hyperoxia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of administering uridine, an anti-apoptotic agent, on cellular, molecular and behavioral consequences of hyperoxia-induced brain damage in a neonatal rat model. For five days from birth, rat pups were either subjected continuously to room air (21% oxygen) or hyperoxia (80% oxygen) and received daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections of saline (0.9% NaCl) or uridine (500 mg/kg). Two-thirds of all pups were sacrificed on postnatal day 5 (P5) in order to investigate apoptotic cell death, myelination and number of surviving neurons. One-thirds of pups were raised through P40 in order to evaluate early reflexes, sensorimotor coordination and cognitive functions followed by investigation of neuron count and myelination. We show that uridine treatment reduces apoptotic cell death and hypomyelination while increasing the number of surviving neurons in hyperoxic pups on P5. In addition, uridine enhances learning and memory performances in periadolescent rats on P40. These data suggest that uridine administered during the course of hyperoxic insult enhances cognitive functions at periadolescent period probably by reducing apoptotic cell death and preventing hypomyelination during the neonatal period in a rat model of hyperoxia-induced brain injury.

The characterization of behavioral patterns allows a better understanding of the transmission dynamics and the design of more effective malaria vector control strategies. This study analyzed the behavioral patterns of the Anopheles species of the Coração district situated in the northeast of the Brazilian Amazon region. The behavioral patterns of the anopheline species were measured based on the 36 collection sites of this district from December 2010 to November 2011. Collections of four hours for three consecutive nights each month and four 12-h collections, comprising two in the rainy season and two in the dry season, were performed. Furthermore, to infer the anthropophily and zoophily indexes, four additional four-hour collections were performed. The samples were also evaluated for parity rate and natural infectivity for Plasmodium spp. A total of 1689 anophelines were captured, comprising of nine species and two subgenera (Nyssorhynchus – six species, and Anopheles – three species). Anopheles darlingi was the most abundant and widely distributed species in the area, followed by A. braziliensis and A.marajoara. Anopheles darlingi and A. marajoara were the only species present in the four collections of 12-h, but only A. darlingi showed activity throughout night. Anopheles darlingi was the most anthropophilic species (AI = 0.40), but the zoophily index was higher (ZI = 0.60), revealing an eclectic and opportunistic behavior. Of the six most frequent species, A. nuneztovari s.l. was the most zoophilic species (ZI = 1.00). All captured species showed predominance towards biting in outdoor environments. Anopheles darlingi and A. braziliensis showed multimodal biting peaks, whereas A. marajoara revealed a stable pattern, with the biting peak after sunset. Using the PCR technique, no anopheline was found infected with the malaria parasite. Since A. darlingi and A. marajoara are recognized as important vectors in this region, the district of Coração may be considered as a highly potent area for transmission of malaria, therefore, the prevention and surveillance measures should be taken constantly to prevent the same. The role of A. braziliensis as malaria vector needs to be urgently investigated. © 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of rosemary, oregano and fennel volatile oil (FVO) supplementation on the performance and ilio-caecal bacteriological flora of broiler chickens. A total of 800 male Ross-308 broiler chickens were divided equally into 8 groups; each contained 100 chickens. The study included a control treatment (NC) with no dietary additives that was supplemented with oils according to the following 7 treatments: 200 mg α-tocopherol acetate/kg (PC), 100 mg oregano volatile oil (OVO)/kg, 100 mg rosemary volatile oil (RVO)/kg, 100 mg FVO/kg and an equal mixture of oregano+rosemary+fennel VO (100, 200, 400 mg/kg, VOM-1, VOM-2 and VOM-3, respectively). The experiment lasted for 6 weeks. At the end of the experiment, dietary supplementation with α-tocopherol, oregano, rosemary and FVO and two different volatile oil mixtures (VOMs) (VOM-2; VOM-3) significantly increased the body weights (BWs) of broilers at 7, 14 and 21 d of age compared to the negative control (NC) (-) and VOM-1 groups. At 0-42 d, birds fed on VOM-3 were considerably heavier and also gained more weight than NC (-) and VOM-1 groups. The blend of VOs at 400 mg/kg significantly increased Lactobacillus spp. in faeces. The blends of oregano, rosemary and FVOs (VOM-3) at 400 mg/kg concentration and also VOM-3 group exhibited stronger antibacterial activity against coliform bacteria compared to the NC (-) group. In conclusion, the blend of oregano, rosemary and fennel VOs at higher concentrations (400 mg/kg concentration) in diets can be used to stimulate the growth and can improve the intestinal microbial balance (including a reduction of coliform bacteria and an increase in Lactobacillus spp. counts) of broiler chickens.

Summary This study aimed to evaluate the effects of juniper essential oil on the growth performance, rumen fermentation parameters, rumen protozoa population, blood antioxidant enzyme parameters and faecal content in growing Saanen kids. Thirty-six male Saanen kids (36 ± 14 days of age) were used in the study. Each group consisted of 9 kids. The control group (G1) was fed with a diet that consisted of the above concentrated feed and oat hay, whereas the experimental groups consumed the same diet but with the concentrated feed uniformly sprayed with juniper essential oil 0.4 ml/kg (G2), 0.8 ml/kg (G3) or 2 ml/kg (G4). There were no differences (p > 0.05) in live weight, live weight gain or feed consumption between the control and experimental groups. There was a significant improvement (p

We investigated the effects of organic amendments (thermophilic compost, vermicompost, and coconut coir) on the bioavailability of trace heavy metals of Zn, Cd, Pb, Co, and Ni from heavy metal-spiked soils under laboratory conditions. To test switch grass (Panicum virgatum) as a potential crop for phytoremediation of heavy metal from soil, we investigated whether the addition of organic amendments promoted switch grass growth, and consequently, uptake of metals. Compost is a valuable soil amendment that supplies nutrients for plant establishment and growth, which is beneficial for phytoremediation. However, excess application of compost can result in nutrient leaching, which has adverse effects on water quality. We tested the nutrient leaching potential of the different organic amendments to identify trade-offs between phytoremediation and water quality. Results showed that the amendments decreased the amount of bioavailable metals in the soils. Organic amendments increased soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and soil nutrient status. Switch grass shoot and root biomass was significantly greater in the amended soils compared to the non-amended control. Amended treatments showed detectable levels of heavy metal uptake in switch grass shoots, while the control treatment did not produce enough switch grass biomass to measure uptake. Switch grass uptake of certain heavy metals, and concentrations of some leachate nutrients significantly differed among the amended treatments. By improving soil properties and plant productivity and reducing heavy metal solubility that can otherwise hamper plant survival, organic amendments can greatly enhance phytoremediation in heavy metal-contaminated soils. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Reforestation of technologically polluted areas has become an increasingly important issue. In this study, seed germination capacity and survival rate and morphometric characteristics of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings grown in a magnesite-polluted soil medium were investigated in a pot experiment. Significant differences in seed field germination, sprout survival, seedling length at various growth stages, and root collar diameter of the seedling were discovered between the trial variants for the pot trial using growing media from the polluted areas and the control site. In addition, it was observed that the differences between the trial variants depended on seed origin and the level of soil pollution. The data indicate that seed germination and seedling growth were significantly reduced as the levels of pollution increased. These negative effects of the pollution tend to increase as the seedling gets older. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences Acknowledgements The work was carried out within the framework of the State task of the Botanical Garden of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Oktay YILDIZ, Düzce University, Faculty of Forestry, in Turkey, and Prof. Dr. Sergey MENSHIKOV Botanical Garden Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia, for their contributions to the paper.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the combined prognostic value of neurological examination, head circumference and cranial ultrasound for neurodevelopmental delay (NDD) in very low birth weight (VLBW

The Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa) is an iconic and economically valuable species that dominates vast swathes of the Amazon Basin. This species seems to have been an important part of human subsistence strategies in the region from at least the Early Holocene, and its current distribution may be a legacy of past human settlement. Because B. excelsa is a long-lived pioneer tree it requires natural or human disturbances to increase light availability in the understory for a successful establishment. However, it remains unclear how the long-term population dynamics of this species have been shaped by pre-colonial and post-colonial human practices. Here, we use tree-ring analyses to look at changes in growing conditions over the past 400 years in a Brazil nut tree population in Central Amazonia. We identify changes in tree recruitment and growth rates associated not only with regional climatic variability, but also major political and socio-economic activities recorded by historical documents in the vicinity of Manaus. We demonstrate that the expansion of a post-colonial political center (Manaus) from the middle of the 18 th century onwards coincided with a reduction in recruitment of B. excelsa. We argue that this hiatus suggests the interruption of indigenous management practices, probably due to the collapse of pre-Columbian societies. A second recruitment pulse, and unprecedented cycles of growth release and suppression, aligns with a shift to modern exploitation of the forest into the 20 th century. Our findings shed light on how past histories of human-forest interactions can be revealed by the growth rings of trees in Amazonia. Future interdisciplinary analysis of these trees should enable more detailed investigation of how human forest management has changed in this part of the world, through pre-colonial, colonial, and industrial periods of human activity, with potential implications for conservation. © 2019 Caetano Andrade et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

International audience; Interferon-γ inducible protein 10 (IP-10), is a potent chemoattractant that promotes migration of monocytes and activated T-cells to inflammation foci. IP-10 is elevated in serum of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and tuberculosis (TB) infections, although it remains to be determined the contribution of IP-10 in restricting Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) replication. Here, we investigated the impact of IP-10 on mycobacteria replication using the ex vivo model of human whole-blood (WB) assay. In particular, we compared the levels of IP-10 upon infection with different Mtb clinical strains and species of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and evaluated how IP-10 may contain bacterial replication. Interestingly, we observed that the inhibition of the host enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), which inactivates IP-10 through cleavage of two amino acids at the chemokine N-terminus, restricted mycobacterial persistence in WB, supporting the critical role of full length IP-10 in mediating an anti-Mtb response. Addition of recombinant IP-10 expressed in eukaryotic cells enhanced the anti-mycobacterial activity in WB, although no differences were observed when IP-10 containing different proportions of cleaved and non-cleaved forms of the chemokine were added. Moreover, recombinant IP-10 did not exert a direct anti-mycobacterial effect. Our results underscore the clinical relevance of IP-10 in mycobacteria pathogenesis and support the potential outcomes that may derive by targeting the IP-10/CXCR3 pathway as host directed therapies for the treatment of Mtb or NTM infections.

The mitochondrial alternative oxidase, AOX, present in most eukaryotes apart from vertebrates and insects, catalyzes the direct oxidation of ubiquinol by oxygen, by-passing the terminal proton-motive steps of the respiratory chain. Its physiological role is not fully understood, but it is proposed to buffer stresses in the respiratory chain similar to those encountered in mitochondrial diseases in humans. Previously, we found that the ubiquitous expression of AOX from Ciona intestinalis in Drosophila perturbs the development of flies cultured under low-nutrient conditions (media containing only glucose and yeast). Here we tested the effects of a wide range of nutritional supplements on Drosophila development, to gain insight into the physiological mechanism underlying this developmental failure. On low-nutrient medium, larvae contained decreased amounts of triglycerides, lactate, and pyruvate, irrespective of AOX expression. Complex food supplements, including treacle (molasses), restored normal development to AOX-expressing flies, but many individual additives did not. Inhibition of AOX by treacle extract was excluded as a mechanism, since the supplement did not alter the enzymatic activity of AOX in vitro. Furthermore, antibiotics did not influence the organismal phenotype, indicating that commensal microbes were not involved. Fractionation of treacle identified a water-soluble fraction with low solubility in ethanol, rich in lactate and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, which contained the critical activity. We propose that the partial activation of AOX during metamorphosis impairs the efficient use of stored metabolites, resulting in developmental failure. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The relationships between specific type IV pili (TFP) groups and antibiotic resistance, biofilm formation, and bacterial motility were determined in 190 Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates. While motility and biofilm formation were determined by phenotypic assays, the presence of TFP was determined by PCR assay and antibiotic susceptibility by disk diffusion. The results showed a high ability to form biofilm (97.4%), multidrug resistance (44.7%), and the presence of a high number of motile isolates. We also found an association between strong biofilm production and multidrug resistance. Furthermore, TFP group III was associated with strong biofilm production. In contrast, the isolates with TFP group II and those without any TFP were associated with non-strong biofilm production. Regarding motility, TFP group II was associated with higher percentages of swarming, swimming, and twitching, while TFP group I showed lower percentages of swarming and twitching, and TFP group III showed lower levels of swarming and swimming. In conclusion, these findings highlight the differences in P. aeruginosa phenotypes related to the presence of specific TFP groups and their potential implications in clinical settings.

INTRODUCTION: The umbilical cord (UC) is a vital structure; its alterations affect the newborn and neurological impact can be permanent. Paradoxically, factors that determine it remain unknown. We explore the differential VEGF protein expression in the UC's proximal and distal portions in relation to the hypothesis that the UC has differential growth and that VEGF plays a role in it. METHODS: An observational analytical study was performed. One UC segment was taken proximal to fetus and another distal; both were randomly processed; VEGF immunohistochemical analysis was performed; two blinded pathologists read results. RESULTS: Forty-eight newborns were included. Protein expression between the two edges of the umbilical cord, in any kind of cells, was interpreted. Endothelium, amnion, and stromal cells expressed VEGF; the first two were not different between opposite ends. Stromal cells had differential expression: higher in the proximal to the fetus portion. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of molecular factors is necessary. UC cells widely expressed VEGF, possibly contributing to UC growth. Even though stromal cell expression was different, the interaction with activity close to the fetus must be explored. © 2019 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved. vasculotropin, 127464-60-2; vasculotropin A, 489395-96-2; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; VEGFA protein, human

The conservation of tropical forests is recognized as one of the most important challenges for forestry, ecology and politics. Besides strict protection, the sustainable management of natural forests should be enhanced as a key part of the foundation for the maintenance of tropical rain forest ecosystems. Due to methodological reasons it has been complicated to attain reliable growth data to plan sustainable felling cycles and rotation periods. Tree ring analyses enable the estimation of growth rates over the entire life span of trees and their age as well as giving hints from forest dynamics in previous centuries. For tree ring analysis, stem disk samples were taken from three important commercial tree species (Cariniana micrantha, Caryocar villosum and Manilkara huberi) in the upland (terra firme) forests of the Precious Woods Amazon logging company near Itacoatiara, Brazil. Based on radiocarbon estimates of individual growth zones, the annual nature of tree rings was proven for the three species. Tree rings were measured and the results used together with height estimates to model diameter, height and volume growth. The age of the eldest tree, a C. micrantha, was 585 yrs with 165 cm in diameter. The species’ diameter increments range from 0.20±0.12 cm yr-1 to 0.29±0.08 cm yr-1. At first sight, this is considerably lower than increments reported from other Amazonian or African timber species. Considering the respective wood density there is no significant difference in growth performance of dominant timber species across continents. The interpretation of lifetime tree ring curves indicate differences in shadow tolerance among species, the persistence of individuals in the understory for up to 150 years and natural stand dynamics without major disturbances. Management criteria should be adapted for the measured growth rates as they differed considerably from the Brazilian standards fixed by laws (felling cycle of 25–35 years and a common minimum logging diameter of 50 cm). Felling cycles should be increased to 32–51 years and minimum logging diameters to 63–123 cm depending on the species. © 2019 Worbes, Schöngart. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Although rapid detection kits continue to be developed and used, the classical culture method is still accepted as a gold standard. Therefore accelerating the classical culture methods safely is important for the detection of Campylobacter. The aim of this study is to design and compare a novel developed medium with other confirmed media in naturally and experimentally contaminated food matrices. Besides classical culture methods, it is subjected to qPCR and FISH methods. In this study, Campylobacter counts are investigated in spiked milk, chicken breast meat, cumin, minced beef meat, celery and tomato puree. Also to evaluate the enrichment medium in naturally contaminated samples, Campylobacter detection is performed in 20 chicken neck skin samples obtained from different sales points. The study showed that the novel broth provides a faster detectable number of Campylobacter. It was found to provide detectable Campylobacter counts after eight hours of inoculation. The results have shown that there is a significant increase on Campylobacter count in the detection performed using the spiked foods. Furthermore, the entire natural contaminated chicken neck skin samples are found to be positive the same as the other mediums. As a result of the study, in the classic culture methods, designed enrichment medium is faster than the currently used enrichment mediums. It is an important point of view to develop fast and reliable diagnostic methods for assuring adequate public health. © 2019

The present study aims to compare the allometry and wood density of Goupia glabra Aubl. (Goupiaceae) in two different terra-firme sites in Amazonian forest. A total of 65 trees ≥ 10 cm DBH was sampled in both sites, with 39 trees in Nova Olinda do Norte (NOlinda, near the Amazon River) and 29 trees in Apui (near the southern edge of the Amazon forest). Except for the relationship between DBH (diameter at breast height) and Ht (total height), allometric relationships for G. glahra differed significantly between sites. Apui had lower intercept and greater slope for log10 (DBH) versus log10 (Hs - stem height), and, conversely, greater intercept and lower slope for log10 (DBH) versus log10 (Ch - crown height). The slope differed significantly between the sites for DBH versus Cd (crown diameter), with greater slope found for NOlinda. Mean basic wood density in Apui was 8.8% lower than in NOlinda. Our findings highlight the variation in adaptive strategy of G. glabra due to environmental differences between sites. This is probably because of different canopy-understory light gradients, which result in differentiation of resource allocation between vertical and horizontal growth, which, in turn, affects mechanical support related to wood density. We also hypothesize that differences in soil fertility and disturbance regimes between sites may act concomitantly with light. © 2016, Instituto Internacional de Ecologia. All rights reserved.

Certain types of marine fish, eaten raw or undercooked, may serve as a source of human infection with these parasites., The Pacific broad tapeworm Adenocephalus pacificus (syn. Diphyllobothrium pacificum) is the causative agent of the third most common fish-borne cestodosis among humans. Although most of the nearly 1,000 cases among humans have been reported in South America (Peru, Chile, and Ecuador), cases recently imported to Europe demonstrate the potential for spread of this tapeworm throughout the world as a result of global trade of fresh or chilled marine fish and travel or migration of humans. We provide a comprehensive survey of human cases of infection with this zoonotic parasite, summarize the history of this re-emerging disease, and identify marine fish species that may serve as a source of human infection when eaten raw or undercooked.

How plants respond physiologically to leaf warming and low water availability may determine how they will perform under future climate change. In 2015–2016, an unprecedented drought occurred across Amazonia with record-breaking high temperatures and low soil moisture, offering a unique opportunity to evaluate the performances of Amazonian trees to a severe climatic event. We quantified the responses of leaf water potential, sap velocity, whole-tree hydraulic conductance ( K wt ), turgor loss and xylem embolism, during and after the 2015–2016 El Niño for five canopy-tree species. Leaf/xylem safety margins (SMs), sap velocity and K wt showed a sharp drop during warm periods. SMs were negatively correlated with vapour pressure deficit, but had no significant relationship with soil water storage. Based on our calculations of canopy stomatal and xylem resistances, the decrease in sap velocity and K wt was due to a combination of xylem cavitation and stomatal closure. Our results suggest that warm droughts greatly amplify the degree of trees' physiological stress and can lead to mortality. Given the extreme nature of the 2015–2016 El Niño and that temperatures are predicted to increase, this work can serve as a case study of the possible impact climate warming can have on tropical trees. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘The impact of the 2015/2016 El Niño on the terrestrial tropical carbon cycle: patterns, mechanisms and implications’.

Cell volume is an important parameter for modelling cellular processes. Temperature-induced variability of cellular size, volume, intracellular granularity, a fraction of budding cells of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae CEN.PK 113–7D (in anaerobic glucose unlimited batch cultures) were measured by flow cytometry and matched with the performance of the biomass growth (maximal specific growth rate (μmax), specific rate of glucose consumption, the rate of maintenance, biomass yield on glucose). The critical diameter of single cells was 7.94 μm and it is invariant at growth temperatures above 18.5◦C. Below 18.5◦C, it exponentially increases up to 10.2 μm. The size of the bud linearly depends on μmax, and it is between 50% at 5◦C and 90% at 31◦C of the averaged single cell. The intracellular granularity (side scatter channel (SSC)-index) negatively depends on μmax. There are two temperature regions (5–31◦C vs. 33–40◦C) where the relationship between SSC-index and various cellular parameters differ significantly. In supraoptimal temperature range (33–40◦C), cells are less granulated perhaps due to a higher rate of the maintenance. There is temperature dependent passage through the checkpoints in the cell cycle which influences the μmax. The results point to the existence of two different morphological states of yeasts in these different temperature regions. © FEMS 2018. All rights reserved. The experimental part of the research has been carried out in Institute of Biochemical Engineering (IBVT, University of Stuttgart, Germany) and has been funded by the transnational research initiative ‘Systems Biology of Microorganisms (SysMO)’ within network MOSES: ‘MicroOrganism Systems Biology: Energy and Saccharomyces cerevisiae’ [http://www.sysmo.net]. Additionally, the author would like to thank Prof.Peter Scheurich (Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Germany) for the experimental support, Achim Hauck (IBVT, University of Stuttgart, Germany) and Dr.Xuelian Yang (Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology & Business University, Beijing, China) for the research assistance, Dr.Pavlo Holenya (Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Heidelberg, Germany) for the discussion of the results.

The trophic position of a top predator, synonymous with food-chain length, is one of the most fundamental attributes of ecosystems. Stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) have been used to estimate trophic position of organisms due to the predictable enrichment of 15N in consumer tissues relative to their diet. Previous studies in crocodilians have found upward ontogenetic shifts in their ‘trophic position’. However, such increases are not expected from what is known about crocodilian diets because ontogenetic shifts in diet relate to taxonomic categories of prey rather than shifts to prey from higher trophic levels. When we analysed dietary information from the literature on the four Amazonian crocodilians, ontogenetic shifts in dietary-based trophic position (TPdiet) were minimal, and differed from those estimated using δ15N data (TPSIA). Thus, ontogenetic shifts in TPSIA may result not only from dietary assimilation but also from trophic discrimination factors (TDF or Δ15N) associated with body size. Using a unique TDF value to estimate trophic position of crocodilians of all sizes might obscure conclusions about ontogenetic shifts in trophic position. Our findings may change the way that researchers estimate trophic position of organisms that show orders of magnitude differences in size across their life span.

Lipid metabolism involves complex pathways, which are regulated in a similar way across vertebrates. Hormonal and hypolipidemic deregulations cause lipid imbalance from fish to humans, but the underlying mechanisms are far from understood. This study explores the potential of using juvenile brown trout to evaluate the in vivo interferences caused by estrogenic (17α-ethinylestradiol – EE2), androgenic (testosterone – T), and hypolipidemic (clofibrate – CLF) compounds in lipidic and/or peroxisomal pathways. Studied endpoints were from blood/plasma biochemistry, plasma fatty acid profile, ultrastructure of hepatocytes and abundance of their peroxisomes to mRNA expression in the liver. Both T and CLF caused minimal effects when compared to EE2. Estrogenized fish had significantly higher hepatosomatic indexes, increased triglycerides and very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) in plasma, compared with solvent control. Morphologically, EE2 fish showed increased lipid droplets in hepatocytes, and EE2 and T reduced volume density of peroxisomes in relation to the hepatic parenchyma. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in plasma, namely n−3 PUFA, increased with EE2. EE2 animals had increased mRNA levels of vitellogenin A (VtgA), estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), PPARαBa and acyl-CoA long chain synthetase 1 (Acsl1), while ERβ-1, acyl-CoA oxidase 1–3I (Acox1–3I), Acox3, PPARγ, catalase (Cat), urate oxidase (Uox), fatty acid binding protein 1 (Fabp1) and apolipoprotein AI (ApoAI) were down-regulated. In summary, in vivo EE2 exposure altered lipid metabolism and peroxisome dynamics in brown trout, namely by changing the mRNA levels of several genes. Our model can be used to study possible organism-level impacts, viz. in gonadogenesis. © 2018 Elsevier This study was primarily funded by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology , through the project PTDC/CVT/115618/2009 and grants given to Tânia V. Madureira ( SFRH/BPD/97139/2013 ) and Tiago Simões ( SFRH/BD/98266/2013 ). It was also partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 and UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to CIMAR and MARE, respectively, through national funds provided by FCT and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the program PT2020 . The work was implemented in the Framework of the Structured Program of R&D&I INNOVMAR - Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035), namely within the Research Line ECOSERVICES, supported by the Northern Regional Operational Programme ( NORTE2020 ), through ERFD. This study is also included in the Integrated Program of SR&TD "SmartBioR" (reference Center-01-0145-FEDER-000018), cofunded by Centro 2020 program, by PT2020, through the ERDF.

The aims of this study were to explore mollusc assemblages associated with the non-indigenous macroalga Asparagopsis armata, to compare them with those on other macroalgae at the study region and to explore potential differences on mollusc assemblages between two regions in the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, where A. armata is present. To achieve this, at each region, four intertidal shores were sampled. Twenty-nine mollusc species were reported and thus, A. armata harboured similar or higher diversity than other annual macroalgae in this area. When compared with perennial macroalgae, results depend on the species and studied area. Moreover, significant differences in structure of mollusc assemblages between the two studied regions were found. However, these were due to differences in the relative abundance of species rather than the presence of exclusive species at each region. © 2018 Elsevier We would like to thank the great support of Dr. Juan Moreira (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain) during sampling at the centre and south of Portugal and his critical comments on the first draft of this manuscript. We are also grateful to two anonymous referees for helpful comments and suggestions, which greatly improved this paper. This research was partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 through national funds provided by FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) , in the framework of the programme PT2020. During this study, P. Veiga ( SFRH/BPD/81582/2011 ) and M. Rubal ( SFRH/BDP/104225/2014 ) were supported by postdoctoral grants awarded by Fundacão para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) . Appendix A

The effects of egg storage duration (ESD) and brooding temperature (BT) on BW, intestine development and nutrient transporters of broiler chicks were investigated. A total of 396 chicks obtained from eggs stored at 18 degrees C for 3 days (ESD3-18 degrees C) or at 14 degrees C for 14 days (ESD14-14 degrees C) before incubation were exposed to three BTs. Temperatures were initially set at 32 degrees C, 34 degrees C and 30 degrees C for control (BT-Cont), high (BT-High) and low (BT-Low) BTs, respectively. Brooding temperatures were decreased by 2 degrees C each at days 2, 7, 14 and 21. Body weight was measured at the day of hatch, 2, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42. Cloacal temperatures of broilers were recorded from 1 to 14 days. Intestinal morphology and gene expression levels of H+-dependent peptide transporter (PepT1) and Na-dependent glucose (SGLT1) were evaluated on the day of hatch and 14. Cloacal temperatures of chicks were affected by BTs from days 1 to 8, being the lowest for BT-Low chicks. BT-High resulted in the heaviest BWs at 7 days, especially for ESD14-14 degrees C chicks. This result was consistent with longer villus and larger villus area of ESD14-14 degrees C chicks at BT-High conditions. From 14 days to slaughter age, BT had no effect on broiler weight. ESD3-18 degrees C chicks were heavier than ESD14-14 degrees C chicks up to 28 days. The PepT1 and SGLT1 expression levels were significantly higher in ESD3-18 degrees C chicks than ESD14-14 degrees C on the day of hatch. There was significant egg storage by BT interaction for PepT1 and SGLT1 transporters at day 14. ESD14-14 degrees C chicks had significantly higher expression of PepT1 and SGLT1 at BT-Low than those at BT-Cont. ESD14-14 degrees C chicks upregulated PepT1 gene expression 1.15 and 1.57-fold at BT-High and BT-Low, respectively, compared with BT-Cont, whereas PepT1 expression was downregulated 0.67 and 0.62-fold in ESD3-18 degrees C chicks at BT-High and BT-Low. These results indicated that pre-incubation egg storage conditions and BTs affected intestine morphology and PepT1 and SGLT1 nutrient transporters expression in broiler chicks.

No claim to original US Government works New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust Satellite observations of Amazon forests show seasonal and interannual variations, but the underlying biological processes remain debated. Here we combined radiative transfer models (RTMs) with field observations of Amazon forest leaf and canopy characteristics to test three hypotheses for satellite-observed canopy reflectance seasonality: seasonal changes in leaf area index, in canopy-surface leafless crown fraction and/or in leaf demography. Canopy RTMs (PROSAIL and FLiES), driven by these three factors combined, simulated satellite-observed seasonal patterns well, explaining c. 70% of the variability in a key reflectance-based vegetation index (MAIAC EVI, which removes artifacts that would otherwise arise from clouds/aerosols and sun–sensor geometry). Leaf area index, leafless crown fraction and leaf demography independently accounted for 1, 33 and 66% of FLiES-simulated EVI seasonality, respectively. These factors also strongly influenced modeled near-infrared (NIR) reflectance, explaining why both modeled and observed EVI, which is especially sensitive to NIR, captures canopy seasonal dynamics well. Our improved analysis of canopy-scale biophysics rules out satellite artifacts as significant causes of satellite-observed seasonal patterns at this site, implying that aggregated phenology explains the larger scale remotely observed patterns. This work significantly reconciles current controversies about satellite-detected Amazon phenology, and improves our use of satellite observations to study climate–phenology relationships in the tropics.

Introduction: The muscoid fly Dermatobia hominis causes cutaneous myiases in mammals. Females of this species use a vector to carry their eggs to the host. This note describes Anopheles konderi acting as phoretic vector for D. hominis. Methods: A female A. konderi carrying D. hominis was collected using light traps in Oriximiná, Pará, Brazil. The A. konderi specimen was identified at morphological and molecular levels. Results: Eight eggs of D. hominis were observed on the Anopheles konderi female. Conclusions: Anopheles konderi, only the third Anopheles species recorded as a phoretic vector, may be a potential vector of D. hominis. © 2017, Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical. All rights reserved.

The viability of Aedes aegypti eggs was assessed in the Amazon region. The eggs were maintained under different conditions: indoors (insectarium) and outdoors (natural environment), as well as in different storage types (plastic cup, paper envelope, plastic bag) for different days. Egg viability was measured as the mean of hatchings observed from egg-bearing sheets of filter paper immersed in water, using three sheets randomly selected from each storage type and at both sites. There were significant differences in the viability of Ae. aegypti eggs with respect to the location (F=30.40; DF=1; P

© 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust Leaf age structures the phenology and development of plants, as well as the evolution of leaf traits over life histories. However, a general method for efficiently estimating leaf age across forests and canopy environments is lacking. Here, we explored the potential for a statistical model, previously developed for Peruvian sunlit leaves, to consistently predict leaf ages from leaf reflectance spectra across two contrasting forests in Peru and Brazil and across diverse canopy environments. The model performed well for independent Brazilian sunlit and shade canopy leaves (R2 = 0.75–0.78), suggesting that canopy leaves (and their associated spectra) follow constrained developmental trajectories even in contrasting forests. The model did not perform as well for mid-canopy and understory leaves (R2 = 0.27–0.29), because leaves in different environments have distinct traits and trait developmental trajectories. When we accounted for distinct environment–trait linkages – either by explicitly including traits and environments in the model, or, even better, by re-parameterizing the spectra-only model to implicitly capture distinct trait-trajectories in different environments – we achieved a more general model that well-predicted leaf age across forests and environments (R2 = 0.79). Fundamental rules, linked to leaf environments, constrain the development of leaf traits and allow for general prediction of leaf age from spectra across species, sites and canopy environments.

Administration of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) to pregnant rats causes reproductive disorders in male offspring, resulting from suppression of intratesticular testosterone, and is used as a model for human testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS). DBP exposure in pregnancy induces focal dysgenetic areas in fetal testes that appear between e19.5–e21.5, manifesting as focal aggregation of Leydig cells and ectopic Sertoli cells (SC). Our aim was to identify the origins of the ectopic SC. Time-mated female rats were administered 750 mg/kg/day DBP in three different time windows: full window (FW; e13.5–e20.5), masculinisation programming window (MPW; e15.5–e18.5), late window (LW; e19.5–e20.5). We show that DBP-MPW treatment produces more extensive and severe dysgenetic areas, with more ectopic SC and germ cells (GC) than DBP-FW treatment; DBP-LW induces no dysgenesis. Our findings demonstrate that ectopic SC do not differentiate de novo, but result from rupture of normally formed seminiferous cords beyond e20.5. The more severe testis dysgenesis in DBP-MPW animals may result from the presence of basally migrating GC and a weakened basal lamina, whereas GC migration was minimal in DBP-FW animals. Our findings provide the first evidence for how testicular dysgenesis can result after normal testis differentiation/development and may be relevant to understanding TDS in human patients.

Species of the Carapa spp. complex, occurring in the Neotropics, Africa and India, have multiple uses, including timber, with the seed oil being used in phyto-pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. This study aimed to determine the thermal ranges of the germination process, comparing germination criteria used by seed physiologists and seed technologists, and to suggest recommendations for seed quality assessment. Germination was assessed at constant temperatures between 10 ─ 40 °C using three germination criteria: (1) radicle length ≥ 0.5 cm (physiological criterion); (2) epicotyl length ≥ 1 cm; and (3) epicotyl length ≥ 5 cm (criterion for seed quality tests). The base temperature was similar for the three criteria and ranged between 10 ─ 2 °C. The Maguire’s Speed Index indicated 30 °C as most adequate. However, the upper temperature limit differed: for radicle protrusion it was above 40 ºC; and for both epicotyl lengths, it was between 35 ─ 40 °C. Seed coat removal accelerated the germination process of these recalcitrant seeds, and is recommended for seed quality assessment, which allows completion of the germination trial in approximately one month. Resumo As espécies do complexo Carapa spp. ocorrem na região Neotropical, na África e na Índia, têm usos múltiplos, fornece madeira de valor comercial e o óleo extraído das sementes tem uso fitoterápico e cosmético. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a faixa térmica tolerável do processo germinativo, comparando os critérios de germinação utilizados pelos fisiologistas e os tecnólogos de sementes, e sugerir recomendações para a avaliação da qualidade das sementes. A germinação foi avaliada em temperaturas constantes entre 10 e 40 °C utilizando três critérios de germinação: (1) formação da radícula ≥ 0,5 cm (critério fisiológico); (2) alongamento de epicótilo ≥ 1 cm; e (3) alongamento de epicótilo ≥ 5 cm (critério para testes de qualidade de sementes). A temperatura de base foi semelhante para os três critérios entre 10 e 12 °C. O índice de velocidade de Maguire indicou 30 °C como a temperatura mais adequada. O limite superior de temperatura diferiu entre os critérios, sendo acima de 40 ºC para protrusão da radícula e para ambos os alongamentos de epicótilo entre 35 e 40 °C. A remoção do tegumento de semente acelerou o processo de germinação dessas sementes recalcitrantes sendo recomendada para a avaliação da qualidade da semente, o que permite concluir o teste de germinação em aproximadamente um mês.

Microinjection is commonly performed to achieve fish transgenesis; however, due to difficulties associated with this technique, new strategies are being developed. Here we evaluate the potential of lentiviral particles to genetically modify Nile tilapia cells to achieve transgenesis using three different approaches: spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) genetic modification and transplantation (SC), in vivo transduction of gametes (GT), and fertilised egg transduction (ET). The SC protocol using larvae generates animals with sustained production of modified sperm (80% of animals with 77% maximum sperm fluorescence [MSF]), but is a time-consuming protocol (sexual maturity in Nile tilapia is achieved at 6 months of age). GT is a faster technique, but the modified gamete production is temporary (70% of animals with 52% MSF). ET is an easier way to obtain mosaic transgenic animals compared to microinjection of eggs, but non-site-directed integration in the fish genome can be a problem. In this study, PI3Kc2α gene disruption impaired development during the embryo stage and caused premature death. The manipulator should choose a technique based on the time available for transgenic obtainment and if this generation is required to be continuous or not.

Combined effects of climate change and deforestation have altered precipitation patterns in the Amazon. This has led to changes in the frequency of extreme events of flood and drought in recent decades and in the magnitude of the annual flood pulse, a phenomenon that influences virtually all aspects of river-floodplain ecosystem dynamics. Analysis of long-term data revealed abrupt and synchronous changes in hydrology and fish assemblage structure of a floodplain lake near the confluence of Amazon and Negro rivers. After an intense drought in 2005, the assemblage assumed a different and fairly persistent taxonomic composition and functional structure. Declines in abundance after 2005 were more pronounced for species of all sizes having equilibrium life history strategy, large species with periodic life history strategy, and for all trophic levels except primary consumers. Our results suggest that the extreme drought triggered changes in the fish assemblage and subsequent anomalous hydrological conditions have hampered assemblage recovery. These findings stress the need to account for climatic-driven hydrological changes in conservation efforts addressing aquatic biodiversity and fishery resources in the central Amazon.

Shifting cultivation is the main land-use system transforming landscapes in riverine Amazonia. Increased concentration of the human population around villages and increasing market integration during the last decades may be causing agricultural intensification. Studies have shown that agricultural intensification, i.e. higher number of swidden-fallow cycles and shorter fallow periods, reduces crop productivity of swiddens and the regrowth capacity of fallows, undermining the resilience of the shifting cultivation system as a whole. We investigated the temporal and spatial dynamics of shifting cultivation in Brazilian Amazonia to test the hypotheses that (i) agriculture has become more intensive over time, and (ii) patterns of land-use intensity are related to land accessibility and human population density. We applied a breakpoint-detection algorithm to Landsat time-series spanning three decades (1984–2015) and retrieved the temporal dynamics of shifting cultivation fields, which go through alternating phases of crop production (swidden) and secondary forest regrowth (fallow). We found that fallow-period length has decreased from 6.4 to 5.1 years on average, and that expansion over old-growth forest has slowed down over time. Shorter fallow periods and higher frequency of slash and burn cycles are practiced closer to residences and around larger villages. Our results indicate that shifting cultivation in riverine Amazonia has gone through a process of agricultural intensification in the past three decades. The resulting landscape is predominantly covered by young secondary forests (≤ 12 yrs old), and 20% of it have gone through intensive use. Reversing this trend and avoiding the negative consequences of agricultural intensification requires land use planning that accounts for the constraints of land use in riverine areas. © 2017 Jakovac et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Information on whole community responses is needed to predict direction and magnitude of changes in plant and animal abundance under global changes. This study quantifies the effect of past ozone exposure on a weed community structure and arthropod colonization. We used the soil seed bank resulting from a long-term ozone exposure to reestablish the plant community under a new low-pollution environment. Two separate experiments using the same original soil seed bank were conducted. Plant and arthropod richness and species abundance was assessed during two years. We predicted that exposure to episodic high concentrations of ozone during a series of growing cycles would result in plant assemblies with lower diversity (lower species richness and higher dominance), due to an increase in dominance of the stress tolerant species and the elimination of the ozone-sensitive species. As a consequence, arthropod-plant interactions would also be changed. Species richness of the recruited plant communities from different exposure histories was similar (≈ 15). However, the relative abundance of the dominant species varied according to history of exposure, with two annual species dominating ozone enriched plots (90 ppb: Spergula arvensis, and 120 ppb: Calandrinia ciliata). Being consistent both years, the proportion of carnivore species was significantly higher in plots with history of higher ozone concentration (≈3.4 and ≈7.7 fold higher in 90 ppb and 120 ppb plots, respectively). Our study provides evidence that, past history of pollution might be as relevant as management practices in structuring agroecosystems, since we show that an increase in tropospheric ozone may influence biotic communities even years after the exposure. Fil: Martinez-Ghersa, Maria Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Menéndez, Analía I.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Gundel, Pedro Emilio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Folcia, Ana M.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Romero, Ana María. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Landesmann, Jennifer Brenda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Ventura Molina, Laura Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina Fil: Ghersa, Claudio Marco. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are key regulators of many processes in vertebrates, such as carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. PPARα, a member of the PPAR nuclear receptor gene subfamily (NR1C1), is involved in fatty acid metabolism, namely in peroxisomal β-oxidation. Two gene paralogues, pparαA and pparαB, were described in several teleost species with their origin dating back to the teleost-specific genome duplication (3R). Given the additional salmonid-specific genome duplication (4R), four genes could be theoretically anticipated for this gene subfamily. In this work, we examined the pparα gene repertoire in brown trout, Salmo trutta f. fario. Data disclosed two pparα-like sequences in brown trout. Phylogenetic analyses further revealed that the isolated genes are most likely genome pparαB duplicates, pparαBa and pparαBb, while pparαA is apparently absent in salmonids. Both genes showed a ubiquitous mRNA expression across a panel of 11 different organs. In vitro exposed primary brown trout hepatocytes strongly suggest that pparα gene paralogues are differently regulated by ethinylestradiol (EE2). PparαBb mRNA expression significantly decreased with dosage, reaching significance after exposure to 50 μM EE2, while pparαBa mRNA increased, significant at 1 μM EE2. The present data enhances the understanding of pparα function and evolution in teleost, and reinforces the evidence of a potential crosstalk between estrogenic and pparα signaling pathways. © 2017 Elsevier Study supported by ERDF - European Regional Development Fund, through COMPETE - Operational Competitiveness Program, and by national public funds through FCT ? Foundation for Science and Technology, via project ?PTDC/CVT/115618/2009? (PI: Eduardo Rocha), post-doc grant ?SFRH/BPD/97139/2013 (to T?nia V. Madureira); and additionally by project ?UID/Multi/04423/2013? (attributed to: CIIMAR/CIMAR).

Dietary ion content is known to alter the acid-base balance in freshwater fish. The current study investigated the metabolic impact of acid-base disturbances produced by differences in dietary electrolyte balance (DEB) in the meagre (Argyrosomus regius), an euryhaline species. Changes in fish performance, gastric chyme characteristics, pH and ion concentrations in the bloodstream, digestive enzyme activities and metabolic rates were analyzed in meagre fed ad libitum two experimental diets (DEB 200 or DEB 700 mEq/kg) differing in the Na2CO3 content for 69 days. Fish fed the DEB 200 diet had 60–66% better growth performance than the DEB 700 group. Meagre consuming the DEB 200 diet were 90–96% more efficient than fish fed the DEB 700 diet at allocating energy from feed into somatic growth. The pH values in blood were significantly lower in the DEB 700 group 2 h after feeding when compared to DEB 200, indicating that acid-base balance in meagre was affected by electrolyte balance in diet. Osmolality, and Na+ and K+ concentrations in plasma did not vary with the dietary treatment. Gastric chyme in the DEB 700 group had higher pH values, dry matter, protein and energy contents, but lower lipid content than in the DEB 200 group. Twenty-four hours after feeding, amylase activity was higher in the gastrointestinal tract of DEB 700 group when compared to the DEB 200 group. DEB 700 group had lower routine metabolic (RMR) and standard metabolic (SMR) rates, indicating a decrease in maintenance energy expenditure 48 h after feeding the alkaline diet. The current study demonstrates that feeding meagre with an alkaline diet not only causes acid-base imbalance, but also negatively affects digestion and possibly nutrient assimilation, resulting in decreased growth performance. Fil: Magnoni, Leonardo Julián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús). Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas "Dr. Raúl Alfonsín" (sede Chascomús); Argentina. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil Fil: Salas Leiton, Emilio. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil. IFAPA; España Fil: Peixoto, Maria João. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil. Universidad de Porto; Portugal Fil: Pereira, Luis. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil Fil: Silva Brito, Francisca. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil Fil: Fontinha, Filipa. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil Fil: Gonçalves, José F.M.. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil. Universidad de Porto; Portugal Fil: Wilson, Jonathan M.. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil. Universidad de Porto; Portugal. Wilfrid Laurier University; Canadá Fil: Schrama, Johan W.. University of Agriculture Wageningen; Países Bajos Fil: Ozório, Rodrigo O.A.. Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões; Brasil. Universidad de Porto; Portugal

Amyloids are highly ordered, hierarchal protein nanoassemblies. Functional amyloids in bacterial biofilms, such as Escherichia coli curli fibers, are formed by the polymerization of monomeric proteins secreted into the extracellular space. Curli is synthesized by living cells, is primarily composed of the major curlin subunit CsgA, and forms biological nanofibers with high aspect ratios. Here, we explore the application of curli fibers for nanotechnology by engineering curli to mediate tunable biological interfaces with inorganic materials and to controllably form gold nanoparticles and gold nanowires. Specifically, we used cell-synthesized curli fibers as templates for nucleating and growing gold nanoparticles and showed that nanoparticle size could be modulated as a function of curli fiber gold-binding affinity. Furthermore, we demonstrated that gold nanoparticles can be preseeded onto curli fibers and followed by gold enhancement to form nanowires. Using these two approaches, we created artificial cellular systems that integrate inorganic–organic materials to achieve tunable electrical conductivity. We envision that cell-synthesized amyloid nanofibers will be useful for interfacing abiotic and biotic systems and constructing engineered systems living within a framework of artificial bacterial systems.

Autochthonous bioaugmentation for metal phytoremediation is still little explored, particularly its application to estuarine salt marshes, but results obtained so far are promising. Nevertheless, understanding the behaviour of the microbial communities in the process of bioaugmentation and their role in improving metal phytoremediation is very important to fully validate the application of this biological technology. This study aimed to characterize the bacterial community dynamic associated with the application of autochthonous bioaugmentation in an experimentation which showed that Phragmites australis rhizosphere microorganisms could increase this salt marsh plant potential to phytoremediate Cu contaminated sediments. Bacterial communities present in the autochthonous microbial consortium resistant to Cu added to the medium and in the sediment at the beginning and at the end of the experiment were characterized by ARISA. Complementarily, the consortium and the sediment used for its production were characterized by next generation sequencing using the pyrosequencing platform 454. The microbial consortium resistant to Cu obtained from non-vegetated sediment was dominated by the genus Lactococcus (46%), Raoultella (25%), Bacillus (12%) and Acinetobacter (11%), whereas the one obtained form rhizosediment was dominated by the genus Gluconacetobacter (77%), Bacillus (17%) and Dyella (3%). Results clearly showed that, after two months of experiment, Cu caused a shift in the bacterial community structure of sediments, an effect that was observed either with or without addition of the metal resistant microbial consortium. Therefore, bioaugmentation application improved the process of phytoremediation (metal translocation by the plant was increased) without inducing long term changes in the bacterial community structure of the sediments. So, phytoremediation combined with autochthonous bioaugmentation can be a suitable technology for the recovery of estuarine areas, contributing for an efficient risk management strategy of these coastal zones. © 2017 To Rayra Santiago, Tatiana Necrasov and Catarina Magalhães for their help in the experiments assembling and dismantling of the vessels and to Paula Rodrigues for helping on samples preparation and metal analysis. This research was partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 through national funds provided by FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) , in the framework of the programme PT2020 and by the structured Program of R&D&I INNOVMAR - Innovation and Sustainability in the Management and Exploitation of Marine Resources , reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035 , namely within the Research Line ECOSERVICES (Assessing the environmental quality, vulnerability and risks for the sustainable management of the NW coast natural resources and ecosystem services in a changing world) within the R&D Institution CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research), supported by the Northern Regional Operational Programme ( NORTE2020 ), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) .

Probiotic administration can be a nutritional strategy to improve the immune response and growth performance of fish. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of a probiotic blend (Bacillus sp., Pediococcus sp., Enterococcus sp., Lactobacillus sp.) as a dietary supplement on growth performance, feed utilization, innate immune and oxidative stress responses and intestinal morphology in juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The probiotic was incorporated into a basal diet at three concentrations: 0 g/kg (A0: control), 3 g/kg (A1: 1.0×106 colony forming unit (CFU)/g) and 6 g/kg (A2: 2.3×106 CFU/g diet). After 8 weeks of probiotic feeding, weight and specific growth rate where significantly higher in fish-fed A1 diet than in fish-fed A0. Alternative complement in plasma was significantly enhanced in fish-fed A2 when compared with A0. The hepatic antioxidant indicators were not affected by probiotic supplementation. Villi height and goblet cell counts increased significantly in the intestine of fish-fed A1 and A2 diets compared with A0. The dietary probiotic supplementation was maintained until 20 weeks of feeding. Then the selected immune parameters, digestive enzymes and apparent digestibility of diets were studied. No effect of probiotic feeding was observed after that longer period supplementation. The dietary supplementation of mixed species probiotic may constitute a valuable nutritional approach towards a sustainable tilapia aquaculture. The improvement of the immune responses and intestinal morphology play an important role in increasing growth performance, nutrient absorption and disease resistance in fish, important outcomes in such a competitive and developing aquaculture sector. © The Animal Consortium 2017. M.A.R. is very grateful to Cátia Ramos, António J. Pinto and Carla Tomás for their precious collaboration along the experiment, to Carla Dias and Susana Gonçalves for their help with the microbiology work, to Augusto Queiroz for the analytical help, to Mrs Ligia Lourenço (UTAD) for histology technical assistance and to Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) by the CECAV funding (ref. UID/CVT/00772/2013).