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Fluid-feeding herbivores directly affect host plants through sap consumption. Moreover, they establish mutualistic relationships with ants, which might generate additional reproductive costs related to pollinator repellence. Here we studied the drivers of variation in the outcomes of these interactions from the perspective of Psittacanthus robustus, a hummingbird-pollinated mistletoe. We hypothesized that associations between fluid-feeding insects and ants should indirectly decrease mistletoe reproduction by repelling pollinators, and directly by reducing seed size, germination, and establishment of plants presenting denser herbivore aggregations. First, we manipulated the presence of the ant Camponotus rufipes on mistletoe inflorescences to assess their effects on visitation behavior of pollinators. We correlated fruit production and fruit and seed size to abundance of fluid-feeding insects on plants. Moreover, we conducted a field experiment assessing the effects of aggregation size of fluid-feeding herbivores on seed germination and seedling establishment. Ant presence on inflorescences did not affect the visitation rates of the main pollinator, the hummingbird Eupetomena macroura. Abundance of fluid-feeding herbivores did not explain variation in fruit crop size. However, we observed a significant reduction in seed size in those plants hosting larger aggregations of fluid-feeding herbivores. The reduction in seed size did not translate into a significant decrease in seed germination nor a decrease in seedling establishment. Our results dispute previous studies highlighting negative indirect effects on plant–pollinator interactions mediated by the presence of ant–trophobiont mutualisms. Likewise, our study underscores the need of assessing fluid-feeding herbivore effects on crucial stages of the host plant life cycle to clarify fitness consequences of multitrophic interactions.

Global sustainability rests on a myriad of benefits provided by natural ecosystems that support human livelihoods and well-being, from biodiversity persistence to climate regulation. The undeniable importance of conserving tropical forests has drawn most of the conservation spotlight towards it. However, open ecosystems such as the Brazilian Campo Rupestre (rupestrian grassland), have been historically overlooked despite their high diversity and key associated ecosystem services. We highlight major current threats to the persistence of the Campo Rupestre emphasizing its ecological, social, cultural, geo-environmental, and economic importance. We call attention to the importance of the Campo Rupestre as a reservoir of biodiversity and ecosystem services and offer priority actions that resulted from discussions involving scientists, industry representatives, environmental managers, and other members of civil society. Proposed actions include efforts related to ecological restoration, sustainable ecotourism, protection of traditional ecological knowledge, identification of emerging research questions, and development of tailored public policies. Such issues are integrated into a framework that collectively represents a road map to safeguard the Campo Rupestre from further degradation and steer its historical overexploitation towards sustainable management. Safeguarding the future of non-forest biomes like this poses a challenge to current paradigms of nature conservation. By establishing priorities and guidelines, we propose an actionable plan, which we hope can support informed decision-making policy towards a sustainable use of the Campo Rupestre. Long Term Ecological Research PELD-CRSC-17 Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas CNPq/MCTI Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 2013/50155-0, 2010/51307-0, 2019/07773-1

Ground-dwelling ants are active foragers that may extend their foraging area into the vegetation, although the factors affecting their diversity in the suspended litter of understorey plants remain overlooked. To evaluate the influence of the distance between strata, litter biomass and plant size on the ant fauna, the litter ant assemblage of the suspended stratum was compared with the ground immediately below the understorey treeletErythrochiton brasiliensis(Rutaceae) in an Atlantic Forest, south-eastern Brazil. We collected 1364 ants from 26 ant species. The suspended litter ant assemblage represented a subset of the ground-dwelling ants present in soil litter. The beta diversity results primarily from the high ant species turnover among individual suspended-litter samples, and among ground-litter samples, while species turnover among suspended-ground pairs is lower. Additionally, plant height was not important in determining the species turnover between strata. However, plant height positively correlated with ant species richness, probably because of the increased number of microhabitats. These results suggest that suspended litter in the forest understorey can provide the conditions for ground-dwelling ants to forage and nest, functioning as a vertical extension of resources and microhabitat conditions present in the ground litter.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T11:57:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-04-09 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) Background and Aims Much of our understanding of the ecology and evolution of seed dispersal in the Neotropics is founded on studies involving the animal-dispersed, hyperdiverse plant clade Miconia (Melastomataceae). Nonetheless, no formal attempt has been made to establish its relevance as a model system or indeed provide evidence of the role of frugivores as Miconia seed dispersers. Methods We built three Miconia databases (fruit phenology/diaspore traits, fruit-frugivore interactions and effects on seed germination after gut passage) to determine how Miconia fruiting phenology and fruit traits for >350 species interact with and shape patterns of frugivore selection. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis evaluating the effects of animal gut passage/seed handling on Miconia germination. Key Results Miconia produce numerous small berries that enclose numerous tiny seeds within water- and sugar-rich pulps. In addition, coexisting species provide sequential, year long availability of fruits within communities, with many species producing fruits in periods of resource scarcity. From 2396 pairwise interactions, we identified 646 animal frugivore species in five classes, 22 orders and 60 families, including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and ants that consume Miconia fruits. Endozoochory is the main dispersal mechanism, but gut passage effects on germination were specific to animal clades; birds, monkeys and ants reduced seed germination percentages, while opossums increased it. Conclusions The sequential fruiting phenologies and wide taxonomic and functional diversity of animal vectors associated with Miconia fruits underscore the likely keystone role that this plant clade plays in the Neotropics. By producing fruits morphologically and chemically accessible to a variety of animals, Miconia species ensure short- and long-distance seed dispersal and constitute reliable resources that sustain entire frugivore assemblages. Penn State Univ, Dept Biol, University Pk, PA 16802 USA Penn State Univ, Ecol Program, University Pk, PA 16802 USA Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Ctr Ecol Synth & Conservat, Dept Genet Ecol & Evolucao, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Rio Claro, Dept Biodiversidade, Rio Claro, Brazil Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Bot, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Rio Claro, Dept Biodiversidade, Rio Claro, Brazil

Involvement of cecal appendix by metastases secondary to prostate cancer is extremely rare. We have reported a case of a patient with an acute abdomen who underwent right hemicolectomy for appendicitis. Immunohistochemistry of the appendix revealed a prostate tumor metastasis. The presence of prostate cancer metastasis in the cecal appendix is rare, with less than 10 cases reported in published literature. Involvement of the cecal appendix secondary to prostate cancer must be considered as a differential diagnosis in cases of appendicitis, especially in patients who already have a diagnosis of metastatic prostate cancer.

International audience; Questions: Anthropogenic disturbances are known to be followed by extremely poor recovery in edaphic grasslands. However, the role of interactions with diaspore predators and secondary dispersers, which compose the dispersal filter and modulate plant community recovery, has been overlooked. We performed field experiments to investigate how soil disturbances affect diaspore interactions with the ground‐foraging fauna to better understand how disturbance influences regeneration potential.Location: Campo rupestre vegetation, megadiverse edaphic grasslands, southeastern Brazil.Methods: We used diaspores from five native species to compare removal rates between disturbed (top soil removal) and preserved sites; we also controlled invertebrate and vertebrate access to determine their role. In addition, we assessed differences in the diaspore removal effectiveness (DRE) and the structure of animal–diaspore interactions through network based‐approach.Results: For three species, the average diaspore removal rates was relatively high (between 30% and 70%). Invertebrates were the most common removal agents in both disturbed and preserved sites. Interactions with foraging fauna and removal rates were 20% smaller in disturbed sites. Considering all diaspore removal events in disturbed sites, 24% resulted in the displacement from disturbed to preserved sites, but no diaspore was transported from preserved to disturbed ones. The animal–diaspore network was exclusively composed by ant–diaspore interactions and was more diverse and robust in preserved sites compared with disturbed ones. Seed predator ants (Pheidole and Dorymyrmex) were more common in disturbed sites. Furthermore, significant differences were found in the DRE between ant species and site types, suggesting specificity in the provision of dispersal services.Conclusions: Topsoil removal affected removal proportions, DRE and ant–diaspore interaction network structure. The lack of diaspore dispersal towards disturbed sites indicates that soil removal affects secondary seed removal dynamics, impeding recovery potential. Disturbance negatively affected diaspore fate by reshaping interactions with ground‐foraging secondary seed dispersers and predators, constraining the development of seed bank and thus impacting upon vegetation dynamics and resilience.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T16:53:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-08-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) Rupestrian grasslands are biodiverse, evolutionary old vegetation complexes that harbor more than 5000 species of vascular plants and one of the highest levels of plant endemism in the world. Growing on nutrient–impoverished soils and under harsh environmental conditions, these mountaintop ecosystems were once spared from major human interventions of agriculture and intensive cattle ranching. However, in Brazil, rupestrian grasslands have experienced one of the most extreme land use changes among all Brazilian ecosystems, suffering from ill policies leading to intense mining activities, uncontrolled tourism, and unplanned road construction. Indeed, the discovery of large mineral reserves, the adoption of ineffective conservation policies, and, going forward, climate change, are threatening this hyper-diverse ecosystem. Here, we shed light on the severe threats imposed by land-use changes in this ecosystem, modeling its future distribution under different scenarios. We uncover a catastrophic forecast that, if not halted, will lead to the loss of 82% of this unique ecosystem in the future, impacting ecosystem services at regional scales, including water and food security potentially affecting more than 50 million persons. Departamento de Biologia Geral Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Department of Biology Stanford University Laboratório de Fenologia Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP Departamento de Demografia Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Departamento de Zoologia Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, CP 486 Instituto de Geociências Pós-Graduação em Análise e Modelagem de Sistemas Ambientais Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Laboratório de Fenologia Departamento de Botânica Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP CNPq: 154664/2016-2 CNPq: 441515/2016-9

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T17:48:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2018-01-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Assessment of host infection and distribution patterns are crucial to understand the underling mechanisms that shape parasitic plant spread in natural ecosystems. However, such data remain scarce for mistletoes inhabiting Brazilian campo rupestre vegetation, old-growth montane fire-prone grasslands. We evaluated the host range and distribution patterns of the mistletoe Psittacanthus robustus (Loranthaceae) at seven 1-ha plots located at in Serra do Cipo, southeastern Brazil. We investigate if the frequency of parasitism by P. robustus is directly related to the relative abundance of host tree species in the community, and how prevalence and intensity of infection vary among different host tree species. Average mistletoe density was 120 individuals ha(-1), which parasitized eight host species, including trees and shrubs in five families. Four tree species, Vochysia thyrsoidea, Qualea cordata (Vochysiaceae), Trembleya laniflora and Miconia ferruginata (Melastomataceae), comprised 95% of infected individuals. Twenty two percent of 1,108 trees sampled were parasitized by P. robustus, with host specificity within species in Myrtales Clade. Prevalence increased with host height for all tree species, with a highly aggregated distribution in few taller host trees within rocky outcrop patches in campo rupestre. The unveiling patterns of host infection and mistletoe distribution, support future studies addressing plant-plant, bird-plant and fire-plant interactions that might shape infection dynamics of this widespread mistletoe species in campo rupestre. (c) 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Programa Posgrad Ecol, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Bot, BR-31270901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Zool, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Dept Biol Anim, CP 6109, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Zool, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2007/59444-4

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused countries and various sectors of the society to initiate measures to prevent its rapid spread, and thus, numerous political and hospital authorities have adopted measures to care for affected patients, limiting the assistance of several hospital sectors, including the urology service of the Hospital Geral de Fortaleza (HGF).Methods: A retrospective quantitative descriptive study was conducted by analyzing the data of the years 2019 and 2020 (January to June) rescued through the Center for patient safety and hospital quality (CPSHQ) of the HGF, correlating them through methods and statistical and numerical analyses with the aid of Excel and Epi Info programs, to compare and observe the impact of the pandemic in the urology service.Results: A 26.23% decrease was observed in relation to elective procedures, 25.6% for emergency procedures, 16.57% for minor surgeries, and 46.44% for outpatient consultations when compared to the first semester of 2019 compared to that in 2020.Conclusions: It is clear that the pandemic has negatively impacted the volume of various HGF urological services, and new studies should demonstrate the consequences of the lack of assistance in the period described.

The extent of specialization/generalization continuum in fruit-frugivore interactions at the individual level remains poorly explored. Here, we investigated the interactions between the Neotropical treelet Miconia irwinii (Melastomataceae) and its avian seed dispersers in Brazilian campo rupestre. We built an individual-based network to derive plant degree of interaction specialization regarding disperser species. Then, we explored how intraspecific variation in interaction niche breadth relates to fruit availability on individual plants in varying densities of fruiting conspecific neighbors, and how these factors affect the quantity of viable seeds dispersed. We predicted broader interaction niche breadths for individuals with larger fruit crops in denser fruiting neighborhoods. The downscaled network included nine bird species and 15 plants, which varied nearly five-fold in their degree of interaction specialization. We found positive effects of crop size on visitation and fruit removal rates, but not on degree of interaction specialization. Conversely, we found that an increase in the density of conspecific fruiting neighbors both increased visitation rate and reduced plant degree of interaction specialization. We suggest that tracking fruit-rich patches by avian frugivore species is the main driver of density-dependent intraspecific variation in plants' interaction niche breadth. Our study shed some light on the overlooked fitness consequences of intraspecific variation in interaction niches by showing that individuals along the specialization/generalization continuum may have their seed dispersed with similar effectiveness. Our study exemplifies how individual-based networks linking plants to frugivore species that differ in their seed dispersal effectiveness can advance our understanding of intraspecific variation in the outcomes of fruit-frugivore interactions.

Ex situ seed conservation is an effective strategy to help safeguarding plants from extinction. The updated Global Strategy for Plant Conservation’s (GSPC) Target 8 aims to include 75% of threatened plant species in ex situ collections by 2020, preferably in the country of origin. Halfway through the updated GSPC program, we evaluate the current state of knowledge and practice of ex situ seed conservation of threatened species from megadiverse Brazilian flora, contributing to this Target. We identify knowledge gaps and costs to achieve Target 8 through seed banking in Brazil within the time constraints of the GSPC and in a scenario of recent science budget funding cuts. Knowledge on seed storage behavior is available only for 24 Brazilian species (1.3%). Seed desiccation tolerance was concluded for 175 of 228 species, feasibly allowing safe storage of most Brazilian species at sub-zero temperatures. However, only 26 species (1.3%) are effectively banked in research institutions. Surprisingly, the percentage of banked threatened species hardly increased in the first 5 years since the update of the Target (0.55%, 2011–2015), and Brazil now faces the challenge of banking almost 1500 species during 2016–2020. Despite a major lack of commitment of Brazilian institutions and of knowledge to achieve the Target, the costs for banking the remaining species were estimated to be only US$3.9 million. We call for a nationwide coordinated effort of government agencies, policy makers and research institutions to include ex situ seed conservation in the environmental agenda to pursue achievement of the Target by 2020.

Urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract is a rare and potentially aggressive disease. It rarely affects the ureter and is quite uncommon in the ureteral stump of a patient who has already undergone nephrectomy for benign disease. We, herein, describe a case of a male patient who underwent total left nephrectomy owning to renal exclusion. After three years, owning to an episode of hematuria, he was diagnosed with a urothelial tumor of the ureteral stump, and he underwent ureterectomy and excision of the bladder cuff. The involvement of the ureteral stump by urothelial tumor is an extremely rare event and is normally associated with poor prognosis owning to the delay in diagnosis inherent to atypical presentation. The most common symptom is hematuria. Pain is uncommon because of the absence of a renal unit and consequently, hydronephrosis. Although rare, we must remember the possibility of the appearance of primary tumors in the ureteral stump and maintain a high degree of diagnostic suspicion to avoid diagnosis in advanced stages.

Avian predators may represent an important selective pressure favouring the evolution of aposematic colouration in millipedes that present chemical defences. However, the role of their warning colouration in predator avoidance remains poorly explored under field conditions, especially in Neotropical forests. Thus, to evaluate the hypothesis of the predator avoidance, we conducted a factorial experiment utilizing artificial replicas of millipedes constructed from plasticine and placed in the natural habitat of Odontopeltis aleijadinho (Polydesmida, Chelodesmidae), an Atlantic Forest endemic aposematic millipede. We assessed patterns of attack to aposematic and non-aposematic replicas applied with repugnant fluid extracted from living millipedes and two control treatments, distributed as a total of 300 replicas exposed for 48 h on the forest floor. The average percentage of replicas attacked was nearly 10-fold higher on those non-aposematic control replicas (13.3% ± 3.3%) than on aposematic replicas (1.3% ± 0.9%). In 24 replicas attacked by avian predators, no effect of millipede repugnant fluid was found, but the effect of colouration pattern was statistically significant. Our data support the hypothesis that a warning colouration pattern involving yellow spots symmetrically distributed along the millipede body can mediate avian predator avoidance.