Penetration by Botryosphaeriaceae species in avocado, guava and persimmon fruit during postharvest

Botryosphaeriaceae species have a wide host range and a worldwide distribution. These fungal species can colonize several plant organs, such as the trunk, leaves and fruit. Some Botryosphaeriaceae species cause important diseases on persimmon, avocado and guava fruit. However, there is a lack of information regarding the mechanisms of penetration by Botryosphaeriaceae species on these tropical and subtropical fruits. This study aimed to better understand the mechanisms involved in fungal penetration, host specificity and aggressiveness of Botryosphaeria dothidea, Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae and Neofusicoccum parvum on avocado (Persea americana), guava (Psidium guajava) and persimmon (Diospyros kaki) fruit. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image analysis showed that in avocado fruit, the three studied Botryosphaeriaceae species penetrated through lenticels. In guava fruit, penetration through stomata was verified for Botryosphaeria dothidea and Neofusicoccum parvum. In persimmon fruit, an appressoria-like structure was observed for B. dothidea, which suggests direct penetration. Disease incidence in wounded fruit was 24% higher than in non-wounded fruit. L. pseudotheobromae and N. parvum showed differences in aggressiveness in guava fruit. The longest incubation period was observed for N. parvum inoculated on guava, with an average of 4.5 days, and the shortest incubation period was verified for B. dothidea inoculated on avocado, with an average of 2.8 days. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) did not differ between Botryosphaeriaceae species on avocado, whereas on guava and persimmon fruit, the AUDPC was lower for B. dothidea. The information regarding penetration mechanisms and aggressiveness is important to improve postharvest disease control strategies.EEA BalcarceFil: Ludwig Navarro, Barbara. University of São Paulo. Luiz de Queiroz Agriculture College. Department of Plant Pathology and Nematology; Brasil.Fil: Edwards Molina, Juan Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce; Argentina.Fil: Edwards Molina, Juan Pablo. University of São Paulo. Luiz de Queiroz Agriculture College. Department of Plant Pathology and Nematology; Brasil.Fil: Nogueira Júnior, Antonio F. University of São Paulo. Luiz de Queiroz Agriculture College. Department of Plant Pathology and Nematology; Brasil

Relationship between the nursing practice environment and the therapeutic relationship in acute mental health units: a cross-sectional study

The therapeutic relationship constitutes the central axis of mental health nursing. The clinical practice environment has been empirically related to the quality of care. However, the relationship between the two constructs is unknown in the setting of mental health units. We aimed to examine whether the practice environment and nurses' characteristics influence the therapeutic relationship in mental health units. Through a cross-sectional design, data were collected via an online form completed by nurses in 18 mental health units. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between the clinical practice environment and the therapeutic relationship. Questionnaires were completed by 198 participants. The mean age was 33.8 (SD 9.1) years, 71.7% were women, and only 20.2% had a specialist qualification in mental health. The therapeutic relationship was better when there was a more favourable practice environment (B: 3.111; 95% CI: 1.46-4.75). The most influential environment-related factor was the nursing foundations for quality of care (B: 2.124; 95% CI: 0.17-4.07). The factors associated with a high-quality therapeutic relationship were a more favourable practice environment and the presence of more foundations for quality nursing care, coupled with higher academic attainment and longer nursing experience. Institutions should take into account the importance of the nursing practice environment in mental health units. Aspects related to the quality of nursing foundations, such as training, the use of nursing language and taxonomy, and the existence of a common nursing philosophy, are influential for a high-quality therapeutic relationship

PRESERVAÇÃO DA BIODIVERSIDADE DE ESSÊNCIAS NATIVAS NO INSTITUTO FLORESTAL DE SÃO PAULO (NOTA PRÉVIA)

Nas últimas décadas, o desenvolvimento desordenado do Brasil e sua crescente industrialização têm provocado uma devastação assustadora em suas florestas naturais. Apesar da preocupação dos órgãos governamentais, as reposições que vinham sendo feitas, eram geralmente de espécies alienígenas como Pinus e Eucalyptus. [...

Policy-based Adaptive Routing in Autonomous WSNs

Abstract. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are employed in different domains and applications. The resource constraint on such networks, many times composed of hundreds to thousands of devices, and the requirement of autonomous operation become their management a challenging task. This work applies policies, a well-known approach in network management, in the core task of routing in autonomous WSNs. Policies are used to establish rules to take dynamic actions on the network according to its state. Our scheme offers a high-level and flexible way to realize management tasks related to routing in WSNs, which can be defined in a progressive way as knowledge from the environment is acquired or application requirements change. Case studies employing a policy-based adaptive hybrid solution allows the autonomous selection of the best routing strategy in view of network conditions and application requirements. Simulation results show the benefits and resource savings offered by the use of policies for adaptive routing in WSNs

Well-being at work, productivity, and coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aims to analyze the mechanisms through which the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic impacts on well-being at work and on productivity. The secondary objective is to identify stress management strategies for the work environment during the pandemic. This is an integrative review. Phase 1 consisted of searches of open access electronic databases (MEDLINE, SciELO, Bireme, and LILACS) for papers published in 2020 addressing mental health, work, and pandemics. Phase 2 consisted of selecting literature recommended by specialists in occupational psychiatry and positive psychology. These materials were read and critically analyzed. Forty references were included in the literature review. The articles reviewed were classified into the following categories: articles concerning work relationships in Brazil; articles describing the impact of pandemics on mental health and work; articles focusing on the work of health professionals during pandemics; articles about well-being at work; and papers proposing strategies to improve well-being and productivity and to promote mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic can have a significant impact on workers’ mental health and productivity. Most professionals face a need to adapt to changes, which can decrease their feeling of well-being. Consequently, strategies to promote well-being and mental health in the work environment should be a priority. Work routines were modified after the COVID-19 pandemic set in and assessing these changes is essential to maintain workers’ mental health. By so doing, it is possible to promote general well-being and post-traumatic recovery and reduce stress levels

Towards a precise test for malaria diagnosis in the Brazilian Amazon: comparison among field microscopy, a rapid diagnostic test, nested PCR, and a computational expert system based on artificial neural networks

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Accurate malaria diagnosis is mandatory for the treatment and management of severe cases. Moreover, individuals with asymptomatic malaria are not usually screened by health care facilities, which further complicates disease control efforts. The present study compared the performances of a malaria rapid diagnosis test (RDT), the thick blood smear method and nested PCR for the diagnosis of symptomatic malaria in the Brazilian Amazon. In addition, an innovative computational approach was tested for the diagnosis of asymptomatic malaria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was divided in two parts. For the first part, passive case detection was performed in 311 individuals with malaria-related symptoms from a recently urbanized community in the Brazilian Amazon. A cross-sectional investigation compared the diagnostic performance of the RDT Optimal-IT, nested PCR and light microscopy. The second part of the study involved active case detection of asymptomatic malaria in 380 individuals from riverine communities in Rondônia, Brazil. The performances of microscopy, nested PCR and an expert computational system based on artificial neural networks (MalDANN) using epidemiological data were compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nested PCR was shown to be the gold standard for diagnosis of both symptomatic and asymptomatic malaria because it detected the major number of cases and presented the maximum specificity. Surprisingly, the RDT was superior to microscopy in the diagnosis of cases with low parasitaemia. Nevertheless, RDT could not discriminate the <it>Plasmodium </it>species in 12 cases of mixed infections (<it>Plasmodium vivax </it>+ <it>Plasmodium falciparum</it>). Moreover, the microscopy presented low performance in the detection of asymptomatic cases (61.25% of correct diagnoses). The MalDANN system using epidemiological data was worse that the light microscopy (56% of correct diagnoses). However, when information regarding plasma levels of interleukin-10 and interferon-gamma were inputted, the MalDANN performance sensibly increased (80% correct diagnoses).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>An RDT for malaria diagnosis may find a promising use in the Brazilian Amazon integrating a rational diagnostic approach. Despite the low performance of the MalDANN test using solely epidemiological data, an approach based on neural networks may be feasible in cases where simpler methods for discriminating individuals below and above threshold cytokine levels are available.</p

Ações de gestão ambiental: o caso da Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste.

Fatores de degradação ambiental como desmatamentos, queimadas, eliminação de áreas verdes permanentes que atuam como umidificadores do ar e estabilizadores térmicos, práticas agrícolas não conservacionistas com perda da capacidade produtiva dos solos e impedimento na recarga adequada de lençóis freáticos, aumento da produção de dejetos e rejeitos, consumismo e ruptura no conhecimento da sociedade urbana sobre sua dependência do meio natural resultam na redução da biodiversidade, no aumento de pragas e patógenos e nas mudanças climáticas regionais e global. Várias são as ações de gestão ambiental que podem minimizar estes efeitos. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo relatar e descrever as experiências relacionadas à gestão ambiental realizadas pela Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste. A metodologia utilizada é a de estudo de caso, que envolve a obtenção de dados descritivos por meio da observação direta e entrevista com os participantes da ação