The mycoflora and toxicity of feedstuffs from a production plant in córdoba, Argentina

Feedstuffs used for poultry nutrition in Argentina were analyzed for fungal flora and natural incidence of mycotoxins. Survey of 120 samples of poultry feeds, taken from May 1998 to April 1999, showed the presence of 15 genera of filamentous fungi. The predominant genera wereFusarium spp. andPenicillium ssp., isolated in 67.5 % of the samples, followed byAspergillus spp. (57.5 %). Yeast, were significantly isolated from most of the samples. Species identification was carried down for the toxigenic genera. Fungal total counts of poultry feeds ranged from 2.0 × 10³ to 3.0 × 10⁵ CFU g^-1 The fungal total counts during two months of sampling, were slightly over the limit value of 1 × 105 CFU g^-1, which ensure the hygienic quality of the feed. Potentially toxicogenic species presented moderate mean colony counts. Many of the fungi isolated from poultry feeds are mycotoxin producers. Fumonisins had the highest incidence, and were found in 97 % of the analyzed samples followed by aflatoxin B₁ (46 %), zearalenone (18 %) and deoxynivalenol (6 %). On the co-occurrence of both carcinogenic mycotoxins, all of the FBs contaminated feed samples were co-contaminated with AFB₁. The results show the relevance of the samples screening for viable fungi propagules and the surveillance of their associated mycotoxins in poultry feeds.     

Effect of Environmental Perchlorate on Thyroid Function in Pregnant Women from Córdoba,Argentina, and Los Angeles,California

ObjectiveTo determine whether environmental perchlorate exposure adversely affects thyroid function in women in the first trimester of pregnancy.MethodsFirst-trimester pregnant women were recruited from prenatal clinics in the Los Angeles County Hospital, Los Angeles, California, and in the Hospital Universitario de Maternidad dependent Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina, between 2004 and 2007. Spot urine and blood specimens were obtained during the clinic visit. Urinary perchlorate, iodine, and creatinine were measured, and thyroid function tests were performed.ResultsThe study included 134 pregnant women from Los Angeles, California (mean gestational age ± SD = 9.1 ± 2.2 weeks), and 107 pregnant women from Córdoba, Argentina (mean gestational age = 10.0 ± 2.0 weeks). Median urinary iodine values were 144 mg/L in California and 130 mg/L in Argentina. Urinary perchlorate levels were detectable in all women (California: median, 7.8 mg/L [range, 0.4-284 mg/L] and Argentina: median, 13.5 mg/L [range, 1.1-676 mg/L]). Serum thyroperoxidase antibodies were detectable in 21 women from California (16%) and in 17 women from Argentina (16%). Using Spearman rank correlation analyses, there was no association between urinary perchlorate concentrations and serum thyrotropin, free thyroxine index, or total triiodothyronine values, including within the subset of women with urinary iodine values less than 100 mg/L. In multivariate analyses using the combined Argentina and California data sets and adjusting for urinary iodine concentrations, urinary creatinine, gestational age, and thyroperoxidase antibody status, urinary perchlorate was not a significant predictor of thyroid function.ConclusionsLow-level perchlorate exposure is ubiquitous, but is not associated with altered thyroid function among women in the first trimester of pregnancy. (Endocr Pract. 2011;17:412-417)     

Identification of hepatitis C virus subtype 2c by sequencing analysis in patients from Córdoba, Argentina

In Argentina, most information on hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype distribution comes from studies carried out in Buenos Aires (east province). In order to identify HCV subtypes in central Argentina, nucleotide sequencing of core region was performed in samples from 36 patients living in Córdoba, the second most populated province of Argentina. The sequence analysis identified subtype 2c as the most prevalent (50%), followed by subtype 1b (33%) and to a lesser extent by subtypes 1a (11%), 3a (3%) and 4a (3%). This is the first report of circulation of HCV subtype 2c in this region of Argentina and also such high prevalence has never been found before in the genotype distribution of South America.     

Aphids on ornamental plants from Córdoba, Argentina (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The quality of the ornamental plants is closely related to their phytosanitary state, that, in turn, is affected by the activity of some insect groups. Aphids are common pests of nearly all kinds of plants, ornamental plants among them. The fauna associated with aphids that colonize ornamental plants includes honey ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) that establish mutualistic relations, and some parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae) that contribute to the control of the aphid population. Very little is known about the aphids and their associated fauna living on ornamental plants of Cordoba, Argentina. The goal of this work was to identify the aphids that colonize ornamental plants, as well as their associated honey ants and parasitoids. Samples of sprouts, leaves and/or flowers of aphid-colonized ornamental plants of the Jardín Botánico Municipal of Cordoba city were collected weekly, from October 2003 to November 2004. Whenever found, the associated honey ants and "mummies" of aphids attacked by parasitoids were also collected. One hundred and thirty two aphid-plant associations were registered, 64.4% of which were unknown in the country. In 33.3% of these associations, the aphids were tended by honey ants whereas the presence of aphid parasitoids was registered in 16.7%. Ninety five species of ornamental plants were colonized by 41 aphid species, whereas six ant species tended 10 aphid species. Aphid parasitoids were represented by four species related to 11 aphid species.     

Isonymous structure in the white population of Córdoba, Argentina, in 1813

Surnames analysis is useful for populations in which only written documents remain, as is the case for historical populations. In Córdoba province, Argentina, census records contain nominal data of inhabitants, including information on sex, age, ethnosocial category, civil status, occupation, place of birth, and residence, that can be analyzed using surnames. Relationship indicators within and among ecclesiastic units in Córdoba were estimated by isonymy for the adult white population registered in the 1813 census. The Rii, Rij, and R(ST) coefficients and the surname abundance indicator (a) were calculated. Lasker's distances among categories of population units were used to cluster the 16 provincial population categories. Gradients for kinship within population and for surname diversity were in agreement with the principal areas and waves of original settlement in the province. The main population clusters reflect those areas, whereas minor clusters coincide with the network of roads existing in the territory by 1813. The structure of the white population in Córdoba province was determined by the geographic location of the original waves of settlement, and it followed a pattern of relationships conditioned by the routes connecting population units in the Colonial period.     

Assessing temperature and humidity conditions for dairy cattle in Córdoba,Argentina

Temperature and humidity conditions affect livestock production in Central Argentina. This study evaluates the risk of thermal stress affecting dairy production. The temperature-humidity index (THI) was used to analyze the regional and seasonal effects of temperature and humidity. Statistically, the THI was found to be normally distributed. The probability of occurrence of a daily THI higher than 72 was 40% for Río Cuarto during January. Regional variability of THI indicates a low risk of harmful extreme thermal stress conditions. The probability of THI being 78 or above ranges between 4% and 10% for the main dairy region of Córdoba during January. Also, in January and February, dairy production losses between 3 and 4 l cow(-1) day(-1) could be expected with a frequency of 5% in Río Cuarto and 15% in Villa de María de Río Seco.     

Phylodynamics of hepatitis C virus subtype 2c in the province of Córdoba, Argentina

The Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 2 subtype 2c (HCV-2c) is detected as a low prevalence subtype in many countries, except in Southern Europe and Western Africa. The current epidemiology of HCV in Argentina, a low-prevalence country, shows the expected low prevalence for this subtype. However, this subtype is the most prevalent in the central province of Córdoba. Cruz del Eje (CdE), a small rural city of this province, shows a prevalence for HCV infections of 5%, being 90% of the samples classified as HCV-2c. In other locations of Córdoba Province (OLC) with lower prevalence for HCV, HCV-2c was recorded in about 50% of the samples. The phylogenetic analysis of samples from Córdoba Province consistently conformed a monophyletic group with HCV-2c sequences from all the countries where HCV-2c has been sequenced. The phylogeographic analysis showed an overall association between geographical traits and phylogeny, being these associations significant (α = 0.05) for Italy, France, Argentina (places other than Córdoba), Martinique, CdE and OLC. The coalescence analysis for samples from CdE, OLC and France yielded a Time for the Most Common Recent Ancestor of about 140 years, whereas its demographic reconstruction showed a “lag” phase in the viral population until 1880 and then an exponential growth until 1940. These results were also obtained when each geographical area was analyzed separately, suggesting that HCV-2c came into Córdoba province during the migration process, mainly from Europe, which is compatible with the history of Argentina of the early 20th century. This also suggests that the spread of HCV-2c occurred in Europe and South America almost simultaneously, possibly as a result of the advances in medicine technology of the first half of the 20th century.     

Inbreeding and population subdivision in Córdoba province, Argentina, at the end of the eighteenth century

Marital isonymy is frequently used to estimate inbreeding and the repeated pairs method is useful to investigate whether the population under examination has subdivisions. These methods can also be applied to registers, such as population censuses, where both spouses' surnames are noted. In this paper, the 1795 census for Córdoba province is analysed. Numerically speaking, Spanish and mixed-race people are the major ethno-social groups in the register. In order to estimate inbreeding, the isonymic method was applied to both groups, at provincial and at parish level. To appreciate to what extent the parishes were genetically isolated, Wright's Fst was also calculated. The repeated pairs method was also used for both groups to assess if population subdivision existed in the units under study. Finally, to evaluate whether the subdivision based on surnames reflected the ethno-social stratification, the same method was used considering the two groups together. At the provincial scale, both groups displayed low inbreeding and micro-differentiation, although the former was higher for the Spanish and the latter for mixed-race groups, which could indicate a more marked conjugal selectivity in the Spanish. At the parish scale, preferences for isonymic spouses were not pronounced either in Spanish or in mixed-race groups; in the Spanish group population subdivision prevailed, with the opposite occurring in the mixed-race group. The estimations from repeated pairs, taking the two groups together, indicated that for the studied populations the surnames do not allow the two groups to be differentiated into isolated reproductive units.     

Spread of Phlebotominae in temperate climates: province of Córdoba, Argentina

We report the presence of the competent vector for Leishmaniaspp, Migonemyia migonei, and theEvandromyia cortelezzii-sallesi complex south of its known distribution in the central temperate region of Argentina, in the province of Córdoba. The persistence of this phlebotomine in the northern border of the province, its association with a case of cutaneous leishmaniasis, and the new record in the outskirts of the city of Córdoba, the second most populated in the country, strengthens the need for regular vector surveillance and a case detection-sensitive health system in vulnerable regions, even in temperate climates.     

Feeding of Hoplias malabaricus in the wetlands of Dulce river (Córdoba,Argentina)

Hoplias malabaricus behaves as a zoophagous and euryphagic species with a strong tendency to eat fish during its entire life. Fish begin to constitute its main food at approximately 200 mm standard length. Insects are important for fish smaller than 50 mm. Crustaceans are of lesser importance for both size groups."Mojarras" (genus Astyanax), the characin Odontostilbe microcephala, and the catfish Pimelodus albicans are its main prey. The relative importance of each prey type varies with predator length.In high summer more food is eaten by H. malabaricus, and digestion rate, related to the higher temperatures, is also higher. During colder seasons feeding activities decreases markedly.     

Phenotypic characterization of three clinical isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Ceará, Brazil

Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis was found in a small cluster of cases in Teju?uoca, Ceará, Brazil. Tests were carried out to determine its phenotypic characteristics: colony morphology on Ashdown agar and MacConkey agar, biochemical profile in conventional biochemical tests and API 20NE, arabinose assimilation and susceptibility testing by disk diffusion, comparing with data in the literature. This study confirms the presence of B. pseudomallei in Brazil and describes its characteristics.     

Entomofauna associated to horticultural crops under organic and conventional practices in Córdoba, Argentina

Farming practices and the addition of chemical synthetic substances in conventional agroecosystems are detrimental mainly to natural enemies of phytophagous insects, diminishing the natural regulation of pest insects. On the other hand, in organic agriculture, biological processes and care of the environment are favoured, hence an increase in insect biodiversity is predicted in this type of systems. In this work, abundance, richness of insects and proportion of functional groups were compared through a single quantitative sampling of insects in horticultural crop fields, three under organic and three under conventional management practices. Insect species richness, total and for guilds (phytophagous and entomophagous insects) were significantly higher in organic orchards, and also was the abundance of entomophagous insects. Richness and abundance of all insect orders (with exception of Homoptera abundance), were higher in orchards under organic management, being significative the differences for richness of Coleoptera and richness and abundance of Hymenoptera. Similar tendencies were observed in data obtained through sweep net in weeds. These results suggest that organic practices increase the diversity of species, particularly that of natural enemies.     

Species composition and seasonal succession of saprophagous calliphorids in a rural area of Córdoba: Argentina

During 2004, four experiments were carried out, one each season, in order to determine the species composition and seasonal dynamics of Calliphoridae in a rural area of Córdoba (Argentina). Two pigs (Sus scrofa L.), weighing approximately 8 Kg each, were used in each experiment. They were killed with a blow to the head and immediately placed in a variant of the Schoenly et al. (1991) trap. One pig was exposed in the shade and the other one under direct sunlight. The insect fauna was collected daily during the four first weeks and every two or three days thereafter. A total of 16.609 adults of Calliphoridae were collected, and later on identified as one of the following seven species: Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann), Chrysomya megacephala (Fabricius), Phaenicia sericata (Meigen), Phaenicia eximia (Wiedemann), Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius), Sarconesia chlorogaster (Wiedemann) and Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy. C. albiceps was the dominant species in summer, autumn and spring, being replaced in winter by C. vicina, S. chlorogaster and P. sericata. The analysis of the seasonal distribution of the species revealed that the greater incidences are in the months of summer, autumn and spring.     

The Skeleton of the Manus of Scelidotherium (Xenarthra,Mylodontidae) Specimens from the Pleistocene of the Province of Córdoba,Argentina, and its Systematic Implications

Journal of Mammalian Evolution - Dental and craniomandibular data have been predominantly used to infer relationships among mylodontid ground sloths. Recent studies indicate the osteology of the...     

Description of a new subgenus and a new species of Thamnocephalus (Crustacea: Branchiopoda,Anostraca) from the Salinas Grandes Basin,Córdoba Province,Argentina

At present, the American genus Thamnocephalus has three species, recorded from several states of U.S.A., México and Venezuela: Thamnocephalus platyurus Packard, T. mexicanus Linder and T. venezuelensis Belk & Pereira. The new species Thamnocephalus salinarum, from a turbid saline temporary pond inside the Salinas Grandes of Córdoba, Argentina is described here. The new species differs from all other congeners by the presence in the male, of an unbranched frontal appendage and a pair of soft cordiform parapenial lobes; also, by the sexually dimorphic caudal fin-like lobe. This new species may represent a new genus, however since only five specimens were collected it was not possible to observe if the penial ornamentation conforms to the Thamnocephalus type. Therefore, a conservative position is taken until new material allows proper analysis, by keeping the new species in the genus Thamnocephalus under the new subgenus Simplicephalus.     

Is livestock grazing compatible with amphibian diversity in the High Mountains of Córdoba, Argentina?

The High Mountains of Córdoba, Argentina have a long evolutionary history of grazing by large herbivores. However, about 400?years ago, European livestock were introduced and gradually replaced native herbivores. Since the 1920s, domestic herbivores have been the only large herbivores present in the area, causing severe soil erosion and a threat to the system diversity. The endemic fauna of the region includes four amphibian species. We evaluated the effect of livestock rearing on amphibian diversity and water bodies in woodlands and grasslands of the High Mountains of Córdoba. The work was conducted on stream stretches and ponds in two contrasting grazing situations: an area with livestock presence and another area where livestock was excluded 14?years ago. The following variables were recorded at each sampling site: amphibian richness and abundance, percentage of emergent, submerged and peripheral vegetation in areas surrounding the water bodies, water pH, and water dissolved O₂. No significant differences were detected in amphibian diversity between streams of both grazing situations, whereas a greater diversity (p?<?0.01) was observed in ponds in grazed grasslands. Our results suggest that livestock rearing, qualitatively measured as grazing and 14?years of livestock exclusion, in the study area would not have negative effects on amphibian diversity. This finding might be due to the long evolutionary grazing history of the area, large-scale livestock exclusion exhibiting a novel scenario. The ongoing reintroduction of native grazers may provide the benefits of grazing without the consequent soil erosion and habitat degradation associated with domestic livestock.