SOIL ATTRIBUTES THREE YEARS AFTER MAKING RIDGES AND OR DRAINS FOR PLANTING GRAPEVINE ROOTSTOCK

RESUMO Os atributos do solo estão relacionados com o desenvolvimento e a produção das culturas, tanto anuais como perenes. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar os atributos químicos e físicos do solo três anos após a aplicação de sistemas de manejo para implantação de porta-enxertos de videira, em um Nitossolo Vermelho com textura muito argilosa. Os sistemas de manejo consistiram na confecção ou não de camalhões e/ou de drenos antes da implantação das mudas de porta-enxertos Dog Ridge. Os atributos químicos (pH em água e teores de matéria orgânica e de macronutrientes) foram determinados em amostras coletadas na linha da cultura, nas camadas de 0-0,1; 0,1-0,2; 0,2-0,3 e 0,3-0,4 m de profundidade. Os atributos físicos do solo (teor de argila, densidade, porosidade, resistência à penetração e estabilidade dos agregados) foram determinados em amostras coletadas com estrutura preservada nas camadas de 0,025-0,075; 0,125-0,175; 0,225-0,275 e 0,325-0,375 m de profundidade. Também foram determinadas a massa seca de raízes do portaenxerto nas camadas de 0-0,2 e 0,2-0,4 m de profundidade e suas correlações com os atributos do solo. A confecção de camalhões alterou significativamente a maioria dos atributos químicos do solo e proporcionou maior uniformidade nos valores em profundidade, criando condições mais favoráveis ao crescimento radicular nas camadas mais profundas. Os atributos físicos foram menos afetados do que os químicos pela confecção de camalhões ou drenos, e não foram observados valores restritivos ao crescimento radicular nas camadas amostradas após quatro anos da aplicação dos sistemas de manejo do solo. A confecção de drenos alterou menos os atributos químicos e físicos do solo do que a confecção de camalhões.

Plasmid composition and virulence-associated factors of Yersinia pestis isolates from a plague outbreak at the Paraíba State, Brazil

Pathogenic Yersinia pestis isolates were collected during a plague outbreak at the Paraiba State in 1986. The Y. pestis isolates were investigated for the presence of virulence-associated factors and plasmid content. All strains analysed were proficient in the expression of the VW and fraction 1 antigens, pigment adsorption and pesticin-fibronolysin-coagulase production. A similar plasmid profile composed by four plasmid with molecular weight of 60, 44, 14.9, and 6.4 Megadaltons (MD) was found in all strains. DNA cleavage with EcoRI restriction enzyme further demonstrated the uniform plasmid content of the Y. pestis isolates. Seven additional Y. pestis strains, previously isolated in the same region but in an endemic state, showed the same plasmid fingerprint. The lack of any detectable difference between epidemic and endemic isolates as well as the value of plasmid fingerprints in epidemiology of Y. pestis is discussed.

Importance of hand germ contamination in health-care workers as possible carriers of nosocomial infections

The importance of hands in the transmission of nosocomial infection has been world wide admitted. However, it is difficult to induce this behavior in health-care workers. The aim of the present work was to point out the importance of hand bacteria colonization, the influence of hand washing and of patient physical examination. One hundred health-care workers were randomly divided in two groups: Group A without hand washing previous to patient physical examination or handling (PPE); group B with hand washing previous to PPE. Direct fingerprint samples in Columbia agar before and after PPE were obtained. The colonies were counted and identified by conventional techniques, and antibiograms according to NCCLS were performed. Before PPE group A participants showed a high number of bacteria regarding group B participants (73.9 Vs 20.7; p < 0.001); 44 out of 50 participants were carriers of potentially pathogen bacteria. No group B participants were carriers of potential pathogen bacteria before PPE. The latter group showed an increase in number of bacteria after PPE (20.7 CFU (before) Vs 115.9 CFU (after); p < 0.001). Sixteen group B participants were contaminated after PPE with potential pathogens such as S. aureus (50% of them meticillin resistant); Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis, half of them multiresistant. We can conclude on the importance of these results to implement educational programs and to provide the health-care workers with the proper commodities to fulfill this practice.

Transpiration rates for several woody successional species and for a pasture in the upper Amazon basin in Venezuela

Evapotranspiration rates for a eight month old tropical pasture were estimated using the Penman-Monteith equation. Transpiration rates for several woody secondary successional species and stump sprous in the pasture and conucos (farm sites) were measured using the tritiated water technique.The stuty area was located near the village of San Carlos de Rio Negro (1° 56' N, 67° 03' W) in southern Venezuela, near the confluence of the Casiquiare and the Rio Guania wich forms the Rio Negro. The terrain was gently rolling with the areas between the small ridges supporting Amazon caatina forests on spodosols, and higher never flooded areas (tierra firma) supporting a mixed species forest.Results indicated that for a one month period, ET loss (0.46 cm/day) from the pasture, including soil and root mat evaporation, was about 0.43 cm/day less than estimated from the adjacent undisturbed forest (0.89 cm/day). Pan A evaporation for the same time period was 0.64 cm/day. Transpiration rates for seed established species were significantly less (0.38 cm/day) than for stump sprouts (1.09 cm/day) of the primary forest in the pasture.

A new species of Ibitermes (Isoptera, Termitidae) from the Atlantic forest, northeastern Brazil

The sterile castes of Ibitermes inflatus sp. nov. from Rio Tinto, State of Paraíba, Brazil are described and illustrated. This is the first record of a species of Ibitermes from the Brazilian northeast and from the Atlantic Forest biome. The absence of ridges in the molar plate of the left mandible and the presence of granules of sand and silt mixed with organic matter in advanced stage of decomposition in the digestive tube of workers suggest that the species is a typical humus feeding termite.

A new species of Melanophryniscus (Anura, Bufonidae) from Uruguay

A new species of bufonid toad of the genus Melanophryniscus from northern Uruguay is described. It is included in the M. moreirae group and its external morphology is similar to Melanophryniscus sanmartini. Melanophryniscus sp. nov. is distinguished by having a light brown dorsal coloration with six darker longitudinal glandular ridges on the dorsal surface of the body and the gular region uniformly black.

Four new species of Oswaldocruzia (Nematoda: Trichostrongylina, Molineoidea) Parasitizing amphibians and lizards from Ecuador

Description of four new species of Oswaldocruzia parasitizing Iguanidae and Leptodactylidae from Ecuador, demonstrate that they are morphologically close to each other. Like most of the other neotropical and holarctic Oswaldocruzia , they are characterized by spicules with three main branches: blade, shoe and fork; the division of the fork within the distal third of the spicule length appears to be characteristic of the neotropical species. - Oswaldocruzia bainae n. sp. parasitizing Anolis chrysolepis and Anolis fuscoauratus possesses a synlophe visible only on transversal sections of the body. It is composed of rounded and not pointed ridges. - Oswaldocruzia tcheprakovae n. sp. parasitizing Eleutherodactylus altamazonicus is closely related to O. bainae , but the synlophe is present only in the anterior and posterior extremities of the body. - Oswaldocruzia cassonei n. sp. parasitizing Eleutherodactylus lanthanites is closely related to O. taranchoni, Ben Slimane and Durette-Desset, 1995, a parasite of Bufo marinus from Brazil. It is differentiated by the synlophe and the measurements. - Oswaldocruzia petterae n. sp. parasitizing Leptodactylus pentadactylus is closely related to O. chambrieri, Ben Slimane and Durette-Desset, 1993, parasitizing Bufo and Eleutherodactylus in the same region. It is differentiated since, for an equivalent length of the body, the ridges are almost two times fewer and the spicules smaller.

Egg Structures of Anopheles fluminensis and Anopheles shannoni

Eggs of two species belonging to the Arribalzagia Series of the Laticorn Section of Anopheles (Anopheles) collected in Brazil are described from scanning electron micrographs. The An. fluminensis egg is long with shallow floats displaced far dorsally. The narrow deck region is overlain by a frill modified into prominent ridges that are nearly continuous to both ends of the egg. Slightly opened decks at both poles contain an average of four lobed tubercles. Polygonal, plastron-type chorionic cells cover the lateral and dorsal surfaces. The egg of An. shannoni is unique in possessing 22-27 fingerlike filaments that project with regular spacing from each of its massive floats. These filaments and their bases are highly perforated and are believed to trap air and support flotation of the egg with the dorsal surface up, contrary to the usual orientation for anophelines. The eggs are compared with those of related species bearing similar structures, notably An. fluminensis with An. mediopunctatus s.s and An. shannoni with An. peryassui

Paraorientatractis semiannulata n. g., n. sp. (Cosmocercoidea: Atractidae) from the Large Intestine of the SideNecked Turtle, Podocnemis unifilis Troschel, 1848 (Testudines: Pelomedusidae) in Brazil

Specimens collected from the large intestine of the sidenecked turtle Podocnemis unifilis Troschel, 1848 in the region of Cuminá and Trombetas rivers near Pará, Brazil are assigned to a new genus and new species of the nematode superfamily Cosmocercoidea and family Atractidae and named Paraorientatractis semiannulata. The new genus is separated from the nearest genus Orientatractis by the funnelshaped mouth opening, the presence of 4 distinct lips, 4 papillae in the internal cycle, one on each lip margin, 2 lateral amphids with large amphidial pores and absence of submedian papillae. It is also separated from Orientatractis and Proatractis by the presence of striated lateral alae which curve dorsally extending from mid oesophagus to mid tail, the difference in size of the vulvar opening and the presence of large transverse ridges or semiannules on the dorsal surface. The new species can be separated from the species of the genera Orientatractis and Proatractis by the characters that distinguish the genera and the arrangement of the caudal papillae on the male. A host/parasite list for Podocnemis spp. is included

Evaluation of DNA Recombinant Methodologies for the Diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum and their Comparison with the Microscopy Assay

Since 1984, DNA tests based on the highly repeated subtelomeric sequences of Plasmodium falciparum (rep 20) have been frequently used in malaria diagnosis. Rep 20 is very specific for this parasite, and is made of 21 bp units, organized in repeated blocks with direct and inverted orientation. Based in this particular organization, we selected a unique consensus oligonucleotide (pf-21) to drive a PCR reaction coupled to hybridization to non-radioactive labeled probes. The pf-21 unique oligo PCR (pf-21-I) assay produced DNA amplification fingerprints when was applied on purified P. falciparum DNA samples (Brazil and Colombia), as well as in patient's blood samples from a large area of Venezuela. The performance of the Pf-21-I assay was compared against Giemsa stained thick blood smears from samples collected at a malaria endemic area of the Bolívar State, Venezuela, at the field station of Malariología in Tumeremo. Coupled to non-radioactive hybridization the pf-21-I performed better than the traditional microscopic method with a r=1.7:1. In the case of mixed infections the r value of P. falciparum detection increased to 2.5:1. The increased diagnostic sensitivity of the test produced with this homologous oligonucleotide could provide an alternative to the epidemiological diagnosis of P. falciparum being currently used in Venezuela endemic areas, where low parasitemia levels and asymptomatic malaria are frequent. In addition, the DNA fingerprint could be tested in molecular population studies

Studies on Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pereirai Annereaux, 1946 (Nematoda: Camallanidae), with new host records and new morphological data on the larval stages

Larval stages and adults of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) pereirai Annereaux, 1946 are described from naturally infected Paralonchurus brasiliensis (Steindachner) (Sciaenidae) from the coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The translucent first-stage larvae have a denticulate process at the anterior end, no buccal capsule or esophagus undifferentiated into anterior muscular and posterior glandular parts and an elongate tail; third-stage larvae have a tail with three terminal projections, a buccal capsule divided into an anterior portion with 12-20 ridges running to the left and a posterior smooth portion, and an esophagus with muscular and glandular regions. Fourth-stage larvae exhibit a buccal capsule lacking a distinct basal ring with ridges running to the right and a tail with two terminal processes, as in adults. New host records are reported and their role in its life-cycle are discussed.

Minicircle kDNA microheterogeneity in Endotrypanum indicate diversity within this genus

A comparison of kDNA restriction-endonuclease fragment patterns from strains representing selected Endotrypanum zymodemes was done by schizodeme analysis. As the degree of heterogeneity within mini-circles varied among species or strains of Endotrypanum, the fingerprint obtained with each of the restriction enzymes was unique for each of these parasites. The data have revealed that this trypanosomatid genus is much more complex than it was originally thought to be.

Multiple isolates from Aids patients: aspects of an analysis by a genotypic marker and antimicrobial susceptibilities variations

Twenty-one Mycobacterium avium multisolates, from ten human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, were typed by restriction fragment length polymorphism using as marker the IS1245 and characterized by minimum inhibitory concentration for nine different antibiotics. Two out of four patients harboring multisolates with different fingerprint profile, were therefore considered as having a polyclonal infection, since their isolates were taken from sterile site. This result confirms that polyclonal infection caused by M. avium occurs with a nonnegligenciable frequency. Analyzing the multisolates susceptibility profile of each patient it was observed that most of them were infected with strains having appreciably different antimicrobial susceptibility patterns, no matter what the genotypic pattern of the strains was. These results have strong implication for the treatment of the patients.

Ootaxonomic investigation of five Lutzomyia species (Diptera, Psychodidae) from Venezuela

The eggshell fine structure of five sand fly species from Venezuela belonging to the genus Lutzomyia (L. migonei, L. ovallesi, L. absonodonta, L. gomezi and L. panamensis) was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The chorionic sculpturing of L. migonei, L. ovallesi, L. absonodonta and L. gomezi was characterized by series of columns arranged in palisade to form sinuous ridges. In inter-ridge areas, the basal layer was covered with fibrous material. The outer chorion of L. panamensis had a pattern known as "mountain- or volcano-like". The morphology of the posterior pole and aeropyle had a common structure in the five species, with some species-specific characters. The eggshell features of the five species are compared with those of other phlebotomine sand flies.

Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the tegument of Paranaella luquei Kohn, Baptista-Farias & Cohen, 2000 (Microcotylidae, Monogenea), parasite of a Brazilian catfish, Hypostomus regani

The surface topography and ultrastructure of the tegument of Paranaella luquei Kohn, Baptista-Farias & Cohen, 2000, a microcotylid monogenean parasite from the gills of Hypostomus regani (Ihering, 1905) (Loricariidae) was studied by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). By SEM, it was observed that the tegument presents transversal ridges, forming folds in the ventral and dorsal surfaces and microvillous-like tegumental projections in the anterior and median regions of body. These projections were also observed by TEM. The tegument is made up of a syncytium delimited by apical and basal plasma membranes, containing inclusion bodies and mitochondria, connected to the nucleated region by means of cytoplasmatic processes. The tegumental cells present a well developed nucleus and cytoplasm containing inclusion bodies, similar to those found on the external layer, mitochondria, rough endoplasmatic reticulum and free ribossomes.