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Solitary bees and wasps that nest in cavities in tree trunks are important components of terrestrial ecosystems, providing pollination services, and in the case of wasps, the regulation of their prey populations. However, little is known about the vertical strata where bees and wasps build their nests. This is especially the case of urban forest remnants in the Amazon, which is relevant in the context of the global crisis in insect losses. We investigated the existence of vertical stratification in the nesting of solitary bees and wasps in an urban forest in Rio Branco, state of Acre, in the western Brazilian Amazon. We focused on whether wood temperature, ants, and termites are predictors of bee and wasp nesting. We sampled bee and wasp nests in the forest using trap-nests made with wooden blocks containing cavities with three different diameters for twelve months. Trap-nests were installed randomly at three heights in the forest. We collected 145 nests of 25 species, belonging to 11 genera and 6 families. A higher number of nests and species were collected in the upper stratum of the forest, strengthening the hypothesis that there is vertical stratification in the assemblage of solitary bees and wasps. Wood surface temperature and termite attacks on trap-nests were significantly different between strata, which may explain the vertical stratification of bee and wasp assemblages. Considering the importance of these insects for tropical forest ecosystems, the conservation of structurally complex and stratified forests is of paramount importance to maintain the diversity of this insect group., (© 2024. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The Program for Biodiversity Research (PPBio) is an innovative program designed to integrate all biodiversity research stakeholders. Operating since 2004, it has installed long-term ecological research sites throughout Brazil and its logic has been applied in some other southern-hemisphere countries. The program supports all aspects of research necessary to understand biodiversity and the processes that affect it. There are presently 161 sampling sites (see some of them at Supplementary Appendix), most of which use a standardized methodology that allows comparisons across biomes and through time. To date, there are about 1200 publications associated with PPBio that cover topics ranging from natural history to genetics and species distributions. Most of the field data and metadata are available through PPBio web sites or DataONE. Metadata is available for researchers that intend to explore the different faces of Brazilian biodiversity spatio-temporal variation, as well as for managers intending to improve conservation strategies. The Program also fostered, directly and indirectly, local technical capacity building, and supported the training of hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. The main challenge is maintaining the long-term funding necessary to understand biodiversity patterns and processes under pressure from global environmental changes.

This second joint document, written by experts from the Brazilian Association of Allergy and Immunology (ASBAI) and Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology (SBA) concerned with perioperative anaphylaxis, aims to review the pathophysiological reaction mechanisms, triggering agents (in adults and children), and the approach for diagnosis during and after an episode of anaphylaxis. As anaphylaxis assessment is extensive, the identification of medications, antiseptics and other substances used at each setting, the comprehensive data documentation, and the use of standardized nomenclature are key points for obtaining more consistent epidemiological information on perioperative anaphylaxis., (Copyright © 2020. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Experts from the Brazilian Association of Allergy and Immunology (ASBAI) and the Brazilian Society of Anesthesiology (SBA) interested in the issue of perioperative anaphylaxis, and aiming to strengthen the collaboration between the two societies, combined efforts to study the topic and to prepare a joint document to guide specialists in both areas. The purpose of the present series of two articles was to report the most recent evidence based on the collaborative assessment between both societies. This first article will consider the updated definitions, treatment and guidelines after a perioperative crisis. The following article will discuss the major etiologic agents, how to proceed with the investigation, and the appropriate tests., (Copyright © 2020. Publicado por Elsevier Editora Ltda.)

Background: Despite the circulating levels of PTX3 were related to the severity of various diseases, there are no studies investigating its role in patients with liver cirrhosis. We aimed to study PTX3 levels in patients with liver cirrhosis., Material and Methods: A prospective cohort study included 130 patients hospitalized for acute decompensation of liver cirrhosis, 29 stable cirrhotic outpatients and 32 healthy controls evaluated in a tertiary hospital in Southern Brasil., Results: The median PTX3 level was significantly higher in stable cirrhotic patients compared to controls (2.6 vs. 1.1 ng/mL; p < 0.001), hospitalized cirrhotic patients compared to controls (3.8 vs. 1.1 ng/mL; p < 0.001), and hospitalized cirrhotic patients compared to stable cirrhotic patients (3.8 vs. 2.6 ng/mL; p = 0.001). A positive correlation was found between PTX3 and serum creatinine (r = 0.220; p = 0.012), Chronic Liver Failure - Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (CLIF-SOFA) (r = 0.220; p = 0.010), MELD (r = 0.279; p = 0.001) and Child-Pugh score (r = 0.224; p = 0.010). Significantly higher levels of PTX3 were observed in patients on admission with ACLF (8.9 vs. 3.1 ng/mL; p < 0.001) and MELD score ≥ 20 (6.6 vs. 3.4 ng/mL; p = 0.002). Death within 90 days occurred in 30.8% of patients and was associated with higher levels of PTX3 (5.3 vs. 3.4 ng/mL; p = 0.009). The probability of Kaplan-Meier survival was 77.0% in patients with PTX-3 < 5.3 ng mL (upper tercile) and 53.5% in those with PTX3 ≥ 5.3 ng/mL (p = 0.002)., Conclusion: These results indicate the potential for use of PTX3 as an inflammatory biomarker for the prognosis of patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

Background: Immune response has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a multifunctional pattern recognition protein and an important component of the innate immune system that can be assessed in blood and induced sputum., Objective: To determine whether PTX3 measured in induced sputum could discriminate patients with COPD from patients with asthma., Methods: A cross-sectional study of 68 participants (27 with COPD, 25 with asthma, and 16 healthy controls) was performed. At study inclusion sputum was collected and total and differential cell numbers and PTX3 levels were determined., Results: Pentraxin 3 was detected in 89% of patients with COPD, 56% of patients with asthma, and 19% of controls (P = .001). It discriminated participants with COPD (24.6 ng/mL, 0-384 ng/mL) from controls (0 ng/mL, 0-36 ng/mL, P < .001) and from participants with asthma (1.2 ng/mL, 0-100 ng/mL, P = .01; area under the receiver operating curve 0.82 [0.71-0.94]). Regression analyses determined that sputum PTX3 and neutrophil counts were independently associated with COPD. In addition, PTX3 levels were independently associated with COPD severity., Conclusion: Pentraxin 3 sputum levels are increased in patients with COPD and has good power to discriminate these patients from patients with asthma and healthy individuals., (Copyright © 2015 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Mutilla frigidula Cresson, 1902 was transferred to Tobantilla by Williams et al. (2011), based on morphological similarities with females of that genus. Discovery of the male of this species indicated significant morphological differences from Tobantilla. We therefore erect the genus, Frigitilla gen. nov., for Mutilla frigidula. Herein, we describe the male of F. frigidula (Cresson, 1902), comb. nov., associate it with its host (Trypoxylon spp.), and discuss its relations to other mutillid genera. The impact of collecting method and specimen age on the integumental coloration of specimens is discussed, emphasizing the need to diagnose species on consistent structural features rather than differences in color pattern.

Paget's disease of bone (PDB) exhibits a marked geographic variation. In Brazil, the prevalence of PDB is unknown and only a few clinical data are available. The aim is to determine clinical, laboratory, imaging and response to treatment data in a large PDB case series in the city of Florianopolis, Brazil. We have performed a retrospective study based on charts reviews of all patients with PDB followed at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina and at five different private rheumatology outpatient offices in Florianopolis, between 1995 and 2009. One hundred and thirty-four patients with PDB were identified. Mean age at diagnosis was 63.2 ± 10.5 years, 67.2% were women, and 91.1% were Caucasian. Positive family history was reported in only 8.2%. Polyostotic disease was found in 75.0% of the cases, bone pain in 77.9%, and bone deformities in 15.9%. Higher levels of AP were significantly associated with polyostotic disease and skull involvement. Pelvic bones were the most frequently affected (53.7%). Complications included deafness in 8.2%, bone fractures in 3.0%, hydrocephalus in 2.2%, and cauda equina syndrome in 0.7% of the cases. Treatment with zoledronic acid achieved the best response with only 2.9% failing to respond adequately. According to literature data, PDB in South America seems to be characterized by an overall low prevalence, but with localized clusters with higher prevalence. The authors have described a cluster of PDB in Florianopolis, in Southern Brazil. Further properly designed studies are necessary to clarify the PDB epidemiology in South America.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) is a humoral component of the innate immune system which has been studied as a marker of inflammatory, infections or cardiovascular pathologies. To investigate the association between serum levels of PTX3 and the hospital mortality of patients with severe TBI., Methods: The independent association between serum PTX3 levels after severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale, GCS ≤ 8) and hospital mortality was analyzed in a prospective study of 83 consecutive patients by a multiple logistic regression analysis. The leukocyte count in the same sample was analyzed as another marker of inflammatory response., Results: The mean age of patients was 35 years and 85% were male. Serum PTX3 levels were determined 18.0 (SD ± 17.0) h after TBI. Patients who died showed a mean serum PTX3 level of 9.95 μg/ml (SD ± 6.42) in comparison to 5.46 μg/ml (SD ± 4.87) of the survivor group (P = 0.007). Elevated serum PTX3 levels remain significantly associated with mortality (P = 0.04) in the subset of patients with isolated TBI (n = 34). There were no differences in the leukocytes count measured in the same blood sample used for PTX3 determination in survivors and non-survivors (P = 0.56). The final multiple logistic regression model including age, pupillary examination, GCS, associated trauma, and PTX3 levels shows that serum levels of PTX3 which were higher than 10 μg/ml were independently associated with the patients mortality (adjusted OR 3.06, CI 95% 1.03-9.15, P = 0.04)., Conclusions: Serum PTX3 levels after severe TBI are independently associated with higher hospital mortality and may be a useful marker of TBI and its prognosis.

Objective: Some studies have reported that adding leflunomide (LEF) to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who do not respond to methotrexate (MTX) improved efficacy but increased the risk of liver toxicity. This study aimed at assessing the incidence of liver toxicity in patients with active RA using the LEF and MTX combination therapy in comparison with that of patients on MTX monotherapy., Methods: Between February and September 2009, 97 consecutive patients followed up at the University Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil, were enrolled. RA patients on MTX alone or using the LEF and MTX combination had their medical records systematically reviewed. The alanine/aspartate aminotransferase enzymes were retrospectively analyzed since the beginning of treatment with MTX or MTX plus LEF. Hepatotoxicity was defined as an increase of at least two-fold the upper limits of normal of the liver enzymes., Results: 71 RA patients were included in the study: 36.6% were using 20-25 mg/week of MTX alone and 63.4% were using 20-25 mg/week of MTX plus 20 mg/day of LEF. Of the patients on the combination therapy, 11.1% had abnormal levels of liver enzymes versus 11.5% of the patients on monotherapy (P = 1.0). Abnormal aminotransferase levels have been seen with both MTX and LEF monotherapies in patients with RA. In our study, no difference was found between the percentages of aminotransferase elevations of patients being treated with MTX alone or in combination with LEF., Conclusion: The combination of MTX and LEF in RA patients is generally safe and well tolerated.

To compare IgG anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) of second (anti-CCP2) and third generations (anti-CCP3) for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an IgA CCP3 ELISA was also evaluated. Combinations of the use of the three tests were evaluated. Anti-CCP2 IgG, anti-CCP3 IgG, and anti-CCP3 IgA antibody levels were determined by ELISAs in the serum of 70 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 34 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 54 normal subjects. We evaluated the serum levels, diagnostic performance, and the use of a combination of tests for RA diagnosis. Statistical analyses include receiver operating curves (ROCs) and others. The serum levels were higher in RA patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio (LR), and negative LR were, respectively, 78.6%, 94.3%, 91.7%, 84.7%, 13.8, and 0.23 for anti- CCP2 IgG and 82.9%, 93.2%, 90.6%, 87.2%, 12.2, and 0.18 for anti-CCP3 IgG. These values were better than the same statistical tests for anti-CCP3 IgA. ROC analysis showed that anti-CCP2 IgG and anti-CCP3 IgG had good performance and similar areas. Measuring both IgG and IgA anti-CCP tests increases the specificity if both tests were positive and increases the sensitivity if either test were positive. In our population, anti-CCP2 IgG and anti-CCP3 IgG had good diagnostic performance. Anti-CCP3 IgG had 4.3% more sensitivity than the anti-CCP2 IgG test while sustaining high specificity. This and other studies suggest the development of a dual test--CCP3 IgG and IgA that may be a potential diagnostic tool.

Guilds of Aculeate solitary wasps and bees that nest in preexisting cavities in wood are important components of terrestrial ecosystems because they engage in several ecological interactions (e.g. predation and pollination) with other species of plants and animals. Spatial and temporal variations in richness and abundance of solitary wasps and bees can be related to changes in environmental structure and in the diversity of other groups of organisms. The nesting period of these Aculeata is their most critical life cycle stage. Females of solitary wasp and bee species invest relatively more time constructing and provisioning their nests than do females of social species. Differently from species that nest in the soil or construct exposed nests, the main factors affecting the reproductive success of solitary species nesting in preexisting wood holes are still unknown. Our objective is to provide an overview of the role of proximate causes of nesting failure or success among solitary wasps and bees (Aculeata), for designing effective conservation and management strategies for these Hymenoptera.

BALB/C mice previously conditioned in a paired regimen in which cycophosphamide was given in association with a novel taste in the drinking water (saccharin, SAC) subsequently received LPS (1mg/mouse) by oral gavage. Subgroups of mice were reexposed to SAC or water respectively, and anti-LPS antibody production measured 6 days later using an ELISA/ELISPOT assay. Our data show that the immune response to this T-independent antigen, administered orally, is amenable to conditioned immunosuppression in this model system., (Copyright 1997 Academic Press.)

Mice were given oral immunization after pretreatment with a regimen (cyclophosphamide and a novel taste in the drinking water, chocolate milk (CHM), which leads to suppression of the antibody response to intravenously administered antigens given concurrently with CHM. Following this treatment mice were reexposed to CHM and IgM and IgA antibody forming cells (AFC) were measured in spleen and Peyer's patch cells. Conditioned immunosuppression of AFC production was most marked (> fivefold) for IgA-AFC in Peyer's patch, with effects of lesser magnitude for IgM-AFC in Peyer's patch (twofold) and both IgM- and IgA-AFC in spleen. Analysis of cytokine production from stimulated Peyer's patch and splenic T cells in vitro showed significant decreased production of both IL-2 and IL-4, with the latter being the predominant cytokine produced in Peyer's patch cells of control animals.

There is considerable evidence of a relationship between the central nervous system and the immune system, and that several drugs with primary action at the central nervous system can affect different immune responses. In an attempt to obtain a better understanding of the interaction between ethanol's effects and immune functions, we used two mouse lines selected according to their high (HGP) or low (LGP) antibody production. These animals were injected with ethanol (20% w/v, 3.6 g/kg, ip); the latency for the loss of the righting reflex (LORR) and the time for the recovery of the righting reflex (RORR) were measured. Body temperature of both lines was also recorded before the injections and at RORR. Blood samples were taken at RORR to determine blood ethanol concentration. The results showed that the HGP mice presented shorter latency for sleep, longer sleeping time, and lower blood ethanol levels than the LGP mice. These data suggest that the HGP line is more sensitive to the effects of ethanol, and provide an additional approach for studying interactions between the immune and the central nervous systems.

A number of studies have indicated that prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors (PGSI) can antagonize several effects of ethanol. This study examines the influence of intraperitoneal pretreatment with the PGSI indomethacin (5.0 or 10.0 mg/kg), aspirin (15.0 or 30.0 mg/kg) and acetaminophen (15.0 or 30.0 mg/kg) on the diuretic effect produced by orally administered ethanol (4.0 g/kg) in female rats. Pretreatments with indomethacin and aspirin led to an antagonism of ethanol's diuretic effect. Nevertheless, acetaminophen failed to antagonize this effect. These results are in agreement with data from the literature on PGSI versus ethanol and suggest possible involvement of prostaglandins in the diuretic effect of ethanol.

Antidiabetic activity of crude extract of leaves of Talauma ovata St. Hil. (Magnoliaceae) was analysed as part of a general pharmacological screening of this plant. Chemical analysis demonstrated the presence of phytosteroids, saponins, alkaloids and tannins in the crude extract. Pharmacological studies failed to demonstrate hypoglycemic effect of this plant in normoglycemic, hyperglycemic or alloxan-diabetic rats. The low LD50 obtained for this plant strongly suggests that its consumption by the population may be hazardous.