Effect of Saprotrophic Soil Fungi on Toxocara canis Eggs

The purpose of this work was to assess the ovicidal activity of Chrysosporium merdarium, Trichoderma harzianum, Fusarium oxysporum, F. moniliforme and F. sulphureum isolated from public areas in the city of La Plata, Argentina, on Toxocara canis eggs in vitro. Each species were cultured on water agar 2% with a suspension of immature-stage T. canis eggs. At 4, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-culture, they were observed by light and scanning electron microscopy. One hundred eggs were evaluated and scored according to Lỳsek’s ovicidal effect classification. These procedures were repeated three times which each fungal species. Chrysosporium merdarium and F. oxysporum showed very high ovicidal activity, F. sulphureum high ovicidal activity, F. moniliforme intermediate ovicidal activity and T. harzianum did not affect the viability of T. canis eggs. Taking into account the effects on human and animal health and the environment, the species with better prospects for studying its potential use as biological control was F. sulphureum

MICOBIOTA DE LA RIZOSFERA Y RIZOPLANO DE SUELOS CONTAMINADOS CON HIDROCARBUROS

Se estudió la micobiota saprótrofa de suelo rizosférico y de rizoplano, de plantas que crecen en áreas contaminadas con hidrocarburos y en áreas control. Se aislaron e identificaron 52 especies fúngicas, de las cuales 39 pertenecen a los Deuteromycetes, 3 a los Ascomycetes, 8 a los Zygomycetes (Orden Mucorales) y 2 son micelios estériles. Mediante el uso de métodos de ordenación, utilizándose el análisis de componentes principales, pudo diferenciarse las muestras obtenidas de áreas contaminadas de las no contaminadas. A pesar que las especies son las mismas en ambas áreas, sus frecuencias relativas permiten una discriminación de los muestreos

Coriolopsis rigida, a potential model of white‑rot fungi that produce extracellular laccases

In the last two decades, a significant amount of work aimed at studying the ability of the white-rot fungus Coriolopsis rigida strain LPSC no. 232 to degrade lignin, sterols, as well as several hazardous pollutants like dyes and aliphatic and aromatic fractions of crude oil, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, has been performed. Additionally, C. rigida in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi appears to enhance plant growth, albeit the physiological and molecular bases of this effect remain to be elucidated. C. rigida's ability to degrade lignin and lignin-related compounds and the capacity to transform the aromatic fraction of crude oil in the soil might be partially ascribed to its ligninolytic enzyme system. Two extracellular laccases are the only enzymatic components of its lignin-degrading system. We reviewed the most relevant findings regarding the activity and role of C. rigida LPSC no. 232 and its laccases and discussed the work that remains to be done in order to assess, more precisely, the potential use of this fungus and its extracellular enzymes as a model in several applied processes

Diet of the black-chinned siskin (<i>Carduelis barbata</i>) during autumn

Se analizó el contenido estomacal de 28 individuos de Cabecitanegra Austral (<i>Carduelis barbata</i>) colectados durante el otoño en el norte de la Patagonia. Todos los estómagos contuvieron alimento, cuyo peso promedio fue de 0.209 g. Se identificaron 11 ítems (7 de origen vegetal y 4 de origen animal). Las plantas predominaron en la dieta (85.8% en peso) y pertenecieron a las familias Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae y Solanaceae. Las semillas más abundantes fueron de Camelina microcarpa y Sisymbrium sp. La fracción animal estuvo representada solo por insectos (14.2%) de los órdenes Diptera (larvas) y Homoptera (familias Psyllidae y Aphididae). Los Aphididae estuvieron representados en gran cantidad de muestras por <i>Pterocomma populeum</i>. Los gastrolitos aparecieron en todas las muestras, con un peso promedio de 0.093 g. Es destacable el alto porcentaje de insectos que el Cabecitanegra Austral incluye en su dieta, teniendo en cuenta que pertenece a una familia típicamente granívora.The contents of 28 stomachs of the Black-chinned Siskin (<i>Carduelis barbata</i>) were analyzed from an autumn collection from the north of Patagonia. All stomachs contained food. The mean mass was 0.209 g. Eleven items (seven vegetal and four animal) were identified in the samples. The plant fraction was predominant (85.8% in weight) and corresponded to the families Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae. <i>Camelina microcarpa</i> and <i>Sisymbrium sp</i>. were the more abundant seeds. The animal fraction was represented only by insects (14.2%) in the orders Diptera (larvae) and Homoptera (families Psyllidae and Aphididae). Aphididae was represented by <i>Pterocomma populeum</i> in many samples. Gastroliths were present in all samples, with a mean mass of 0.093 g. The high proportion of insects in the diet of the Black-chinned Siskin is striking considering that it belongs to a family of seed-eater

Sucesión fúngica en la hojarasca de Nothofagus dombeyi

The experiment was performed in two sites of Nahuel Huapi National Park: nearby Lake Gutiérrez and Quetrihué Peninsula. The method used was direct observation on sterilized leaves previously incubated in between leaf-litter on special traps. Leaves were observed in the laboratory monthly during two years, determining tbe presence and relative frequence of fungi sporulating in both urfaces. Data obtained from both sites were used for preparing double entrance tables with taxa grouped according to Mueller-Dombois and Ellenberg (1974) method. As a result six groups of species were disitnguished; GROUP 1 represent the pioneers in the succession on fallen leaves, with Zoellneria eucalypti as dominant. GROUP II is formecl by an enclophytic fungi, Coleophoma cylindrospora and clandosporium. cladosporioides, both considered here primary saprophytes. GROUP III does not show a successional pattern and is composecl by species of diseontinuous appearence originatedin soil: we call these fungí invaders of the leaf-litter. There are Paecilomyces sp. and Acremonium sp. GROUP IV is dominatecl by Trichocladium opacum, which is an aggressive and competitive primarry saprophyte due its complex enzimatic activity. GROUP V is represented mainly by Ascomycetes, accompanied in some cases by a few aeroaquatic fungi. The fonner colonizes the leaves for a long period and can be considered secondary sapro¡phytes. GROUP VI is formed by soil and predator fungí as Monacrosporium gephyropagum and Mucor circinelloides. After 4 years and 10 month apparently the succession did not reach the "climax" state, because only about 70 % of the species found in natural leaf-litter have been detected. There is a certain coherence between SUCCESSIONAL GROUPS and SEASONAL GROUPS, th latter was reported in a previous paper.Se estudia la suces.on ue hongos sobre la hojarasca de Nothofagus dombeyi en dos sitios del Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapí: Lago Gutiérrez y Península Quetrihué (Argentina). El método seguido es el de la observación directa de las hojas esterilizadas incubadas en "trampas" especialmente ubil.:adas entre la hojarasca, las que mensualmente se analizaron en el laboratorio, determinando la presencia y frecuenda relativa (f) de los hongos aparecidos en ambas superficies fo1iares, en cada hoja. Con estos datos se confeccionaron tablas sociológicas de doble entrada, volcándose los relevamientos de taxones en cada sitio y agrupándose según la técnica de Mueller-Dombois y EJlenberg (1974). Como resultado se proponen seis GRUPOS SUCESIONALES. El GRUPO I representa las especies pioneras de la sucesión sobre las hojas caídas en el piso del bosque y su principal componente es Zoell,¡eria. etlcalypti. El GRUPO II está conformado por un hongo endofítico: Coleophoma cylindrospora y por CUIdosporill1n cladoslJOrioides, ambos salJTófitos primarios. El GRUPO III no muestra una neta distribución estacional por su aparición discontinua: está compuesto por hongos del suelo invasores de la hojarasca, como Paecilomyces sp. y Aeremonilllll Sp' El GRUPO IV, cuyo dominante es l'ric1wci(Jclium opaculll ('S un saprófito primario agresivo y competitivo por su variada actividad enzimáliea. El GRUPO V, fomlado básicamente por aswmicetes, col niza la hojarasea por un período largo, a veces están acompañados por hongos aeroacuáticos y pueden considerarse saprófitos secundarios. El GRUPO VI está conformado por hongos de suelo y depredadores, como Monacrosporium. gephyropagum y Mucor circinelloides. Al cabo de 4. años y 8 meses se percibe que la sucesión no ha llegado a su estado "clímax", ya que solamente han apareddo aproximadamente un 70 % de los taxones detectados en la hojarasca natural, empleando el muestreo mensua

Variación estacional de la micoflora en la hojarasca de Nothofagus DombeyI

Los organismos degradadores, hongos y bacterias, cumplen una función vital en los ecosistemas de bosque, manteniendo el reciclado de la materia. Aquellos actúan sobre los detritos vegetales y animales alimentando un proceso que conduce a la formación de humus y otras sustancias orgánicas y a la liberación de nutrientes que de tal manera quedan disponibles para su utilización por los productores primarios. Como este abastecimiento de nutrientes es un factor limitante, los degradadores controlan indirectamente la productividad del bosque. Además los microorganismos tienden a hacer más perfectos e intrabióticos los ciclos de los nutrientes en los ecosistemas, contribuyendo a evitar la pérdida de sustancias minerales mediante relaciones simbióticas con las raíces de las Cormofitas (micorrizas) y con la retención temporaria de nutrientes en sus talos. Por todo esto, su acción se considera de suma importancia para los sistemas ecológicos a nivel delsuelo, donde la descomposición es el proceso más activo

Application of Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction for Determination of Chloro-Organic Compounds in Sewage Samples

Solid phase microextraction (SPME) has been optimized and applied to the determination of the volatile halogenated compounds (VHCs) and semi-volatile halogenated compounds (SVHCs). Three types of SPME fiber coated with different stationary phases (PDMS–100 μm, CAR/PDMS-75 μm, PDMS/DVB–65 μm) were used to examine their extraction efficiencies for the compounds tested. Experimental parameters such as the selection of SPME coatings, extraction time, and addition of salts were studied. The carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane (CAR/PDMS) fiber appears to be the most suitable for the determination of VHCs. Analytical parameters such as linearity, limit of detection, and precision were also evaluated. Application of ECD detector for the determination of VHCs and SVHCs allows their determination on the low concentration level, ranging from 0.005 to 0.8 μg/L−1. The HS-SPME-GC/ECD procedure gave good analytical precision expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD) (ranged from 5.08% to 8.07%) for a concentration level of 5 μg/L−1 and good linearity (r2 > 0.98) in a wide calibration range. The applied HS-SPME-GC/ECD method was found to be a quick and effective technique for the determination of microtrace amounts of volatile and semi-volatile halogenated compounds in samples containing high amounts of various organic compounds

Rationale and methods of the multicenter randomised trial of a heart failure management programme among geriatric patients (HF-Geriatrics)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Disease management programmes (DMPs) have been shown to reduce hospital readmissions and mortality in adults with heart failure (HF), but their effectiveness in elderly patients or in those with major comorbidity is unknown. The Multicenter Randomised Trial of a Heart Failure Management Programme among Geriatric Patients (HF-Geriatrics) assesses the effectiveness of a DMP in elderly patients with HF and major comorbidity.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Clinical trial in 700 patients aged ≥ 75 years admitted with a primary diagnosis of HF in the acute care unit of eight geriatric services in Spain. Each patient should meet at least one of the following comorbidty criteria: Charlson index ≥ 3, dependence in ≥ 2 activities of daily living, treatment with ≥ 5 drugs, active treatment for ≥ 3 diseases, recent emergency hospitalization, severe visual or hearing loss, cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anaemia, or constitutional syndrome. Half of the patients will be randomly assigned to a 1-year DMP led by a case manager and the other half to usual care. The DMP consists of an educational programme for patients and caregivers on the management of HF, COPD (knowledge of the disease, smoking cessation, immunizations, use of inhaled medication, recognition of exacerbations), diabetes (knowledge of the disease, symptoms of hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia, self-adjustment of insulin, foot care) and depression (knowledge of the disease, diagnosis and treatment). It also includes close monitoring of the symptoms of decompensation and optimisation of treatment compliance. The main outcome variables are quality of life, hospital readmissions, and overall mortality during a 12-month follow-up.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The physiological changes, lower life expectancy, comorbidity and low health literacy associated with aging may influence the effectiveness of DMPs in HF. The HF-Geriatrics study will provide direct evidence on the effect of a DMP in elderly patients with HF and high comorbidty, and will reduce the need to extrapolate the results of clinical trials in adults to elderly patients.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>(ClinicalTrials.gov number, <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01076465">NCT01076465</a>).</p