Evaluation of Penman-Piche method to estimate reference evapotranspiration in Uberaba, MG

Objetivou-se, no presente trabalho, realizar a comparação do método de determinação da evapotranspiração de referência, Penman-Monteith com o método de Penman-Piché, que utiliza medidas de evaporação pelo evaporímetro de piche. Analisou-se o período de janeiro de 2003 a dezembro de 2008, trabalhando-se com dados diários de temperatura do ar, radiação solar, umidade relativa e velocidade do vento, coletados em uma estação meteorológica automatizada, localizada na Fazenda Experimental da Uniube, MG. Para a comparação dos métodos de estimativa de evapotranspiração de referência foram utilizados: coeficientes de correlação (r), índice de concordância de Willmott (d) e o índice de confiança (c), que é o produto entre "r" e "d". Concluiu-se, no trabalho, que é possível estimar a evapotranspiração de referência de maneira satisfatória através da evaporação medida pelo evaporímetro de piche, quando se obtiveram coeficientes de correlação acima de 0,90. Nos meses de baixa umidade relativa do ar a ETo estimada pelo método que considera as medidas do evaporímetro de piche, apresenta redução na precisão, com valores de "r" de 0,70; 0,78 e 0,70, respectivamente para os meses de junho, agosto e setembro da série estudada.The present research aimed to accomplish a comparison between the reference method of estimation of evapotranspiration, Penman-Monteith, considered as the standard method by FAO, with Penman-Piché method, which uses measurements of the evaporation from the Piché's evaporimeter. The period from January 2003 to December 2008 was analyzed considering daily data of air temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity of air and wind speed, which were collected with an automatic weather station, located in the Experimental Farm of University of Uberaba, in Uberaba, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Correlation coefficient (r), Willmott agreement index (d) and confidence index (c), which is the product between "r" and "d", were used in the comparison between reference evapotranspiration estimated by Penman-Monteith (ETpm) and Penman-Piche (ETpi). It was concluded that it is possible to estimate the reference evapotranspiration in a satisfactory manner through the evaporation measured by the Piche's evaporimeter. In the months of low relative humidity of air, the evapotranspiration estimated by the method which considers the measures of Piche's evaporimeter shows reduction in precision, with "r" values of 0,70; 0,78 and 0,70, respectively for the months of June, August and September of the studied series.Consórcio Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento do Caf

Melon fertigation in greenhouse using biofertilizer and chemical fertilizers

The experiment was installed in the Experimental Farm of the Uberaba University, in one of the modules of plastic greenhouse of 768 m². Treatments consisted of two types of fertigation: conventional chemical fertigation and with biofertilizers. Also, two fertigation frequencies were studied for each type: at intervals of one and seven days. The best yields were obtained with the daily fertilizer application, with superiority for the biofertilizers, with production of 45.5 t ha-1 of fruits. This was better than mineral products, which produced 42.4 t ha-1. The weekly fertigation had lower productivities, and in this case, the biofertilizers also surpassed the chemical, on an average by 2.0 t ha-1. It was also observed that the biofertilizers delayed the crop cycle by about 8 days, compared to chemical fertigation. In spite of prolongation of crop cycle, it can be concluded that biofertilizers are efficient in nutrition of melon, with similar or even higher yields in comparison to those obtained by mineral products.Com este trabalho, objetivou-se monitorar a fertirrigação com biofertilizante, comparando-a com a fertirrigação química convencional, na cultura do melão variedade Orange Flesh, cultivado em ambiente protegido. O experimento foi instalado no Campo Experimental da Universidade de Uberaba, num dos módulos de estufa plástica de 768 m², onde foram aplicados os tratamentos: fertirrigação convencional química e com biofertilizante. Também foram estudadas, dentro dos dois tratamentos, duas freqüências de fertirrigação: diária e semanal. As melhores produtividades foram obtidas com a aplicação diária de fertilizantes, com superioridade para os produtos organominerais, com produção total de 45,5 t ha-1 de frutos, superior estatisticamente às 42,4 t ha-1 obtidas com os produtos minerais. A fertirrigação semanal resultou em produtividades inferiores às decorrentes das aplicações diárias, sendo que os produtos organominerais superaram os químicos nesse tipo de aplicação, em 2,0 t ha-1, em média. Observou-se, também, que os produtos organominerais retardaram, em cerca de 8 d, o ciclo do melão, em comparação com os químicos. Apesar desse alongamento do ciclo da cultura, conclui-se que os produtos organominerais são extremamente eficientes na nutrição do melão, com produtividades similares e até superiores às dos produtos minerais utilizados.455

An optimized nanoparticle delivery system based on chitosan and chondroitin sulfate molecules reduces the toxicity of amphotericin B and is effective in treating tegumentary leishmaniasis

Amphotericin B (AmpB) is active against leishmaniasis, but its use is hampered due to its high toxicity observed in patients. In this study, a nanoparticles-delivery system for AmpB (NQC-AmpB), containing chitosan and chondroitin sulfate molecules, was evaluated in BALB/c mice against Leishmania amazonensis. An in vivo biodistribution study, including biochemical and toxicological evaluations, was performed to evaluate the toxicity of AmpB. Nanoparticles were radiolabeled with technetium-99m and injected in mice. The products presented a similar biodistribution in the liver, spleen, and kidneys of the animals. Free AmpB induced alterations in the body weight of the mice, which, in the biochemical analysis, indicated hepatic and renal injury, as well as morphological damage to the kidneys of the animals. In general, no significant organic alteration was observed in the animals treated with NQC-AmpB. Mice were infected with L. amazonensis and treated with the nanoparticles or free AmpB; then, parasitological and immunological analyses were performed. The NQC-AmpB group, as compared to the control groups, presented significant reductions in the lesion size and in the parasite burden in all evaluated organs. These animals presented significantly higher levels of IFN-γ and IL-12, and low levels of IL-4 and IL-10, when compared to the control groups. The NQC-AmpB system was effective in reducing the infection in the animals, and proved to be effective in diminishing the toxicity evoked by AmpB, which was observed when it was administered alone. In conclusion, NQC-AmpB could be considered a viable possibility for future studies in the treatment of leishmaniasisThis work was supported by grants from Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa from UFMG (Edital 01/2014), Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Nano-biofarmacêutica (INCT-Nanobiofar), FAPEMIG (CBB-APQ-00496-11 and CBB-APQ-00819-12), and CNPq (APQ-472090/2011-9 and APQ-482976/2012-8). MACF is a grant recipient of FAPEMIG/CAPES. EAFC, VNC, and AAGF are grant recipients of CNPq. Eduardo AF Coelho and André AG Faraco are co-senior authors of this stud

Vaccinia Virus Infection in Monkeys, Brazilian Amazon

To detect orthopoxvirus in the Brazilian Amazon, we conducted a serosurvey of 344 wild animals. Neutralizing antibodies against orthopoxvirus were detected by plaque-reduction neutralizing tests in 84 serum samples. Amplicons from 6 monkey samples were sequenced. These amplicons identified vaccinia virus genetically similar to strains from bovine vaccinia outbreaks in Brazil

Modulating the photoluminescence of bridged silsesquioxanes incorporating Eu(3+)-complexed n,n '-diureido-2,2 '-bipyridine isomers: application for luminescent solar concentrators

Two new urea-bipyridine derived bridged organosilanes (P5 and P6) have been synthesized and their hydrolysis-condensation under nucleophilic catalysis in the presence of Eu(3+) salts led to luminescent bridged silsesquioxanes (M5-Eu and M6-Eu). An important loading of Eu(3+) (up to 11%(w)) can be obtained for the material based on the 6,6'-isomer. Indeed the photoluminescence properties of these materials, that have been investigated in depth (photoluminescence (PL), quantum yield, lifetimes), show a significantly different complexation mode of the Eu(3+) ions for M6-Eu, compared with M4-Eu (obtained from the already-reported 4,4'-isomer) and M5-Eu. Moreover, M6-Eu exhibits the highest absolute emission quantum yield value (0.18 +/- 0.02) among these three materials. The modification of the sol composition upon the addition of a malonamide derivative led to similar luminescent features but with an increased quantum yield (026 +/- 0.03). In addition, M6-Eu can be processed as thin films by spin-coating on glass substrates, leading to plates coated by a thin layer (similar to 54 nm) of Eu(3+)-containing hybrid silica exhibiting one of the highest emission quantum yields reported so far for films of Eu(3+)-containing hybrids (0.34 +/- 0.03) and an interesting potential as new luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) with an optical conversion efficiency of similar to 4%. The ratio between the light guided to the film edges and the one emitted by the surface of the film was quantified through the mapping of the intensity of the red pixels (in the RGB color model) from a film image. This quantification enabled a more accurate estimation of the transport losses due to the scattering of the emitted light in the film (0.40), thereby correcting the initial optical conversion efficiency to a value of 1.7%.FCT - PTDC/CTM/101324/2008COMPETEFEDE

One More Piece in the VACV Ecological Puzzle: Could Peridomestic Rodents Be the Link between Wildlife and Bovine Vaccinia Outbreaks in Brazil?

BACKGROUND: Despite the fact that smallpox eradication was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1980, other poxviruses have emerged and re-emerged, with significant public health and economic impacts. Vaccinia virus (VACV), a poxvirus used during the WHO smallpox vaccination campaign, has been involved in zoonotic infections in Brazilian rural areas (Bovine Vaccinia outbreaks - BV), affecting dairy cattle and milkers. Little is known about VACV's natural hosts and its epidemiological and ecological characteristics. Although VACV was isolated and/or serologically detected in Brazilian wild animals, the link between wildlife and farms has not yet been elucidated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we describe for the first time, to our knowledge, the isolation of a VACV (Mariana virus - MARV) from a mouse during a BV outbreak. Genetic data, in association with biological assays, showed that this isolate was the same etiological agent causing exanthematic lesions observed in the cattle and human inhabitants of a particular BV-affected area. Phylogenetic analysis grouped MARV with other VACV isolated during BV outbreaks. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These data provide new biological and epidemiological information on VACV and lead to an interesting question: could peridomestic rodents be the link between wildlife and BV outbreaks

The Portuguese Society of Rheumatology position paper on the use of biosimilars

Biotechnological drugs have become a fundamental resource for the treatment of rheumatic patients. Patent expiry of some of these drugs created the opportunity for biopharmaceutical manufacturers to develop biosimilar drugs intended to be as efficacious as the originator product but with a lower cost to healthcare systems. Due to the complex manufacturing process and highly intricate structure of biologicals, a biosimilar can never be an exact copy of its reference product. Consequently, regulatory authorities issued strict preclinical and clinical guidelines to ensure safety and efficacy equivalence and, in September 2013, the biosimilar of infliximab was the first biosimilar monoclonal antibody to be authorized for use in the European Union. The current document is a position statement of the "Sociedade Portuguesa de Reumatologia" (Portuguese Society of Rheumatology) on the use of biosimilar drugs in rheumatic diseases. Two systematic literature reviews were performed, one concerning clinical trials and the other one concerning international position papers on biosimilars. The results were presented and discussed in a national meeting and a final position document was discussed, written and approved by Portuguese rheumatologists. Briefly, this position statement is contrary to automatic substitution of the originator by the biosimilar, defends either a different INN or the prescription by brand name, supports that switching between biosimilars and the originator molecule should be done after at least 6 months of treatment and based on the attending physician decision and after adequate patient information, recommends the registration of all biosimilar treated patients in Reuma.pt for efficacy, safety and immunogenicity surveillance, following the strategy already ongoing for originators, and opposes to extrapolation of indications approved to the originator to completely different diseases and/or age groups without adequate pre-clinical, safety or efficacy data.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio