Optomagnonics in Dispersive Media: Magnon-Photon Coupling Enhancement at the Epsilon-near-Zero Frequency.

Reaching strong light-matter coupling in solid-state systems has long been pursued for the implementation of scalable quantum devices. Here, we put forward a system based on a magnetized epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) medium, and we show that strong coupling between magnetic excitations (magnons) and light can be achieved close to the ENZ frequency due to a drastic enhancement of the magneto-optical response. We adopt a phenomenological approach to quantize the electromagnetic field inside a dispersive magnetic medium in order to obtain the frequency-dependent coupling between magnons and photons. We predict that, in the epsilon-near-zero regime, the single-magnon single-photon coupling can be comparable to the magnon frequency for a small magnetic volume and perfect mode overlap. For state-of-the-art illustrative values, this would correspond to achieving the single-magnon strong coupling regime, where the coupling rate is larger than all the decay rates. Finally, we show that the nonlinear energy spectrum intrinsic to this coupling regime can be probed via the characteristic multiple magnon sidebands in the photon power spectrum.

Assessment of weight gain and control of parasitism by Rhipicephalus microplus in dairy cattle in the field using organosynthetic parasiticide, phytotherapics and homeopathy / Avaliação do ganho de peso e controle do parasitismo por Rhipicephalus microplus em bovinos leiteiros a campo usando parasiticida organosintético, fitoterápicos e homeopatia

The goal of this research was to compare the effect of the following products on dairy cattle, parasitized by Rhipicephalus microplus: organosynthetics - Clorfenvinfós and Ivermectina (OG); phytotherapics - Eucalyptus oil (EG) and Neem cake (NG); Homeopathy (HG); The control group (CG) received no treatment. Infestation was by R. microplus (MIC) and weight gain (GP) were evaluated. The study included 60 animals (5 groups) from ­ Dutch / Zebu, aged between 25-44 months and initial weight between 211-477kg. EG and NG showed MIC 84.9% and 14.0% greater than CG, respectively (P <0.05; P = 0). HG and OG had MIC less than CG 24.4% and 16.9%, respectively (P<0.05; P <0.05). EG, NG and OG obtained GP lower than CG in 7.9%, 8.9% and 8.06% (P <0.05) respectively. The HG GP was 4.9% higher (P <0.05) than CG. This was the first research to prove parasitism control by R. microplus in a field test, using homeopathy. The methodology for choosing Homeopathy for the control of enzooties, developed and tested for the first time in this study, proved to be adequate and efficient, opening the possibility for establishing a new methodology for strategic control of parasitism by R. microplus.(AU)

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi comparar o efeito dos seguintes produtos sobre bovinos leiteiros, parasitados por Rhipicephalus microplus: organossintéticos - clorfenvinfós e ivermectina (OG); fitoterápicos - óleo de eucalipto (EG) e torta de Neem (NG) e homeopatia (HG). O grupo controle (CG) não recebeu tratamento. Foram avaliados infestação por R. microplus (MIC) e ganho de peso/grupo (GP) em 60 animais (5 grupos), a partir de ­ holandês/zebu, com idade entre 25 e 44 meses e peso inicial entre 211 e 477kg. EG e NG apresentaram MIC 84,9% e 14,0% maior que CG, respectivamente (P<0,05; P=0). HG e OG apresentaram MIC menor que CG 24,4% e 16,9%, respectivamente (P<0,05; P<0,05). EG, NG e OG obtiveram GP menor que CG em 7,9%, 8,9% e 8,06% (P<0,05), respectivamente. O GP do HG foi 4,9% maior (P<0,05) que o CG. Esta foi a primeira pesquisa a comprovar controle do parasitismo por R. microplus em teste a campo, usando homeopatia. A metodologia para escolha de medicamentos homeopáticos para controle de enzootias, desenvolvida e testada pela primeira vez neste estudo, mostrou-se adequada e eficiente, abrindo a possibilidade para estabelecimento de nova metodologia para controle estratégico do parasitismo por R. microplus.(AU)

Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato (s.l.) oil-in-water emulsions drastically reduced Rhipicephalus microplus larvae outbreak population on artificially infested grass.

Rhipicephalus microplus Canestrini, 1887 (Arachnida: Ixodidae) is a mandatory bloodsucking ectoparasite, and it is considered one of the main sanitary problems in livestock. In the development of new technologies for controlling ticks, Metarhizium anisopliae complex (M. anisopliae s. l.) Sorokin, 1883 (Ascomycota: Clavicipitaceae) have been shown to be an effective and safe alternative. However, when applied in the field, abiotic factors may directly influence their microbial activity, and different oily adjuvants enhance fungal efficacy, stability and viability under environmental conditions. Here, the efficacy of two Metarhizium anisopliae s.l. isolates (CG 148 and CG 347) were compared in mineral oil (MO) or vegetable oil (VO) emulsions to control cattle ticks under semi-natural conditions, as well as their persistence in the soil over time. Engorged female ticks were placed on the soil of grass pots previously treated or not with conidial oil-in-water emulsions. Both M. anisopliae s.l. oil-in-water emulsions tested were able to control R. microplus, achieving up to 100% daily efficacy, and remained viable in the soil for up to 60 days after treatment. These results show the prospective applicability of Metarhizium spp. to control the cattle tick and a real possibility for its control in the environment.

Pre-emptive pediatric kidney transplantation or not?

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation prior to dialysis (pre-emptive kidney transplantation, PKT) has been controversial because of the paucity of clinical evidence to clarify the risks and benefits of PKT. Several authors have confirmed a significant advantage of PKT in the treatment of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of patients who received PKT or non-pre-emptive kidney transplant (NPKT). METHODS: We used a cohort of 323 consecutive kidney-transplanted children (53% boys) from Hospital da Criança Santo Antonio, Porto Alegre, Brazil, who underwent transplantation between January 2000 and December 2010. RESULTS: The main causes of ESRD were congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) (39%) and glomerulopathies (27.5%). The 12-, 36-, 60-, and 90-months death-censored graft survival rates were 97%, 92%, 86%, and 76%, respectively, in the PKT group, and 87%, 79%, 72%, and 65% in the NPKT group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that pre-emptive transplantation is beneficial (hazard ratio = 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.18-0.82). The main causes of graft loss (n = 67) were recurrence of primary disease (21%), chronic allograft injury (17%), and death with a functioning graft (16%). We recommend PKT as a better choice for transplantation whenever possible to minimize ESRD morbidity and provide better long-term patient and graft survival.

Litter size reduction alters insulin signaling in the ventral tegmental area and influences dopamine-related behaviors in adult rats.

Postnatal overfeeding is a well-known model of early-life induced obesity and glucose intolerance in rats. However, little is known about its impact on insulin signaling in specific brain regions such as the mesocorticolimbic system, and its putative effects on dopamine-related hedonic food intake in adulthood. For this study, rat litters were standardized to 4 (small litter - SL) or 8 pups (control - NL) at postnatal day 1. Weaning was at day 21, and all tests were conducted after day 60 of life in male rats. In Experiment 1, we demonstrated that the SL animals were heavier than the NL at all time points and had decreased AKT/pAKT ratio in the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), without differences in the skeletal muscle insulin signaling in response to insulin injection. In Experiment 2, the standard rat chow intake was addressed using an automated system (BioDAQ, Research Diets(®)), and showed no differences between the groups. On the other hand, the SL animals ingested more sweet food in response to the 1 min tail-pinch challenge and did not develop conditioned place preference to sweet food. In Experiment 3 we showed that the SL rats had increased VTA TH content but had no difference in this protein in response to a sweet food challenge, as the NL had. The SL rats also showed decreased levels of dopamine D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens. Here we showed that early postnatal overfeeding was linked to an altered functioning of the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which was associated with altered insulin signaling in the VTA, suggesting increased sensitivity, and expression of important proteins of the dopaminergic system.

Kidney transplantation in children weighing less than 15 kg: extraperitoneal surgical access-experience with 62 cases.

Small children are a challenging group in whom to perform KT. This retrospective study analyzed the results of 62 KTs in children weighing <15 kg, performed between 1998 and 2010, using extraperitoneal access and anastomosis of the renal vessels of donors to the aorta and IVC or iliac vessels of the recipients. Thirty-two (51.6%) grafts were LRDTs and 30 (48.4%) were DDRTs-28 of them pediatric. The mean age at KT was 3.7 ± 2.2 yr (1-12), and the mean weight was 12.3 ± 2.1 kg (5.6-14.9). Ten children weighed <10 kg, and five (8.1%) children presented previous thrombosis of the venous system. At one and five yr, patient survival was 93.2% and 84.2%, and graft survival was 85.2% and 72.7%. There were no differences between the rates for LRDT and DDRT. There were six vascular complications (four vascular thromboses, one laceration, and one renal artery stenosis) and two perirenal collections. Extraperitoneal access is a valid KT technique in children weighing <15 kg.

Nomuraea rileyi as biological control agents of Rhipicephalus microplus tick.

Nomuraea rileyi, a fungus pathogenic to insects, has been widely used for biological control of agricultural pests in Brazil. This study investigates the effects of N. rileyi, isolates Nr 138, Nr 151, and Nr 177, to eggs, larvae, and engorged females of Rhipicephalus microplus tick. Specimens were immersed in 1 ml of conidial suspension for 3 min, whereas the control group was immersed in 0.01% Tween 80 water solution. The isolate Nr 138 controlled 67.37% of ticks when the highest conidial concentration was used, 10(8) conidia ml(-1). The isolate Nr 177 significantly reduced the percentage of hatch of larvae from eggs treated with 10(8) conidia ml(-1). Conversely, the isolate Nr 151 was not virulent to eggs, larvae, or adults. Variability in virulence was observed among the N. rileyi isolates investigated in the current study-Nr 138 was more virulent to engorged females, while Nr 177 was more virulent to unfed larvae. Although N. rileyi proved to be virulent to several stages of R. microplus, the results obtained in this study indicate that N. rileyi does not appear to be a remarkable biological control agent for R. microplus.

Susceptibility of different populations of ticks to entomopathogenic fungi.

This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro effect of the entomopathogenic fungi Metarhizium anisopliae sensu lato (s.l.) and Beauveria bassiana sensu lato (s.l.) on two distinct populations of Rhipicephalus microplus, from two different experimental farms. Bioassays were performed with engorged females, eggs and larvae. Fungal infection was evaluated based on biological parameters of treated engorged females, percentage of hatch from treated eggs, and percentage of mortality and mean lethal time (LT90) of treated larvae. When the treatments were compared between the two populations, there were significant differences in the following parameters: pre-oviposition period, hatching period and egg production index. Moreover, the results showed that B. bassiana s.l., isolate Bb 986, was more virulent than M. anisopliae s.l., isolate 959, for engorged females, showing a control percentage of 49%. In the bioassay with eggs, the hatching percentage ranged from 3.1% to 49.5% in one population and from 3.4% to 42.7% in the other, with no significant difference between the two populations. In the bioassay with unfed larvae, the mortality percentage ranged from 91.8% to 98.7% in one population and from 71.0% to 94.0% in the other. The LT(90) varied from 19.52 to 27.51 days in one of the populations and 22.89 to 37.31 days in the other. These results suggest that populations of R. microplus show distinct variation in their susceptibility to B. bassiana s.l. and M. anisopliae s.l.

Haemolymph protein and lipid profile of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus infected by fungi.

The current study evaluates the protein and lipid profile of haemolymph of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus engorged females infected by Metarhizium anisopliae, Beauveria bassiana or Fusarium oxysporum. Ticks were immersed or inoculated with conidial suspension. Haemolymph was collected from the dorsal surface of engorged females. The results showed altered total protein amounts; however, no significant difference was observed on electrophoretic profile among haemolymph samples. In addition, altered lipid profile was detected in haemocyte samples from ticks treated with Beauveria and Metarhizium.

Genetic diversity among Brazilian isolates of Beauveria bassiana: comparisons with non-Brazilian isolates and other Beauveria species.

AIMS: The genetic diversity of Beauveria bassiana was investigated by comparing isolates of this species to each other (49 from different geographical regions of Brazil and 4 from USA) and to other Beauveria spp. METHODS AND RESULTS: The isolates were examined by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), and rDNA sequencing. MLEE and AFLP revealed considerable genetic variability among B. bassiana isolates. Several isolates from South and Southeast Brazil had high similarity coefficients, providing evidence of at least one population with clonal structure. There were clear genomic differences between most Brazilian and USA B. bassiana isolates. A Mantel test using data generated by AFLP provided evidence that greater geographical distances were associated with higher genetic distances. AFLP and rDNA sequencing demonstrated notable genotypic variation between B. bassiana and other Beauveria spp. CONCLUSION: Geographical distance between populations apparently is an important factor influencing genotypic variability among B. bassiana populations in Brazil. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study characterized many B. bassiana isolates. The results indicate that certain Brazilian isolates are considerably different from others and possibly should be regarded as separate species from B. bassiana sensu latu. The information on genetic variation among the Brazilian isolates, therefore, will be important to comprehending the population structure of B. bassiana in Brazil.

Ação do fungo Beauveria bassiana associado a gel polimerizado de celulose no controle do carrapato Anocentor nitens em teste de campo / Action of the fungus Beauveria bassiana associated with cellulose polymerized gel in the control of the tick Anocentor nitens in a field test

Foram selecionados 20 equídeos naturalmente infestados por Anocentor nitens, dos quais seus pavilhões auriculares foram submetidos a quatro tratamentos distintos: gel associado a Beauveria bassiana, apenas gel, apenas B. bassiana e um grupo-controle. Procederam-se à contagem e ao registro do número total de fêmeas adultas (>3mm) em cada pavilhão auricular, nos dias 0, 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25 e 28, para cálculo do percentual de controle. Foram coletadas e mantidas em laboratório 20 fêmeas pertencentes a cada tratamento, para cálculo dos períodos de pré-postura, postura, incubação e eclosão, e peso médio das posturas. No grupo tratado com o composto gel associado a B. bassiana, observou-se percentual de controle maior que 50 por cento, entre o 4º e o 25º dia, assim como decréscimo progressivo do peso médio da postura das fêmeas coletadas no período entre o 7º e 14º dia. Para os outros tratamentos, o percentual de controle manteve-se abaixo de 20 por cento, e o peso da postura não apresentou diferença significativa. Os percentuais de controle, assim como as reduções no peso médio da postura, sugerem que a utilização do composto gel associado a B. bassiana potencializou a virulência do entomopatógeno.

Twenty horses naturally infected by Anocentor nitens were selected and their auricular pinna were submitted to four treatments: gel associated with Beauveria bassiana, gel only, B. bassiana only, and a control group. The count and the register of the total number of grown up tick females (>3mm) were performed in each auricular pinna on days 0, 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, and 28 for the calculus of percentage of control. Twenty females from each treatment were collected and maintained in laboratory, to calculate the periods of pre-oviposition, oviposition, incubation, and hatching and mean weight of oviposition. In the group treated with the gel associated to B. bassiana, it was observed a control percentage higher than 50 percent from the 4º to the 25º day, such as a progressive decrease of mean weight of the ovipositions in the period from the 7º to 14º day. For the other treatments, the control percentage was kept below 20 percent and the oviposition weight showed no significant difference among the treatments. The control percentages, such as reductions in mean weight of oviposition, suggest that the use of gel associated with B. bassiana potentialized the virulence of the entomopathogen.

A Brazilian galactosialidosis patient given renal transplantation: a case report.

We report a Brazilian girl who was diagnosed as having galactosialidosis (deficiency of protective protein/cathepsin A; PPCA deficiency; GS) at the age of 2 years 6 months during an extensive investigation for renal failure. She was found to have low levels of both ß-galactosidase and α-neuraminidase in fibroblasts and to be a carrier of two novel mutations in the PPGB gene (p.G57V and p.R396W). She received a renal allograft at the age of 3 years 4 months. Transplantation was successful and graft function remains excellent after 6 years. However, the patient shows signs of progression of her primary disease. To our knowledge, she is the first GS patient to be given renal transplantation worldwide. We propose that renal transplantation should be considered as a therapeutic option for the treatment of severe renal complications of GS.

Educational program of organ donation and transplantation at medical school.

A favorable attitude of health professionals to organ donation can positively influence the decision of families of potential donors. By increasing health professionals knowledge about donation and transplantation and qualifying them to disseminate information, education has produced a positive response to increase the insufficient number of donors. Educating students early in their careers may become crucial in this setting. In order to supply the necessary information about the process of donation and transplantation, a medical school in association with the Hospital Transplant Coordination Department created an educational program of organ donation and transplantation. This course is intended for medical, biomedical, and nutrition students. The objective of our program is to supply basic knowledge about organ donation and transplantation to students of medicine, nutrition, and biomedicine and to enhance their commitment to this process. Each semester, 50 to 90 students are enrolled in the course, which involves a total of 25 hours. Various aspects are approached such as brain death, donor management, political and legal aspects of donation, and skin, lung, bone marrow, heart, pancreas, liver, and kidney transplantation. Between March 2006 and June 2007, three courses were carried out and 200 students were trained. The students evaluated the course and rated it as excellent, concluding that it contributed to their education. Their attitude toward organ donation and transplantation was strongly positive at the end of the course. This project aims to educate and stimulate students in the process of organ donation and transplantation and should be implemented in other medical schools.

Renal transplantation in children younger than 6 years old.

Herein we report our experience in renal transplantation in 38 children (40 transplants), ages 1 to 5 years, between 1989 and 2005. Demographics as well as patient and graft survivals are reported. Mean age at transplantation was 3.3 +/- 1.3 years, and mean weight was 14 kg (range, 5.7-25 kg); 92.5% were Caucasian, 7.5% African-Brazilian. The main etiology for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was uropathic/vesicoureteral reflux (45%) followed by glomerulopathy (25%), congenital/hereditary diseases (10%), and hemolytic uremic syndrome (12.5%). Prior to transplantation, 5% were on hemodialysis, 85% on peritoneal dialysis, and 10% preemptive. All children were followed for at least 6 months posttransplantation, except 2 who died in the first month. In 75% of cases, kidneys were obtained from living-related donors, and in 25% from deceased donors. Thirty-nine kidneys were extraperitoneally placed. Primary immunosuppressant therapy consisted of cyclosporine (61%), tacrolimus (39%), mycophenolate (49%), and azathioprine (51%). A steroid-free protocol was used in 17% of patients. In the last 21 cases, basiliximab or daclizumab was added. There were 13 (32.5%) graft losses (4 artery/vein thromboses, 3 chronic rejections, 3 deaths, 3 other causes). The 5-year patient and graft survival rates were 89.6% and 72.2%. We have concluded that renal transplantation can be performed with good long-term results in children younger than 6 years old.

300 pediatric renal transplantations: A single-center experience.

UNLABELLED: Our objective was to relate the results of 300 consecutive kidney transplants performed in children at a single center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An analysis of kidney transplants was performed on patients less than 18 years old engrafted from May 1977 to August 2005. RESULTS: Among 300 kidney transplants, 48% of the patients were female, 87% were Caucasian, and 13% were African-Brazilian. The mean age at transplant was 11.5 +/- 4.5 years with 39 (13%) less than 6 years of age. The most frequent etiology of renal failure was vesicoureteral reflux/obstructive uropathy (36%) followed by glomerulopathy (27%). The donor was deceased in 32.3% and living related in 77.7% (parents 82%). The mean posttransplant follow-up was 4.8 +/- 4.3 years. The initial immunosuppression was CyA + AZA + PRED in 45%; CyA + MMF + PRED in 9.6%; TAC + AZA + PRED in 7.3%; TAC + MF + PRED in 9.7%; or TAC + MF without PRED in 10%. Sirolimus was employed initially in three cases. Induction with OKT3/ATG occurred in three patients and 112 received an anti-IL2 receptor antibody. The 103 graft losses during 28 years of follow-up were secondary to chronic allograft nephropathy in 51 (49.5%), vascular thrombosis in 5 (4.8%), acute rejection in 12 (11.6%), and recurrence of original disease in 13 (12.6%). Sixteen (15.5%) died with functioning grafts. Graft survival in the first, fifth, and tenth year were 90%, 72%, and 59%, respectively. Patient survival in the first, fifth, and tenth years were 95%, 93%, and 85%, respectively, with infection as the main cause of death.

Conversion to sirolimus in pediatric renal transplantation recipients.

We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of sirolimus (SRL) in 16 pediatric renal transplant recipients, who were 9.4 +/- 4.1 years of age when they first received SRL. The indications for SRL therapy were rescue from steroid-resistant acute rejection (31.3%), neoplasia (31.3%), diabetes (12.5%), polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (6.3%), chronic allograft dysfunction (6.3%), calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity (6.3%), and hemolytic uremic syndrome (6.3%). Mean follow-up after the switch to SRL was 17.7 +/- 15 months. The final immunosuppression was CNI + SRL + prednisone (PRED) in five patients, SRL + PRED in six, SRL + mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) + PRED in four, and SRL + MMF in one. The use of SRL in these selected pediatric renal recipients was successful, except when creatinine was high at the moment of conversion. Further studies are necessary to assess the beneficial outcomes versus adverse events among the pediatric transplant population receiving SRL for immunosuppression.

Plasmapheresis for recurrent posttransplant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

The high recurrence rate of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in kidney transplant recipients suggests that such patients have a circulating factor that alters glomerular capillary permeability. Serum from patients with FSGS increases glomerular permeability to albumin. This permeability factor has been partially identified as a protein. The removal of this protein by plasmapheresis (PP) decreases proteinuria. In this study we report data on the therapeutic effects of PP in FSGS children with recurrence in the transplanted kidney. Three hundred pediatric (age <19 years) renal transplants were performed, including 21 patients (24 transplants) with FSGS as a cause of renal failure. Fourteen (58.3%) subjects experienced disease recurrence (proteinuria >1 g/m(2) per day) within 1 month after transplantation. Mean age patient was 12 +/- 4.3 years, including 83.3% Caucasians and 70.2% recipients of living donor grafts. Nine were treated with 10 cycles of PP (3 cycles/weekly), initiated immediately after recurrence (<48 hours). Immunosuppression included high doses of cyclosporine (C(2) levels of 1700-1800 ng/mL), mycophenolate sodium or mofetil, and prednisone. Thirteen patients were induced with anti-IL2 receptor monoclonal antibody (daclizumab/basiliximab). Among the patients who underwent PP, five (55.5%) achieved a complete remission and one (12%), a partial remission (1 g/24 hours). There were no cases of remission among the five patients who were not treated with PP. Those who achieved remission after PP experienced no recurrences during the 2.6 +/- 1.4 years follow-up. PP appears to be effective to treat recurrent FSGS following kidney transplantation. It should be started as soon as possible.

Efeitos de Beauveria bassiana (Bals) Vuill e Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsc) Sorok sobre fêmeas ingurgitadas de Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) em condições de laboratório / Effects of Beauveria bassiana (Bals) Vuill and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsc) Sorok on engorged females of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) in laboratory conditions

The in vitro susceptibility of Amblyomma cajennense engorged females to some isolated of the fungus Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae was verified and lethal concentrations (LC 50 and LC 90) were calculated. The females were dived in conidia suspensions for five minutes, and kept in climatically controlled chambers BOD under 27º C and 80 por cento relative humidity. Each bioassay had four treatments in concentrations of 105,106,107 e 108 conidia/ml. A control group was also used. The following characteristics were evaluated: weight and period of oviposition, indexes of reproductive and nutritional efficiency and percentage of microbiological control. A dose dependent negative effect was observed in ticks treated with the suspension. All isolates tested cause a negative effect on in vitro tests of engorged females of A. cajennense, suggesting its potential for microbiological control of tick's species.

Isolation of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae from Boophilus microplus tick (Canestrini, 1887), in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

The objective of this work were to isolate and identify strains of entomopathogenic fungi from ingurgitated female Boophilus microplus ticks, collected from the soil in the municipality of Paracambi, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The ingurgitated females were inoculated in the selective medium oat dodine agar (oda), where 49 colonies of Beauveria bassiana (71%) and 20 of Metarhizium anisopliae var. anisopliae (29%) were isolated. These isolated strains characterize for the first time in Brazil the natural occurrence of these species of fungi in this tick, and will be used to conduct bioassays to evaluate the pathogenicity and virulence of these strains for ticks of the genus Boophilus microplus.

Açäo in vitro dos fungos Beauveria bassiana (Bals) Vuill e Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch) Sorok sobre ninfas e adultos de Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae) / In vitro of the fungi Beauveria bassiana (Bals) Vuill and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch) Sorok on ninphs and adults of Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) (Acari: Ixodidae)

O trabalho teve por objetivo verificar a mortalidade in vitro de ninfas e adultos de Amblyomma cajennense frente à açäo de isolados dos fungos Beauveria bassiana e Metharhizium anisopliae. Foram avaliados três isolados de M. anisopliae (959, 319 e E9) e dois de B. bassiana (986 e 747). As suspensöes de conídios foram preparadas a partir de fungos produzidos em meio de arroz, e cada bioensaio foi constituído de quatro tratamentos nas concentraçöes 10 elevado a 5, 10 elevado a 6, 10 elevado a 7, 10 elevado a 8 conídios/ml e um grupo-controle. A análise constou da observaçäo do percentual de mortalidade, 15 dias após o tratamento ou após a ecdise de adultos. Foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos quanto à mortalidade para todos os isolados e todos os instares. Nos grupos tratados houve aumento considerável na mortalidade à medida que se aumentava a concentraçäo de conídios na suspensäo. Conclui-se que todos os isolados testados causaram mortalidade em testes in vitro sobre esses estádios evolutivos, sugerindo o controle do A. cajennense pela açäo desses fungos