Improved Quantitative Plant Proteomics via the Combination of Targeted and Untargeted Data Acquisition.

Quantitative proteomics strategies - which are playing important roles in the expanding field of plant molecular systems biology - are traditionally designated as either hypothesis driven or non-hypothesis driven. Many of these strategies aim to select individual peptide ions for tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and to do this mixed hypothesis driven and non-hypothesis driven approaches are theoretically simple to implement. In-depth investigations into the efficacies of such approaches have, however, yet to be described. In this study, using combined samples of unlabeled and metabolically (15)N-labeled Arabidopsis thaliana proteins, we investigate the mixed use of targeted data acquisition (TDA) and data dependent acquisition (DDA) - referred to as TDA/DDA - to facilitate both hypothesis driven and non-hypothesis driven quantitative data collection in individual LC-MS/MS experiments. To investigate TDA/DDA for hypothesis driven data collection, 7 miRNA target proteins of differing size and abundance were targeted using inclusion lists comprised of 1558 m/z values, using 3 different TDA/DDA experimental designs. In samples in which targeted peptide ions were of particularly low abundance (i.e., predominantly only marginally above mass analyser detection limits), TDA/DDA produced statistically significant increases in the number of targeted peptides identified (230 ± 8 versus 80 ± 3 for DDA; p = 1.1 × 10(-3)) and quantified (35 ± 3 versus 21 ± 2 for DDA; p = 0.038) per experiment relative to the use of DDA only. These expected improvements in hypothesis driven data collection were observed alongside unexpected improvements in non-hypothesis driven data collection. Untargeted peptide ions with m/z values matching those in inclusion lists were repeatedly identified and quantified across technical replicate TDA/DDA experiments, resulting in significant increases in the percentages of proteins repeatedly quantified in TDA/DDA experiments only relative to DDA experiments only (33.0 ± 2.6% versus 8.0 ± 2.7%, respectively; p = 0.011). These results were observed together with uncompromised broad-scale MS/MS data collection in TDA/DDA experiments relative to DDA experiments. Using our observations we provide guidelines for TDA/DDA method design for quantitative plant proteomics studies, and suggest that TDA/DDA is a broadly underutilized proteomics data acquisition strategy

Growth of arabica coffee cultivars submitted to glyphosate doses

Avaliaram-se, neste trabalho, os efeitos do glyphosate sobre o crescimento de três cultivares de café arábica. Utilizou-se o esquema fatorial (3 x 5) em delineamento de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições, sendo os tratamentos compostos por três cultivares de café: Catucaí Amarelo (2 SL), Oeiras (MG-6851) e Topázio (MG-1190) e cinco doses de glyphosate (0; 57,6; 115,2; 230,4; e 460,8 g ha-1). O herbicida foi aplicado quando as plantas de café se apresentavam com 21 pares de folhas e de forma que não atingisse o terço superior delas. Aos 45 e 120 dias após a aplicação do glyphosate (DAA), avaliaram-se os incrementos na altura, na área foliar, no diâmetro do caule, no número de folhas e nos ramos plagiotrópicos, sendo eles mensurados inicialmente no dia da aplicação do herbicida; aos 10, 45 e 120 DAA, avaliou-se a porcentagem de intoxicação das plantas. A massa da matéria seca de folhas, raízes e caule, a densidade e o comprimento radicular foram avaliados aos 120 DAA. Os sintomas de intoxicação das plantas de café causados pelo glyphosate foram semelhantes nos diferentes cultivares, sendo caracterizados por clorose e estreitamento do limbo foliar. Os incrementos no número de folhas e ramos plagiotrópicos e no diâmetro do caule, independentemente do cultivar, não foram alterados pelo glyphosate. O cultivar Topázio foi o mais sensível ao glyphosate quanto a acúmulo de área foliar, de massa de matéria seca e densidade radicular.This study evaluated the effects of glyphosate on the growth of three arabica coffee cultivars. A factorial (3 x 5) was arranged in a randomized block design with four replications, with treatments consisting of three coffee varieties: Catucaí Amarelo (2 SL), Oeiras (MG-6851) and Topázio (MG-1190) and five glyphosate doses (0, 57.6, 115.2, 230.4 and 460.8 g ha-1 ). The herbicide was applied when the coffee plants reached 21 pairs of leaves, before reaching their upper third ones. At 45 and 120 days after glyphosate application (DAA), increase in leaf area, stem diameter, number of leaves and plagiotropic branches was evaluated, being initially measured on the day the herbicide was applied, and plant intoxication rate at 10, 45 and 120 DAA. Dry matter of leaves, roots and stem, and root length and density were measured at 120 DAA. Symptoms of coffee plant intoxication caused by glyphosate were similar in different cultivars, being characterized by chlorosis and leaf narrowing. Increase in the number of leaves, plagiotropic branches and stem diameter, regardless of the cultivar, was not affected by glyphosate. Cultivar Topázio was the most sensitive to glyphosate, in terms of accumulation of leaf area, root dry matter and root density.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)(FAPEMIG) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerai

Caracterização da produção agroecológica do sul do Rio Grande do Sul e sua relação com a mecanização agrícola.

A agricultura agroecológica tem-se destacado como uma das alternativas de renda para os pequenos agricultores devido à crescente busca por parte da população por alimentação mais saudável. No Rio Grande do Sul, a Associação Regional de Produtores Agroecológicos da Região Sul (Arpasul), constituída por 48 famílias, é representativa do processo de produção e de comercialização de produtos agroecológicos, servindo como referencial para o presente estudo. O objetivo principal deste trabalho foi o levantamento das necessidades dos produtores agroecológicos em relação à mecanização agrícola. As informações obtidas foram baseadas no sistema de produção utilizado, sendo caracterizados aspectos referentes à propriedade, às operações agrícolas e às necessidades específicas de máquinas e implementos. Por meio deste estudo, foi evidenciada a carência no atendimento das demandas específicas, na área de máquinas agrícolas para esse segmento, podendo servir como referencial para o desenvolvimento de novas máquinas e/ou aperfeiçoamento das existentes. A semeadora de milho e feijão foi a máquina que a maioria dos agricultores pesquisados indicou como sua maior necessidade

Exploring syndemic vulnerability across generations:A case study of a former fishing village in the Netherlands

This qualitative case study uses a life-course approach to explore syndemic vulnerability in a former fishing village in the Netherlands. Building on four years of fieldwork in a low-income neighborhood, we explored salient themes between and across families and generations. Elderly community members (> 65 years) were interviewed to map village history and explore how contextual factors have affected family life, health, and wellbeing since the 1940s. We systematically traced and compared processes leading to or from syndemic vulnerability by studying seven families across three generations. Adults with at least one of clustering diseases, their parents (when possible), and their children participated in semi-structured life-course interviews. A complex interaction of endemic social conditions, sociocultural normative processes, learned health be-haviors, and disheartening life events shaped families' predispositions for a syndemic of psychological distress, cardiometabolic conditions, and musculoskeletal pain. Educational attainment, continued social support, and aspirational capabilities emerged as themes related to decreasing syndemic vulnerability. This study demonstrates that syndemic vulnerability is potentially intergenerational and reveals the need for culturally sensitive and family-focused syndemic interventions. Future longitudinal research should focus on unravelling the pathogenesis of the clustering of psychological distress, cardiometabolic conditions, and musculoskeletal pain among young people

Ramond-Ramond Fields, Fractional Branes and Orbifold Differential K-Theory

We study D-branes and Ramond-Ramond fields on global orbifolds of Type II string theory with vanishing H-flux using methods of equivariant K-theory and K-homology. We illustrate how Bredon equivariant cohomology naturally realizes stringy orbifold cohomology. We emphasize its role as the correct cohomological tool which captures known features of the low-energy effective field theory, and which provides new consistency conditions for fractional D-branes and Ramond-Ramond fields on orbifolds. We use an equivariant Chern character from equivariant K-theory to Bredon cohomology to define new Ramond-Ramond couplings of D-branes which generalize previous examples. We propose a definition for groups of differential characters associated to equivariant K-theory. We derive a Dirac quantization rule for Ramond-Ramond fluxes, and study flat Ramond-Ramond potentials on orbifolds.Comment: 46 pages; v2: typos correcte

Geometric K-Homology of Flat D-Branes

We use the Baum-Douglas construction of K-homology to explicitly describe various aspects of D-branes in Type II superstring theory in the absence of background supergravity form fields. We rigorously derive various stability criteria for states of D-branes and show how standard bound state constructions are naturally realized directly in terms of topological K-cycles. We formulate the mechanism of flux stabilization in terms of the K-homology of non-trivial fibre bundles. Along the way we derive a number of new mathematical results in topological K-homology of independent interest.Comment: 45 pages; v2: References added; v3: Some substantial revision and corrections, main results unchanged but presentation improved, references added; to be published in Communications in Mathematical Physic

Selectivity of metribuzin in postemergence of culture of carrot

A citação dos autores está incorreto.The initial slow growth and short stature of carrot can allow that weeds settle in crop areas, requiring the management of these plants for productivity not to decrease. Nevertheless, weeds control has been difficult because there are few herbicides available for weeds control in postemergence of carrots. Two experiments in the field were carried out to evaluate selectivity of metribuzin applied in postemergence of carrots. A experimental randomized block design was utilized with four repetitions. Treatments consisted of metribuzin doses (0, 144, 288, 432, 576, 720, 960 and 1,200 g ha-1), applied in postemergence of carrots of the Nantes variety. Roots productivity was evaluated and percentage of commercial roots and no-commercial roots was calculated. Metribuzin has not caused visual symptoms of intoxication in carrots. Doses lower than 432 g ha-1 of metribuzin do not reduce the total productivity of roots, independent of the application period. Any doses of metribuzin changed the percentage of commercial and noncommercial roots. It is concluded that metribuzin is selective for carrots of the Nantes variety in postemergence applications at doses of 432 g ha-1.O lento crescimento inicial da cenoura favorece o estabelecimento de plantas daninhas nas áreas de cultivo, sendo necessário o manejo dessas plantas para que não ocorra redução da produtividade. Todavia, o controle tem sido dificultado por existirem poucas opções de herbicidas para o controle de plantas daninhas em pós-emergência da cultura. Dois experimentos de campo foram realizados para avaliar a seletividade do metribuzin aplicado em pós-emergência da cenoura, em dois diferentes períodos de cultivo (inverno e inverno-verão). O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos corresponderam à aplicação de 0, 144, 288, 432, 576, 720, 960 e 1.200 g ha-1 do metribuzin na cultura da cenoura, cultivar Nantes. Foram avaliadas a produtividade total de raízes e a porcentagem de raízes comerciais e não comerciais. A produtividade total de raízes de cenoura não foi alterada pela aplicação de metribuzin até a dose de 432 g ha-1, independentemente da época de cultivo. A porcentagem de cenouras comercializáveis e descartáveis não foi alterada pelas doses do herbicida. Conclui-se que o metribuzin é seletivo para aplicação em pós-emergência da cenoura, cultivar Nantes, até a dose de 432 g ha-1

Eléctrodo de terra em serpentina

Este artigo tem como principal objectivo a divulgação de uma aplicação informática para calcular a resistência de difusão de eléctrodos de terra em serpentina, a qual é representada analiticamente por uma sinusóide. No cálculo da resistência utilizou-se o chamado método da matriz, desenvolvido por S. Meliopoulos. Como a distribuição de potencial no solo obedece à equação de Laplace, o eléctrodo de terra é previamente discretizado em pontos-fonte de corrente eléctrica, situados no eixo dos condutores. O modelo discreto é representável por um sistema de equações lineares que permite calcular as correntes dos pontos-fonte, arbitrando uma tensão no eléctrodo. A corrente deste é a soma das correntes pontuais, e a lei de Ohm permite calcular facilmente a resistência de terra. Os resultados permitem observar que a resistência da serpentina diminui com o aumento do número de máximos, com o aumento da profundidade de enterramento e com o aumento da largura da vala. Conclui-se da utilidade da serpentina, comparada com o simples cabo horizontal, já que possui resistência de terra menor