Climate changes influence in occupational exposure to fungi and mycotoxins

Climate changes and their effects on fungal distribution and activity are aspects of concern regarding the human exposure to mycotoxins. An exhaustive search was made for papers available in scientific databases reposrting the influence that climate cchange has on fungi and mycotoxins. Also a review regarding fungal burden, collected between 2010 and 2015 in different settings, was done to support the discussion about future fungi and mycotoxins ocuupational exposure. A. flavus complex, E. graminerarum complex and F. verticilliodes were the most reported to be influenced by climate changes. We noted also that the analyzed Portuguese settings presented already an occupational problem due to their fungal burden. It will be important to know future climate changes to select what complexes/species and strains, and consequently the mycotoxins, we should consider as indicators of an occupational problem. In addition, epidemiologic studies are needed to increase knowledge about potential health effects related with the exposure to both risk factors.

Colonization of Onions by Endophytic Fungi and Their Impacts on the Biology of Thrips tabaci

Endophytic fungi, which live within host plant tissues without causing any visible symptom of infection, are important mutualists that mediate plant-herbivore interactions. Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) is one of the key pests of onion, Allium cepa L., an economically important agricultural crop cultivated worldwide. However, information on endophyte colonization of onions, and their impacts on the biology of thrips feeding on them, is lacking. We tested the colonization of onion plants by selected fungal endophyte isolates using two inoculation methods. The effects of inoculated endophytes on T. tabaci infesting onion were also examined. Seven fungal endophytes used in our study were able to colonize onion plants either by the seed or seedling inoculation methods. Seed inoculation resulted in 1.47 times higher mean percentage post-inoculation recovery of all the endophytes tested as compared to seedling inoculation. Fewer thrips were observed on plants inoculated with Clonostachys rosea ICIPE 707, Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4, Trichoderma atroviride ICIPE 710, Trichoderma harzianum 709, Hypocrea lixii F3ST1 and Fusarium sp. ICIPE 712 isolates as compared to those inoculated with Fusarium sp. ICIPE 717 and the control treatments. Onion plants colonized by C. rosea ICIPE 707, T. asperellum M2RT4, T. atroviride ICIPE 710 and H. lixii F3ST1 had significantly lower feeding punctures as compared to the other treatments. Among the isolates tested, the lowest numbers of eggs were laid by T. tabaci on H. lixii F3ST1 and C. rosea ICIPE 707 inoculated plants. These results extend the knowledge on colonization of onions by fungal endophytes and their effects on Thrips tabaci.

Horse stable environment: what to expect regarding fungi and particles occupational exposure?

The simultaneous presence of fungi and particles in horse stable environment can create a singular exposure condition because particles have been reported has a good carrier for microorganisms and their metabolites. This study intends to characterize this setting and to recognize fungi and particles occupational exposure.

Comparison of indoor and outdoor fungi and particles in poultry units

A descriptive study was developed in order to compare indoor and outdoor air contamination caused by fungi and particles in seven poultry units. Twenty eight air samples of 25 litters were collected through the impaction method on malt extract agar. Air sampling and particles concentration measurement were done in the interior and also outside premises of the poultries’ pavilions. Regarding the fungal load in the air, indoor concentration of mold was higher than outside air in six poultry units. Twenty eight species / genera of fungi were identified indoor, being Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (40.5%) the most commonly isolated species and Rhizopus sp. (30.0%) the most commonly isolated genus. Concerning outdoor, eighteen species/genera of fungi were isolated, being Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (62.6%) also the most isolated. All the poultry farms analyzed presented indoor fungi different from the ones identified outdoors. Regarding particles’ contamination, PM2.5, PM5.0 and PM10 had a statistically significant difference (Mann-Whitney U test) between the inside and outside of the pavilions, with the inside more contaminated (p=.006; p=.005; p=.005, respectively). The analyzed poultry units are potential reservoirs of substantial amounts of fungi and particles and could therefore free them in the atmospheric air. The developed study showed that indoor air was more contaminated than outdoors, and this can result in emission of potentially pathogenic fungi and particles via aerosols from poultry units to the environment, which may post a considerable risk to public health and contribute to environmental pollution.

CIL II(2).5, 1280 – Dedication to Vespasian for the building and restoration of roads and bridges

Photograph and translation

Inoculação de bactérias diazotroficas e fungos micorrizico-arbusculares na cultura da mandioca

A versatilidade da mandioca (Manihot esculenta Crantz) em adaptar-se a solos de baixa fertilidade, apesar de possuir alto requerimento de nutrientes, tem sido relacionada à ocorrência de associações com os fungos micorrízico-arbusculares (FMA) e a bactérias diazotróficas. Visando avaliar o efeito da inoculação dos FMA e das bactérias diazotróficas, foi conduzido um experimento com plântulas micropropagadas em vasos de 3,5 litros de volume, com solo arenoso desinfestado como substrato. A inoculação das bactérias diazotróficas não apresentou efeito estimulatório, ao passo que inoculações dos FMA isoladamente e em conjunto com bactéria incrementaram todos os parâmetros de crescimento e nutricionais. A inoculação dos FMA, com a Bactéria E, aumentou a parte aérea e as raízes em até 50% e 105%, respectivamente, em relação à inoculação exclusiva com FMA. Efeitos sinergísticos também foram observados no acúmulo de N da parte aérea e das raízes com aumento de até 88% e 173% e no de fósforo em até 83% e 158%, respectivamente. A co-inoculação da Bactéria E com Glomus clarum também aumentou a colonização micorrízica em 40% e a esporulação em 168%, comparada à inoculação do fungo isolado. Estes efeitos benéficos podem ocorrer tanto pela maior absorção de nutrientes pela planta, como pelo estímulo na colonização dos fungos MA.

Ocorrência de micorrizas arbusculares e da bactéria diazotrofica Acetobacter diazotrophicus em cana-de-açúcar.

Foi avaliada a ocorrência e a distribuição de espécies de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares e A. diazotrophicus em plantios de cana-de-açúcar em diferentes tipos de manejo nos Estados do Rio de Janeiro e Pernambuco. Foram feitas 35 coletas de amostras de solo da rizosfera e de raízes de 14 variedades de cana-de-açúcar para extração de esporos e isolamento da bactéria. O numero de esporos variou de 18 a 2.070/ 100 mL de solo, e os maiores numero e diversidade de espécies foram verificados nos canaviais de Campos, RJ, especialmente naqueles que não adotam a queima de palhico. As espécies predominantes nas três localidades amostradas foram: Acaulospora sp., Scutellospora heterogama, Glomus etunicatum, Glomus occultum e Gigaspora margarita. A. diazotrophicus estava presente nas amostras de raízes colhidas em canaviais de Campos, com exceção de uma coleta de cana-de-açúcar plantada num solo usado como bacia de sedimentação de vinhaça. Não foi possível isolar essa bactéria a partir de esporos desinfestados dos FMAs nativos, apenas dos esporos lavados com agua estéril The occurrence and distribution of species of arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi and Acetobacter diazotrophicus in sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum) grown in different regimes of crop management in the States of Rio de Janeiro and Pernambuco were studied. Thirty five samples of the rhizosphere soil and roots were collected from 14 varieties of sugar cane for the extraction of spores and isolation of the bacterium. The number of spores varied from 18 to 2.070 per 100 mL of soil, and the greatest diversity of fungal species was found in the sugarcane fields of Campos (Rio de Janeiro State), especially in those where the sugarcane trash was not burned at harvest. The predominant species found in the three localities sampled were: Scutellospora heterogama, Glomus etunicatum, Glomus occultum, Glomus macrocarpum, Acaulospora sp. and Gigaspora margarita. A. diazotrophicus was present in almost all samples of root with the exception of one harvest of sugar cane taken from an area used for the sedimentation of vinasse (distillery waste). It was not possible to detect the bacterium from surface sterilised spores of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), only from washed ones using sterile water.

Ocorrência de bactérias diazotroficas e fungos micorrizicos arbusculares na cultura da mandioca.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a ocorrencia, isolar e identificar fungos micorrízicos carbunculares associados a cultura da mandioca (Manihot esculenta). Amostras de solo rizosférico e de varias partes da planta (raízes, tubérculos, manivas e folhas) de locais nos Estados do Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo e Paraná, foram inoculadas nos meios LGI-P, NFb-malato e NFb-GOC, avaliando-se o numero mais provável de células e a atividade de redução de acetileno. Bactérias diazotróficas foram isoladas de todas as partes da planta, com exceção das folhas, sendo identificadas como Klebsiella sp., Azospirillum lipoferum e uma bactéria denominada "E", provavelmente pertencente ao gênero Burkholderia. A bactéria E acumulou de 7,63 mg a 14,84 mg de N/g de C em meio semi-solido, isento de N, e conseguiu manter a capacidade de fixação biológica de N, mesmo apos uma dezena de repicagens consecutivas. A colonização micorrízica variou de 31% a 69%, e a densidade de esporos de 10 a 384 esporos/100 mL de solo, predominando as espécies Entrophospora colombiana e Acaulospora scrobiculata no Rio de Janeiro, A. scrobiculata e Scutellospora heterogama no Paraná e em Piracicaba (São Paulo) e A. appendicula e S. pellucida em Campinas (São Paulo). This study was performed to evaluate the occurrence and to isolate and identify diazotrophic bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with the cassava (Manihot esculenta) crop. Samples from rhizosperical soil, roots, tubers, stems and leaves from several localities of the States of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Parana, in Brazil, were inoculated in three media specific for diazotrophic associative bacteria, LG1-P, NFb-malate and NFb-GOC, evaluating the most probable number of cells and the acetylene-reducing activity. Diazotrophic bacteria were detected in all plant parts except for the leaves, and were identified as Klebsiella sp., Azospirillum lipoferum and a bacterium called "E", probably belonging to the Burkholderia genus. Bacterium E was able to accumulate, in the N-free semi-solid media, from 7.63 to 14.84 mg of N/g of C and to maintain N fixation capacity after ten consecutive transferences. Mycorrhizal root colonization varied from 31% to 69% and spore density from 10 to 384 spores/100 mL of soil, predominanting the species Entrophospora colombiana and Acaulospora scrobiculata in Rio de Janeiro, A. scrobiculata and Scutellospora heterogama in Parana and in Piracicaba (Sao Paulo), and A. appendicula and S. pellucida in Campinas (Sao Paulo).

Solutions for the conservation and restoration of cement-based materials in XX Century architectural heritage

Among the most representative materials of XX Century architectural heritage, this dissertation focuses on the cement-based ones, investigating some different fields where they were exploited. Primarily, concerning the surface preservation of cement-based materials used with aesthetic intent, new self-cleaning treatments based on titania nanoparticles embedded in inorganic matrices were tested. In order to consider the role of porosity, the treatments were applied to different kinds of materials (cement-based mortar, marble and concrete) and several analyses were conducted to investigate the morphology of the coatings, their photocatalytic effectiveness, their durability and the interaction between the coating and the substrate material. The outcomes showed that several parameters influence the treatment’s performances, in particular, the presence and nature of the matrix, the concentration and dispersion of nanoparticles and, in some cases, the amount of substrate material which interacts with the coatings. Secondly, this dissertation deals with the historic “Terranova” render, a colored dry-mix mortar largely widespread in Europe in the first half of XX Century, whose formulation is still basically unknown. Some original samples of supposedly Terranova renders were subjected to several characterization analyses and the results were compared to those of the original “Terranova” render of the Engineering Faculty in Bologna. Despite the recurrence of some features, defining a common formulation seemed to be challenging. Finally, the repair and conservation of structural reinforced concrete in heritage buildings were investigated, adopting the former “Casa del Fascio” in Predappio (FC, Italy) as case study. Three different materials and solutions were tested on a slab of the building, making its repair only from the intrados. Then several analyses were conducted both on site and in laboratory. Aside from the specific features characterizing every product, the results highlighted that the application method played a fundamental role in the effectiveness of the retrofit strategies.

Efficacité d'espèces ligneuses en symbiose mycorhizienne arbusculaire pour la phytoremédiation d'un site urbain contaminé

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Extent of intra-isolate genetic polymorphism in glomus etunicatum using a molecular genetic approach

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Contribuições da micorrização e do Aspergillus niger, como solubilizador de fosfato, no crescimento de milho, em diferentes solos

Pós-graduação em Agronomia - FEIS

Eastern Temperate Forests

Human activity in the last century has led to a substantial increase in nitrogen (N) emissions and deposition. This N deposition has reached a level that has caused or is likely to cause alterations to the structure and function of many ecosystems across the United States. One approach for quantifying the level of pollution that would be harmful to ecosystems is the critical loads approach. The critical load is dei ned as the level of a pollutant below which no detrimental ecological effect occurs over the long term according to present knowledge. The objective of this project was to synthesize current research relating atmospheric N deposition to effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the United States and to identify empirical critical loads for atmospheric N deposition. The receptors that we evaluated included freshwater diatoms, mycorrhizal fungi and other soil microbes, lichens, herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees. The main responses reported fell into two categories: (1) biogeochemical, and (2) individual species, population, and community responses. The range of critical loads for nutrient N reported for U.S. ecoregions, inland surface waters, and freshwater wetlands is 1 to 39 kg N ha-1 y-1. This broad range spans the range of N deposition observed over most of the country. The empirical critical loads for N tend to increase in the following sequence for different life forms: diatoms, lichens and bryophytes, mycorrhizal fungi, herbaceous plants and shrubs, trees. The critical loads approach is an ecosystem assessment tool with great potential to simplify complex scientii c information and effectively communicate with the policy community and the public. This synthesis represents the i rst comprehensive assessment of empirical critical loads of N for ecoregions across the United States.

Sistema de contagem com morfologia matemática fuzzy

Mathematical Morphology presents a systematic approach to extract geometric features of binary images, using morphological operators that transform the original image into another by means of a third image called structuring element and came out in 1960 by researchers Jean Serra and George Matheron. Fuzzy mathematical morphology extends the operators towards grayscale and color images and was initially proposed by Goetherian using fuzzy logic. Using this approach it is possible to make a study of fuzzy connectives, which allows some scope for analysis for the construction of morphological operators and their applicability in image processing. In this paper, we propose the development of morphological operators fuzzy using the R-implications for aid and improve image processing, and then to build a system with these operators to count the spores mycorrhizal fungi and red blood cells. It was used as the hypothetical-deductive methodologies for the part formal and incremental-iterative for the experimental part. These operators were applied in digital and microscopic images. The conjunctions and implications of fuzzy morphology mathematical reasoning will be used in order to choose the best adjunction to be applied depending on the problem being approached, i.e., we will use automorphisms on the implications and observe their influence on segmenting images and then on their processing. In order to validate the developed system, it was applied to counting problems in microscopic images, extending to pathological images. It was noted that for the computation of spores the best operator was the erosion of Gödel. It developed three groups of morphological operators fuzzy, Lukasiewicz, And Godel Goguen that can have a variety applications

Crescimento inicial e morfologia foliar em plantas de Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth. Em função do manejo microbiano, sob estresse salino

The sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth.) is an endemic species of the Caatinga biome, considered tolerant to salt and water stress. The process of salinization of soil and groundwater and surface water is one of the most important problems of environmental degradation, with its harmful effects being more pronounced in the areas of arid and semiarid regions, and rapidly growing in many parts of the globe, causing problems of the major crop yield. Organic conditioners as barnyard manure, and rice hulls can contribute to reducing the PST, possibly due to the release of CO2 and the production of organic acids during the decomposition of organic matter, and act as sources of calcium and magnesium and inhibit the availability sodium. The intimate association of mycorrhizae and beneficial to plants results in increased uptake of water and nutrients by plants, especially phosphorus, due to their low mobility in soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the initial growth of thrush seedlings under inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi and fertilized with manure corral and irrigated with water of different salinity levels. The experiment was conducted in greenhouse conditions of vegetation on the premises of the Agricultural School of Jundiaí - UFRN, Campus Macaíba. The adopted statistical design was randomized composed of twelve treatments - three substrates (sterile soil, manure and FMA), four salinity levels (0.2, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 dS m-1 ) and five repetitions, totaling sixty experimental units. The results indicate that inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi own contributions to the growth of plants, especially in roots and shoots, which suggests that its application is beneficial in establishing thrush plants in natural conditions, with poor soil in P. Levels salinity caused no effects with statistical significance in plant development, indicating Sabia resistance to it.