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No / Background The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is in the process of developing the EAACI Guidelines on Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) for the management of insect venom allergy. To inform this process, we sought to assess the effectiveness, cost‐effectiveness and safety of AIT in the management of insect venom allergy. Methods We undertook a systematic review, which involved searching 15 international biomedical databases for published and unpublished evidence. Studies were independently screened and critically appraised using established instruments. Data were descriptively summarized and, where possible, meta‐analysed. Results Our searches identified a total of 16 950 potentially eligible studies; of which, 17 satisfied our inclusion criteria. The available evidence was limited both in volume and in quality, but suggested that venom immunotherapy (VIT) could substantially reduce the risk of subsequent severe systemic sting reactions (OR = 0.08, 95% CI 0.03–0.26); meta‐analysis showed that it also improved disease‐specific quality of life (risk difference = 1.41, 95% CI 1.04–1.79). Adverse effects were experienced in both the build‐up and maintenance phases, but most were mild with no fatalities being reported. The very limited evidence found on modelling cost‐effectiveness suggested that VIT was likely to be cost‐effective in those at high risk of repeated systemic sting reactions and/or impaired quality of life. Conclusions The limited available evidence suggested that VIT is effective in reducing severe subsequent systemic sting reactions and in improving disease‐specific quality of life. VIT proved to be safe and no fatalities were recorded in the studies included in this review. The cost‐effectiveness of VIT needs to be established. / EAACI and Grant agreement no: 601763.

Orientador: Carlos Frederico Wilcken / Co-orientador: Reginaldo Gonçalves Mafia / Banca: Luiz Carlos Forti / Banca: José Cola Zanuncio / Resumo: O setor florestal traz importantes divisas à economia nacional, com exportações de celulose, papel, painéis modificados, produtos siderúrgicos e outros, com o eucalipto como principal matéria prima. O sucesso no manejo dessa espécie depende do controle de formigas cortadeiras, sua principal praga. O controle de sauveiros pelos orifícios de abastecimento ou trilha é comum no setor florestal, quando não é possível medir o sauveiro, por estar descaracterizado por máquinas florestais durante a colheita ou plantio ou não estar acessível, como em áreas de preservação permanente ou outra propriedade. O controle localizado de ninhos, baseado na medição da área aparente multiplicando-se as maiores largura e comprimento, é realizado com 10 gramas de isca formicida por metro quadrado. No entanto sauveiro com área aparente irregular ocasiona desvios nas dosagens. O objetivo deste trabalho é estabelecer uma correlação entre o diâmetro do orifício de abastecimento e a área real de sauveiros de Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) para se definir a dosagem adequada às colônias, e dimensionar a precisão de três métodos de controle localizado em plantios de eucalipto, pela medição da área aparente do retângulo ou método convencional, área aparente da elipse e dose única DU 6-50.O método DU 6-50 se baseia na dose única (DU) de seis gramas por determinado orifício, com abrangência de 50 cm de raio do orifício dosado, e qualquer outro orifício nessa área não precisa ser dosado. Essa pesquisa busca aperfeiçoar o controle de formigas cortadeiras, pela racionalização do uso de defensivos agrícolas e redução de impactos ambientais, atendendo as condicionantes do FSC - Forest Stewardship Council, aumentar a eficiência no controle e reduzir custos com mão-de-obra / Abstract: The forestry sector has presented important revenues for Brazilian economy through significant exports of pulp & paper, wood panels, siderurgic products and others. Eucalyptus in the main genus of trees used by forest sector in Brazil. The success in the management of those species depends on control of it is main pest, the leaf cutting ant. When the ant nest is accessible, the control is located in and it is based on the apparent ant nest area, through measuring and multiplying the longest for the largest width of the nest. The chemical control using insecticide baits is based in this ant nest area, applying 10 g of bait per m2 of the nest area. However, the nest does not occupy the entire apparent area regularly which consequently leads to deviations in the measurements. The objective of this study is to establish a correlation between the diameter of the supply hole and the real area of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nests and to set the appropriate dosage to the colonies, and sizing precision of three methods of locate in control in Eucalyptus plantations, by measuring the apparent nest area (conventional method), apparent area of the ellipse and a single dose DU 6-50. The method DU 6-50 is based on single dose (DU - abbreviation for single dose in Portuguese) of 6 grams for a hole, which covers the dose to 50 cm radius of the hole dosed, and do not need any other dose in the area scope of the radius. / Mestre

Many animal species are still undiscovered, even in Sweden. This thesis deals with the wasps of the subfamily Eucoilinae (of Figitidae, Cynipoidea), a poorly known group of small parasitoids of Dipteran flies. In this group, old classifications are chaotic, knowledge of old taxa is scant, phylogenetic work has recently started, and many new taxa remain to be described. In this thesis, an identification key is given to the European genera of Eucolinae, and a tribal classification of the subfamily is reintroduced, based on recent phylogenetic results. Most of the thesis focuses on the tribe Eucoilini. That tribe is analyzed phylogenetically in two analyses, one based on a large morphological dataset, the other on two molecular markers, ribosomal 28S and mitochondrial Cytochrome B. The monophyletic core group of Eucoilini is the Eucoila/Trybliographa complex. It is treated in a big taxonomic revision, based on studies of several hundred possibly relevant type specimens and several thousands of other specimens, and on the phylogenetic analyses. More than 500 names of possible members of this group are investigated, and many new combinations are proposed, of species found not to belong within the group, as well as those that did, including some which are transferred to other genera in accordance with the new phylogenetic results. The new genus Quasimodoana is erected, and 20 new species described (8 from Northern Europe, 12 from elsewhere). More than 180 new combinations, more than 50 new species-level synonyms and ca 10 genus-level synonyms, are proposed. Within this complex, the basal split is found to have been between a Paleotropic, specis-poor lineage (Bothrochacis), and a species-rich and largely Holarctic lineage, dominated by Trybliographa but also including the small genera Eucoila and Linoeucoila. The three are not satisfactorily resolved in the analysis, but still maintained as separate genera for pragmatic reasons. It is hypothesized that this group originated in Asia during the Eocene or Oligocene, attacking calyptrate flies in herbivore dung. Then it separated in a tropical branch retaining the ancestral life history mode, and a Holarctic branch, where some lineages specialised in Anthomyiidae and colonised the microhabitats of fungi and plants, speciating extensively in the boreal forests.

Within social insect colonies, sterile workers are responsible for brood care, while queens are the primary egg-layers. These reproductive caste differences are often accompanied by pronounced morphological distinctions. Queen and worker phenotypic differences are particularly remarkable considering caste is environmentally, rather than genetically, determined. Environmental caste determination can produce intralocus genetic conflict between castes, particularly when homologous traits are highly dimorphic. Therefore, when studying the evolution of social insect caste dimorphism, one must consider the genetic architecture underlying phenotypic expression as well as the selective pressures that have shaped caste morphology. This dissertation presents the results of four studies that investigated factors affecting caste morphology in the social wasp Vespula maculifrons. The first two studies focused on identifying queen morphological traits that were positively associated with queen fitness and would therefore be subject to selection. Queen length, specifically gaster length, was positively associated with overwintering survival and was consistently associated with mating success. Both of these findings suggest that queen gaster length is under selection during two life-history events, mating and overwintering, in which workers do not participate. These findings provide empirical support for the adaptive evolution of a caste dimorphic trait. The third and fourth studies used classical quantitative genetic and morphological analyses to examine the genetic architecture underlying caste dimorphism in V. maculifrons. I determined which traits were under caste-specific selection by analyzing trait allometries and the levels of genetic control, variation, and dimorphism of traits between castes. Little genetic variation for morphological trait size was detected for most worker and queen traits, suggesting a strong influence of environment on phenotypic variation. Additionally, analyses of trait allometries indicated that several queen traits (mass, thorax width and length) were under queen-specific selection. The relationship between thorax length, gaster length, and overall body size is further evidence of selection on length in queens. Overall, these studies provide evidence for the importance of queen-specific selection in the evolution of caste dimorphism. When placed in the broader context of caste evolution, they point to the importance of life-history in shaping the genetic architecture underlying caste dimorphism.

Current forest management in boreal northeastern Ontario results in young, even-aged forests; however, fire history research has found old stands with multiple cohorts of trees are common, supporting the value of Multi-cohort Management. I investigated relationships between insect communities and stand live-tree diameter distribution, cohort class and structure. Results showed that variation in abundances of Carabidae, Diapriidae, Diptera and Hymenoptera were not strongly predicted by cohort class. The concept showed greater strength when parameters of live-tree diameter distributions were used. Forest structure, not age, was important for all communities, including heterogeneity of understory and/or overstory vegetation. Trap height was a strong predictor of aerial insect community structure, with insect abundance higher in the understory than in the canopy. In summary, a more diversified classification approach which includes important habitat features in addition to simple characterization of diameter distributions should be considered to better assess forest structural variation and management.

Current forest management in boreal northeastern Ontario results in young, even-aged forests; however, fire history research has found old stands with multiple cohorts of trees are common, supporting the value of Multi-cohort Management. I investigated relationships between insect communities and stand live-tree diameter distribution, cohort class and structure. Results showed that variation in abundances of Carabidae, Diapriidae, Diptera and Hymenoptera were not strongly predicted by cohort class. The concept showed greater strength when parameters of live-tree diameter distributions were used. Forest structure, not age, was important for all communities, including heterogeneity of understory and/or overstory vegetation. Trap height was a strong predictor of aerial insect community structure, with insect abundance higher in the understory than in the canopy. In summary, a more diversified classification approach which includes important habitat features in addition to simple characterization of diameter distributions should be considered to better assess forest structural variation and management.

Submitted by Reginaldo Soares de Freitas (reginaldo.freitas@ufv.br) on 2017-03-21T19:05:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 534718 bytes, checksum: 5457b363ed599b6274f4181bf1465bb8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-21T19:05:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 534718 bytes, checksum: 5457b363ed599b6274f4181bf1465bb8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003-03-21 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / Com o objetivo de contribuir ao conhecimento da citogenética da tribo Ectatommini (Hymenoptera; Formicidae; Ponerinae) na Região Neotropical, foram analisados os cariótipos de formigas dos gêneros Gnamptogenys, Heteroponera e Ectatomma. As colônias foram coletadas nas reservas da Mata do Paraíso e da Mata da Biologia em Viçosa/MG, assim como em áreas experimentais da CEPLAC/CEPEC, em Ilhéus/BA. O uso de técnicas citogenéticas proporcionou a caracterização numérica e morfológica dos cromossomos dos cariótipos estudados. Estes variaram de 2n=24-68: Gnamptogenys striatula 2n=34 (24M+10A); Gnamptogenys sp., n=23 (9M+14A), 2n=46 (18M+28A); G. annulata 2n=68 (6M+62A); Heteroponera dolo 2n=24 (22M+2A); Ectatomma tuberculatum 2n=36 (30M+6A); E. brunneum 2n=44 (22M+22A) e E. edentatum 2n=46. Não foram observadas diferenças entre os cariótipos de duas populações distintas de Gnamptogenys striatula (Viçosa/MG e Ilhéus/BA), mostrando a grande estabilidade cariotípica desta espécie. Uma análise de variância das fórmulas cariotípicas de nove espécies da tribo Ectatommini (incluindo informações sobre duas espécies disponíveis na literatura) demonstrou que a razão de cromossomos metacêntricos (M) para acrocêntricos (A) diminuiu proporcionalmente ao aumento do número de cromossomos (n), sugerindo, portanto, rearranjos do tipo fissão. O método cariográfico demonstrou uma relação entre número cromossômico (n) e o número de braços (AN) levando a hipotetizar que rearranjos do tipo fissão e inversão foram as principais responsáveis pela diferenciação dos cariótipos na tribo Ectatommini, corroborando a Teoria da Interação Mínima. Entretanto, os dados ainda são escassos, necessitando o estudo de um maior número de espécies e a adaptação de técnicas de bandamentos cromossômicos para elucidar os mecanismos de evolução dos cromossomos nessa tribo. / Aiming to contribute to the knowledge of the tribe Ectatommini cytogenetics (Hymenoptera; Formicidae; Ponerinae) in Neotropical Region, the karyotypes of ants of the Gnamptogenys, Heteroponera and Ectatomma genera were analysed. Colonies were collected in the reserves of Mata do Paraíso and Mata da Biologia, at Viçosa/MG; and in CEPLAC/CEPEC experimental areas, at Ilhéus/BA, Brazil. The use of cytogenetic techniques allowed characterising the karyotypes chromosome numbers and morphology. These varied from 2n=24-68: Gnamptogenys striatula 2n=34 (24M + 10A); Gnamptogenys sp., n=23 (9M + 14A), 2n=46 (18M + 28A); G. annulata 2n=68 (6M + 62A); Heteroponera dolo 2n=24 (22M + 2A); Ectatomma tuberculatum 2n=36 (30M + 6A), E. brunneum 2n=44 (22M + 22A) and E. edentatum 2n=46. No difference was observed between the karyotypes of two distinct populations of Gnamptogenys striatula (Viçosa/MG and Ilhéus/BA), showing the great karyotypical stability of this species. A variance analyse of the karyotype formula of nine species of the Ectatommini tribe (including information on more two species available from literature) showed that, the ratio of metacentrics (M) to acrocentrics (A) chromosomes decreased proportionally to the increase of chromosome number (n) suggesting thus fission rearrangements. The kariograph method showed that exists a relation between chromosome (n) and arm numbers (AN), making possible to formulate the hypothesis that fission and inversion rearrangements are the main responsible of karyotype differentiation in the tribe Ectatommini, according the Minimum Interaction Theory. However, data are still scarce and make necessary the study of a larger number of species as well as adaptation of chromosome-banding techniques in the aim to elucidate the mechanisms of chromosome evolution in the tribe. / Não foi localizado o cpf do autor.