Available content, surface runoff and leaching of phosphorus forms in a typic hapludalf treated with organic and mineral nutrient sources

The application of animal manure to soil can increase phosphorus availability to plants and enhance transfer of the nutrient solution drained from the soil surface or leached into the soil profile. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of successive applications of organic and mineral nutrient sources on the available content, surface runoff and leaching of P forms in a Typic Hapludalf in no-tillage systems. Experiment 1 was set up in 2004 in the experimental area of UFSM, in Santa Maria (RS, Brazil). The treatments consisted of: control (without nutrient application) and application of pig slurry (PS), pig deep-litter (PL), cattle slurry (CS), and mineral fertilizers (NPK). The rates were determined to meet the N crop requirements of no-tillage black oat and maize, grown in the 2010/2011 growing season. The soil solution was collected after each event (rain + runoff or leaching) and the soluble, particulate and total P contents were measured. In November 2008, soil was collected in 2 cm intervals to a depth of 20 cm, in 5 cm intervals to a depth of 40 cm, and in 10 cm intervals to a depth of 70 cm. The soil was dried and ground, and P determined after extraction by anion exchange resin (AER). In experiment 2, samples collected from the Typic Hapludalf near experiment 1 were incubated for 20, 35, 58, 73 and 123 days after applying the following treatments: soil, soil + PS, soil + PL, soil + CS and soil + NPK. Thereafter, the soil was sampled and P was analyzed by AER. The applications of nutrient sources over the years led to an increase in available P and its migration in the soil profile. This led to P transfer via surface runoff and leaching, with the largest transfer being observed in PS and PL treatments, in which most P was applied. The soil available P and P transfer via surface runoff were correlated with the amounts applied, regardless of the P source. However, P transfer by leaching was not correlated with the applied nutrient amount, but rather with the solution amount leached in the soil profile.

Crop response to organic fertilization with supplementary mineral nitrogen

Animal manure is applied to the soil as a nutrient source, especially of nitrogen, to plants. However, manure application rates can be reduced with the use of N fertilizer in topdressing. The aim of this study was to evaluate crop responses to different application rates of animal manure sources, used alone and supplemented with mineral N topdressing, in a no-tillage system. The study was carried out from 2005 to 2008 on a Hapludalf soil. The treatments consisted of rates of 10, 20 and 30 m³ ha-1 of pig slurry (PS), and of 1 and 2 t ha-1 of turkey manure (TM), applied alone and supplemented with topdressed N fertilizer (TNF), as well as two controls, mineral fertilization (NPK) and one control without fertilizer application. Grain yield in common bean and maize, and dry matter yield and nutrient accumulation in common bean, maize and black oat crops were evaluated. Nitrogen application in topdressing in maize and common bean, especially when PS was used at rates of 20 and 30 m³ ha-1, and TM, at 2 t ha-1, proved effective in increasing the crop grain yields, showing the viability of the combined use of organic and industrialized mineral sources. Nitrogen accumulation in maize and common bean tissues was the indicator most strongly related to grain yield, in contrast with the apparent nutrient recovery, which was not related to the N, P and K quantities applied in the organic sources. No clear residual effect of N topdressing of maize and common bean was observed on the dry matter yield of black oat grown in succession to the main crops with PS and TM applications.

Microbiological and chemical attributes of a Hapludalf soil with swine manure fertilization

The objective of this work was to evaluate the microbiological and chemical attributes of a soil with a seven‑year history of urea and swine manure application. In the period from October 2008 to October 2009, soil samples were collected in the 0-10 cm layer and were subjected to the treatments: control, without application of urea or manure; and with the application of urea, pig slurry, and deep pig litter in two doses, in order to supply one or two times the recommended N doses for the maize (Zea mays)/black oat (Avena strigosa) crop succession. The carbon of the microbial biomass (MB‑C) and the basal respiration (C‑CO2) were analyzed, and the metabolic (qCO2) and microbial quotient (qmic) were calculated with the obtained data. Organic matter, pH in water, available P and K, and exchangeable Ca and Mg were also determined. The application of twice the dose of deep pig litter increases the MB‑C and C‑CO2 values. The qmic and qCO2 are little affected by the application of swine manure. The application of twice the dose of deep pig litter increases the values of pH in water and the contents of available P and of exchangeable Ca and Mg in the soil.

Ácidos orgânicos de baixa massa molar em solos e materiais orgânicos

Determination of organic acids in soils and organic materials is important due to the important role they play in improving the soil's physical, chemical and microbiological conditions. This study identified and quantified low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOA) in soils (dystroferric Red Latosol, dystrophic Red-Yellow Latosol and Quartzarenic Neosol) and organic materials (cow, pig, chicken, quail and horse manures, sawdust, coconut fiber, pine bark, coffee husks, biochar, organic substrate, sewage sludges 1 and 2, garbage compost, pig slurry compost). The following acids were identified: acetic, citric, D-malic, formic, fumaric, maleic, malonic, oxalic, quinic, shikimic, succinic and tartaric.

Effect of Cysticercus cellulosae fractions on the respiratory burst of pig neutrophils

Neutrophils, eosinophils and macrophages are cells that interact with invading parasites and naive hosts have been shown to have anti-parasitic activity. The initial reaction of these leukocytes is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to play in parasite expulsion. The present work was carried out to study the effect of total extract, scolex and membrane fractions from Cysticercus cellulosae on respiratory burst by pig neutrophils. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production by neutrophils incubated with metacestode fractions from C. cellulosae showed an increase of: 190% (total extract), 120% (scolex) and 44% (membrane). High antioxidant catalatic activity (33%, 28%, 28% by total extract, scolex and membrane, respectively) was observed in neutrophils incubated with metacestode fractions, which could be an attempt at self-protection. Scolex and membrane fractions increased the phagocytic capacity of neutrophils (44% and 28%, respectively). On the other hand, total cysticerci did not alter the phagocytosis, possibly due to modifications in membrane function, caused by high ROS production from neutrophils in the presence of total cysticerci. Total fraction from C. cellulosae is toxic for neutrophils as shown by the decrease in phagocytic capacity, probably caused by high levels of ROS formation. The difference in toxicity of total extract, scolex and membrane fractions on neutrophils can be explained by the presence of an antigenic effect of the vesicular fluid in the total extract of C. cellulosae.

Pig bite in Brazil: a case series from a teaching hospital

A retrospective survey done from 1987 till 1990 revealed that 23 patients bitten by pigs sought medical help at a teaching hospital in Uberlândia, in southeastern Brazil. Most cases (21) were from Uberlândia. The cases were evenly distributed by month and by year; most of them (14/16; 87.5%) occurred between 7. OOa.m. and 7.00 p. m. The male to female ratio was 6.7:1. Age ranged from 6 to 73 (mean 38.95 ± SD 22.06, median 36). The bites were more common on the upper limbs, particularly on the forearms. In 11(47.8%) cases the injury was described as deep. In most cases where information was available the injury was related to capture, transport or immobilisation ofthe pigfor slaughter. The following medical procedures were performed: local cleansing in 19(82.6%) cases, rabies vaccine (12; 52.2%), antirabies serum (2; 8.7%), suturing (6; 26.1%) and tetanus vaccine (12; 52.2%). There was no case of infection at the bite site, neither of rabies or tetanus. By our data, the annual incidence of pig bite in Uberlândia can be estimated to be about 1.5/100.000.

Effectiveness of silver nitrate compared to talc slurry as pleural sclerosing agent in rabbits. Influence of concomitant intrapleural lidocaine

The ideal agent for producing pleurodesis has not been identified. Talc, the most commonly used, poses several problems. Another possibility is silver nitrate, which was widely used in the past. PURPOSE: To determine the influence of the intrapleural instillation of lidocaine in producing a pleurodesis with silver nitrate, to define the effect of lidocaine in the maturation of the collagen fibers, and to confirm that the pleurodesis after silver nitrate is stronger than after talc. METHODS: We studied three groups of 8 rabbits. Two groups received 0.5% silver nitrate; in one we had previously injected 0.5 ml of 2% lidocaine. The third group received 400 mg/kg talc (2 ml). The animals were sacrificed 28 days after the injection, and the pleural spaces were assessed grossly for evidence of pleurodesis and microscopically for evidence of inflammation and fibrosis. The total amount of pleural collagen and the distribution of thick and thin collagen fibers were quantified. Collagen was identified using picrosirius red stain. RESULTS: In the two groups that received silver nitrate (without lidocaine: 3.5 + 03 and with lidocaine: 3.2 + 0.3), the macroscopic pleurodesis (scale 0 -- 4) was significantly (p = 0.001) better than that resulting from talc (1.6 + 0.2). The mean degree of pleural fibrosis induced by silver nitrate (3.5 + 0.2) was significantly (p = 0.004) higher than that induced by talc (1.9 + 0.1). The previous instillation of lidocaine resulted in a tendency for decreased amounts of fibrosis (3.1 + 0.4). The mean amount (10³mm²) of pleural collagen was significantly (p = 0.009) greater in the rabbits that received silver nitrate (116.9 + 22.7) than in those that received talc (10.7 + 3.4). The injection of lidocaine slightly reduced the collagen (80.1 + 30.3). The distribution of collagen fibers did not differ among the groups. CONCLUSION: This rabbit model clearly confirms that intrapleural silver nitrate is more effective than talc for producing pleurodesis. The previous intrapleural instillation of lidocaine results in a decreasing trend in the amount of collagen, but does not change the effectiveness of the pleural fusion or modify the process of collagen maturation.

Serological evidence of rotavirus infection in guinea pig colony

Antibodies reacting with simian rotavirus SAII were detected by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blot assay (WBA) in sera from guinea pigs bred for experimental use at the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The proportion of antibody-positive animals and the antibody titres rose sharply in 1985, were maintained at a high levels in 1986 and declined in 1987. There were no obvious signs of disease coinciding with serological evidence of infection. Results of WBA suggest that the virus involved belongs to subgroup 1 of group A rotaviruses.

A comparison of the inhibitory activity of selective PDE4 inhibitors on eosinophil recruitment in guinea pig skin

The elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP by phosphodiesterase (PDE)4 inhibitors in eosinophils is associated with inhibition of the activation and recruitment of these cells. We have previously shown that systemic treatment with the PDE4 inhibitor rolipram effectively inhibt eosinophil migration in guinea pig skin. In the present study we compare the oral potency and efficacy of the PDE4 inhibitors rolipram, RP 73401 and CDP 840 on allergic and PAF-induced eosinophil recruitment. Rolipram and RP 73401 were equally effective and potent when given by the oral route and much more active than the PDE4 inhibitor CDP 840. We suggest that this guinea pig model of allergic and mediator-induced eosinophil recruitment is both a sensitive and simple tool to test the efficacy and potency of PDE4 inhibitors in vivo.

A checklist of arthropods associated with pig carrion and human corpses in Southeastern Brazil

Necrophagous insects, mainly Diptera and Coleoptera, are attracted to specific stages of carcass decomposition, in a process of faunistic succession. They are very important in estimating the postmortem interval, the time interval between the death and the discovery of the body. In studies done with pig carcasses exposed to natural conditions in an urban forest (Santa Genebra Reservation), located in Campinas, State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, 4 out of 36 families of insects collected - Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae (Diptera) and Dermestidae (Coleoptera) - were considered of forensic importance, because several species were collected in large numbers both visiting and breeding in pig carcasses. Several species were also observed and collected on human corpses at the Institute of Legal Medicine. The species belonged to 17 different families, 6 being of forensic importance because they were reared from human corpses or pig carcasses: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Piophilidae (Diptera), Dermestidae, Silphidae and Cleridae (Coleoptera). The most important species were: Diptera - Chrysomya albiceps, Chrysomya putoria, Hemilucilia segmentaria, Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Calliphoridae), Pattonella intermutans (Sarcophagidae), Ophyra chalcogaster (Muscidae), Piophila casei (Piophilidae); Coleoptera - Dermestes maculatus (Dermestidae), Oxyletrum disciolle (Silphidae) and Necrobia rufipes (Cleridae).

Immunological tolerance to pig-serum partially inhibits the formation of septal fibrosis of the liver in Capillaria hepatica-infected rats

Systhematized septal fibrosis of the liver can be induced in rats either by repeated intraperitoneal injections of pig-serum or by Capillaria hepatica infection. The relationship between these two etiological factors, as far as hepatic fibrosis is concerned, is not known, and present investigation attempts to investigate it. C. hepatica-induced septal fibrosis of the liver was considerably inhibited in rats previously rendered tolerant to pig-serum. Pig-serum-tolerant rats developed antibodies against pig-serum when infected with C. hepatica, but this did not happen when the infection occurred in normal rats. On the other hand, anti-C. hepatica antibodies failed to recognize any epitope in pig-serum, by Western blot. However, no evidence of an immunological cross reactivity was found, at least at the humoral level. Alternatively, cell-mediated mechanisms may be involved, and further investigations are warranted.

Experimental infection with the Toxoplasma gondii ME-49 strain in the Brazilian BR-1 mini pig is a suitable animal model for human toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis, a worldwide disease. Experimentation with pigs is necessary for the development of new therapeutic approaches to human diseases. BR-1 mini pigs were intramuscularly infected with T. gondii with tachyzoites (RH strain) or orally infected with cysts (ME-49 strain). Haematology and serum biochemistry were analysed and buffy coat cells were inoculated in mice to determine tachyzoite circulation. No alterations were observed in erythrocyte and platelet values; however, band neutrophils increased seven days after infection with ME-49. Serology of the mice inoculated with pig blood leucocytes revealed circulating ME-49 or RH strain tachyzoites in the pigs' peripheral blood at two and seven or nine days post-infection. The tachyzoites were also directly observed in blood smears from the infected pigs outside and inside leucocytes for longer periods. Alanine-aminotransferase was high at days 21 and 32 in the RH infected pigs. After 90 days, the pigs were euthanised and their tissue samples were processed and inoculated into mice. The mice serology revealed the presence of parasites in the hearts, ileums and mesenteric lymph nodes of the pigs. Additionally, cysts in the mice were only observed after pig heart tissue inoculation. The infected pigs presented similar human outcomes with relatively low pathogenicity and the BR-1 mini pig model infected with ME-49 is suitable to monitor experimental toxoplasmosis.

Arthropods associated with pig carrion in two vegetation profiles of Cerrado in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Forensic Entomology research has been concentrated in only a few localities of the "Cerrado" vegetation, the Brazilian Savannah. The present study had, as its objective, an examination of the diversity of arthropod fauna associated with the carcasses of Sus scrofa (Linnaeus) in this biome. The study was conducted during the dry and humid periods in two Cerrado vegetation profiles of the State of Minas Gerais. The decaying process was slower and greater quantities of arthropods were collected during the dry period. Insects represented 99% of 161,116 arthropods collected. The majority of these were Diptera (80.2%) and Coleoptera (8.8%). The entomofauna belong to 85 families and at least 212 species. Diptera were represented by 31 families and at least 132 species. Sarcophagidae (Diptera) and Scarabaeidae (Coleoptera) were the richest groups. Oxysarcodexia (Sarcophagidae) presented the largest number of attracted species, however none of these species bred in the carcasses. The Coleoptera collected belong to at least 50 species of 21 families. Among these species, Dermestes maculatus and Necrobia rufipes were observed breeding in the carcasses. This study showed species with potential importance for estimating the postmortem interval (PMI), indicative of seasonal and environmental type located.