Detection of HTLV-IIa in blood donors in an urban area of the Amazon Region of Brazil (Belém, PA)

Os vírus linfotrópicos de células T humanas tipo I (HTLV-I) e tipo II (HTLV-II) são membros de um grupo de retrovírus de mamíferos com propriedades biológicas similares que apresentam como uma das principais rotas de transmissão a transfusão sangüínea. O HTLV-I é endêmico em diferentes áreas geográficas e está associado a vários distúrbios clínicos. O HTLV-II é endêmico em vários grupos indígenas das Américas e em usuários de drogas intravenosas na América do Norte e do Sul, Europa e Sudeste da Ásia. Durante o ano de 1995, todos os doadores de sangue positivos para HTLV-I/II no Banco de Sangue do Estado (HEMOPA), foram direcionados a um médico e ao Laboratório de Virologia na Universidade Federal do Pará, para consulta, aconselhamento e confirmação do diagnóstico laboratorial. Trinta e cinco soros foram testados por um ensaio imunoenzimático e confirmados por um Western blot que discrimina as infecções por HTLV-I e HTLV-II. Amostras soropositivas para HTLV-II foram submetidas à reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) para as regiões genômicas env e pX e confirmaram ser do subtipo IIa. Esta é a primeira detecção, em Belém, da presença da infecção pelo HTLV-IIa em doadores de sangue. Estes resultados enfatizam que o HTLV-II está presente em áreas urbanas da região Amazônica e a necessidade de incluir testes de triagem capazes de detectar anticorpos para ambos os tipos de HTLV.

Mangrove sedimentary characteristics and implications for crab Ucides cordatus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ucididae) distribution in an estuarine area of the Amazonian region

Na zona costeira, sedimentos, água e organismos interagem intensamente. Nas costas equatoriais dominadas por maré os manguezais são abundantes. Estas áreas são conhecidas por sua importância ecológica. No caso dos manguezais da costa atlântica da América do Sul o caranguejo-uçá Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) se destaca por sua relevância ecológica e econômica, sendo que altas densidades deste organismo são encontradas na zona costeira amazônica. O presente estudo investiga a distribuição de sedimentos nos manguezais de Bragança (costa Amazônica, Brasil) e suas correlações com a vegetação e a distribuição do caranguejo-uçá. Quarenta e sete amostras de sedimento foram avaliadas, assim como caranguejos de 8 destas áreas foram coletados, onde o tipo dominante de vegetação foi também identificado. Os resultados demonstram que os sedimentos superficiais, assim como no extrato 0,8 a 1 m de profundidade, na área são principalmente compostos por silte (59%), incluindo em média 21% de areia e 20% de argila. O tipo de vegetação predominante foi significativamente correlacionado com a abundância e tamanho/peso dos caranguejos. As características sedimentares também foram substancialmente diferentes dependendo da vegetação. Áreas dominadas por Avicennia germinans tiveram mais areia e argila que as áreas dominadas por Rizophora mangle, onde a fração silte prevalece grandemente e os caranguejos eram significativamente maiores e mais abundantes. Os resultados demonstraram que sedimentos, invertebrados bentônicos e vegetação estão intimamente relacionados nos manguezais e devem ser estudados de maneira integrada.

Incidence of canine leptospirosis in the metropolitan area of Curitiba, State of Parana, Southern Brazil

Introduction The incidence of canine leptospirosis in Brazil needs to be assessed Methods The same dogs in southern Brazil were sampled over two years to determine the prevalence, incidence and association of canine leptospirosis with various risk factors. Results In 2009, the prevalence was 33 (14.4%) of 228 dogs, with a predominance of serovar Canicola (33.4%). In 2010, 90 dogs were re-evaluated (the remaining dogs were lost to deaths, address changes and donations), and the prevalence was found to be 35 (38.9%) of 90, with the predominant serovar being Icterohaemorrhagiae (51.4%). Moreover, the incidence was 26 of 90 (28.9%), and the disease was statistically associated with age (2009) and street access (2010). Conclusions Our findings revealed instability in the dog population and age to be relevant risk factors for canine leptospirosis.

Magnetic susceptibility in the prediction of soil attributes in two sugarcane harvesting management systems

This study aimed to investigate the potential use of magnetic susceptibility (MS) as pedotransfer function to predict soil attributes under two sugarcane harvesting management systems. For each area of 1 ha (one with green sugarcane mechanized harvesting and other one with burnt sugarcane manual harvesting), 126 soil samples were collected and subjected to laboratory analysis to determine soil physical, chemical and mineralogical attributes and for measuring of MS. Data were submitted to descriptive statistics by calculating the mean and coefficient of variation. In order to compare the means in the different harvesting management systems it was carried out the Tukey test at a significance level of 5%. In order to investigate the correlation of the MS with other soil properties it was made the correlation test and aiming to assess how the MS contributes to the prediction of soil complex attributes it was made the multiple linear regressions. The results demonstrate that MS showed, in both sugarcane harvesting management systems, statistical correlation with chemical, physical and mineralogical soil attributes and it also showed potential to be used as pedotransfer function to predict attributes of the studied oxisol.

Entomological surveillance, spatial distribution, and diversity of culicidae (diptera) immatures in a rural area of the atlantic forest biome, state of sao paulo, brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Spatial variability structure of soil CO2 emission and soil attributes in a sugarcane area

Soil CO2 emission (F-CO2) is influenced by chemical, physical and biological factors that affect the production of CO2 in the soil and its transport to the atmosphere. F-CO2 varies in time and space depending on environmental conditions, including the management of the agricultural area. The aim of this study was to investigate the spatial variability structure of F-CO2 and soil attributes in a mechanically harvested sugarcane area (green harvest) using fractal dimension (D-F) derived from isotropic variograms at different scales (fractograms). F-CO2 showed an overall average of 1.51 mu mol CO2 m(-2) s(-1) and correlated significantly (P < 0.05) with soil physical attributes, such as soil bulk density, air-filled pore space, macroporosity and microporosity. Topologically significant DF values were obtained from the characterization of F-CO2 at medium and large scales (above 20 m), with values of 2.92 and 2.90, respectively. The variations in D-F with scales indicate that the spatial variability structure of F-CO2 was similar to that observed for soil temperature and total pore volume and was the inverse of that observed for other soil attributes, such as soil moisture, soil bulk density, microporosity, air-filled pore space, silt and clay content, pH, available phosphorus and the sum of bases. Thus, the spatial variability structure of F-CO2 presented a significant relationship with the spatial variability structure for most soil attributes, indicating the possibility of using fractograms as a tool to better describe the spatial dependence of variables along the scale. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes Loaded in Particles as Drug Carrier Systems

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

Effect of brushwood transposition on the leaf litter arthropod fauna in a cerrado area

The results of ecological restoration techniques can be monitored through biological indicators of soil quality such as the leaf litter arthropod fauna. This study aimed to determine the immediate effect of brushwood transposition transferred from an area of native vegetation to a disturbed area, on the leaf litter arthropod fauna in a degraded cerrado area. The arthropod fauna of four areas was compared: a degraded area with signal grass, two experimental brushwood transposition areas, with and without castor oil plants, and an area of native cerrado. In total, 7,660 individuals belonging to 23 taxa were sampled. Acari and Collembola were the most abundant taxa in all studied areas, followed by Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Symphyla. The brushwood transposition area without castor oil plants had the lowest abundance and dominance and the highest diversity of all areas, providing evidence of changes in the soil community. Conversely, the results showed that the presence of castor oil plants hampered early succession, negatively affecting ecological restoration in this area.

Fishery of the Uçá Crab Ucides Cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) in a Mangrove Area in Cananéia, State of São Paulo, Brazil: Fishery Performance, Exploitation Patterns and Factors Affecting the Catches

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

Isolation of Leptospira spp. from a man living in a rural area of the Municipality of Cruz Alta, RS, Brazil

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

A comparative study of production performance and animal health practices in organic and conventional dairy systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Post-partum anoestrus in tropical beef cattle: A systems approach combining gene expression and genome-wide association results

The length of the post-partum anoestrous interval affects reproductive efficiency in many tropical beef cattle herds. In this study, results from genome-wide association studies (Experiment 1: GWAS) and gene expression (Experiment 2: microarray) were combined in a systems approach to reveal genetic markers, genes and pathways underlying the physiology of post-partum anoestrus in tropically adapted cattle. The microarray study measured the expression of 13,964 genes in the hypothalamus of Brahman cows. A total of 366 genes were differentially expressed (DE) in the post-partum period, when acyclic cows were compared to cows that had resumed ovarian cycles. Associated markers (P < 0.05) from a high density GWAS pointed to 2829 genes that were associated with post-partum anoestrous interval (PPAI) in two populations of beef cattle: Brahman and Tropical composite. Together the experiments provided evidence for 63 genes that are likely to influence the resumption of ovulation post-partum in tropically adapted beef cattle. Functional annotation analysis revealed that some of the 63 genes have known roles in hormonal activity, energy balance and neuronal synapse plasticity. Polymorphisms within candidate genes identified by this systems approach could have biological significance in post-partum anoestrus and help select Zebu (Bos indicus) influenced cattle with genetic potential for shorter post-partum anoestrus. Crown Copyright (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Population structure of a native and an alien species of snail in an urban area of the Atlantic Rainforest

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

On the number of limit cycles in discontinuous piecewise linear differential systems with two pieces separated by a straight line

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

Molecular detection of the blood meal source of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a transmission area of American cutaneous leishmaniasis, Parana State, Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)