Carbohydrate levels in the leaves and production consistency of the Ponkan tangerine when thinned out with Ethephon

Management practices that maintain carbohydrate reserves in tangerines are necessary in order to ensure good yields. This experiment was carried out with the object of evaluating the levels of carbohydrates in the leaves, and consistency in the production of the Ponkan tangerine (Citrus reticulata Blanco) when subjected to chemical thinning with five concentrations of Ethephon for three consecutive years. The Ponkan tangerine evaluated had been grafted onto Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia Osbeck), cultivated with a spacing of 6.0 x 3.0 m and were 12 years old. The Ethephon concentrations tested were: 0; 200; 400; 600 and 800 mg L-1, applied in January of 2009; 2010 and 2011, when the fruits were of 25 to 30mm in transverse diameter. The experimental design was of randomized blocks, with four blocks and four plants per plot. The levels of soluble leaf carbohydrate, starch and total carbohydrates were evaluated during flowering and harvesting. Fifteen days after application of the concentrations, the percentage of thinning was evaluated. Production, pending load and alternate bearing were evaluated when harvesting. Chemical thinning with Ethephon favors the maintaining of leaf carbohydrates in the Ponkan tangerine. The most effective concentration in reduncing the alternate bearing in the Ponkan tangerine is 600 mg L-1 of Ethephon

Análise epidemiológica da sífilis congênita no nordeste brasileiro / Epidemiological analysis of congenital syphilis in northeast Brazil

A sífilis representa uma infecção sexualmente transmissível (IST) que pode ser transmitida verticalmente por via transplacentária ou durante o parto, ocasionando o quadro de sífilis congênita. Sabe-se que tal agravo é a segunda principal causa de natimortos evitáveis em todo o mundo, superando o número de consequências reportadas devido a infecção congênita pelo HIV, o que ilustra o importante acometimento da saúde materno-infantil. Neste cenário, o presente trabalho visa traçar o perfil epidemiológico dos casos de sífilis congênita referentes à região nordeste do Brasil. Consiste em um estudo epidemiológico, retrospectivo e descritivo, cujos dados foram obtidos do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN) no período de 2007 a 2017. As variáveis utilizadas foram: casos confirmados, região, faixa etária, escolaridade materna, tratamento dos parceiros, pré-natal e óbitos infantis. A região Nordeste apresentou 44.944 casos de sífilis congênita, atrás apenas da região Sudeste (62.269). Embora tenha cobertura pré-natal (76,3%) próxima da média nacional (78%), a região ficou em último lugar quando comparada com outras localidades do país. Os estados mais afetados foram Pernambuco (10.779), Ceará (9.865) e Bahia (7.809), sendo concomitantemente os que apresentam menor quantitativo de tratamento dos parceiros. Quanto à escolaridade materna, a maioria (61,2%) possuía ensino fundamental incompleto. Por fim, foram catalogados 978 óbitos, dos quais 933 ocorreram na primeira semana de vida. O Nordeste projetou-se em 2° lugar nos casos de sífilis congênita, quadruplicando esse valor entre o primeiro e o último ano analisados, o que pode ser atribuído a avanços da vigilância epidemiológica ou a piora do panorama relacionado a esse agravo. Pernambuco, Ceará e Bahia demonstraram maior prevalência, possivelmente por uma menor qualidade no atendimento do pré-natal ou o não tratamento do parceiro. Nesse contexto, o menor índice de cobertura pré-natal e a baixa escolaridade materna são fatores que demonstraram favorecer a perpetuação da sífilis congênita no Nordeste. Nota-se que a melhoria do panorama desse importante agravo perpassa por um adequado acompanhamento pré-natal, tratamento dos parceiros e, especialmente, incentivo à educação em saúde

Quatro décadas após a epidemia de HIV/AIDS: conquistas e desafios

Considered a public health problem on a global scale, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has created a great challenge for authorities to develop public health policies. Since its first registered case in the early 1980s, it has been considered an inextinguishable mark on health, society and economic growth. This is an integrative bibliographic review research, the objective of which was established based on the need to list the main discoveries and challenges after the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome epidemic that occurred in the 1980s. of 1400 publications with the descriptors defined for the research. In its first registration it was labeled as a virus associated with lymphadenopathy, and in the following year, after the issuance of a report indicating approximately 75 million infected people and around 32 million deaths, the first concerns of public health authorities were established. In 1983, it was discovered that the retrovirus was the cause of AIDS, and in the same year, it was named Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). From this, there was a need to develop a diagnostic method, the Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) to identify carriers who did not yet show clinical manifestations, that is, the asymptomatic form. To control the progression of the disease and reduce the damage caused by the impairment of the immune system as a result of the infection, at the end of the 80s and 90s, the FDA approved the first drugs, which were used in monotherapy regimens. Due to the high power of replication and mutation of the virus, resistance mechanisms have emerged and new means of protection and treatment have been created. Curing HIV was once considered an unattainable goal, but with the advancement of research and new discoveries, the eradication of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is an achievable goal. The biggest hope of research points to the use of antibodies and development of vaccines.Considerada un problema de salud pública a escala global, la pandemia del VIH/SIDA ha creado un gran desafío para las autoridades a la hora de desarrollar políticas de salud pública. Desde su primer caso registrado a principios de los años 1980, se ha considerado una marca inextinguible en la salud, la sociedad y el crecimiento económico. Se trata de una investigación de revisión bibliográfica integradora, cuyo objetivo se estableció a partir de la necesidad de enumerar los principales descubrimientos y desafíos posteriores a la epidemia del Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana y Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida ocurrida en la década de 1980. De 1400 publicaciones con los descriptores definidos para el investigación. En su primer registro fue etiquetado como un virus asociado a linfadenopatía, y al año siguiente, tras la emisión de un informe que indicaba aproximadamente 75 millones de personas infectadas y alrededor de 32 millones de muertes, se establecieron las primeras preocupaciones de las autoridades de salud pública. En 1983 se descubrió que el retrovirus era la causa del SIDA y ese mismo año se le denominó Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH). A partir de esto, surgió la necesidad de desarrollar un método de diagnóstico, el Inmunoensayo Enzimático (EIA) para identificar a los portadores que aún no presentaban manifestaciones clínicas, es decir, la forma asintomática. Para controlar la progresión de la enfermedad y reducir los daños causados ​​por el deterioro del sistema inmunológico como consecuencia de la infección, a finales de los años 80 y 90, la FDA aprobó los primeros fármacos, que se utilizaban en regímenes de monoterapia. Debido al alto poder de replicación y mutación del virus, han surgido mecanismos de resistencia y se han creado nuevos medios de protección y tratamiento. Curar el VIH alguna vez se consideró un objetivo inalcanzable, pero con el avance de la investigación y los nuevos descubrimientos, la erradicación del Virus de Inmunodeficiencia Humana es un objetivo alcanzable. La mayor esperanza de la investigación apunta al uso de anticuerpos y al desarrollo de vacunas.Considerado um problema de saúde pública em escala global, a pandemia de HIV/AIDS tem gerado grande desafio para as autoridades desenvolverem as políticas públicas de saúde. Desde o seu primeiro caso registrado no início dos anos 80, considerado uma marca inextinguível na saúde, na sociedade e no crescimento econômico. Trata-se de pesquisa de revisão bibliográfica do tipo integrativa, cujo objetivo estabeleceu-se a partir da necessidade de elencar as principais descobertas e desafios após a epidemia do Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana e Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida ocorrida na década de 1980. Foram encontradas mais de 1400 publicações com os descritores definidos para a pesquisa. Em seu primeiro registro foi rotulado como vírus associado a linfadenopatia, e já no ano seguinte, após a emissão de um relatório apontando aproximadamente 75 milhões de infectados e cerca de 32 milhões de mortes, e assim se instalou as primeiras preocupações das autoridades de saúde pública. Em 1983 foi desvendado que o retrovírus era o causador da AIDS, e no mesmo ano, foi designado o nome de Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (HIV). A partir disto, houve a necessidade de desenvolver um método de diagnóstico, o Imunoensaio Enzimático (EIA) para identificar os portadores que ainda não apresentavam manifestações clínicas, ou seja, a forma assintomática. Para controlar a progressão da doença e reduzir os prejuízos desencadeados pelo comprometimento do sistema imune em decorrência da infecção, no final da década de 80 e 90, a FDA aprovou os primeiros fármacos, que eram utilizados em esquemas de monoterapia. Devido ao alto poder de replicação e mutação do vírus, mecanismos de resistência foram surgindo e novos meios de proteção e tratamento sendo criados. A cura do HIV já foi considerada um objetivo inatingível, mas com o avanço das pesquisas e novas descobertas, a erradicação do vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana é um objetivo alcançável. A maior esperando das pesquisas apontam para a utilização de anticorpos e desenvolvimento de vacinas

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Detection of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring bla GES-1 and bla GES-11 in Recife, Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an important pathogen globally, presents several resistance mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the presence of bla GES in clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa obtained from various clinical specimens from patients admitted to three different hospitals in Recife, Brazil. The Guiana extended spectrum beta-lactamase (GES) enzymes are responsible for conferring broad spectrum resistance to beta-lactam drugs, including the carbapenems. METHODS: A total of 100 carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates underwent polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to identify bla GES, bla KPC, bla SPM-1, bla IMP, and bla VIM. Additionally, PCR products positive for bla GES were sequenced. The clonal profiles of these same isolates were then determined by means of enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR analysis. RESULTS: PCR analysis revealed that four isolates harbored bla GES; DNA sequencing showed that two harbored bla GES-1 and two bla GES-11. Beta-lactamase genes bla SPM-1, bla IMP, bla VIM, and bla KPC were investigated; none of these genes was detected. Automated susceptibility testing methods (Vitek®2, bioMérieux) showed that the bla GES-1-positive isolates were only susceptible to polymyxin B. The patterns obtained with ERIC-PCR methods showed clonal relationship between the two isolates that harbored bla GES-11, whereas different clonal profiles were found in the isolates harboring bla GES-1. CONCLUSIONS: We detected the presence of bacterial isolates positive for two different variants of the enzyme GES in three different hospitals from Recife, Brazil. These enzymes have a great capacity for dissemination among Gram-negative bacteria and confer broad-spectrum resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics and to the carbapenems