Production system of organic orange and its implications: Study in the SOS site Agroecological, Northeast of Pará

The organic production of produce in Brazil has been increasing very year due higher demand for more health food, and many farmers are migrating to these concept of food production. Therefore, the aim of this study is to understand the philosophic concept, as well as doing a description and analyzing the implications of the production system of organic orange. The research was done at Sítio SOS Agroecológico, localized in the city of CapitãoPoço, northeast of Pará. The qualitative exploratory research was done with the owner of the area, who is also a producer of organic orange, through, mainly, visits, semi structured surveys, transect walks in the area, and photographic records. The production of the site is considered adequate; their main market are organic fairs and big supermarkets; however, price and logistic are the main obstacles, besides the certification, where in Brazil is still an onerous process. The production system of Sitio SOS shows certain similarities with the concept of biologic and natural agriculture since both systems goals are the reduction of the rural producer costs, the use of alternative products and/or natural available on the property

Growth of melon cultivated under saline stress and potassium doses

O Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, em destaque a região da Chapada do Apodi, se destaca na produção e exportação de melão no País, em regime de irrigação, devido à distribuição pluvial baixa e irregular. A Chapada do Apodi possui dois aqüíferos subterrâneos; a do lençol menos profundo de alta salinidade, porém com menor custo de bombeamento, ocorrendo o contrário com o de maior profundidade. Objetivou-se, ante o exposto, avaliar o efeito de duas águas de salinidades diferentes (0,52 e 2,41 dS m-1), combinadas com cinco doses de K2O (218, 273, 328, 383 e 438 kg ha-1) sobre o crescimento do meloeiro (Cucumis melo L.), cultivar Goldex, utilizando-se do delineamento de blocos ao acaso, com parcelas subdivididas; amostras de planta foram coletadas aos 21, 28, 35, 49 e 63 dias após a semeadura, determinando-se a fitomassa seca das plantas, estas separadas em ramos (caule + folhas), flores e frutos; avaliou-se, também, a taxa de crescimento absoluto e relativo e a produção de frutos. Em geral, o crescimento do melão foi favorecido com o uso de água mais salina; a taxa de crescimento absoluto foi máxima entre 35 e 49 dias após a semeadura. Obteve-se maior produção de fitomassa total com 438 kg ha-1 de K2O e uso de água mais salina, ao final do ciclo.The region of 'Chapada do Apodi', in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, stands out in Brazilian production and exportation of melon. This region possesses two aquiffers, one of lower exploration cost, though of high salinity, another of low salinity, with higher cost and limited use. This work was carried out with the objective to evaluate the effect of waters of different salinities combined with five doses of K in the dry matter accumulation and productivity of the melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivar Goldex. The experimental design adopted was split plot in completely randomized blocks. The melon crop was irrigated with low (0.52 dS m-1) and high (2.41 dS m-1) salinity water combined with five doses of K2O (218, 273, 328, 383 and 438 kg ha-1). Plants were collected at 21, 28, 35, 49 and 63 days after sowing, and were separated in branches (shoot + leaves), flowers and fruits, and the total dry matter of the aerial parts obtained by summation. The absolute and relative growth rates and the production of fruits were also evaluated. The absolute growth rate of the plant was maximum between 35 and 49 days. The highest total biomass was obtained with 438 kg ha-1 K2O and use of high salinity water at the end of crop cycle.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Molecular investigation of isolates from a multistate polymicrobial outbreak associated with contaminated total parenteral nutrition in Brazil

Background: Between November 2013 and June 2014, 56 cases of bacteremia (15 deaths) associated with the use of Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) and/or calcium gluconate (CG) were reported in four Brazilian states. Methods: We analyzed 73 bacterial isolates from four states: 45 from blood, 25 from TPN and three from CG, originally identified as Acinetobacter baumannii, Rhizobium radiobacter, Pantoea sp. or Enterobacteriaceae using molecular methods. Results: The first two bacterial species were confirmed while the third group of species could not be identified using standard identification protocols. These isolates were subsequently identified by Multi-Locus Sequence Analysis as Phytobacter diazotrophicus, a species related to strains from similar outbreaks in the United States in the 1970’s. Within each species, TPN and blood isolates proved to be clonal, whereas the R. radiobacter isolates retrieved from CG were found to be unrelated. Conclusion: This is the first report of a three-species outbreak caused by TPN contaminated with A. baumannii, R. radiobacter and P. diazotrophicus. The concomitant presence of clonal A. baumannii and P. diazotrophicus isolates in several TPN and blood samples, as well as the case of one patient, where all three different species were isolated simultaneously, suggest that the outbreak may be ascribed to a discrete contamination of TPN. In addition, this study highlights the clinical relevance of P. diazotrophicus, which has been involved in outbreaks in the past, but was often misidentified as P. agglomerans

Implications of dealing with airborne substances and reactive oxygen species: what mammalian lungs, animals, and plants have to say?

A gas-exchange structure interacts with the environment and is constantly challenged by contaminants that may elicit defense responses, thus compromising its primary function. It is also exposed to high concentrations of O2 that can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Revisiting the lung of mammals, an integrative picture emerges, indicating that this bronchi-alveolar structure deals with inflammation in a special way, which minimizes compromising the gas-exchange role. Depending on the challenge, pro-inflammatory or antiinflammatory responses are elicited by conserved molecules, such as surfactant proteins A and D. An even broader picture points to the participation of airway sensors, responsive to inflammatory mediators, in a loop linking the immunological and nervous systems and expanding the role played by respiratory organs in functions other than gas-exchange. A byproduct of exposure to high concentration of O2 is the formation of superoxide (), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radical (HO•), and other ROS, which are known to be toxic to different types of cells, including the lung epithelium. A balance between antioxidants and oxidants exists; in pulmonary epithelial cells high intracellular and extracellular levels of antioxidants are found. Antioxidant adaptations related to plant and animal life-styles involve a broad range of overlapping strategies based on well-conserved molecules. Glutathione (GSH) is an abundant and ubiquitous thiol-tripeptide antioxidant, also present in lungs, whose role in providing information on the intracellular redox state of animals and plants is well established. In these organisms, GSH influences gene expression associated with stress, maximizing defense responses. Several enzymatic antioxidants, such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase participate in the redox system; in animals that are stress-tolerant GPx is a key element against oxidative assaults. Most importantly, alternative roles of ROS as signaling molecules have been found in all plants and animals. For example, alveolar macrophages produce that act as second messengers, in addition to having a bactericidal role. The nonradical ROS H2O2 signals inflammation in mammalian lungs, apoptosis in different animal tissues, and is also involved in stomatal closure, root development, gene expression, and defense responses of plants. Antioxidant adaptations in some water-breathing animals involve the excretion of H2O2 by diffusion through gas-exchange structures. The fine balance among a multitude of factors and cells makes the difference between damage and protection in animals and plants. Knowledge about the mechanisms and consequences of these molecular interactions is now starting to be integrate

Reduction of pollutants emissions on si engines : accomplishments with efficiency increase

This paper presents an experimental study aiming to identify the means to minimize the reduction of the overall performance of a gasoline engine when employing the Exhaust- Gas Recirculation (EGR) technique that reduces NOx emissions. The increase of the compression ratio and turbocharging was evaluated as a mean to recover the original performance. The formation of pollutants and the engine performance were verified at full and partial loads. The results show that the combination of exhaust gas recirculation with turbocharger or through an increase of the compression ratio enhance the relation between the engine performance and the emission of NO. However, the turbocharger seemed to be more sensitive to the negative effects of the EGR technology

Pure niobia as catalyst for the oxidation of organic contaminants: Mechanism study via ESI-MS and theoretical calculations

In this work, synthetic and natural niobium oxide (niobia), were used to promote the oxidation of methylene blue dye. The samples were characterized by XRD, XPS and FTIR measurements. The presence of reactive species on the surface of the samples strongly increases the oxidation rate of the methylene blue dye. The reaction mechanism was studied by ESI-MS analyses. Moreover, kinetic data and XPS spectroscopy suggest that the oxidation of the organic dye involves oxidizing species mainly generated after previous treatment with H2O2. The results also showed that the oxidation takes place by a homolytic mechanism via radical intermediates.Fil: Oliveira, Luiz C. A.. Universidad Federal de Lavras; BrasilFil: Ramalho, Teodorico C.. Universidad Federal de Lavras; BrasilFil: Gonçalves, Maraísa. Universidad Federal de Lavras; BrasilFil: Cereda, Flávia. Universidad Federal de Lavras; BrasilFil: Carvalho, Kele T.. Universidad Federal de Lavras; BrasilFil: Nazzarro, Marcelo Sandro. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Fisico Matematicas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisica. Laboratorio de Ciencias de Superficies y Medios Porosos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; ArgentinaFil: Sapag, Manuel Karim. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Fisico Matematicas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisica. Laboratorio de Ciencias de Superficies y Medios Porosos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentin

Magneto-Fluorescent Mesoporous Nanocarriers for the Dual-Delivery of Ofloxacin and Doxorubicin to Tackle Opportunistic Bacterial Infections in Colorectal Cancer

Funding Information: This work was funded by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry—LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020) as well as the Scientific Society PROTEOMASS (Portugal) for funding support (General Funding Grant 2021). G.M thanks to FCT/MEC (Portugal) for his doctoral grant PD/BD/142865/2018. E.O thanks FCT/MEC (Portugal) for the individual contract, CEECIND/00648/2017. This work was also funded by FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., through projects UIDB/04077/2020, UIDP/04077/2020, OrMagNa—PTDC/NAN-MAT/28785/2017, BioISI—UID/Multi/04046/2019, UIDB/04046/2020 and UIDP/04046/2020 Centre grants (BioISI) and NECL infrastructure. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.Cancer-related opportunistic bacterial infections are one major barrier for successful clinical therapies, often correlated to the production of genotoxic factors and higher cancer incidence. Although dual anticancer and antimicrobial therapies are a growing therapeutic fashion, they still fall short when it comes to specific delivery and local action in in vivo systems. Nanoparticles are seen as potential therapeutic vectors, be it by means of their intrinsic antibacterial properties and effective delivery capacity, or by means of their repeatedly reported modulation and maneuverability. Herein we report on the production of a biocompatible, antimicrobial magneto-fluorescent nanosystem (NANO3) for the delivery of a dual doxorubicin–ofloxacin formulation against cancer-related bacterial infections. The drug delivery capacity, rendered by its mesoporous silica matrix, is confirmed by the high loading capacity and stimuli-driven release of both drugs, with preference for tumor-like acidic media. The pH-dependent emission of its surface fluorescent SiQDs, provides an insight into NANO3 surface behavior and pore availability, with the SiQDs working as pore gates. Hyperthermia induces heat generation to febrile temperatures, doubling drug release. NANO3-loaded systems demonstrate significant antimicrobial activity, specifically after the application of hyperthermia conditions. NANO3 structure and antimicrobial properties confirm their potential use in a future dual anticancer and antimicrobial therapeutical vector, due to their drug loading capacity and their surface availability for further modification with bioactive, targeting species.publishersversionpublishe

Dectin-1 Activation Exacerbates Obesity and Insulin Resistance in the Absence of MyD88

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, grant numbers 11/15682-4, 12/02270-2, 15/18121-4), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq, Regenera INCT Process Grant 465656/2014-5). JL is funded by the NIH/NIDDK R01DK106210. GDB is funded by the Wellcome Trust and the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology. Open access journalPeer reviewedPublisher PD

In vitro maturation impacts cumulus–oocyte complex metabolism and stress in cattle

FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOThe influence of in vitro maturation (IVM) in oocytes is still not totally understood. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of IVM on the metabolism and homeostasis of bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes. In the present study, we demonstrated1546881893FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOFAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNPQ - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO2014/21034-32014/03281-32014/22887-02013/08135-22012/50533-2306978/2014-8The authors would like to thank the staff and students at the LMMD, Marcos Chiaratti, Gustavo Duarte, Marcel Nakashima, Hélio Alves Martins Júnior, José Luis Paz Jara, Patricia Kubo Fontes and Augusto de Castro Netto for their assistance with the sample

Genetic diversity of Passiflora spp., based on morphoagronomic descriptors

Neste trabalho, objetivou-se realizar a caracterização morfoagronômica de 15 acessos de Passiflora spp., baseada em descritores qualitativos, sendo 23 de folhas, 25 de flores e 10 de frutos. Foram estimadas dissimilaridades genéticas entre os acessos, por meio do complemento do índice de coincidência simples. A partir da matriz de dissimilaridades genéticas, foi realizada a análise de agrupamento via dendrograma, utilizando método UPGMA - Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic Averages, e a dispersão gráfica, foi baseada em escalas multidimensionais usando o método das coordenadas principais (PCO). Houve uma clara diferenciação dos acessos em nível inter e intraespecífico, com base nas análises multivariadas dos descritores de folhas, flores e frutos. Houve uma tendência de agrupamento dos acessos de Passiflora alata. A caracterização morfoagronômica contribuiu para a diferenciação fenotípica dos 15 acessos Passiflora spp., servindo como importante instrumento para quantificar a variabilidade morfológica existente dentro do gênero Passiflora.The objective of this study was to assess the morphoagronomic characterization of Passiflora spp. accessions, using multicategoric descriptors based on leaves, flowers and fruits. Fifteen Passiflora spp. accessions were characterized using 58 multicategoric qualitative morphological descriptors (23 from leaves, 25 from flowers and 10 from fruit). Genetic dissimilarities among all accession pairs were estimated based on the simple coincidence index complement. These genetic dissimilarities were used to perform the cluster and a dendrogram was obtained based on UPGMA method (Unweighted Pair-Group Method using Arithmetic method Averages). The dispersion graphic was based on multidimensional scaling using the principal coordinates (PCO). There was a clear differentiation of all accessions at interspecific and intraspecific level, based on multivariate analysis of leaves, flowers and fruits descriptors. There was a tendency of grouping Passiflora alata accessions. The morphoagronomic characterization contributed to differentiate the 15 Passiflora spp. accessions. The information are useful as an important tool to quantify the Passiflora morphological variability.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale