Potential of plant products as protectants of stored maize against Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera:Curculionidae)

Laboratory studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of some formulations from Mentha pulegium, Lonchocarpus sericeus, Daphne gnidium, Laurus nobilis, Momordica charantia, Nerium oleander and Ptaeroxylon obliquum as protectants against adult insects of Sitophilus zeamais on stored maize. The dusts from leaves of L. nobilis at 30% w/w caused 86% mortality and reduced F1 progeny emergence up to 57%. At the same concentration, dusts of pink flowers from N. oleander and leaves from L. sericeus reduced the F1 progeny up to 68% and 70%, reduced the developmental index and prolonged the developmental period by 4 and 6 d, respectively. The suspensions (2% v/v) from M. charantia, N. oleander and P. obliquum reduced the F1 progeny emergence up to 58, 91 and 94% and the number of holes in grains by 75, 91 and 97%, respectively. The methanol extracts were more effective than n-hexane extracts and affected the F1 progeny emergence and the developmental index. Keywords: Sitophilus zeamais, Botanical insecticides, Repellence, Insect control agents

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy in a Portuguese patient caused by a mutation in the telethonin gene

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2G is caused by mutations in the telethonin (TCAP) gene in chromosome 17q11-12. This rare form of hereditary muscle disease was originally described in Brazilian patients and was recently identified in Chinese and Moldavian patients. We present the first Portuguese patient with a limb-girdle muscular dystrophy caused by a mutation in the TCAP gene. A Caucasian male, 50 years old, presented in his early twenties, slowly progressive weakness in upper and lower limbs. Neurologic examination revealed severe atrophy and weakness in the muscles of the arms, thighs and legs' anterior compartment. Muscle MRI of the thighs and legs revealed severe atrophy of all the muscles of the thighs and legs' anterolateral compartment, in a symmetrical way. Molecular studies identified the homozygous c.157C > T (p.Gln53X) mutation in exon 2 of the TCAP gene, already described in Brazilian patients

Teores de minerais do capim canarana-erecta-lisa (Echinochloa pyramidalis) em três idades.

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Comportamento agronomico de cultivares e linhagens de arroz irrigado no estado do Piaui.

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production of a synthetic recombinant antigen for immunodetection of Pneumocystis jirovecii

Diagnosis of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) relies on the detection of P. jirovecii in respiratory specimens obtained by invasive techniques. Thus, the development of a serological test is urgently needed as it will allow the diagnosis of PcP using blood, an inexpensive and non-invasive specimen. This study aims to combine the production of a multi-epitope synthetic recombinant antigen (RSA) and an ELISA test for detection of anti-P. jirovecii antibodies, in order to develop a new approach for PcP diagnosis. The RSA was selected and designed based on the study of the immunogenicity of the carboxyl-terminal domain of the major surface glycoprotein. This antigen was purified and used as an antigenic tool in an ELISA technique for detection of Ig, IgG and IgM antibodies anti-P. jirovecii (patent-pending no. PT109078). Serum specimens from 88 patients previously categorized in distinct clinical subgroups and 17 blood donors, were analysed. The IgM anti-P. jirovecii levels were statistically increased in patients with PcP (p = 0.001) and the ELISA IgM anti-P. jirovecii test presented a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 80.8%, when associated with the clinical diagnosis criteria. This innovative approach, provides good insights about what can be done in the future serum testing for PcP diagnosis.publishersversionpublishe

Efeitos da inoculação com fungos micorrízicos arbusculares e adubação fosfatada em mudas de freijó.

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The use of essential oils to protect rice from storage fungi

Rice (Oryza sativa) is the main food of half of the population of our planet. The growth of fungi closely associated to the eventual occurrence of mycotoxins can be responsible for serious economic losses and public health risks. Knowledge about the origin of the growth of toxigenic fungi is a prerequisite to the establishment of mycotoxin control programs. Socio-economical and environmental factors led to an extreme reduction of rice availability, while the estimated rice production losses increased in all continents what increases the importance to develop new harmless strategies for the control of fungi affecting stored rice. Natural products from plant origin were screened for the control of main pernicious fungi.In this work we have collected rice samples from different origins (national and imported) and these samples were analysed for fungal infection. Several fungi taxa were isolated: Absidia, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Bipolaris, Botrytis, Chaetomium, Curvularia, Cunninghamela, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Helicoma, Nigrospora, Penicillium, Pyricularia, Rhizopus, Scytalidium, Stemphylium, Sordaria, Trichoconiella, Trichoderma, Trichothecium and Ulocladium. Some of the fungi isolated are potentially mycotoxigenic. We also studied a way to control the growth of some of these fungi using plant extracts and essential oils from Syzyginum aromaticum and Laurus nobilis. Promising results were obtained.Keywords: Rice, Cereals, Fungi, Bio-pesticides, Plant extracts