In the face of intense urban expansion, the assessment of water quality plays a crucial role in environmental preservation. Here, we evaluated aquatic genotoxicity in three locations with different degrees of urbanization using Tradescantia pallida var. purpurea and Daphnia magna as bioindicators.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasitol Res
October 2024
Access Microbiol
August 2024
Bacteria of the species belong to the family , are Gram-negative bacilli, are moderately thermophilic and are included in the group of thiosulfate-reducing bacteria, being capable of significantly accelerating corrosion in metallic structures. However, no in-depth study on the genome, antibiotic resistance and mobile elements has been carried out so far. In this work, the isolation, phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the multi-resistant UFV_LIMV02 strain was carried out, from water samples from an offshore oil extraction platform in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe correlation between enteric methane emissions (eME) and feed efficiency (FE) in cattle is linked to the anaerobic fermentation of feedstuffs that occurs in the rumen. Several mathematical indices have been developed to predict feed efficiency and identify low methane emitters in herds. To investigate this, the current study aimed to evaluate the rumen microbial composition in the same group of animals ranked according to six different indices (three indices for FE and three for eME).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral hundred ciliate species live in animals' guts as a part of their microbiome. Among them, (Trichostomatia, Pycnotrichidae), the largest described ciliate, is found exclusively associated with (capybara), the largest known rodent reaching up to 90 kg. Here, we present the sequence, structural and functional annotation of this giant microeukaryote macronuclear genome and discuss its phylogenetic placement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe current study proposes to investigate the diversity and phylogeny of trypanosomes parasitizing wild birds from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Cytological examination was carried out by light microscopy of blood smears and positive birds were selected for amplification of the 18S rDNA sequence through PCR. The resulting amplicons were subjected to purification, cloning, and sequencing analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Robotic-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. We present an alternative technique that preserves the complete mesenteric vascularization during the isolation of the intestinal segment used in ICUD, including distal vessels. This approach aims to minimize the risk of ischemia in both the ileal anastomosis and the isolated loop at the diversion site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Methane (CH) emissions from rumen fermentation are a significant contributor to global warming. Cattle with high CH emissions tend to exhibit lower efficiency in milk and meat production, as CH production represents a loss of the gross energy ingested by the animal. The objective of this study was to investigate the taxonomic and functional composition of the rumen microbiome associated with methane yield phenotype in dairy cattle raised in tropical areas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh infestations of epibiont ciliates on vertebrates or invertebrates are normally related to aquaculture tanks or similar environments, and the importance of this relationship in natural habitats is often disregarded. Here, we describe the first record of high infestation of ciliates on Aegla serrana in South America and conduct a brief morphological and phylogenetic characterization of these ciliates. Our findings confirm that cases of high infestation of ciliates on metazoans can indeed occur in natural environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe genus Rhabdostyla is one of the oldest of the family Epistylididae, it was described over 120 years ago and has more than 40 species considered valid. This group went through several systematic changes throughout its existence and due to the lack of taxonomic information, said to be essential, for most species that compose it, some of these changes are still questioned. In order to better understand and validate the species and relationships identified for this genus, the present work makes a brief review for the genus Rhabdostyla and its related genera, Opisthostyla and Orborhabdostyla.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFis an opportunistic pathogen and is responsible for more than 40% of all cases of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Healthcare-associated infections have been aggravated by the constant emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. Because of this, the use of phages to combat bacterial infections gained renewed interest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus and belongs to the Flaviviridae family and Flavivirus genus, with dissemination in the Americas. In Brazil, the predominant strain is the Asian, promoting outbreaks that started in 2015 and are directly related to microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. Recently, researchers identified a new African strain circulating in Brazil at the mid-end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019, with the potential to originate a new epidemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Haemosporida order is a well-supported clade of heteroxenous parasites transmitted by dipteran insects and frequently found parasitizing wild birds. These parasites have already been reported in all zoogeographic regions of the world, except for Antarctica. One of the potential hosts of haemosporidians is the Cracidae family, which includes approximately 50 species, 22 of which are present in Brazil, classified within nine genera.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
November 2022
(1) Background: Exhaustive exercise can induce muscle damage. The consumption of nutritional compounds with the ability to positively influence the oxidative balance and an exacerbated inflammatory process has been previously studied. However, little is known about the nutritional value of curcumin (CCM) when mixed with whey protein concentrate (WPC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough the diversity (~35 species) and worldwide distribution of goats (Ruminantia, Bovidae, Caprinae) are significant, studies on the diversity of symbiont ciliates in these mammals are scarce in comparison to other ruminants. The present work is a review and checklist of species based on taxonomic, morphologic, and ecologic studies of rumen ciliate protozoa in goats, presenting geographic distribution and hosts, as well as estimating the macroevolutionary relationships of the species observed in the studies. To that end, all of the available literature on databases was reviewed, the schematic drawings were made based on information present in the original description of the taxa, and the phylogenetic relationships were inferred based on Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFZika virus (ZIKV) represents a global human health threat and it is related to severe diseases such as congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). There is no vaccine available nor specific antiviral treatment, so developing sensitive, specific, and low-cost diagnostic tests is necessary. Thus, the objective of this work was to produce the Zika virus envelope protein domain III (ZIKV-EDIII) in KM71H and evaluate its potential for diagnostic applications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
April 2023
The development of new drugs is a very complex and time-consuming process, and for this reason, researchers have been resorting heavily to drug repurposing techniques as an alternative for the treatment of various diseases. This approach is especially interesting when it comes to emerging diseases with high rates of infection, because the lack of a quickly cure brings many human losses until the mitigation of the epidemic, as is the case of COVID-19. In this work, we combine an in-house developed machine learning strategy with docking, MM-PBSA calculations, and metadynamics to detect potential inhibitors for SARS-COV-2 main protease among FDA approved compounds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe family Ophryoscolecidae currently comprises 225 species of trichostomatid ciliates, subdivided into three subfamilies (Entodiniinae, Diplodiniinae, and Ophryoscolecinae). The last taxonomic review of the family was performed 55 years ago, but recent morphological and molecular studies indicate the need for a profound review of the systematics of this taxon, since its current taxonomy is insufficient to organize the diversity of the group. Here, we briefly review the systematics of the family Ophryoscolecidae based on information recovered from the literature and new morphological and molecular data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Manage
February 2022
Colonization by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in environments associated with oil is mainly dependent on the availability of sulfate and carbon sources. The formation of biofilms by SRB increases the corrosion of pipelines and oil storage tanks, representing great occupational and operational risks and respective economic losses for the oil industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the addition of acetate, butyrate, lactate, propionate and oil on the structure of biofilm formed in carbon steel coupons, as well as on the diversity of total bacteria and SRB in the planktonic and sessile communities from petroleum produced water.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMayaro virus (MAYV) is a neglected arthropod-borne virus found in the Americas. MAYV infection results in Mayaro fever, a non-lethal debilitating disease characterized by a strong inflammatory response affecting the joints and muscles. MAYV was once considered endemic to forested areas in Brazil but has managed to adapt and spread to urban regions using new vectors, such as , and has the potential to cause serious epidemics in the future.
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