Comparative transcriptome profiling reveals distinct regulatory responses of secondary defensive metabolism in species (Solanaceae) under plant development and herbivory-mediated stress.

Differential expression of genes is key to mediating developmental and stress-related plant responses. Here, we addressed the regulation of plant metabolic responses to biotic stress and the developmental variation of defense-related genes in four species of the genus with variable patterns of metabolite accumulation and development. We combine transcriptome profiling with phylogenomic techniques to analyze gene expression and coexpression in plants subjected to damage by a specialist folivore insect.

Spherical harmonics analysis reveals cell shape-fate relationships in zebrafish lateral line neuromasts.

Cell shape is a powerful readout of cell state, fate and function. We describe a custom workflow to perform semi-automated, 3D cell and nucleus segmentation, and spherical harmonics and principal components analysis to distill cell and nuclear shape variation into discrete biologically meaningful parameters. We apply these methods to analyze shape in the neuromast cells of the zebrafish lateral line system, finding that shapes vary with cell location and identity.

A Trip Back Home: Resistance to Herbivores of Native and Non-Native Plant Populations of .

When colonizing new ranges, plant populations may benefit from the absence of the checks imposed by the enemies, herbivores, and pathogens that regulated their numbers in their original range. Therefore, rates of plant damage or infestation by natural enemies are expected to be lower in the new range. Exposing both non-native and native plant populations in the native range, where native herbivores are present, can be used to test whether resistance mechanisms have diverged between populations.

The chromosome-scale genome and the genetic resistance machinery against insect herbivores of the Mexican toloache, Datura stramonium.

Plant resistance refers to the heritable ability of plants to reduce damage caused by natural enemies, such as herbivores and pathogens, either through constitutive or induced traits like chemical compounds or trichomes. However, the genetic architecture-the number and genome location of genes that affect plant defense and the magnitude of their effects-of plant resistance to arthropod herbivores in natural populations remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to unveil the genetic architecture of plant resistance to insect herbivores in the annual herb Datura stramonium (Solanaceae) through quantitative trait loci mapping.

Natural enemies recovered from Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae infesting the cartridge, ear and stem of corn plants under conventional and organic farming systems in Brazil.

The corn cropping system can influence the natural enemy identity and the number of Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith, 1797 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) individuals infesting the cartridge, ear and stem of this plant.

Inter-annual variation in the abundance of specialist herbivores determines plant resistance in .

The expression of plant resistance traits against arthropod herbivores often comes with costs to other essential plant functions such as growth and fitness. These trade-offs are shaped by the allocation of limited resources. However, plants might also possess the capability to allocate resources to both resistance and growth, thereby ensuring their survival when under herbivore attacks.

Nuclear and chloroplast DNA phylogeography reveals high genetic diversity and postglacial range expansion in Quercus mexicana.

Premise: Phylogeographical studies are fundamental for understanding factors that influence the spatial distribution of genetic lineages within species. Population expansions and contractions, distribution shifts, and climate changes are among the most important factors shaping the genetic compositions of populations.

Methods: We investigated the phylogeography of an endemic oak, Quercus mexicana (Fagaceae), which has a restricted distribution in northeastern Mexico along the Sierra Madre Oriental and adjacent areas.

Evolutionary Ecology of Plant-Arthropod Interactions in Light of the "Omics" Sciences: A Broad Guide.

Aboveground plant-arthropod interactions are typically complex, involving herbivores, predators, pollinators, and various other guilds that can strongly affect plant fitness, directly or indirectly, and individually, synergistically, or antagonistically. However, little is known about how ongoing natural selection by these interacting guilds shapes the evolution of plants, i.e.

Tropane alkaloids and terpenes synthase genes of (Solanaceae).

Background: Plants have evolved physical-chemical defense to prevent/diminish damage by their enemies. Chemical defense involves the synthesis' pathways of specialized toxic, repellent, or anti-nutritive metabolites to herbivores. Molecular evolutionary studies have revealed the origin of new genes, acquisition and functional diversification along time in different plant lineages.

Genomic and chemical evidence for local adaptation in resistance to different herbivores in Datura stramonium.

Because most species are collections of genetically variable populations distributed to habitats differing in their abiotic/biotic environmental factors and community composition, the pattern and strength of natural selection imposed by species on each other's traits are also expected to be highly spatially variable. Here, we used genomic and quantitative genetic approaches to understand how spatially variable selection operates on the genetic basis of plant defenses to herbivores. To this end, an F progeny was generated by crossing Datura stramonium (Solanaceae) parents from two populations differing in their level of chemical defense.

The Elderly's Independent Living in Smart Homes: A Characterization of Activities and Sensing Infrastructure Survey to Facilitate Services Development.

Human activity detection within smart homes is one of the basis of unobtrusive wellness monitoring of a rapidly aging population in developed countries. Most works in this area use the concept of "activity" as the building block with which to construct applications such as healthcare monitoring or ambient assisted living. The process of identifying a specific activity encompasses the selection of the appropriate set of sensors, the correct preprocessing of their provided raw data and the learning/reasoning using this information.

Robust regeneration of adult zebrafish lateral line hair cells reflects continued precursor pool maintenance.

We have examined lateral line hair cell and support cell maintenance in adult zebrafish when growth is largely complete. We demonstrate that adult zebrafish not only replenish hair cells after a single instance of hair cell damage, but also maintain hair cells and support cells after multiple rounds of damage and regeneration. We find that hair cells undergo continuous turnover in adult zebrafish in the absence of damage.

There and back again: development and regeneration of the zebrafish lateral line system.

The zebrafish lateral line is a sensory system used to detect changes in water flow. It is comprised of clusters of mechanosensory hair cells called neuromasts. The lateral line is initially established by a migratory group of cells, called a primordium, that deposits neuromasts at stereotyped locations along the surface of the fish.

Deployment and validation of a smart system for screening of language disorders in primary care.

Neuro-evolutive development from birth until the age of six years is a decisive factor in a child's quality of life. Early detection of development disorders in early childhood can facilitate necessary diagnosis and/or treatment. Primary-care pediatricians play a key role in its detection as they can undertake the preventive and therapeutic actions requested to promote a child's optimal development.

Deleterious activity of natural products on postures of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

The control of Lepidoptera pests should be carried out before hatching of their caterpillars to avoid damage to the crops. The aim of this work was to assess the activity of neem (trade name: Natuneem, producer: Base Fértil, Chapadão do Sul, Brazil) and pyroligneous extracts (trade name: Biopirol 7M, producer: Biocarbo, Itabirito, Brazil) at 10 mL/L (1%) and 20 mL/L (2%) contents on egg masses of different ages of Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and of Diatraea saccharalis F. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at Embrapa Corn and Sorghum in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

Selective effects of natural and synthetic insecticides on mortality of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and its predator Eriopis connexa (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a serious pest of corn in several American countries. It is mainly controlled with synthetic insecticides. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of the natural products, neem oil and pyroligneous extract, and the synthetic insecticide, lufenuron, at 2.

Growth hormone secretion in response to glucagon stimulation test in healthy middle-aged men.

Objective: To investigate the growth hormone (GH) response to glucagon stimulation test (GST) in a population of healthy men over 50 years old in comparison to insulin tolerance test (ITT), analysis of the spontaneous 24-hour GH profile and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I).

Methods: 27 healthy men aged between 51 and 65 years were tested.

Results: Using non-parametric correlation analysis, a positive correlation between GH peak after GST and mean IGF-I (r = 0.

Reduced relative lymphocyte count in african-americans with decompensated heart failure.

Background: A reduction in relative lymphocyte count (%L) has been reported in whites with heart failure that inversely correlated with jugular venous pressure thereby implicating systemic venous hypertension with splanchnic congestion.

Objectives: : To study whether a reduced %L (<20%) occurs in African-Americans (AA) with heart failure and to address pathophysiologic mechanisms having the potential to influence lymphocyte biology and survival, we monitored patients with or without systemic venous hypertension, hypoalbuminemia, hypovitaminosis D, and secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Methods: In 131 AA (90 men; 53 +/- 12 years): 113 were hospitalized, 50 with decompensated biventricular failure (DecompHF), 24 with acute left heart failure, and 39 with heart disease, but no heart failure (HDNHF); and 18 were outpatients with compensated heart failure.

Effusive constrictive pericarditis: 2D, 3D echocardiography and MRI imaging.

The entity of effusive constrictive pericarditis (ECP) combines clinical and echocardiographic features of pericardial effusion and constrictive pericarditis. We describe a case of ECP, of probable tuberculous etiology, with typical hemodynamic findings of pericardial constriction, which persisted after the pericardial effusion was drained. Thickening of parietal and visceral pericardium was seen on 2D and 3D echo, and on MRI.