Susceptibility profile of a Brazilian yeast stock collection of Candida species isolated from subjects with Candida-associated denture stomatitis with or without diabetes

Objective: This study investigated the susceptibility of 198 clinical isolates of Candida species against caspofungin, amphotericin B, itraconazole, and fluconazole. Study Design: Suspensions of the microorganisms were spread on Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) agar plates. Etest strips were placed on the plates, and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was read after incubation (48 h at 37°C). Data were analyzed by a factorial analysis of variance and a 2 × 2 post hoc test (α = .05). Results: C glabrata showed the highest MIC values (P < .001) against caspofungin, itraconazole, and fluconazole. For amphotericin B, the MIC values of C tropicalis and C glabrata (P = .0521) were higher than those of C albicans (P < .001). Itraconazole was the least effective antifungal; 93.3% of the C glabrata isolates, 3.3% of the C albicans, and 1.3% of the C tropicalis were resistant. All microorganisms were susceptible to caspofungin and amphotericin B. Conclusions: Caspofungin and amphotericin B should be recommended as an effective alternative for the management of oral Candida infections when treatment with topical or other systemic drugs has definitely failed. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental isolation, biochemical identification, and antifungal drug susceptibility of Cryptococcus species

Introduction The incidence of opportunistic fungal infections has increased in recent years and is considered an important public health problem. Among systemic and opportunistic mycoses, cryptococcosis is distinguished by its clinical importance due to the increased risk of infection in individuals infected by human immunodeficiency virus. Methods To determine the occurrence of pathogenic Cryptococcus in pigeon excrement in the City of Araraquara, samples were collected from nine environments, including state and municipal schools, abandoned buildings, parks, and a hospital. The isolates were identified using classical tests, and susceptibility testing for the antifungal drugs (fluconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B) independently was also performed. After collection, the excrement samples were plated on Niger agar and incubated at room temperature. Results A total of 87 bird dropping samples were collected, and 66.6% were positive for the genus Cryptococcus. The following species were identified: Cryptococcus neoformans (17.2%), Cryptococcus gattii (5.2%), Cryptococcus ater (3.5%), Cryptococcus laurentti (1.7%), and Cryptococcus luteolus (1.7%). A total of 70.7% of the isolates were not identified to the species level and are referred to as Cryptococcus spp. throughout the manuscript. Conclusions Although none of the isolates demonstrated resistance to antifungal drugs, the identification of infested areas, the proper control of birds, and the disinfection of these environments are essential for the epidemiological control of cryptococcosis.

DNA barcode of Parodontidae species from the La Plata river basin - applying new data to clarify taxonomic problems

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Molecular and parasitological detection of Leishmania spp. in a dipteran of the species Tabanus importunus

A leishmaniose é uma importante zoonose, de caráter crônico, causada por protozoários do gênero Leishmania spp. Esta protozoose tem como principal vetor os flebotomíneos, sendo que, no Brasil, o Lutzomyia longipalpis é a principal espécie incriminada na transmissão da leishmaniose Visceral Americana. A presença do ácido desoxirribonucleico (DNA) do parasito em ectoparasitos, como carrapatos e pulgas, tem gerado especulações quanto a existência de novos vetores no ciclo da leishmaniose. Foi objetivo deste estudo relatar a detecção molecular de Leishmania spp. em uma mutuca da espécie Tabanus importunus que parasitava um cão oligossintomático infectado por Leishmania spp. A análise molecular amplificou o DNA do protozoário na cabeça, na região torácica e no abdomen do tabanídeo, resultando como positivo para complexo Leishmania. Este é o primeiro relato da presença de DNA de Leishmania spp. em insetos dipteros da espécie T. importunus.

Leaf Morphological Plasticity of Tree Species from Two Developmental Stages in Araucaria Forest

This study compared the morphological and anatomical variations of the leaves of four shade-tolerant tree species Allophylus edulis (St.-Hil.) Radlk (Sapindaceae), Casearia sylvestris Sw. (Salicaceae), Cupania vernalis Cambess. (Sapindaceae) and Luehea divaricata Mart. (Malvaceae) from a fragment of Araucaria forest in two developmental stages. Morphological and anatomical traits, such as leaf and tissue thickness, leaf area, leaf dry mass, specific leaf area, leaf density and stomata density were measured from 30 leaves of each developmental stage. The phenotypic plasticity index was also calculated for each quantitative trait. The results showed that the four species presented higher mean values ​​for specific leaf area and spongy/palisade parenchyma ratio at young stage, and higher mean values ​​for stomata density, total and palisade parenchyma thickness in the adult stage. The plasticity index demonstrated that L. divricata presented highest plasticity for both the morphological and anatomical traits while A. edulis displayed the lowest plasticity index. The results of this study indicated that the leaves of these species exhibited distinct morphological traits at each stage of development to cope with acting environmental factors.

Fractionation of aquatic humic substances and dynamic of chromium species in an aquatic body influenced by sugarcane cultivation

This study had as main objectiveto evaluate the influence of AHS obtained from an area under sugarcane cultivation on the dynamics of chromium species (Cr(III) and Cr(VI)). Was studied complexing capacity (CC) with the AHS of chromium species and these were characterized using UV/Vis spectrophotometry, molecular fluorescence, elemental analysis and infrared. AHS with and without fractionation showed a greater aromaticity degree and a predominance of humic acids, and the E4/E6 and E2/E4 ratios suggested aromatic rings and a greater contribution from plants, which indicates lignin structures. The highest CCs were observed for the AHS fractionated, being fraction with molecular-size < 10 kDa and 10-30 kDa showed the highest ability to complex Cr(III) and Cr(VI) ions, respectively. These results are corroborating with C/H/N and UV/Vis data, where we can conclude that the AHS without fractionation had the greatest aromaticity and a predominance of humic acids in their structure.

Development of diagnostic methods and study of the immunoreactivity of a mixture of recombinant core and E2 proteins fused to GST with control serum positive for hepatitis C

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A revision of Leptogium species with spherical-celled hairs (section Mallotium p.p.)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Diversity of Staphylococcus species and prevalence of enterotoxin genes isolated from milk of healthy cows and cows with subclinical mastitis

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A Method to Estimate the Population Level of Aceria litchii (Prostigmata: Eriophyidae) and a Study of the Population Dynamics of This Species and Its Predators on Litchi Trees in Southern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Seed germination performances of Styrax species help understand their distribution in Cerrado areas in Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Forest destructuring as revealed by the temporal dynamics of fundamental species - Case study of Santa Genebra Forest in Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

On the identity of two species of Proctophyllodidae (Acari: Astigmata: Analgoidea) described by Herbert F. Berla in Brazil, with a description of Lamellodectes gen. nov and a new species

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Morphological aspects of the testes of 18 species of terrestrial of Heteroptera from Northwestern Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Helminth Fauna of Two Species of Physalaemus (Anura: Leiuperidae) from an Undisturbed Fragment of the Atlantic Rainforest, Southeastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)