BackgroundToxoplasmosis is an important disease affecting captive non‐human primates. The goal of this study was to assess the seroprevalence and pathological findings of toxoplasmosis in different species of captive primates.MethodsSix captive neotropical primates died naturally due to Toxoplasma gondii infection and were necropsied. Tissue samples were evaluated by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Serum samples from 57 captive neotropical and Old‐world primates housed at the Belo Horizonte zoological garden were analyzed by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA).ResultsNeotropical primates had lesions compatible with toxoplasmosis with immunolabeled intralesional T gondii. All Old‐World primates (10/10), but only three neotropical primates (3/47), all belonging to the Sapajus apella species (3/6), were serologically positive.ConclusionsOur results suggest a higher susceptibility of neotropical primates to toxoplasmosis. However, this study also supports the hypothesis that Sapajus apella may be naturally resistant.

Palavras-chave: Solanum licopersicum, precisão experimental, planejamento experimental, ensaio de uniformidade. ABSTRACTSample size and plot size for growth and productivity characteristics of tomatoThe aim of this study was to estimate the sample size and the plot size for growth and productivity characteristics in different moments of development of tomato grown under high tunnel and in field during the seasons of spring-summer and autumn-winter. The growth variables studied were plant height, number of leaves, stem diameter in the collar and stem diameter at the first inflorescence; and, the productivity variables were the number of inflorescences/ infructescences and the number of fruits per plant, evaluated at different moments of the crop development. When the variances among the rows of the crop were heterogeneous, the sample size was calculated with the highest coefficient of variation (CV) among the rows of the crop, and when they were homogenous, the sample size was calculated with the average CV. The plot size was calculated by the methods of the maximum curvature modified and maximum curvature of coefficient of variation and the differences in percentage of average by the Hatheway method. For a single recommendation of the sample size, considering the semi-amplitude of confidence interval of 10%, the sample size in the crop row is 9 and 22 plants, respectively, for the growth and productivity characteristics in high tunnel, and 7 and 16 plants in the crop row, respectively, for the growth and productivity characteristics in the field. The plot size for the growth characteristics is 3 plants in the crop row and, for the productive characteristics, plots of 7 plants in the crop row.

Background Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease that affects humans and warm‐blooded animals. This study describes an outbreak of toxoplasmosis in howler monkeys (Alouatta sp.) and survival of capuchins (Sapajus apella), under the same environmental conditions. Methods Howler monkeys were submitted to post‐mortem examination. Tissue samples were processed to histopathology and immunohistochemistry to detect lesions and tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii. Tissue samples were also frozen and submitted to PCR and genotyping of T. gondii. Results Typical lesions were observed in several organs including the liver, lymph node, and brain, with intralesional cysts and tachyzoites of T. gondii demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. T. gondii genomic sequences were amplified by PCR, and genotyping characterized the same T. gondii clone in all howler monkeys. Conclusions Our results support the notion that some species of neotropical primates are highly susceptible to toxoplasmosis and the hypothesis that capuchins (S. apella) may be resistant.

A alface (Lactuca sativa) é apreciada em todo o mundo para o consumo em saladas frescas. Esta hortaliça geralmente é consumida in natura, sendo muito apreciada para o uso em dietas. No Brasil, é uma hortaliça de destaque, pois seu cultivo apresenta viabilidade econômica mesmo em pequenas propriedades e, além disso, devido à demanda de mão-de-obra relativamente alta, constitui uma importante fonte de empregos.Nos meses de inverno, no sul do Brasil, existem períodos do ano com condições climáticas, que desfavorecem o desenvolvimento da cultura pela ocorrência de temperaturas inferiores a 10°C e precipitações pluviométricas prolongadas, ocorrendo danos físicos e retração do crescimento das plantas. Para a redução desses efeitos negativos sobre a cultura, uma das alternativas para viabilizar a produção nos meses desfavoráveis é o cultivo protegido, seja ele com túnel ou estufa, com o uso de filmes de polietileno de baixa densidade (PEBD).Com a utilização do sistema de cultivo em ambientes protegidos, há a necessidade de aumentar a confiabilidade dos resultados obtidos em experimentos conduzidos nesses locais, ou seja, aumentar a qualidade dos experimentos, diminuindo o erro experimental. Uma das maneiras para que o erro experimental seja reduzido é a determinação do tamanho e da forma ótimos da parcela que, juntamente com o número de repetições, tem sido um dos principais problemas no planejamento de experimentos (Storck et al., 2006). Entretanto, muitas vezes os pesquisadores resolvem este problema empiricamente, usando tamanhos práticos no sentido da condução do experimento, da área disponível ou de sua experiência.A variabilidade decresce com o aumento do tamanho da parcela; entretanto, com o aumento do tamanho da parcela, ocorre, paralelamente, grande aumento nos custos (Zhang et al., 1994). Devido a isso, é muito importante determinar o tamanho de parcela que possibilite a menor variabilidade com o mínimo de custos. O tamanho da parcela depende da heterogeneidade da área experimental (Lin et al., 1996), e essa pode se expressar de maneira distinta de uma região para outra ou com a mudança da cultura.A determinação do tamanho e da forma das parcelas deve ser feita para cada cultura e para cada local em que ocorram condições climáticas e de solo diferentes das que já tenham sido determinadas (Oliveira & Estefanel, 1995 RESUMOO objetivo desse trabalho foi estimar o tamanho de parcela para a cultura da alface, cultivada em estufa, em túnel e a campo. Para tanto, foram conduzidos os seguintes experimentos com esta cultura: 1) em estufa no verão; 2) a campo no verão; 3) em estufa no inverno; 4) a campo no inverno; 5) em estufa no outono; 6) em túneis no outono; 7) em estufa na primavera e 8) em túneis na primavera. Foi avaliada a fitomassa fresca e seca da parte aérea das plantas. A partir das parcelas simuladas de diferentes tamanhos, foram estimados os parâmetros necessários para calcular o tamanho de parcela. Foi utilizado o método da máxima curvatura modificado para estimar o tamanho ótimo da parcela, e as dife...

IIIVariabilidade produtiva e agrupamentos de colheitas de abobrinha italiana cultivada em ambiente protegido ABSTRACT In the experimental planning the variability among portions can alter the estimates of the plot sizes and of sample, besides the number of repetitions and definition of the experimental designs. To verify the variability interference of the estimates of values used to determinate the plot size with different numbers of plants and groupings of crops, a two-

Resumo -Com o objetivo de estimar o tamanho ótimo de parcela e de verificar o comportamento da precisão experimental em diferentes tamanhos de parcela e formas de considerar a produção de feijão-vagem, foram conduzidos os seguintes ensaios em branco: 1) em estufa no outono-inverno; 2) em túnel no outono-inverno; 3) em ambiente não protegido no outono-inverno; 4) em túnel na primavera-verão; e 5) em ambiente não protegido na primavera-verão. Foi mensurada a fitomassa fresca de vagens por duplas de plantas. Para as parcelas de diferentes tamanhos (X) foi estimada a variância e a sua relação com X. O tamanho ótimo de parcela foi estimado pelo método da máxima curvatura modificada, e as diferenças mínimas significativas entre médias, foram estimadas pelo método de Hatheway. Analisar a fitomassa fresca de vagens total reduz a variabilidade em experimentos com feijão-vagem e o tamanho ótimo da parcela recomendado para esta cultura é de 16 plantas para experimentos em estufa e de 12 plantas para experimentos em túneis e experimentos em ambientes não protegidos. Palavras-chave -Phaseolus vulgaris L. Ambiente protegido. Precisão experimental.Abstract -With the aim of estimating the optimum plot size and verify the behavior of the experimental precision in different plot sizes and shapes to consider the production of snap beans, the following white experiments were conducted: 1) in a greenhouse during the autumn and winter; 2) in a poly-tunnel during the autumn and winter; 3) in an unprotected environment during the autumn and winter; 4) in a poly-tunnel during the spring and summer; and 5) in an unprotected environment during the spring and summer. The fresh pod mass was measured for pairs of plants. For each different plot size (X) the variation and its relation to X was estimated. The optimum plot size was estimated using the method of maximum modified curvature, and the significant minimum differences between averages were estimated using the Hathaway method. Analyze the total fresh biomass of pods reduces variability in experiments with green beans and optimum plot size recommended for this crop is 16 plants in a greenhouse for experiments and plans for 12 tunnel experiments and experiments in non-protected.

Background/Objectives Vaccination is the most important tool for controlling brucellosis, but currently there is no vaccine available for canine brucellosis, which is a zoonotic disease of worldwide distribution caused by Brucella canis. This study aimed to evaluate protection and immune response induced by Brucella ovis ΔabcBA (BoΔabcBA) encapsulated with alginate against the challenge with Brucella canis in mice and to assess the safety of this strain for dogs. Methods Intracellular growth of the vaccine strain BoΔabcBA was assessed in canine and ovine macrophages. Protection induced by BoΔabcBA against virulent Brucella canis was evaluated in the mouse model. Safety of the vaccine strain BoΔabcBA was assessed in experimentally inoculated dogs. Results Wild type B. ovis and B. canis had similar internalization and intracellular multiplication profiles in both canine and ovine macrophages. The BoΔabcBA strain had an attenuated phenotype in both canine and ovine macrophages. Immunization of BALB/c mice with alginateencapsulated BoΔabcBA (10 8 CFU) induced lymphocyte proliferation, production of IL-10 and IFN-γ, and protected against experimental challenge with B. canis. Dogs immunized with alginate-encapsulated BoΔabcBA (10 9 CFU) seroconverted, and had no hematologic, biochemical or clinical changes. Furthermore, BoΔabcBA was not detected by isolation or PCR performed using blood, semen, urine samples or vaginal swabs at any time point over the course of this study. BoΔabcBA was isolated from lymph nodes near to the site of inoculation in two dogs at 22 weeks post immunization.

Yellow fever is an important zoonotic viral disease that can be fatal for both human and nonhuman primates. We evaluated histopathologic changes in free-ranging neotropical primates naturally infected with yellow fever virus (YFV) compared with uninfected cohorts. The most frequent lesions in primates infected with YFV were hepatic changes characterized by midzonal necrosis with lipidosis and mild inflammation including lymphocytes, macrophages, plasma cells, and infrequently neutrophils. Importantly, severe necrotizing hepatic lesions were often observed in Alouatta sp. (howler monkeys), whereas Callithrix sp. (common marmosets) had nearly no hepatic changes. Moderate to severe hepatic necrosis was present in 21/23 (91%) of the YFV-positive Alouatta sp. compared with 10/29 (34%) of the YFV-positive Callithrix sp. ( P < .0001; odds ratio = 20). Similarly, hepatitis was more intense in Alouatta sp. compared with Callithrix sp. Furthermore, the frequency of YFV infection was significantly higher in Alouatta sp. compared with Callithrix sp. or Sapajus sp. (capuchin monkeys). Therefore, these data support the notion that Alouatta sp. is highly susceptible to infection and YFV-induced lesions, whereas Callithrix sp. is susceptible to infection but has a lower frequency of YFV-induced lesions.