Study protocol for the multicentre cohorts of Zika virus infection in pregnant women, infants, and acute clinical cases in Latin America and the Caribbean: The ZIKAlliance consortium

Background: The European Commission (EC) Horizon 2020 (H2020)-funded ZIKAlliance Consortium designed a multicentre study including pregnant women (PW), children (CH) and natural history (NH) cohorts. Clinical sites were selected over a wide geographic range within Latin America and the Caribbean, taking into account the dynamic course of the ZIKV epidemic. Methods: Recruitment to the PW cohort will take place in antenatal care clinics. PW will be enrolled regardless of symptoms and followed over the course of pregnancy, approximately every 4 weeks. PW will be revisited at delivery (or after miscarriage/abortion) to assess birth outcomes, including microcephaly and other congenital abnormalities according to the evolving definition of congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). After birth, children will be followed for 2 years in the CH cohort. Follow-up visits are scheduled at ages 1-3, 4-6, 12, and 24 months to assess neurocognitive and developmental milestones. In addition, a NH cohort for the characterization of symptomatic rash/fever illness was designed, including follow-up to capture persisting health problems. Blood, urine, and other biological materials will be collected, and tested for ZIKV and other relevant arboviral diseases (dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever) using RT-PCR or serological methods. A virtual, decentralized biobank will be created. Reciprocal clinical monitoring has been established between partner sites. Substudies of ZIKV seroprevalence, transmissio

ADVANCES IN THE PROPAGATION OF RAMBUTAN TREE

ABSTRACT The reality of Brazilian fruit farming is demonstrating increasing demand for sustainable information about native and exotic fruit, which can diversify and elevate the efficiency of fruit exploitation. Research on propagation of fruits tree is very important so that it can provide a protocol for suitable multiplication of this fruitful. Due to the great genetic diversity of rambutan plants, it is recommended the use of vegetative propagated plants. This research aimed to evaluate the propagation of rambutan by cuttings, layering and grafting, as well as seed germination and viability without storage. The results of this research indicate that this species can be successfully propagated by layering, grafting and seeds. We also observed that the germination percentage of seeds kept inside the fruits for six days were not influenced by the different substrates used in this experiment

ADVANCES IN THE PROPAGATION OF RAMBUTAN TREE

ABSTRACT The reality of Brazilian fruit farming is demonstrating increasing demand for sustainable information about native and exotic fruit, which can diversify and elevate the efficiency of fruit exploitation. Research on propagation of fruits tree is very important so that it can provide a protocol for suitable multiplication of this fruitful. Due to the great genetic diversity of rambutan plants, it is recommended the use of vegetative propagated plants. This research aimed to evaluate the propagation of rambutan by cuttings, layering and grafting, as well as seed germination and viability without storage. The results of this research indicate that this species can be successfully propagated by layering, grafting and seeds. We also observed that the germination percentage of seeds kept inside the fruits for six days were not influenced by the different substrates used in this experiment