Insights into Leptocybe invasa resistance in Eucalyptus: phenotyping, genotyping and in silico approaches.

The gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa, poses a significant global threat to Eucalyptus cultivation, by causing substantial economic losses. The objective of this study was to differentiate between resistant and susceptible genotypes by morphological characteristics using image analysis based on the damage caused by the gall wasp. In addition, consensus sequences derived from transposable elements (TEs) and the genome of Eucalyptus spp. Were identified by in silico analysis. Furthermore, another objective was to discriminate Eucalyptus genotypes in response to Leptocybe invasa by conducting molecular analyses involving transposable elements and inter simple sequence markers. For image analysis, the GroundEye ® system was used to collect images of 60 leaves from six genotypes, three of which were resistant and three susceptible. Eucalyptus spp. sequences were obtained from the GenBank database by in silico analysis and pairwise alignments with TE sequences were conducted using BLASTN. Multiple sequence alignment was performed with Clustal Omega, followed by the identification of conserved regions in Jalview. A motif signature was generated using Weblogo. For molecular characterization using ISSR markers and TEs, samples of young leaves were obtained from a total of 80 Eucalyptus seedlings, of which 50 were classified as resistant and 30 as susceptible to L. invasa. It was possible to distinguish gall wasp susceptible and resistant genotypes by image analysis. In silico analysis enabled the identification of conserved regions in the Eucalyptus spp. genome, which were associated with proteins involved in secondary metabolite production, e.g., terpenes, which play a role in the response to L. invasa. The discrimination capacity of TEs and ISSR primers was demonstrated and bands were generated that could be used to identify resistant genotypes. However, increasing the number of markers required to discriminate genotypes in both cases is suggested.

Color Match of a Universal-shade Composite Resin for Restoration of Non-carious Cervical Lesions: An Equivalence Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: The objective of this double-blind, split-mouth, randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the color match of a single-shade composite resin Admira Fusion X-tra in comparison with a multi-shade composite resin Admira Fusion in non-carious cervical lesion restorations (NCCLs). METHODS AND MATERIALS: One hundred and twenty restorations were performed on NCCLs with two restorative materials (n=60). After prophylaxis, the teeth were isolated with a rubber dam, and one universal adhesive was applied in the selective enamel etching strategy. For both groups, the restorations were inserted incrementally and light-cured. The values of the coordinates L*, a*, and b* in the cervical third before vs after the restorations and cervical vs middle third after the restorations were evaluated using a digital spectrophotometer after the coordinate values were used to calculate the CIEDE (ΔE00). The restorations were evaluated at baseline and after 7 days of clinical performance according to the FDI criteria. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test for all parameters. Color change was analyzed by Student t-test for paired samples (α=0.05). RESULTS: All restorations were evaluated after 7 days. Regarding the color measurement, no significant difference was observed when Admira Fusion was compared to Admira Fusion X-tra for any of the comparisons performed (p>0.05). However, the values of ΔE00 in the cervical third before vs after the restorations were higher when compared with ΔE00 observed when the cervical vs middle third after restorations were compared. All restorations received the score "clinically very good" after 7 days for all outcomes, including the subjective color match, when evaluated for FDI criterion. CONCLUSIONS: The single-shade composite resin used achieves the same color match when compared to a multi-shade composite resin after 7 days in NCCLs.

Evolutionary history of the little fire ant Wasmannia auropunctata before global invasion: inferring dispersal patterns, niche requirements and past and present distribution within its native range.

The evolutionary history of invasive species within their native range may involve key processes that allow them to colonize new habitats. Therefore, phylogeographic studies of invasive species within their native ranges are useful to understand invasion biology in an evolutionary context. Here we integrated classical and Bayesian phylogeographic methods using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers with a palaeodistribution modelling approach, to infer the phylogeographic history of the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata across its native distribution in South America. We discuss our results in the context of the recent establishment of this mostly tropical species in the Mediterranean region. Our Bayesian phylogeographic analysis suggests that the common ancestor of the two main clades of W. auropunctata occurred in central Brazil during the Pliocene. Clade A would have differentiated northward and clade B southward, followed by a secondary contact beginning about 380,000 years ago in central South America. There were differences in the most suitable habitats among clades when considering three distinct climatic periods, suggesting that genetic differentiation was accompanied by changes in niche requirements, clade A being a tropical lineage and clade B a subtropical and temperate lineage. Only clade B reached more southern latitudes, with a colder climate than that of northern South America. This is concordant with the adaptation of this originally tropical ant species to temperate climates prior to its successful establishment in the Mediterranean region. This study highlights the usefulness of exploring the evolutionary history of invasive species within their native ranges to better understand biological invasions.

Antifungal susceptibility, exoenzyme production and cytotoxicity of novel oximes against Candida.

Novel oximes were synthesized, their in vitro antifungal activity against Candida was evaluated and their cytotoxicity was determined. The procedure used for the synthesis of the oximes is aligned with the current green chemistry trend; water is employed as the solvent in this reaction. The minimum inhibitory and minimum fungicidal concentrations of the oximes were evaluated using the CLSI M27-A3 method. The influence of these compounds on the inhibition of the production of hydrolytic enzymes, phospholipase and proteinase by Candida was also investigated. The compounds showed a good ability to inhibit phospholipase, with a 50 % reduction in most cases. However, the tested compounds did not affect proteinase. The current results showed a substantial reduction in the phospholipase production, which suggests that compounds of this class may interfere with host infection and disease progression. The oximes examined showed lower fungicidal activities than fluconazole but interfered significantly with the expression of phospholipase. Some of the oximes included in this study could be a suitable matrix for the development of novel antifungal compounds.

[First autochthonous cases, caused by the Dengue-3 serotype in Federal District, Brazil]. / Apparition des premiers cas autochtones causes par le sérotype Dengue-3 dans le District fédéral, Brésil.

During the first four months of 2003, the survey laboratory of the Federal District (LACEN Laboratory of Virology), Brasília, Brazil, isolated ten strains of dengue virus serotype 3, five of them autochthonous, and the remaining ones from cases imported from Tocantins, Goias and Bahia States. The virus isolations were performed in C6/36 cell culture inoculated with total blood collected between the 1st and the 5th days after the onset of the symptoms. The age of the patients varied from 26 to 59 years old. The strains were typed as DEN-3 by indirect immunofluorescence assay using serotype-specific monoclonal antibodies. Viral RNAs were extracted from total blood using the trizol method. The nested RT-PCR method detected DNA products of 290 bp, confirming the serotype identifications. The introduction of DEN-3 in Brazil and especially in the Federal District represents a serious threat, since most people are susceptible to this serotype and many have already been infected by serotypes DEN-1 or DEN-2, thus increasing the risk of epidemic of more severe forms of the disease. The use of a fast and reliable method for continuous monitoring of the circulation of this serotype is of primary importance for the prevention and control of future epidemics.

Left ventricular function after a new pregnancy in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: A new pregnancy is usually discouraged in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), particularly when there is persistent left ventricular dysfunction. This study was undertaken to evaluate left ventricular systolic function after a new pregnancy in patients with PPCM. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine of 44 patients with PPCM became pregnant and were selected for this study. Two patients were lost to follow-up, 1 immediately after the new pregnancy diagnosis, and the other 1 after the latest delivery, and, thus, were excluded. The remaining 7 patients had regular clinical and obstetric examinations until delivery, continued follow-up, and were submitted to echocardiography 6 to 12 months thereafter. Pregnancy was relatively well tolerated in the patients, and they gave birth to 7 healthy newborns. After this latest pregnancy, 4 patients with heart failure functional class II and 2 patients with functional class III remained unchanged. A patient, initially in functional class III, improved and was then in functional class II. Although left ventricular end-diastolic diameter did not change (61 to 58 mm), left ventricular end-systolic dimension decreased (50 to 47 mm, P =.008), resulting in a significant increase in left ventricular fractional shortening (19% to 23%, P =.02). CONCLUSION: Although based only in a small number of patients, the present results suggest that cardiac function does not deteriorate during a new pregnancy in patients with PPCM.