Identification of Rhizoctonia solani AG 1-IB in Lettuce, AG 4 HG-I in Tomato and Melon, and AG 4 HG-III in Broccoli and Spinach, in Brazil

Fungi isolated in Brazil, from lettuce, broccoli, spinach, melon and tomato, were identified as Rhizoctonia solani. All lettuce isolates anastomosed with both AG 1-IA and IB subgroups and all isolates from broccoli, spinach, melon and tomato anastomosed with AG 4 subgroup HG-I, as well as with subgroups HG-II and HG-III. DNA sequence analyses of ribosomal internal transcribed spacers showed that isolates from lettuce were AG 1-IB, isolates from tomato and melon were AG 4 HG-I, and isolates from broccoli and spinach were AG 4 HG-III. The tomato isolates caused stem rot symptoms, the spinach, broccoli and melon isolates caused hypocotyl and root rot symptoms on the respective host plants and the lettuce isolates caused bottom rot. This is the first report on the occurrence in Brazil of R. solani AG 4 HG-I in tomato and melon, of AG 4 HG-III in broccoli and spinach and of AG 1-IB in lettuce.     

Milk production,intake, digestion,blood parameters,and ingestive behavior of cows supplemented with by-products from the biodiesel industry

This study aimed to evaluate the intake, digestion, blood parameters, and feeding behavior of crossbred dairy cows (Holstein?×?Gir) managed on Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Tanzania-1 and provided supplementation with groundnut cake, sunflower cake, or palm kernel cake (to replace soybean meal). Sixteen cows were randomly assigned in a Latin square design with four treatments and four experimental periods. The consumption of nutrients from the pasture did not vary between experimental treatments. Cows receiving the palm kernel cake supplement had a reduced crude protein, non-fibrous carbohydrate, and total digestible nutrient intake and an increase in the average consumption of ether extract. There was also a reduction in the digestibility of dry matter. The inclusion of supplements in the diet did not influence the average time spent eating, ruminating, or resting. The mean values of respiratory and heart rates showed thermal comfort during the trial period. There was a reduction in blood urea nitrogen with palm kernel cake supplementation, and the values of total protein, albumin, and glucose were also significantly different with this supplement. It is recommended that cakes of groundnut cake and sunflower cake seed be used for a total replacement of soybean meal supplements for lactating cows, but the use of palm kernel cake is not recommended.

     

All-male Tilapia Hybrids of Two Strains of Oreochromis niloticus

Hybridization between Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Local and Stirling University strains) and blue tilapia O. aureus was found to be a tool to produce monosex populations. In order to select a purebred that produces all- or nearly all-male hybrids with high productivity, O. niloticus females and their diploid gynogenetics (meiogynes and mitogynes) were hybridized with O. aureus males. The sex ratio of progenies was evaluated from inter- and intraspecific crosses of two strains of Nile tilapia. Single-pair matings and group spawns under hatchery conditions showed no deviation ( P > 0.01) from the expected sex ratio of intraspecific crosses among two strains of Nile tilapia. However, a higher proportion of male progenies in blue tilapia was observed in group spawns in pond ( P < 0.004) and hatchery conditions ( P < 0.01). Only the Stirling strain and mitogynes produced all-male progenies under laboratory conditions. There were significant differences ( P < 0.05) in growth among hybrid progeny groups, when gynogens and their regular O. niloticus (Local strain) females were crossed with O. aureus males. Six-month hybrid offspring from mitogyne female parents grew better than those from regular and meiogyne female broods.     

Effect of Cysticercus cellulosae on neutrophil function and death

Neutrophils, eosinophils and macrophages interact with invading parasites and naive hosts. The initial reaction of leukocytes is the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The cytotoxic effects of extracts derived from intact Cysticercus cellulosae and from the scolex or membrane fractions on neutrophils were examined. DNA fragmentation of neutrophils was observed when cells were incubated with an extract from the intact metacestode; however, the addition of antioxidant enzymes to the incubation medium had a protective effect. The scolex and membrane extracts did not affect DNA fragmentation of neutrophils. Hydrogen peroxide production of neutrophils incubated with metacestode fractions from C. cellulosae increased by 190% (total extract), 120% (scolex) or 44% (membrane). An increase in antioxidant catalase activity (28%) concomitant with the increased production of ROS was observed in neutrophils incubated with metacestode fractions, which could be an attempt at self-protection. ROS production by neutrophils in the presence of the intact cysticerci extract did not alter phagocytosis. In contrast, the scolex and membrane fractions increased the phagocytic capacity of neutrophils by 44 and 28%, respectively. The results showed that the extract from intact C. cellulosae was toxic for neutrophils via ROS production, leading to DNA fragmentation and inhibition of phagocytic capacity, but neutrophils are able to protect themselves against oxidative stress by via catalase activity.     

Genetic background of CTX‐M‐15‐producing Enterobacter hormaechei ST114 and Citrobacter freundii ST265 co‐infecting a free‐living green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

CTX‐M‐type extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase (ESBL)‐producing Enterobacteriaceae have become identified in marine ecosystem constituting a serious ecological issue. In this respect, although contamination of coastal waters and seafood, and even colonization of seabirds and fishes have been increasingly reported, molecular data are lacking to elucidate the clinical impact of ESBL producers in infected marine animals. In this study, using a genomic approach, we have analysed the genetic background of CTX‐M‐15‐producing Enterobacter hormaechei (belonging to the international human clone ST114) and Citrobacter freundii (ST265) co‐infecting a free‐living green turtle (Chelonia mydas) suffering from septic arthritis, which progressed to generalized coelomitis and death. Wide resistome of these pathogens contributed to treatment failure and death of the animal.     

Linkage disequilibrium and effective population size in Gir cattle selected for yearling weight

Linkage disequilibrium (LD) plays an important role in genomic selection and mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL). This study investigated the pattern of LD and effective population size (N_e) in Gir cattle selected for yearling weight. For this purpose, 173 animals with imputed genotypes (from 18 animals genotyped with the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip and 155 animals genotyped with the Bovine LDv4 panel) were analysed. The LD was evaluated at distances of 25–50 kb, 50–100 kb, 100–500 kb and 0.5–1 Mb. The N_e was estimated based on 5 past generations. The r² values (a measure of LD) were, respectively, .35, .29, .18 and .032 for the distances evaluated. The LD estimates decreased with increasing distance of SNP pairs and LD persisted up to a distance of 100 kb (r² = .29). The N_e was greater in generations 4 and 5 (24 and 30 animals, respectively) and declined drastically after the last generation (12 animals). The results showed high levels of LD and low N_e, which were probably due to the loss of genetic variability as a consequence of the structure of the Gir population studied.     

Soil erosion prediction in the Grande River Basin, Brazil using distributed modeling

Mapping and assessment of erosion risk is an important tool for planning of natural resources management, allowing researchers to modify land-use properly and implement management strategies more sustainable in the long-term. The Grande River Basin (GRB), located in Minas Gerais State, is one of the Planning Units for Management of Water Resources (UPGRH) and is divided into seven smaller units of UPGRH. GD1 is one of them that is essential for the future development of Minas Gerais State due to its high water yield capacity and potential for electric energy production. The objective of this study is to apply the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) with GIS PCRaster in order to estimate potential soil loss from the Grande River Basin upstream from the Itutinga/Camargos Hydroelectric Plant Reservoir (GD1), allowing identification of the susceptible areas to water erosion and estimate of the sediment delivery ratio for the adoption of land management so that further soil loss can be minimized. For the USLE model, the following factors were used: rainfall–runoff erosivity (R), erodibility (K), topographic (LS), cover-management (C) and support practice (P). The Fournier Index was applied to estimate R for the basin using six pluviometric stations. Maps of the K, C, LS and P factors were derived from the digital elevation model (DEM), and soil and land-use maps, taking into account information available in the literature. In order to validate the simulation process, Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) was estimated, which is based on transported sediment (TS) to basin outlet and mean soil loss in the basin (MSL). The SDR calculation included data (total solids in the water and respective discharge) between 1996 and 2003 which were measured at a gauging station located on the Grande River and a daily flow data set was obtained from the Brazilian National Water Agency (ANA). It was possible to validate the erosion process based on the USLE and SDR application for the basin conditions, since absolute errors of estimate were low. The major area of the basin (about 53%) had an average annual soil loss of less than 5 t ha^− 1 yr^− 1. With the results obtained we were able to conclude that 49% of the overall basin presently has soil loss greater than the tolerable rate, thus indicating that there are zones where the erosion process is critical, meaning that both management and land-use have not been used appropriately in these areas of the basin. The methodology applied showed acceptable precision and allowed identification of the most susceptible areas to water erosion, constituting an important predictive tool for soil and environmental management in this region, which is highly relevant for prediction of varying development scenarios for Minas Gerais State due to its hydroelectric energy potential. This approach can be applied to other areas for simple, reliable identification of critical areas of soil erosion in watersheds.     

Mono- and Multielement Sorption of Trace Metals on Oxidic Industrial By-products

Assessing multielement adsorption of trace metals on materials having potential to be used as soil amendments is an essential stage for the remediation success, as soil contamination rarely occurs with a single element. This study evaluated mono-/multielement adsorption of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb on aluminum (AMB) and iron mining by-products (IMB, used for comparison). Prior to adsorption, these products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, isoelectric point, infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and microwave furnace digestion. Sorption experiments comprised: (1) pH adjustment (5.5, 6.5, and natural suspension pH), (2) mono- and multielement adsorption, and (3) desorption. Rising pH from 5.5 to natural suspension values (9.5) increased monoelement adsorption of Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb on AMB up to 3.8-, 1.4-, 6.2-, and 1.1-fold, whereas multielement adsorption was increased up to 17.3-, 2.0-, 20.3-, and 1.2-fold, respectively. Zinc and Cd were less adsorbed than Cu and Pb and more affected by competition. Multielement adsorption at 5.5 pH in AMB resulted in smaller adsorption of Zn (up to 4.6-fold), Cu (1.4-fold), Cd (3.3-fold), and Pb (1.1-fold) when compared with monoelement adsorption. The lower the pH, the smaller the adsorption and the higher the desorption. The AMB showed higher capacity to maintain the elements adsorbed than the IMB.     

Effect of Equilibrium Solution Ionic Strength on the Adsorption of Zn,Cu, Cd,Pb, As,and P on Aluminum Mining By-Product

Adsorption onto powdered activated carbon (PAC) is a promising option to remove organic micro-pollutants (OMP) from drinking water sources or wastewater. Since this treatment option requires continuous PAC dosing, sufficient contact time and subsequent separation of the PAC, the integration into existing process chains is challenging. In the present investigation, the pre-loading of a deep bed filter with PAC used as fixed bed adsorber was investigated. The retention and distribution of an exemplary PAC in a pumice rapid filter were determined. Gravimetry combined with combustion of the PAC at 550 °C was applied to differentiate between PAC and filter material residues and revealed comparably high PAC immobilization in the upper third of the pumice filter. Comparative adsorption experiments in batch with suspended PAC and continuous filtration tests with immobilized PAC showed advantageous results for immobilized PAC with regard to the removal of OMP and the sum parameters dissolved organic carbon and UV light absorption at 254 nm wavelength. The results indicate that a conventional rapid filter together with PAC can be effectively utilized as fixed bed adsorption filter.