Plant size, latitude, and phylogeny explain within-population variability in herbivory.

Interactions between plants and herbivores are central in most ecosystems, but their strength is highly variable. The amount of variability within a system is thought to influence most aspects of plant-herbivore biology, from ecological stability to plant defense evolution. Our understanding of what influences variability, however, is limited by sparse data. We collected standardized surveys of herbivory for 503 plant species at 790 sites across 116° of latitude. With these data, we show that within-population variability in herbivory increases with latitude, decreases with plant size, and is phylogenetically structured. Differences in the magnitude of variability are thus central to how plant-herbivore biology varies across macroscale gradients. We argue that increased focus on interaction variability will advance understanding of patterns of life on Earth.

Retrospective study of ocular complication following phacoemulsification with intraocular acrylic lens implantation in dogs / Estudo retrospectivo das complicações oculares em cães submetidos à facoemulsificação com implantação de lente acrílica

The aim of this study was to analyze for 120 days, post-operative complications following bimanual phacoemulsification with implantation of hydrophilic or hydrophobic intraocular acrylic lens. The hospital records of 15 dogs were analyzed, and distributed in two groups, being Gfi and Gfo the hydrophilic intraocular lens and hydrophobic intraocular lens group, respectively. On the first day, both groups presented blepharospasm, conjunctival hyperemia and flare. On day 1, fibrin was slightly apparent in two and three eyes of Gfi and Gfo, and on day 7, present in one and two patients from Gfi and Gfo. Synechia was observed on day 1 in one eye from Gfi and Gfo. Two eyes from Gfi developed from 7 to 120 days, and in Gfo, one eye developed from 7 to 90 days, on day 120, two eyes formed them. The presence of posterior capsule opacity of the lens in all periods, there was no statistical significant between the groups. Only one eye, in Gfo, that had no opacity formation. The intraocular pressure of both groups remained within normal range. There was no statistical significance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic intraocular lens, the use of intraocular lens has led to satisfactory results in visual ability.(AU)

Objetivou-se com o presente estudo avaliar por 120 dias as complicações após a facoemulsificação bimanual com implantação de lentes acrílicas hidrofílicas ou hidrofóbicas. Os prontuários de 15 cães foram avaliados, sendo distribuídos em dois grupos, Gfi e Gfo, grupos com lentes intraoculares hidrofílicas e com lentes hidrofóbicas, respectivamente. No primeiro dia, ambos os grupos apresentaram blefarospasmo, hiperemia conjuntiva e flare. No dia 1, fibrina foi discretamente observada em dois e três olhos do Gfi e Gfo; no dia 7, observou-se em um e três olhos nos pacientes do Gfi e Gfo. Foi observada sinéquia no dia 1 em um olho do Gfi e do Gfo; em dois olhos do Gfi ocorreu do dia 7 ao dia 120. No Gfo apenas um olho teve sinéquia do dia 7 ao dia 90, contudo aos 120 dias, dois olhos formaram-na. A opacidade de cápsula posterior da lente esteve presente em todos os períodos, não havendo diferença estatística entre os grupos. Somente um olho, do Gfo, não teve formação de opacidade. A pressão intraocular foi normal em ambos os grupos. Não houve diferença estatística entre as lentes hidrofílicas e hidrofóbicas. O uso de lentes intraoculares apresentaram resultados satisfatórios na acuidade visual.(AU)

Redescription of Spirura guianensis (Nematoda: Spiruridae) from a rare South American Gracile Opossum.

Spirura genus Blanchard, 1849 comprise of nematode parasites that infect primate and marsupial species. Although several taxonomical studies have shown that the infection by this species occurs primarily in the esophagus of primates, evidence for the occurrence of these parasites in other hosts (marsupials, rodents and bats) has become the subject of investigation by several groups. In this work, we describe the presence of Spirura guianensis Ortlepp, 1924 in the marsupial Gracilinanus agilis (Marsupialia: Didelphidae) found in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul state of Brazil. Structural characteristics of this nematode were identified using light microscopy (bright field and fluorescence stereomicroscopy) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) approaches. Details of the surface topography such as cephalic projections, ventral boss, details of the caudal papillae and cuticular ornamentations were shown, providing taxonomic characteristics that may help in the establishment of diagnostic protocols. In addition, the presence of this species in a new host and new geographical area of Brazil provide grounds for a revision on the distribution of S. guianensis in South America.

Further description of Cruzia tentaculata (Rudolphi, 1819) Travassos, 1917 (Nematoda: Cruzidae) by light and scanning electron microscopy.

Species of Cruzia are parasites of the large intestine of marsupials, reptiles, amphibians, and mammalians. Cruzia tentaculata specimens were collected from the large intestine of Didelphis marsupialis (Mammalia: Didelphidae) from Colombia (new geographical record) and from Brazil and analyzed by light and scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of males and females by light microscopy corroborated most of the previous description and the ultrastructure by scanning electron microscopy evidence: the topography of the cuticle, deirids, amphids, phasmids in both sexes, a pair of papillae near the vulva opening, and the number and location of male caudal papillae, adding new features for species identification only observed by this technique.

Bioinformatics of the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis EST Project

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiological agent of paracoccidioidomycosis, an endemic mycosis of Latin America. This fungus presents a dimorphic character; it grows as a mycelium at room temperature, but it is isolated as yeast from infected individuals. It is believed that the transition from mycelium to yeast is important for the infective process. The Functional and Differential Genome of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Project--PbGenome Project was developed to study the infection process by analyzing expressed sequence tags--ESTs, isolated from both mycelial and yeast forms. The PbGenome Project was executed by a consortium that included 70 researchers (professors and students) from two sequencing laboratories of the midwest region of Brazil; this project produced 25,741 ESTs, 19,718 of which with sufficient quality to be analyzed. We describe the computational procedures used to receive process, analyze these ESTs, and help with their functional annotations; we also detail the services that were used for sequence data exploration. Various programs were compared for filtering and grouping the sequences, and they were adapted to a user-friendly interface. This system made the analysis of the differential transcriptome of P. brasiliensis possible.

Structure of the community of the Strongylidae nematodes in the dorsal colon of Equus caballus from Rio de Janeiro state--Brazil.

The structure of the community of Strongylidae nematodes in the dorsal colon of naturally infected horses from the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro State was evaluated in 33 samples. Twenty-three species were found: Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cylicostephanus goldi, Cylicocyclus nassatus and Cyathostomum tetracanthum were the central ones; Cylicostephanus minutus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, Cylicocyclus leptostomus, Cylicodontophorus bicoronatus and Parapoteriostomum euproctus were secondary, and there were 14 satellite species. The community was considered stable, with positive associations and correlations, no significant negative associations and correlations, suggesting little competition among species.