Swine manure digestate treatment using electrocoagulation

Anaerobic biodigestion is an appropriate alternative for the treatment of swine wastewater due to its biogas generation properties and the possibility of its application as a source of energy for heating or electricity. However, digestate can still contain high levels of turbidity, organic carbon and nutrients and must be correctly managed as a biofertilizer, or treated to avoid any impact on the environment. Considering this, electrocoagulation (EC) shows promise as a technology because of its ease of handling and high efficiency in effluent remediation. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of EC in a batch system in the treatment of swine wastewater digestate. The wastewater used in the treatment was sampled from a 10 m3 biodigestor effluent (digestate) located at Concórdia, Santa Catarina, Brazil. A batch-scale experiment was carried out to evaluate the following two variables: electrode distance (ED) and voltage applied (V). The removal efficiency levels (%) for the best operational condition (2 cm, 5 V) after 30 min were: 97 %, 98 %, 77 % and 10 % for color, turbidity, total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN), respectively. The EC batch system produced efficient results, underlining its promise as an alternative to be applied in the treatment of digestate

Detecção de Chlamydophila felis e Herpesvirus felino tipo 1 em felídeo não doméstico no Brasil

Little is known about the occurrence of feline upper respiratory tract disease agents, namely Feline Herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) and Chlamydophila felis, and co-infection of these agents with Feline Immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) in non-domestic felids in Brazil. Between 2009 and 2010, 72 conjunctival swab and serum samples were collected from eight non-domestic felid species (Leopardus pardalis, Leopardus tigrinus, Panthera leo, Panthera tigris, Puma concolor, Puma yagouaroundi, Oncifelis colocolo, and Panthera onca) maintained in captivity in Brazilian zoos. DNA extracted from conjunctival swabs were used in PCR assays for the detection of Chlamydophila sp, FHV-1, and retrovirus DNA, respectively. Antibodies to FIV and FeLV antigen were detected in non-domestic felid serum samples using a commercial ELISA kit. Antibodies to FIV were found only in five (6.9%) felids. No sampled non-domestic felid was positive for FeLV antigen detection. One (1.3%) out of 72 non-domestic felid conjunctival swab samples was positive for Chlamydophilasp. and Feline Herpesvirus-1 in PCR. This felid was an ocelot and was negative for FIV and FeLV. The results of this survey showed the occurrence of co-infection with C. felis and FHV-1 in an ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in Brazil. Poucos trabalhos descrevem a ocorrência dos agentes do complexo respiratório felino, Herpesvírus Felino tipo 1 (FHV-1) e Chlamydophila felis, e a coinfecção com o vírus da imunodeficiência felina (FIV) e leucemia viral felina (FeLV) em felinos não domésticos no Brasil. Entre 2009 e 2010, 72 amostras de swab de conjuntiva e de soro foram coletados de oito espécies de felinos não domésticos (Leopardus pardalis, Leopardus tigrinus, Panthera leo, Panthera tigris, Puma concolor, Puma yagouaroundi, Oncifelis colocolo, and Panthera onca) mantidos em cativeiro em zoológicos brasileiros. O DNA foi extraído das amostras de swab de conjuntiva para detecção de Chlamydophila sp e FHV-1 pela PCR. Anticorpos para FIV e antígeno para FeLV foram determinados pelo kit comercial de ELISA. Anticorpos para FIV foram detectados em cinco felídeos (6,9%). Nenhuma amostra foi positiva para a presença de antígeno de FeLV. Um (1,3%) dos 72 felinos não domésticos apresentou fragmentos de DNA de Chlamydophila sp e FHV-1 pela PCR. Este felino era uma jaguatirica que não apresentou anticorpos para FIV e nem antígeno para FelV. Estes resultados demonstram a ocorrência de coinfecção de C. felis e FHV-1 em uma jaguatirica (Leopardus pardalis) no Brasil

Seedling quality of Murraya paniculata produced with different substrates

Um dos aspectos mais importantes para o estabelecimento de bons povoamentos florestais é a utilização de mudas de qualidade. O substrato é um fator que exerce grande influência e por isso deve ser constituído de materiais que fornecem propriedades capazes de suprir as necessidades das mudas. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência da utilização de biossólido e esterco bovino como componente de substrato na produção de mudas de Murraya paniculata. As mudas foram produzidas em sacolas plásticas de 12x18 cm, contendo como substrato, diferentes combinações entre biossólido, esterco de bovino e terra de subsolo. Aos 150 dias após a repicagem foi observado que a utilização de biossólido ou esterco bovino na composição do substrato influenciou significativamente os parâmetros morfológicos das mudas. Para a produção de mudas de Murraya paniculata, é recomendada a utilização de esterco bovino ou biossólido, em proporções superiores a 60% destes resíduos.One of the most important aspects for the establishment of good forest stands is the use of high quality seedlings. The substrate is a factor that exerts great influence and therefore should be made of materials that provide properties that meet the needs of plants. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the use of sewage sludge and cattle manure as a component of the substrate quality of seedlings of Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack. The seedlings were grown in plastic bags of 12x18 cm, with a volume capacity of 2L, containing as substrate, different combinations of sewage sludge, cattle manure and subsoil. At 150 days after transplantation was observed that the use of sewage sludge or cattle manure in the substrate composition significantly influenced the morphological characteristics of seedlings, there is a tendency of growth of seedlings in height, diameter and biomass with increasing of the proportion of sewage sludge and cattle manure. For the production of seedlings of Murraya paniculata, the use of substrates containing larger quantities than 60% of cattle manure or sewage sludge mixed with subsoil may be recommended

Modelagem Hidrológica em uma Sub-bacia Hidrográfica do Baixo Rio Araguaia, TO

Hydrological simulation is an important tool for water resources management since it allows for practitioners to evaluate the impacts of anthropic activities and climatic changes on water availability. The Lontra River watershed is situated in the Lower Araguaia River Basin which is an important economic region of Northern Tocantins State. The understanding of its hydrological features is fundamental for the development of environmental studies for supporting the decision-making related to the water resources management as strong pressure has been observed due to both the agricultural frontier expansion and installed economic center. The LASH hydrological model (stands for Lavras Simulation of Hydrology) is characterized as a deterministic, semi conceptual and spatially distributed model and has been successfully applied in watersheds located in Southeastern Brazil. It was found in this study that the model was able to adequately capture the overall hydrological regime in the studied watershed. Three statistical coefficients used for measuring the model goodness-of-fit, Nash-Sutcliffe (CNS), Log (CNS) and determination coefficient (R²), have shown values greater than 0.74, 0.80 and 0.90, respectively. The simulated flow duration curve presented a good fit in relation to the observed one, with small errors for prediction of minimum and maximum stream flows. Thus, we can be conclude that LASH model simulated properly the hydrological regime in the Lontra River Watershed and it can be applied for either evaluation water availability or planning and management of water resources in the Lower Araguaia River Basin.A simulação hidrológica é uma ferramenta importante para o gerenciamento de recursos hídricos, pois permite que os profissionais avaliem os impactos de atividades antrópicas e mudanças climáticas na disponibilidade de água. A bacia hidrográfica do rio Lontra está situada na bacia do baixo rio Araguaia, que é uma importante região econômica do norte do estado do Tocantins. O entendimento de suas características hidrológicas é fundamental para o desenvolvimento de estudos ambientais para apoiar a tomada de decisões relacionadas ao gerenciamento de recursos hídricos, uma vez que forte pressão tem sido observada devido à expansão da fronteira agrícola e ao centro econômico instalado. O modelo hidrológico LASH (sigla para Lavras Simulation of Hydrology) é caracterizado como um modelo determinístico, semi-conceitual e espacialmente distribuído e foi aplicado com sucesso em bacias hidrográficas localizadas no sudeste do Brasil. Verificou-se neste estudo que o modelo foi capaz de capturar adequadamente o regime hidrológico geral na bacia hidrográfica estudada. Três coeficientes estatísticos utilizados para medir o modelo de ajuste, Nash-Sutcliffe (CNS), Log (CNS) e coeficiente de determinação (R²) apresentaram valores superiores a 0,74, 0,80 e 0,90, respectivamente. A curva de duração do fluxo simulado apresentou um bom ajuste em relação ao observado, com pequenos erros para predição de vazões mínimas e máximas. Assim, podemos concluir que o modelo LASH simula adequadamente o regime hidrológico da bacia hidrográfica do rio Lontra e pode ser aplicado para avaliação da disponibilidade hídrica ou planejamento e gerenciamento de recursos hídricos na bacia do baixo rio Araguaia

Imaging of ulnar-sided wrist pain

Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Departamento de Diagnóstico por ImagemUNIFESPUNIFESP, Depto. de Diagnóstico por ImagemUNIFESPSciEL

Molecular Survey of Bartonella Species in Stray Cats and Dogs, Humans, and Questing Ticks from Portugal

Bartonella spp. comprises emergent and re-emergent fastidious Gram-negative bacteria with worldwide distribution. Cats are the main reservoir hosts for Bartonella henselae and dogs represent opportunistic hosts for the bacteria. Even though ticks may also play a role in transmission, their competence as vectors for Bartonella spp. has not been totally understood. Considering only a few studies had a focus on screening Bartonella in animals, humans and ectoparasites in Portugal, this study aimed to address the molecular occurrence of Bartonella sp. in 123 stray cats, 25 stray dogs, 30 humans from Lisbon and 236 questing ticks within the country. Using a qPCR targeting the nuoG gene, it was possible to detect Bartonella sp. DNA on 20.32% of cat samples (25/123). From these positive samples, 13 sequences were characterized as B. henselae, 11 as B. clarridgeiae and 1 presented co-infection with both species. The absolute quantification of nuoG Bartonella DNA in sampled cats ranged from 2.78 × 10 to 1.03 × 105 copies/µL. The sampled dogs, humans and ticks were negative. These results showed that B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae are circulating in stray cats from Lisbon. Additional and more extended studies should be conducted to determine the impact of such infections on humans, particularly those in constant and direct contact with cats.publishersversionpublishe

Feeding on a Bartonella henselae Infected Host Triggers Temporary Changes in the Ctenocephalides felis Microbiome

The effect of Bartonella henselae on the microbiome of its vector, Ctenocephalides felis (the cat flea) is largely unknown, as the majority of C. felis microbiome studies have utilized wild-caught pooled fleas. We surveyed the microbiome of laboratory-origin C. felis fed on B. henselae-infected cats for 24 h or 9 days to identify changes to microbiome diversity and microbe prevalence compared to unfed fleas, and fleas fed on uninfected cats. Utilizing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) on the Illumina platform, we documented an increase in microbial diversity in C. felis fed on Bartonella-infected cats for 24 h. These changes returned to baseline (unfed fleas or fleas fed on uninfected cats) after 9 days on the host. Increased diversity in the C. felis microbiome when fed on B. henselae-infected cats may be related to the mammalian, flea, or endosymbiont response. Poor B. henselae acquisition was documented with only one of four infected flea pools having B. henselae detected by NGS. We hypothesize this is due to the use of adult fleas, flea genetic variation, or lack of co-feeding with B. henselae-infected fleas. Future studies are necessary to fully characterize the effect of endosymbionts and C. felis diversity on B. henselae acquisition

Theileria terrestris nov. sp. : a novel Theileria in lowland tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) from two different biomes in Brazil

The low-land tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is the largest wild terrestrial mammal found in Brazil. Although T. terrestris has been already reported as a host of hemoparasites, the occurrence and genetic identity of Piroplasmida agents in this species is still cloudy. Although it is reported that Theileria equi, an endemic equid-infective agent in Brazil, is occurring in lowland tapirs, these reports are probably misconceived diagnoses since they are solely based on small fragments of 18S rRNA that may not achieve accurate topologies on phylogenetic analyses. The present study aimed to detect and investigate the identity of Theileria spp. in tapirs from Pantanal and Cerrado biomes. Blood-DNA samples from tapirs were screened for a partial (~800 bp) 18S rRNA gene fragment from Piroplasmida and 64 (64/122; 52.46% CI: 43.66–61.11%) presented bands of expected size. Samples were submitted to different protocols for molecular characterization, including near-full length 18S rRNA gene (~1500 bp), and the ema-1 gene from T. equi. Eight sequences were obtained for extended fragments (1182–1473 bp) from the 18S rRNA gene. Moreover, three sequences from partial cox-1 and five from partial hsp70 gene were obtained. None of the samples presented amplifications for the ema-1 gene. Phylogenetic and distance analyses from the 18S rRNA sequences obtained demonstrated a clear separation from tapirs’ Theileria spp. and T. equi. Phylogenetic analyses of cox-1 and hsp70 sequences obtained herein also showed a unique clade formed by tapir’s Theileria spp. Theileria terrestris sp. nov. is positioned apart from all other Theileria species in 18S rRNA, cox-1, and hps70 phylogenetic analyses. This novel proposed species represents a new Piroplasmida clade, yet to be characterized regarding biological features, vectors involved in the transmission cycles, additional vertebrate hosts, and pathogenicity

Neorickettsia sp. in coatis (Nasua nasua) in Brazil

Abstract The genus Neorickettsia comprises trematode-associated bacteria that can cause diseases in animals and humans. Despite detection of Neorickettsia antigens in the intestine of coatis kept in captivity in southern Brazil through immunohistochemistry, the molecular identity of the bacteria in South American procyonids remains elusive. The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of Neorickettsia sp. in blood samples from coatis in central-western Brazil. Between March 2018 and January 2019, animals were captured and recaptured in two areas of the Cerrado (Parque Estadual do Prosa, PEP; and Vila da Base Aérea, VBA) located in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, central-western Brazil. All captures were performed according to convenience. DNA from 97 blood samples was subjected to nested PCR (nPCR) targeting a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene of Neorickettsia sp. Six samples (3.6%; five from VBA and one from PEP) from different coatis were positive in nPCR based on the 16S rRNA. The sequences obtained (~500 bp) showed ˃ 99% similarity to N. risticii. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the sequences detected in the present study in a clade with N. risticii. This is the first molecular detection of Neorickettsia sp. in coatis in Brazil

RESISTÊNCIA DO Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus AOS CARRAPATICIDAS: REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

O carrapato Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus é o principal ectoparasito de bovinos e esta associado à transmissão de doenças, causando grandes prejuízos econômicos a indústria da pecuária no geral. O surgimento de populações de carrapatos R.(B) microplus resistentes aos carrapaticidas comerciais é um problema observado em muitas propriedades rurais no mundo, gerando um prejuízo de aproximadamente US$ 7 bilhões por ano. O uso correto dos princípios ativos carrapaticidas existentes e conhecimento das diversas formas de resistência do R. (B) microplus a estes princípios são de grande valia para prevenir ou então diagnosticar precocemente o aparecimento da resistência nas diversas populações deste ectoparasita