Colonization pattern of Cecropia by Azteca ants: Influence of plant ontogeny, environment and host plant choice by queens

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

Genetic data of 15 autosomal STR loci: an analysis of the Araraquara population colonization (São Paulo, Brazil)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Intestinal colonization of a human subject by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium

Objective: To study the ability of two strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium to colonize the human intestine. Methods: A single human subject ingested separately two strains of vancomycin-resistant E. faecium isolated from a pig and a chicken. The feces were cultured on selective medium. Prior to ingestion no vancomycin-resistant cocci were present in the feces. Ingestion of 10 4-10 5 CFU resulted in either no colonization or isolation only after enrichment. Ingestion of 10 7 CFU of one strain resulted in colonization for a period of nearly 3 weeks, with fecal counts at times in excess of 10 6 CFU/g. Ingestion of similar numbers of the other strain and reingestion of the first strain resulted in excretion in the feces for much shorter periods. When the fecal count of the ingested strains was greater than 10 4-10 5 CFU/g, the strains were isolated from swabs taken from perianal skin. Conclusions: Vancomycin-resistant E. faecium strains from pigs and poultry a re able to colonize the human gut and the perianal skin.

SEM evaluation of in situ early bacterial colonization on a Y-TZP ceramic: A pilot study

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of surface glazing and polishing of yttrium-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal ceramic on early dental biofilm formation, as well as the effect of brushing on the removal of adhered bacteria. Two subjects used oral appliances with polished and glazed samples fixed to the right and left sides. After 20 minutes, 1 hour, and 6 hours, the subjects manually brushed the samples on the right side. The samples were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Granular material was verified on the samples, especially on irregular surfaces. After 1 hour, there was no significant difference between glazed and polished surfaces in terms of bacterial presence. However, glazed surfaces tended to accumulate more biofilm, and brushing did not completely remove the biofilm. Polished surfaces seem to present a lower tendency for biofilm formation. Int J Prosthodont 2007;20:419-422.

SEM analysis of the in situ early bacterial colonization on two novel feldspathic ceramics submitted to different types of glazing

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate in situ, the early bacterial colonization on feldspar-ceramics submitted to different glazing. Methods and Materials: Fourteen standardized disc specimens (diameter: 5 mm, thickness: 1.5 mm) of each of two micro-particulate feldspathic ceramics (VM7 and VM13, Vita) were produced according to manufacturers' specifications for a total of 28 specimens (24 for the analysis of biofilm and 4 for topographic analysis analyzing the ceramic surfaces). Specimens from each type of ceramic were submitted to two different glazing methods composing four groups: VM7 glazed using glazing liquid Vita Akzent® 25 (G1) and glaze firing (G2), VM13 glazed using glazing liquid (G3) and glaze firing (G4). Six individuals (n=6) wore oral appliances with four ceramic specimens, fixed on the buccal face of the appliances. After 8 hours, each sample was evaluated for the presence (1) or absence (0) of bacterial colonization under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) on five randomly selected fields. The value for each sample was cumulative of the results observed in the fields. One sample from each group was evaluated under a SEM to verify the topographic pattern. Results: There was no difference with regard to bacterial colonization between the feldspar-ceramics and between the glazing types (Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test). Conclusion: Feldspar-ceramics submitted to firing or glaze firing with Vita Akzent® 25 present a similar condition for in situ bacterial colonization. The similar topographic pattern of the ceramic surfaces seems to have influenced the bacterial colonization.

Colonization pressure and risk factors for acquisition of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a medical surgical intensive care unit in Brazil

We studied a nonconcurrent cohort of 582 patients admitted to a medical-surgical intensive care unit. Use of antimicrobials (imipenem and metronidazole) was a risk factor for acquisition of imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii only for the subcohort of patients admitted in months in which colonization pressure was lower than the median value. © 2013 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protective effect of mannan oligosaccharides against early colonization by Salmonella Enteritidis in chicks is improved by higher dietary threonine levels

Aims: To evaluate mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) and threonine effects on performance, small intestine morphology and Salmonella spp. counts in Salmonella Enteritidis-challenged birds. Methods and Results: One-day-old chicks (1d) were distributed into five treatments: nonchallenged animals fed basal diet (RB-0), animals fed basal diet and infected with Salmonella Enteritidis (RB-I), animals fed high level of threonine and infected (HT-I), birds fed basal diet with MOS and infected (MOS-I), birds fed high level of threonine and MOS and infected (HT+MOS-I). Birds were inoculated at 2d with Salmonella Enteritidis, except RB-0 birds. Chicks fed higher dietary threonine and MOS showed performance similar to RB-0 and intestinal morphology recovery at 8 dpi. Salmonella counts and the number of Salmonella-positive animals were lower in HT+MOS-I compared with other challenged groups. Conclusion: Mannan oligosaccharides and threonine act synergistically, resulting in improved intestinal environment and recovery after Salmonella inoculation. Significance and Impact of the Study: Nutritional approaches may be useful to prevent Salmonella infection in the first week and putative carcass contamination at slaughter. This is the first report on the possible synergistic effect of mannan oligosaccharides and threonine, and further studies should be performed including performance, microbiota evaluation, composition of intestinal mucins and immune assessment. © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Micorrização e crescimento de progênies de hymenaea stignocarpa mart. ex. Hayne em subsolo de área degradada degraded area

In tropical ecosystems, little is known about the relationship between arbuscular mycorhizal fungi (AMF) and the host genetic variability, especially among tree species. This study aimed to examine the response of 19 progenies of jatobá-do-cerrado (Hymenaea stignocarpa Mart. Ex. Hayne) inoculated with AMF, the root colonization and seedlings early growth were evaluated, growing in cultivated in subsoil from the loading area, under greenhouse conditions. The seedlings, germinated in the laboratory, were transferred to plastic bags containing subsoil and sand mixture (4:1). For the inoculation, each replicate received 100 g of soil (with about 48 spores of AMF) from a preserved Cerrado area, to reintroduce microorganisms. After 120 days, the mycorrhiza colonization (COL), the number of spores of AMF, the plant height (PH), the weight of shoot dry matter (SDM) and the root fresh matter (RFM) were assessed. The highest values of COL, SDM and RFM were observed in the progenies JC7, JC18, JC29, JC27 and JC14; the JC7 andJC18 also increased number of spores. There were significant and positive correlations between COL and the others variables (AP, NE, RFM and SDM, and between RFM and other variables (NE, AP and SDM). The conclusion is that, there is variability among the genotypes of Hymenaea stignocarpa growth (AP MFSR and DMAP) and mycorrhization (COL and NE), with emphasis on two progenies (JC7 and JC18), that showed the highest values, which can be resulted of a greater affinity to strains of AMF- soil inoculum.

Hydroxyurea therapy in sickle cell anemia patients aids to maintain oral fungal colonization balance

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of Candida species and presence of lesions in the oral cavity of patients with sickle cell anemia (SS). Methods: The study included 30 patients diagnosed with sickle cell anemia and taking hydroxyurea for at least 90 days (SS/HU+); and 39 patients with sickle cell anemia and without hydroxyurea therapy (SS/HU-). Two control groups were constituted by healthy individuals matched to the test groups in age, gender, and oral conditions (C/HU+ for SS/HU+ and C/HU- for SS/HU-). Oral clinical examination and anamnesis were performed. Yeasts were collected by oral rinses and identified by API system. Antifungal susceptibility evaluation was performed according to the CLSI methodology. Data obtained for microorganisms counts were compared by Student's t test (SS/HU+ vs. C/HU+ and SS/HU- vs. C/HU-) using MINITAB for Windows 1.4. Significance level was set at 5%. Results: No oral candidosis lesions were detected. Significant differences in yeasts counts were observed between SS/HU- group and the respective control, but there were no differences between SS/HU+ and C/HU+. Candida albicans was the most prevalent species in all groups. Candida famata was observed both in SS and control groups. Candida dubliniensis, Candida glabrata, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, Candida pelliculosa, and Candida parapsilosis were observed only in SS groups. Most strains were susceptible to all antifungal agents. Conclusion: Hydroxyurea therapy seems to decrease candidal counts and resistance rate in sickle cell anemia patients. However, further studies should be conducted in the future to confirm this finding. Hydroxyurea therapy in sickle cell anemia patients maintains fungal species balance in oral cavity. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Implant-abutment gap versus microbial colonization: Clinical significance based on a literature review

Microorganisms from the oral cavity may settle at the implant-abutment interface (IAI). As a result, tissue inflammation could occur around these structures. The databases MEDLINE/PubMed and PubMed Central were used to identify articles published from 1981 through 2012 related to the microbial colonization in the implant-abutment gap and its consequence in terms of crest bone loss and osseointegration. The following considerations could be put forward, with respect to the clinical importance of IAI: (a) the space present at the IAI seems to allow bacterial leakage to occur, in spite of the size of this space; (b) bacterial leakage seems to occur at the IAI, irrespective of the type of connection. More studies are necessary to clarify the relationship between leakage at IAI and abutment connection designs; (c) losses at the peri-implant bone crests cannot be related to the IAI size, since few studies have shown no relationship. Also, the microbial leakage at the IAI cannot be related to the bone crest loss, since there are no articles reporting this relationship; remains controversial the influence of the IAI position on the bone crest losses. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 101B: 1321-1328, 2013. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Does public financial support stimulate innovation and productivity? An impact evaluation

This paper contributes to the empirical literature that evaluates the effects of public financial support to innovation on innovation expenditures, innovation itself and productivity in developing countries. Propensity score matching techniques and data from Innovation Surveys are used to analyse the impacts of public financial support to innovation on Uruguayan firms. The results indicate that there is no crowding-out effect of private innovation investment by public funds and that public financial support in Uruguay seems to increase private innovation expenditures. Financial support also appears to induce increased research and development expenditures and innovative sales, with these effects being greatest for service firms. Public funds do not, however, significantly stimulate private expenditures by firms that would have carried out innovation activities even in the absence of financial support.

Plantas de cobertura e doses de fósforo sobre os atributos químicos e biológicos do solo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Do demand and profitability stimulate capital accumulation? An analysis for Brazil

This article tests whether the profit share of gdp and capacity utilization affect capital accumulation in Brazil in the period 1950-2008 (in the sense of Granger causality). The methodology developed by Toda and Yamamoto (1995) is used to verify the Granger non-causality hypothesis. The results show that capacity utilization “Granger-causes” capital accumulation in the Brazilian economy and, also that the profit share of gdp does not “Granger-cause” the national investment-capital ratio. This corroborates the Kaleckian proposal based on the fundamental role of the accelerator, and suggests that the Brazilian economy can grow with either a concentration or a de-concentration of income, provided a suitable institutional arrangement is in place.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and soil aggregation as affected by cultivation of various crops during the sugarcane fallow period

Management systems involving crop rotation, ground cover species and reduced soil tillage can improve the soil physical and biological properties and reduce degradation. The primary purpose of this study was to assess the effect of various crops grown during the sugarcane fallow period on the production of glomalin and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in two Latosols, as well as their influence on soil aggregation. The experiment was conducted on an eutroferric Red Latosol with high-clay texture (680 g clay kg-1) and an acric Red Latosol with clayey texture (440 g kg-1 clay) in Jaboticabal (São Paulo State, Brazil). A randomized block design involving five blocks and four crops [soybean (S), soybean/fallow/soybean (SFS), soybean/millet/soybean (SMS) and soybean/sunn hemp/soybean (SHS)] was used to this end. Soil samples for analysis were collected in June 2011. No significant differences in total glomalin production were detected between the soils after the different crops. However, total external mycelium length was greater in the soils under SMS and SHS. Also, there were differences in easily extractable glomalin, total glomalin and aggregate stability, which were all greater in the eutroferric Red Latosol than in the acric Red Latosol. None of the cover crops planted in the fallow period of sugarcane improved aggregate stability in either Latosol.