The identification and differentiation of the Candida parapsilosis complex species by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the internal transcribed spacer region of the rDNA

Currently, it is accepted that there are three species that were formerly grouped under Candida parapsilosis: C. para- psilosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsilosis, andCandida metapsilosis. In fact, the antifungal susceptibility profiles and distinct virulence attributes demonstrate the differences in these nosocomial pathogens. An accurate, fast, and economical identification of fungal species has been the main goal in mycology. In the present study, we searched sequences that were available in the GenBank database in order to identify the complete sequence for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1-5.8S-ITS2 region, which is comprised of the forward and reverse primers ITS1 and ITS4. Subsequently, an in silico polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was performed to differentiate the C. parapsilosis complex species. Ninety-eight clinical isolates from patients with fungaemia were submitted for analysis, where 59 isolates were identified as C. parapsilosis sensu stricto, 37 were identified as C. orthopsilosis, and two were identified as C. metapsilosis. PCR-RFLP quickly and accurately identified C. parapsilosis complex species, making this method an alternative and routine identification system for use in clinical mycology laboratories.

Microbial contamination of procedure gloves after opening the container and during exposure in the environment

The objective of this study was to quantify the colony forming units (cfu) on latex procedure gloves in the beginning, middle, and end of the containers in real (professional) and controlled (researcher) gloving situations; evaluate the microbial load of the gloves, considering the time of exposure in the environment. This comparative prospective study was conducted at an intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. The microbiological data was collected from the gloves using digital-pressure. Microbiological evaluations were performed on 186 pairs of gloves: 93 in the control group and 93 in real gloving situations. In the control group, the average cfu was 4.7 against 6.2 in the real gloving situation. Hence, no statistically significant difference was found (p=.601). In addition, the cfu values of gloves in the beginning, middle and end of the containers also did not show any significant differences (p>.05). The most common strain was Staphylococcus spp. The time of exposure in the environment did not increase the cfu value of the latex gloves.

Ankle-Brachial Index: Nurses Strategy To Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Identification

Elevated risk of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events is associated with high prevalence of peripheral arterial disease, with assessment through the ankle-brachial index (ABI). This study aimed to demonstrate that the ABI and the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire are tools to be used by nurses in prevention and/or treatment of CVD (cardiovascular disease). A cross-sectional study was carried out with patients from a cardiovascular clinic. The Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire was applied and the ABI was measured with the formula (ABI= Blood Pressure Ankle/Blood Pressure Brachial). A total of 115 patients were included, most were females (57.4%), aged 60.6 ± 12.5 years. The most prevalent risk factors were hypertension (64.3%), physical inactivity (48.7%) and family history (58.3%). The study showed that abnormal ABI was frequently found and 42.6% of the patients with abnormal ABI showed intermittent claudication. The method to evaluate the ABI associated to the Edinburg Claudication Questionnaire, can be easily used by nurses in the clinical evaluation of asymptomatic and symptomatic CVD patients.

Identification of care needs of patients with and without the use of a classification instrument

Objective: To analyze the agreement and disagreement between the assessments by applying or not a patient classification instrument, and to investigate the association between the agreement and personal and professional characteristics of the evaluators. Method: This is a descriptive exploratory study. 105 patients were hospitalized in a teaching hospital in the state of Sao Paulo, using the kappa statistic (weighted) and the Bootstrap method. Results: The agreement between the assessments were​​: kw 0.87 (instrument x internal evaluator), kw 0.78 (instrument x external evaluator) and kw 0.76 (between evaluators) and the influence of some personal and professional characteristics. The assessments conducted through the use of an instrument contemplated a greater number of areas of care in relation to when the instrument was not applied. Conclusion: The use of this instrument is recommended in order to more effectively identify care needs of patients.




Descriptions of new species with a key to identification of the genus Neodexiopsis Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae) in Brazil

Nine new species of Neodexiopsis Malloch from Paraná, southern Brazil, are described: Neodexiopsis cinerea sp. nov. and N. paranaensis sp. nov. from Ponta Grossa; N. facilis sp. nov., N. legitima sp. nov., N. similis sp. nov. and N. uber sp. nov. from Guarapuava; N. erecta sp. nov., N. pura sp. nov. and N. rara sp. nov. from Colombo. A key to the identification of the Brazilian species of Neodexiopsis is also presented.

Taxonomy and morphology of Apsil Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae, Coenosiinae, Coenosiini) with new records, description of a new species and a key to identification

Taxonomy and morphology of Apsil Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae, Coenosiinae, Coenosiini) with new records, description of a new species and a key to identification. Apsil Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae, Coenosiinae, Coenosiini) includes 10 species, most of them described from Chile, but some also from Argentina. Five of them and one new species were found at the California Academy of Sciences collection (San Francisco, California) during the course of a project developed in that institution. Almost all material studied was collected in Chile, mainly by M. E. Irwin, during the year of 1966. Brief diagnosis of the known studied species (A. apicata Malloch, A. atripes Malloch, A. dilata Malloch, A. maculiventris Malloch (female described for the first time) and A. spatulata, Malloch), the description of A. mallochi, sp. nov. and a key for the identification of all known species are given. Color illustrations of some morphological characters make easier the recognition of the species. New geographic records were assigned.

Pictorial identification key for species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of potential forensic importance in southern Brazil

Pictorial identification key for species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) of potential forensic importance in southern Brazil. Species of the subfamily Sarcophaginae are important to forensic entomology due to their necrophagous habits. This contribution presents a pictorial key for the identification of 22 Sarcophaginae species in 10 genera that are commonly found in southern Brazil. Photographs of the main structures used in species identification, mainly from the male terminalia, are provided.

Identification of sap-feeder instars in Angelabella tecomae Vargas & Parra (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) feeding on Tecoma fulva fulva (Bignoniaceae)

The number of sap-feeding instars of the leaf-miner Angelabella tecomae Vargas & Parra, 2005 was determined by measuring the head capsule exuviae collected from mines (n = 125) on the shrub Tecoma fulva fulva D. Don (Bignoniaceae) in the Azapa Valley, northern Chile. Sap-feeding larvae went through four instars in 120 occasions while five larvae went through five instars. The possible causes for this variation and the usefulness of this tool for future studies are discussed.

White grubs (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae) in the "Planalto Region", Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil: Key for identification, species richness and distribution

White grubs (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae) in the "Planalto Region", Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil: Key for identification, species richness and distribution. The objective of this study was to survey the occurrence and geographic distribution of white grub species (Coleoptera, Melolonthidae) in cultivated and non-cultivated fields of the "Planalto Region", Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil and develop a key at genus-level. Twenty-eight species from 15 genera and three subfamilies were recorded: Dynastinae, Melolonthinae and Rutelinae. The species or genera recorded for the first time in the state are: Cyclocephala metrica, C. tucumana, Isonychus albicinctus, Liogenys bidenticeps, L. fusca, L. obesa and L. sinuaticeps, Paranomala violacea, as well as unidentified species of Amononyx, Dicrania, Leucothyreus, Macrodactylus, Plectris and Rhizogeniates. Among the species recorded, 23 were associated with winter crops. Only Cyclocephala metrica, Dyscinetus rugifrons, two species of Leucothyreus and one species of the tribe Sericini were not present in cultivated crop fields. Cyclocephala flavipennis and Diloboderus abderus occurred in most of the municipalities sampled, often associated with Plectris sp., C. modesta and C. putrida. The highest richness of melolonthids was concentrated in the northeast of the Planalto region.

Prey identification in nests of the potter wasp Hypodynerus andeus (Packard) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) using DNA barcodes

Prey identification in nests of the potter wasp Hypodynerus andeus (Packard) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) using DNA barcodes. Geometrid larvae are the only prey known for larvae of the Neotropical potter wasp Hypodynerus andeus (Packard, 1869) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Eumeninae) in the coastal valleys of the northern Chilean Atacama Desert. A fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 was amplified from geometrid larvae collected from cells of H. andeus in the Azapa Valley, Arica Province, and used to provide taxonomic identifications. Two species, Iridopsis hausmanni Vargas, 2007 and Macaria mirthae Vargas, Parra & Hausmann, 2005 were identified, while three others could be identified only at higher taxonomic levels, because the barcode reference library of geometrid moths is still incomplete for northern Chile.

Comparative morphology and identification key for females of nine Sarcophagidae species (Diptera) with forensic importance in Southern Brazil

ABSTRACTThe identification of female flesh flies was always considered a difficult task since morphological descriptions and keys for females are rare. Even in a forensic entomology framework, where females play a major role, female flesh flies are usually not identified. In order to fill this gap in Southern Brazil fauna we provide detailed descriptions and key for the female of nine species included in four genera: Microcerella halli (Engel), Oxysarcodexia paulistanensis (Mattos), Oxysarcodexia riograndensis (Lopes), Peckia (Euboettcheria) australis (Townsend), Peckia(Euboettcheria) florencioi (Prado and Fonseca), Peckia (Pattonella) intermutans (Walker), Peckia(Pattonella) resona (Lopes), Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann), and Sarcophaga(Bercaea) africa (Wiedemann). These species are distinguished mainly by genital characters as tergite 6 divided or undivided, presence of tergite 8, spermatheca morphology and vaginal plate shape.

Nitrogen fractions in the microbial biomass in soils of southern Brazil

The reaction of nitrogen compounds with ninhydrin can be used as an indicator of cytoplasmic materials released from microbial cells killed by fumigation. Total-N, ninhydrin-reactive-N (NR-N), ammonium-N (A-N), and α-amino-N in the microbial biomass of soils from the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, were determined, in 1996, in 0.5 mol L-1 K2SO4 extracts of fumigated and non-fumigated soils. Total-N varied from 20.3 to 104.4 mg kg-1 and the ninhydrin-reactive-N corresponded, in average, to 27% of this. The ninhydrin-reactive-N was made up of 67% ammonium-N and 33% aminoacids with the amino group at the α-carbon position. It was concluded that colorimetric analysis of NR-N and A-N may be used as a direct measure of microbial N in soil. This simple and rapid procedure is adequate for routine analyses.

Biomassa microbiana e produção de C-CO2 e N mineral de um podzólico vermelho-escuro submetido a diferentes sistemas de manejo: Microbial biomass and C-CO2 and mineral nitrogen production in paleudult soil cultivated under different management systems

Os sistemas de manejo, com diferenças no revolvimento do solo e na composição dos resíduos vegetais, alteram as propriedades biológicas do solo, com reflexos na qualidade do solo e na produtividade das culturas. Com vistas em medir estas alterações nas propriedades biológicas do solo, a biomassa e a atividade microbiana foram avaliadas em um Podzólico Vermelho-Escuro, em Eldorado do Sul (RS), utilizando diferentes preparos (convencional, reduzido e plantio direto) e dois sistemas de sucessões de culturas (aveia preta + vica/milho + caupi e aveia/milho). As avaliações foram realizadas em quatro épocas, durante 12 meses, e em duas profundidades (0-5 e 5-15 cm). O carbono da biomassa microbiana foi analisado pelo método de fumigação-incubação, e a atividade microbiana, pela produção de C-CO2 e N mineral, após 60 dias de incubação. As diferenças na biomassa e na atividade microbiana, entre os sistemas de manejo, foram mais pronunciadas na camada de 0-5 cm. Nesta camada de solo, observaram-se os maiores valores de biomassa e de atividade nos preparos conservacionistas e no sistema aveia + vica/milho + caupi. Dentre as variáveis estudadas, a mineralização de N mostrou-se a mais sensível aos manejos, à profundidade e à época de amostragem.

Microbial alterations of the soil influenced by induced compaction

Compaction is one of the most destructive factors of soil quality, however the effects on the microbial community and enzyme activity have not been investigated in detail so far. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil compaction caused by the traffic of agricultural machines on the soil microbial community and its enzyme activity. Six compaction levels were induced by tractors with different weights driving over a Eutrustox soil and the final density was measured. Soil samples were collected after corn from the layers 0-0.10 and 0.10-0.20 m. The compaction effect on all studied properties was evident. Total bacteria counts were reduced significantly (by 22-30 %) and by 38-41 % of nitrifying bacteria in the soil with highest bulk density compared to the control. On the other hand, fungi populations increased 55-86 % and denitrifying bacteria 49-53 %. Dehydrogenase activity decreased 20-34 %, urease 44-46 % and phosphatase 26-28 %. The organic matter content and soil pH decreased more in the 0-0.10 than in the 0.10-0.20 m layer and possibly influenced the reduction of the microbial counts, except denitrifying bacteria, and all enzyme activities, except urease. Results indicated that soil compaction influences the community of aerobic microorganisms and their activity. This effect can alter nutrient cycling and reduce crop yields.

Microbial and enzymatic activity in soil after organic composting

Microbial activity and biochemical properties are important indicators of the impact of organic composting on soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate some indicators of soil microbial and biochemical processes after application of compost (household waste). A Typic Acrustox, sampled at a depth of 10 cm under Cerrado biome vegetation, was evaluated in three treatments: control (soil without organic compost amendment) and soil with two doses of domestic organic compost (10 and 20 g kg-1 soil). The following properties were evaluated: released C (C-CO2): microbial respiration 15 days after incubation; microbial biomass C (MBC); total glucose (TG); metabolic quotient (qCO2); and enzyme activity of β-glucosidase and acid and alkaline phosphatase. The application of household compost, at doses of 10 and 20 g kg-1 Typic Acrustox, resulted in significant gains in microbial activity, organic C and C stock, as evidenced by increased MBC and TG levels. On the other hand, qCO2 decreases indicated greater microbial diversity and more efficient energy use. The addition of compost, particularly the 20 g kg-1 dose, strongly influenced the enzyme β-glucosidase and phosphatase (acid and alkaline). The β-glucosidase activity was significantly increased and acid phosphatase activity increased more than the alkaline. The ratio of β-glucosidase to MBC was greater in the control than in the composted treatments which suggests that there were more enzymes in the control than in the substrate or that the addition of compost induced a great MBC increase.