Talitrid amphipods are considered one of the most important wrack-deposit consumers in the intertidal zone of sandy beaches due to their ability to remove extensive amounts of macrophytes. The quantity and composition of drift macrophytes can influence the consumption and demographic rates of talitrid species. However, on coasts with a low contribution of macrophytes, where organic material is typically composed of debris, algal fragments, and vascular plants, the feeding behavior of talitrids is poorly understood. Along the south coast of Brazil, the amphipod Atlantorchestoidea brasiliensis is the most abundant species of macrofauna on exposed sandy beaches that do not have a high abundance of macroalgal wrack. In order to understand the feeding behavior of this species, experiments on food preference and consumption rates were carried out, and the ability to feed on the surface or buried within the substrate was also tested. Food items offered included the sand crab Emérita brasiliensis, the wedge clam Donax hanleyanus, the mullet fish Mugil sp., and the alga Ulva sp., species that commonly comprise debris on the drift line. Adult amphipods showed a broad feeding range. The most commonly consumed food items were E. brasiliensis and D. hanleyanus, which were consumed more during the night, while Mugil sp. was the least consumed item during both the day and night. In the food preference trials, algal consumption was negligible, suggesting that feeding on debris is more important for this species. Amphipods preferred fresh algae rather than dried algae when simultaneously offered both food items. Our results indicate that talitrids have different feeding strategies and behavior according to the type of organic material deposited on the beach.

Los anfípodos talítridos son considerados los principales consumidores de residuos orgánicos en la zona intermareal de playas arenosas ya que retiran grandes cantidades de macrófitos. La cantidad y composición de los macrófitos depositados pueden influir en el consumo y la tasa demográfica de las especies de talítridos. Sin embargo, en las costas con baja contribución de macrófitos, donde la materia orgánica consiste de detrito, fragmentos de algas y plantas vasculares, el comportamiento alimentario de los talítridos es escasamente conocido. En la costa sur de Brasil, el anfípodo Atlantorchestoidea brasiliensis es la especie más abundante de la macrofauna en playas expuestas con escasos restos de algas. Para entender el comportamiento alimentario de esta especie, se realizaron experimentos sobre la preferencia de alimento y las tasas de consumo. La capacidad de alimentarse en la superficie y dentro del sustrato también se examinó. El alimento ofrecido incluyó el cangrejo de arena Emerita brasiliensis, el berberecho Donax hanleyanus, el pez Mugil sp. y el alga Ulva sp., especies que comúnmente comprenden el detrito varado. Los anfípodos adultos consumieron una amplia gama de alimentos. Las especies más consumidas fueron E. brasiliensis y D. hanleyanus, las cuales se consumieron más durante la noche, mientras que Mugil sp. fue el alimento menos consumido durante tanto el día como la noche. En el ensayo de preferencia de alimento, el consumo de algas fue insignificante por lo que se sugiere que los restos de animales son más importantes para la alimentación de esta especie. Los anfípodos prefirieron algas frescas más que algas secas cuando se ofrecieron simultáneamente. Nuestros resultados indican que los talítridos tienen diferente estrategia y comportamiento alimentario según el tipo de material orgánico depositado en la playa.

O pequizeiro é considerado uma planta típica do Cerrado do Brasil Central, predominando sobre as outras no ambiente, com elevada importância para a economia goiana. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a biodiversidade da entomofauna presente nas plantas do pequizeiro em dezesseis populações do Estado de Goiás. Foram avaliadas 313 plantas de pequizeiro, através de visitas com vistoria do terço inferior da planta. Os insetos foram capturados em partes vegetais, com auxílio de rede entomológica ou obtidos no laboratório. O comportamento dos insetos visitantes foi registrado através de observações, descrição e criação em laboratório de algumas espécies com elevada população a campo. Também, foram anotados dados referentes à ocorrência, local de ataque e oviposição e tipo de sintomas. As espécies de insetos com as porcentagens de ocorrência registrados nas diferentes populações de plantas de pequizeiro pertenciam às ordens, respectivamente: Hemiptera (25,64 %), Coleoptera (17,95 %), Lepidoptera (16,67 %), Hymenoptera (15,39 %), Diptera (11,54 %), Orthoptera (6,41 %), Neuroptera (2,56 %), Isoptera (1,28 %), Thysanoptera (1,28 %), Psicoptera (1,28 %). As espécies encontradas com maior freqüência nas dezesseis populações de pequizeiro foram: Eulechriops sp. (100 %), Edessa rufomarginata (100 %), Rhodoneura intermedia (100 %), Atta laevigatta (100 %), Eunica bechina (93,75 %), Lyriomisia sp. (93,75 %) e Phydotricha erigens (81,75 %). As espécies Thagona tibiali, A. laevigatta, R. intermedia, Carmenta sp., E. rufomarginata e E. bechina podem ser consideradas potenciais pragas do pequizeiro no Cerrado do Estado de Goiás, devido aos danos causados as plantas. Estudos posteriores são necessários para entender a dinâmica de populações destes insetos e suas relações com o hospedeiro nas diferentes eco-regiões do Cerrado goiano.

The pequizeiro is considered a typical plant of Cerrado of the Brazilian Middle West, predominating on others in the environment, with elevated importance for the economy from Goiás. The objective of this research was to study the entomofauna occurrence, in pequizeiro plants of sixteen populations of Goiás State. There were evaluated 313 pequizeiro plants, through inspection of third part of the base of the plants. The insects were captured from parts of the plants, using entomologic net or through the laboratory. The behavior of the insects visitors was registered through observations, description and creation in laboratory of some species with high population to field. Also, data were logged according to the occurrence, place of attack or oviposition and type of symptoms. The Open pasture of the state of Goiás possesses rich entomofauna associated to the pequizeiro. The captured species and their respective occurrence percentage belong to the following orders: Hemiptera (25.64 %), Coleoptera (17.95 %), Lepidoptera (16.67 %), Hymenoptera (15.39 %), Diptera (11.54 %), Orthoptera (6.41 %), Neuroptera (2.56 %), Isoptera (1.28 %), Thysanoptera (1.28 %), Psicoptera (1.28 %). The species with the highest frequency in all the populations of pequizeiro were: Eulechriops sp. (100 %), Atta laevigatta (100 %), Eunica bechina (93.75 %), Lyriomisia sp. (93.75 %), Edessa rufomarginata (100 %), Rhodoneura intermedia (100 %) and Phydotricha sp. (81.25 %). The species Thagona tibiali, A. laevigatta, R. intermedia, Carmenta sp. e E. rufomarginata can be considered potential plague of pequizeiro at Cerrados of Goias State. Further studies are necessary to understand the population dynamic of these insects and their relations with the host from different eco-regions of Goiás cerrados.

Resumo A Bemisia tabaci biótipo B constitui-se atualmente uma grande ameaça não só a cultura do tomateiro mais a diversas outras culturas. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi avaliar a influência da adubação do tomateiro, com diferentes relações nitrogênio/potássio, no comportamento de B. tabaci biótipo B para alimentação e oviposição. O experimento foi conduzido na Escola de Agronomia e Engenharia de Alimentos/UFG, Goiânia, Goiás, Brasil. Realizaram-se testes com e sem chance de escolha do inseto, para o primeiro foi utilizado o delineamento de blocos casualizados e para o segundo o delineamento inteiramente casualizado. Cada tratamento foi composto por quatro repetições, com uma planta por vaso. Os tratamentos utilizados foram às relações nitrogênio/potássio: 1/1, 2/1, 4/1, 8/1, 1/2, 1/4 e 1/8. Para observação do comportamento de B. tabaci biótipo B em relação à preferência alimentar foram realizadas cinco avaliações às 3, 27, 51, 75 e 99 horas após a infestação dos insetos. Para a análise da oviposição, foram coletadas folhas quatro dias após a infestação dos insetos, e avaliadas em laboratório. As diferentes relações nitrogênio/potássio utilizadas na adubação do tomateiro, não foram capazes de induzir a expressão de nenhum efeito inibidor de alimentação ou oviposição de B. tabaci biótipo B.

Summary Bemisia tabaci biotype B presently constitutes a great threat not only for the tomato crop but to several other crops. The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of the plant nutrition with different ratios nitrogen/potassium, on B. tabaci biotype B behavior for feeding and oviposition. The experiment was conducted at Escola de Agronomia e Engenharia de Alimentos/UFG, Goiania, Goias, Brasil. Tests with free and no-choice of the insect feeding were conducted. The first one was carried out on randomized blocks design and the second one with a completely randomized design. Each treatment had four replications, with one plant per pot. The treatments were the ratios nitrogen/potassium: 1/1, 2/1, 4/1, 8/1, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8. Five evaluations on the observation of the behavior of B. tabaci biotype B in relation to the feeding preference were accomplished: 3, 27, 51, 75 and 99 hours after the insect infestation. Leaves were collected at four days after the insect infestation, and appraised in laboratory for oviposition analysis. The different ratios nitrogen/potassium used in the tomato fertilization did not induce any effect at the feeding or oviposition of B. tabaci biotype B behavior.

With the development of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, the isolation of mycobacteria from blood has become a common problem for clinical laboratories. In this study two methods were used for the recovery of mycobacteria from blood specimens obtained from AIDS patients: (1) direct inoculation in biphasic medium, and (2) a noncommercial lysis-centrifugaton method. A total of three consecutive blood samples were taken at 15-minute intervals from each of 50 AIDS patients with clinical suspicion of disseminated mycobacterial disease. Mycobacterium growth was noted in 70/138 blood specimens from 30 (60%) patients. These cultures yielded Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 19 (63%) and Mycobacterium avium complex organisms in 11 (37%) patients. Cultures using the lysis-centrifugation method were positive in 54% of the patients, while cultures using biphasic medium were positive in 44% (P > 0,05). The positivity for M. avium complex was higher with lysis-centrifugation (91%) than with biphasic medium (45,4%) (P < 0,05). However, the positivities for M. tuberculosis with the lysis-centrifugation method (89,5%) and direct inoculation in biphasic medium (100%) were similar (P > 0,05). The use of a noncommercial lysis-centrifugation technique is inexpensive, reliable, and can be an alternative method for the diagnosis of mycobacteremia in developing countries.

Con el desarrollo de la epidemia del síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida (sida), el aislamiento de micobacterias de la sangre se ha convertido en un problema habitual de los laboratorios clínicos. En el presente estudio se evaluaron dos métodos para aislar micobacterias en muestras de sangre de pacientes de sida: 1) la inoculación directa en un medio bifásico y 2) un método no comercializado de lisis por centrifugación. A cada uno de los 50 pacientes de sida con sospecha de enfermedad micobacteriana diseminada se le extrajeron tres muestras de sangre consecutivas a intervalos de 15 minutos. En 70 de 138 muestras de sangre obtenidas de 30 (60%) pacientes se detectó crecimiento de micobacterias. A partir de estos cultivos, en 19 pacientes se aisló Mycobacterium tuberculosis y en 11 (37%), el complejo Mycobacterium avium. Los cultivos en que se utilizó el método de lisis por centrifugación fueron positivos en 54% de los pacientes, mientras que esta cifra se redujo a 44% en los cultivos en que se usó el método bifásico (P > 0,05). El porcentaje de muestras positivas al complejo M. avium fue mayor con el método de centrifugación por lisis (91%) que con el de inoculación directa en medio bifásico (45,4%) (P < 0,05). Sin embargo, los porcentajes de muestras positivas a M. tuberculosis detectadas con el método de lisis por centrifugación (89,5%) y con el de inoculación directa en un medio bifásico (100%) fueron similares (P > 0,05). La técnica no comercializada de centrifugación por lisis es barata, fiable y puede constituir un método alternativo para el diagnóstico de micobacteriemia en países en desarrollo.

Isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis derived from patients with AIDS from a single hospital in Rio de Janeiro were typed using a standardized RFLP technique detecting IS6110 polymorphism. Nineteen isolates were obtained from 15 different patients. Eleven distinct IS6110 patterns were found, with 4 banding patterns shared by 2 patients. The clustering value of 53% was much higher in comparison with clustering of M. tuberculosis strains from TB patients without clinical signs for HIV infection from randomly selected health centers. We present these results as preliminary data on M. tuberculosis strain polymorphism in Brazil and on the higher risk for recent transmission amongst patients with AIDS

Cervical lymph nodes biopsies from 31 HIV positive patients (with or without AIDS) were studied by histologic methods and immunohistochemistry (StreptABC staining of paraffin sections) to identify cellular and extracellular matrix components. The results were the following: (1) the biopsies were included in the stages of follicular hyperplasia without fragmentation FH-FF (4 cases); follicular hyperplasia with follicular fragmentation FH+FF (16 cases); follicular involution FI (6 cases) and diffuse pattern DP (5 cases); (2) the most important alteration was the germinal centers disruption due to follicle lysis, which began in the light zone; (3) there was coincidence between intrafollicular hemorrhages and segmental hyaline mycroangiopathy; (4) during the progression of the disease occurred: (a) an increase in the number of mast cells, CD68+ and Mac387+ macrophages; (b) a diffuse augment of collagen III, elastic fibers, laminin, fibronectin and proteoglycans; (c) maintenance of Factor VIII - related antigens in the vascular endothelial cells, with decrease in the expression of Ulex-Europeus I lectin. Follicular hyperplasia (FH-FF or FH+FF) was the most common histologic pattern recognized in the lymph nodes of patients without AIDS and follicular involution and difuse pattern were seen in those who had AIDS. The results indicate that the lymph node biopsies may provide important information about the evolutive stage of the disease and its prognosis.