Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comunicação do processo reprodutivo em abelhas sem ferrão (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini)

Von Zuben, L. G. The mating communication of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini). 2017. PhD thesis. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, 2017. Reproduction is the utmost important process for living organisms since it is through this process that individuals can transmit their genetic information to the next generation. To be successful in this process, the first challenge individuals need to overcome is finding a sexual partner. To accomplish this task, males and females communicate their presence using several sensorial modalities. In highly eusocial bees, this complex process is the outcome of a precise chemical communication system. Stingless bees (Meliponini) represents the most species-rich group of eusocial bees and although a lot of information related to the group can be found in the literature, very little is known about their mating communication. A common phenomenon in this group of social bees is the formation of large male aggregations in front of nests during reproductive events. However, the factors involved in the formation of such male aggregation are poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the mating communication of stingless bees. To explore this problem, we reviewed the mating biology of the bees (chapter 1), tested the role of foragers in the attraction of males (chapter 2), identified the compounds that drones deposit at the aggregation site (chapter 3) and investigated the factors related to the differential attraction of males to colonies (chapter 4). Our results suggest that foragers have a central role in the long-range attraction of males and that males actively deposit their cuticular hydrocarbons at the aggregation site. Furthermore, we observed that the number of attracted males increased with the weight of colonies, showing that the attractiveness of colonies is related to their biomass. Thus, these results contribute to improve our knowledge about the reproductive process of stingless bees and show that the sexual communication of these bees is as complex as fascinating and involves males, queens and workers.
Simultaneous synergist, antagonistic and additive interactions between multiple local stressors all degrade algal turf communities on coral reefs

Ecological communities are subjected to multiple anthropogenic stressors at both global and local scales that are increasing in number and magnitude. Stressors can interact in complex ways and are classified as additive, synergistic or antagonistic; the nature of the interaction is key to predicting changes and understanding community resilience. Coral reefs are among the most impacted communities and have shifted from coral‐ to algal‐dominated states, and overfishing, nutrient enrichment and sedimentation are local stressors that often co‐occur and may support degraded algal states. Short algal turfs are abundant benthic space holders on healthy reefs that may be pushed by local stressors to long algal turfs, a more degraded state that may prevent recovery to coral dominance. We conducted a fully crossed three‐factor field experiment on short algal turf communities manipulating herbivory pressure (+/−cages), nutrients (+/−fertilizer) and sediments (natural accumulation/removal). We applied stressors for 16 days, removed them and monitored turf height during and after manipulations. We found that significant pair‐wise interactions between all stressors pushed the community towards a degraded state with longer algal turfs. All three types of interactions (additive, synergistic and antagonistic) were common and occurred in equal frequency, suggesting more investigations into all types are needed to accurately predict community responses to multiple stressors. For example, when herbivores were present, nutrients and sediments interacted additively, while in the absence of herbivores, nutrients and sediments interacted synergistically. All interactions broke down following termination of experimental manipulations and all effects were undetectable after 49 days, indicating that this reef may be resilient, at least when stressors are applied on a short time‐scale. Synthesis. Because management of local stressors is often more tractable than global stressors, local management has been proposed as a means to offset global stressors. However, ecological communities often experience multiple local stressors simultaneously, and interactions between stressors, including synergisms and antagonisms, may be the source of nonlinear shifts in communities or “ecological surprises. ” The majority of interactions in our study were both strong and nonlinear, and we suggest that, if pervasive across systems, nonlinear interactions may drive the recent global increase in “ecological surprises. ”
CrMYC1 transcription factor overexpression promotes the production of low abundance terpenoid indole alkaloids in Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus is known as the only source for the low-abundance anticancer agents namely vinblastine and vincristine. Fine tuning of accumulation of such secondary metabolites is highly governed by the regulatory genes. Among these genes, Catharanthus roseus MYC1 (CrMYC1) is known as one of the key transcription factors regulating the biosynthesis of terpenoid indole alkaloid metabolites in C. roseus. In this study, CrMYC1 coding sequence (AF283506) was isolated and cloned in PBI121 plant binary vector. Then, CrMYC1 was transiently overexpressed in C. roseus leaves using agroinfiltration method. In addition to molecular analysis for confirming CrMYC1 overexpression, the profile of some chief terpenoid indole alkaloids in control and transgenic plants was evaluated by HPLC to elucidate the role of CrMYC1 in an increased in the anticancer components. The results indicated that overexpression of CrMYC1 transcription factor can increase most important terpenoid indole alkaloids including vinblastine, vincristine, and catharanthine in C. roseus. HPLC analysis of catharanthine and vinblastine contents showed about 3 and 2.5 fold increases, respectively, while the increase in vinecristine was not significant compared to that of the control. Therefore, CrMYC1 is introduced as an efficient candidate for manipulating TIA pathway in C. roseus and increasing at least the most valuable terpenoid indole alkaloids in this plant.
Dinopercidae, a new family for the Percoid marine fish genera Dinoperca Boulenger and Centrarchops Fowler (Pisces: Perciformes)

Heemstra, P.C. and T. Hecht, 1985. Dinopercidae, a new family for the percoid marine fish genera Dinoperca Boulenger and Centrarchops Fowler (Pisces: Perciformes). Ichthyological Bulletin o f the J.L. B. Smith Institute o f Ichthyology No. 51, 20 pages, 26 Figs. The Genus Dinoperca was erected by Boulenger (1895) for the Northern Indian Ocean species Hapalogenys petersi Day and assigned to the Family Serranidae. Boulenger (1903) described a second species, D. queketti, from South Africa. Most subsequent authors have accepted the placement of Dinoperca in the Serranidae, but Johnson (1983) removed it from the Serranidae to the taxonomic limbo of “Incertae sedis’’. Centrarchops Fowler (1923), with a single west African species, was originally assigned to the Serranidae and has been treated by subsequent authors in the Serranidae. The osteology, myology and the otolith (sagitta) of D. petersi reveal no characters that would relate Dinoperca to any particular family of percoids. Furthermore, the presence or absence of certain characters preclude Dinoperca and Centrarchops from the Family Serrani­ dae, and the superfamilies Haemuloidea, Lutjanoidea and Sparoidea. Two features appear to be uniquely derived characters (synapomorphies) justifying a separate family for Dinoperca and Centrarchops: (1) Frontal bones bearing a high median crest that articulates posteriorly with the supraoccipital crest and is cleft dorsally by a narrow median sulcus extending ventrally to the roof of the brain cavity. (2) Large swim-bladder with three pairs of large intrinsic muscles.
Investigation of the molecular basis underlying a multi-step model of axon injury responses

Axon injury elicits profound cellular changes including axon regeneration. However, the full range of neuronal injury responses remains to be elucidated. Surprisingly, after axons of Drosophila dendritic arborization neurons were severed, dendrites were more resistant to injuryinduced degeneration. Concomitant with stabilization, microtubule dynamics in dendrites increased. Moreover, dendrite stabilization was suppressed when microtubule dynamics was dampened, which was achieved by lowering levels of the microtubule nucleation protein γtubulin. Increased microtubule dynamics and global neuronal stabilization were also activated by expression of expanded polyglutamine proteins SCA1, SCA3 and huntingtin. In all cases dynamics was increased through microtubule nucleation and depended on JNK signaling indicating that acute axon injury and long-term neuronal stress activate a common cytoskeletonbased stabilization program. Reducing levels of γ-tubulin exacerbated long-term degeneration induced by SCA3 in branched sensory neurons and in a well-established Drosophila eye model of polyglutamine-induced neurodegeneration. Thus increased microtubule dynamics can delay short-term injury-induced degeneration, and in the case of polyglutamine proteins, can counteract 23 progressive longer-term degeneration. We conclude that axon injury or stress triggers a microtubule-based neuroprotective pathway that stabilizes neurons against degeneration.
Comparison of whole-tissue maceration and sap extraction for isolation of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus

‘ Candidatus Liberibacter spp. ’ are fastidious alphaproteobacteria associated with Huanglongbing (HLB), a highly destructive disease for citrus production around the world. So far, no axenic culture of these bacteria have been established, limiting its study. However, the first step to cultivate plant pathogenic bacteria is to obtain viable cells. So, the aim of this study was to compare two methods to extract viable cells of ‘ Ca . L. asiaticus’ from diseased plant tissue of infected citrus, periwinkle and dodder by using the PMA-qPCR technique. We applied two methods for extraction of bacterial cells, the whole-tissue maceration procedure for citrus, periwinkle and dodder and the sap extraction method by using the Scholander pressure pump for citrus and periwinkle. The extraction of ‘ Ca . L. asiaticus’ cells by tissue maceration method provided a larger number of viable and non-viable bacterial cells when compared to the Scholander pressure pump method in both, citrus and periwinkle. The largest amount of bacteria extracted by the Scholander pressure pump was in periwinkle plants. However, the amount of cells obtained from dodder plants using maceration was higher than those obtained from the other plants by the same method, pointing out that dodder could be an excellent inoculum source for ‘ Ca . L. asiaticus’ isolation tests. In this study, the two methods provided sufficient amounts of ‘ Ca. L. asiaticus’ to perform bacterial isolation tests, and may be used in further studies on HLB bacteria and its disease
European pondweed in East Siberia: evidence of Potamogeton rutilus (Potamogetonaceae) in Yakutia (Asian Russia) with evaluation of current distribution and conservation status

We have found a taxonomically unclear linear-leaved Potamogeton (section Graminifolii , Potamogetonaceae) in Central Yakutia (Asian Russia). This form resembles P . friesii and P . pusillus , two common species in the republic, and the mainly European species P . rutilus and North American P . strictifolius . These species, except P . strictifolius , did not differ by variation of the nuclear ITS region. The chloroplast markers petL-psbE and rpl32-trnL clearly separated the unclear Yakutian plants from P . friesii and P . pusillus , and the latter marker revealed similarity between the European P . rutilus and the Yakutian samples. The latter fit well within the morphological circumscription of P . rutilus . We confirmed the presence of P . rutilus in five localities in Central Yakutia and 13 more in other regions of North Asia. These records greatly extends to the east the distribution range of this species known before mainly west of the Middle Volga. Potamogeton rutilus prefers clean, mainly mesotrophic lakes with alkaline waters, and occurs in coastal areas or in limestone and sandstone catchments. The species usually grow in deep waters on silt-sandy bottom, in species-rich communities. It is sensitive to pollution and competition with more robust aquatic plants. Due to local distribution and specific habitat requerments P . rutilus can be regarded as threatened species and deserve the category Vulnerable in regional and global Red Lists.
Pollination: Impact, role-players, interactions and study – A South African perspective

Plantâ€“pollinator interactions are essential for maintaining both pollinator and plant communities in native and agricultural environments. Animal-instigated pollination can be complex. Plants are usually visited by a number of different animal species, which in turn may visit flowers of several plant species. Therefore, the identification of the pollen carried by flower visitors is an essential first step in pollination biology. The skill and time required to identify pollen based on structure and morphology has been a major stumbling block in this field. Advances in the genetic analysis of DNA, using DNA barcoding, extracted directly from pollen offers an innovative alternative to traditional methods of pollen identification. This technique, which is reviewed in detail, can be used on pollen loads sampled from bees in the field and from specimens in historic collections. Here the importance of pollination, the role-players involved, their management and the evolution of their interactions, behaviour and morphology are reviewed â€“ with a special focus on South African bees. Significance: Pollen metabarcoding will enable the identification of pollen for a multitude of uses, including agriculture, conservation and forensics. Plantâ€“pollinator interaction documentation through pollen identification gives a more certain record of a visitor being a pollinator rather than a flower visitor that could be a nectar gatherer.
Tissue-Specific Aspects of Mitochondria and Longevity in C. elegans

Author(s): Durieux, Jenni Kim | Advisor(s): Dillin, Andrew G | Abstract: The connection between aging and metabolism seems obvious, but the particulars of this relationship remain obscure. Theories linking the two abound, centered on the fact that mitochondria are the location of much of the cell's free radical production and on the general correlation between lifespan and metabolic rate. The connection between longevity and mitochondrial function was strengthened by RNAi-based screens in the worm C. elegans, where RNAi knock-down of mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain (ETC) subunits of Complex I (nuo-2), Complex III (cyc-1), Complex IV (cco-1) and Complex V (atp-3) extended lifespan (Dillin et al., 2002b; Lee et al., 2002). The effects of ETC knockdown on life span appear to depend on a mechanism more complex than direct effects on mitochondrial metabolic rates. Instead, they point towards the existence of signaling programs emanating from the mitochondria and capable of regulating the life span of the entire organism. The identity of components and timing requirements of the mitochondrial ETC that influence longevity have led us to search for a mechanism imposed during early development that sets the rate of aging for the remainder of the animal's life cycle as well as the critical tissues required for the mitochondrial ETC to set the rate of aging. I have found that disruption of cco-1, in the neurons or intestine of the worm is sufficient to confer a longevity phenotype. This tissue-specific knockdown was able to uncouple some of the detrimental phenotypes of organism-wide knockdown, such as reduced brood size and slow movement. Furthermore, the long lifespan that results from ETC perturbance is dependent on the mitochondrial Unfolded Protein Response (UPRmt) gene, ubl-5. Knowing that there are tissues in which ETC function is critical as well as the necessity for a functional UPRmt might allow us to better understand the basis of mitochondria-mediated longevity.
ERK2 regulation of mitophagy is important for T cell activation

Critical signals necessary for T cell activation are transduced into the cell, in part, by the MAPK pathway, for which extracellular regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) is a key member. Upon activation, changes to mitochondria location and metabolism mediate T cell priming; however the signaling pathways that modulate mitochondria in T cells are largely unknown. A primary mechanism regulating mitochondria is a form of selective autophagy termed mitophagy. Importantly, ERK2 is required for mitophagy in other cell types and has been shown to co-localize at the autophagosome during formation. These data suggest that ERK2 may have a unique role regulating mitophagy in T cells. Notably, dysregulation of mitochondria in T cells can result in impaired immunity and has also been associated with autoimmune disease. Here, we investigated the role of ERK2 for mitophagy in CD4+ T cells using a mouse model with T cell-specific deletion of ERK2. Our results show that Erk2−/− CD4+ T cells have impaired autophagosome formation and increased cell death upon activation, a phenotype consistent with mitophagy blockade. Further, we are working to identify key mitophagy proteins that are regulated by ERK2 and to characterize mitochondria signaling metabolites during T cell activation. By elucidating the signaling pathways that connect extracellular immune stimuli with mitochondria regulation, we will obtain important information that may lead to new therapeutic targets for T cell mediated diseases and dysfunction.
A Mathematical Model to Analyze Spread of Hemorrhagic Disease in White-Tailed Deer Population

Hemorrhagic disease (HD) is a fatal vector-borne disease that affects white-tailed deer and many other ruminants. A vector-borne disease model is proposed in the present work, which takes into account migrating effects of deer population using distributed delay terms. The model is employed to analyze the effects of deer migration on the HD spread. This is carried out in three steps. First, the conditions for existence and stability of the endemic and the disease free equilibria are established. Second, using the method of the Next Generation Matrix, the basic reproduction expression R0 is derived from the model. Third, using the R0 expression and its numerical simulations, it is illustrated that the severity of an HD outbreak is directly influenced by the migration rates of infected and susceptible deer (i.e., dI and dS, respectively). For small values of dS, the value of R0 is increased with dI, whereas R0 decreases with dI when dS is large. Using the method of chain trick, the proposed model with distributed delay is reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations where the convergence of the system to endemic and diseases free equilibrium is numerically explored.
Expression of Mammaglobin and Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Breast Cancer Using Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Background and Objectives: Breast cancer is among the most common causes of cancer related mortality in women worldwide. Early detection and prompt diagnosis of tumor is the first step to prevent cancer-related morbidity and mortality, and a comprehensive understanding of the involved molecular mechanisms can greatly help in this respect. Breast cancer, like many other types of cancer, is caused by a combination of genetic and epigenetic changes such as inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Materials and Methods: This study was performed on 40 breast cancer patients and 40 healthy controls. Quantitative real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real time qRT-PCR) was used to assess the expression of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and mammaglobin mRNA in the peripheral blood of patients and healthy controls. The two groups were compared using t-test. Results: The two groups were not significantly different in terms of the mean age. Twenty-nine out of 40 cancer patients were positive for CEA mRNA and its sensitivity was calculated to be 72.5%. Twelve out of 40 healthy controls were positive for CEA mRNA. Twenty-six out of 40 patients were positive for mammaglobin mRNA indicative of 65% sensitivity while only five out of 40 healthy controls were positive for mammaglobin mRNA. Conclusion: Both CEA and mammaglobin mRNA had high sensitivity in cancer patients; thus, they can be used for screening and early detection of breast cancer patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the current findings.
Cylindrocarpon-Like (Ascomycota, Hypocreales) Species from the Amazonian Rain Forests in Ecuador: Additions to Campylocarpon and Dactylonectria

Abstract Dactylonectria and Campylocarpon are two related genera of Hypocreales sharing a cylindrocarpon-like asexual morph, mostly known as soil-borne pathogens. During a study of the fungal communities of roots (endophyte) and rhizoplanes of plants growing in a layer of compost-like vegetal materials covering crude oil ponds in rain forest areas of the Amazonian Ecuador, a set of isolates with a cylindrocarpon-like asexual morph were studied. Multilocus phylogenetic inferences (based on partial DNA sequences from nuclear ribosomal DNA genes (ITS, 28S) and the housekeeping genes b-tubulin, translation elongation factor 1-α and Histone 3) and morphological studies revealed the occurrence of five undescribed species, of which four belong to Dactylonectria and one to Campylocarpon. They are described as Dactylonectria amazonica, D. ecuadoriense, D. polyphaga, D. palmicola and Campylocarpon amazonense.