Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Application height in herbicides efficiency in bean crops

Inadequate herbicide application can result in failures in weed control and/or poisoning of the crops, resulting in yield losses. In this research were assessed the effects of the sprayer nozzle boom height in the distribution of the spray solution for weed control, influencing intoxication of beans and crop yield. Experiments were conducted in laboratory and field conditions. In laboratory, the performance of flat spray tip TT 11002 was assessed at heights 0.20, 0.30, 0.40 and 0.50 meters with respect to the target surface. In the field the same heights were assessed in applications of herbicides fomesafen, fluazifop-P-butyl and fomesafen + fluazifop-P-butyl. There was an inverse relationship between the height of the spray boom and the coefficients of variation of the patterns. The mixture better efficiency in a tank of fluazifop-P-butyl + fomesafen was obtained with the height of 0.50 m from the target. This treatment resulted in better weed control, lower poisoning of the bean plants and better crop yield rates.Aplicações de herbicidas de forma inadequada podem resultar em falhas no controle das plantas daninhas e/ou intoxicação da cultura, ocasionando em perda de produtividade. Nesta pesquisa foram avaliados os efeitos da altura da barra porta-bicos na distribuição da calda para o controle de plantas daninhas, influenciando a intoxicação do feijoeiro e a produtividade da cultura. Foram realizados experimentos em condições de laboratório e de campo. Em laboratório, avaliou-se o desempenho das pontas de pulverização TT 11002 de jato plano nas alturas de 0,20, 0,30, 0,40 e 0,50 m, em relação à superfície do alvo. No campo, as mesmas alturas foram avaliadas nas aplicações dos herbicidas fomesafen, fluazifop-p-butil e fomesafen + fluazifop-p-butil. Observou-se relação inversa entre a altura da barra e o coeficiente de variação dos perfis. Melhor eficiência da mistura em tanque de fluazifop-p-butil + fomesafen foi obtida com altura de 0,50 m do alvo. Este tratamento resultou em melhor controle das plantas daninhas, menor intoxicação do feijoeiro e melhores índices produtivos da cultura

Trip 4 All: A Gamified App to Provide a New Way to Elderly People to Travel

AbstractOlder adults have much to gain from bringing technology into their daily lives. The extent to which this is possible strongly depends on careful design and accessible, easy to use products, developed using an elderly centered methodology. The senior tourism is a market in expansion and the old travelers need new and innovative technologies to help and support their trips. These technologies should contribute to a fun and safe experience, while promoting feelings of pleasure and self realization. In this paper we follow this design approach and put it to the test in developing the “Trip 4 All”(T4A), an application that works as a gamified virtual assistant to the elderly during a walking tourist visit. The gamified interaction with the visited environment intend to improve motivation to accomplish the visit and make the content absorption more fun and easier. The T4A works on georeferenced maps where the users’ geoposition is a trigger to launch storytelling content and/or challenges based on the aspects of the visited site as such: geographical, art, religious, historic, cultural and human. The success in the challenges give the user prizes, new resources and abilities to try more complex challenges that brings more valuable prizes and so on. Furthermore, the proposed application intend to work as a companion that provides self confidence, support and social integration to elderly tourists

Respostas fisiológicas de cultivares de soja à adubação potássica sob diferentes regimes hídricos

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a interferência da adubação potássica em parâmetros fisiológicos de duas cultivares de soja, sob diferentes regimes hídricos. O experimento foi realizado em condições de casa de vegetação, em Presidente Prudente, SP. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial 2x2x3, com as cultivares BR‑16 (tolerante ao estresse hídrico) e Embrapa 48 (suscetível), regimes hídricos com reposição diária de água de 100% (controle) e de 40% da capacidade de campo, e três níveis de suplementação com K (0, 90 e 180 mg dm‑3). Duas semanas após a imposição da restrição hídrica, foram avaliados: conteúdo relativo de água, potencial fotossintético e rendimento de biomassa. As plantas que se desenvolveram sob restrição hídrica tiveram sua capacidade fotossintética reavaliada após 12 horas de reidratação. Em condições de restrição hídrica, a adubação potássica não interferiu significativamente nos parâmetros fisiológicos e de crescimento avaliados. A suplementação com potássio promoveu melhor eficiência dos parâmetros fisiológicos, no regime sem deficiência hídrica, nas duas cultivares, e as principais variáveis influenciadas pelo nutriente foram: condutância estomática, taxa máxima de carboxilação da Rubisco e assimilação máxima de CO2. A suplementação com K melhora a recuperação fotossintética das plantas após a reidratação, especialmente na cultivar Embrapa 48