Complex relationships among personality traits, job characteristics, and work behaviors

The aim of the study was to investigate the additive, mediating, and moderating effects of personality traits and job characteristics on work behaviors. Job applicants (N = 161) completed personality questionnaires measuring extraversion, neuroticism, achievement motivation, and experience seeking. One and a half years later, supervisors rated the applicants' job performance, and the job incumbents completed questionnaires about skill variety, autonomy, and feedback, work stress, job satisfaction, work self-efficacy, and propensity to leave. LISREL was used to test 15 hypotheses. Perceived feedback mediated the relationship between achievement motivation and job performance. Extraversion predicted work self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Work stress mediated the relationship between neuroticism and job satisfaction. Job satisfaction and experience seeking were related to propensity to leave. Autonomy, skill variety, and feedback were related to job satisfaction

Fungi infection in honeybee hives in regions affected by Brazilian sac brood

The Brazilian Sac Brood is a disease that affects apiaries of Africanized bee hives in Brazil, thereby making them susceptible to high losses. This study investigated the pathogenicity of Africanized bee hives by the entomopathogenic fungi in a Brazilian Sac Brood endemic region. The degree of fungal contamination, presence of mycotoxins in beehive elements, and vulnerability of healthy beehives in environments subjected and not subjected to the disease were investigated. From the contaminating fungal load, species that are mycotoxin producers and pathogenic causing mortality in the bees have been isolated. The analysis of bee pollen and bee bread samples did not show the presence of the toxic pollen of Stryphnodendron (Fabaceae), which has been indicated as the causative agent of mortality in pre-pupal stage larvae. However, bee bread showed the highest correlation between substrate and fungal contamination

Contaminação fúngica do amendoim em função das doses de calcário e épocas de amostragem Fungus contamination on peanut as affected by liming and sampling time

A população de fungos no solo varia de acordo com os fatores abióticos e bióticos, e, no caso do amendoim, podem contaminar as sementes, comprometendo sua qualidade. O objetivo do trabalho foi o de avaliar o efeito da calagem e da época de amostragem do solo e das vagens do amendoim na população de fungos, visando analisar a contaminação por Aspergillus spp., Rhizopus spp. e Penicillium spp. O experimento foi efetuado em Planassolo, no período das águas (outubro de 2001 a fevereiro de 2002), empregando o amendoim, cv. Botutatu. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso em parcela subdividida, com quatro repetições. As doses de calcário dolomítico (0,0 e 1,8 t.ha-1) foram aplicadas nas parcelas, em dezembro de 2000 e, as subparcelas, em quatro épocas de amostragem, com intervalos de 10 dias, a partir de 104.º dia após a semeadura (DAS). Nas amostras, foram realizadas a avaliação da população de fungos no solo e sua incidência nos pericarpos das vagens e nas sementes. Os resultados permitiram concluir que nas condições deste experimento, a época de amostragem e a aplicação de calcário não interferiram na população de Aspergillus spp. nas amostras de solo e sua incidência nos pericarpos das vagens. Nas amostras efetuadas aos 104 e 114 DAS, período com menores teores de água no solo, houve maior número de isolados pertencentes ao grupo Aspergillus flavus no solo e maiores incidências desses fungos nas vagens e sementes.<br>Diversity of fungus populations in soil could vary according to abiotic and biotic factors. On peanut cultivated soils, these can contaminate seeds, affecting their quality. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of liming and sampling time, both of soil and peanut pods, fungus populations in the soil, specially in respect to possible contamination with Aspergillus , Rhizopus and Penicillium species. The experiment was installed in Planassol that was cultivated with peanut cv. Botutatu, during the raining season (October of 2001 to February of 2002). The experimental design was a subplot with four replications, in completely randomized blocks. Lime levels (0,0 and 1,8 t.ha-1) were applied to the plots in December of 2000, and the subplots were harvested during four intervals of 10 days, starting at 104 days after planting (DAP). Samples were evaluated regarding fungus population in the soil and their incidence in pods and seeds. The results allowed to conclude at these experimental conditions, the sampling time and application of lime do not interfere in the soil population of Aspergillus species. In samples collected at 104 and 114 DAP, period with lower water contents in the soil, there was an increase of Aspergillus flavus group isolates in the soil and more intense incidence of this fungus in pods and seeds

Influência da calagem, da época de colheita e da secagem na incidência de fungos e aflatoxinas em grãos de amendoim armazenados Storage peanut kernels fungal contamination and aflatoxin as affected by liming, harvest time and drying

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a contaminação e o potencial para síntese de aflatoxinas pelos isolados do grupo Aspergillus flavus em grãos armazenados de amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L.), que foram produzidos com distintos procedimentos de calagem, de colheita e de secagem. Para isto, foram avaliadas doze amostras de grãos de amendoim, cv. Botutatu, provenientes de plantas cultivadas em área que recebeu ou não a aplicação de calcário, colhidas aos 104, 114 e 124 dias após a semeadura e secas em condições ambientais e em estufa. Aos 12 e 18 meses de armazenamento, os grãos foram tratados com hipoclorito de sódio e incubados em BDA, a 20&deg;C, por cinco dias. As espécies do grupo Aspergillus flavus foram identificadas após incubação em meio ADM. Posteriormente, o potencial toxígeno foi avaliado pelo método da cromatografia de camada delgada. A análise da freqüência de fungos revelou que os grãos de amendoim armazenados estavam contaminados por Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp. e Fusarium spp. Os grãos de amendoim, provenientes da colheita antecipada, apresentaram maior contaminação pelo grupo Aspergillus flavus, sendo menor a proporção destes com potencial toxígeno.<br>The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the storage on the potential of aflatoxin production by isolates from Aspergillus flavus group in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). These kernels were obtained from a field experiment with two areas (with or without lime), three times of harvest (104, 114 and 124 days after planting) and two types of dryer conditions (ambient and chamber with forced air). After 12 and 18 months of storage, the kernels were treated with sodium hypochloride and incubated in a PDA at 20&deg;C during five days. The isolates from Aspergillus flavus group were identified after incubation in ADM culture medium. The toxigenic potential was analyzed by thin layer chromatography. The genera detected were Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. The kernels from the first harvest, showed higher contamination by the Aspergillus flavus group, but the small proportion with toxigen potential