Influence of mixtures of acenaphthylene and benzo[a]anthracene on their degradation by Pleurotus ostreatus in sandy soil

Purpose

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds commonly found as soil contaminants. Fungal degradation is considered as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach to remove PAHs from soil. Acenaphthylene (Ace) and Benzo[a]anthracene (BaA) are two PAHs that can coexist in soils; however, the influence of the presence of each other on their biodegradation has not been studied. The biodegradation of Ace and BaA, alone and in mixtures, by the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus was studied in a sandy soil.

Materials and methods

Experimental microcosms containing soil spiked with different concentrations of Ace and BaA were inoculated with P. ostreatus. Initial (t ₀) and final (after 15 days of incubation) soil concentrations of Ace and BaA were determined after extraction of the PAHs.

Results and discussion

P. ostreatus was able to degrade 57.7% of the Ace in soil spiked at 30 mg kg^?1 dry soil and 65.8% of Ace in soil spiked at 60 mg kg^?1 dry soil. The degradation efficiency of BaA by P. ostreatus was 86.7 and 77.4% in soil spiked with Ace at 30 and 60 mg kg^?1 dry soil, respectively. After 15 days of incubation, there were no significant differences in Ace concentration between soil spiked with Ace and soil spiked with Ace + BaA, irrespective of the initial soil concentration of both PAHs. There were also no differences in BaA concentration between soil spiked with BaA and soil spiked with BaA + Ace.

Conclusions

The results indicate that the fungal degradation of Ace and BaA was not influenced by the presence of each other’s PAH in sandy soil. Bioremediation of soils contaminated with Ace and BaA using P. ostreatus is a promising approach to eliminate these PAHs from the environment.     

Effects of a single intravenous bolus of fentanyl on the minimum anesthetic concentration of isoflurane in chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Objective

To assess the temporal effects of a single fentanyl intravenous (IV) bolus on the minimum anesthetic concentration (MAC) of isoflurane in chickens and to evaluate the effects of this combination on heart rate (HR) and rhythm, systemic arterial pressures (sAP) and ventilation.

Presence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ureaplasma diversum</Emphasis> in the genital tracts of female dairy cattle in Mato Grosso State,Brazil

Ureaplasma diversum infection in bovine females may result in various reproductive problems, including granular vulvovaginitis, abortion, weak calves, salpingitis, and spontaneous abortion. The presence of U. diversum in a dairy bovine population from midwestern Brazil has not been established. The aim of this study was to determine whether U. diversum was present in dairy cattle from midwestern Brazil using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Vulvovaginal mucus was analyzed from 203 cows located in six municipalities in the north region of Mato Grosso State, Brazil. A total of 25% of dairy cows with vulvovaginitis were positive for U. diversum. The factors evaluated were included in a multivariable logistic regression model with the presence of at least one positive cow in the herd serving as the dependent variable. Three variables were significantly associated with a U. diversum-positive PCR and were included in the final multivariable model: number of parities, vulvar lesions, and reproductive problems. For each new parity, the chance of U. diversum infection decreased 0.03-fold, indicating that cows with the highest number of parities were more protected. The presence of vulvar lesions was increased 17.6-fold in females positive for U. diversum, suggesting that this bacterium could be related to the red granular lesions in the vulvar mucosa, whereas reproductive problems were increased 7.6-fold. However, further investigations should be conducted to ascertain the effects of U. diversum in association with other mycoplasma species in the herds studied.     

Detecting reproductive system abnormalities of broiler breeder roosters at different ages

The objective of this study was to detect the reasons of rooster's fertility decrease at 50 weeks of age. Therefore, the reproductive system of broiler breeder roosters was laparoscopic, macroscopic and histopathology evaluated, and a comparison of the anatomical aspect with the sperm analysis and birds’ age was realized. Cobb roosters (n = 59) were distributed into two groups (30 and 50 weeks). Evaluations were performed with laparoscopy, macroscopy and histopathology, and seminal quality, blood serum testosterone concentration and weight were also determined. The old roosters presented smaller testicle size, higher intensity epididymal lithiasis and lower testicle sperm production, compared to the young roosters. The use of the endoscope could easily distinguish a normal‐sized testicle than an atrophic one. Four old roosters with severe testicular atrophy did not show spermatogenesis, although three still had sperm in the ejaculate. This would falsely indicate a wrong diagnosis of normal fertility before the testicular atrophy took place. In conclusion, in addition to the weight increase with age, the testicular atrophy and impairment of sperm production seemed to be the main reason to the decrease in the rooster's fertility at 50 weeks of age. Therefore, the use of the laparoscopy as a way to detect the roosters with testicular atrophy before 50 weeks of age and their removal from them flock could be useful as a diagnostic tool to prevent the birds’ fertility loss.     

Transporting bovine oocytes in a medium supplemented with different macromolecules and antioxidants: Effects on nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation and embryonic development in vitro

We investigated whether supplementing the medium used to transport bovine oocytes with different macromolecules [foetal calf serum (FCS) or bovine serum albumin (BSA)] or a mixture of antioxidants (cysteine, cysteamine and catalase) affects their nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation and thereby affects their subsequent embryonic development and cryotolerance. Oocytes were transported for 6 hr in a portable incubator and then subjected to standard in vitro maturation (IVM) for 18 hr. The oocytes in the control groups were cultured (standard IVM) for 24 hr in medium containing 10% FCS (Control FCS) or 10% FCS and the antioxidant mixture (Control FCS+Antiox). The intracellular concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the end of IVM period were lower in the oocytes subjected to simulated transport in the presence of a macromolecular supplement or the antioxidant mixture than that of the control group (FCS: 0.62 and BSA: 0.66 vs. Control FCS: 1.00, p < .05; and Transp: 0.58 and Transp Antiox: 0.70 vs. Control FCS: 1.00, p < .05). After IVM, the mitochondrial membrane potentials of the transported oocytes were lower than those of the non‐transported oocytes (FCS: 0.41 and BSA: 0.57 vs. Control FCS: 1.00, p < .05; and Transp: 0.48 and Transp Antiox: 0.51 vs. Control FCS: 1.00 and Control Antiox: 0.84, p < .05). The blastocyst formation rates (36.9% average) and the re‐expansion rates of vitrified‐warmed blastocysts (53%, average) were unaffected (p > .05) by the treatments. In conclusion, supplementing the medium in which bovine oocytes are transported with antioxidants or different macromolecules did not affect their in vitro production of embryos or their cryotolerance.     

Characterization of antixenosis to Dichelops melacanthus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in soybean genotypes

Soybeans are of great importance in the world agricultural landscape, and their productive potential is significantly reduced by attacks from insect pests. Factors such as the expansion of national agricultural regions, together with no-tillage management and “off-season” maize cultivation, have favored the increase of secondary species such as Dichelops melacanthus (Dallas) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), intensifying the damage caused by the soybean stink bug complex. The use of resistant genotypes may be a valuable strategy as an alternative to the excessive use of chemical control in crops. This study evaluated the attractiveness and feeding preferences of the green-belly stink bug in 17 soybean genotypes in different maturity groups (early, semiearly, and late) to characterize the expression of antixenosis resistance. To this end, free-choice tests of attractiveness and food preference were performed under laboratory conditions. The early genotypes PI 171451 and D 75-10169, the semiearly genotypes IAC 78-2318, “IAC 100”, IAC 74-2832, PI 227687, and “IAC 24” and the late genotypes PI 274454, PI 274453, and L 1-1-01 expressed significant levels of antixenosis against adult D. melacanthus. These results will be useful for soybean breeding programs focusing on the stink bug resistance complex.     

Acute and Chronic Effects of Three Pharmaceutical Drugs on the Tropical Freshwater Cladoceran Ceriodaphnia silvestrii

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for all living organisms, and plays a major role in many physiological processes. However, in recent years, excessive...     

Bilateral patellar agenesis in dog: A case report

A bilateral patellar agenesis is an extremely rare congenital condition in which the patient does not develop both patellas and can present secondary alterations as bone, muscle and postural changes. There are some hypotheses that it has a genetic background presenting dominant characteristic. It is not yet standardized a gold treatment for this affection, but according to rare reports, clinical and surgical treatments are possible. This is a case report based on imagining exams of a mix breed male puppy that was born with bilateral patellar agenesis, an affection not yet reported in canine species.