Microbiological analyses of poultry litter used for ruminant feeding

The aims of this study were to estimate the changes in total bacterial counts (TBC) in poultry litter samples, consisting of rice hulls, after storage, and to identify pathogenic bacteria. For the countings Plate Count agar (Difco) was used. Enrichment and selective media such as blood agar, MacConkey, Baird Parker, brain and heart agar, and egg yolk solid media, and cooked meat and brain and heart infusion, incubated under aerobic or anaerobic conditions were used to isolate Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp, Clostridium perfringens, C. botulinum, C. chauvoei, Campylobacter sp, Escherichia coli, and Corynebacterium sp. Litter samples were collected from the houses of the Veterinary School experimental aviary. A fully randomized experimental design was used with four treatments and four replications, for a total of 16 samples. A decrease in TBC was detected when treatment T1 (zero days of storage) was compared with treatments T2 (14 days of storage). on the other hand the treatments T3 (28 days of storage) and T4 (42 days of storage) presented significantly superior counting in relation to treatment T1. Some pathogenic bacteria of Enterobacteriaceae such as Escherichia coil, Proteus, Arizona, Providencia, Edwardsiella, as well as Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, different species of genus Clostridium as C. perfringens, C. sordelli, C. chauvoei, C. tetani and C. novyi as well as some strains of Corynebacterium pyogenes were isolated.

INSULATOR-TO-METAL TRANSITION IN POLYTHIOPHENE

In the present work, the electronic structure of polythiophene at several doping levels is investigated by the use of the Huckel Hamiltonian with sigma-bond compressibility. Excess charges are assumed to be stored in conformational defects of the bipolaron type. The Hamiltonian matrix elements representative of a bipolaron are obtained from a previous thiophene oligomer calculation, and then transferred to very long chains. Negative factor counting and inverse iteration techniques have been used to evaluate densities of states and wave functions, respectively. Several types of defect distributions were analyzed. Our results are consistent with the following: (i) the bipolaron lattice does not present a finite density of states at the Fermi energy at any doping level; (ii) bipolaron clusters show an insulator-to-metal transition at 8 mol% doping level; (iii) segregation disorder shows an insulator-to-metal transition for doping levels in the range 20-30 mor %.

Commensal worm traces and possible juvenile thalassinidean burrows associated with Ophiomorpha nodosa, Pleistocene, southern Brazil

The Pleistocene Chui Formation at Osorio (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) consists of coastal marine and eolian sands, the former containing abundant and well-preserved Ophiomorpha nodosa burrow systems. Detailed ichnological study has revealed interesting features associated with them. Small-sized Ophiomorpha, here assigned to a new ichnospecies, O. puerilis, are interpreted as possible burrows of juvenile thalassinidean crustaceans probably belonging to the same species as the producers of larger O. nodosa. Additionally, helicoidal burrows with thick, concentrically laminated linings are associated with the walls of O. nodosa. They are assigned to the new ichnospecies Cylindrichnus helix, and they are interpreted as dwellings of commensal annelid worms. The association of these three icbnospecies constitutes a fossil example of the role of thalassinideans as ecosystem engineers able to modify their environment and to create new space and resources usable by other organisms. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ESTIVATION IN SOUTH-AMERICAN AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

A number of amphibians and reptiles have cyclic behavior, becoming inactive with the coming of the dry season. In South America this pattern of activity is common, particularly in savannah-like vegetation. During the dry season amphibians burrow into the mud or soil, and either form a cocoon or increase the osmotic concentration of body fluids to reduce evaporative water loss. Some phyllomedusid tree frogs coat their body surface with skin secretion and excrete uric acid to minimize water loss. Reptiles also retreat into shelter deep enough to avoid temperature fluctuation during estivation or reduce metabolic response to temperature. Reduction of temperature sensitivity of the metabolism seems to be a strategy common to estivating amphibians and reptiles. Despite seasonal change of the environment, some species of reptiles are active all year round.

Inflammatory response to different endodontic irrigating solutions

Aim the aim of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory response to irrigating solutions injected into the peritoneal cavity of mice.Methodology Sixty mice received intra-peritoneal injections of 0.3 mL of 0.5% sodium hypochlorite, 2.0% chlorhexidine digluconate or phosphate buffered saline (PBS, control). Five animals of each group were sacrificed at 4, 24, 48 h and 7 days after the injection. Liquid from the peritoneal cavity of each animal was collected for the total and differential counting of inflammatory cells and protein leakage.Results the 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution group had greater migration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells to the peritoneal cavity from 48 to 168 h (P < 0.05). There was a significant increase in protein leakage to the peritoneal cavity after 4 up to 48 h in the 0.5% sodium hypochlorite group compared to the control group. Protein leakage was similar in all groups at 168 h. The 2.0% chlorhexidine group had similar results to the control group at all time periods.Conclusions the 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution induced an inflammatory response, however, the 2.0% chlorhexidine digluconate solution did not induce a significant inflammatory response.

Estimation of growth fraction in fine needle aspirates from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma using anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen - Correlation with the Kiel classification

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to assess whether fine needle aspirates from non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) could be used for growth fraction analysis with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining and if there was a relationship between the growth fraction and cytomorphologic classification according to the Kiel classification.STUDY DESIGN: the study group consisted of 40 patients with NHL diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology. The cytologic classification of the lymphomas was made by two cytopathologists on May-Grunwald-Giemsa-stained slides using the Kiel classification. There were 27 cases of low and 13 of high grade lymphoma. The estimation of the growth fraction was made by PCNA immunoreactivity. The PCNA index was quantitated in smears by counting an average of 1,000 cells, and the count teas correlated with the cytomorphologic classification.RESULTS: There was It strong correlation between the PCNA index and lymphoma grading. High grade lymphomas exhibited a mean PCNA positivity of 74.0%, which was significantly higher (P <.001) than that of low grade lymphomas (17.6%).CONCLUSION: Our study showed that PCNA evalua tion is suitable for smears obtained by FNA on NHL, correlates with increasing grades of lymphoma according to the Kiel classification and may offer a method of monitoring treatment of lymphoma.

Cytotoxic effects of cleansing solutions recommended for chemical lavage of pulp exposures

Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic effects of three cleansing solutions used for chemical lavage of pulp exposures. Materials and Methods: the immortalized odontoblast cell line (MDPC-23) was plated (30,000 cells/cm(2)) and incubated for 72 hrs in 24-well dishes. After counting the cell number under inverted light microscopy, 20 mul of the experimental and control solutions were added to 980 mul of fresh culture medium. Then, hydrogen peroxide (3%, H2O2), sodium hypochlorite (6%, NaOCl) or calcium hydroxide-saline solution (5g of Ca(OH)(2) in 10 mi of sterile distilled water) were added to wells for experimental Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The positive and negative control groups received Syntac Sprint bonding agent (SS) and phosphate buffered saline (PBS), respectively. Following incubation for 120 min the cell number was counted again, the cell morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the cell metabolism was determined by the methyltetrazolium (MTT) assay. The scores obtained from cell counting and MTT assay were analyzed with an ANOVA followed by Fisher's PLSD tests. Results: H2O2 NaOCl solutions, and SS bonding agent were more cytotoxic than Ca(OH)2 or PBS. In the groups with H2O2 Or SS, only a few cells remained attached to the bottom of wells. The difference between these two groups was not statistically significant. H2O2, NaOCl and SS depressed the mitochondrial enzyme response by 97.7%, 97.3%, and 95.0%, respectively. on the other hand, Ca(OH)2 depressed the metabolic activity of cells by only 5%. While H2O2, NaOCl and SS caused extreme changes on the cell morphology, neither Ca(OH)2 nor PBS promoted dramatic changes in the cell morphology.

Effect of cytokines on the in vitro fungicidal activity of monocytes from paracoccidioidomycosis patients

Peripheral blood monocytes obtained from paracoccidioidomycosis patients and healthy individuals were preactivated with recombinant gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in different concentrations (250, 500 and 1000 U/ml) and evaluated for fungicidal activity against Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis strain 18 (Pb 18, high-virulence strain) and strain 265 (Pb 265, low-virulence strain) by plating of cocultures and counting of colony-forming units, after 10 d. Monocytes from healthy individuals failed to present fungicidal activity against P. brasiliensis even after IFN-gamma activation at the three concentrations. However, patient, monocytes activated with IFN-gamma (1 000 U/ml) showed a significant fungicidal activity when compared to that obtained with non-activated or activated cells with other IFN-gamma concentrations (250 and 500 U/ml). Moreover,,patient monocytes presented higher fungicidal activity than the control, even before the activation process. These results may be explained by the activation state of patients' cells as a function of the in vivo contact with the fungus, which was confirmed by their higher capacity to release H2O2 in vitro. Unlike the results obtained with Ph 18, patient and control cells presented a significant fungicidal activity against Pb 265, after priming with IFN-gamma. These results are explained by the higher levels of TNF-alpha in supernatants of cultures challenged with Pb 265. Moreover, higher levels of the cytokine were obtained in patient cell supernatants. Taken together, our results suggest that for effective killing of P. brasiliensis by monocytes, an initial activation signal induced by IFN-gamma is necessary to stimulate the cells to produce TNF-alpha. This cytokine may be involved, through an autocrine pathway, in the final phase activation process. The effectiveness of this process seems to depend on the virulence of the fungal strain and the activation state of the challenged cells. (C) 2003 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS. All fights reserved.

Effect of temperature on seed germination of queen palm Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) glassman (Arecaceae)

The Syagrus romanzoffiana is a specie of the Arecaccae family, native of Brazil, frequently used in landscape architecture. Its propagation is by seeds, however, there is little information in the literature about seed germination of this ornamental palm. The objective of this work was to study the effects of temperatures on seed germination of Syagrus romanzoffliana. The experimental design used was entirely randomized, with six temperatures (20 degrees C, 25 degrees C, 30 degrees C and 35 degrees C, constant and 20-30 degrees C and 25-35 degrees C alternated), photoperiod of 12 hours, and five replications of 20 seeds each. The seeds were placed in plastic boxes with sand, counting daily germination until 43(th) day. The percentage of seed germination (43(th) day) and the speed germination index (SGI) were evaluated. The conclusion was that there was no germination at a constant temperature of 20 degrees C and in the alternated temperature of 20-30 degrees C; the higher germination percentages were verified in the constant temperatures of 30 degrees C and 35 degrees C that didn't differ statistically from the temperature of 25-35 degrees C. The germination was faster at a constant temperature of 30 degrees C.

Crystallographic properties of KSr2Nb5O15

Nanostructured KSr2Nb5O15 oxide was synthesized by the polymeric precursor method, a chemical synthesis route based on the Pechini's method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the calcined powder at 1150 degreesC were performed in the angular range 5 less than or equal to 20 less than or equal to 120degrees with a 0.02degrees step and a fixed counting time of 30 s. The XRD data were analyzed by the Rietveld refinements using the FullProf software. The results C showed a tetragonal system with the tetragonal tungsten bronze structure (TTB) type (a = 12.4585 (2) Angstrom and c = 3.9423 (6) Angstrom, V = 611,90 (2) Angstrom). In this work, the sites occupancy by the K+ and Sr2+ cations on the TTB type structure were determined. The thermal parameters (B) were analyzed. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intraoperative bleeding during vitrectomy for diabetic tractional retinal detachment with versus without preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab (IBeTra study)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Anticoccidial effects of coumestans from Eclipta alba for sustainable control of Eimeria tenella parasitosis in poultry production

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of a product containing coumestans from Eclipta alba. Experimental conditions were set up as to reproduce the environment conditions for husbandry adopted in commercial broiler farms. Broilers were raised in broiler chicken shed provided with feeders, drinkers, illumination and temperature control systems and floor covering to afford an adequate nourishing environment. Male Cobb broilers (240) were assigned to four experimental groups being each experimental group set apart in rice straw-covered shed isolated with wire mesh. One-day-old broilers were reared in a coccidian-free environment with ad libitum supply of filtered water and freely available standard feed, from the 1st to the 35th day of life. The T1 group received standard feed (negative control); T2 was treated with standard feed supplemented with 66 ppm of salinomycin (positive control); groups T3 and T4 had standard feed supplemented with the ethyl acetate fraction from methanolic extract of E. alba aerial parts, which contains the coumestans WL and DWL (120 and 180 ppm, respectively). The chicken broilers were individually infected with 2 x 104 oocysts of Eimeria tenella when they were 14 days old and were monitored weekly to evaluate zootechnical parameters such as weight gain and food conversion ratio. Counting of coccidial oocyst in chiken feces was assessed from random samples, from the 21st to 28th days of life, which corresponded to 7-14 days after the infection. Five chickens selected at random from each experimental group were subsequently euthanized at 21, 28 or 35 days of life to determine the lesion score in the cecal region and to excise a cecum portion for histopathological evaluation. The group treated with coumestans from E. alba presented an average weight gain and food conversion ratio higher than the negative control group and similar to the mean value of the positive control group. Coumestan-treated groups showed a significant decrease in the oocyst counting since the 21th day of life and displayed a reduced number of macroscopic lesions. Histopathological evaluations of cecum fragments showed that both treatments induced the migration of defense cells at the site of infection. A severe destruction of the cecal lining was found in the intestinal tract of broilers fed with a coumestans dose of 180 ppm. Overall, our results validate the use of a phytotherapy containing E. alba coumestans at a dose of 120 ppm as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent against avian coccidiosis. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Infestation of Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) biotype B (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and Caliothrips phaseoli (Hood.) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in beans genotypes.

The objective of this work was to evaluated the infestion of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) B biotype and thrips Caliothrips phaseoli (Hood) in fifteen beans genotypes in field condition. The genotypes IAPAR 31, Rosinha G2, Jalo precoce, Perola, IAC Harmonia, Gen 99TGR110, Gen 99TG2868, Gen 99TGR3416, Gen 99TG3450, Gen 99TG823, Gen 99TGR609, IAC Jaragua, Gen 95A10061531, Gen 99TGR3114 e Gen 96A1473153V2 was used. The experiment was conducted from May to July 2006. The statistical design was randomized blocks, totalizing 15 treatments and four replications. Evaluation was realized weekly, totalizing seven samplings. The evaluations were accomplished on a weekly basis by counting B. tabaci biotype B eggs and nymphs and nymphs of C. phaseoli in 10 leaflets per plot. The less oviposition genotypes by B. tabaci biotype B were IAC Harmonia, Perola, Gen TG3114 e Gen 95A10061531, while the most oviposited were IAC Jaragua and Gen 99TG3450. The less presence of nymphs of whitefly were observed on Perola and IAC Harmonia and the most at IAC Jaragua. It was observed a negative and non significant linear correlation between average temperature versus number of silverleaf whitefly and temperature versus number of thrips was verified.

Correlation between structural data and spectroscopic studies of a new beta-diketonate complex with trivalent europium and gadolinium

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evaluation of the microvascular density in astrocytomas in adults correlated using SPECT-MIBI

Microvascular density (MVD) may be an additional prognostic marker for astrocytomas, but the heterogeneity of these tumors limits its use. Thus, imaging examinations such as SPECT-MIBI (2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile) may take on an indirect role in astrocytoma evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate MVD in astrocytomas using immunohistochemistry with anti-CD34 monoclonal antibodies. The relationship between the immunohistochemical data and the parameters obtained from SPECT-MIBI was evaluated. This cross-sectional study evaluated 48 patients with brain tumors including low-grade astrocytomas (LGAs), anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs) and glioblastoma multiformes (GBMs). Patients had been admitted to the Hospital de Cancer de Barretos - Fundação Pio XII, and underwent brain SPECT-MIBI prior to any treatment. MVD was determined under an optical microscope by counting microvessels on slides from each case. SPECT-MIBI images were analyzed visually and semiquantitatively. GBMs, AAs and LGAs represented 50, 16.7 and 33.3% of the total sample, respectively. There were 13 normal and 35 abnormal SPECT-MIBI images. Significant differences in MVD were found between AA and LGA cases (p=0.040), but not between normal and abnormal SPECT-MIBI. The mean counts from SPECT-MIBI were not correlated with MVD. Among the GBM cases, there were no significant findings, except for an increased likelihood of abnormal histological test results. MVD was related to histological grade (in AA and LGA cases) but was not correlated with SPECT-MIBI.