This work describes the spatio-temporal distribution of suspected plastic and microplastic (MP) particles in estuarine plumes and analyzes the microplastic/zooplankton ratio. Subsurface hauls with a ...conical-cylindrical net were deployed in the coastal area of Tamandare (Pernambuco, Brazil), covering the plume of two rivers and a bay adjacent to coral reefs. A total of 2079 suspected plastic particles were detected, mostly fibers and fragments (>60%). Organic matter digestion was made using a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution, of which approximately 50% of suspected particles were validated as MPs. The average MP abundance was significantly higher during the high rainfall season (53.8 ± 89.6 and 18.8 ± 32.3 particles/m³, respectively), with higher values registered in the plume area (108.9 ± 158.5 and 44.6 ± 55.5 particles/m³). Polymer identification using FT-IR confirmed that suspected particles were mainly polypropylene, polyamide, and polyurethane. These results confirm the hypothesis of a temporal transport variation of MPs from the river to the coastal environments, particularly since the plume influences debris input. Eleven animal phyla were identified, and the subclass Copepoda was predominant (90%), particularly the nauplius stage (70%). Over 70% of verified MPs range between 20 and 2000 μm, equivalent to the most common size of zooplanktonic organisms. Results support that coastal areas near estuarine plumes are exposed to microplastic contamination, affecting species dependent on zooplankton in marine coastal food webs.
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•Microplastic input in the marine coast is strongly influenced by the river plume.•More than 40% of the suspected plastic identified as 'fibers' were validated.•Not all brightly colored particles can be confirmed as plastic polymers.•Over 70% of the MP are in the size fraction equivalent to the zooplankton spectra.•Planktivorous species are more vulnerable to exposure by MP in the high rainfall.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Copepods are key species in pelagic marine environments. They act as a link between primary producers and fish and also as predators of other major consumers. These organisms are the most abundant ...and diverse constituents of the marine mesozooplankton and the principal secondary producers in marine food webs, and they can represent up to 80% of the biomass of planktonic metazoans in these environments. Among Copepoda, Calanoida are noteworthy because they are relatively abundant and diverse under certain conditions. The present study reports the first observation of a malformation in a female of C. mastigophorus. The specimen was collected between depths of 40 m and 60 m near the St. Peter and St. Paul archipelago. The authors suggest that this anomaly can be related to parasitic infestation. However, the results of the current study failed to reveal any sign of infestation, either in the anomalous individual or in any other individual of the same genus in the samples.
Understanding latitudinal variation in avian life-history traits has been a focus of many demographic studies around the world. However, we still know little about annual or intra-annual demographic ...variation within tropical regions or about how factors such as breeding season and precipitation influence demographic rates. In this study, we estimated intra-annual apparent survival of the White-lined Tanager (Tachyphonus rufus) using capture-mark-recapture data from northeastern Brazil. We tested whether survival varied seasonally (breeding vs. non-breeding), with rainfall, by age and residence status in our study area. Intra-annual apparent survival was correlated with the reproductive cycle, being lower during the breeding (0.65 ± 0.16 SE) vs. the non-breeding season (0.97 ± 0.05 SE). The annual apparent survival (~0.6) was relatively low for a tropical species. In both years, we observed highest abundance in spring (November, 3.1-3.7 birds/ha) and lowest abundance in autumn-winter periods (May-August, 1.1-1.4 bird/ha). The low survival during the breeding season probably reflects the trade-off between survival and reproduction and the cost of reproduction. Our findings represent an advance in the understanding of the demography of tropical birds because we did not find a predicted high annual apparent survival, and we elucidated some aspects of intra-annual variation in survival. Further exploration of latitudinal variation in demographic traits, especially in diverse, but poorly known habitats is needed to fully vet and develop life history theories.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Context
The monoclinic L-histidine crystal is critical for protein structure and function and is also found in the myelin of brain nerve cells. This study numerically examines its structural, ...electronic, and optical properties. Our findings indicate that the L-histidine crystal has an insulating band gap of approximately 4.38 eV. Additionally, electron and hole effective masses range between 3.92
m
0
–15.33
m
0
and 4.16
m
0
–7.53
m
0
, respectively. Furthermore, our investigation suggests that the L-histidine crystal is an excellent UV collector due to its strong optical absorption activity for photon energies exceeding 3.5 eV.
Methods
To investigate the structural, electronic, and optical properties of L-histidine crystals, we used the Biovia Materials Studio software to conduct Density Functional Theory (DFT) simulations as implemented in the CASTEP code. Our DFT calculations were performed using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) as parameterized by the Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) exchange-correlation functional, with an additional dispersion energy correction (PBE
+
TS) based on the model proposed by Tkatchenko and Scheffler to describe van der Waals interactions. Additionally, we employed the norm-conserving pseudopotential to treat core electrons.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Background
Epidemiological studies have indicated the lack of breast feeding as a risk factor associated with later development of inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, the repercussion of little ...feeding during suckling on large intestine inflammatory response and anti‐oxidant resources has not yet been completely understood. This study hypothesized that unfavorable lactation is able to induce oxidative stress and release of inflammatory mediators modifying the integrity of the colon epithelium in weanling rats.
Methods
Wistar rats were reared under different early nutritional conditions according to litter size in two groups: N6 (6 pups/dam) and N15 (15 pups/dam) until the 25th postnatal day. The distal colon was removed and processed for biochemical, morphometric, and immunohistochemical analyzes. Lipoperoxidation, nitric oxide (NO), reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukins‐1β, 4 and 10 (IL‐1β; IL‐4; IL‐10) levels, and total superoxide dismutase (tSOD), and catalase (CAT) activities were assessed. Morphometric analysis was carried out using paraffin sections and wholemount myenteric plexus preparations.
Key Results
Increased lipoperoxidation, NO, TNF‐α and IL‐1b levels, reduced tSOD and increased CAT activities were found in the N15 compared to N6 group. No intergroup difference was detected for IL‐10, while lower levels of IL‐4, GSH and GSSG and lower neuronal size and density were induced by undernutrition.
Conclusions & Inferences
Reduced feeding during suckling changed the inflammatory response and oxidative status in the colon of weanling rats. These data suggest potential mechanisms by which malnutrition early in life may increase the vulnerability of the large intestine to insults.
Epidemiological studies have indicated the lack of breast feeding as a risk factor associated with later development of inflammatory bowel disease. Nevertheless, the repercussion of little feeding during suckling on large intestine inflammatory response and anti‐oxidant resources has not yet been completely understood. In this study, our results reveal that reduced feeding during suckling changes the inflammatory response and oxidative status in the colon of weanling rats and increase nitric oxide levels in the muscle layers.
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DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The use of predatory mites as the sole management tactic in biological control programmes frequently does not fully and reliably prevents damage of phytophagous mites on plants. Therefore, as an ...alternative, the integration of predatory mites with acaricides can provide more effective control of phytophagous mites than that of the predators only. However, for such integration, acaricides minimal negative impacts on predatory mites are required. In this study, we evaluated the sublethal effects of three acaricides on the foraging behaviour of Neoseiulus baraki (Athias‐Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in a coconut production system. The acaricides were assessed for interference with the location of prey habitat using a Y‐tube olfactometer and for interference with the location of the prey colony within the habitat using a video‐tracking system. In addition to the choice of odour source, the time required and the distance walked to make the choice were assessed. The acaricides tested were abamectin, azadirachtin and fenpyroximate. The predatory mite preferred coconuts infested with the coconut mite Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae) over uninfested coconuts when not exposed to acaricides. However, when exposed to acaricides, the predator did not distinguish between infested and uninfested fruits. When exposed to abamectin, N. baraki spent more time resting and walked greater distances before making the choice of an odour source. Thus, the acaricides impair the ability of the predatory mite N. baraki to locate a prey habitat and to locate a prey within that habitat. The acaricides differentially affected prey foraging by interfering with odour perception.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
Inflammatory bowel disease consists of multifactorial diseases whose common manifestation is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and their pathogenesis remains unknown. This study ...aimed to analyse the gene polymorphisms in Brazilian patients with inflammatory bowel disease. A total of 101 patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease were analysed for the tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (‐308 G/A; rs1800629) and interleukin‐10 (‐1082 G/A; rs1800896) gene polymorphisms. Genotyping was performed through polymerase chain reaction–sequence‐specific primer, then fractionated on 2% agarose gel and visualized after staining by ethidium bromide. The anatomic–clinical form of Crohn's disease (CD) predominant was the inflammatory (32.75%), followed by fistulizing (29.31%) and 27.58% stricturing. As control group, a total of 136 healthy subjects, from the same geographical region, were enrolled. The statistical analyses were performed using R program. The frequency of the A allele at tumour necrosis factor‐alpha was high in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients (51%) than in controls (22%; P > 0.01). No statistical difference was found with the genotypic and allelic frequencies of CD patients compared to controls (P = 0.54). The polymorphism ‐1082G/A of interleukin‐10 was not statistical different between the diseases compared to controls. Tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) (‐308G/A) is associated with UC onset, suggesting that the presence of ‐308A allele could confer a relative risk of 3.62 more to develop UC in general population. Further studies, increasing the number of individuals, should be performed to ratify the role of TNF‐α in the inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis.
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DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Leptin and aldosterone have been associated with the pathophysiological mechanisms of hypertension. However, despite studies showing the association of leptin with intima-media thickness, arterial ...distensibility and sympathetic nerve activation, the relationship between leptin and blood pressure (BP) in resistant hypertension (RHTN) is unknown. We aimed to assess the correlation of plasma leptin and aldosterone levels with BP in uncontrolled controlled RHTN (UCRHTN) and CRHTN patients. Plasma leptin and aldosterone levels, office BP, ambulatory BP monitoring and heart rate were measured in 41 UCRHTN, 39 CRHTN and 31 well-controlled HTN patients. No differences were observed between the three groups regarding gender, body mass index and age. The UCRHTN group had increased leptin when compared with CRHTN and well-controlled HTN patients (38.2±21.4, 19.6±8.7 and 20.94±13.9 ng ml(-1), respectively; P<0.05). Aldosterone levels values were also statistically different when comparing RHTN, CRHTN and well-controlled HTN patients (9.6±3.8, 8.1±5.0 and 8.0±4.7 ng dl(-1), respectively; P<0.05). As expected, UCRHTN patients had higher heart rate values compared with CRHTN and well-controlled HTN patients (86.2±7.2, 83.5±6.7 and 83.4±8.5, respectively; P<0.05). Plasma leptin positively correlated with systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), and aldosterone (r=0.43, 0.35 and 0.47, respectively; all P<0.05) in UCRHTN, but neither in the CRHTN nor in the HTN group. Simple linear regression showed that SBP, DBP and aldosterone may be predicted by leptin (r(2)=0.16, 0.15 and 0.19, respectively; all P<0.05) only in the UCRHTN subgroup. In conclusion, UCRHTN patients have higher circulating leptin levels associated with increased plasma aldosterone and BP levels when compared with CRHTN and HTN subjects.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Modern lifestyle increases the prevalence of obesity and its co-morbidities in the young population. High-salt (HS) diets are associated with hypertension and cardiac remodelling. The present study ...evaluated the potential effects of cardiometabolic programming induced by HS intake during puberty in lean and obese rats. Additionally, we investigated whether HS could exacerbate the impairment of cardiovascular parameters in adult life due to postnatal early overnutrition (PO). At postnatal day 3 (PN3), twenty-four litters of Wistar rats were divided into two groups: normal litter (NL, nine pups/dam) and small litter (SL, three pups/dam) throughout the lactation period; weaning was at PN21. At PN30, the pups were subdivided into two more groups: NL plus HS (NLHS) and SL plus HS (SLHS). HS intake was from PN30 until PN60. Cardiovascular parameters were evaluated at PN120. SL rats became overweight at adulthood due to persistent hyperphagia; however, HS exposure during puberty reduced the weight gain and food intake of NLHS and SLHS. Both HS and obesity raised the blood pressure, impaired baro- and chemoreflex sensitivity and induced cardiac remodelling but no worsening was observed in the association of these factors, except a little reduction in the angiotensin type-2 receptor in the hearts from SLHS animals. Our results suggest that the response of newborn offspring to PO and juveniles to a HS diet leads to significant changes in cardiovascular parameters in adult rats. This damage may be accompanied by impairment of both angiotensin signalling and antioxidant defence in the heart.
Zymomonas mobilis has long attracted attention owing to its capacity to ferment hexose to ethanol. From a taxonomic viewpoint, Z. mobilis is a unique species of the genus Zymomonas, separated into ...three subspecies, Z. mobilis subsp. mobilis, Z. mobilis subsp. pomaceae and Z. mobilis subsp. francensis on the basis of physiological tests, which are often unreliable owing to the genetic proximity among these species. Currently, the use of molecular techniques is more appropriate for identification of these bacterial subspecies. In this study, the 32 strains of Z. mobilis present in the UFPEDA bacterial collection were characterized using molecular techniques, such as sequencing of the 16S rDNA gene and its theoretical restriction profile, classifying them as members of the subspecies, Z. mobilis subsp. mobilis. In addition, anaerobic cultivations were performed, which showed the biological diversity of the strains in terms of growth, sugar consumption and ethanol production. From these results, it was possible to identify the strain Z‐2‐80 as a promising bacterium for use in the fermentation process.
Significance and Impact of the Study
Zymomonas mobilis is a bacterium of great relevance to biotechnology, owing to its capacity to ferment hexose to ethanol. On a molecular basis, 32 isolates were identified as Z. mobilis subsp. mobilis. However, intraspecific diversity was identified when these were grown under strictly anaerobic conditions. The results obtained from this study suggest a strain of Z. mobilis as an alternative for use in the fermentation process.
Significance and Impact of the Study:Zymomonas mobilis is a bacterium of great relevance to biotechnology, owing to its capacity to ferment hexose to ethanol. On a molecular basis, 32 isolates were identified as Z. mobilis subsp. mobilis. However, intraspecific diversity was identified when these were grown under strictly anaerobic conditions. The results obtained from this study suggest a strain of Z. mobilis as an alternative for use in the fermentation process.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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