Phoretic mites (Rhinoseius spp. ) in Apodiformes from Cerrado and Pantanal Biomes in midwestern Brazil / Ácaros Foréticos (Rhinoseius spp. ) em Apodiformes dos Biomas Cerrado e Pantanal no Centro-Oeste do Brasil

Abstract Nasal mites are commonly found in hummingbirds (Apodiformes). In most cases, endoparasitic mites were reported to parasitize the respiratory system, particularly the anterior nasal chambers, larynx, trachea, lungs, and the air and conjunctival sacs. However, some mites are only carried by hummingbirds, because flowers serving as a nutrient source for these small mites, such as for Apodiformes, a tropical nectar-feeding in their natural habitat. From August 2012 to May 2014, humminbirds were captured using mist nets, and examined for the presence of nasal mites (identified according to specific keys) in the Pantanal, and Cerrado biomes, from the Mato Grosso state, midwestern Brazil. Overall, 76 Apodiform specimens, from the Trochilidae family were captured, and 20 female nasal mites, identified as being from the Rhinoseius genus, were collected from eight hosts (10.5%), of the following species: Amazilia fimbriata, Amazilia versicolor, Eupetonema macroura, and Thalurania furcata. The Rhinoseius spp. has been reported on, in many ecosystems in the Americas, including Brazil, however, this is the first report on Apodiformes from the Pantanal biome. Phoretic mites are not responsible for direct damage to the population of Apodiformes, as they are not pathogenic. However, they compete for food with hummingbirds and decrease the quantity of food available in the environment. They also affect the reproductive dynamics of plants, feed on pollen, and interfere with the intricacies of the biodiversity where they live.

Resumo Os ácaros nasais são comumente encontrados em beija-flores (Apodiformes). Na maioria dos casos, os ácaros foram relatados como endoparasitas, parasitando o sistema respiratório, particularmente as câmaras nasais anteriores, a laringe, a traqueia, os pulmões e os sacos aéreos e conjuntivais. No entanto, alguns ácaros são transportados apenas por beija-flores, pois flores servem como fonte de nutrientes para esses pequenos ácaros, assim como para Apodiformes tropicais alimentados de néctar em seu habitat natural. De agosto de 2012 a maio de 2014, beija-flores foram capturadas com redes de neblina e examinadas quanto à presença de ácaros nasais (identificados de acordo com chaves específicas) nos biomas Pantanal e Cerrado, no estado do Mato Grosso, Centro-Oeste do Brasil. No total, 76 exemplares Apodiformes da família Trochilidae foram capturados e 20 fêmeas de ácaros nasais, identificados como pertencentes ao gênero Rhinoseius, foram coletados de oito hospedeiros (10,5%), das seguintes espécies: Amazilia fimbriata, Amazilia versicolor, Eupetonema macroura e Thalurania furcata. Rhinoseius spp. foi relatado em muitos ecossistemas nas Américas, incluindo o Brasil, no entanto, este é o primeiro relato em Apodiformes do bioma Pantanal. Os ácaros foréticos não são responsáveis ​​por danos diretos à população de Apodiformes, pois não são patogênicos. No entanto, eles competem por comida com beija-flores e diminuem a quantidade de comida disponível no ambiente. Eles também afetam a dinâmica reprodutiva das plantas, se alimentam de pólen e interferem nas interações da biodiversidade em que vivem.

CD47 expression is decreased in hematopoietic progenitor cells in patients with myelofibrosis

Myelofibrosis (MF) is characterized by increased circulating hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), abnormal cytokine levels, and the survival advantage of neoplastic progenitors over their normal counterparts, which leads to progressive disappearance of polyclonal hematopoiesis. CD47 is a surface glycoprotein with many functions, such as acting as a phagocytosis inhibitor of the expressing cell, that is increased in normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells mobilized into the blood and several human cancer-initiating cells, such as in acute myeloid leukemia. We compared CD47 expression in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells of patients with MF and controls and found it to be decreased in progenitors of MF. Exposure of control HPCs to the cytokines transforming growth factor β and stromal-derived factor 1, which are important regulators of hematopoietic stem cell cycling and are overexpressed in patients with MF, did not modulate CD47 expression.

Phoretic mites (Rhinoseius spp.) in Apodiformes from Cerrado and Pantanal Biomes in midwestern Brazil

Abstract Nasal mites are commonly found in hummingbirds (Apodiformes). In most cases, endoparasitic mites were reported to parasitize the respiratory system, particularly the anterior nasal chambers, larynx, trachea, lungs, and the air and conjunctival sacs. However, some mites are only carried by hummingbirds, because flowers serving as a nutrient source for these small mites, such as for Apodiformes, a tropical nectar-feeding in their natural habitat. From August 2012 to May 2014, humminbirds were captured using mist nets, and examined for the presence of nasal mites (identified according to specific keys) in the Pantanal, and Cerrado biomes, from the Mato Grosso state, midwestern Brazil. Overall, 76 Apodiform specimens, from the Trochilidae family were captured, and 20 female nasal mites, identified as being from the Rhinoseius genus, were collected from eight hosts (10.5%), of the following species: Amazilia fimbriata, Amazilia versicolor, Eupetonema macroura, and Thalurania furcata. The Rhinoseius spp. has been reported on, in many ecosystems in the Americas, including Brazil, however, this is the first report on Apodiformes from the Pantanal biome. Phoretic mites are not responsible for direct damage to the population of Apodiformes, as they are not pathogenic. However, they compete for food with hummingbirds and decrease the quantity of food available in the environment. They also affect the reproductive dynamics of plants, feed on pollen, and interfere with the intricacies of the biodiversity where they live.

Resumo Os ácaros nasais são comumente encontrados em beija-flores (Apodiformes). Na maioria dos casos, os ácaros foram relatados como endoparasitas, parasitando o sistema respiratório, particularmente as câmaras nasais anteriores, a laringe, a traqueia, os pulmões e os sacos aéreos e conjuntivais. No entanto, alguns ácaros são transportados apenas por beija-flores, pois flores servem como fonte de nutrientes para esses pequenos ácaros, assim como para Apodiformes tropicais alimentados de néctar em seu habitat natural. De agosto de 2012 a maio de 2014, beija-flores foram capturadas com redes de neblina e examinadas quanto à presença de ácaros nasais (identificados de acordo com chaves específicas) nos biomas Pantanal e Cerrado, no estado do Mato Grosso, Centro-Oeste do Brasil. No total, 76 exemplares Apodiformes da família Trochilidae foram capturados e 20 fêmeas de ácaros nasais, identificados como pertencentes ao gênero Rhinoseius, foram coletados de oito hospedeiros (10,5%), das seguintes espécies: Amazilia fimbriata, Amazilia versicolor, Eupetonema macroura e Thalurania furcata. Rhinoseius spp. foi relatado em muitos ecossistemas nas Américas, incluindo o Brasil, no entanto, este é o primeiro relato em Apodiformes do bioma Pantanal. Os ácaros foréticos não são responsáveis por danos diretos à população de Apodiformes, pois não são patogênicos. No entanto, eles competem por comida com beija-flores e diminuem a quantidade de comida disponível no ambiente. Eles também afetam a dinâmica reprodutiva das plantas, se alimentam de pólen e interferem nas interações da biodiversidade em que vivem.

Ocorrência de siphonaptera em preá cavia aperea exerleben, 1777 (rodentia: caviidae) no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Occurrence of siphonaptera in cavia aperea exerleben, 1777 (rodentia: caviidae) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil

Due to limited knowledge of Siphonaptera fauna of the Cavia aperea (Brazilian guinea pig) in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, 43 specimens were examined. Six percent of the Brazilian guinea pigs were parasitized with Siphonaptera, which were identified as Polygenis (Neopolygenis) atopus and Polygenis (Polygenis) axius proximus (Rhopalopsyllidae), both with 2.3% of prevalence. P. (Neopolygenis) atopus and P. (Polygenis) axius proximus are reported for the first time on C. aperea in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil.

Experimental study on rats to find the usefulness of nutritional supplementation to undernourished offspring of parents undernourished life-long.

Undernourished parents getting only about half of normal feed requirement and whose body weights were deficient by 40-65% were mated and out of the resulting litters, the medium size (about 8) ones were culled to 8 per dam whose food supply was restricted to 10 g per day during the suckling (category M2). Another category (M3) was constituted out of large (over 12) litters born to similar undernourished parents and culling the litter size to 15 per dam besides restricting the dam's food to only 10 g per day during first week and to 15 g per day during the second and third weeks of suckling. Another category (M1) was constituted like M3 except that the parents were provided with normal, ad libitum nutrition throughout. Effects of post-weaning continuation of undernutrition or of rehabilitation with ad libitum food were studied in M2 groups of pups till 425 days of age. Further, an additional protein-deficient type of undernutrition (M4) was also superimposed in one group of M2 category of pups between day 41 and 60 of age, and then rehabilitated on to normal diet to find the additional effect of this additional load of the protein-malnutrition. The control groups of normal pups were also reared along with the above groups for comparisons. The normal diet had: 22.8% protein, 10.6% fat, 61% carbohydrate, and vitamins and minerals. By 21 days of age, the deficiencies of the M1, M2 and M3 were about 28%, 64% and 77% respectively in body weights, and about 8%, 21% and 30% respectively in brain weights. Continuing the undernutrition after weaning on half of normal feed, the M2 group of males and females stabilized at about 41% and 62% respectively of normal body weights by about 150 days of age. Rehabilitation of M2 or M4 groups by providing ad libitum feed had never recovered their pre-rehabilitation body weight deficits even after the ad libitum feeding for as long as 425 days of age. On the contrary, the brain weights seemed to have partially recovered from the earlier deficits, but here also the general conclusion of permanency of deficits stood unequivocally. The present study affirms that different degrees of gestational, lactational and post-weaning undernutrition can lead to different degrees of growth deficits and that supplemental feeding regimens introduced afterwards cannot bring out recoveries from such previous deficits which seem to remain permanently.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)