Incidence and diversity of the fungal genera Aspergillus and Penicillium in Portuguese almonds and chestnuts

Almonds (Prunus dulcis (Miller) D.A. Webb) and European (sweet) chestnuts (Castanea sativa Miller) are of great economic and social impact in Mediterranean countries, and in some areas they constitute the main income of rural populations. Despite all efforts to control fungal contamination, toxigenic fungi are ubiquitous in nature and occur regularly in worldwide food supplies, and these nuts are no exception. This work aimed to provide knowledge on the general mycobiota of Portuguese almonds and chestnuts, and its evolution from field to the end of storage. For this matter, 45 field chestnut samples and 36 almond samples (30 field samples and six storage samples) were collected in Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. All fungi belonging to genus Aspergillus were isolated and identified to the section level. Fungi representative of other genera were identified to the genus level. In the field, chestnuts were mainly contaminated with the genera Fusarium, Cladosporium, Alternaria and Penicillium, and the genus Aspergillus was only rarely found, whereas almonds were more contaminated with Aspergillus. In almonds, Aspergillus incidence increased significantly from field to the end of storage, but diversity decreased, with potentially toxigenic isolates belonging to sections Flavi and Nigri becoming more significant and widespread throughout storage. These fungi were determined to be moderately associated, which can be indicative of mycotoxin co-contamination problems if adequate storage conditions are not secured.P. Rodrigues was supported by grants SFRH/BD/28332/2006 from Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), and SFRH/PROTEC/49555/2009 from FCT and Polytechnic Institute of Braganca, Portugal

Phytosociological survey on native pasture of Paspalum notatum

Todos os textos, informa??es e resultados apresentados s?o de inteira responsabilidade dos autores.Coordenador/Orientador do Projeto: M?rcia Vit?ria Santos.Parte da inicia??o cientifica do primeiro autor, financiado pelo Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq), Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) e Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES).Objetivou-se com esse trabalho, realizar o levantamento fitossociol?gico em pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum no munic?pio de Couto de Magalh?es de Minas-MG. O levantamento fitossociol?gico foi realizado em pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum no munic?pio de Couto de Magalh?es de Minas MG. Para a identifica??o das plantas daninhas foi utilizado o m?todo do quadrado invent?rio, lan?ando ao acaso na ?rea 40 vezes um quadro de um metro de lado, totalizando uma ?rea amostral de 40m2. Avaliou-se a frequ?ncia (Fre), densidade (Den) e abund?ncia (Abu) das esp?cies encontradas na pastagem. Foram identificadas esp?cies distribu?das em seis fam?lias, destacando-se a fam?lia das Poaceae com cinco esp?cies. As esp?cies que apresentaram maior frequ?ncia (Fre) foram Sidastrum micranthum (malva-preta), Rhynchelystrum repens (capim-favorito) e Crotalaria incana (xique-xique), respectivamente. As esp?cies Eupatorium maximilianii (mata-pasto), Paspalum notatum (grama batatais) e Brachiaria decumbens (braquiarinha), apresentaram os maiores valores de densidade (Den), respectivamente. Paspalum notatum (grama batatais), Eupatorium maximilianii (mata-pasto) e Brachiaria decumbens (braquiarinha) foram ?s esp?cies que apresentaram maior abund?ncia (Abu). A pastagem de Paspalum notatum encontra-se infestada com esp?cies daninhas necessitando controle e corre??o do manejo do pasto para maior desempenho animal.The aim of this study was to do the phytosociological evaluation on a native pasture of Paspalum notatum in Couto de Magalh?es de Minas-MG. The phytosociological evaluation was made on native pasture of Paspalum notatum in Couto de Magalh?es de Minas-MG. To identification of the weed, the method used was the square inventory, hurled randomly in the area 40 times a square of one meter of side, totaling 40m2 of sample area. It was evaluate the frequency (Fre), density (Den), and abundancy (Abu) of the species found in the area. It was identified species of six families, standing out the family of the Poaceae including five species. The species that presented more frequency (Fre) were Sidastrum micranthum (dainty sandmallow), Rhynchelystrum repens (natal grass), and Crotalaria incana (woolly rattlepod), respectively. The species Eupatorium maximilianii ("mata-pasto"), Paspalum notatum (pensacola), and Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass), presented the higher values of density (Den), respectively. Paspalum notatum (pensacola), Eupatorium maximilianii ("mata-pasto"), and Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass), were the species that presented higher abundancy (Abu). The pasture of Paspalum notatum has found infested by weed, requiring control and correction of the management of the area to increase the animal performance

Pastures degradation assessment by infestation in plants weeds

Parte da inicia??o cientifica do primeiro autor, financiado pelo CNPq, FAPEMIG, CAPES.Todos os textos, informa??es e resultados apresentados s?o de inteira responsabilidade dos autores.Objetivou-se a partir desse trabalho avaliar a degrada??o de uma pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum a partir da ocorr?ncia de plantas daninhas. O levantamento fitossociol?gico foi realizado em pastagem nativa de Paspalum notatum no munic?pio de Couto de Magalh?es de Minas - MG. Para a identifica??o das plantas daninhas foi utilizado o m?todo do quadrado invent?rio, lan?ando ao acaso na ?rea 40 vezes um quadro de um metro de lado, totalizando uma ?rea amostral de 40m2. Avaliou-se a frequ?ncia relativa (Frr), densidade relativa (Der), abund?ncia relativa (Abr) e o ?ndice de valor de import?ncia (IVI) das esp?cies encontradas na ?rea. Os maiores valores de frequ?ncia relativa (Frr) foram das esp?cies Sidastrum micrathum (malva-preta), Imperata brasiliensis (Sap?), Crotalaria incana (xique-xique) e Mimosa pudica (dormideira), respectivamente. As esp?cies Eupatorium maximilianii (mata-pasto), Paspalum notatum (grama batatais), Brachiaria decumbens (braquiarinha) e Cynodon dactylon (estrela roxa) apresentaram os maiores valores de densidade relativa, abund?ncia relativa e ?ndice de valor de import?ncia. A presen?a de Brachiaria decumbens, Cynodon dactylon, Eupatorium maximilianii e a baixa frequ?ncia relativa da esp?cie nativa s?o indicativos que a pastagem encontrase em est?dio de degrada??o avan?ado.ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the degradation of a native pasture of Paspalum notatum starting from the weeds occurrence. The phytosociological evaluation was made in native pasture of Paspalum notatum in Couto de Magalh?es de Minas - MG. To identify the weed the method of the inventory square was utilized, hurled randomly in the area 40 times a square of one meter of side, totaling 40m2 of sample area. It was evaluate the relative frequency (Frr), relative density (Der), relative abundancy (Abr), and the value of importance index (IVI) of the species found in the area. The higher values of relative frequency (Frr) were of the species Sidastrum micrathum (dainty sandmallow), Imperata brasiliensis (cogon grass), Crotalaria incana (woolly rattlepod), and Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant), respectively. The species Eupatorium maximilianii ("mata-pasto"), Paspalum notatum (pensacola), Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass), and Cynodon dactylon (bernuda grass) presented the higher values of relative density (Drr), relative abundancy (Abr), and value of importance index (IVI). The presence of the Brachiaria decumbens, Cynodon dactylon, Eupatorium maximilianii and the lower frequency of the native specie, are indicatives that the pasture has found in advanced state of degradation

European all-cause excess and influenza-attributable mortality in the 2017/18 season: should the burden of influenza B be reconsidered?

Objectives Weekly monitoring of European all-cause excess mortality, the EuroMOMO network, observed high excess mortality during the influenza B/Yamagata dominated 2017/18 winter season, especially among elderly. We describe all-cause excess and influenza-attributable mortality during the season 2017/18 in Europe. Methods Based on weekly reporting of mortality from 24 European countries or sub-national regions, representing 60% of the European population excluding the Russian and Turkish parts of Europe, we estimated age stratified all-cause excess morality using the EuroMOMO model. In addition, age stratified all-cause influenza-attributable mortality was estimated using the FluMOMO algorithm, incorporating influenza activity based on clinical and virological surveillance data, and adjusting for extreme temperatures. Results Excess mortality was mainly attributable to influenza activity from December 2017 to April 2018, but also due to exceptionally low temperatures in February-March 2018. The pattern and extent of mortality excess was similar to the previous A(H3N2) dominated seasons, 2014/15 and 2016/17. The 2017/18 overall all-cause influenza-attributable mortality was estimated to be 25.4 (95%CI 25.0-25.8) per 100,000 population; 118.2 (116.4-119.9) for persons aged 65. Extending to the European population this translates into over-all 152,000 deaths. Conclusions The high mortality among elderly was unexpected in an influenza B dominated season, which commonly are considered to cause mild illness, mainly among children. Even though A(H3N2) also circulated in the 2017/18 season and may have contributed to the excess mortality among the elderly, the common perception of influenza B only having a modest impact on excess mortality in the older population may need to be reconsidered.Peer Reviewe