Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolates in milk and the milking environment from small-scale dairy farms of São Paulo, Brazil, using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

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

Short Report: Vaccinia Virus in Humans and Cattle in Southwest Region of São Paulo State, Brazil

A new outbreak of Vaccinia virus was observed in Southwest region of São Paulo State. Brazil. The disease was observed in four small dairy farms with manual milking. Lesions were detected in cattle and in humans previously vaccinated and not vaccinated against smallpox. Although several reports of Vaccinia virus outbreaks have been occuring in Brazil, it was not yet reported in this region. This Outbreak reinforces the Viral circulation in Our country. The disease in persons previously vaccinated and not vaccinated against smallpox reinforces the absence of immunity, the risk to the human health, and the need for more epidemiologic and immunologic studies.

Molecular and parasitological survey of Hepatozoon canis (Apicomplexa : Hepatozoidae) in dogs from rural area of São Paulo state, Brazil

Hepatozoon canis is a protozoan that infects dogs and is transmitted by the ingestion of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Two distinct species of Hepatozoon genus can infect dogs, H. canis and H. americanum. Routine tests to detect the disease are based on direct examination of gametocytes on Giemsa-stained blood smears. The objectives of this study were the investigation of infection prevalence in rural area dogs, the comparison of diagnostics by blood smear examination and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the association of infection with tick infestation. Blood smears, collected by puncture of the cephalic vein and ear margin capillary bed from 150 dogs, were examined. This technique detected 17 positive animals (11.3%), with 14 (9.3%) in peripheral blood and seven (4.7%) in cephalic vein blood. PCR tests detected 80 (53.3%) positive animals. R. sanguineus and Amblyomma spp. were found in 36 of the dogs (24%), in equal proportions. The identified species for Amblyomma genus were A. cajennense and A. ovale. Data analysis showed that PCR was much more sensitive when compared to blood smear examination. Hepatozoon species was previously identified as closely related to H. canis.

Homogeneity assessment of a station climate series (1933-2005) in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo: instruments change and urbanization effects

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Infection by Austrodiplostomum compactum metacercariae in fish from the Nova Avanhandava reservoir, Tiete river, São Paulo State, Brazil.

This study aimed to evaluate the infection by the Austrodiplostomum compactum metacercariae in fishes from the Nova Avanhandava Reservoir, low Tiete river, São Paulo State, Brazil. The parasites were collected from eye (aqueous and vitreous humor), fixed in AFA solution and stained with carmine. The morphometric analysis was performed using a computerized system for analysis of images QWin Lite 2.5 (Leica). Prevalence, mean intensity of infection and abundance of infected fish were calculated. of the 22 species of fish registered, five were infected by metacercariae: Hoplias malabaricus, Metynnis maculatus, Plagioscion squamosissimus, Satanoperca pappaterra and Schizodon imparts. of the 627 fish evaluated, 34% were infected. A higher prevalence was observed in P. sqnamosissionis and S. pappaterra. Schizodon nasutus and M. maculatus are new hosts reported for A. compactum metacercariae.

Spatial reorganization in the centre of greater São Paulo

To delimit and sectorize the region's complex space presents a method based on 4 variables (land values, building-height, resident population, and land occupance).-Author

Paracoccidioidomycosis in the region of Botucatu (state of São Paulo, Brazil). Evaluation of serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels and of the response to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH)

T4, T3 and TSH serum levels were measured in 25 patients with paracoccidioidomycosis. Thyroid T3 reserves were measured on the basis of the increase in T3 (ΔT3) 2 h after intravenous injection of 200 μg TRH, and pituitary TSH reserves were measured on the basis of TSH increase (ΔTSH) 20 min after the same injection. Twenty healthy volunteers with no history of thyroid disease were used as controls. When the two groups were compared, the following results were obtained: (a) there was no significant difference in mean T4, T3, ΔTSH between groups; (b) reduced T3 levels were detected more frequently in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis, especially among those with the acute form of the disease or with the severely disseminated chronic form. The results suggest the occurrence of a reduction in peripheral conversion of T4 to T3, but do not indicate the occurrence of hypothyroidism in any of its forms (thyroid, pituitary or hypothalamic). © 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Sedimentation rates of tripton in Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil)

Sedimentation rates of particulate material and some physicochemical parameters of water were determined in October, January, April and July 1990-91 at seven stations in the Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil), three located in the Paranapanema arm, three in the Taquari arm and one near the dam. Higher sedimentation rates of tripton were found in the Paranapanema arm, followed by those from the Taquari arm and the dam. Suspended matter (2.5-48.7 mg · 1-1) and chlorophyll-a (0.7-8.1 mg · m-3) concentrations in the Paranapanema arm were in general higher resulting in lower water transparency (0.3-1.7m) than in the Taquari arm. Temporal and spatial variations in the tripton sedimentation rates were mainly influenced by allochthonous input at the stations near the river mouth. The settling fluxes at station near the dam of the reservoir were affected rather by a small autochthonous production (65 g C ass m-2 ;yr-1), indicated by a higher organic content (64-87%). Therefore, sedimentation rates measured by bottom traps were affected by sediment ressuspension especially at isothermal conditions. With respect to sedimentation, the riverine, the transition and the lacustrine zones commonly found in reservoires could be distinguished. The extent of the riverine zone in each arm of the Jurumirim Reservoir depends on the seasonal change of allochthonous input.

Geothermal investigations in an area of induced seismic activity, northern São Paulo State, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Distribution of stream macroalgae in the eastern Atlantic Rainforest of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil

Fifty-two stream segments were sampled from 16 August to 13 September in 1993 in the eastern Atlantic Rainforest of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil (22°55′-25°00′S, 44°48′-48°03′W). Forty-two macroalgal subgeneric taxa were found and the most widespread species were Audouinella pygmaea (21% of sites), Compsopogon leptoclados and Microcoleus subtorulosus (19%). Macroalgal species number per sampling site ranged from 0 to six (2.6 ± 1.7) and was positively correlated to species abundance, whereas species cover ranged from 0 to 70% of the stream bed (15.5 ± 20.8%). No significant correlation was found among macroalgal species number and abundance with any physical or chemical variable analyzed. Most sites were dominated by one or few macroalgal species, mainly, Audouinella macrospora, C. leptoclados and M. subtorulosus. No significant difference was found between the frequency distribution of variables measured for streams and for total macroalgae but the most widespread species (A. pygmaea) differed significantly for current velocity, specific conductance, turbidity and pH. Overall means for macroalgal occurrence include the following values: temperature (X̄ = 19.9°C), current velocity (X̄ = 45 cm s-1), oxygen saturation (X̄ = 66%), specific conductance (X̄ = 59.6 μS cm-1), turbidity (X̄ = 5 NTU) and pH (X̄ = 7.1). This pattern of patchy distribution and dominance by few species has been suggested as typical of stream macroalgal communities and has been ascribed to the rapid fluctuation of physical and chemical conditions. Total macroalgal species richness as well as mean species number per sampling site were considerably lower than found in similar studies of other regions. The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis was applied to explain these results: the same factor (high precipitation) responsible for the maintainance of the high species diversity in the surrounding forest can be, paradoxically, a constraint to the development of a more diverse macroalgal flora in streams. © 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Microhabitat and plant structure of Batrachospermum (Batrachospermales, Rhodophyta) populations in four streams of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil

Microhabitat and plant structure of seven Batrachospermum populations (four of Batrachospermum delicatulum (= Sirodotia delicatula), one of Batrachospermum macrosporum and two of the 'Chantransia' stage), including the influence of physical variables (current velocity, depth, irradiance and substratum), were investigated in four streams of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. The populations of B. delicatulum and the 'Chantransia' stage occurred under very diverse microhabitat conditions, which probably contributes to their wide spatial and seasonal distribution in Brazilian streams. Results suggest branch reconfiguration as a probable mechanism of adaptation to current velocity based on the occurrence of: (i) B. macrosporum (a large mucilaginous form with presumably little ability for branch reconfiguration) under lower current velocity than B. delicatulum; (ii) only dense plants in populations with high current velocities (> 60 cm s-1), whereas 53-77% of dense plants were seen in populations exposed to lower currents (< 40 cm s-1); (iii) positive correlations of plant length with internode length in populations under low current velocities and negative correlation in a population with high velocity (132 cm s-1); and (iv) negative correlations of current velocity with plant diameter and internode length in a population under high flow. This study, involving mainly dioecious populations, revealed that B. delicatulum displayed higher fertilization rates than B. macrosporum. A complementary explanation for a dioecious species to increase fertilization success was proposed consisting of outcrossing among intermingled male and female adjacent plants within an algal spot.

Temporal variation in C, N and P of the periphyton on the tropical aquatic macrophyte echinochloa polystachya (H.B.K.) hitch. In Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil)

The temporal variations in C, N and P concentrations of the periphyton on the natural substratum (Echinochloa polystachya) and its relationships to the water's climatological (air temperature and precipitation), hydrodynamic (water discharge and water level), physical (temperature, transparency) and chemical variables (conductivity, total suspended solids, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, silica, total phosphorus and orthophosphate) were evaluated in a lagoon at the Paranapanema River mouth into the Jurumirim Reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil) from August 1993 to July 1994. An amplitude variation of 2.0 m in water level was observed. Depending on to the hydrologic conditions, the lagoon presents intermediate conditions of lentic and lotic environments. The amplitude variations in C, N and P were 14.5-52.1% C DW-1, 0.5-3.2% N DW-1, and 0.03-0.4% P DW-1, respectively. The periphyton presented a decreased protein content. The environmental trophic degree appears to be decisive in chemical periphyton composition.

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the Jurumirim Reservoir, São Paulo, Brazil

Jurumirim is a large tropical reservoir with remarkable spatial gradients. This structure seems to be determined by a longitudinal gradient in the trophic conditions along the main axis of the reservoir. Nutrient-rich waters enter from the main tributary river, Paranapanema, and towards the dam there is a lacustrine zone that is deeper and more oligotrophic. Additional variability is derived from two important lateral components: the entrance of the Taquari River, the second largest tributary, bringing waters with higher pH and alkalinity; and the Ribeirão das Posses arm, a sheltered bay where the hydrodynamic conditions promote a high growth of phytoplankton. However, such a spatial pattern is not static. It can become either more defined, during the dry season (late autumn and winter), or less evident, during the expansion of the lotic conditions in the rainy period (late spring and summer). Seasonal processes of stratification/destratification determine the temporal changes in the lacustrine zone but, unlike the upstream regions, the dam zone of the reservoir seems to be little affected by periodic pulses of modifications produced by intensive rains. The presence of extensive wetlands and oxbow lagoons in the mouth zones of the main rivers also constitutes an important source of spatial variability and should be considered in the future.

Periphyton on natural substratum in jurumirim reservoir (São Paulo, Brazil): Community biomass and primary productivity

Seasonal variation in the biomass and primary productivity of the periphyton on natural substratum (internodes of Echiiwchloa polystaclya HBK Hitch.) was studied during one year (from August 1993 to July 1994) in a lagoon with permanent connection with a river. We also analysed the relationships between the hydrological regime, climatic conditions and physico-chemical variables of water with the biological compounds of the periphyton. Values of dry mass, ash-free dry mass, chlorophyll a and phaeophytin of periphyton ranged from 0.55±0.24 g m-2 to 7.86±4.93 g m-2; 0.28±0.18 g m-2 to 3.72±2.23 g m-2; 0.57±0.09 mg m-2 to 15.57±4.52 mg m-2; 0.03±0.03 mg m-2 to 4.74±3.46 mg m-2, respectively. The primary productivity of periphytic algae measured by C14 method ranged from 6.45±1.29 mg C m-2 h-1 to 52.88± 7.55 mg C m-2 h-1. The biomass showed a peak in October 1993, February and April 1994. Higher value of primary productivity was recorded in December 1993 and January 1994 and was due to the peculiar light and nutrition conditions during this period. We conclude that biomass and productivity of the community are controlled mainly by hydrological regime (fluctuations of water level). © INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS.