SUSCEPTIBILITY OF 7 CULTIVARS OF COFFEA ARABICA L. TO LEUCOPTERA COFFEELLA (GUÉRIN-MÉNEVILLE)

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF 7 CULTIVARS OF COFFEA ARABICA L. TO LEUCOPTERA COFFEELLA (GUÉRIN-MÉNEVILLE

HOST INSTAR PREFERENCE OF MIRAX INSULARIS (MUESEBECK) (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE), A KOINOBIONT PARASITOID OF LEUCOPTERA COFFEELLA GUERIN-MÉNÉVILLE (LEPIDOPTERA: LYONETIIDAE)

HOST INSTAR PREFERENCE OF MIRAX INSULARIS (MUESEBECK) (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE), A KOINOBIONT PARASITOID OF LEUCOPTERA COFFEELLA GUERIN-MÉNÉVILLE (LEPIDOPTERA: LYONETIIDAE

Plant Allelochemicals and Insect Pathogens: The Effects of Alpha-Tomatine on the Susceptibility of Pseudoplusia Includens (Walker) and Heliothis Zea (Boddie) to the Entomogenous Fungus Nomuraea Rileyi (Farlow) Samson.

Research was conducted to determine the impact of the allelochemical, $\alpha$-tomatine, on the susceptibility of the lepidopterous pests, Heliothis zea (Boddie) and Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) to the entomogenous fungus, Nomuraea rileyi (Farlow) Samson. In one experiment, $\alpha$-tomatine inhibited colony formation and growth of N. rileyi, in vitro. In vivo, larval growth and developmental time of H. zea were affected by $\alpha$-tomatine and N. rileyi. The fungus was detected in the hemolymph and tissue of larvae treated with two concentrations (LC\sb{50} and LC\sb{90}) of N. rileyi conidia, including those fed $\alpha$-tomatine. At the LC\sb{50}, $\alpha$-tomatine protected larvae against N. rileyi and increased survivorship; at the LC\sb{90}, it inhibited the development of N. rileyi, thereby reducing production of conidia. In a second experiment, larval weight of P. includens was decreased by increasing concentrations (0.001 to 0.10% wet weight of diet (wwt)) $\alpha$-tomatine. A linear regression (Y = 217.86 $-$ 2,089.53 X, r\sp2 = 0.90) described the relationship between the larval growth of P. includens and the $\alpha$-tomatine concentrations. The effective dose required to reduce larval weight by 50% was calculated (ED\sb{50} = 0.048% wwt) and then validated in a subsequent experiment. In that study, a significant reduction (P $\leq$ 0.05) in mean body weight of 10- and 12-day-old larvae was obtained in larvae fed diet containing $\alpha$-tomatine when compared with larvae in the control. In a third experiment, N. rileyi was detected in the hemolymph and tissue of P. includens larvae treated with two concentrations (LC\sb{50} and LC\sb{90}) of conidia, including those fed $\alpha$-tomatine. At the LC\sb{90}, $\alpha$-tomatine protected larvae against N. rileyi and increased survivorship; at the LC\sb{50}, it inhibited the production of conidia of N. rileyi. Results from these experiments demonstrated that $\alpha$-tomatine exerted antagonistic effects against N. rileyi, and retained its antifungal qualities at the third trophic level, inhibiting the development of N. rileyi in P. includens and H. zea. In addition, these studies demonstrated that generalist insect-heribivores that tolerate $\alpha$-tomatine may be protected against entomopathogenic fungi

XYLOSANDRUS COMPACTUS (EICHOFF), COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE, THE BLACK TWIG BORER ATTACKING COFFEE IN PUERTO RICO

XYLOSANDRUS COMPACTUS (EICHOFF), COLEOPTERA: SCOLYTIDAE, THE BLACK TWIG BORER ATTACKING COFFEE IN PUERTO RIC

O teletrabalho em Portugal: a situação actual e as perspectivas de desenvolvimento - as implicações na gestão de empresas de serviços..

Mestrado em Gestão e Estratégia Industrial.A proliferação das tecnologias de informação, a rápida evolução no domínio das telecomunicações e a crescente concorrência e competitividade entre as empresas, levam à procura incessante de vantagens competitivas, acompanhando as tendências de descentralização decisional, relocalização da produção, reengenharia de processos e redução de custos. A adopção do teletrabalho poderá ser uma medida importante para facilitar o alcance destes objectivos por parte das empresas. O teletrabalho é uma das múltiplas formas de organização do trabalho, que combina o uso de tecnologias de informação e comunicação com os conceitos de trabalho flexível e de distância. O Teletrabalho em Portugal e as suas implicações na gestão das empresas de serviços é o tema central desta tese de mestrado. A dissertação está estruturada em cinco capítulos. Nos dois primeiros faz-se o enquadramento teórico do tema, abordando, respectivamente, a inovação tecnológica nos serviços e a emergência do paradigma técnico-económico das tecnologias de informação (Capítulo I) e os factores propulsionadores da difusão do teletrabalho (Capítulo II). O Capítulo III foi reservado ao tratamento teórico do fenómeno, em termos de delimitação conceptual do tema, diagnóstico do estado actual e perspectivas de desenvolvimento em Portugal e no estrangeiro, dando a conhecer algumas experiências. No Capítulo IV, faz-se a análise da viabilidade de aplicação do teletrabalho nas empresas, com destaque para as principais vantagens e desvantagens para entidades empregadoras, para os trabalhadores e para a sociedade, formando-se ainda algumas ideias sobre as principais estratégias em sede de gestão do teletrabalho, no que respeita aos factores críticos de sucesso para implementar e gerir um programa de teletrabalho (Capítulo IV). Por fim, são apresentadas as principais conclusões de um estudo empírico sobre o teletrabalho nas empresas de serviços portuguesas (Capítulo V).The proliferation of information technologies, the rapid evolution in the telecommunication world and the growth of companies concurrence and competitiveness, lead to the incessant demand of competitive advantage, following the trend towards a decentralised decision process, dislocation of production and the reengineering of processes and cost reduction. Adopting teleworking could be an important tool in improving the depth scope of these objectives by the companies. Teleworking is one of the multiple ways of work organisation, which combines the use of information and communication technologies with concepts as flexible work and distance. Teleworking in Portugal and the implications it has for the companies' management is the core subject of this dissertation, which is composed of five chapters. The first two chapters cover the theoretical framework of the subject, boarding, respectively, the technological innovation on services and the emergency of techno-economic paradigm of information technologies (Chapter I) and the propulsive factors of teleworking diffusion (Chapter II). Chapter III was reserved to the theoretical board of the phenomenon, in terms of conceptual delimitation, diagnostic of actual situation and perspectives of development in Portugal and abroad, making known some experiences. The analysis of the viability of the teleworking application to the companies is the topic of Chapter IV, pointing out the main advantages and disadvantages to employers, employees and society, and forming some ideas about the main strategies of teleworking management, regarding the criticai factors of successful implementation and managing the teleworking program. Chapter V presents the principal conclusions of an empirical study about teleworking in portuguese service companies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monofilament composites with carbon nanotubes for textile sensor applications

The aim of this work was to develop polymer matrix/carbon nanotube composite monofilaments to incorporate in textile products, to be used as sensors. The carbon nanotube polymer composite (CPC) monofilaments were produced with the required electrical and mechanical properties for the development of a textile sensor of water vapor. The monofilaments selected were formed by polylactic acid (PLA), and were incorporated directly into the fabrics. The presence of water induced a variation on the electrical conductivity of the filaments. A textile prototype, incorporating sensors and connectors, was produced with the CPC monofilaments developed.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - Inteltex Project, FP

Design of calibrators for extruded profiles. Part I: modelling the thermal interchanges

The parameters influencing the calibration/cooling stage of profile extrusion are discussed, and a numerical finite-volume method code to model the heat transfer is described and validated. For this purpose, the numerical predictions are compared with the analytical solution of a simple problem, with results available in the literature and with those produced by a commercial software. The routines developed are then used to identify the main process parameters and boundary conditions and to estimate their relative importance. The investigation clearly shows the advantages of using several calibrators separated by annealing zones, relative to a single calibrator of the same total length, and the large impact of the contact resistance between extrudate and cooling unit while showing negligible impact of other boundary conditions. A decrease of the extrudate velocity is seen to be also an effective control parameter, but it decreases the production rates

A contribuição regional das feiras de artesanato na cidade de São Paulo: The regional contribution of craft fairs in the city of São Paulo

O presente estudo se baseia em dois temas distintos que foram unidos por força das exigências de um mercado cada vez mais competitivo: a administração e as feiras de artesanato. Dentre as inúmeras propostas a que serve a administração, destacam-se aspectos que se referem aos conhecimentos básicos necessários a um administrador de um pequeno negócio e as possíveis dificuldades que encontra em permanecer administrador e, por outro lado, estão as feiras de artesanato, consideradas como um diferencial turístico crescente, que vem atraindo um público cada vez maior. Considerando-se o contexto expressivo e abrangente da administração e a inegável importância que têm as feiras de artesanato na realidade turística e econômica da cidade de São Paulo e dos expositores, originaram-se as diretrizes deste estudo, o qual consiste na elaboração de um perfil das carências dos expositores da feira de artesanato do Trianon, investigando as possíveis deficiências nos conhecimentos sobre instrumentos gerenciais e dificuldades que enfrentam no cotidiano das feiras. Sendo assim, este estudo de caso se caracteriza por uma pesquisa de campo que demonstra qualitativamente o perfil administrativo de um expositor em uma feira de artesanato e tece algumas considerações sobre propostas que venham a contribuir para o desenvolvimento de um pequeno negócio. Desta forma, o estudo alicerça-se em uma nova aplicação dos conceitos da administração, que é a sua aplicabilidade na realidade de uma feira de artesanato, para que no atual e futuro cenário de competições, haja cada vez mais profissionalismo, satisfação dos clientes, autonomia econômica dos expositores e uma difusão dos resultados levantados, que é a possibilidade de uma divulgação ou intervenção maciça nas sete feiras de artesanato oficiais da cidade de São Paulo, por meio dos órgãos competentes como o EMBRATUR, o SEBRAE e a Prefeitura Municipal de São Paulo

Empirically-derived food pattern and total ortality in the PREDIMED study

[Background]: There has been growing interest in the last years in assessing the relationship between diet and disease through the study of whole dietary patterris and not only focusing on single nutrients or foods. Though several studies have assessed the relationship between a posteriori dietary patterns and different health outcomes, there is little evidence on post hoc dietary patterns and all cause mortality in Southern European populations.[Objective]: To identify the association between a posteriori defined major dietary patterns and total mortality in the PREDIMED study. Methods We followed-up 7,340 participants (57.5 percent women, mean age: 67 years) during a median follow-up time of 4.8 years. To assess dietary exposures, a validated 137-item semi-quantitative food- frequency questionnaire was administered. Dietary patterns were ascertained through a factor analysis based on 30 predefined food groups. Participants were classified according to tertiles of adherence to dietary pattern scores at baseline. Cox regression models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for mortality. Deaths were confirmed by review of medical records and consultation of the National Death Index.[Results]: We identified two major dietary patterns: the “Western” dietary pattern and “Mediterranean” dietary pattern. During follow- up, 337 participants died. Among deceased participants, the median age of death was 70 (6.5). After controlling for potential confounders including the intervention group, higher baseline adherence to a “Mediterranean” dietary pattern was associated with lower risk of all- cause mortality (adjusted HR for third tertile vs. first textile: 0.68; 95 la CI: 0.49—0.95) (p for trend 0.028). [Conclusion]: Higher adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet may reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in elderly people at high cardiovascular risk

Human transcriptome response after Mediterranean diet consumption

Trabajo presentado en el IV Congress of International Society of Nutrigenetics/Nutrigenomics ISNN, celebrado en Pamplona (España) del 18 al 20 de noviembre de 2010.[Introduction]: Despite the benefits associated with healthy diets, data on the mechanisms by which these benefits are promoted are scarce. Our aim was to explore the global transcriptomic response of biological pathways related to cardiovascular disease associated with traditional Mediterranean diet (TMD) intervention.[Methods]: The PREDIMED study is a large on-going, parallel, multicentre, randomized, controlled trial aimed at assessing the TMD effect on primary cardiovascular prevention. High cardiovascular risk participants were recruited and assigned to one of the following interventions: 1) TMD plus virgin olive oil (VOO); 2) TMD plus mixed nuts; or 3) low-fat diet (control group). In a sub sample of 30 volunteers of the PREDIMED-Barcelona Sur Centre, gene expression changes in peripheral mononuclear cells, after 3 months of intervention, were assessed by microarray analysis (Affymetrix) in which about 30,000 individual human genes were included. Crude and adjusted models for data analyses were performed separately in two different centres. Pearson´s correlation coefficients for log2ratio (post-intervention/pre-intervention value) and T-statistics were greater than 0.97. Gene ontology analyses were performed by Bioingenuity Software on genes with T-statistics ≥1.5 or ≥-1.5 after interventions.[Results]: Analyses of canonical pathways related with cardiovascular risk highlighted that: 1) MUFA versus PUFA rich diets (MUFA/PUFA ratio >3.5; TMD plus VOO and Low-fat) promoted changes in clusters of genes associated with cytokine and nuclear receptor signaling; and 2) TMD plus VOO promoted changes in blood pressure related pathways. In agreement with this, the greatest decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels were observed after TMD plus VOO diet.[Conclusions]: One of the mechanisms by which MUFA rich diets, and particularly a TMD rich in virgin olive oil, can exert their health benefits is through an enhancement of the global transcriptomic response in pathways related with cardiovascular risk