Bioinsecticide-Predator interactions: Azadirachtin behavioral and reproductive impairment of the coconut mite predator Neoseiulus baraki

Synthetic pesticide use has been the dominant form of pest control since the 1940s. However, biopesticides are emerging as sustainable pest control alternatives, with prevailing use in organic agricultural production systems. Foremost among botanical biopesticides is the limonoid azadirachtin, whose perceived environmental safety has come under debate and scrutiny in recent years. Coconut production, particularly organic coconut production, is one of the agricultural systems in which azadirachtin is used as a primary method of pest control for the management of the invasive coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Acari: Eriophyidae). The management of this mite species also greatly benefits from predation by Neoseiulus baraki (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Here, we assessed the potential behavioral impacts of azadirachtin on the coconut mite predator, N. baraki. We explored the effects of this biopesticide on overall predator activity, female searching time, and mating behavior and fecundity. Azadirachtin impairs the overall activity of the predator, reducing it to nearly half; however, female searching was not affected. In contrast, mating behavior was compromised by azadirachtin exposure particularly when male predators were exposed to the biopesticide. Consequently, predator fecundity was also compromised by azadirachtin, furthering doubts about its environmental safety and selectivity towards biological control agents

Relatório de estágio em ensino do 1.º ciclo do ensino básico

Relatório EPE - Relatório de estágio em Educação Pré-Escolar: A Prática Pedagógica Supervisionada desenvolveu-se no Jardim de Infância (JI) Lordelo do Ouro protocolado com a ESE/IPP, numa das salas da valência da Educação Pré-Escolar, tendo como intenção formativa potenciar a construção de competências profissionais consignadas no Perfil Geral e Específico de Desempenho do Educador de Infância. Assim, a mestranda iniciou a construção do eu profissional por meio do compromisso e responsabilização progressiva pela ação docente, norteada pelo ciclo de investigação-ação Observar, planificar, agir, refletir, comunicar e articular. As estratégias de ação emanadas na espiral do ciclo de investigação-ação foram, assim, transversais às várias fases do processo educativo sustentadoras de uma ação docente reflexiva. A metodologia de trabalho centrou-se numa relação dialógica entre os seminários e o estágio, sendo que os primeiros permitiram a construção de um quadro concetual e metodológico sustentador das ações desenvolvidas na Prática Pedagógica. Munidas de todas as informações recolhidas, ora através da observação direta, ora por meio de entrevistas e análise documental, as mestrandas proporcionaram momentos de aprendizagem ajustados à singularidade do grupo de crianças. Privilegiou-se, portanto, a pedagogia da escuta e a pedagogia de projeto concretizadas por meio da Assembleia de grupo. Este espaço reflexivo e comunicativo permitiu que a criança se desenvolvesse a partir de atividades que a própria planeou e sobre as quais refletiu em cooperação e negociação. Salientou-se, assim, o currículo negociado, não centrado na criança nem dirigido pelo professor mas originado na criança e enquadrado pelo professor ─ Reggio Emilia (Maia, 2008, p.40). Assim, surgiram as atividades mistério que mobilizaram os interesses que iam sendo manifestados. Conferindo uma maior intencionalidade educativa à ação pedagógica, recorreu-se a uma panóplia de estratégias formativas: planificações, narrativas colaborativas, guiões de pré-observação, diário de bordo, grelhas e reuniões de avaliação. Estes permitiram um conhecimento cada vez mais profícuo das crianças sendo propulsores do desenvolvimento dos projetos “Os Cinco Sentidos”, “Reino dos Dentes” e “Os Seres Vivos”. O início e término dos projetos foram determinados pelo grau de motivação das crianças, convocando estratégias pedagógicas diferenciadas, capazes de dar resposta à diversidade dos atores, numa perspetiva equitativa da educação. Aliada a estas linhas pedagógicas, apostou-se numa “cultura da colaboração [considerando que esta] é o substrato básico intelectual e afetivo para enfrentar a incerteza e o risco do fracasso” (Gómez, citado por Santos, 2000, p.22). A ação pedagógica foi influenciada por aspetos relativos à especificidade do contexto, tendo as mestrandas de conciliar as suas crenças com culturas profissionais distintas. Acredita-se que a ação pedagógica da mestranda contribuiu para o desenvolvimento da generalidade das crianças no que concerne “(…) ao saber, ao saber fazer [, ao saber estar], e ao saber ser (…) (Peterson, 2003, p.67)”. Assistiu-se à sua evolução relativa à fluência e coerência do discurso, respeito pelas regras inerentes à vivência democrática, autonomia na gestão de conflitos e capacidade de reflexão, competências estas que se realçaram como lacunas no início da prática pedagógica. Como corolário desta evolução e da integração no contexto de ação do educador de infância, edificou-se o desenvolvimento de competências profissionais na futura profissional da educação. Desenvolveu, sobretudo, a sua capacidade de indagação autorreflexiva, sistemática e colaborativa a par do desenvolvimento de competências inerentes à planificação da ação pedagógica. Compreendeu, assim, que na realidade educativa, complexa e multifacetada, a intuição não é suficiente para dar resposta a situações educativas inesperadas. Todavia, apesar de se ter desenvolvido estratégias coerentes com a evolução e interesses do grupo de crianças, considera-se que, no domínio da ação, não se conseguiu promover, na sua plenitude, o envolvimento da família no processo de ensino e aprendizagem das crianças, tendo este sido, indubitavelmente, condicionado pelas caraterísticas do meio sociocultural.Relatório EPE - Relatório de estágio em Educação Pré-Escolar: The supervised pedagogical practice has been developed in Lordelo do Ouro kindergarten filed with ESE/IPP in a preschool education classroom and the main goal was to potentiate the construction of professional skills that are mentioned in the general and specific profile of the kindergarten teacher. This way, the master’s began the construction of her professional self by means of progressive commitment and responsibility with teacher action guided by investigation-action – observing, planning, acting, reflecting, communicating and articulating. The work methodology has focused in a dual relation between seminars and training practice. The seminars provided the construction of a conceptual and methodological framework that helped the developed actions in training practice. The strategies of action emanating from the spiral of action research cycle were thus cutting across the various phases of the educational process of sustaining an action reflective teacher. The methodology focussed on a dialogical relationship between the stage and seminars, and the first allowed the construction of a Conceptual and methodological framework supportive of the actions developed in Pedagogical Practice. Having all the collected information, through direct observation, interviews and documental analysis, the masters provided learning moments adjusted to the specific group of children. They gave privilege to listening pedagogy and project pedagogy materialised by group work. This reflective and communicative space allowed the child to develop himself/ herself through activities he/she has actually planned and reflected about in cooperation and negotiation. So, it is important to highlight the negotiated curriculum, not centred on the child nor directed by the teacher but with its origin on the child and framed by the teacher ─ Reggio Emilia (Maia, 2008, p.40). Thus, mistery activities have emerged that mobilised the interests that were being shown. To assure a bigger educational intention to the pedagogical action, it was resorted to a variety of instruments to regulate teacher action, such as planning, collaborative narratives, pre-observation scripts, a logbook, grids and evaluation/ assessment meetings. All these instruments provided a fruitful knowledge of the children and they propelled the development of projects like “The five sense”, “The teeth kingdom” and “Living beings”. The beginning and the end of these projects was determined by the level of motivation of the children and different pedagogical strategies were used to give answers to the different children involved in them, in an equitable view of education. Together with these pedagogical lines, a “colaboration culture was implemented, considering that it is an intellectual and affective basic substract to face uncertainty and the risk of failure” (Gómez, quoted by Santos, 2000, p.22). The pedagogical action was influenced by aspects related to the specific context and the masters had to reconcile their beliefs with different professional cultures. It is believed that the action of the graduate student teaching contributed to the development of all children with respect “(...) to learn, to learn to do [, to learn to be], and how to be (...)” (Peterson, 2003, p. 67). There has to developments on the fluency and coherence of speech, respect for the rules inherent in the democratic experience, autonomy in conflict management and capacity for reflection, which emphasized skills such as gaps in the early educational practice. As a corollary of this development and integration of action in the context of the kindergarten teacher, he built up the development of professional skills in the future of education. Developed, especially for his ability to question autorreflexive systematically and collaboratively together with the development of skills inherent in the planning of pedagogical action. Understood, therefore, that the educational reality, complex and multifaceted, intuition is not sufficient to meet the educational unexpected situations. However, despite having developed strategies consistent with the evolution of the group and interests of children, it is considered that, in the field of action, we could not promote, in its fullness, the family's involvement in the process of teaching and learning of children, the latter was undoubtedly conditioned by the characteristics of the socio-cultural environment.Relatório E1CEB - Relatório de estágio em Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico: A Prática Pedagógica Supervisionada (PPS), nos contextos da Educação Pré-Escolar e do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico (CEB), teve lugar em duas escolas da rede de ensino público protocoladas com a Escola Superior de Educação. Ancorado no que foi pré-definido pela escola de formação, o percurso trilhado nesta etapa formativa visou a construção de saberes profissionais implicados na docência. Para concretizar este objetivo, e garantindo o compromisso com uma prática conducente com um ensino de qualidade, a ação pedagógica teve como eixo estruturador a metodologia de investigação-ação. Com vista à amplificação da intencionalidade educativa, a PPS alicerçou-se, ainda, em três grandes eixos teóricos e concetuais: o socioconstrutivismo, a psicologia cultural e a perspetiva ecológica do desenvolvimento humano. Estes eixos refletiram-se nas prioridades de aprendizagem transversais à ação pedagógica: promoção do protagonismo da criança, colocando-a no epicentro do processo de ensino e aprendizagem; valorização da cooperação; primazia da motivação e do envolvimento emocional; estímulo das possibilidades do imaginário e da criatividade; promoção da articulação e integração curricular; partilha dialógica do conhecimento; promoção da diferenciação pedagógica e garantia do bem-estar dos intervenientes. Transversal a todas estas prioridades, enalteceu-se um objetivo fulcral respeitar e valorizar a singularidade de cada criança, mobilizando as motivações e necessidades sentidas pela mesma. Aliada às linhas pedagógicas referenciadas e com vista à (co)construção de competências profissionais, apostou-se numa cultura da colaboração e de participação democrática estendidas à incessante interação dialógica com o par de formação, a supervisora, a orientadora cooperante e, também, com as crianças.Relatório E1CEB - Relatório de estágio em Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico: The Supervised Teaching Practice (STP), in the contexts of Preschool Education and the 1st Cycle of Basic Education (CBE), took place in two public schools which cooperates with ESE. Anchored in what was pre-defined by the training school, the path followed by this formative stage aimed to develop the professional knowledge involved in teaching. To achieve this goal, and ensuring commitment to a practice which leads to quality education, the pedagogical action had the structural axis of the action-research methodology. In order to increase the educational intention, the STP lays its foundations in three main theoretical concepts: the social constructivism, the cultural psychology and the ecological perspective of human development. These axes were reflected in the learning priorities which are transversal in the pedagogical action: promoting the role of the child, placing it at the heart of teaching and learning, valuing cooperation; giving primacy to motivation and emotional involvement; stimulating the imagery and creativity possibilities; promoting articulation and curriculum integration; dialogical sharing of knowledge, promoting adaptive education and ensuring the welfare of stakeholders. Present in all these priorities is the key objective of respecting and valuing the uniqueness of each child, mobilizing their motivations and needs. Together with pedagogical referenced lines for the (co)construction of professional skills, emphasis was given to the collaboration and democratic participation as well as to the incessant dialogic interaction with the pair of training, the supervisor, the cooperating supervisor and the children

Solar Irradiance Forecasting Using Dynamic Ensemble Selection

Solar irradiance forecasting has been an essential topic in renewable energy generation. Forecasting is an important task because it can improve the planning and operation of photovoltaic systems, resulting in economic advantages. Traditionally, single models are employed in this task. However, issues regarding the selection of an inappropriate model, misspecification, or the presence of random fluctuations in the solar irradiance series can result in this approach underperforming. This paper proposes a heterogeneous ensemble dynamic selection model, named HetDS, to forecast solar irradiance. For each unseen test pattern, HetDS chooses the most suitable forecasting model based on a pool of seven well-known literature methods: ARIMA, support vector regression (SVR), multilayer perceptron neural network (MLP), extreme learning machine (ELM), deep belief network (DBN), random forest (RF), and gradient boosting (GB). The experimental evaluation was performed with four data sets of hourly solar irradiance measurements in Brazil. The proposed model attained an overall accuracy that is superior to the single models in terms of five well-known error metrics

Brazilian network for HIV Drug Resistance Surveillance (HIV-BresNet): a survey of treatment-naive individuals

Introduction: In Brazil, more than 487,450 individuals are currently undergoing antiretroviral treatment. In order to monitor the transmission of drug-resistant strains and HIV subtype distribution in the country, this work aimed to estimate its prevalence and to characterize the nationwide pretreatment drug resistance in individuals recently diagnosed with HIV between 2013 and 2015. Methods: The HIV threshold survey methodology (HIV-THS, WHO) targeting antiretroviral-naive individuals with recent HIV diagnosis was utilized, and subjects were selected from 51 highly populated cities in all five Brazilian macroregions. The HIV pol genotypic test was performed by genomic sequencing. Results: We analysed samples from 1568 antiretroviral-naive individuals recently diagnosed with HIV, and the overall transmitted drug resistance (TDR) prevalence was 9.5% (150 sequences). The regional prevalence of resistance according to Brazilian geographical regions was 9.4% in the northeast, 11.2% in the southeast, 6.8% in the central region, 10.2% in the north and 8.8% in the south. The inhibitor-specific TDR prevalence was 3.6% for nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), 5.8% for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and 1.6% for protease inhibitors (PIs)1.0% of individuals presented resistance to more than one class of inhibitors. Overall, subtype B was more prevalent in every region except for the southern, where subtype C prevails. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first TDR study conducted in Brazil with nationwide representative sampling. The TDR prevalence revealed a moderate rate in the five Brazilian geographical regions, although some cities presented higher TDR prevalence rates, reaching 14% in Sao Paulo, for example. These results further illustrate the importance of surveillance studies for designing future strategies in primary antiretroviral therapy, aiming to mitigate TDR, as well as for predicting future trends in other regions of the globe where mass antiretroviral (ARV) treatment was implemented.Brazilian Ministry of HealthUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Lab Virol Mol, Dept Genet IB, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilFdn Med Trop Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilLAPI Univ Fed Bahia, Hosp Univ Prof Edgar Santos, Lab Pesquisa, Salvador, BA, BrazilLab Cent Saude Publ Ceara Lacen CE, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilLab Cent Saude Publ Dist Fed, Setor Grandes Areas Norte SGAN 601, Brasilia, DF, BrazilUniv Fed Minas Gerais UFMG, Fac Med, Lab Imunol & Biol Mol DIP, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilLab Cent Saude Publ Mato Grosso Sul, Campo Grande, MS, BrazilLab Cent Saude Publ Pernambuco, Recife, PE, BrazilLab Municipal Curitiba, Curitiba, PR, BrazilFiocruz MS, Lab AIDS & Imunol Mol, Dept Imunol, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Hosp Univ Clementino Fraga Filho, Lab Carga Viral, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilInst Biol Exercito, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, BrazilLab Cent Saude Publ Rio Grande Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilLab Hosp Nossa Senhora Conceicao, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilLab Cent Saude Publ Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC, BrazilUNESP, Lab Biol Mol Hemocentro Botucatu, Fac Med, Botucatu, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Campinas, Lab Pesquisa AIDS, Hosp Clin, Campinas, SP, BrazilInst Adolfo Lutz Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Lab Biol Mol, Sao Jose Do Rio Preto, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Med, Lab Retrovirol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilInst Adolfo Lutz Cent, Lab Retrovirus, Ctr Virol, Nucleo Doencas Sanguineas & Sexuais, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilMinist Saude, Dept Vigilancia Prevencao & Controle DST AIDS & H, Setor Adm Fed Sul SAFS 02, Secretaria Vigilancia Saude, Brasilia, DF, BrazilUniv Brasilia, Programa Pos Grad Saude Colet, Fac Med, Fac Ciencias Saude, Brasilia, DF, BrazilUniv Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo UNIFESP, Escola Paulista Med, Lab Retrovirol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilBMH: TC 298/12Web of Scienc

Low prevalence of renal, cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological extra-articular clinical manifestations in spondyloarthritis: analysis of the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To describe the extra-articular manifestations (cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological), usually not related to spondyloarthritis (SpA), in a large cohort of Brazilian patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 1,472 patients diagnosed with SpA and cared for at 29 health care centers distributed in the five major geographic regions in the country, participating in the Brazilian Registry of Spondyloarthritis (BRS). All patients were assessed for the prevalence of major extra-articular manifestations (cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological), classified according to the diagnosis [ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), reactive arthritis (ReA), arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), undifferentiated spondyloarthritis (uSpA), and juvenile SpA], and according to the clinical presentation (axial, peripheral, mixed, and enthesitis). RESULTS: Of the patients with SpA assessed, 963 had AS, 271 PsA, 49 ReA, 48 arthritis associated with IBD, 98 uSpA, and 43 juvenile SpA. Cardiac involvement was reported in 44 patients (3.0%), pulmonary involvement in 19 (1.3%), renal involvement in 17 (1.2%), and neurological involvement in 13 patients (0.9%). Most patients with visceral involvement had AS or PsA, and the mixed (axial + peripheral) and/or predominantly axial clinical form. CONCLUSION: Cardiac, renal, pulmonary, and neurological extra-articular manifestations are quite infrequent in SpA, ranging from 0.9% to 3% in this large Brazilian cohort, and affected predominantly patients with AS and PsA.OBJETIVO: Descrever as manifestações extra-articulares (cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas) geralmente não relacionadas às espondiloartrites (EpA) em uma grande coorte de pacientes brasileiros. MÉTODOS: Este estudo retrospectivo analisou 1.472 pacientes com o diagnóstico de EpA atendidos em 29 centros distribuídos pelas cinco principais regiões geográficas do Brasil, integrantes do Registro Brasileiro de Espondiloartrites. Todos os pacientes foram avaliados para a prevalência das principais manifestações extra-articulares (cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas), divididas por diagnóstico [espondilite anquilosante (EA), artrite psoriásica (AP), artrite reativa (ARe), artrite associada a doença inflamatória intestinal (DII), EpA indiferenciada (EI) e EpA juvenil] e por forma clínica (axial, periférica, mista e entesítica). RESULTADOS: Dentre os pacientes avaliados com EpA, 963 apresentavam EA, 271 AP, 49 ARe, 48 artrite associada a DII, 98 EI e 43 EpA juvenil. Acometimento cardíaco foi observado em 44 pacientes (3,0%), seguido por acometimento pulmonar em 19 (1,3%), renal em 17 (1,2%) e neurológico em 13 pacientes (0,9%). A maioria dos casos de acometimento visceral ocorreu nos pacientes com EA ou AP e naqueles com forma clínica mista (axial e periférica) e/ou predominantemente axial. CONCLUSÃO: As manifestações extra-articulares cardíacas, renais, pulmonares e neurológicas são muito pouco frequentes nas EpA, variando de 0,9%-3% nesta grande coorte brasileira, estando mais associadas a EA e AP.37938

Immunity to Lutzomyia intermedia Saliva Modulates the Inflammatory Environment Induced by Leishmania braziliensis

Transmission of Leishmania parasites occurs during blood feeding, when infected female sand flies inject humans with parasites and saliva. Chemokines and cytokines are secreted proteins that regulate the initial immune responses and have the potential of attracting and activating cells. Herein, we studied the expression of such molecules and the cellular recruitment induced by salivary proteins of the Lutzomyia intermedia sand fly. Of note, Lutzomyia intermedia is the main vector of Leishmania braziliensis, a parasite species that causes cutaneous leishmaniasis, a disease associated with the development of destructive skin lesions that can be fatal if left untreated. We observed that L. intermedia salivary proteins induce a potent cellular recruitment and modify the expression profile of chemokines and cytokines in mice. More importantly, in mice previously immunized with L. intermedia saliva, the alteration in the initial inflammatory response was even more pronounced, in terms of the number of cells recruited and in terms of gene expression pattern. These findings indicate that an existing immunity to L. intermedia sand fly induces an important modulation in the initial immune response that may, in turn, promote parasite multiplication, leading to the development of cutaneous leishmaniasis