DISTRIBUTION OF DERMATOPHYTES FROM SOILS OF URBAN AND RURAL AREAS OF CITIES OF PARAIBA STATE, BRAZIL

SUMMARY The dermatophytes, keratinophilic fungi, represent important microorganisms of the soil microbiota, where there are cosmopolitan species and others with restricted geographic distribution. The aim of this study was to broaden the knowledge about the presence of dermatophytes in soils of urban (empty lots, schools, slums, squares, beaches and homes) and rural areas and about the evolution of their prevalence in soils of varying pH in cities of the four mesoregions of Paraiba State, Brazil. Soil samples were collected from 31 cities of Paraiba State. Of 212 samples, 62% showed fungal growth, particularly those from the Mata Paraibana mesoregion (43.5%), which has a tropical climate, hot and humid. Soil pH varied from 4.65 to 9.06, with 71% of the growth of dermatophytes occurring at alkaline pH (7.02 - 9.06) (ρ = 0.000). Of 131 strains isolated, 57.3% were geophilic species, particularly Trichophyton terrestre (31.3%) and Mycrosporum gypseum (21.4%). M. nanum and T. ajelloi were isolated for the first time in Paraiba State. The zoophilic species identified were T. mentagrophytes var. mentagrophytes (31.3 %) and T. verrucosum (7.6 %), and T. tonsurans was isolated as an anthropophilic species. The soils of urban areas including empty lots, schools, slums and squares of cities in the mesoregions of Paraiba State were found to be the most suitable reservoirs for almost all dermatophytes; their growth may have been influenced by environmental factors, soils with residues of human and/or animal keratin and alkaline pH

More than 10,000 pre-Columbian earthworks are still hidden throughout Amazonia.

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Association for the Advancement of Science via the DOI in this recordData and materials availability: Data from publicly available sources are cited in the supplementary materials. Other data and computer codes used in the analysis are publicly available at Zenodo repositoryIndigenous societies are known to have occupied the Amazon basin for more than 12,000 years, but the scale of their influence on Amazonian forests remains uncertain. We report the discovery, using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) information from across the basin, of 24 previously undetected pre-Columbian earthworks beneath the forest canopy. Modeled distribution and abundance of large-scale archaeological sites across Amazonia suggest that between 10,272 and 23,648 sites remain to be discovered and that most will be found in the southwest. We also identified 53 domesticated tree species significantly associated with earthwork occurrence probability, likely suggesting past management practices. Closed-canopy forests across Amazonia are likely to contain thousands of undiscovered archaeological sites around which pre-Columbian societies actively modified forests, a discovery that opens opportunities for better understanding the magnitude of ancient human influence on Amazonia and its current state.Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement under the Academic Excellence Program (CAPES/PROEX)Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement under the Academic Excellence Program (CAPES/PROEX)Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement under the Academic Excellence Program (CAPES/PROEX)National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ)National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ)National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ)European Research CouncilSão Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)Amazon FundSão Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)PVEMEC/MCTI/CAPES/CNPq/FAPEuropean Union’s Horizon 2020European Union’s Horizon 2020CAPESANRMCT/CNPq/CT-INFRA/GEOMAMCT/CNPq/CT-INFRA/GEOMACAPES/PDSECAPES/FapespaCNPqFAPESPCNPq/CAPES/FAPS/BC-NewtonFAPEMATRoyal Society GCRF International Collaboration AwardNSF/DEBCNPQ/PQNatural Environment Research Council (NERC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)Gordon and Betty Moore Foundatio