Two common species dominate the species-rich Euglossine bee fauna of an Atlantic Rainforest remnant in Pernambuco, Brazil / Duas espécies comuns dominam a rica fauna de Euglossini em um remanscente de Floresta Atlântica em Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract Nowadays, the northern part of the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil is largely destroyed and forest remnants rarely exceed 100 ha. In a 118 ha forest fragment within a state nature reserve of Pernambuco (Reserva Ecológica Gurjaú), we surveyed the orchid bee fauna (Apidae, Euglossini) using eight different scent baits to attract males. Once a month during one year, the bees were actively collected with entomological nets, from November 2002 to October 2003 by two collectors. We collected 2,908 orchid bee males belonging to 23 species, one of the highest richness values of the Northern Atlantic Rainforest. Bees of only two species, Euglossa carolina (50%) and Eulaema nigrita (25%), which occurred throughout the year, accounted for three quarter of the collected individuals. Both species are typical for open or disturbed areas. Rainforest remnants like those of Gurjaú within the predominant sugar cane monocultures in the coastal plains of the northern Atlantic Rainforest play an important role in orchid bee conservation and maintenance of biodiversity.

Resumo Atualmente, a porção norte da Floresta Atlântica brasileira está drasticamente destruída e os remanescentes florestais raramente excedem 100 hectares. Com uso de iscas odoríferas atrativas aos machos, amostramos a fauna de abelhas-das-orquídeas (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) em um fragmento florestal de 118 ha na Reserva Ecológica de Gurjaú, Pernambuco. As abelhas foram ativamente coletadas com redes entomológicas por dois coletores, uma vez por mês, de novembro de 2002 a outubro de 2003. Coletamos 2908 machos de Euglossini pertencentes a 23 espécies, um dos mais altos valores de riqueza registrados para a Floresta Atlântica nordestina. Três quartos das abelhas coletadas pertenceram a apenas duas espécies, Euglossa carolina (50%) and Eulaema nigrita (25%), típicas de áreas abertas e perturbadas e ativas ao longo de todo ano. Remanescentes de floresta como os de Gurjaú, em meio às monoculturas de cana-de-açúcar, podem desempenhar um importante papel na conservação das abelhas-das-orquídeas em ambientes fragmentados como os da Mata Atlântica do nordeste do Brasil.

Two common species dominate the species-rich Euglossine bee fauna of an Atlantic Rainforest remnant in Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract Nowadays, the northern part of the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil is largely destroyed and forest remnants rarely exceed 100 ha. In a 118 ha forest fragment within a state nature reserve of Pernambuco (Reserva Ecológica Gurjaú), we surveyed the orchid bee fauna (Apidae, Euglossini) using eight different scent baits to attract males. Once a month during one year, the bees were actively collected with entomological nets, from November 2002 to October 2003 by two collectors. We collected 2,908 orchid bee males belonging to 23 species, one of the highest richness values of the Northern Atlantic Rainforest. Bees of only two species, Euglossa carolina (50%) and Eulaema nigrita (25%), which occurred throughout the year, accounted for three quarter of the collected individuals. Both species are typical for open or disturbed areas. Rainforest remnants like those of Gurjaú within the predominant sugar cane monocultures in the coastal plains of the northern Atlantic Rainforest play an important role in orchid bee conservation and maintenance of biodiversity.

Resumo Atualmente, a porção norte da Floresta Atlântica brasileira está drasticamente destruída e os remanescentes florestais raramente excedem 100 hectares. Com uso de iscas odoríferas atrativas aos machos, amostramos a fauna de abelhas-das-orquídeas (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) em um fragmento florestal de 118 ha na Reserva Ecológica de Gurjaú, Pernambuco. As abelhas foram ativamente coletadas com redes entomológicas por dois coletores, uma vez por mês, de novembro de 2002 a outubro de 2003. Coletamos 2908 machos de Euglossini pertencentes a 23 espécies, um dos mais altos valores de riqueza registrados para a Floresta Atlântica nordestina. Três quartos das abelhas coletadas pertenceram a apenas duas espécies, Euglossa carolina (50%) and Eulaema nigrita (25%), típicas de áreas abertas e perturbadas e ativas ao longo de todo ano. Remanescentes de floresta como os de Gurjaú, em meio às monoculturas de cana-de-açúcar, podem desempenhar um importante papel na conservação das abelhas-das-orquídeas em ambientes fragmentados como os da Mata Atlântica do nordeste do Brasil.

Effect of (-)- Δ9 -tetrahydrocannabinoid on the hepatic redox state of mice

(-)-∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC), a psychoactive component of marijuana, has been reported to induce oxidative damage in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we administered (∆9-THC to healthy C57BL/6J mice aged 15 weeks in order to determine its effect on hepatic redox state. Mice were divided into 3 groups: (∆9-THC (N = 10), treated with 10 mg/kg body weight (∆9-THC daily; VCtrl (N = 10), treated with vehicle [1:1:18, cremophor EL® (polyoxyl 35 castor oil)/ethanol/saline]; Ctrl (N = 10), treated with saline. Animals were injected ip twice a day with 5 mg/kg body weight for 10 days. Lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation and DNA oxidation were used as biomarkers of oxidative stress. The endogenous antioxidant defenses analyzed were glutathione (GSH) levels as well as enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in liver homogenates. The levels of mRNA of the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 were also monitored. Treatment with ∆9-THC did not produce significant changes in oxidative stress markers or in mRNA levels of CB1 and CB2 receptors in the liver of mice, but attenuated the increase in the selenium-dependent GPx activity (∆9-THC: 8 percent; VCtrl: 23 percent increase) and the GSH/oxidized GSH ratio (∆9-THC: 61 percent; VCtrl: 96 percent increase), caused by treatment with the vehicle. ∆9-THC administration did not show any harmful effects on lipid peroxidation, protein carboxylation or DNA oxidation in the healthy liver of mice but attenuated unexpected effects produced by the vehicle containing ethanol/cremophor EL®.

Blunt and penetrating trauma of the extrahepatic biliary tract

De janeiro de 1973 a dezembro de 1981, 1.483 pacientes foram operados de traumatismo abdominal. Sessenta deles (0,4 por cento) apresentavam trauma das vias biliares extra-hepaticas. A maioria das lesoes eram devidas a feridas penetrantes do abdome (n=50). A vesicula biliar foi o orgao mais frequentemente afetado-51 pacientes (um apresentava avulsao completa da vesicula). O coledoco estava lesado em oito pacientes e um apresentava uma lesao do canal coledoco hepatico comum. Frequentemente, a operacao de emergencia deve ser realizada sem muitos exames pre-operatorios devido a gravidade do traumatismo...