Comparison of the effect of biological formulations containing Metarhizium anisopliae on Hyalomma ticks

زمینه و هدف: قارچ های جنس متارایزیوم به طور فزاینده ای در فرمول های تجاری در برابر حشرات استفاده می شو ن د. ولی در مطالعات تجربی اثر ضد کنه ای آنها کمتر بررسی شده است. با توسعه مقاومت کنه ها به کنه کش ها و آگاهی ما از اینکه مواد شیمیایی برای محیط زیست مضر هستند، این مطالعه با هدف بررسی استفاده از 4 فرمولاسیون مختلف از قارچ متارایزیوم آنیزوپیله برای مبارزه با کنه هیالوما انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی، 4 فرمولاسیون مختلف شامل: 1) آب مقطر با 2/0 درصد توئین و متارایزیوم آنیزوپیله ، 2) آب مقطر با 10 درصد روغن پنبه دانه، 01/0 درصد ساکارز با 2/0 درصد توئین و متارایزیوم آنیزوپیله ، 3) آب مقطر با 10 درصد پارافین مایع، 01/0 درصد ساکارز با 2/0 درصد توئین و متارایزیوم آنیزوپیله ، 4) آب مقطر (شاهد) استفاده گردید. چهار فرمولاسیون تهیه شده روی بدن 128 کنه بالغ در چهار گروه در شرایط یکسان پاشیده شد. پس از پاشش فرمولاسیون ها، تعداد کنه مرده در روزهای بعد شمارش شدند. تاثیر تیمار ها بر مرگ و میر کنه ها با استفاده از آنالیز بقاء برای زمان بررسی شد. یافته ها : گرچه اثر فرمولاسیون های آب، پارافین مایع و روغن پنبه دانه با قارچ متارایزیوم آنیزوپیله، از نظر آماری با همدیگر اختلاف معنی داری نداشتند، لیکن اثر فرمولاسیون روغن پنبه دانه بهتر بود. بین اثر فرمولاسیون های حاوی قارچ و فرمولاسیون فاقد قارچ (شاهد) اختلاف آماری معنی داری مشاهده گردید ( P <0.05 ). نتیجه گیری: برای از بین بردن کنه هیالوما روی بدن دام ها، به جای استفاده از سموم و مواد شیمیایی می توان سوسپانسیون روغن پنبه دانه حاوی قارچ متارایزیوم آنیزوپیله را مورد استفاده قرار داد بدون اینکه ضرری برای محیط زیست، دامها و انسان داشته باشد. با این حال تحقیقات بیشتری در این خصوص توصیه می گردد

Aspectos técnicos e institucionais de um sistema de inteligência competitiva desenvolvido para a indústria de máquinas para madeira

This paper presents a competitive intelligence system developed for the entrepreneurs of the Brazilian woodworking machinery industry. The system, called MaqMad, was designed as a tool to support the enterprise decision-making and gathers information on the competitive and technological environment of the industry. The architecture of the system allows customizing the access to the information available concerning the particularities of each user. Unlike the original conceptions of IC, eminently intra-organizational, MaqMad was structured as an area of inter-organizational cooperation among companies that make up the industry, as well as suppliers and consumers of such equipment. Based on the characterization of technical and institutional aspects, the main limits of the system operation are presented and the possibilities of overcoming them

METODOLOGIA DE CRIAÇÃO DE CÓDIGOS DE NOMENCLATURA DE VALOR ADUANEIRO E ESTATÍSTICA PARA INGREDIENTES ATIVOS UTILIZADOS NA PRODUÇÃO DE AGROTÓXICOS

Este artigo teve por objetivo descrever o processo de criação de Nomenclatura de Valor Aduaneiro e Estatística (NVE) dos agrotóxicos autorizados no Brasil, enquadrados no capítulo 29 da Nomenclatura Comum do Mercosul (NCM), intitulado “Produtos químicos orgânicos”. O trabalho foi desenvolvido no intuito de (1) reduzir a falta de clareza decorrente da excessiva agregação da NCM; (2) aumentar o controle legal de entrada e saída de ingredientes ativos (IA) do Brasil; e (3) criar bases de dados e de estatísticas para a implementação de sistema de inteligência regulatória para agrotóxicos. Foram criadas NVE para 345 IA empregados na fabricação de agrotóxicos e contemplados exclusivamente em 459 monografias elaboradas pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA). Utilizou-se para a criação das NVE de IA voltados à produção de agrotóxicos, o mesmo atributo empregado para IA de produtos farmacêuticos. Foram utilizados, em ambos os casos, o número do Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), seguido pela denominação da International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ou Denominação Comum Brasileira (DCB), aprovadas pelo Ministério da Saúde. A criação das NVE evidenciou o caráter incipiente do controle estatístico de entrada de agrotóxicos no Brasil mediante importação. Dos mais de 400 IA que originam produtos técnicos (PT) e formulados (PF) de agrotóxicos, apenas 19 tinham seu controle estatístico efetuado (descrição exata por meio de NCM de 8 dígitos), o que equivale a 4% do total de ingredientes ativos avaliados

Investigating Genetic Mutations in a Large Cohort of Iranian Patients with Congenital Hyperinsulinism

Objective: Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is the most frequent cause of severe and persistent hypoglycaemia from birth. Understanding the pathophysiology and genetic defects behind hyperinsulinism and its complications provides clues to timely diagnosis and management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the underlying genetic aetiology of a specific Iranian pediatric cohort with CHI. Methods: A total of 44 unrelated children, 20 girls and 24 boys, with an initial diagnosis or history of CHI from all regions of Iran were recruited between 2016 and 2019. Targeted next generation sequencing (tNGS) was performed for the genes found in about half of CHI patients. Results: Mutations were identified in 24 cases (55%). Patients with a confirmed genetic cause were mainly diagnosed below age of one year old (p=0.01), had fewer other syndromic features, excluding seizure, (p=0.03), were less diazoxide responsive (p=0.04) and were more diazoxide unresponsive leading to pancreatectomy (p=0.007) compared to those with no identified mutations. Among 24 patients with identified genetic mutations, 17 (71%) had a mutation in ABCC8, 3 (12%) in KCNJ11, 3 (12%) in HADH, and 1 patient had a mutation in KMT2D. These included five novel mutations in ABCC8, KCNJ11, and KMT2D. Conclusion: This is the biggest genetic study of CHI in Iran. A high frequency of recessive forms of CHI, especially HADH mutations, in our study could be due to a high rate of consanguineous marriage. We recommend tNGS to screen for all the CHI genes.Wellcome Trust [108101/Z/15/Z]; Diabetes UK RD Lawrence fellowship (grant: 17/0005594)

A globally relevant change taxonomy and evidence-based change framework for land monitoring

A globally relevant and standardized taxonomy and framework for consistently describing land cover change based on evidence is presented, which makes use of structured land cover taxonomies and is underpinned by the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. The Global Change Taxonomy currently lists 246 classes based on the notation 'impact (pressure)', with this encompassing the consequence of observed change and associated reason(s), and uses scale-independent terms that factor in time. Evidence for different impacts is gathered through temporal comparison (e.g., days, decades apart) of land cover classes constructed and described from Environmental Descriptors (EDs; state indicators) with pre-defined measurement units (e.g., m, %) or categories (e.g., species type). Evidence for pressures, whether abiotic, biotic or human-influenced, is similarly accumulated, but EDs often differ from those used to determine impacts. Each impact and pressure term is defined separately, allowing flexible combination into 'impact (pressure)' categories, and all are listed in an openly accessible glossary to ensure consistent use and common understanding. The taxonomy and framework are globally relevant and can reference EDs quantified on the ground, retrieved/classified remotely (from ground-based, airborne or spaceborne sensors) or predicted through modelling. By providing capacity to more consistently describe change processes-including land degradation, desertification and ecosystem restoration-the overall framework addresses a wide and diverse range of local to international needs including those relevant to policy, socioeconomics and land management. Actions in response to impacts and pressures and monitoring towards targets are also supported to assist future planning, including impact mitigation actions

A globally relevant change taxonomy and evidence-based change framework for land monitoring

A globally relevant and standardized taxonomy and framework for consistently describing land cover change based on evidence is presented, which makes use of structured land cover taxonomies and is underpinned by the Driver-Pressure-State�Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework. The Global Change Taxonomy currently lists 246 classes based on the notation ‘impact (pressure)’, with this encompassing the consequence of observed change and associated reason(s), and uses scale-independent terms that factor in time. Evidence for different impacts is gathered through temporal comparison (e.g., days, decades apart) of land cover classes constructed and described from Environmental Descriptors (EDs; state indicators) with pre-defined measurement units (e.g., m, %) or categories (e.g., species type). Evidence for pressures, whether abiotic, biotic or human-influenced, is similarly accumulated, but EDs often differ from those used to determine impacts. Each impact and pressure term is defined separately, allowing flexible combination into ‘impact (pressure)’ categories, and all are listed in an openly accessible glossary to ensure consistent use and common understanding. The taxonomy and framework are globally relevant and can reference EDs quantified on the ground, retrieved/classified remotely (from groundbased, airborne or spaceborne sensors) or predicted through modelling. By providing capacity to more consistently describe change processes—including land degradation, desertification and ecosystem restoration—the overall framework addresses a wide and diverse range of local to international needs including those relevant to policy, socioeconomics and land management. Actions in response to impacts and pressures and monitoring towards targets are also supported to assist future planning, including impact mitigation actions

Pharmacotherapy review: a proposal to improve medication adherence among hypertensive patients

Abstract Pharmacotherapy review is a structured assessment of medicines, which aims to obtain a partnership with patients to achieve drug treatment goals and agreement about drug dosage, as well as when and how the drugs should be administered. The objective was to analyze the influence of pharmacotherapy review, by scheduling drug administration to improve medication adherence among antihypertensive patients. This study was an uncontrolled intervention developed in three distinct stages. The first stage included data collection on the profile of patients and their medications, and a preliminary assessment of medication adherence. In the second stage, the review report was delivered to patients. In the third stage, the results of blood pressure and medication adherence were assessed. The influence of the revision was measured through statistical tests (p<0.05). The study included 40 patients with a mean age of 58.0 (SD:11.3) years; 72.5% were women. Thirty-three (82.5 %) patients required some intervention, after when there was a significant increase in the number of daily doses (p=0.039) and drug intakes (p=0.025). There was a significant increase in the adherence rate, according to both the Morisky-Green test (p<0.001) and self-reported assessment (p=0.004). There was also an improvement in the levels of systolic (p<0.001) and diastolic (p=0.002) blood pressure and in the number of patients with controlled hypertension (p=0.006). The pharmaceutical service enhanced medication adherence and control of systemic blood pressure; however, it increased the complexity of treatment

A Novel Enediynyl Peptide Inhibitor of Furin That Blocks Processing of proPDGF-A, B and proVEGF-C

BACKGROUND: Furin represents a crucial member of secretory mammalian subtilase, the Proprotein Convertase (PC) or Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin (PCSK) superfamily. It has been linked to cancer, tumorgenesis, viral and bacterial pathogenesis. As a result it is considered a major target for intervention of these diseases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Herein, we report, for the first time, the synthesis and biological evaluation of a newly designed potent furin inhibitor that contains a highly reactive beta-turn inducing and radical generating "enediynyl amino acid" (Eda) moiety. "Eda" was inserted between P1 and P1' residues of hfurin(98-112) peptide, derived from the primary cleavage site of furin's own prodomain. The resulting hexadecapeptide derivative inhibited furin in vitro with IC(50) approximately 40 nM when measured against the fluorogenic substrate Boc-RVRR-MCA. It also inhibited furin-mediated cleavage of a fluorogenic peptide derived from hSARS-CoV spike protein with IC(50) approximately 193 nM. Additionally it also blocked furin-processing of growth factors proPDGF-A, B and VEGF-C that are linked to tumor genesis and cancer. Circular dichroism study showed that this inhibitor displayed a predominantly beta-turn structure while western blots confirmed its ability to protect furin protein from self degradation. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings imply its potential as a therapeutic agent for intervention of cancer and other furin-associated diseases

RNA Methylation by the MIS Complex Regulates a Cell Fate Decision in Yeast

For the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, nutrient limitation is a key developmental signal causing diploid cells to switch from yeast-form budding to either foraging pseudohyphal (PH) growth or meiosis and sporulation. Prolonged starvation leads to lineage restriction, such that cells exiting meiotic prophase are committed to complete sporulation even if nutrients are restored. Here, we have identified an earlier commitment point in the starvation program. After this point, cells, returned to nutrient-rich medium, entered a form of synchronous PH development that was morphologically and genetically indistinguishable from starvation-induced PH growth. We show that lineage restriction during this time was, in part, dependent on the mRNA methyltransferase activity of Ime4, which played separable roles in meiotic induction and suppression of the PH program. Normal levels of meiotic mRNA methylation required the catalytic domain of Ime4, as well as two meiotic proteins, Mum2 and Slz1, which interacted and co-immunoprecipitated with Ime4. This MIS complex (Mum2, Ime4, and Slz1) functioned in both starvation pathways. Together, our results support the notion that the yeast starvation response is an extended process that progressively restricts cell fate and reveal a broad role of post-transcriptional RNA methylation in these decisions