Bioactivity of Monoterpene Alcohols as an Indicator of Biopesticidal Essential Oils against the Root Knot Nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica

The application of pesticides remains one of the most efficient control methods for phytophagous parasites in crops. Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of highly active compounds that can be used as biopesticides against plant parasitic nematodes. In the present work, the antinematodal activity of the monoterpene alcohols geraniol, linalool, menthol or  -terpineol, which are generally found in high amounts in EOs of some aromatic and medicinal plants, was analyzed on the root knot nematode Meloidogyne ethiopica. Geraniol showed intense and lasting antinematodal activity, suggesting that EOs rich in this compound can be used in the development of nematicidal biopesticides to integrate sustainable pest management strategies against this pest

Bayesian Bootstrap Inference for the ROC Surface

Accurate diagnosis of disease is of great importance in clinical practice and medical research. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) surface is a popular tool for evaluating the discriminatory ability of continuous diagnostic test outcomes when there exist three ordered disease classes (e.g., no disease, mild disease, advanced disease). We propose the Bayesian bootstrap, a fully nonparametric method, for conducting inference about the ROC surface and its functionals, such as the volume under the surface. The proposed method is based on a simple, yet interesting, representation of the ROC surface in terms of placement variables. Results from a simulation study demonstrate the ability of our method to successfully recover the true ROC surface and to produce valid inferences in a variety of complex scenarios. An application to data from the Trail Making Test to assess cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease patients is provided

Fungal communities of the Pine Wilt Disease Complex: Studying the Interaction of Ophiostomatales with Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

Considered one of the most devastating plant–parasitic nematodes worldwide, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (commonly known as pinewood nematode, PWN) is the causal agent of the pine wilt disease in the Eurasian coniferous forests. This migratory parasitic nematode is carried by an insect vector (Monochamus spp.) into the host tree (Pinus species), where it can feed on parenchymal cells and reproduce massively, resulting in the tree wilting. In declining trees, PWN populations are strongly dependent on fungal communities colonizing the host (predominantly ophiostomatoid fungi known to cause sapwood blue-staining, the blue-stain fungi), which not only influence their development and life cycle but also the number of individuals carried by the insect vector into a new host. Our main aim is to understand if PWN-associated mycobiota plays a key role in the development of PWD, in interaction with the PWN and the insect vector, and to what extent it can be targeted to disrupt the disease cycle. For this purpose, we characterized the fungal communities of Pinus pinaster trees infected and non-infected with PWN in three collection sites in Continental Portugal with different PWD temporal incidences. Our results showed that non-infected P. pinaster mycoflora is more diverse (in terms of abundance and fungal richness) than PWN-infected pine trees in the most recent PWD foci, as opposed to the fungal communities of long-term PWD history sites. Then, due to their ecological importance for PWN survival, representatives of the main ophiostomatoid fungi isolated (Ophiostoma, Leptographium, and Graphilbum) were characterized for their adaptative response to temperature, competition in-between taxa, and as food source for PWN. Under the conditions studied, Leptographium isolates showed promising results for PWN control. They could outcompete the other species, especially O. ips, and significantly reduce the development of PWN populations when compared to Botrytis cinerea (routinely used for PWN lab culturing), suggesting this to be a natural antagonist not only for the other blue-stain species but also for the PWN

Epidemiologia da Infeção por Clostridioides Difficile em Portugal: um Estudo Retrospetivo, Observacional em Doentes Hospitalizados

Introduction: Clostridioides difficile is the main cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea in Europe and North America. The aim of this study was to characterize the epidemiology and clinical burden of Clostridioides difficile infection among hospitalized patients in Portugal. Material and methods: Retrospective study conducted in six public hospital centers in Portugal. All primary Clostridioides difficile infection episodes and related recurrences occurring in 2017, as well as episodes developing two to eight weeks after the last episode diagnosed in that year, were documented. The National Reference Laboratory (National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge) provided national surveillance data on Clostridioides difficile infection. Results: A total of 385 inpatients with at least one primary episode diagnosed in 2017 were included. Most patients were aged over 70 years-old (73.2%). The included patients developed 451 episodes during the observation period. Approximately 44% of primary episodes were community-associated. Most episodes (94.9%) occurred in patients with one or more risk factors, with recent antibiotic exposure being particularly common (86.0%). All-cause in-hospital mortality was 19.5%, being significantly higher in patients aged over 65 years-old versus those aged 18 to 64 years-old (22.4% vs 7.8%, respectively). Over 50 different ribotypes were observed among 206 Clostridioides difficile strains received by the National Reference Laboratory. Conclusion: In Portugal, hospitalized patients with Clostridioides difficile infection are mostly older patients presenting risk factors for the development of this infection, particularly recent antibiotic exposure. Mortality is disproportionately high among the older population. Community-associated Clostridioides difficile infection is common among inpatients with this infection.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Extracellular electrophysiological measurements of cooperative signals in astrocytes populations

Astrocytes are neuroglial cells that exhibit functional electrical properties sensitive to neuronal activity and capable of modulating neurotransmission. Thus, electrophysiological recordings of astroglial activity are very attractive to study the dynamics of glial signaling. This contribution reports on the use of ultra-sensitive planar electrodes combined with low noise and low frequency amplifiers that enable the detection of extracellular signals produced by primary cultures of astrocytes isolated from mouse cerebral cortex. Recorded activity is characterized by spontaneous bursts comprised of discrete signals with pronounced changes on the signal rate and amplitude. Weak and sporadic signals become synchronized and evolve with time to higher amplitude signals with a quasi-periodic behavior, revealing a cooperative signaling process. The methodology presented herewith enables the study of ionic fluctuations of population of cells, complementing the single cells observation by calcium imaging as well as by patch-clamp techniques.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [PTDC/EEI-AUT/5442/2014]; Instituto de Telecomunicacoes [UID/Multi/04326/2013]; Associated Laboratory - Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016623]; [PTDC/CTM-NAN/3146/2014]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio