Bulging of the inguinal region is a frequent complaint in the pediatric population and sonographic findings can be challenging for radiologists. In this review we update the sonographic findings of the most common disorders that affect the inguinal canal in neonates and children, with a focus on the processus vaginalis abnormalities such as congenital hydroceles, indirect inguinal hernias and cryptorchidism, illustrated with cases collected at a quaternary hospital during a 7-year period. We emphasize the importance of correctly classifying different types of congenital hydrocele and inguinal hernia to allow for early surgical intervention when necessary. We have systematically organized and illustrated all types of congenital hydrocele and inguinal hernias based on embryological, anatomical and pathophysiological findings to assist readers in the diagnosis of even complex cases of inguinal canal ultrasound evaluation in neonates and children. We also present rare diagnoses such as the abdominoscrotal hydrocele and the herniation of uterus and ovaries into the canal of Nuck.

Licania tomentosa (Chrysobalanaceae), also known as “oiti,” is a forest tree mainly used for urban afforestation in Brazil. Although anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the main disease that threatens this tree, the identification of the species was based on morphological characteristics only. Owing to the need to use the molecular approach to pinpoint the identity of this pathogen with precision, the aim of this study was to identify endophytic and pathogenic Colletotrichum isolates from L. tomentosa based on both morphological and molecular data. For prior identification, partial sequences of the GAPDH region were obtained of all the 35 isolates (10 endophytic and 25 pathogenic). After analysis, ten isolates, representative of each clade, were selected for multilocus phylogenetic analysis (ACT, CAL, CHS‐1, GAPDH, TUB2, SOD2 and ITS). In addition, a tree based on the ApMat region was obtained for comparison with the multilocus tree. Morphological characterization (colony growth, conidial size and appressoria shape) was also performed for each species. To prove pathogenicity, L. tomentosa leaves were inoculated on the adaxial surface by mycelial plugs and conidial suspension. All isolates obtained belong to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex. The Apmat tree has the same topology as the multilocus tree, allowing for the discrimination of the different species of Colletotrichum on L. tomentosa. Endophytic isolates of C. fructicola, C. queenslandicum, and C. siamense were acquired whereas pathogenic isolates were identified as C. siamense and C. tropicale, although all species were pathogenic on the wounded leaves of L. tomentosa. This is the first worldwide report of this Colletotrichum species associated with L. tomentosa and the first recording of C. queenslandicum in Brazil.

Curvularia leaf spot, caused by Curvularia gladioli, is an important disease of gladiolus. Inoculated leaf samples of the Gladiolus grandiflorus 'T-704' and 'Veronica' varieties were obtained 1 to 192 h after inoculation (hai). There was no difference in the percentage of conidial germination and appressorium formation on the leaves of both varieties. Conidia exhibited polar germination, and most conidia produced one to two germ tubes. Protoappressoria were observed at 1 and 3 hai in 'Veronica' and 'T-704', respectively. The most common form of fungal penetration was direct. Both intracellular and intercellular colonization of the fungal hyphae were observed in 'T-704' (96 hai) and 'Veronica' (192 hai). However, there was less hyphal development in 'Veronica'. Fungal sporulation occurred in both varieties 7 to 8 days after inoculation. Conidiophores were observed emerging through the papillae and stomatal openings in both gladiolus varieties, but were visually more abundant for 'T-704'. This study provides insights into the infection process of C. gladioli on gladiolus leaves.

Pachira glabra (Malvaceae) occurs naturally in Brazil's Atlantic Forest and is used to recover degraded areas of permanent preservation. Symptoms of leaf spot caused by Diaporthe spp. have been observed in P. glabra saplings in a Brazilian forest nursery. The aim of this study was to identify the fungal species employing morphological characteristics, pathogenicity tests, and DNA sequence comparisons for the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), β-tubulin (TUB), translation elongation factor 1-α (TEF1), and calmodulin (CAL) gene regions. A novel species was identified and described, named here as Diaporthe pachirae. Furthermore, this is the first report of a species belonging to Diaporthe on P. glabra in Brazil. The current study revealed that documentation of new fungi is a relevant forerunner to any research with natural forests.

Inoculating plants with a mix of beneficial microorganisms can significantly improve plant growth and contribute to sustainable agriculture. However, it is unclear if mixed inoculations of microorganisms provide better results than inoculations of a single beneficial microorganism. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of beneficial microorganisms on the performance of upland rice in a greenhouse experiment using a completely randomized design with three repetitions and 26 treatments. The treatments consisted of inoculations of Bacillus sp. (BRM32110), Serratia sp. (BRM32114), Azospirillum sp. (1381), Bacillus sp. (1301), A. brasilense (Ab-V5) and a pool of Trichoderma asperellum in isolation or in a mixture in addition to a control treatment (without application of microorganisms). Microorganisms significantly affected gas exchange, biomass production and nutrient accumulation in upland rice plants. The mixed treatments of BRM32114 + pool of T. asperellum and Ab-V5 + pool of T. asperellum were more effective than the other treatments, with improved gas exchange variables and nutrient concentration. The 1301 + Ab-V5 mixed treatment showed higher averages for biomass production than the other treatments, and these values were significantly different from those of the control treatment.

HIGHLIGHTS Multifunctional microorganisms promote the nutrient enrichment in Crotalaria plants. Cover crop residues are vital in managing soil fertility. Nutritionally improved cover crops increase soil nutrient levels for the subsequent crop.

In this study the susceptibility of different genotypes of gladiolus (Gladiolus callianthus and the genotypes of G. grandiflorum T-704, Red Beauty, Tradehorn, Verônica, Amsterdam, Yester Gold, and Rose Friendship) was evaluated and correlated with the development of Curvularia gladioli infective structures. The plants were inoculated with a 3 x 10 4 conidial suspension of the pathogen, and the severity of infection was assessed eight days after inoculation. Leaf samples of G. callianthus and G. grandiflorum vars. Amsterdam, Red Beauty, and T-704 were collected 24 hours after inoculation. They were cleared and the rates of spore germination and appressorium formation of C. gladioli were quantified. G. grandiflorum vars. T-704 and Red Beauty were the most susceptible genotypes, followed by G. callianthus and G. grandiflorum var. Tradehorn. The remaining genotypes did not differentiate among them. No differences related to the conidial germination (93.5%) were found for the genotypes. However, the highest values for appressorium formation were observed for G. callianthus (66.5%) and G. grandiflorus var. Amsterdam (55.7%), and the lowest values were observed for T-704 (32.4%). Thus, appressorium formation of C. gladioli was higher on leaf surfaces of resistant genotypes. Key words: Gladiolus callianthus, Gladiolus grandiflorum, appressorium, curvularia leaf spot, flower bulb.Gladiolus is an ornamental plant of high economic value and occupies a prominent position in the global flower bulb industry (Benschop et al., 2010). Gladiolus is part of the Iridaceae family, together with Iris and Crocus (Meerow, 2012), and includes more than 260 species originating from Africa, Madagascar and Eurasia (Goldblatt et al., 2008). Gladiolus flowers of various colors are currently commercially available, and white and red flowers are preferred by Brazilian consumers (Tombolato et al., 2010).It is estimated that 60% of gladiolus corms in Brazil are intended for the production of cut flowers for the domestic market and the remaining 40% are exported, especially to Holland (Tombolato et al., 2010 (Magie, 1953;Baiswar et al., 2007; Shakir et al., 2008;Tombolato et al., 2010). The first report of Curvularia in gladiolus was in Florida in 1947(Magie, 1948. Since then, it has quickly become globally distributed (Boerema & Hamers, 1989). In Brazil, the curvularia leaf spot caused by C. gladioli Boerema & Hamers has recently been reported in G. grandiflorum vars. T-704 and Amsterdam. The symptomatic tissues showed leaf spots that were oval to circular, brown with dark edges, and surrounded by a yellow halo (Torres et al., 2013).Gladiolus breeding programs attempt to improve gladiolus features such as the color, number and shape of flowers, flowering capacity in winter, multiplication and resistance to foliar and corm diseases (Magie, 1960;Cantor, 2006). In Brazil, in addition to agronomic characteristics such as productivity and adaptability, breeding programs are focused on the search for genotypes that are resistant or tolerant to...

The concept of hybrid mould combines the conventional techniques of mould manufacturing and Rapid Prototyping and Rapid Tooling, resorting to non-conventional materials for producing moulding blocks, e. g., epoxy resin composites. Composites based on an epoxy system with 15% weight fraction of short steel fibres (SSF) were considered adequate for improving the performance of moulding blocks. The epoxy/short steel fibre composite moulding blocks were produced by vacuum casting in silicone moulds. Polypropylene (PP) was mixed with a commercial PP masterbatch with 50% of nanoclay and injected in a hybrid mould under various processing conditions. These were chosen from a central composite design with 15 experiments. The moulding microstructure was assessed by polarized light microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The skin-core morphology was observed and suggested that the low thermal conductivity of the epoxy composite produces a thinner skin when compared to all-steel moulds. The nanoclay concentration was the variable with the most significant effect on skin thickness and crystallinity. The addition of 1 wt% nanoclay under certain processing conditions favours the formation of β-form spherulites and the increase of crystallinity.