Demographic Expansion and Contraction in a Neotropical Fish during the Late Pleistocene-Holocene

Demographic changes during the late Pleistocene-Holocene left signatures in the DNA of contemporary populations. These signatures reveal demographic phenomena like the increase or decrease in effective population size. In this paper we searched for signatures of demographic change in the DNA of the Neotropical freshwater fish Poecilia vivipara. Also, we investigated whether demographic changes are correlated with palaeoclimatic events of the late Pleistocene-Holocene, in particular, if changes in effective population size are correlated with expansion and contraction of available habitats, induced by global ice-volume changes and sea-level fluctuations. We used Bayesian Skyline Plot (BSP) analysis with sequences from the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b to estimate the ancestral demography of the Neotropical freshwater fish P. vivipara. To test the assumptions of neutrality and absence of population structure we used Tajima’s D and Spatial Analysis of Molecular Variance (SAMOVA), respectively. Effective population size of P. vivipara remained stable until 75,000 years ago, increased by 10-fold reaching a maximum at approximately 25,000 years ago, then suddenly declined at the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. Variation in effective population size in P. vivipara correlates with expansion and contraction of habitats induced by sea-level fluctuations, caused by the advance and retreat of ice sheets during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM).

Epidemiologic Study of Ramularia areola under Different Soil Covers and Spacings,for Cotton Crops

The objective of this work was to evaluate the progress of the areolate mildew of cotton under different soil cover and spacing conditions. The experiment was carried out using randomized blocks and a 2 × 3 factorial design, with two spacings (0.45 m and 0.90 m) and three soil covers (no cover, Pennisetum glaucum and Crotalaria spectabilis) with four replications. The plants were inoculated with R. areola, sixty DAS. A total of 14 evaluations of disease severity were performed. At the lower, middle and upper thirds of plants, a diagram scale with nine levels of severity was used and the resulting data were converted into the AUDPC. Gompertz, logistic, and monomolecular mathematical models were tested in the disease severity curves for each third. Agronomics characteristics were evaluated as well. Significant differences of AUDPC were found for the cotton plants thirds, and the middle third was the highest AUDPC. Significant difference for the lower and upper thirds, whose AUDPC were highest on 0.90 m spacing, was observed too. The disease progress curves of the thirds did not fit the tested models. Significant results to the both covers situations, where the treatments grown on crotalária cover and without cover had highest AUDPC, were evidenced. The treatments with C. spectabilis cover were taller than other treatments. Significant data were observed for the cover crops used and in the treatments grown at 0.90 m spacing, to residual cover and crop yield, respectively.

Chronic exposure to ethanol causes steatosis and inflammation in zebrafish liver

AIM To evaluate the effects of chronic exposure to ethanol in the liver and the expression of inflammatory genesin zebrafish.METHODS Zebrafish(n = 104),wild type,adult,male and female,were divided into two groups:Control and ethanol(0.05 v/v).The ethanol was directly added into water;tanks water were changed every two days and the ethanol replaced.The animals were fed twice a day with fish food until satiety.After two and four weeks of trial,livers were dissected,histological analysis(hematoxilineosin and Oil Red staining) and gene expression assessment of adiponectin,adiponectin receptor 2(adipor2),sirtuin-1(sirt-1),tumor necrosis factor-alpha(tnf-a),interleukin-1b(il-1b) and interleukin-10(il-10) were performed.Ultrastructural evaluations were conducted at fourth week.RESULTS Exposing zebrafish to 0.5% ethanol developed intense liver steatosis after four weeks,as demonstrated by oil red staining.In ethanol-treated animals,the main ultrastructural changes were related to cytoplasmic lipid particles and droplets,increased number of rough endoplasmic reticulum cisterns and glycogen particles.Between two and four weeks,hepatic mR NA expression of il-1b,sirt-1 and adipor2 were upregulated,indicating that ethanol triggered signaling molecules which are key elements in both hepatic inflammatory and protective responses.Adiponectin was not detected in the liver of animals exposed and not exposed to ethanol,and il-10 did not show significant difference.CONCLUSION Data suggest that inflammatory signaling and ultrastructural alterations play a significant role during hepatic steatosis in zebrafish chronically exposed to ethanol.

Hereditary gastric cancer:Three rules to reduce missed diagnoses

Gastric cancer remains one of the most lethal cancers.The incidence and mortality rates are quite similar.The main reason for the high mortality is diagnosis at advanced stages of disease,when treatment options are poor.One of the supposed strategies to overcome late-stage diagnosis is identifying people at high risk with the aim of establishing rigorous clinical control,including routine endoscopy and biopsies.Hereditary gastric cancer(HGC)syndromes,though representing a sizeable group to monitor for prevention or,at least,for early diagnosis,are apparently extremely rare.The low rate of HGC diagnosis might be related to the low rates of suspicion,insufficient familiarity about clinical diagnosis criteria,and the supposed conditional necessity of a molecular diagnosis.In this review,we will discuss simple measures to increase HGC diagnosis by applying three rules that might provide an opportunity for precision care to benefit the families affected by this disease.