Screening of antigenemia and isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii from cloaca and crop of birds in the state of Paraná, Brazil

Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii are associated with dry bird excreta but rarely recovered from birds' digestive tract. The objective of the present study was (1) to verify the existence of C. neoformans and C. gattii in crop and cloaca of wildlife and captivity birds hypothesizing about a possible primary source of this yeast in the excreta, and (2) to determine the fungi's invasive capability in avian species through latex agglutination. For that purpose, 172 cloacal and 77 crop samples of domestic pigeon, Passerine, and Psittacine birds were collected. None of these samples was positive, suggesting that the yeast is not saprobiotic in the digestive tract of these birds. Only one out of 82 serum samples collected from pigeons and Psittacine birds was positive (title 1:2) showing that Cryptococcus sp. probably has a low invasive capability in birds, and is thus considered only a dry excreta colonizer

Influência do cultivar, do tipo de folha e do tempo de cultivo na medida indireta da clorofila (spad) em mudas de goiabeira Influence of cultivars, type of leaf, and cultivation time in the indirect measurement of chlorophyll (SPAD) in guava (psidium guajava l.) seedlings

A análise foliar de nitrogênio, comumente empregada em laboratórios de rotina, é destrutiva e nem sempre rápida, obstante para a tomada de decisão. Objetivou-se com a pesquisa estudar as medidas SPAD, em mudas de goiabeira (Psidium guajava L.) cultivada em solução nutritiva completa, observando-se as diferenças entre cultivares, épocas de amostragem e tipos de folhas avaliadas. O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições, em parcelas sub-subdivididas. Assim, foi utilizada como parcela as duas cultivares de goiabeira (Paluma e Século XXI), como subparcelas os tipos de folhas (+1, +2 e +3) e, cinco épocas de amostragem ao longo do período experimental (60, 75, 90, 105 e 120 dias, após o transplantio de mudas) Concluiu-se que a leitura SPAD em mudas de goiabeira é influenciada pela cultivar, tipo de folha e época de amostragem. O terceiro par de folhas mostrou-se mais adequado para avaliar o estado nutricional do nitrogênio nas mudas de goiabeira a partir da leitura SPAD. As cultivares de goiabeira apresentaram diferença na leitura SPAD apenas aos 60 e 90 dias após o transplantio, independentemente do tipo de folha.<br>Foliar nitrogen analysis, also used in routine laboratories, is destructive and not always fast enough for decision making. The objective of this research was to study SPAD measurements, in guava seedlings (Psidium guajava L.) cultivated in a complete nutritive solution, observing the differences between cultivation, times of sampling, and types of evaluated leaves. The experimental design was a completely randomized scheme, with four repetitions, in split lots. The lots consisted of two guava cultivars (Paluma and Século XXI), as sub-lots, the types of leaves (+1, +2 ,and +3), and five sampling times throughout the experimental period (60, 75, 90, 105, and 120 days). It was concluded that the SPAD measurements in guava seedlings are influenced by cultivation, type of leaf, and time of sampling. The third pair of leaves was shown to be more adequate for evaluating the nutritional status of nitrogen in the guava seedlings from the SPAD reading. The guava cultivars presented differences in SPAD readings only at 60 and 90 days, regardless of the type of leaf

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora