State University of Santa Cruz

About: State University of Santa Cruz is a education organization based out in Ilhéus, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Species richness. The organization has 3266 authors who have published 4642 publications receiving 51876 citations. The organization is also known as: Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz.

Índice de heterogeneidade, coeficiente de variação e tamanho ótimo de parcela em batata

Abstract: This research was aimed at evaluating the relationship between one plot coefficient variation and heterogeneity index with the optimal potato plot size. Tuber yield data was gotten from 12 potato homogeneity trials. Each trial had 12 rows and 24 hills, from which 18 plot sizes, differing in row and hill numbers, were designed. The functions CV(x)=A/XB and VU(x)=V1/Xb were adjusted, where X is the plot size in number of basic units (BU), CV(x) is the coefficient of variation between plots with X BU, and VU(x) is the BU variation between plots with X BU. Optimal plot size estimated by three different methods and the results were correlated with the parameter estimations of the above two functions. Based upon path analysis, the variation coefficient between plots of the basic unit affects more the estimation of optimal plot size than the heterogeneity index in potato uniformity trials.

Effect of Arrabidaea chica extracts on the Ehrlich solid tumor development

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Verl., Bignoniaceae, extracts on Ehrlich solid tumor development in Swiss mice. Leaves of A. chica were extracted with two distinct solvents, ethanol and water. The phytochemical analysis of the extracts indicated different classes of secondary metabolites like as anthocyanidins, flavonoids, tannins and saponins. Ethanol (EE) and aqueous (AE) extracts at 30 mg/kg reduced the development of Ehrlich solid tumor after ten days of oral treatment. The EE group presented increase in neutrophil count, α1 and β globulin values, and decrease of α2 globulin values. Furthermore, EE reduced the percentage of CD4+ T cells in blood but did not alter the percentage of inflammatory mononuclear cells associated with tumor suggesting a direct action of EE on tumor cells. Reduced tumor development observed in AE group was accompanied by a lower percentage of CD4+ T lymphocytes in blood. At the tumor microenvironment, this treatment decreased the percentage of CD3+ T cells, especially due to a reduction of CD8+ T subpopulation and NK cells. The antitumor activity presented by the AE is possibly related to an anti-inflammatory activity. None of the extracts produced toxic effects in animals. In conclusion, the ethanol and aqueous extracts of A. chica have immunomodulatory and antitumor activities attributed to the presence of flavonoids, such as kaempferol. These effects appear to be related to different mechanisms of action for each extract. This study demonstrates the potential of A. chica as an antitumor agent confirming its use in traditional popular medicine.

Leishmania amazonensis hijacks host cell lysosomes involved in plasma membrane repair to induce invasion in fibroblasts.

Abstract: Intracellular parasites of the genus Leishmania are the causative agents of leishmaniasis. The disease is transmitted by the bite of a sand fly vector, which inoculates the parasite into the skin of mammalian hosts, including humans. During chronic infection the parasite lives and replicates inside phagocytic cells, notably the macrophages. An interesting, but overlooked finding, is that other cell types and even non-phagocytic cells have been found to be infected by Leishmania spp. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which Leishmania invades such cells had not been previously studied. Here, we show that L. amazonensis can induce their own entry into fibroblasts independently of actin cytoskeleton activity, and, thus, through a mechanism that is distinct from phagocytosis. Invasion involves subversion of host cell functions, such as Ca2+ signaling and recruitment and exocytosis of host cell lysosomes involved in plasma membrane repair. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

A Pesca enquanto Atividade Humana: Pesca Artesanal e Sustentabilidade

Abstract: This monographic work is a about the human relation with the marine fish resources, namely the evolution of the Portuguese and Brazilian relation with these ...

A new social parasite in the ant genus Ectatomma F. Smith (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ectatomminae)

Abstract: Ectatomma parasiticum Feitosa & Fresneau, a new ant species socially parasitic on Ectatomma tuberculatum (Olivier), is described from gynes discovered in Apazapan, state of Veracruz, Mexico, and reared in the laboratory. Ectatomma parasiticum is the first social parasite described in the Ectatomminae. This species can be distinguished from its host by morphological and behavioral features characteristic of the inquilines known in other ant subfamilies including reduced size, thickened petiole, and agonistic interactions with host species.