Residual activity of insecticides applied against Lobesia botrana and its influence on resistance management strategies.

Some insect growth disruptors, in particular chitin synthesis inhibitors (benzoylphenyl ureas) and ecdysone agonists (bisacylhydrazines), show high efficacy against Lobesia botrana (Denis et Schiffermuller) (Lepidoptera Tortricidae) and are characterized by a longer residual activity than the traditional organophosphate active ingredients. Previous research had shown that the persistence of some active ingredients applied against the first generation of L. botrana also ensured control of the second generation. In this study, the residual activity of insecticides applied against the second generation was evaluated on the third generation in field trials and laboratory bioassays. Methoxyfenozide controlled the third generation at the same efficacy level (more than 90%) when applied against the second or the third generations. Some residual activity was observed in the field also for indoxacarb (efficacy 75%). In contrast, a very low residual activity (efficacy lower than 30%) was recorded for chlorpyrifos. Because a longer residual activity is associated with a higher risk of selecting insecticide resistant populations, operational resistance management strategies are discussed to ensure a longer usable life span of these insecticides

Characterization of a Silicon Drift Detector for High-Resolution Electron Spectroscopy

Silicon Drift Detectors, widely employed in high-resolution and high-rate X-ray applications, are considered here with interest also for electron detection. The accurate measurement of the tritium beta decay is the core of the TRISTAN (TRitium Investigation on STerile to Active Neutrino mixing) project. This work presents the characterization of a single-pixel SDD detector with a mono-energetic electron beam obtained from a Scanning Electron Microscope. The suitability of the SDD to detect electrons, in the energy range spanning from few keV to tens of keV, is demonstrated. Experimental measurements reveal a strong effect of the detector's entrance window structure on the observed energy response. A detailed detector model is therefore necessary to reconstruct the spectrum of an unknown beta-decay source

Amazonian biodiversity: a view of drug development for Leishmaniasis and malaria

Chemotherapy is the only validated therapy for the treatment for the neglected diseases leishmaniasis and malaria. However, the emergence of drug resistance, collateral effects and long-term treatment encourage the development of new and more efficient drugs. The Amazon tropical forest includes the richest areas of biodiversity in the world, including a great number of microbes, plant and animal species that produce a source of interesting biologically active molecules. Several of these molecules, obtained from plant extracts and frog venom have leishmanicidal and plasmodicidal activity, highlighting the potential of this biodiversity for the development of new drugs. In research, modern approaches in new drug development are carried out using combinatorial chemistry, high-throughput screening, bioinformatics, molecular interaction, crystallography and dynamic studies of cellular and systemic toxicity. In Brazil, these techniques are mainly present in only a few academic groups with no efficient connection to industry. The problem associated with over-regulation for accessing the biological material in restricted areas, local populations and indigenous areas places major barriers in the path of research and development of new drugs. Thus, the association of academic research groups in Brazil, encouraged and supported by government and industry, is essential to overcome these major barriers related to the development of new products for treatment of neglected diseases from Amazonian biodiversity in future years.A quimioterapia é o único procedimento farmacológico validado para a terapêutica da leishmaniose e da malária, consideradas doenças negligenciadas para o desenvolvimento de fármacos pelas indústrias farmacêuticas. Com a não renovação medicamentosa, o surgimento de resistência, os efeitos colaterais e o longo período de tratamento indicam a necessidade do desenvolvimento de novos e mais eficientes fármacos. A Floresta Amazônica é a região com a maior biodiversidade do planeta, com uma riqueza de animais e plantas produtoras de moléculas com atividades biológicas relevantes para o desenvolvimento e exploração biotecnológica. Algumas destas moléculas, obtidas de extratos vegetais e de venenos de anuros, apresentam atividade leishmanicida e plasmodicida, o que demonstra o potencial desta biodiversidade para a investigação de novas drogas. A moderna abordagem na pesquisa de novos fármacos envolve a associação de química combinatória, high-throughput screening, bioinformática, interação molecular, cristalografia e o estudo dinâmico de toxicidade sistêmica e celular, que atualmente no Brasil, estão distribuídas em poucos grupos acadêmicos sem a devida associação industrial. Esta deficiência, agregada ao excesso de regulamentação para o acesso ao material biológico, sobretudo, proveniente de unidades de conservação, populações tradicionais e nações indígenas, é um importante entrave para o desenvolvimento deste tipo de pesquisa. A associação de grupos de pesquisa do Brasil, estimulados por políticas governamentais de financiamento acadêmico e industrial, são essenciais para a superação destas dificuldades, de forma que nos próximos anos possam surgir novos produtos para terapia de doenças negligenciadas oriundas da biodiversidade amazônica

Measurement of the oil holdup for a two-phase oil-water flow through a sudden contraction in a horizontal pipe

Oil-water two-phase flow experiments were conducted in a horizontal duct made of Plexiglas to determine the holdup of oil by means of the quick closing valves technique, using mineral oil (viscosity: 0.838 Pa s at 20 °C; density: 890 kg m-3) and tap water. The duct presents a sudden contraction, with contraction ratio of 0.64. About 200 tests were performed by varying the flow rates of the phases. Flow patterns were investigated for both the up- and downstream pipe. Due to the relatively high value of the contraction ratio, it was not observed any relevant variation of the flow patterns across the sudden contraction. Data were then compared with predictions of a specific correlation for oil-water flow and some correlations for gas-water flow. A drift-flux model was also applied to determine the distribution parameter. The results agree quite well with flow pattern visualization

Shallow geophysics of the Asinara Island Marine Reserve Area (NW Sardinia, Italy)

We present a high-resolution swath bathymetric and backscatter map of the entire sector of the Marine Reserve Area (MRA) of the Asinara Island, along with a geological and sediment thickness map derived from the interpretation of a large set of high-resolution seismic profiles, and an airborne-derived hyperspectral image of the Asinara Island. Acquired data show that most of the eastern marine sector of the Asinara Island is characterized by quite gentle bathymetric gradients, whereas the western coastline appears to be very indented, with an articulated and rough morphology of the seafloor, which deepens sharply towards the open sea. The maps presented in this study at the 1:50.000 scale do not only provide the first, high-resolution bathymetry of the MRA of the Asinara Island but also may furnish the base for the creation of a benthic habitat map and a more comprehensive maritime spatial planning of this protected area

Massively parallel C. elegans tracking provides multi-dimensional fingerprints for phenotypic discovery.

BACKGROUND: The nematode worm C. elegans is a model organism widely used for studies of genetics and of human disease. The health and fitness of the worms can be quantified in different ways, such as by measuring their bending frequency, speed or lifespan. Manual assays, however, are time consuming and limited in their scope providing a strong motivation for automation. NEW METHOD: We describe the development and application of an advanced machine vision system for characterising the behaviour of C. elegans, the Wide Field-of-View Nematode Tracking Platform (WF-NTP), which enables massively parallel data acquisition and automated multi-parameter behavioural profiling of thousands of worms simultaneously. RESULTS: We screened more than a million worms from several established models of neurodegenerative disorders and characterised the effects of potential therapeutic molecules for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. By using very large numbers of animals we show that the sensitivity and reproducibility of behavioural assays is very greatly increased. The results reveal the ability of this platform to detect even subtle phenotypes. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: The WF-NTP method has substantially greater capacity compared to current automated platforms that typically either focus on characterising single worms at high resolution or tracking the properties of populations of less than 50 animals. CONCLUSIONS: The WF-NTP extends significantly the power of existing automated platforms by combining enhanced optical imaging techniques with an advanced software platform. We anticipate that this approach will further extend the scope and utility of C. elegans as a model organism

Single-port robotic partial nephrectomy: impact on perioperative outcomes and hospital stay

Single-port (SP) robotic surgery is a novel technology and is at the beginning of its adoption curve in urology. The goal of this narrative review is to provide an overview of SP-robotic partial nephrectomy (PN) 4 years after the introduction of the da Vinci SP dedicated platform, focusing on perioperative outcomes, length of stay, and surgical technique. A nonsystematic review of the literature was conducted. The research included the most updated articles that referred to SP robotic PN. Since its commercial release in 2018, several institutions have reproduced robotic PN by using the SP platform, both via a transperitoneal and a retroperitoneal approach. The published SP-robotic PN series are generally based on preliminary experiences by surgeons who had previous experience with conventional multi-arms robotic platforms. The reported outcomes are encouraging. Overall, three studies reported that SP-robotic PN cases had nonsignificantly different operative time, estimated blood loss, overall complications rate, and length of stay compared to the conventional 'multi-arms' robotic PN. However, in all these series, renal masses treated by SP had overall lower complexity. Moreover, two studies underlined decreased postoperative pain as a major pro of adopting the SP system. This should reduce/avoid the need for opioids after surgery. No study compared SP-robotic versus multi-arms robotic PN in cost-effectiveness. Published experience with SP-robotic PN has reported the feasibility and safety of the approach. Preliminary results are encouraging and at least noninferior with respect to those from the multi-arms series. Prospective comparative studies with long-term oncologic and functional results are awaited to draw more definitive conclusions and better establish the more appropriate indications of SP robotics in the field of PN

O Mestrado Europeu BIM A+

O artigo apresenta o enquadramento do Mestrado Europeu BIM A+ (www.bimaplus.org), liderado pela Universidade do Minho em consórcio com a Universidade de Ljubljana (Eslovénia) e o Politecnico di Milano (Itália). Trata-se de um Mestrado com duração de um ano letivo, dirigido a Arquitetos, Engenheiros ou especialidades afins, que conta com financiamento por parte do programa ERASMUS+ durante 4 anos letivos desde 2019/2020.Agradece-se o financiamento ao Mestrado Europeu em Building Information Modelling BIM A+ pela bolsa nº 2018-1482/001-002 do programa ERASMUS