Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on Wild Marsh-Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) from Southeast Brazil: Infestations before and after Habitat Loss

The lake from Porto-Primavera hydroelectric power station inundated an area of 2,200 km2 at the border of São Paulo and Mato-Grosso do Sul States, Brazil. Infestations by ticks were evaluated on 135 marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomus (Illiger), captured before and after inundation. Ticks were collected for identification, and infestation level of animals was assessed by scoring. Deer were divided into four groups according to capture location and temporal relation to the inundation. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were captured before inundation. Group 4 was captured after inundation. Four tick species were found: Amblyomma cajennense (F.), Amblyomma triste Koch, Anocentor nitens (Neumann), and Boophilus microplus (Canestrini). Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 had 30, 45, 100, and 96%, respectively, of animals carrying B. microplus ticks. A. triste was observed on 16, 22, 22, and 88% of animals from groups 1,2,3, and 4, respectively. A. nitens and A. cajennense were observed only on group 4, on 32 and 16% of the animals, respectively. Groups 1 and 2 had only 4.8 and 6.1% of animals with high infestation levels, respectively, and no ticks on 46.8% and 45.5% of the animals, respectively. Conversely, groups 3 and 4 lacked noninfested animals and had high infestation levels on 77.8 and 50% of deer, respectively. Marsh area shrinkage was blamed for higher infestation levels on deer from groups 3 and 4. The widespread presence of A. triste on marsh deer, a Neotropical tick species, raises the possibility of a natural host-parasite relationship.

Tuberculosis survey of free-ranging marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) in Brazil

Esophageal-pharyngeal fluids from 53 free-ranging marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) captured for a research program in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, were assayed for tuberculosis. Total DNA was extracted, amplified by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. microti, and M. africanum), and observed by agarose gel electrophoresis stained with ethidium bromide. All samples were negative. This, along with necropsy and histopathology data, suggests that these animals are not shedding and probably do not have active disease.

Natural infection by Paramphistomoidea Stiles and Goldberger, 1910 trematodes in wild Marsh Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus Illiger, 1815) from Sérgio Mottas's hydroelectric power station flooding area.

Studies on helminthfauna of marsh deer Blastocerus dichotomus Illiger, 1815 are rare, although helminthic diseases are an important cause of mortality in these animals. Fifteen male and female adult marsh deer from Sergio Motta's hydroelectric power station flooding area at Paraná River which died during the capture and quarantine procedures, between 1998 and 1999, were necropsied. Three trematodes species, Paramphistomum cervi, Balanorchis anastrofus and Zygocotyle lunatum, all belonging to superfamily Paramphistomoidea, were identified. The obtained trematodes were identified, counted and their respectives descriptors of infection were determined. All necropsied animals were infected by helminths. Paramphistomum cervi was the most prevalent species, while Zygocotyle lunatum was found in only one animal.

Transferability of microsatellite loci from Cervidae species to the endangered Brazilian marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomus

Blastocerus dichotomus, the marsh deer, is the largest Brazilian Cervidae species. The species is endangered because of hunting and loss of its natural habitat, i.e., flood plain areas, because of hydroelectric power station construction and agricultural land expansion. In the present study, we tested 38 microsatellite loci from four Cervidae species: Odocoileus virginianus (7), Rangifer tarandus (17), Capreolus capreolus (7), and Mazama bororo (7). Eleven loci showed clear amplification, opening a new perspective for the generation of fundamental population genetic data for devising conservation strategies for B. dichotomus. © FUNPEC-RP.

Multiferroicity in an organic charge-transfer salt that is suggestive of electric-dipole-driven magnetism

Multiferroics, showing simultaneous ordering of electrical and magnetic degrees of freedom, are remarkable materials as seen from both the academic and technological points of view. A prominent mechanism of multiferroicity is the spin-driven ferroelectricity, often found in frustrated antiferromagnets with helical spin order. There, as for conventional ferroelectrics, the electrical dipoles arise from an off-centre displacement of ions. However, recently a different mechanism, namely purely electronic ferroelectricity, where charge order breaks inversion symmetry, has attracted considerable interest. Here we provide evidence for ferroelectricity, accompanied by antiferromagnetic spin order, in a two-dimensional organic charge-transfer salt, thus representing a new class of multiferroics. We propose a charge-order-driven mechanism leading to electronic ferroelectricity in this material. Quite unexpectedly for electronic ferroelectrics, dipolar and spin order arise nearly simultaneously. This can be ascribed to the loss of spin frustration induced by the ferroelectric ordering. Hence, here the spin order is driven by the ferroelectricity, in marked contrast to the spin-driven ferroelectricity in helical magnets. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Sexual differences in parental feeding effort during the nestling period of the White-headed Marsh-Tyrant (Arundinicola leucocephala)

Parental effort may influence the fitness and survivorship of adult birds and their offspring from one breeding season to the next. Although much is known about parental feeding effort in tyrant flycatchers, many species remain understudied. In this study, I examined parental feeding effort of the White-headed Marsh-Tyrant (Awndinicola leucocephala) at a pond in southeastern Brazil. I conducted 10.3 hrs of observations from two locations: a high place with all view of the whole pond, that allowed me to observe flight distances of parents hunting for prey; and from near the nest to observe frequency of visits to the nest. The female marsh-tyrant flew farther while hunting prey and made more visits to the nest than did the male. The adults (mainly the female) provided a variety of terrestrial and aquatic arthropods to the nestlings. Additionally, parents removed fecal sacs from the nest and nestlings eliminated arthropod remains from the nest, the first records of nest sanitation activities by this species. Nonexclusive hypotheses that may explain the lower level of parental care provided by the male include: higher predation risk due its more conspicuous plumage, commitment of male to territory defense, and its selfish behavior influenced by indirect genotype fitness inherited by the offspring. © The Neotropical Ornithological Society.

Syntheses of bismuth titanate templates obtained by the molten salt method

Bismuth titanate templates (Bi4Ti3O12) were synthesized by the molten salt method in Na2SO4 and K2SO4 fluxes, using an amorphous Bi4Ti 3O12 precursor and a mechanically mixed Bi 2O3+TiO2 mixture as the starting materials. The templates were characterized by means of X-Ray Diffraction, FT-IR, FT-Raman, FEG-SEM and TEM. The templates are free of secondary phases and present orthorhombic structure with orientation in the c-plane. FT-IR suggests no traces of sulfate groups revealing that the molten salt synthesis was beneficial for elimination of inorganic species and for the arrangement of individual nanocrystals into ordered lattices. FEG-SEM analyses of BIT templates revealed that most of the grains were homogeneous with a length of 3.1 μm and a width of 0.3 μm and had plate-like morphology. TEM investigations show that the c-axis of the perovskite units is parallel to the thickness direction of the grains and no liquid-phase was formed during BIT phase formation. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l.

Nutritional status of the potted chrysanthemum relative to electrical conductivity and salt leaching

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Circulation and salt intrusion in the Piaçaguera Channel, Santos (SP)

A análise de dados termohalinos e correntes medidos em uma estação fixa no Canal de Piaçaguera (Estuário de Santos) no inverno foi feita em termos de condições cíclicas da maré (quadratura e sizígia) e quase-estacionária, com o objetivo de caracterizar a estratificação da massa de água estuarina, sua circulação e transporte de sal forçados pela modulação quinzenal da maré. Foram utilizados métodos clássicos de análise de dados observacionais horários e quase sinóticos e de simulações analíticas de perfis estacionários de salinidade e do componente longitudinal da velocidade. Durante o ciclo de maré de quadratura as velocidades de enchente (v<0) e vazante (v>0) variaram de -0.20 m/s a 0.30 m/s, associadas à pequena variação de salinidade entre a superfície e o fundo (26.4 psu a 30.7 psu). No ciclo de sizígia a velocidade aumentou de -0.40 m/s a 0.45 m/s, mas a estratificação de salinidade permaneceu praticamente a mesma. Os perfis estacionários teóricos de salinidade e de velocidade apresentaram boa concordância (Skill próximo a 1,0) quando comparados aos perfis observacionais. Durante a modulação quinzenal da maré não houve alteração na classificação do canal estuarino (tipo 2a-parcialmente misturado e fracamente estratificado), pois a taxa de aumento da energia potencial não foi suficiente para ocasionar a erosão da haloclina. Esses resultados, associados à alta estabilidade vertical (RiL >20) e ao número de Richardson estuarino (1,6), permitem as seguintes conclusões: i) o mecanismo que forçou a circulação e os processos de mistura foi principalmente o balanço da descarga fluvial com a maré, associado ao componente baroclínico da força de gradiente de pressão; ii) não houve variações nas principais características termohalinas e da circulação devido à modulação quinzenal da maré; e iii) os perfis quase estacionários de salinidade e da velocidade foram adequadamente simulados com um modelo analítico clássico.

Severe population decline of marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomus (Cetartiodactyla: Cervidae), a threatened species, caused by flooding related to a hydroelectric power plant

Balancing power production and environmental conservation can be problematic. The objective of this study was to investigate the abundance of marsh deer in the Paraná River Basin, above the Sergio Motta (Porto Primavera) Dam, before and after the impact of the dam closure. A fixed-wing, flat window aircraft was used to survey study transects. Observations were recorded based on the distance sampling line transect method, assuming that the detection probability decreases with increased distance. The abundance of marsh deer in the survey region prior to flooding was estimated to be 974 individuals (CV = 0.23). The overall abundance dropped from 974 to 444 (CV = 0.26) individuals after flooding, an overall reduction of 54%. This reduction can be attributed to the direct impact of the flooding process, but it was likely exacerbated by indirect effects, such as increased disease, hunting, and reduction in food availability. Prior to flooding, the marsh deer was distributed widely throughout the dam's catchment area; however, the marsh deer habitat was almost completely destroyed by the flooding process. This situation highlights the need to implement management strategies that ensure the survival of the remaining fragmented population.

Tinea nigra Presenting Speckled or Salt and Pepper Pattern

A 7-year-old Caucasian female resident of the southern coast of Brazil presented dark spots on the left palm that converged to a unique macule with speckled pattern at about 1 month. The mycological exam and the fungi culture were typical of Hortaea werneckii, the agent of the superficial mycosis Tinea nigra. The patient received butenafine hydrochloride 1% for 30 days, resulting in a complete remission of the lesion. At a follow-up visit 12 months after treatment, there was no lesion recurrence. We describe a form of rare geographical Tinea nigra with a speckled pattern. The salt and pepper aspect should be taken into consideration when the mycosis was suspected.

GERMINATION OF EUCALYPTUS SEEDS UNDER WATER AND SALT STRESS

The knowledge of the physiology of Eucalyptus spp. germination may contribute significantly to the development of management and choice of suitability of the deployment areas. The aim was to evaluate the effects of water and salt stress on seed germination of Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. citriodora, E. grandis, E. robusta and E. urophylla. The seeding was done with four replicates of 0.05 g of seeds in paper moistened with solutions at potentials of 0.0, -0.2, -0.4, and -0.8 MPa, induced with polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) and NaCl. The germination test was in 25 degrees C in the presence of light. Were evaluated the first test score seven days after sowing, and weekly germination (normal seedlings) until 28 days. Were also calculated the germination speed index. Water stress causes a greater reduction in the rate of germination and accumulated germination of E. camaldulensis and E. citriodora seeds than salt stress, and the seeds of E. robusta are more adapted to germinate under salt stress moderate, between -0.2 and -0.4 MPa. Regardless of the substance used to induce stress, the threshold for germination was -0.8 MPa. The E. camaldulensis is the most sensitive specie to water stress and E. urophylla most sensitive to salt stress.

Antidepressant treatment decreases daily salt intake and prevents heart dysfunction following subchronic aortic regurgitation in rats

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