Cladobotryum mycophilum as Potential Biocontrol Agent

A study was conducted to explore the efficacy of potential biocontrol agent Cladobotryum mycophilum against different phytopathogenic fungi. The growth rates of 24 isolates of C. mycophilum were determined, and their antagonistic activity was analysed in vitro and in vivo against Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum, Fusarium solani, Phytophthora parasitica, Phytophthora capsici, Pythium aphanidermatum and Mycosphaerella melonis. Most isolates grow rapidly, reaching the opposite end of the Petri dish within 72–96 h. Under dual-culture assays, C. mycophilum showed antagonistic activity in vitro against all phytopathogenic fungi tested, with mycelial growth inhibition ranging from 30 to 90% against all the different phytopathogens tested. Similarly, of all the selected isolates, CL60A, CL17A and CL18A significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the disease incidence and severity in the plant assays compared to the controls for the different pathosystems studied. Based on these results, we conclude that C. mycophilum can be considered as a potential biological control agent in agriculture. This is the first study of Cladobotryum mycophilum as a biological control agent for different diseases caused by highly relevant phytopathogens in horticultur

Plant Growth Promotion and Biocontrol of Pythium ultimum by Saline Tolerant Trichoderma Isolates under Salinity Stress

This present study evaluates three isolates of Trichoderma as plant growth promoting or biological control agents: Trichoderma aggressivum f. sp. europaeum, Trichoderma saturnisporum, and the marine isolate obtained from Posidonia oceanica, Trichoderma longibrachiatum. The purpose is to contribute to an overall reduction in pesticide residues in the fruit and the environment and to a decrease in chemical fertilizers, the excess of which aggravates one of the most serious abiotic stresses, salinity. The tolerance of the different isolates to increasing concentrations of sodium chloride was evaluated in vitro, as well as their antagonistic capacity against Pythium ultimum. The plant growth promoting capacity and effects of Trichoderma strains on the severity of P. ultimum on melon seedlings under saline conditions were also analysed. The results reveal that the three isolates of Trichoderma, regardless of their origin, alleviate the stress produced by salinity, resulting in larger plants with an air-dry weight percentage above 80% in saline stress conditions for T. longibrachiatum, or an increase in root-dry weight close to 50% when T. aggressivum f. sp. europaeum was applied. Likewise, the three isolates showed antagonistic activity against P. ultimum, reducing the incidence of the disease, with the highest response found for T. longibrachiatum. Biological control of P. ultimum by T. aggressivum f. sp. europaeum and T. saturnisporum is reported for the first time, reducing disease severity by 62.96% and 51.85%, respectively. This is the first description of T. aggressivum f. sp. europaeum as a biological control agent and growth promoter. The application of these isolates can be of enormous benefit to horticultural crops, in both seedbeds and greenhouses

Evaluation of the trunk biomechanical responses to seated whole-body vibration exposure

Risk factors for low-back disorders -- Whole-body vibration -- Spinal stability -- Assessment of the neural control subsystem -- Assessment of the passive subsystem -- Assement of active subsystem -- Reliability of centre of pressure measures of postural steadiness in healthy subjects -- Sudden loading perturbation to determine the reflex response of different back muscles : a reliability study -- Laboratory study to quantify the biomedchanical responses to whole-body vibration : the influence on balance, reflex response, muscular activity and fatigue -- Sensitivity of different trunk biomechanical responses to seated whole-body vibration -- Reliability of th different biomechanical measures

Detecção de SARS-CoV-2 e presença de anticorpos anti-SARS-CoV-2 em felídeos e funcionários de contato no Zoológico Municipal de Curitiba

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Alexander Welker BiondoCoorientadora: Drª Louise Back KmetiukDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular. Defesa : Curitiba, 14/10/2022Inclui referênciasResumo: As zoonoses são doenças que acometem tanto animais quanto seres humanos e são de interesse clínico de longa data. Os coronavírus (CoV) pertencem a uma família de vírus que acometem animais e humanos, podendo causar infecções respiratórias leves, moderadas e graves. O membro mais novo da família causador de infecções em humanos foi detectado em 2019 na China sendo nomeado como SARS-CoV-2 (Síndrome Respiratória Aguda grave 2), responsável por vários casos de pneumonia na cidade de Wuhan, o novo coronavírus espalhou-se rapidamente por todos os continentes, sendo decretada pandemia em 11 de março de 2020 pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS). Os animais selvagens de cativeiro podem ser infectados pelo SARS-CoV-2, devido ao convívio com tratadores ou profissionais de contato. Alguns casos nos Estados Unidos da América (EUA), em Barcelona, Espanha e na Holanda foram reportados em animais de fazendas de criação e em animais silvestres de cativeiro. Diante da atual pandemia de COVID- 19 e do relatos em outros zoológicos, o estudo permitiu verificar se há infecção em felídeos, que são considerados suscetíveis à infecção, e funcionários de contato por testes de RT-PCR, e também por teses sorológicos os funcionários do Zoológico Municipal de Curitiba para análise do desenvolvimento de anticorpos específicos e correlação a resposta vacinal. O Zoológico Municipal de Curitiba está entre os cinco maiores do Brasil, com 2.300 animais pertencentes à aproximadamente 300 espécies, distribuídas em 530 metros quadrados de área, este estudo é um dos pioneiros na testagem de felídeos de Zoológico na América do Sul. Nos funcionários de contato foram realizadas duas coletas de amostras para teste RT-PCR e duas coletas de amostras de sangue para sorologia. Entre os funcionários durante a primeira coleta realizada antes da primeira dose da vacina contra COVID-19 um funcionário foi positivo, na segunda coleta todos os testes de RT-PCR foram negativos.Abstract: Zoonoses are diseases that affect animals and humans and are of long-standing clinical interest. Coronaviruses (CoV) belong to a family of viruses that affect animals and humans and cause mild to severe respiratory infections. The newest member of the family that causes infections in humans was detected in 2019 in China, being named as SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2), responsible for several cases of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, the new coronavirus spread rapidly across all continents, being declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). Captive wild animals can be infected with SARS-CoV-2, due to living with caretakers or contact professionals. Some cases in the United States of America (USA), Barcelona, Spain and the Netherlands have been reported in farm animals and in captive wild animals. In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the reports in other zoos, the study allowed to verify whether there is infection in felids, which are considered susceptible to infection, and contact employees by RT-PCR tests, as well as by serological tests. from the Curitiba Municipal Zoo to analyze the development of specific antibodies and correlation with vaccine response. The Curitiba Municipal Zoo is among the five largest in Brazil, with 2,300 animals belonging to approximately 300 species, distributed in 530 square meters of area, this study is one of the pioneers in the testing of zoo felids in South America. In contact employees, two sample collections were performed for RT-PCR test and two collections of blood samples for serology. Among employees during the first collection performed before the first dose of the vaccine against COVID-19, one employee was positive, in the second collection all RT-PCR tests were negative

Processamento de sinais eletroencefalográficos para a extração de características epileptogênicas

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade UnB Gama (FGA), Engenharia Eletrônica, 2019.O eletroencefalograma é um exame neural utilizado para diagnóstico clínico e pesquisa, que possibilita a avaliação e quantificação de ondas cerebrais. Eventualmente, algumas atividades elétricas cerebrais anormais podem desencadear crises, cujos sintomas podem ser sutis, sem alteração no nível de consciência, ou podem incluir movimentos anormais e involuntários como contrações musculares e perda de consciência. A epilepsia é caracterizada pela recorrência de tais crises. Os diagnósticos geralmente são feitos a partir da análise visual dos longos registros temporais da atividade elétrica do cérebro sendo, portanto, suscetíveis a erros. Diante disso, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo detectar eventos epileptogênicos em sinais de eletroencefalografia, a fim de auxiliar a identificação dos padrões indicativos de epilepsia através do uso da estatística paramétrica e das transformadas Wavelets, comparando o resultado das duas metodologias propostas. Observou-se que a diferença entre as duas metodologias não foi significativa para os pacientes avaliados.The electroencephalogram is a neural exam used for clinical diagnosis and research, which allows the evaluation and quantification of brain waves. Eventually, some abnormal brain electrical activities can trigger seizures, which may be subtle or unconscious, or may include abnormal and involuntary movements such as muscle contractions and loss of consciousness. Epilepsy is characterized by the recurrence of such seizures. The diagnoses are usually made from the visual analysis of the long temporal records of the electrical activity of the brain and are therefore quite susceptible to errors. Therefore, the present work aims to detect and characterize epileptogenic events in electroencephalography signals, in order to help identify the patterns indicative of epilepsy through the use of parametric statistics and wavelet Transform, comparing the results of the two proposed methodologies. It was observed that the difference between the two methodologies was not significant for the evaluated patients

First report of free-living amoebae in watercourses in southern Brazil : molecular diagnosis and phylogenetic analysis of Vermamoeba vermiformis, Naegleria gruberi, and Acanthamoeba spp.

Free-living amoebae (FLA) are protozoa dispersed in different environments and are responsible for different infections caused to humans and other animals. Microorganisms such as Acanthamoeba spp., Vermamoeba sp., and Naegleria sp. are associated with diseases that affect the central nervous system, in addition to skin infections and keratitis, as occurs in the genus Acanthamoeba and with Vermamoeba vermiformis. Due to the concerns of these FLA in anthropogenic aquatic environments, this work aimed to identify these microorganisms present in waters of Porto Alegre, Brazil. One litre sample was collected in two watercourses during the summer of 2022 and inoculated onto non-nutrient agar plates containing heat-inactivated Escherichia coli. Polymerase chain reaction results indicated the presence of FLA of the genera Acanthamoeba, Vermamoeba, and Naegleria in the study areas. Genetic sequencing indicated the presence of V. vermiformis and Naegleria gruberi. These aquatic and anthropogenic environments can serve as a means of spread and contamination by FLA, which gives valuable information on public health in the city

Análise do custo de produção do cultivo de milho variedade, híbridos convencionais e transgênicos semeados em segunda safra no Distrito Federal

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Agronomia e Medicina Veterinária, 2019O milho é o grão mais produzido e consumido no mundo, sendo sua importância alimentar e econômica associada principalmente a fabricação de rações para animais, alimentação humana, produção de biocombustível, entre outros que o tornam importante commoditie agrícola. O Brasil é o terceiro maior produtor do grão, tendo os produtores ampla diversidade de tecnologias para cultivo da cultura, desde sementes rústicas, denominadas variedades, às sementes híbridas transgênicas, as quais conferem resistência a pragas e defensivos agrícolas. O objetivo do trabalho foi realizar a análise econômica de produção do cultivo de milho variedade, híbridos convencionais e transgênicos semeados em segunda safra no Distrito Federal. O experimento foi realizado a campo na Fazenda Experimental Água Limpa (FAL), situada em Brasília/DF e pertencente à Universidade de Brasília (UnB). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições cada. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por cinco tipos diferentes de sementes de milho comercializadas no Distrito Federal e entorno, sendo: uma variedade (VA), um híbrido convencional (HC), híbrido transgênico resistente ao herbicida glifosato (HTrr), híbrido transgênico resistente ao glifosato + lagartas e broca-do-colmo (HTpro2), e híbrido transgênico resistente ao glifosato + lagartas, broca-do-colmo e larva-alfinete (HTpro3). As parcelas experimentais com 25 metros de comprimento e 3,5 metros de largura, foram semeadas em preparo convencional do solo utilizando uma semeadora-adubadora de sete linhas em 0,5 metros. As avaliações de características agronômicas realizadas foram: teor dos grãos na colheita (TAGC), massa de mil grãos (MMG) e produtividade de grãos. O balanço econômico foi realizado considerando custos totais com insumos (CTI), custos operacionais totais (COT) com operações mecanizadas, rentabilidade com a venda dos grãos e relação benefício/custo. As características agronômicas foram submetidas ao teste de Tukey ao nível de 5% de probabilidade de erro. Os dados de custos foram submetidos a comparação por estatística descritiva. Os resultados indicaram que: o híbrido convencional possibilita maior rentabilidade líquida e relação benefício/custo, o HTpro2 apresenta maior MMG, produtividade, custo com insumos e custo total de produção, a variedade apresentou maior TAGC, menor MMG, COT e relação benefício/custo.Corn is the most produced and consumed grain in the world, and its food and economic importance is mainly associated with the production of animal feed, human food, biofuel production, among others, which make it an important agricultural commodity. Brazil is the third largest producer of the grain, with farmers producing a wide variety of technologies for growing crops, from rustic seeds, called varieties, to transgenic hybrid seeds, which confer resistance to pests and agricultural pesticides. The objective of the work was to carry out the economic analysis of the production of maize cultivar variety, conventional and transgenic hybrids sown in the second crop in the Federal District. The experiment was carried out on the field at the Experimental Água Limpa Farm (FAL), located in Brasília / DF and belonging to the University of Brasília (UnB). The experimental design was a completely randomized design, with five treatments and four replications each. The treatments were constituted by five different types of corn seeds commercialized in the Federal District and surroundings, being: a variety (VA), a conventional hybrid (HC), transgenic hybrid resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (HTrr), transgenic hybrid resistant to glyphosate + (HTpro2), and transgenic hybrid resistant to glyphosate + caterpillars, sting borer and larva-pin (HTpro3). The experimental plots 25 meters long and 3.5 meters wide were planted in conventional soil preparation using a seeder-fertilizer of seven rows in 0.5 meters. The evaluations of agronomic characteristics were: grain content at harvest (TAGC), mass of one thousand grains (MMG) and grain yield. The economic balance was realized considering total costs with inputs (CTI), total operational costs (TOC) with mechanized operations, profitability with grain sales and the benefit/cost ratio. The agronomic characteristics were submitted to the Tukey test at the 5% probability of error level. The cost data were compared by descriptive statistics. The results showed that: the conventional hybrid allows higher net profitability and benefit/cost ratio, HTpro2 presents higher MMG, productivity, cost with inputs and total cost of production, the variety presented higher TAGC, lower MMG, COT and benefit/cost ratio