Biocontrol (Brazil)

Summary The genus Sciomesa Tams & Bowden (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Apameini: Sesamiina) is a predominantly Afrotropical group of stemborer moths whose convoluted taxonomic history needs to be clarified. In this study, a comprehensive examination of specimens in collections was carried out in a complementary manner with molecular analyses, resulting in the following changes: (i) 12 new Sciomesa species are described: S. lalokeli n. sp. and S. metiminko n. sp. from Ethiopia; S. elgonensis n. sp., S. nigra n. sp. and S. simillima n. sp. from Kenya; S. umvoti n. sp. from South Africa; S. iboya n. sp., S. lilomwi n. sp., S. makete n. sp., S. njombe n. sp. and S. tanganyika n. sp. from Tanzania; S. kalinzu n. sp. from Uganda; (ii) four species are reinstated as valid species: three of them, S. constantini Laporte stat. rev., S. etchecopari Laporte stat. rev. and S. mirifica Laporte stat. rev., were previously synonymized with S. mesophaea (Hampson) while S. congitae (Laporte) stat. rev. was previously synonymized with S. boulardi (Laporte); (iii) two species are synonymized: S. minuscula (Laporte) n. syn., which was previously synonymized with S. boulardi, is a synonym of S. congitae, and S. franciscae Laporte n. syn. is a synonym of S. mesophaea; (iv) one species, Sesamia punctipennis Krüger stat. rev., which was transferred to the Sciomesa genus, is removed from the genus Sciomesa and temporarily reinstated to the genus Sesamia Guenée pending a new combination. A supplemental description for 12 previously described species is also provided: S. boulardi, S. bua Moyal et al., S. constantini, S. etchecopari, S. excelsa (Laporte), S. gnosia Moyal et al., S. mesophaea, S. congitae, S. mirifica, S. renibifida Berio, S. scotochroa (Hampson) and S. venata Fletcher. Host-plant records are provided for 10 Sciomesa species, confirming a pattern of phylogenetic niche conservatism on Poales plants in the Cyperaceae family. Phylogenetic and molecular species delimitation analyses were carried out on a multimarker (four mitochondrial and two nuclear genes) molecular dataset encompassing 63 Sciomesa specimens, 24 species belonging to other genera of Sesamiina, and one representative of the sister subtribe Apameina. This sampling also includes the three Malagasy species (S. betschi Viette, S. janthina Viette and S. oberthueri Viette) whose status is debated. The resulting phylogenetic framework provides the most complete picture of the evolutionary relationships of the genus Sciomesa, and results of topological tests provide further support for removing S. betschi and S. janthina from the genus Sciomesa pending new combinations. The results of molecular species delimitation analyses also overwhelmingly support the species status of the Sciomesa species sampled, even for S. mesophaea, a species with a very wide range in the Afrotropics. These analyses also reveal the existence of up to three potential new species, whose status cannot be ascertained because the sequenced individuals were either extracted at a larval stage or correspond to specimens whose genitalia were not studied when their legs were collected.

Multi-copy gene systems that evolve within, as well as between, individuals are common. They include viruses, mitochondrial DNAs, multi-gene families etc. The paradox is that neutral evolution in two stages should be far slower than single-copy systems but the opposite is often true, thus leading to the suggestion of natural selection. We now apply the new Generalized Haldane (GH) model to quantify genetic drift in the mammalian ribosomal RNA genes (or rDNAs). On average, rDNAs have C ∼ 150 - 300 copies. A neutral mutation in rDNA should take 4NC* generations to become fixed (N, the population size; C*, the effective copy number). While C > C* >> 1 is expected, the observed fixation time in mouse and human is < 4N, hence the paradox of C*< 1. Genetic drift thus appears as much as 100 times stronger for rRNA genes as for single-copy genes. The large increases in genetic drift are driven by a host of molecular mechanisms such as gene conversion and unequal crossover. Although each mechanism of drift has been extremely difficult to quantify, the GH model permits the estimation of their total effects on genetic drift. In conclusion, the GH model can be generally applicable to multi-copy gene systems without being burdened by tracking the diverse molecular mechanisms individually.

Pericardial effusion is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity, which can lead to cardiac tamponade, an acute life–threatening condition of the animal. Cardiac tamponade may be manifested by severe weakness, hypotension and secondary sinus tachycardia. Depending on the causes of pericardial disease and pericardial effusion, the clinical signs can vary greatly from the rate of its accumulation. The purpose of this work is to systematize the clinical signs in dogs with pericardial diseases accompanied by pericardial effusions. All animals were examined according to a technique including anamnesis collection, clinical examination of the patient, echocardiography, electrocardiography, chest X-ray, chest and abdominal ultrasonography for the presence of effusion (if necessary), cytology of effusion, histology of pathological material obtained intraoperatively (if necessary). Clinical signs of pericardial effusion in dogs were more dependent on the presence of cardiac tamponade, the severity of the process and the causes of its occurrence. The most common symptoms were weakness, shortness of breath, fainting, ascites and hydrothorax. Rare symptoms such as vomiting (9%), which was observed within 48 hours before confirmation of pericardial effusion, and vocalization (3%) with severe weakness/fainting, which may indicate pain, require further observation.

ABSTRACT Introduction Understanding the metabolic regulatory mechanisms leading to antibacterial resistance is important to develop effective control measures. Areas covered In this review, we summarize the progress on metabolic mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in clinically isolated bacteria, as revealed using proteomic approaches. Expert opinion Proteomic approaches are effective tools for uncovering clinically significant bacterial metabolic responses to antibiotics. Proteomics can disclose the associations between metabolic proteins, pathways, and networks with antibiotic resistance, and help identify their functional impact. The mechanisms by which metabolic proteins control the four generally recognized resistance mechanisms (decreased influx and targets, and increased efflux and enzymatic degradation) are particularly important. The proposed mechanism of reprogramming proteomics via key metabolites to enhance the killing efficiency of existing antibiotics needs attention.

Tumorigenesis, like most complex genetic traits, is driven by the joint actions of many mutations. At the nucleotide level, such mutations are Cancer Driving Nucleotides (CDNs). The full sets of CDNs are necessary, and perhaps even sufficient, for the understanding and treatment of each cancer patient. Currently, only a small fraction of CDNs is known as most mutations accrued in tumors are not drivers. We now develop the theory of CDNs on the basis that cancer evolution is massively repeated in millions of individuals. Hence, any advantageous mutation should recur frequently and, conversely, any mutation that does not is either a passenger or deleterious mutation. In the TCGA cancer database (sample size n = 300 - 1000), point mutations may recur in i out of n patients. This study explores a wide range of mutation characteristics to determine the limit of recurrences ( i *) driven solely by neutral evolution. Since no neutral mutation can reach i * = 3, all mutations recurring at i ≥ 3 are CDNs. The theory shows the feasibility of identifying almost all CDNs if n increases to 100,000 for each cancer type. At present, only &lt; 10% of CDNs have been identified. When the full sets of CDNs are identified, the evolutionary mechanism of tumorigenesis in each case can be known and, importantly, gene targeted therapy will be far more effective in treatment and robust against drug resistance.

Dexmedetomidine is a selective alpha2-adrenoreceptor agonist with a powerful sedative effect and analgesic properties. High selectivity of dexmedetomidine (1620:1) makes it the optimal drug among all representatives of the alpha-2adrenoreceptor agonist class for use in relatively small animals. Dexmedetomidine is currently the most popular sedative used for premedication and sedation, as well as in multimodal analgesia in a constant-rate infusion mode in intensive care. In 2024, a domestic drug with the trade name «Dexody» of the pharmaceutical company «Apicenna» with the active substance dexmedetomidine was registered. The drug is a complete analogue of the original drug and is approved for use in veterinary medicine.

Abstract Besides uptake of nutrients by roots, plants can acquire nutrients through arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). AMF play a crucial role in plant growth and competition. However, few studies have investigated the effects of AMF on root-foraging and competition between invasive and native species in response to heterogeneous nutrients. Two pairs of invasive and native plants of the Asteraceae family were selected to create a common garden experiment involving three factors (heterogeneous vs. homogeneous phosphorus (P), with vs. without AMF, and monoculture vs. mixture). The results showed that AMF significantly reduced the foraging scale of the invasive species, Bidens pilosa,and decreased the precision of the invasive species, Praxelis clematidea, and the native species, Emilia sonchifolia. In monoculture, AMF significantly decreased the total biomass of the two invasive species under heterogeneous P rather than homogeneous P, which was confirmed by N and P uptake. In mixture, heterogeneity significantly decreased the tolerance competitive ability of B. pilosabut increased that of P. clematidea. In the homogeneous P, AMF significantly decreased the suppression ability of B. pilosa, while in the heterogeneous P, AMF decreased that of P. clematidea. Heterogeneous P with AMF increased the suppression ability of B. pilosa but decreased that of P. clematidea. The interactive effects of AMF and soil P distribution on root foraging and nutrient uptake and competition differ among the four species and show invasive-native pair differences. These findings provide valuable insights into the interactive effects and highlight the context dependency of these interactions.

Abstract Climate change is known to negatively impact tropical forests; yet how climate change impacts tree community persistence at local scales remains less clear. Using data from a long-term tropical forest census plot over 25 years, we constructed plant- plant interaction networks based on tree growth. We then quantified community persistence as feasibility domain of constituent species using recently developed frameworks of structural stability. We found a decrease in structural stability under warming and precipitation changes over time as evidenced by both direct environmental effects and indirect effects via network structure; and indirect effects were stronger than direct effects. Among these structures, facilitation:competition degree ratio and competitive transitivity were most positively related with structural stability. Our study highlights how the lens of plant-plant interaction networks can identify novel details about risk to tropical forest diversity under climate change at local scales. Insights from this work will be helpful for aligning forest management activities with areas under the greatest risk of species loss.