RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar o impacto de diferentes distúrbios após o parto na produção de leite e em sua composição. Cento e quinze vacas Holandesas de uma fazenda de gado leiteiro, localizada em estado da região Sul do Brasil, foram monitoradas até 62 dias após o parto. Durante esse período, foram realizadas avaliações do escore de condição corporal e exame clínico nos animais. As porcentagens de gordura, proteína e lactose, bem como o escore de células somáticas, foram determinadas nas amostras de leite. A atividade do AST e as concentrações de NEFA, cálcio e BHBA foram analisadas em amostras de sangue. A ocorrência de distúrbios clínicos foi identificada em 30 (26%) vacas, os distúrbios subclínicos foram identificados em 64 (56%) vacas. Apenas 21 (18%) vacas não sofreram nenhum tipo de distúrbio ao longo do período estudado. Neste estudo, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas na produção do leite, proteína e na contagem de células somáticas em vacas com doenças clínicas, subclínicas e saudáveis. No leite, a gordura e o quociente gordura e proteína (G:P) foram maiores em vacas com doença clínica no período de seis a 21 dias de lactação, e a lactose foi menor em vacas com doença clínica no período de 22 a 42 dias de lactação (P<0,05).

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the impact of different post-partum disorders on milk yield and composition. One hundred and fifteen Holstein cows from a commercial dairy farm located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil were monitored up to 62 days post-partum. During this period, body condition score evaluation and animal clinical examination were conducted. Percentages of fat, protein, and lactose, as well as somatic cells score, were determined in milk samples. The AST activity and concentrations of NEFA, calcium, and BHBA, were analyzed in blood samples. The occurrence of clinical disorders was identified in 30 (26%) cows. Subclinical disorders were identified in 64 (56%) cows. Only 21 (18%) cows did not suffer any kind of disorder within the studied period. In this study, no significant differences were found in milk production, protein, and somatic cell count in clinical, subclinical, and healthy cows. Milk fat and the fat: protein quotient (F:P) were higher in cows with clinical disorders and the 6 to 21 days in milk, and lactose were lower in cows with clinical disorders and the 22 to 42 days in milk (P<0.05).

The electrospinning has been widely used in tissue engineering for the preparation of wound dressing with the most varied polymers and drugs. Considering that propolis has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory characteristics, the aim was to develop electrospun fibers from PBAT (poly (butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate)/PCL (poly(ε-caprolactone) containing propolis in order to promote antimicrobial action and the healing of wounds. By the optical microscopy analysis, the best parameter for obtaining the fibers was chosen: 16.5% (v/v) of propolis extract alcoholic solution, 14.0 cm needle-collector distance, 17.0 kV of voltage and 0.5 mL h-1 flow rate. The scanning electron microscopy demonstrated fiber diameters of 0.51 ± 0.12 μm for the polymer blend and 1.16 ± 0.98 μm for the blend with propolis. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results showed no evidence of chemical interaction with propolis, this being a physical interaction. This interaction was corroborated by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) due to the variation in the heats involved, mainly in the aromatic part of the polymer blend, indicating a better interaction in the PBAT group. Finally, it was found that fibers presents propolis antimicrobial activity against the bacteria Pseudomonas Aeruginosa. The results indicate that this blend has a great potential to be used as a cutaneous dressing.

Resumo O Cerrado brasileiro possui diversas espécies botânicas com fins medicinais utilizadas por comunidades tradicionais e muitas dessas plantas não estão incluídas na lista do Programa de Pesquisa de Plantas Medicinais da Central de Medicamentos. O objetivo deste estudo foi a triagem fitoquímica e o bioensaio toxicológico frente ao Brine shrimp L. de extratos etanólicos de oito espécies de plantas utilizadas na medicina popular de Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. Os extratos etanólicos foram submetidos à triagem fitoquímica, determinação de compostos fenólicos e flavonoides. Os ensaios toxicológicos foram realizados frente ao Brine shrimp de acordo com a metodologia padrão. A análise de cromatografia de camada delgada e HPLC-DAD confirmou a predominância de compostos fenólicos e derivados, especificamente para a quercetina. O mais tóxico foi o C. affinis DC. com a morte em todas as concentrações, o A. humile A. St. Hil. não apresentou mortalidade e as demais espécies apresentaram toxicidade intermediária. Os extratos das espécies investigadas são ricos em compostos fenólicos e derivados, especificamente a quercetina e apresentam toxicidade entre moderada a alta, fato que requer atenção, pois grande parte das comunidades tradicionais conta com fitoterápicos em sua forma bruta com preventivo e finalidade curativa, atendendo aos cuidados básicos de saúde.

Abstract The Brazilian Cerrado has several botanical species for medicinal purposes used by traditional communities and many of these plants are not included in the list of Medicinal Plants Research Program of Central Medicines. The purpose of this study was the phytochemical screening and toxicology bioassay front of Brine shrimp L. of ethanolic extracts of eight species of plants used in folk medicine of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The ethanolic extracts were submitted to phytochemical screening, determination of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. Toxicological assays were carried front of Brine shrimp according to standard methodology. The analysis TLC and HPLC-DAD confirmed the predominance of phenolic compounds and derivatives, specifically for the quercetin. The most toxic was the C. affinis DC. with death at all concentrations, the A. humile A. St. Hil. showed no mortality and the other species showed intermediate toxicity. The extracts of the investigated species are rich in phenolic compounds and derivatives, specifically quercetin, and feature toxicity between moderate to high, a fact that requires attention, since much of the traditional communities rely on herbal drugs in its raw form with preventive and curative purpose, meeting the basic health care.

RESUMO O uso do cloreto de mepiquat (CM) no cultivo de algodão (Gossypium hirsutum L.) aumentou significativamente nos últimos anos. O uso do CM, um regulador de crescimento, resulta em maior precocidade e menor altura e, consequentemente, aumento da produtividade e redução dos custos da cultura. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos de doses de nitrogênio e CM sobre a qualidade da fibra e produtividade do algodoeiro. O estudo foi conduzido nas safras 2012/13 e 2013/14, na área experimental da Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa Agropecuária de Chapadão, em Chapadão do Sul, MS, a 18o 48’ 45,9” S, 52o 36’ 3” W, com altitude de 820 m. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 5 x 4, correspondendo a cinco doses de N (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 kg ha-1) e quatro doses de CM (0, 50, 100, 150 mL ha-1) com quatro repetições. As avaliações realizadas para análises da qualidade da fibra foram: comprimento, uniformidade, elongação, resistência, índice micronaire, reflectância, graus de amarelecimento e conteúdo de fibras curtas. Para a produtividade do algodão foram feitas análises de índice de cor verde (ICV), altura de plantas no momento da colheita e produtividade do algodão em caroço. Os melhores resultados em qualidade de fibras e produtividade ocorrem com a aplicação de 76,8 mL ha-1 de CM no algodoeiro quando a dose de N é maior que 80 kg ha-1. Doses crescentes de N causam aumento na produtividade de algodão e no índice micronaire, porém há uma diminuição na uniformidade de fibras.

ABSTRACT The use of mepiquat chloride (MC) in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivation has increased significantly in recent years. The use of MC, a growth regulator, results in higher precocity and lower height and consequently increases yield and reduces crop costs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) and MC doses on fiber quality and cotton yield. This study was conducted during the 2012/13 and 2013/14 harvests in the experimental area of the Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa Agropecuária de Chapadão, located in the municipality of Chapadão do Sul, MS, Brazil, at 18° 48’ 45.9” S, 52° 36’ 3” W, having an altitude of 820 m. The experimental design was a randomized blocks in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme comprised of five N doses (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 kg ha-1) and four MC doses (0, 50, 100, 150 mL ha-1) with four repetitions. Analyses of fiber quality included: length, uniformity, elongation, strength, micronaire index, reflectance, yellowing degrees and short fiber content. Regarding cotton yield, green color index (GCI), plant height at harvest time, and cotton seed yield were determined. The best results for fiber quality and productivity occurr with the application of 76.8 mL ha-1 of MC to the cotton crops when the N dose is greater than 80 kg ha-1. Increasing N doses causes an increase in cotton yield and micronaire index, but there is a decrease in fiber uniformity.

Abstract Background: Ovarian cancer is a significant cancer-related cause of death in women worldwide. The most used chemotherapeutic regimen is based on carboplatin (CBDCA). However, CBDCA resistance is the main obstacle to a better prognosis. An in vitro drug-resistant cell model would help in the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying this drug-resistance phenomenon. The aim of this study was to characterize cellular and molecular changes of induced CBDCA-resistant ovarian cancer cell line A2780. Methods: The cell selection strategy used in this study was a dose-per-pulse method using a concentration of 100 μM for 2 h. Once 20 cycles of exposure to the drug were completed, the cell cultures showed a resistant phenotype. Then, the ovarian cancer cell line A2780 was grown with 100 μM of CBDCA (CBDCA-resistant cells) or without CBDCA (parental cells). After, a drug sensitivity assay, morphological analyses, cell death assays and a RNA-seq analysis were performed in CBDCA-resistant A2780 cells. Results: Microscopy on both parental and CBDCA-resistant A2780 cells showed similar characteristics in morphology and F-actin distribution within cells. In cell-death assays, parental A2780 cells showed a significant increase in phosphatidylserine translocation and caspase-3/7 cleavage compared to CBDCA-resistant A2780 cells (P < 0.05 and P < 0.005, respectively). Cell viability in parental A2780 cells was significantly decreased compared to CBDCA-resistant A2780 cells (P < 0.0005). The RNA-seq analysis showed 156 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated mainly to molecular functions. Conclusion: CBDCA-resistant A2780 ovarian cancer cells is a reliable model of CBDCA resistance that shows several DEGs involved in molecular functions such as transmembrane activity, protein binding to cell surface receptor and catalytic activity. Also, we found that the Wnt/3-catenin and integrin signaling pathway are the main metabolic pathway dysregulated in CBDCA-resistant A2780 cells.

Abstract: Knee pain is the most common and disabling symptom in Osteoarthritis (OA). Joint pain is a late manifestation of the OA. In earlier stages of the disease changes in joint structures are shown. Also, formation of bony osteophytes, cartilage degradation, and joint space reduction which are some of the most common, among others. The main goal of this study is to associate radiological features with the joint pain symptom. Univariate and multivariate studies were performed using Bioinformatics tools to determine the relationship of future pain with early radiological evidence of the disease. All data was retrieved from the Osteoarthritis Initiative repository (OAI). A case-control study was done using available data from participants in OAI database. Radiological data was assessed with different OAI radiology groups. We have used quantitative and semi-quantitative scores to measure two different relations between radiological data in three different time points. The goal was to track the appearance and prevalence of pain as a symptom. All predictive models were statistically significant (P ≤ 0,05), obtaining the receiving operating characteristic (ROC) curves with their respective area under the curves (AUC) of 0.6516, 0.6174, and 0.6737 for T-0, T-1 and T-2 in quantitative analysis. For semi-quantitative an AU C of 0.6865, 0.6486, and 0.6406 for T-0, T-1 and T-2. The models obtained in the Bioinformatics study suggest that early joint structure changes can be associated with future joint pain. An image-based biomarker that could predict future pain, measured in early OA stages, could become a useful tool to improve the quality of life of people dealing OA.

Resumen: El dolor de rodilla es el síntoma más común y limitante de la Osteoartritis (OA), además de presentarse como una manifestación tardía de la enfermedad. Los cambios que ocurren en las estructuras de las articulaciones se presentan en las primeras etapas de la OA. Algunos de los cambios más comunes son la formación de osteofitos óseos, degradación del cartílago, y la reducción del espacio en la articulación, entre otros. El principal objetivo de este estudio es la asociación de características radiológicas con el síntoma de dolor de las articulaciones, para lo que fueron realizados dos estudios: univariado y multivariado, usando herramientas bioinformáticas para determinar la relación de futuro dolor con la evidencia radiológica temprana de la enfermedad. Todos los datos fueron recuperados de la Osteoarthritis Initiative repository (OAI). Este estudio de caso-control se llevó a cabo utilizando los datos disponibles de los participantes de la base de datos de la OAI. Los datos radiológicos fueron evaluados con diferentes grupos de radiología de la OAI. Fueron usadas puntuaciones cuantitativas y semi- cuantitativas para medir las dos diferentes relaciones entre los datos radiológicos en tres diferentes puntos de tiempo. El objetivo fue seguir la trayectoria de la aparición y prevalencia del dolor como síntoma. Todos los modelos predictivos fueron estadísticamente significativos (P ≤ 0,05). Para el análisis cuantitativo se calcularon las áreas bajo la curva (AUC): 0.6516, 0.6174, y 0.6737 para T-0, T-1 y T-2, y para el análisis semi-cuantitativo se calcularon las AU C: 0.6865, 0.6486, y 0.6406 para T-0, T-1 y T-2. Los modelos obtenidos en el estudio bioinformático sugieren que los cambios tempranos en la estructura de las articulaciones pueden estar asociados con el futuro dolor de rodilla. Un biomarcador basado en imágenes que pueda predecir el futuro dolor, medido en las primeras etapas de OA, podría convertirse en una herramienta útil para mejorar la calidad de vida de la gente que padece OA.

ABSTRACTMales of Euglossa mandibularis were consistently captured in scent traps baited with β-ionone in areas of Mixed Ombrophylous Forests or transition between this latter physiognomy and Montane Semideciduous Forest at Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná state, Brazil. Geographic records for the species and sampling effort (including or not β-ionone among the offered compounds) along Atlantic Forest biome are presented and discussed. We also discuss seasonal and geographic variation in collection of scents by orchid bees.

Resumen De mayo 2010 a mayo 2011 se recolectó información referente a 67 faenas pesqueras artesanal con línea de fondo (44.8% observaciones abordo y 55.2% observaciones de descargas en centros de acopio) realizadas en Golfo Dulce, Pacífico Sur de Costa Rica. Durante las 67 faenas de pesca se analizaron en total 609 tiburones pertenecientes a diez especies. De estas, sobresalen S. lewini (más de 51.8% del total de tiburones analizados), M. lunulatus (23.5%), R. longurio, (13.8%) y C. limbatus (8.9%). Otras especies G. cirratum, G. cuvier, N.velox, S. tiburo y H. mexicanus fueron muy esporádicas ya que aportaron cerca del 2.0% del total. La condición de captura, el bajo valor comercial y la disponibilidad de los pescadores, permitió liberar con vida y sin anzuelos un total de 65 tiburones y 111 rayas, de las cuales 75.7% fueron rayas látigo (D. longa), 12.6% rayas gavilana (A. narinari), 5.4% rayas nariz de vaca (R. steindachneri), 5.4% rayas guitarra (R. leucorhynchus), 2.7% rayas de puntos (U. chilenis), 0.9% rayas mariposa (G. marmorata) y 0.9% mobula (Mobula sp.). Los análisis de CPUE en Golfo Dulce revelaron las mayores CPUE de tiburones en julio-agosto, mientras las mayores capturas de rayas se presentaron en enero-febrero.

Abstract Since May 2010 until May 2011 biological and fishery information regarding 67 artisanal fishing operations were collected in different areas of Golfo Dulce. A total of 30 (44.8%) onboard operations and 37 (55.2%) landings were observed. During onboard operations, a total of 872 fish were caught: 345 (39.6%) were sharks (Sphyrnidae, Carcharhinidae, Heterodontidae, Ginglymostomatidae and Triakidae), 228 (26.1%) “bait” fish (Aridae), 112 (13.1%) rays (Dasyatidae, Myliobatidae, Rhinobatidae and Mobulidae) and 111 (12.7%) commercial fish (Lutjanidae, Serranidae Sciaenidae). The capture condition (dead or alive), the low commercial value and the availability of fishermen, allowed us to release 65 sharks and 111 rays, all of them were alive and without hooks. Of these 75.7% were stingrays (D. longa), 12.6% eagle ray (A. narinari), 5.4% cownose rays (R. steindachneri), 5.4% guitar fish (R. leucorhynchus), the spoited ray 2.7% (U. chilenis), 0.9% butterfly ray (G. marmorata), and 0.9% mobula (Mobula sp.). The CPUE rate shows that the sharks and rays contributed more than 50% of the total catch of fishing operations. However, the months when the fishermen caught more sharks, the rays were not abundant. July and August were the months with the highest shark CPUE, while January-February were the months with the highest ray catches. Regarding the 37 landings observations, a total of 264 sharks were analyzed, being the scalloped hammerhead shark the most abundant (S. lewini, n=163), with 61.7%, followed by the common soothhound shark (M. lunulatus, n=48) (18.2%), the blacktip shark (C. limbatus, n=27) (10.2%) the pacific sharpnose shark (R. longurio, n=24) (9.1%), whitenose shark (0.4%) (Nasolamia velox, n=1) and the bonnethead shark (0.4%) (Sphyrna tiburo, n=1). The fusion of biological and fishery data from onboard observations and landings made it possible to analyze a total 609 sharks belonging to ten species. Of these, S. lewini represented more than 51.8% of total sharks analyzed; M. lunulatus, 23.5% R. longurio, 13.8% and C. limbatus, 8.9%. Other species G. cirratum, G. cuvier, N. velox, shovel head shark (S. tiburo) and the horn shark H. mexicanus were very sporadic since they contributed only 2.0% of the total. Analyses of length of S. lewini showed that they are mostly juveniles (74.31±17.4cm). Similar situation was found with individuals of R. longurio, M. lunulatus and C. limbatus whose mean total lengths were of 65.22±14.04cm, 94.08±23.64cm 4.44cm respectively 76.65cm. Rev. Biol. Trop. 63 (2): 183-198. Epub 2015 June 01.

Este trabalho descreve a colheita adequada de amostras, as técnicas/procedimentos disponíveis para o diagnóstico de influenza A em suínos, assim como os resultados e suas respectivas interpretações, para auxiliar médicos veterinários de campo na identificação dessa doença. Em suínos vivos, as amostras adequadas são: secreção nasal, fluido oral e sangue (soro). Para suínos mortos, colher preferencialmente amostras de pulmão com consolidação cranioventral. Secreção nasal e fragmentos de pulmão refrigerado são utilizados para detectar partícula viral viável (isolamento viral - IV) ou ácido nucleico viral (RT-PCR convencional e RT-PCR em tempo real). As amostras não devem ser congeladas, pois o vírus é inativado a -20°C. A caracterização molecular dos isolados é feita pela análise filogenética obtida pelo sequenciamento de DNA. O soro é utilizado para a detecção de anticorpos (Acs) por meio do teste da inibição da hemaglutinação e ELISA. O fluido oral pode ser utilizado para detecção de anticorpo (ELISA) ou de vírus. Fragmentos de pulmão fixados em formol a 10% são examinados microscopicamente para identificar pneumonia broncointersticial e para detecção de antígeno viral pela imuno-histoquímica (IHQ). Para o sucesso do diagnóstico, as amostras devem ser colhidas de suínos que estão preferencialmente na fase aguda da doença, para aumentar as chances de detecção viral. As melhores opções para o diagnóstico de influenza A em suínos vivos são RT-PCR e isolamento viral de amostras de swab nasal ou fluido oral. Pulmão para análise por RT-PCR, isolamento viral ou IHQ é a amostra de escolha em suínos mortos. Testes sorológicos têm valor diagnóstico limitado e são utilizados apenas para determinar o estado imune do rebanho, não indicando doença clínica, pois os Acs são detectados 7-10 dias pós-infecção (fase subaguda). O diagnóstico de influenza é importante para avaliar o envolvimento desse agente no complexo de doença respiratória suína. Além disso, o isolamento do vírus influenza é essencial para o monitoramento dos principais subtipos circulantes em uma determinada região ou país, assim como para a detecção de novos rearranjos virais, já que influenza é considerada uma zoonose.

This article is intended to describe the adequate sample collection, the laboratory procedures/techniques, the expected results and their interpretation for diagnosis of influenza infection in swine, serving as a support for field veterinarians. In live pigs, the samples to be taken are nasal secretions, oral fluids and blood. For dead pigs, preference should be given to samples of cranioventral lung consolidation. Nasal discharge and chilled lung fragments are used for detection of virus (virus isolation - VI) or viral nucleic acids (conventional RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR). Samples should not be frozen, because the virus is inactivated at -20°C. Molecular characterization of isolates is performed by phylogenetic analysis of gene sequences obtained by DNA sequencing. Serum is used for the detection of antibodies using hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test and ELISA. Oral fluid may be used for either antibody (ELISA) or viral detection. Fragments of lung fixed in 10% formaldehyde are used for histopathological analysis to identify bronchointerstitial pneumonia, and for immunohistochemistry (IHC) for antigens. For a successful diagnosis, sampling should be preferably performed in the acute phase of the disease to improve chances of virus detection. The best options to perform the diagnosis of influenza A in a swine herd are RT-PCR and VI from nasal swabs or oral fluid in live pigs and/or lung tissue for RT-PCR, VI or IHC in dead pigs. Serological tests are of very limited diagnostic value and are useful only to determine the immune status of the herd, not indicating clinical disease, because antibodies are detected after 7-10 days post infection (subacute phase). The diagnosis of influenza is important to evaluate the involvement of this agent in the complex of respiratory diseases in pigs. Furthermore, the isolation of influenza virus is essential for monitoring the main subtypes circulating in a given region or country, as well as for the detection of potential new viral reassortants, because influenza is considered a zoonosis.

Um método analítico empregando cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência com detecção por fluorescência para a determinação simultânea de abamectin e ivermectin em leite bovino foi desenvolvido e validado. Os melhores resultados de recuperação foram obtidos empregando acetonitrila na extração dos compostos, com purificação do extrato por extração em fase sólida em cartuchos contendo C18. A derivação pré-coluna foi realizada com N-metilimidazol e anidrido trifluoracético. Os limites de detecção (LOD) do método para abamectin e ivermectin foram 0,10 e 0,14 µg L-1 e os limites de quantificação (LOQ) foram 0,18 e 0,36 µg L-1, respectivamente. As recuperações foram de 75 a 101%, com valores de RSD abaixo de 10%. Os valores de LOD e LOQ obtidos são inferiores aos limites máximos de resíduos em leite estabelecidos pelo Codex Alimentarius, União Européia e legislação brasileira.

An analytical method using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection for the simultaneous determination of abamectin and ivermectin in bovine milk was developed and validated. The best recovery results were achieved by using acetonitrile for extraction of the compounds followed by solid phase extraction in cartridges containing C18 for the purification of the extract. Pre-column derivatization was accomplished with N-methylimidazole and trifluoroacetic anhydride. The method limit of detection (LOD) values for abamectin and ivermectin were 0.10 and 0.14 µg L-1 and the limit of quantification (LOQ) values were 0.18 and 0.36 µg L-1, respectively. The recoveries were from 75 to 101%, with RSD values lower than 10%. The LOD and LOQ values are lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) in milk established by Codex Alimentarius, European Union and the Brazilian legislation.

Enterococci são membros da microbiota comensal de animais e insetos, mas também são importantes patógenos oportunistas. Nosso objetivo foi observar se há qualquer diferença na virulência nos diversos grupos de Enterococcus faecalis, principalmente nos E. faecalis resistente à vancomicina (VREFS) isolados de colonização e infecção. VREFS e E. faecalis sensíveis à vancomicina (VSEFS) do Brasil foram pesquisadas quanto a presença de fatores de virulência. Ensaios fenotípicos foram usados para obter a expressão in vivo, entender o potencial patogênico destas amostras e determinar se existe correlação entre virulência e resistência a antibióticos. Diferentes perfis de virulência foram encontrados sugerindo que o clone que está se disseminado pode ter gerado diversas variações. No entanto, nosso estudo mostrou que um conjunto de fatores parece ser mais comum entre as amostras: gelatinase, substância de agregação e esp (GEA). Estes fatores tem sido correlacionados com a agregação de células e formação de biofilmes. A formação de biofilme pode promover a conjugação de plasmídeos contendo genes de resistência entre as espécies. Curiosamente, o perfil GAE não foi exclusivo para VREFS, foi o segundo mais observado em amostras VSEFS provenientes de colonização e infecção em pacientes hospitalizados e também de swabs retais de voluntários saudáveis. Tais linhagens pacerem representar a "porta de entrada" para novos genes de resistência em E. faecalis e podem contribuir para a disseminação de E. faecalis principalmente nos hospitais.

Enterococci are members of commensal flora of animals and insects, but are also important opportunistic pathogens. Our objective was to observe if there was any difference of virulence in several groups of E. faecalis, mainly between vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis (VREFS) of colonization and infection. VREFS and vancomycin-sensitive E. faecalis from Brazil were screened for the presence of virulence factor genes. Phenotypic assays were used to assess in vitro expression, to understand the pathogenic potential of these isolates and to determine whether a correlation exists between virulence and antibiotic resistance. Different virulence profiles were found suggesting that the disseminating clone may have generated several variations. However, our study showed that one constellation of traits appeared most commonly: gelatinase, aggregation substance and esp (GEA). These factors are important because they have been implicated in cell aggregation and biofilm formation. Biofilm formation may promote the conjugation of plasmids harboring resistance and virulence genes, enhancing the probability of entry of new resistance genes into species. Curiously, the profile GEA was not exclusive to VREFS, it was the second most observed in VSEFS isolates from colonization and infection in hospitalized patients and also from rectal swabs of healthy volunteers. Such strains appear to represent the entry gateway to new resistance genes into E. faecalis and may contribute to the spreading of E. faecalis mainly in hospitals.

In this work the exposure of wells and surface water to pesticides, commonly used for tobacco cropping, was assessed. Water consumption wells and surface water flows were sampled at different times. After a preconcentration step with solid phase extraction (SPE), the selected pesticides were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection (GC-ECD) or high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). No pesticides were detected in the well water samples and surface water flow in the winter season. However, in the spring and summer higher concentrations of chlorpyrifos and imidacloprid were found in the water source samples. Atrazine, simazine and clomazone were also found. The occurrence of pesticides in collected water samples was related with the application to tobacco.