Divergência fenotípica para caracteres de sementes em linhagens de aboboreira.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar a divergência fenotípica para os caracteres de sementes entre 15 linhagens de aboboreira (Cucurbita moschata L.) obtidas no Programa de Melhoramento Genético da Embrapa Semiárido

Dinâmica e resultados da seleção de progênies de aboboreira na Embrapa Semiárido.

O presente estudo objetivou identificar os principais critérios para a seleção qualitativa de frutos de indivíduos de uma população de recombinação em aboboreira, obtida por seleção recorrente (SR1) de um bulk de sementes de acessos com alto potencial comercial e teor de carotenóides

The use of a geographic information system to increase outdoor tourism

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinação da eficiência de polinização em linhagens de abóbora.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar a eficiência da polinização controlada na obtenção de frutos autofecundados e híbridos em linhagens de abóbora (Cucurbita moschata)

Divergência fenotípica entre linhagens de abobóra para caracteres associados à morfologia da planta.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a divergência fenotípica entre linhagens de abóbora com base em caracteres relacionados à morfologia da planta

Lutzomyia longipalpis Saliva Triggers Lipid Body Formation and Prostaglandin E2 Production in Murine Macrophages

After the injection of saliva into the host's skin by sand flies, a transient erythematous reaction is observed, which is related to an influx of inflammatory cells and the release of various molecules that actively facilitate the blood meal. It is important to understand the specific mechanisms by which sand fly saliva manipulates the host's inflammatory responses. Herein, we report that saliva from Lutzomyia (L.) longipalpis, a widespread Leishmania vector, induces early production of eicosanoids. Intense formation of intracellular organelles called lipid bodies (LBs) was noted within those cells that migrated to the site of saliva injection. In vitro and ex vivo, sand fly saliva was able to induce LB formation and PGE2 release by macrophages. Interestingly, PGE2 production induced by L. longipalpis saliva was dependent on intracellular mechanisms involving phosphorylation of signaling proteins such as PKC-α and ERK-1/2 and subsequent activation of cyclooxygenase-2. Thus, this study provides new insights into the pharmacological properties of sand fly saliva and opens new opportunities for intervening with the induction of the host's inflammatory pathways by L. longipalpis bites

Estratégias de melhoramento de variedades tradicionais de abóbora utilizadas na região Nordeste do Brasil.

O estudo descreve as estratégias de melhoramento e outras ações de pesquisa que estão sendo realizadas pela Embrapa para permitir o desenvolvimento de variedades de abóbora com características agronômicas e nutricionais de interesse para a região Nordeste do Brasil

Dengue virus capsid protein binding to hepatic lipid droplets (LD) is potassium ion dependent and is mediated by LD surface proteins

Copyright © 2012, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.Dengue virus (DENV) affects millions of people, causing more than 20,000 deaths annually. No effective treatment for the disease caused by DENV infection is currently available, partially due to the lack of knowledge on the basic aspects of the viral life cycle, including the molecular basis of the interaction between viral components and cellular compartments. Here, we characterized the properties of the interaction between the DENV capsid (C) protein and hepatic lipid droplets (LDs), which was recently shown to be essential for the virus replication cycle. Zeta potential analysis revealed a negative surface charge of LDs, with an average surface charge of -19 mV. The titration of LDs with C protein led to an increase of the surface charge, which reached a plateau at +13.7 mV, suggesting that the viral protein-LD interaction exposes the protein cationic surface to the aqueous environment. Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy measurements were performed by using C protein-functionalized AFM tips. The C protein-LD interaction was found to be strong, with a single (un)binding force of 33.6 pN. This binding was dependent on high intracellular concentrations of potassium ions but not sodium. The inhibition of Na+/K+-ATPase in DENV-infected cells resulted in the dissociation of C protein from LDs and a 50-fold inhibition of infectious virus production but not of RNA replication, indicating a biological relevance for the potassium-dependent interaction. Limited proteolysis of the LD surface impaired the C protein-LD interaction, and force measurements in the presence of specific antibodies indicated that perilipin 3 (TIP47) is the major DENV C protein ligand on the surface of LDs.This work was supported by FP7-PEOPLE IRSES (International Research Staff Exchange Scheme) project MEMPEPACROSS (European Union), by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia—Ministério da Educação e Ciência (FCT-MEC, Portugal) (projects PTDC/QUI-BIQ/112929/2009 and PTDC/QUI/69937/2006), by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (Portugal), by the FCT-CAPES Portugal-Brazil joint cooperation projects, and by the Brazilian funding agencies Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a` Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ), Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (FINEP), and National Institute of Science and Technology in Dengue (INCT-Dengue). I. C. Martins also acknowledges consecutive postdoctoral funding from a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (MC-IOF-237373) and FCT-MEC postdoctoral fellowships (SFRH/BPD/46324/2008 and SFRH/BPD/74287/2010). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Cross-sectional analysis of students and school workers reveals a high number of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections during school reopening in Brazilian cities

Brazil experienced one of the most prolonged periods of school closures, and reopening could have exposed students to high rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the infection status of students and school workers at the time of the reopening of schools located in Brazilian cities is unknown. Here we evaluated viral carriage by RT-PCR and seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgM and IgG) by immunochromatography in 2259 individuals (1139 students and 1120 school workers) from 28 schools in 28 Brazilian cities. We collected the samples within 30 days after public schools reopened and before the start of vaccination campaigns. Most students (n = 421) and school workers (n = 446) had active (qRT-PCR + IgM− IgG− or qRT-PCR + IgM + IgG−/+) SARS-CoV-2 infection. Regression analysis indicated a strong association between the infection status of students and school workers. Furthermore, while 45% (n = 515) of the students and 37% (n = 415) of the school workers were neither antigen nor antibody positive in laboratory tests, 16% of the participants (169 students and 193 school workers) were oligosymptomatic, including those reinfected. These individuals presented mild symptoms such as headache, sore throat, and cough. Notably, most of the individuals were asymptomatic (83.9%). These results indicate that many SARS-CoV-2 infections in Brazilian cities during school reopening were asymptomatic. Thus, our study highlights the need to promote a coordinated public health effort to guarantee a safe educational environment while avoiding exacerbating pre-existent social inequalities in Brazil, reducing social, mental, and economic losses for students, school workers, and their families