Genetic Diversity of Urban Camponotus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Ants Revealed by Capture of Alates and DNA Sequencing.

The Camponotus Mayr genus of carpenter ants is one of the largest in species number and widely represented in the Neotropical Region. Most species are generalists and capable of exploiting diverse habitats including urban environments. Urban green areas can act as a repository of regional biodiversity, thus we investigated whether this is valid for the largest city in South America. We compared the richness of Camponotus spp. in two green areas in regions with distinct urbanization profiles and also with previous surveys made in smaller cities and in natural areas of the original Atlantic Forest. Besides the usual capture of worker specimens, we included capture of alates to improve the species richness sampling. Morphological identification of Camponotus spp. is challenging, even more when alates are included. To assist in specimen identification, we performed DNA sequencing of mitochondrial and nuclear markers. The richness observed in the less stressed urban area was higher than in the more stressed one. Camponotus spp. reported in natural areas are largely represented in the urban area. DNA sequencing for specimen identification is hampered by the lack of corresponding sequences in the GenBank, but it helped to associate workers and alates of the same species and indicated the existence of cryptic species in the genus. Capture of alates allowed detection of several species for which workers were not sampled; therefore, it is a valuable tool for surveying diversity of Camponotus or other ant taxa with arboreal or hypogeic habits.

Subterranean termites in urban forestry: tree preference and management.

Urban tree deterioration is a common problem all over the world. Inappropriate plant species choice and inadequate planting may lead to micro and macro organism attacks, such as pests and diseases. Subterranean termite damage is common and may promote tree falls. In order to help urban forestry planning, this work was carried out for 9 years on 1477 street trees in a neighborhood in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Plants were identified to species, grouped as native, exotic plants, and palm trees, and their measures of circumference at breast height (CBH) were taken, in order to evaluate if subterranean termite damages are related to tree size and plant group. Four subterranean termite species were identified infesting up to 27% of the plants, with Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) being the most common. Palm trees were not damaged by subterranean termites, while native plants are the most susceptible, especially Caesalpinia pluviosa var. peltophoroides (Fabaceae). Among the native plants monitored C. pluviosa var. peltophoroides, Caesalpinia ferrea var. leiostachya, Erythrina speciosa, Piptadenia gonoacantha (Fabaceae), Gochnatia polymorpha (Asteraceae), Tibouchina granulosa (Melastomataceae), and Handroanthus spp. (Bignoniaceae), the latter was the least damaged. Exotic plants were also susceptible with the exception of Lagerstroemia indica (Lythraceae) and Platanus acerifolia (Platanaceae). Correlation analysis showed that the higher the CBH value, the higher the percentage of internal damage by C. gestroi. Infested trees were treated with imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, and subterranean termites were effectively controlled during the 9-year study.

Ants' role (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as potential vectors of mycobacteria dispersion / Comportamento de formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) como vetores potenciais de dispersão de micobactérias

Ants are found worldwide playing an important environmental role. Some species are considered as agricultural pests and potential risk to human life and public health acting as pathogens carriers. Ants as Paratrechina longicornis and Camponotus spp. have been found inside hospitals. The aim of this study was the research of mycobacteria in 138 samples of ants (137 Paratrechina longicornis and only one Camponotus spp.) which got into the laboratories of tuberculosis diagnosis. These ants were suspended in sterile saline solution and inoculated into Petragnani and Stonebrink media, incubated at 37° C until 90 days and the isolates were identified as environmental mycobacteria (1 Mycobacterium fortuitum peregrinum, 1 Mycobacterium smegmatis) and 1 Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. These results showed that ants should also act as mechanical vectors of mycobacteria dissemination in risk environments, reinforcing their significance in public health.

As formigas têm uma distribuição mundial e representam importante papel no ecossistema. Algumas espécies são consideradas pragas para a agricultura e um risco potencial à vida humana e à saúde pública veiculando mecanicamente agentes patogênicos. Formigas como Paratrechina longicornis e Camponotus spp. têm sido encontradas em ambientes hospitalares. O foco do presente estudo foi a identificação de micobactérias em 138 amostras de formigas (137 Paratrechina longicornis e apenas uma Camponotus sp.), que tiveram acesso a áreas de laboratórios de diagnóstico de tuberculose. Essas formigas foram suspensas em solução salina estéril que foi semeada em meios de Petragnani e Stonebrink, incubadas a 37º C por até 90 dias e as estirpes de micobactérias isoladas foram identificadas pelas técnicas clássicas como micobactérias ambientais (sendo 1 Mycobacterium smegmatis, 2 Mycobacterium fortuitum peregrinum e 1 Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Esses resultados mostram que as formigas podem também se constituir vetores de dispersão de micobactérias em ambientes de risco, reforçando sua importância em saúde pública.

Enhancement of hydralazine hypotension by low doses of isoniazid. Possible role of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase inhibition.

The influence of pretreatment with 1 through 300 mg/kg ip of isoniazid (ISO) on blood pressure and heart rate responses to 0.1 mg/kg iv of hydralazine (HYD) was assessed in rats anesthetized with chloralose--urethane. HYD hypotension was significantly enhanced by ISO at doses between 3 and 300 mg/kg ip. Heart rate was not influenced by HYD in control or pretreated animals. Depressor responses to 0.2 mg/kg iv of pinacidil (PIN) were also potentiated by ISO at 100 and 300, but not at 30 mg/kg. Similarly, ISO decreased cerebral gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) at the two highest doses; 30 mg/kg was without effect. Pretreatment of rats with ISO at 1 through 300 mg/kg failed to influence HYD-induced relaxation of aortic rings. These results were interpreted as indicating that potentiation of HYD hypotension by high doses of ISO is not specific for that vasodilator and is related to decreased cerebral GABA, as postulated previously. Lower doses could specifically potentiate the HYD-induced hypotensive effect by inhibition of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO), since both ISO and HYD are potent inhibitors of this enzyme. In support of this hypothesis, the SSAO inhibitors, benserazide (100 mg/kg ip) and mexiletine (50 mg/kg ip), were also found to enhance HYD hypotension.

Lead concentration in blood samples of humans and animals near an industrial waste dump in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Blood lead was determined in 7 adults, 2 children, 1 bull, 11 cows, and 3 calves living on agricultural land near an industrial waste site. An unexposed human control group was composed of 2 adults and 2 children. Mean blood lead from the exposed group was 4.6 micrograms/dl for adults, 5.1 micrograms/dl for children, 1.3 micrograms/dl for the bull, 1.2 micrograms/dl for cows, and 1.8 micrograms/dl for calves. Unexposed adults had 4.1 micrograms/dl and children had 3.7 micrograms/dl lead blood. The blood lead content did not suggest a health hazard from lead for either humans or animals.

[Prenatal growth of the human skull: quantitative study]. / Croissance prénatale du crâne humain: étude quantitative.

The relative growth of the skull was studied in 300 human foetuses by using of the allometric equation Y = aXb. The skull growth was correlated to the crown-rump length and to the fetal weight. The relative growth of the skull presented positive allometry. Masculine foetus presented greater index than feminine foetus.