Katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from the Iguau National Park, Brazil.

Katydids were surveyed in the Iguau National Park (ParNa Iguau), the largest preserve of the Interior Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Sampling was carried out in three different areas of the ParNa Iguau, including its two predominant phytophysiognomies (Seasonal Semidecidual Forest and Mixed Ombrophilous Forest), and consisted of diurnal and nocturnal active searching for katydids and also using light traps. After collected, specimens were reared until adulthood in order to record their calling songs. Almost a thousand katydids were collected, belonging to 89 species and five subfamilies. Phaneropterinae appeared as the most speciose subfamily (57 species), followed by Conocephalinae (22), Meconematinae and Pseudophyllinae, each one with four species, and Pterochrozinae (two species). Several species were recorded for the first time for the Paran State, for the South Region of Brazil, and also for the country. Calling songs of 34 species were recorded, 29 of them unknown to science. The description of the sound produced by species of some supraspecific taxa (e.g., Aniarae, Cosmophylla and Scaphurae) is here presented for the first time. Data reinforce the relevance of ParNa Iguau for the maintenance of thousands of species from different taxonomic groups and also highlight the catastrophic effects that continuous pressures and threats on the preserve, despite the successive attempts to downgrade this conservation unit, may have on the outstanding biodiversity that is harboured by ParNa Iguau.

The BCG Moreau Vaccine Upregulates In Vitro the Expression of TLR4, B7-1, Dectin-1 and EP2 on Human Monocytes.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is currently the second greatest killer worldwide and is caused by a single infectious agent. Since Bacillus Calmette−Guérin (BCG) is the only vaccine currently in use against TB, studies addressing the protective role of BCG in the context of inducible surface biomarkers are urgently required for TB control. Methods: In this study, groups of HIV-negative adult healthy donors (HD; n = 22) and neonate samples (UCB; n = 48) were voluntarily enrolled. The BCG Moreau strain was used for the in vitro mononuclear cell infections. Subsequently, phenotyping tools were used for surface biomarker detection. Monocytes were assayed for TLR4, B7-1, Dectin-1, EP2, and TIM-3 expression levels. Results: At 48 h, the BCG Moreau induced the highest TLR4, B7-1, and Dectin-1 levels in the HD group only (p-value < 0.05). TIM-3 expression failed to be modulated after BCG infection. At 72 h, BCG Moreau equally induced the highest EP2 levels in the HD group (p-value < 0.005), and higher levels were also found in HD when compared with the UCB group (p-value < 0.05). Conclusions: This study uncovers critical roles for biomarkers after the instruction of host monocyte activation patterns. Understanding the regulation of human innate immune responses is critical for vaccine development and for treating infectious diseases.

Three new Anaulacomera species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from the Iguau National Park and nearby areas, southern Brazil.

Three new species of Anaulacomera are described, Anaulacomera (Anaulacomera) mariellae sp. n. and Anaulacomera (Anallomes) arlindoi sp. n., belonging respectively to the Inermis and Lanceolata species group, and Anaulacomera angelinae sp. n., placed as incertae sedis. The individuals were collected at the Iguau National Park and adjacent small fragments of Atlantic Forest, in southwestern Paran state, Brazil. The description was based on external morphology of males. We also present distribution maps for the species of the Inermis and the Lanceolata species groups.

Conservation optimism and reckoning with the future.

Article impact statement: The optimism permeating biological conservation should be recalibrated considering the future that present times portend.

Xenicola brauni sp. n., a new katydid species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae:Phaneropterinae) from the Atlantic Forest, southeastern Brazil.

A new species of Xenicola Uvarov, 1940 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae), X. brauni sp. n., is described from the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Morphological comparisons with all other known species of Xenicola are presented and discussed. This is the first record of Xenicola in southeastern Brazil, and is also the northernmost record of the genus within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

A new species of Phylloptera Serville, 1831 (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae, Phaneropterinae) from southern Brazil and lectotype designation for Phylloptera picta Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1891

Abstract Here we describe a new katydid species, Phylloptera jaci sp. nov., from the Iguaçu National Park, a large Atlantic Forest protected remnant in southern Brazil. This is the first record of a species of Phylloptera of the picta species group both for Brazil and the Atlantic Forest. We also designate the lectotype for Phylloptera picta, from Peru, and present a complementary description of this species. An occurrence map for the species of Phylloptera of the picta species group are also presented.

On brachypterous phaneropterine katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae:br />Phaneropterinae) from the Iguaçu National Park, Brazil: three new species, new record and bioacoustics.

The species of brachypterous Phaneropterinae (Tettigoniidae) inhabiting the Iguaçu National Park, Paraná, Brazil, were studied. Four species have been recognized, Anisophya melanochloris (Rehn, 1911) and three new species described here: Anisophya una sp. n., as well as Xenicola taroba sp. n. and Xenicola xukrixi sp. n. We present relevant characters used in Orthoptera taxonomy, such as male genitalia, male and female stridulatory files, cerci and subgenital plates for all four species. Calling songs of three species are also described. X. xukrixi sp. n. stands out by its high carrier frequency with a peak above 70 kHz.

Contribution of Xpert MTB/RIF to clinical diagnosis in adolescents with tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

SETTING: Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, a high tuberculosis (TB) burden city.OBJECTIVE: To compare the sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, care process indicators (CPIs) and treatment outcomes among adolescents with pulmonary TB (PTB) and those with PTB + extrapulmonary TB (EPTB), who underwent testing with Xpert® and sputum culture.DESIGN: This was a retrospective study of data from three national databases from 2014 to 2016 of adolescents (aged 10-18 years) residing and notified in Rio de Janeiro City. Three groups were identified according to their Xpert and culture results: Group 1, Xpert- and culture-positive; Group 2, Xpert-positive and culture-negative; and Group 3, Xpert- and culture-negative. Study CPIs were as follows: the time between 'sample collection and Xpert result release', 'sample collection and treatment initiation' and 'notification and treatment outcome'.RESULTS: Of 258 adolescents included in the study, 223 (86.4%) were in Group 1, 20 (7.8%) in Group 2 and 15 (5.8%) in Group 3. Groups 1 and 2 had a similar profile. Compared to Group 1, Group 3 had a higher proportion of HIV-positive cases (21.4% vs. 3.0%, P = 0.016), adolescents with a hospital diagnosis (53.3% vs. 7.6%, P < 0.001), and PTB + EPTB cases (20% vs. 0.4%; P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in CPIs or treatment outcomes.CONCLUSION: The clinical diagnosis was decisive in more critical or complex patients, despite Xpert-negative results.

The in vitro Mycobacterium bovis BCG Moreau infection of human monocytes that induces Caspase-1 expression, release and dependent cell death is mostly reliant upon cell integrity.

BACKGROUND: Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, tuberculosis (TB) is an extremely contagious disease predominantly affecting the lungs. TB is found worldwide and has a major impact on public health safety primarily due to its high mortality rate. Applied for over a hundred years as a preventive measure, Mycobacterium bovis BCG remains the only available TB vaccine. Only one seminal study about the apoptotic pathways induced by this vaccine in the monocytic lineage of the host cell has found the effects of BCG on regulation of apoptosis. The aim of this study was to explore beyond that pioneer study the pathway related to the in vitro cell-death pattern and the inflammatory response to the BCG vaccine in human monocytes. METHODS: Cohorts of HIV-negative volunteers were enrolled: adult Healthy Donors (HD) and neonates' Umbilical Cord Blood (UCB) individuals. Host mononuclear cells were infected with the M. bovis Moreau strain of BCG vaccine at 16, 24, 48, and 72 h. The Real-Time RT-PCR for TRADD, Bcl-2, and Caspases-1 and -3 were performed, and supernatants were assayed in parallel for Caspase-1, NLRP3, HO-1, and IL-1ß levels whereas caspases were assessed intracellularly. The effect of a BCG infection in monocytes was characterized via a metabolic activity assay by LDH release profiles. RESULTS: Overall, the BCG vaccine induced significantly higher Caspase-1 and Bcl-2 mRNA levels in both the HD and UCB groups (p-value ≤0.05). In addition, a significant increase solely in Caspase-1 protein levels was also noted in both HD and UCB (p-value ≤0.05) notwithstanding the absence of any damaged cell membranes. CONCLUSIONS: Our data directly corroborate other findings showing that BCG Moreau led to an increased secretion of IL-1ß but not IL-18, two Caspase-1-activated cytokines, and are also in support of the model that the BCG Moreau infection of human mononuclear cells may induce a cell-death pattern involving Caspase-1 activation.

Bait traps remain attractive to euglossine bees even after two weeks: a report from Brazilian Atlantic forest

ABSTRACT Bait traps are effective and commonly used method in the studies of orchid bees. Important questions in the context of this method, including those related to bait dispersion, how long baits remain attractive, the distance from which males are supposed to be attracted to lures and so on, are still open subjects. Data on the attractiveness of bait traps that have remained in the field during two weeks in a large Atlantic forest preserve are presented. Four main results emerge from the data: (i) the abundance of specimens collected per day decreased in all the attractants as the traps were left on the field; (ii) despite this decrease, the absolute number of individuals collected after eight and fifteen days is remarkably, mostly in eugenol and vanillin baits; (iii) the vast majority of species, 22 of 25, was already collected on the first sample day; (iv) a consistent variation in the relative abundance of individuals collected in each scent as collections were made. We urge that bait traps should not be left in the field beyond what is strictly necessary since there is a real possibility of collecting a significant number of individuals as these traps remain available.

A new Anaulacomera species (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from the Iguaçu National Park, southern Brazil.

A new species of Anaulacomera, A. trispinata sp. n., of the poculigera group is described from the Iguaçu National Park, a large remnant of Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. This is the first record of the poculigera group both for Brazil and for the Atlantic Forest domain. The overall morphology of both males and females is presented, besides the calling songs of males.

News from the west: the orchid bees from Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossina) / Notícias do oeste: as abelhas-das-orquídeas do Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brasil (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossina)

Abstract: Orchid bees were surveyed at Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, the largest remnant of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest in Brazil. Seven species were collected, and Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) was the most common species, followed by Euglossa annectans Dressler. The observed species richness and species composition agree with what is known for the local euglossine faunas in fragments of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest of southern and southeastern Brazil. On the other hand, the abundance of individuals was remarkably low. The occurrence of a severe winter in 2013 and the collection of several males in other fragments suggest that this noteworthy low abundance can be fortuitous.

Resumo: Abelhas-das-orquídeas foram amostradas no Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, o maior fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual do Brasil. Sete espécies foram coletadas e Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) foi a espécie mais comum, seguida por Euglossa annectans Dressler. A riqueza e composição de espécies observadas concordam com o que se conhece para as faunas locais de abelhas euglossinas em fragmentos de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual. Por outro lado, a abundância de indivíduos foi notavelmente baixa. A ocorrência de um inverno severo em 2013 e a coleta de muitos machos em outros fragmentos sugerem que tal baixa abundância pode ser fortuita.

Intra-alveolar epsilon-aminocaproic acid for the control of post-extraction bleeding in anticoagulated patients: randomized clinical trial.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the intra-alveolar administration of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) and daily gentle rinsing with EACA mouthwash with that of routine postoperative procedures for the control of bleeding after tooth extraction in anticoagulated patients. A randomized clinical trial was conducted involving 52 patients submitted to 140 tooth extractions, assigned randomly to two groups. The intervention group was treated with intra-alveolar administration of EACA immediately after surgery and gentle rinsing with EACA mouthwash during the postoperative period. The control group received routine postoperative recommendations. A single episode of immediate bleeding occurred in the intervention group. Late bleeding episodes occurred in 23 procedures (16.4%): 11 (15.7%) in the intervention group and 12 (17.1%) in the control group. Among the patients with late bleeding, 18 (78.3%) events were classified as moderate and were controlled by the patient applying pressure to a gauze pack placed over the extraction socket. The remaining five cases (21.7%) required re-intervention. No statistically significant difference in the frequency of postoperative bleeding was observed between the groups. Thus, routine measures were as effective for the control of bleeding after simple tooth extractions in anticoagulated patients as the topical administration of EACA.

Lower levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate are associated with more advanced liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.

Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus induces liver fibrosis, but it is unknown why some patients progress to advanced fibrosis while others remain with mild disease. Recently, an inverse association between serum levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was described, and it was postulated that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has antifibrotic effects. Our aim was to compare serum DHEA-S levels with liver fibrosis in hepatitis C patients. We collected serum samples from hepatitis C patients at the same day they underwent a liver biopsy. S-DHEA was compared to different stages of fibrosis. Binary logistic regression models were applied to evaluate independent variables associated to fibrosis. We included 287 patients (43.9% male). According to fibrosis stages 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4, median serum DHEA-S levels were 103 (26-462), 73 (5-391), 46 (4-425), 35 (6-292) and 28 (2-115) µg/dL, respectively (P < .001). Median serum DHEA-S levels were 74 (5-462) vs 36 (2-425) µg/dL for mild (F0-1) vs significant (F2-4) fibrosis, respectively (P < .001). Median serum DHEA-S levels were 64 (4-462) vs 31 (2-292) µg/dL for non advanced (F0-2) vs advanced fibrosis (F3-4), respectively (P < .001). The same association was found when the subgroup of HCV patients with and without steatosis or steatohepatitis was analysed. The association between lower DHEA-S levels and advanced fibrosis was independent of age, gender, diabetes mellitus, obesity and steatosis. Lower circulating DHEA-S levels are associated with more advanced stages of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C patients.

Distensibility index of the inferior vena cava in experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome.

We determined the accuracy of distensibility index of inferior vena cava (dIVC) for evaluation of fluid responsiveness in rats with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and validated this index for use in rat models. In protocol 1, E. coli lipopolysaccharide was administered in Wistar rats (n=7). After 24h, animals were mechanically ventilated, and stroke volume (SV) and dIVC quantified after blood drainage and subsequent volume expansion (albumin 20%). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to determine the optimal dIVC cutoff. In protocol 2, rats (n=10) were divided into fluid-responders (SV increase >5%) and nonresponders (SV increase <5%). The dIVC cutoff obtained from protocol 1 was 25%. Fluid responders had a 2.5 relative risk of low dIVC (<25%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values for dIVC were 74%, 62%, 59%, and 76%, respectively. In conclusion, a dIVC threshold <25% was associated with positive response after volume expansion and could be used to titrate fluids in endotoxin-induced ARDS.

Effect of antihypertensive therapy with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on chronic periodontitis: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) downregulates the activity of bradykinin, a potent proinflammatory and immunostimulatory peptide liberated from an internal portion of kininogens. Here, we asked whether periodontitis is worsened in patients under antihypertensive treatment with ACE inhibitors. METHODS: Periodontal parameters were recorded from 30 individuals taking ACE inhibitors (case) and 35 taking a non-ACE inhibitor medication (control). Data were analyzed by nonparametric and parametric statistical tests. RESULTS: Most sociodemographic figures were similar in both groups. However, family income was statistically higher in the control group, and the percentage of sites with visible plaque (PL) was statistically higher in the case group (P = 0.043 and P = 0.005, respectively). The prevalence of individuals with chronic periodontitis varied from 31.5% in the control group to 63.4% in the case group (P = 0.001). Patients in the case group presented a 3.2-fold higher risk of having sites with pocket depth ≥5 mm and a 2.9-fold higher risk of having sites with clinical attachment loss ≥5 mm in comparison with those in the control group (P = 0.009 and P = 0.001, respectively; adjusted for family income and visible PL). CONCLUSION: Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors may increase the prevalence and extent of chronic periodontitis in Brazilian patients.