Little is known about the potential of restoration plantations to provide appropriate understory conditions to support the establishment of seeds arriving from neighboring native forests. In this article, we investigated how seedling establishment is affected in the understory of restoration sites of different ages and assessed some of the potential environmental factors controlling this ecological process. We first compared the density and richness of native tree seedlings among 10‐, 22‐, and 55‐year‐old restoration plantations within the Atlantic Forest region of southeastern Brazil. Then, we undertook a seed addition experiment in each study site, during the wet season, and compared seedling emergence, survival, and biomass on local versus old‐growth forest soil (transferred from a reference ecosystem), in order to test whether local substrate could hamper seedling establishment. As expected, the oldest restoration site had higher density and richness of spontaneously regenerating seedlings. However, seedling establishment was less successful both in the oldest restoration planting and using substrate transferred from a reference ecosystem, where emergence and survival were lower, but surviving seedlings grew better. We attribute these results to lower light availability for seedlings in the understory of the oldest site and speculate that higher incidence of pathogens on old‐growth forest soil may have increased seedling mortality. We conclude that the understory of young restoration plantations provides suitable microsite conditions at the early establishment phases for the spontaneous regeneration or enrichment planting of native trees.

Besides presenting zoonotic potential, helminths of cats are responsible for gastrointestinal, hepatic, and pulmonary diseases. In order to identify the helminthic fauna, prevalence, mean intensity of parasitism (MIP), and mean abundance population (MAP), 146 cats from the metropolitan area of Cuiabá, Midwestern Brazil, were necropsied. In 98 these animals, 12 species of helminths were identified, comprising (species, prevalence, MIP, and MAP, respectively): nematodes (Ancylostoma braziliense [50,68% -53,64 -27,18], Ancylostoma tubaeforme [10,27% -3,6 -0,37], Toxocara cati [4,11% -28,33 -1,16] . Ancylostoma spp., and P. fastosum were the most prevalent with the highest MIP and MAP. We observed the presence of species of helminths with zoonotic potential. This is the first time cats parasitized with Centrorhynchus erraticus are reported in the Americas. That genus is commonly observed in wild animals.Keywords: Identification, quantification, parasitism, Centrorhynchus, zoonosis, prevalence. ResumoHelmintos de gatos são causadores de doenças gastrintestinais, hepáticas e pulmonares, além de apresentarem potencial zoonótico. Com objetivo de identificar a helmintofauna, prevalência, intensidade média de parasitismo (IMP) e abundância média populacional (AMP) foram necropsiados 146 gatos da região metropolitana de Cuiabá, centro-oeste do Brasil. Foram identificadas em 98 animais 12 espécies de helmintos compreendendo (respectivamente espécie, prevalência, IMP e AMP): nematódeos (Ancylostoma braziliense [50,68% -53,64 -27,18], Ancylostoma tubaeforme [10,27% -3,6 -0,37], Toxocara cati [4,11% -28,33 -1,16], Physaloptera praeputialis [2,05% -6,67 -0,14], Capillaria feliscati [3,42% -7,4 -0,25]

Serum samples collected from 547 equids in the Pantanal region of Brazil were evaluated for antibodies to Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) by the agar gel immunodiffusion test. Risk factors associated with EIAV seropositivity were evaluated and spatial dependence investigated using a Spatial Lag Model. EIAV prevalence on farms in the Pantanal was 52.0% (13/25) with adjusted prevalence between equids of 31.5% (17.4-48.8% 95% CI). Intra-herd prevalence ranged from 5.0 to 77.0%. Statistical analysis demonstrated that farms and animals in regularly flooded areas had respectively 60 and 146 fold higher chance to be sero-positive than farms and animals located in non-flooded areas. Spatial Lag Model results were generally consistent with this conclusion although there was a negative spatial correlation between farms located within in regularly inundated regions, suggesting that other factors, such as management practices, probably play a significant role in transmission of EIAV. Equids with clinical signs were 3.74-fold more likely to be sero-positive than those without clinical signs. The results of this work reveal a high prevalence of EIAV in the Pantanal area of Brazil demonstrating that equids reared in this region are at great risk of infection.

In Brazil, fish are sold in retail fresh or frozen, whole, or gutted. To increase consumption, convenient products with good sensory attributes should be offered. The objective of this study was to develop and characterize, through physicochemical, microbiologica, and sensory traits, a fresh sausage of tambaqui fish (Colossoma macropomum). Three formulations, with different percentages of fat (0, 4.5, and 9%) were developed. To determine shelf life, samples of the products were refrigerated at 4 ºC for 12 days and microbiological analyses were performed on days 0, 3, 7, and 12. Analyses of centesimal composition, shear force, cooking weight loss, and water-holding capacity were carried out. The shelf life of the fresh sausages was estimated at 7 days of storage. The sensory attributes evaluated were aroma, color, flavor, succulence, texture, and overall appearance. All treatments showed high acceptance rates, above 80%. The treatment with 9% fat showed the highest mean values in the evaluated attributes, with 86.6%, 83.4%, 92%, 88.2%, 87.2%, and 85.8% for aroma, color, flavor, succulence, texture and overall appearance, respectively. The centesimal composition of the treatments showed the following variations in g.100 g RESUMONo Brasil, a comercialização de peixes é realizada com o produto fresco ou congelado. Para se conseguir o aumento de consumo, se faz necessário oferecer produtos de conveniência e com valor agregado. Produtos processados possuem atributos sensoriais diferenciados além de facilidade no preparo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi elaborar e caracterizar, através de análises físico-químicas, microbiológicas e sensoriais, um embutido a base de tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). Foram desenvolvidas três formulações, que distinguiam entre si com relação ao percentual de gordura: 0%, 4,5% e 9%. Para determinação da vida de prateleira, amostras dos produtos foram armazenadas sob refrigeração 4 °C por 12 dias e realizaram-se análises microbiológicas nos dias 0, 3, 7 e 12. Foram realizadas análises de composição centesimal, força de cisalhamento, perda de peso por cocção e capacidade de retenção de água. Os atributos sensoriais avaliados foram aroma, cor, sabor, suculência, textura e aparência global. Todos os tratamentos apresentaram altos índices de aceitação, acima de 80%, porém, o tratamento com 9% de gordura apresentou as maiores medias nos atributos avaliados, 86,6%, 83,4%, 92%, 88,2%, 87,2%, e 85,8% respectivamente para aroma, cor, sabor, suculência, textura e aparência global. A composição centesimal dos tratamentos apresentou as seguintes variações em g.100 g -1 : umidade 72,73 a 68,82; proteína 18,85 a 18,90; lipídeos 2,90 a 8,33 e cinza 3,86 a 4,20. A força de cisalhamento oscilou de 5,92 a 8,14 N; a capacidade de retenção de água variou de 71,83 a 74,71% e a perda de peso por cocção de 24,21 a 26,59%.Termos para indexação: Pescado; linguiça; vida de prateleira; sensorial.

The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the occurrence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in pigs from large-scale and family-scale farms, (2) genetically characterize the strains isolated, and (3) study the pathogenesis of swine HEV infection via immunohistochemistry. A total of 50 pigs from 10 farms in Mato Grosso State, Brazil were divided according to type of production system into either large-scale farms (n = 5) or family-scale farms (n = 5). Samples of liver, gallbladder, small and large intestines, bile, and feces from the pigs were analyzed by nested PCR with primers targeting the ORF2 region of HEV and by immunohistochemistry. Of the eight HEV-positive samples from pigs of family-scale farms, phylogenetic analysis revealed that seven of the swine HEV isolates clustered with subtype 3b of genotype 3 and one isolate was categorized with subtype 3 f. The HEV antigen was detected mainly in the small intestine samples from family-scale farms, suggesting an early stage HEV infection. HEV was not detected in the samples of pigs from large-scale farms, reinforcing the need for additional studies to evaluate the risk of transmission of HEV to humans from pigs from family-scale farms in Mato Grosso State.