Impact of pathogenic bacterial communities present in wastewater on aquatic organisms: Application of nanomaterials for the removal of these pathogens.

Contaminated wastewater (WW) can cause severe hazards to numerous delicate ecosystems and associated life forms. In addition, human health is negatively impacted by the presence of microorganisms in water. Multiple pathogenic microorganisms in contaminated water, including bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses, are vectors for several contagious diseases. To avoid the negative impact of these pathogens, WW must be free from pathogens before being released into stream water or used for other reasons. In this review article, we have focused on pathogenic bacteria in WW and summarized the impact of the different types of pathogenic bacteria on marine organisms. Moreover, we presented a variety of physical and chemical techniques that have been developed to provide a pathogen-free aquatic environment. Among the techniques, membrane-based techniques for trapping hazardous biological contaminants are gaining popularity around the world. Besides, novel and recent advancements in nanotechnological science and engineering suggest that many waterborne pathogens could be inactivated using nano catalysts, bioactive nanoparticles, nanostructured catalytic membranes, nanosized photocatalytic structures, and electrospun nanofibers and processes have been thoroughly examined.

Biosynthesis of Nanoparticles Using Plant Extracts and Essential Oils.

Plant extracts and essential oils have a wide variety of molecules with potential application in different fields such as medicine, the food industry, and cosmetics. Furthermore, these plant derivatives are widely interested in human and animal health, including potent antitumor, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and bactericidal activity. Given this diversity, different methodologies were needed to optimize the extraction, purification, and characterization of each class of biomolecules. In addition, these plant products can still be used in the synthesis of nanomaterials to reduce the undesirable effects of conventional synthesis routes based on hazardous/toxic chemical reagents and associate the properties of nanomaterials with those present in extracts and essential oils. Vegetable oils and extracts are chemically complex, and although they are already used in the synthesis of nanomaterials, limited studies have examined which molecules are effectively acting in the synthesis and stabilization of these nanostructures. Similarly, few studies have investigated whether the molecules coating the nanomaterials derived from these extracts and essential oils would bring benefits or somehow reduce their potential activity. This synergistic effect presents a promising field to be further explored. Thus, in this review article, we conducted a comprehensive review addressing the main groups of molecules present in plant extracts and essential oils, their extraction capacity, and available methodologies for their characterization. Moreover, we highlighted the potential of these plant products in the synthesis of different metallic nanomaterials and their antimicrobial capacity. Furthermore, we correlated the extract's role in antimicrobial activity, considering the potential synergy between molecules from the plant product and the different metallic forms associated with nanomaterials.

Taxonomic revision of the Neotropical genus Argentinomyia Lynch-Arribálzaga, 1891 (Diptera: Syrphidae), with description of 16 new species.

The Neotropical flower fly genus Argentinomyia Lynch-Arribálzaga (Diptera: Syrphidae) is revised and rediagnosed. An updated key to the Neotropical genera of Bacchini and Melanostomini is provided. As a result of the ongoing systematic study of the genus, sixteen new species were discovered and described: Argentinomyia aurifacies Montoya & Thompson sp. nov. (Dominican Republic), Argentinomyia belmira Montoya & Wolff sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia humboldti Montoya & Wolff sp. nov. (Colombia and Ecuador), Argentinomyia ivani Montoya sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia jalcaensis Thompson & Montoya sp. nov. (Perú), Argentinomyia jamaicensis Montoya sp. nov. (Jamaica), Argentinomyia norrbomi Montoya sp. nov. (Brazil), Argentinomyia occidentalis Montoya & Wolff sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia plaumanni Thompson & Montoya sp. nov. (Brazil), Argentinomyia sagoti Montoya sp. nov. (Mexico), Argentinomyia serendipia Montoya sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia spinifemorata Montoya sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia taina Montoya & Thompson sp. nov. (Dominican Republic), Argentinomyia teresae Montoya sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia transversalis Montoya sp. nov. (Colombia and Bolivia) and Argentinomyia tropandeana Montoya sp. nov. (Colombia, Ecuador and Perú). Five new synonyms are proposed for four species: Melanostoma melanocerum (Williston, 1891) = Argentinomyia catabomba (Williston, 1891), Braziliana columbiana (Enderlein, 1935) = Argentinomyia fastigata (Fluke, 1945), Braziliana peruviana (Shannon, 1927), Braziliana thiemei (Enderlein, 1935) = Argentinomyia longicornis (Walker, 1836) and Rhysops funerea (Hull, 1949) = Argentinomyia nigrans (Fluke, 1945). Lectotypes are designated for the following names: Melanostoma catabombum Williston, 1891, Melanostoma crenulatum Williston, 1891, Melanostoma longicornis Williston, 1888, Melanostoma melanocerum Williston, 1891 and Pipiza longicornis Walker, 1836. Twenty-six species are redescribed and an updated key proposed for 41 out of the 47 species recognized as valid. Synonyms, descriptions, comparative diagnosis, high-definition color photographs of overall appearance, illustrations of the male genitalia as well as field photographs are provided. The known distribution ranges are mapped and the biogeographical affinity and endemism are discussed. Female genitalia are described for the first time for the genus. Argentinomyia berthae (Lima, 1946) is rediscovered and redescribed, including the designation of a neotype. The taxonomic status of Argentinomyia scitula (Williston, 1888) is considered doubtful and needs further study. Taxonomic notes are provided for Argentinomyia aenea (Willistoni, 1891) and A. huitepecensis Montoya, 2020. The high diversity, the biogeographical affinities, the noteworthy endemism patterns, new country records as well as the morphological variation evidenced in the present revision suggest that the genus is much more diverse than it appears, with many new species that undoubtedly remain to be described from unexplored areas of the Neotropics. Our study provides a thorough morphological assessment as well as the updated biogeographical distribution, which constitute a starting point to answer questions and propose hypotheses about the phylogenetic relationships, historical biogeography, diversification patterns and conservation of Argentinomyia in forthcoming contributions.

Environmental Implications Associated with the Development of Nanotechnology: From Synthesis to Disposal.

Nanotechnology remains under continuous development. The unique, fascinating, and tunable properties of nanomaterials make them interesting for diverse applications in different fields such as medicine, agriculture, and remediation. However, knowledge about the risks associated with nanomaterials is still poorly known and presents variable results. Furthermore, the interaction of nanomaterials with biological systems and the environment still needs to be clarified. Moreover, some issues such as toxicity, bioaccumulation, and physicochemical transformations are found to be dependent on several factors such as size, capping agent, and shape, making the comparisons even more complex. This review presents a comprehensive discussion about the consequences of the use and development of nanomaterials regarding their potential risks to the environment as well as human and animal health. For this purpose, we reviewed the entire production chain from manufacturing, product development, applications, and even product disposal to raise the important implications at each stage. In addition, we present the recent developments in terms of risk management and the recycling of nanomaterials. Furthermore, the advances and limitations in the legislation and characterization of nanomaterials are also discussed.

Actinomycotic Osteomyelitis and Myiasis in Oroantral Communication: Clinicopathological and Tomographic Findings

Actinomycotic osteomyelitis of the maxilla presenting with oroantral communication is very rare, herein we report the first case of this condition in association with myiasis. A 50-year-old man reported chronic sinusopathy and a non-healing maxillary lesion, with 30 years of evolution, presenting occasional nasal and intraoral purulent discharge, with foul smell, and recurrent episodes of larvae presence. Cone beam computed tomography showed a large hyperdense image inside the left maxillary sinus, with focal areas with soft tissue density, and extensive discontinuity of the maxillary sinus floor, confirming the oroantral fistula. The necrotic tissue curetted during surgery presented hard consistency, and dark greenish color, and was submitted for histopathological analysis. Microscopically, necrotic bone, masses of filamentous bacteria colonie s, compatible with actinomycosis, and large rhomboidal structures surrounded by eosinophilic capsule - suggestive of larvae, were observed. The diagnosis of actinomycotic osteomyelitis with presence of structures compatible with larvae was established.

La osteomielitis actinomicótica del maxilar que se presenta con comunicación oroantral es poco frequente. En este trabajo reportamos el primer caso de esta condición en asociación con miasis. Un hombre de 50 años que refiere sinusopatía crónica y lesión maxilar que no cicatriza, de 30 años de evolución, presenta secreción ocasional purulenta nasal e intraoral, con mal olor y episodios recurrentes de presencia de larvas. La tomografía computarizada de haz cónico mostró una gran imagen hiperdensa en el interior del seno maxilar izquierdo, con áreas focales con densidad de partes blandas y una extensa discontinuidad del piso del seno maxilar, lo que confirma la fístula oroantral. El tejido necrótico legrado durante la cirugía presentó consistencia dura, coloración verdosa oscura, y fue remitido para análisis histopatológico. Microscópicamente se observó hueso necrótico, masas de colonias de bacterias filamentosas compatibles con actinomicosis y grandes estructuras romboidales rodeadas de cápsula eosinofílica sugestiva de larvas. Se estableció el diagnóstico de osteomielitis actinomicótica con presencia de estructuras compatibles con larvas.

Dereplication of Cytochalasans and Octaketides in Cytotoxic Extracts of Endophytic Fungi from Casearia arborea (Salicaceae).

Endophytes have been shown to be a source of novel drug prototypes. The Casearia genus is known for presenting cytotoxic clerodane diterpenes; however, there are few reports on secondary metabolites produced by its fungal microbiota. Thus, in the present study endophytic fungi obtained from the fresh leaves of C. arborea were grown in potato dextrose broth and rice to perform a secondary metabolite prospection study. The cytotoxic profile of the crude extracts at 10 µg/mL was determined by a colorimetric assay on tumor cell lines. The endophytes producing cytotoxic extracts were identified through phylogenetic analysis and belong to Diaporthe and Colletotrichum species. Metabolites present in these extracts were organized in molecular networking format based on HRMS-MS, and a dereplication process was performed to target compounds for chromatographic purification. Metabolic classes, such as lipids, peptides, alkaloids, and polyketides were annotated, and octaketide and cytochalasin derivatives were investigated. Cytochalasin H was purified from the cytotoxic Diaporthe sp. CarGL8 extract and its cytotoxic activity was determined on human cancer cell lines A549, MCF-7, and HepG2. The data collected in the present study showed that molecular networking is useful to understand the chemical profile of complex matrices to target compounds, minimizing the cost and time spent in purification processes.

TiO2 Nanocrystals and Annona crassiflora Polyphenols Used Alone or Mixed Impact Differently on Wound Repair.

Wounds treated with TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) show an improvement in healing time. However, little is known about the parameters that can contribute to this result. On the other hand, the treatment of wounds with polyphenols is widely known. These compounds are found in the peel of Annona crassiflora fruit and have antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, we evaluated the healing effect of TiO2 nanocrystals (TiO2-NCs), polyphenolic fractions obtained from ethanolic extract of A. crassiflora fruit peel (PFAC) and mix (PFAC + TiO2-NCs) on the parameters of wound closure, inflammation, collagen deposition, metalloproteinase activity (MMPs) and angiogenesis. TiO2-NCs and PFAC have activity for wound healing, showed anti-inflammatory action and a shorter wound closure time. These treatments also contributed to increased collagen deposition, while only treatment with TiO2-NCs increased MMP-2 activity, parameters essential for the migration of keratinocytes and for complete restoration of the injured tissue. The combination of PFAC + TiO2-NCs reduced the effectiveness of individual treatments by intensifying the inflammatory process, in addition to delaying wound closure. We conclude that the interaction between the hydroxyl groups of PFAC polyphenols with TiO2-NCs may have contributed to difference in the healing activity of skin wounds.

Corrigendum: (-)-T-Cadinol, a Sesquiterpene Isolated From Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae)-Displayed In Vitro Activity and Causes Hyperpolarization of the Membrane Potential of Trypanosoma cruzi.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.734127.].

Catalog of the horse-flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) of Chile.

A catalog of the Tabanidae from Chile is provided. All valid names and synonyms for the 116 species and 25 genera known for the country including information about name, author, year of publication, page number, type species, type locality and references are listed. The species Dasybasis albohirta (Walker) is cited for the first time for Chile. The type locality of Dasybasis nigrifrons (Philippi) is corrected to Chile (Todos Los Santos Lake). The dates of the description of Tabanus nigrifrons Philippi (now Dasybasis), and Pangonia australis Philippi (now Pseudoscione) are corrected from their original description by Philippi; the original description dates for Tabanus andicola (now Dasybasis), and Tabanus magellanicus (now synonym junior of Dasybasis trita (Walker)) are corrected from 1865 to 1862. Three species previously recorded from Chile are deemed to have been misidentified or misrecorded from Chile: Esenbeckia (E.) cisandeana Wilkerson Fairchild and Esenbeckia (E.) enderleini Krber, and Esenbeckia (E.) testaceiventris (Macquart, 1848). The genus Dasybasis Macquart is the richest genus in Chile, with 33 species. Seven genera (Mycteromyia Philippi, Promycteromyia Coscarn Philip, Archeomyotes Philip Coscarn, Austromyans Philip Coscarn, Chaetopalpus Philippi, Pseudomelpia Enderlein, and Sixtomyia Krolow, Henriques Gonzlez), three subgenera (Esenbeckia (Astomyia) Burger, E. (Palassomyia) Fairchild, and Protodasyapha (Protodasyapha) Enderlein), and 64 species are known only from Chile. There are also one subgenus (Protodasyapha (Curumyia) Coscarn), and 36 specie with distribution shared only between Chile and Argentina.

First records of two genera and thirteen species of Tabanidae (Diptera) from Honduras.

This works presents information on the diversity of the Tabanidae of Honduras as a product of the examination of 386 specimens and a literature review. Thirteen species and two genera (Bolbodimyia and Dasychela) are recorded from the country for the first time. Eighty-five species distributed in 22 genera, five tribes, and three subfamilies are now known from Honduras. A key to the subfamilies, tribes, and genera of the known Honduran species is also included. All new records are mapped and illustrated to aid in the identification of the species.

Effects of stress exposure in captivity on physiology and infection in avian hosts: no evidence of increased Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. infectivity to vector ticks.

Exposure to environmental stressors, an increasingly recurring event in natural communities due to anthropogenic-induced environmental change, profoundly impacts disease emergence and spread. One mechanism through which this occurs is through stress-induced immunosuppression increasing disease susceptibility, prevalence, intensity and reactivation in hosts. We experimentally evaluated how exposure to stressors affected both the physiology of avian hosts and the prevalence of the zoonotic bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.), in two model species-the blackbird Turdus merula and the robin Erithacus rubecula captured in the wild, using xenodiagnoses and analysis of skin biopsies and blood. Although exposure to stressors in captivity induced physiological stress in birds (increased the number of circulating heterophils), there was no evidence of increased infectivity to xenodiagnostic ticks. However, Borrelia detection in the blood for both experimental groups of blackbirds was higher by the end of the captivity period. The infectivity and efficiency of transmission were higher for blackbirds than robins. When comparing different methodologies to determine infection status, xenodiagnosis was a more sensitive method than skin biopsies and blood samples, which could be attributed to mild levels of infection in these avian hosts and/or dynamics and timing of Borrelia infection relapses and redistribution in tissues.

(-)-T-Cadinol-a Sesquiterpene Isolated From Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae)-Displayed In Vitro Activity and Causes Hyperpolarization of the Membrane Potential of Trypanosoma cruzi.

Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and affects 6-8 million people worldwide, mainly from developing countries. The treatment is limited to two approved nitro-derivatives, nifurtimox and benznidazole, with several side effects and reduced efficacy. Casearia sylvestris has been used in folk medicine as an antiseptic and cicatrizing in skin diseases. In the present work, the hexane phase from the MeOH extract from the leaves of Casearia sylvestris afforded a fraction composed by the sesquiterpene T-cadinol, which was chemically characterized by NMR and HRMS. The activity of T-cadinol was evaluated against T. cruzi, and IC50 values of 18 (trypomastigotes) and 15 (amastigotes) µM were established. The relation between the mammalian toxicity and the antiparasitic activity resulted in a selectivity index >12. Based on this promising activity, the mechanism of action was investigated by different approaches using fluorescent-based techniques such as plasma membrane permeability, plasma membrane electric potential, mitochondrial membrane electric potential, reactive oxygen species, and the intracellular calcium (Ca2+) levels. The obtained results demonstrated that T-cadinol affected neither the parasite plasma membrane nor the electric potential of the membrane. Nevertheless, this compound induced a mitochondrial impairment, resulting in a hyperpolarization of the membrane potential, with decreased levels of reactive oxygen species. No alterations in Ca2+ levels were observed, suggesting that T-cadinol may affect the single mitochondria of the parasite. This is the first report about the occurrence of T-cadinol in C. sylvestris, and our data suggest this sesquiterpene as an interesting hit compound for future optimizations in drug discovery studies for Chagas disease.

Quality of recovery in patients under low- or standard-pressure pneumoperitoneum. A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The use of low-pressure pneumoperitoneum seems to be capable of reducing complications such as post-operative pain. However, the quality of evidence supporting this conclusion is low. Both the lack of investigator blinding to both intra-abdominal pressure and to method of neuromuscular blockade represent key sources of bias. Hence, this prospective, randomised, and double-blind study aimed to compare the quality of recovery (Questionnaire QoR-40) of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under low-pressure and standard-pressure pneumoperitoneum. We tested the hypothesis that low pneumoperitoneum pressure enhances the quality of recovery following LC. METHODS: Eighty patients who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly divided into two groups, a low-pressure (10 mm Hg) pneumoperitoneum group and a standard-pressure (14 mm Hg) pneumoperitoneum group. For all participants, the value of the insufflation pressure was kept hidden and only the nurse responsible for the operating room was aware of it. Deep neuromuscular blockade was induced for all cases [train-of-four (TOF) = 0; post-tetanic count (PTC) > 0]. The quality of recovery was assessed on the morning of first post-operative day. RESULTS: No difference was found in either total score or in its different dimensions according to the QoR-40 questionnaire. The patients in the low-pressure pneumoperitoneum group experienced more pain during forced coughing measured at 4 hours (median difference [95% CI], 1 [0-2]; P = .030), 8 hours (1 [0-2]; P = .030) and 12 hours (0 [0-1] P = .025) after discharge from the post-anaesthesia care unit, when compared with those in the standard-pressure pneumoperitoneum group. CONCLUSION: We thus conclude that the use of low-pressure pneumoperitoneum during elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not improve the quality of recovery.

Nuevo registro de Cepa apeca (Diptera, Syrphidae, Eristalinae, Merodontini) en la región Andino-Amazónica de Colombia, con expansión de su rango geográfico / New record of Cepa apeca (Diptera, Syrphidae, Eristalinae, Merodontini) in the Andean-Amazonian region of Colombia and expansion of its geographic range

Las moscas de las flores del género Cepa son endémicas de la región Neotropical y Cepa apeca solo se conoce actualmente en Costa Rica. Aquí reportamos el primer registro de C. apeca en Colombia, basado en una sola hembra recolectada usando una trampa de dosel en un bosque denso secundario en un ecosistema montañoso en la localidad de Vereda San Francisco, município de Florencia-Caquetá, a una altitud de 643 m.s.n.m. Este hallazgo constituye el primer registro del género Cepa en Colombia y amplía el rango geográfico de Cepa apeca en aproximadamente 1.500 km (en línea recta) hacia el sur en Sudamérica. Nuestro hallazgo representa la ocurrencia más austral de la especie y contribuye al conocimiento incipiente sobre la diversidad de dípteros en la región Andino-Amazonica colombiana. (AU)

New record of Cepa apeca (Diptera, Syrphidae, Eristalinae, Merodontini) in the Andean-Amazonian region of Colombia and expansion of its geographic range / Nuevo registro de Cepa apeca (Diptera, Syrphidae, Eristalinae, Merodontini) en la región Andino-Amazónica de Colombia, con expansión de su rango geográfico

Flower flies of the genus Cepa are endemic to the Neotropical region and Cepa apeca is currently known only from Costa Rica. Here we report the first record of C. apeca in Colombia based on a single female collected using a canopy trap in a dense secondary forest in a mountainous ecosystem in the locality of Vereda San Francisco, municipality of Florencia-Caquetá, at an altitude of 643 m.a.s.l. This finding constitutes the first record of the genus Cepa in Colombia and expands the geographic range of Cepa apeca by approximately 1,500 km (straight line) southwards to South America. Our finding represents the southernmost occurrence of the species and contributes to the incipient knowledge on the Diptera diversity in the Colombian Andean-Amazonian region.

Las moscas de las flores del género Cepa son endémicas de la región Neotropical y Cepa apeca solo se conoce actualmente en Costa Rica. Aquí reportamos el primer registro de C. apeca en Colombia, basado en una sola hembra recolectada usando una trampa de dosel en un bosque denso secundario en un ecosistema montañoso en la localidad de Vereda San Francisco, município de Florencia-Caquetá, a una altitud de 643 m.s.n.m. Este hallazgo constituye el primer registro del género Cepa en Colombia y amplía el rango geográfico de Cepa apeca en aproximadamente 1.500 km (en línea recta) hacia el sur en Sudamérica. Nuestro hallazgo representa la ocurrencia más austral de la especie y contribuye al conocimiento incipiente sobre la diversidad de dípteros en la región Andino-Amazonica colombiana.

Pseudoangiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma: first case report on penis.

Pseudoangiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma, also called pseudovascular, pseudoangiomatoid or adenoid pseudovascular carcinoma, is an uncommon and highly aggressive variant of squamous cell carcinoma. Histologically, it is characterized by proliferation of atypical keratinocytes with acantholysis and formation of pseudovascular spaces, forming anastomosed channels lined with neoplastic cells that invade the dermis. These cells are positive for cytokeratin and negative for vascular markers such as CD31 and CD34. There are few reports of this variant in the literature. Skin, breast, lung and vulva involvement have been described, but to the best of our knowledge, no cases involving the penis has been described. This study aims to describe the first case of angiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. The patient presented with a painful lesion in the penis associated with urinary retention. Macroscopic findings exhibited an ulcerative vegetating lesion that involving the entire glans and part of the penile body, as well as infiltration of penile structures and scrotal skin. Microscopy shows atypical proliferation of sarcomatous keratinocyte pattern mimicking vascular spaces. Human papilloma virus (HPV) biomarkers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were all negative. Advanced penile squamous cell carcinoma with aggressive lymph node metastasis. This report presents the first case of penile pseudoangiosarcomatous squamous cell carcinoma, as an important differential diagnosis.

Identification of flavonoid-3-O-glycosides from leaves of Casearia arborea (Salicaceae) by UHPLC-DAD-ESI-HRMS/MS combined with molecular networking and NMR.

INTRODUCTION: Casearia is an essential source of cytotoxic highly oxidised clerodane diterpenes, in addition to phenolics, flavonoids, and glycoside derivatives. Here we identify flavonoid-3-O-glycoside derivatives in the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction of the methanolic extract from leaves C. arborea leaves. OBJECTIVE: To characterise the EtOAc phase from the methanolic extract of C. arborea leaves using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography diode array detector high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-HRMS/MS) and molecular networking-based dereplication. Methodology We identified compounds not annotated in the GNPS platform by co-injection of standards in HPLC-DAD or by isolation and characterisation of the metabolites using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A workflow on the GNPS platform aided the organisation of spectral data and dereplication by annotations. We subjected the EtOAc phase to HPLC-DAD analysis using standard compound co-injection to corroborate the GNPS annotations. We isolated unidentified compounds with semi-preparative HPLC-DAD for structural identification using NMR. RESULTS: We annotated a molecular family of flavonoid-3-O-glycosides in the molecular networking created using the GNPS platform. These included avicularin, cacticin, isoquercitrin, quercitrin, rutin, and a quercetin-3-O-pentoside cluster. We confirmed the annotations with standard compounds using HPLC-DAD co-injection analysis, besides identifying quercetin-3-O-robinobioside and kaempferol. We isolated three flavonoid-3-O-pentosides and characterised them using one- and two-dimensional NMR; we identified them as reynoutrin, guaijaverin, and avicularin. CONCLUSION: This work describes the isolation of kaempferol and nine known flavonoid-3-O-glycosides from the polar fraction of the methanolic extract (EtOAc) from C. arborea leaves using molecular networking to guide the chromatographic procedures. We identified eight compounds for the first time in Casearia that amplify and reinforce the genus' chemotaxonomy with the presence of glycosylated flavonoids.

Human-facilitated dispersal of the Gulf toadfish Opsanus beta (Goode & Bean, 1880) in the Guaratuba Bay, south-eastern Brazil.

Opsanus beta is endemic to the Gulf of Mexico and has recently been introduced to the Brazilian coast; probably the introduction is via ballast water and/or oil rigs. In this study, the presence of the species is recorded for the first time in Guaratuba Bay, on the southern coast of Brazil. In this region there are no port terminals, which suggests that O. beta used a different mode of human-facilitated transport to colonize Guaratuba Bay.

Autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell therapy in three patients with severe asthma.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent advances in understanding its pathophysiology and development of novel therapies, asthma remains a serious public health issue worldwide. Combination therapy with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting ß2-adrenoceptor agonists results in disease control for many patients, but those who exhibit severe asthma are often unresponsive to conventional treatment, experiencing worse quality of life, frequent exacerbations, and increasing healthcare costs. Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation has been shown to reduce airway inflammation and remodeling and improve lung function in experimental models of allergic asthma. METHODS: This is a case series of three patients who presented severe asthma, unresponsive to conventional therapy and omalizumab. They received a single intravenous dose of autologous BMMCs (2 × 107) and were periodically evaluated for 1 year after the procedure. Endpoint assessments included physical examination, quality of life questionnaires, imaging (computed tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and ventilation/perfusion scan), lung function tests, and a 6-min walk test. RESULTS: All patients completed the follow-up protocol. No serious adverse events attributable to BMMC transplantation were observed during or after the procedure. Lung function remained stable throughout. A slight increase in ventilation of the right lung was observed on day 120 after BMMC transplantation in one patient. All three patients reported improvement in quality of life in the early post-procedure course. CONCLUSIONS: This paper described for the first time the effects of BMMC therapy in patients with severe asthma, providing a basis for subsequent trials to assess the efficacy of this therapy.

Description of six new large species of Argentinomyia Lynch-Arribálzaga, 1891 and redescription of Talahua fervida (Fluke, 1945) (Diptera, Syrphidae, Syrphinae).

The morphological similarities between five new large Argentinomyia species and Talahua fervida Fluke are characterized and presented. Six new species of Argentinomyia (10-12 mm long) are described: Argentinomyia andina Montoya & Wolff, sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia choachi Montoya, sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia quimbaya Montoya & Wolff, sp. nov. (Colombia), Argentinomyia huitepecensis Montoya, sp. nov. (México), Argentinomyia puntarena Montoya, sp. nov. (Costa Rica), and Argentinomyia talamanca Thompson, sp. nov. (Costa Rica). The genus Talahua Fluke is re-diagnosed and, Talahua fervida redescribed. A taxonomic key and a comparison of diagnostic characters are presented. Photographs of head, abdominal and wing maculae patterns, as well as illustrations of male genitalia are provided for species identification.