Base-temperature for estimation of the days-degree for soybean cultivars in São Paulo State, Brazil

Foram determinados os graus-dia (GD) necessários para o complemento do ciclo plantio/ maturação para quatro cultivares de soja (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) nas condições do Estado de São Paulo. O estudo foi baseado em dados fenológicos obtidos de experimentos conduzidos pela Seção de Leguminosas do Instituto Agronômico em Campinas, Ribeirão Preto e Pindamonhangaba, em três anos agrícolas. Inicialmente, analisou-se a relação entre temperatura do ar e razão de desenvolvimento das cultivares, verificando-se que a temperatura-base para a fase fenológica plantio/maturação, em todas as cultivares foi 14ºC. Com base nessa temperatura determinou-se os GD para as diferentes cultivares e épocas de plantio. Foram necessários em média, 1336, 1275, 1227 e 1030 GC, respectivamente, para as cultivares UFV-1, Santa Rosa, Viçosa e Paraná. The summation of degree-days necessary to complement the phenological phase from planting to ripening was estimated for different soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) cultivars, under the conditions of São Paulo State, Brazil. The study was performed in the phenological dates obtained of experiments was conducted by Leguminous Section of the Instituto Agronômico in Campinas, Ribeirão Preto and Pindamonhagaba, in, three agricultural years. An analysis of the relationship between air temperature and crop development indicate that the base-temperature for the phenological phase from planting to ripening was 14ºC for all cultivars. It was also observed that the total degree-days necessary was 1336, 1275, 1227 and 1030, respectively for the UFV-1, Santa Rosa, Viçosa and Paraná cultivars.

Dilatação dos confins: caminhos, vilas e cidades na formação da Capitania de São Paulo (1532-1822)

Este ensaio analisa a formação da rede urbana das capitanias de São Vicente e Santo Amaro, depois unidas na Capitania de São Paulo. Discute o processo de apropriação do sertão, a pulsação e dilatação dos confins ao sabor dos deslocamentos humanos e de interesses políticos. Interpreta o papel de capelas, freguesias, vilas e cidades no controle e produção de territórios metropolitanos em solos ultramarinos.This essay analyzes the development of urban networks in the Captaincies of São Vicente and Santo Amaro, later merged into the Captaincy of São Paulo. It discusses the process of appropriation of the sertão (backcountry), the commotion and expansion beyond the confines to the tune of population movements and political interests. The paper also interprets the role of chapels, parishes, villages and towns in initiatives to create and control metropolitan areas on overseas soil

Actions of a Proline Analogue, L-Thiazolidine-4-Carboxylic Acid (T4C), on Trypanosoma cruzi

It is well established that L-proline has several roles in the biology of trypanosomatids. In Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas' disease, this amino acid is involved in energy metabolism, differentiation processes and resistance to osmotic stress. In this study, we analyzed the effects of interfering with L-proline metabolism on the viability and on other aspects of the T. cruzi life cycle using the proline analogue L- thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (T4C). The growth of epimastigotes was evaluated using different concentrations of T4C in standard culture conditions and at high temperature or acidic pH. We also evaluated possible interactions of this analogue with stress conditions such as those produced by nutrient starvation and oxidative stress. T4C showed a dose-response effect on epimastigote growth (IC50 = 0.89±0.02 mM at 28°C), and the inhibitory effect of this analogue was synergistic (p<0.05) with temperature (0.54±0.01 mM at 37°C). T4C significantly diminished parasite survival (p<0.05) in combination with nutrient starvation and oxidative stress conditions. Pre-incubation of the parasites with L-proline resulted in a protective effect against oxidative stress, but this was not seen in the presence of the drug. Finally, the trypomastigote bursting from infected mammalian cells was evaluated and found to be inhibited by up to 56% when cells were treated with non-toxic concentrations of T4C (between 1 and 10 mM). All these data together suggest that T4C could be an interesting therapeutic drug if combined with others that affect, for example, oxidative stress. The data also support the participation of proline metabolism in the resistance to oxidative stress

Multicenter, International Study of MIC/MEC Distributions for Definition of Epidemiological Cutoff Values for Sporothrix Species Identified by Molecular Methods

ABSTRACT Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) conditions for testing the susceptibilities of pathogenic Sporothrix species to antifungal agents are based on a collaborative study that evaluated five clinically relevant isolates of Sporothrix schenckii sensu lato and some antifungal agents. With the advent of molecular identification, there are two basic needs: to confirm the suitability of these testing conditions for all agents and Sporothrix species and to establish species-specific epidemiologic cutoff values (ECVs) or breakpoints (BPs) for the species. We collected available CLSI MICs/minimal effective concentrations (MECs) of amphotericin B, five triazoles, terbinafine, flucytosine, and caspofungin for 301 Sporothrix schenckii sensu stricto, 486 S. brasiliensis, 75S. globosa, and 13 S. mexicana molecularly identified isolates. Data were obtained in 17 independent laboratories (Australia, Europe, India, South Africa, and South and North America) using conidial inoculum suspensions and 48 to 72 h of incubation at 35°C. Sufficient and suitable data (modal MICs within 2-fold concentrations) allowed the proposal of the following ECVs for S. schenckii and S. brasiliensis, respectively: amphotericin B, 4 and 4 g/ml; itraconazole, 2 and 2 g/ml; posaconazole, 2 and 2 g/ml; and voriconazole, 64 and 32 g/ml. Ketoconazole and terbinafine ECVs for S. brasiliensis were 2 and 0.12 g/ml, respectively. Insufficient or unsuitable data precluded the calculation of ketoconazole and terbinafine (or any other antifungal agent) ECVs for S. schenckii, as well as ECVs for S. globosa and S. mexicana. These ECVs could aid the clinician in identifying potentially resistant isolates (non-wild type) less likely to respond to therapy