Characteristics of Selected Genotypes of Brachiaria for Brazilian Pastures

Brachiaria is a grass genus of African origin. Some genotypes have shown good adaptation to poor, acid soils and now cover millions of hectares of pastures in tropical America. In an effort to increase diversity for selection, CIAT led collection expeditions to East Africa and later distributed this germplasm to collaborating institutions. Agronomical evaluation of a Brachiaria collection of broad genetic base was conducted at EMBRAPA/CNPGC with the objective of selecting potential new cultivars. Multivariate analysis was used to classify 193 accessions of nine different species into 8 groups using annual and seasonal production, leaf:stem ratio and regrowth characteristics. Resistance to spittlebug was evaluated under controlled conditions and monitored in the field. The evaluation resulted in the selection of 19 genotypes with superior agronomic characteristics. B. brizantha accessions BRA 003361, 003204 and 003395 combine good overall production with spittlebug resistance, important prerequisites for potential new cultivars

Potencial forrageiro de linhagens puras selecionadas de guandu.

RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o potencial de produção de forragem de linhagens puras selecionadas de guandu. O experimento foi realizado na Embrapa Cerrados, em Planaltina, DF, no período de dezembro de 2004 a maio de 2006. Avaliaram-se a produção de matéria seca (MS) e os teores de proteína bruta (PB) de 13 linhagens de guandu, obtidas pelo programa de melhoramento da Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste, São Carlos, SP, e mais a cultivar Fava Larga, usada como testemunha. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso com quatro repetições. Os cortes foram realizados em março e outubro de 2005 e fevereiro e maio de 2006. As características avaliadas apresentaram diferenças entre linhagens (P < 0,05). As produções (soma de quatro cortes) de matéria seca total, de folhas variaram entre 14,6 e 18,7 t ha-¹; 4,9 e 9,9 t ha-¹; 4,4 e 6,6 t ha-¹; 11,2 e 15,5 t ha-¹; e 1,1 e 2,0 t ha-¹, respectivamente. Os teores (média de quatro cortes) de PB de folhas variaram entre 219 g kg-¹ para linhagem g123-99 e 192 g kg-¹ para g3-94. As linhagens g168-99, g29m-94 e g3-94 destacaram-se para a maioria das características avaliadas. ABSTRACT: The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the forage potential of selected pigeon-pea purês lines. Evaluation was coducted at the Embrapa Cerrados, Planaltina, DF, during December, 2004 to May, 2006. Thirteen selected lines obtained by the pigeon-pea breeding program of the Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste were evaluated, and cultivar Fava Larga was used as control. The experimental designs was a performed at March/2005 and October/2005 and Febrauary/2006 and May/2006. The parameters showed significant between lines (P < 0,05). The yields (sum four cuts) varied from 14,6 and 18,7 t ha-¹; 4,9 and 9,9 t ha-¹; 4,4 and 6,6 t ha-¹; 11,2 and 15,5 t ha-¹; and 1,1 and 2,0 t ha-¹, respectively, for total dry matter, leaves, stems thin, leaves and stems thin and crude protein. Crude protein (average four cuts) ranged from 216 g kg-¹ to g123-99 and 192 g kg-¹ to g3-94. Pigeon-pea lines g168-99, g29m-94 and g3-94 demonstrated superior performance for most of the traits evaluated.bitstream/CPAC-2009/28933/1/bolpd_192.pd

Dengue outlook for the World Cup in Brazil: an early warning model framework driven by real-time seasonal climate forecasts.

PublishedJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tBACKGROUND: With more than a million spectators expected to travel among 12 different cities in Brazil during the football World Cup, June 12-July 13, 2014, the risk of the mosquito-transmitted disease dengue fever is a concern. We addressed the potential for a dengue epidemic during the tournament, using a probabilistic forecast of dengue risk for the 553 microregions of Brazil, with risk level warnings for the 12 cities where matches will be played. METHODS: We obtained real-time seasonal climate forecasts from several international sources (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts [ECMWF], Met Office, Meteo-France and Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos [CPTEC]) and the observed dengue epidemiological situation in Brazil at the forecast issue date as provided by the Ministry of Health. Using this information we devised a spatiotemporal hierarchical Bayesian modelling framework that enabled dengue warnings to be made 3 months ahead. By assessing the past performance of the forecasting system using observed dengue incidence rates for June, 2000-2013, we identified optimum trigger alert thresholds for scenarios of medium-risk and high-risk of dengue. FINDINGS: Our forecasts for June, 2014, showed that dengue risk was likely to be low in the host cities Brasília, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, and São Paulo. The risk was medium in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, and Manaus. High-risk alerts were triggered for the northeastern cities of Recife (p(high)=19%), Fortaleza (p(high)=46%), and Natal (p(high)=48%). For these high-risk areas, particularly Natal, the forecasting system did well for previous years (in June, 2000-13). INTERPRETATION: This timely dengue early warning permits the Ministry of Health and local authorities to implement appropriate, city-specific mitigation and control actions ahead of the World Cup. FUNDING: European Commission's Seventh Framework Research Programme projects DENFREE, EUPORIAS, and SPECS; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.DENFREE projectEUPORIAS projectSPECS projectEuropean Commission's Seventh Framework Research ProgrammeConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeir

The state of peer-to-peer network simulators

Networking research often relies on simulation in order to test and evaluate new ideas. An important requirement of this process is that results must be reproducible so that other researchers can replicate, validate and extend existing work. We look at the landscape of simulators for research in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks by conducting a survey of a combined total of over 280 papers from before and after 2007 (the year of the last survey in this area), and comment on the large quantity of research using bespoke, closed-source simulators. We propose a set of criteria that P2P simulators should meet, and poll the P2P research community for their agreement. We aim to drive the community towards performing their experiments on simulators that allow for others to validate their results

Mapeamento e caracterização do padrão de uso e cobertura da terra na microbacia do Córrego Pito Aceso, Bom Jardim - RJ, utilizando imagens orbitais de alta resolução.

O presente estudo teve como propósito obter o mapa de uso e cobertura da terra da microbacia do córrego Pito Aceso-RJ, bem como fazer uma caracterização dos seus principais padrões de uso, cobertura e manejo. Esta microbacia localiza-se na região serrana fluminense no bioma Mata Atlântica. O software utilizado na classificação e pós-classificação das imagens foi o Definiens Developer 7.0. Foram obtidas 11 classes de uso e cobertura da terra, sendo que as matas em estágio avançado e inicial são as classes predominantes em termos de área. Por outro lado, a agricultura (culturas anuais e perenes) é a principal atividade econômica da microbacia e ocupa, em muitos casos APPs, na maioria das vezes, devido ao fato de grande parte desta microbacia possuir elevadas declividades. A partir de trabalho de campo foi possível identificar que existem algumas práticas conservacionistas na região, como o sistema em pousio, importante para a conservação do solo e ciclagem de nutrientes, mas outras práticas conservacionistas também importantes poderiam ser introduzidas na região como o plantio direto, a adubação verde e a redução do uso de pesticidas, além da implantação de sistemas alternativos e sustentáveis como os Sistemas Agroflorestais (SAF) e a agricultura orgânica.bitstream/item/32928/1/Bol-PD-150.pd

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis carrying biofilm formation genes: detection of clinical isolates by multiplex PCR

Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most prevalent coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) and is a major cause of hospital bacteremia. Based on 18 reference strains and 149 Staphylococcus clinical strains, used in a novel multiplex PCR method, the aim of this study was to identify S. epidermidis with respect to the sequence of three genes: recN, which encodes a recombination/repair protein, mecA (methicillin resistance), and icaAB, which is involved in biofilm formation. Amplicons of 219 bp (S. epidermidis-recN gene), 154 bp (mecA gene), and 546 bp (icaAB genes) were obtained. Reliableresults were achieved for 100% of the evaluated strains, suggesting that this new multiplex-PCR approach could be useful forthe accurate identification of methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis with the potential to produce biofilm. [Int Microbiol 2011;14(1):13-17