Ornithodoros cerradoensis n. sp. (Acari: Argasidae), a member of the Ornithodoros talaje (Guérin-Méneville, 1849) group, parasite of rodents in the Brazilian Savannah.

Ornithodoros cerradoensis n. sp. is described from field-collected and laboratory reared nymphs, males, females, and larvae parasitizing the rodents Cavia aperea and Thrichomys sp. in the Brazilian Savannah. This new species is morphologically and genetically related with the Ornithodoros talaje group and can be separated from other Neotropical species using the following combination of characters: larva with 18 pairs of setae on dorsum (seven anterolateral, four central and seven posterolateral), hypostome with median dentition 2/2; adults provided with large mammillae; dorsal disks surrounded by bulked marginal ridges delimiting barely pebbled areas; three disks in the anterolateral file, and median disk not merging with the posteromedian file. Feeding assays in the laboratory demonstrated that (1) larvae of O. cerradoensis are slow-feeders (∼6 days), (2) first nymphal instar (N1) molts to second instar (N2) without feeding, and (3) N2 and third nymphal instar (N3) engorge rapidly (minutes). With the exception of Ornithodoros hasei nymphs that depict flattened bodies, O. cerradoensis N1, N2, and N3 highly resemble homologous instars of other species in O. talaje sensu lato, therefore are not suitable for morphological comparisons within the group. In addition to morphological signature of larvae and adults that separate this new species; results of cross-mating attempts between O. cerradoensis and Ornithodoros guaporensis a morphologically and phylogenetically closely related species that also parasitizes rodents in the Brazilian Savannah; a Principal Component Analysis using larval characters; and a phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial markers, support O. cerradoensis as an independent lineage within the Ornithodorinae.

Ornithodoros cerradoensis n. sp. (Acari: Argasidae), a member of the Ornithodoros talaje (Guérin-Méneville, 1849) group, parasite of rodents in the Brazilian Savannah

Ornithodoros cerradoensis n. sp. is described from field-collected and laboratory reared nymphs, males, females, and larvae parasitizing the rodents Cavia aperea and Thrichomys sp. in the Brazilian Savannah. This new species is morphologically and genetically related with the Ornithodoros talaje group and can be separated from other Neotropical species using the following combination of characters: larva with 18 pairs of setae on dorsum (seven anterolateral, four central and seven posterolateral), hypostome with median dentition 2/2; adults provided with large mammillae; dorsal disks surrounded by bulked marginal ridges delimiting barely pebbled areas; three disks in the anterolateral file, and median disk not merging with the posteromedian file. Feeding assays in the laboratory demonstrated that (1) larvae of O. cerradoensis are slow-feeders (∼6 days), (2) first nymphal instar (N1) molts to second instar (N2) without feeding, and (3) N2 and third nymphal instar (N3) engorge rapidly (minutes). With the exception of Ornithodoros hasei nymphs that depict flattened bodies, O. cerradoensis N1, N2, and N3 highly resemble homologous instars of other species in O. talaje sensu lato, therefore are not suitable for morphological comparisons within the group. In addition to morphological signature of larvae and adults that separate this new species; results of cross-mating attempts between O. cerradoensis and Ornithodoros guaporensis a morphologically and phylogenetically closely related species that also parasitizes rodents in the Brazilian Savannah; a Principal Component Analysis using larval characters; and a phylogenetic analysis using mitochondrial markers, support O. cerradoensis as an independent lineage within the Ornithodorinae.

Nellore cattle (Bos indicus) and ticks within the Brazilian Pantanal: ecological relationships.

Pantanal is a huge floodplain mostly in Brazil, and its main economic activity is extensive cattle raising, in farms characterized by an extremely wildlife-rich environment. We herein describe tick infestations of cattle and of the natural environment in Pantanal of Nhecolândia in Brazil, at areas with and without cattle during both dry and wet seasons. Environmental sampling resulted in three tick species: Amblyomma sculptum (423 nymphs and 518 adults), Amblyomma parvum (7 nymphs and 129 adults), Amblyomma ovale (3 adults) as well as three clusters and two individuals of Amblyomma sp. larvae. A significantly higher number of adult A. sculptum ticks was found in areas with cattle in the wet season. From 106 examinations of bovines 1710 ticks from three species were collected: Rhipicephalus microplus (55.7% of the total), A. sculptum (38%) and A. parvum (4.1%), as well as 32 Amblyomma sp. larvae. A significant similarity was found between Amblyomma tick fauna from environment and on cattle during both seasons. All A. sculptum females on bovines were flat whereas many of A. parvum females and A. sculptum nymphs were engorging. Although R. microplus was the most abundant tick species on cattle, overall highest tick prevalence on bovines in the dry season was of A. sculptum nymphs. Lack of R. microplus in environmental sampling, relationship between cattle and increase in adult A. sculptum numbers in the environment as well as suitability of bovine for the various tick species are discussed.

Human histologic evaluation of the use of the dental putty for bone formation in the maxillary sinus: case series.

A proof-of-principle study was conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of dental putty as an alternative sinus augmentation biomaterial. Six healthy patients requiring a total of 10 sinus augmentations received sinus augmentations. All patients volunteered and signed an informed consent based on the Helsinki declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. The sinus augmentation was performed under local anesthesia with a mucoperiosteal flap elevated to expose the buccal wall of the maxillary sinus. The space was then filled with the dental putty in several increments, and the window was covered with an absorbable collagen membrane. Biopsies were harvested from all 10 treated sinuses using a 3-mm trephine bur at the time of implant placement at either 6 or at 9 months after sinus augmentation. All patients completed the study without complications, except for 1 patient who reported fistulas at 1 and 2 months after the surgery. Clinical reentry revealed that regenerated bone on the osteotomy site was soft and immature. The ground sections of the biopsied cores revealed minimum amounts of trabeculation surrounded by an abundant array of irregular-shaped residual alloplastic particles embedded in loose connective tissue. The present study's findings revealed inadequate bone formation, although the material appears to be bioinert as there is no elicitation of inflammatory response.