Widespread distribution and a new recombinant species of Brazilian virus associated with cotton blue disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cotton blue disease (CBD), an important global cotton crop pathology responsible for major economic losses, is prevalent in the major cotton-producing states of Brazil. Typical CBD symptoms include stunting due to internodal shortening, leaf rolling, intense green foliage, and yellowing veins. Atypical CBD symptoms, including reddish and withered leaves, were also observed in Brazilian cotton fields in 2007. Recently, a <it>Polerovirus </it>named Cotton leafroll dwarf virus (CLRDV) was shown to be associated with CBD.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To understand the distribution and genetic diversity of CLRDV in Brazil, we analyzed 23 CBD-symptomatic plants from susceptible cotton varieties originating from five of the six most important cotton-growing states, from 2004–2007. Here, we report on CLRDV diversity in plants with typical or atypical CBD symptoms by comparing viral coat protein, RNA polymerase (RdRp), and intergenic region genomic sequences.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The virus had a widespread distribution with a low genetic diversity; however, three divergent isolates were associated with atypical CBD symptoms. These divergent isolates had a CLRDV-related coat protein but a distinct RdRp sequence, and probably arose from recombination events. Based on the taxonomic rules for the family <it>Luteoviridae</it>, we propose that these three isolates represent isolates of a new species in the genus <it>Polerovirus</it>.</p

Photonic crystal fibers as miniature monitoring platforms for petroleum characterization

A fiber design that allows the characterization of high and low refractive index materials is proposed and demonstrated. This fiber consists of an air-silica photonic crystal fiber supporting a Gaussian like mode confined in the fiber core and a ring mode in a region between the structured area and the fiber cladding. This versatile fiber design finds applications in the oil industry where materials of different refractive indices are found. The characterization of petroleum and CO2 using the new fiber is demonstrated. © 2012 SPIE

A new vehicle for herbicide application using crude glycerin, a by-product of biodiesel production

The supply of glycerin derived from the pre-purification of biodiesel has increased considerably in Brazil, making it necessary to identify economic and environmentally friendly applications for this byproduct. This work aimed to develop oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions using crude glycerin treated with H3PO4 for use as a vehicle for the application the herbicide Togar. The work was conducted in the laboratory of Marlebologia at the Federal University of Tocantins, Gurupi Campus. The preliminary emulsions were subjected to stability testing, and those that remained stable were diluted with the herbicide Togar (8% v v-1) and characterized with respect to pH, conductivity, viscosity, density and surface tension. The crude glycerin was used to develop five stable emulsions with promising physicochemical characteristics for use as vehicle for herbicide application. The conductivity and viscosity of the emulsions were high compared to diesel.Key words: Agrochemicals, residue, emulsions

A switch from high-fat to normal diet does not restore sperm quality but prevents metabolic syndrome

In recent decades, the prevalence of metabolic diseases has concomitantly increased with a decline on fertility rates and sperm quality. High-fat diets (HFD) are seldom considered part of the problem, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects on male fertility remain poorly understood. Herein we postulated that HFD alter sperm quality. We evaluated the effects of switching from a HFD to a normal diet in early adulthood on metabolic disease onset, testicular metabolism and sperm quality. Thirty-six male C57BL6/J mice were divided in: a control group fed with standard chow; a group fed with HFD for 200 days; and a group fed with HFD for 60 days and then with standard chow (HFDt). Biometric data and whole-body metabolism were assessed. Epididymal sperm was studied for concentration, motility, viability and morphology. 1H-NMR metabolomics approach was performed on testicular extracts to trace the metabolic changes. Diet switch reduced body weight and fat mass, preventing metabolic syndrome onset. However, sperm viability, motility and morphology were deteriorated by HFD consumption and not restored by diet switch. HFD induced irreversible changes in pyruvate and glutamate metabolism, ethanol degradation and ammonia recycling in testis. Furthermore, HFDt changed purine and cysteine metabolism, urea cycle, and glutathione content. Overall, HFD caused irreversible changes in testicular metabolism even after switching to normal diet. HFD feeding until early adulthood decreases sperm quality, which cannot be restored by diet switch or weight loss, even when development of metabolic syndrome is avoided

Total organic carbon and pyrolysis analysis of the Lower Cretaceous in Compton Bay and Atherfield, Isle of Wight (England)

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordThe Wessex Basin (United Kingdom) includes hundreds of meters of Lower Cretaceous clays, silts, and sands deposited in a wide range of depositional environments. Studies have investigated these depositional systems from the organic matter (OM) perspective. However, questions remain concerning the composition, source, and the overall depositional constraints on the distribution of sedimentary OM in this area. Elemental (carbonate % and total organic carbon - TOC) and pyrolysis analyses were conducted on representative lithofacies of the Lower Cretaceous from the Wessex Basin at the Compton Bay and Atherfield sections, Isle of Wight. The highest TOC contents were determined in the upper part of the Ferruginous Sands and Sandrock formations. These elevated TOC intervals are associated with predominantly estuarine deposition. Except for one sample from the Vectis Formation, Hydrogen Index (HI) in all studied units is low and indicates Type IV kerogen assemblages, interpreted to be linked with strongly variable climates (with pronounced dry periods) and significant water table fluctuations in the source area and during transport. The one sample with a Type II-III kerogen assemblage from the lagoonal Vectis Formation supports previous studies which suggested that OM in the Vectis Formation varied vertically as a function of fluvial sediment and terrestrial organic matter input to the lagoonal environment with changes in salinity, sediment resuspension, and turbulence as a result controlling the abundance of dinoflagellate cysts

Daily alcohol intake triggers aberrant synaptic pruning leading to synapse loss and anxiety-like behavior

Alcohol abuse adversely affects the lives of millions of people worldwide. Deficits in synaptic transmission and in microglial function are commonly found in human alcohol abusers and in animal models of alcohol intoxication. Here, we found that a protocol simulating chronic binge drinking in male mice resulted in aberrant synaptic pruning and substantial loss of excitatory synapses in the prefrontal cortex, which resulted in increased anxiety-like behavior. Mechanistically, alcohol intake increased the engulfment capacity of microglia in a manner dependent on the kinase Src, the subsequent activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, and the consequent production of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF. Pharmacological blockade of Src activation or of TNF production in microglia, genetic ablation of Tnf, or conditional ablation of microglia attenuated aberrant synaptic pruning, thereby preventing the neuronal and behavioral effects of the alcohol. Our data suggest that aberrant pruning of excitatory synapses by microglia may disrupt synaptic transmission in response to alcohol abuse.This work was financed by FEDER -Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020 -Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior in the framework of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030647 (PTDC/SAU-TOX/30647/2017) in TS lab. The projects FEDER Portugal (Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000008000008—Porto Neurosciences and Neurologic Disease Research Initiative at I3S, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-021333) and FCT (PTDC/MED-NEU/31318/2017) supported work in JBR lab. CCP and RS hold employment contracts financed by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the context of the program-contract described in paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 of art. 23 of Law no. 57/2016, of August 29, as amended by Law no. 57/2017 of July 2019. TC is supported by FCT (SFRH/BD/117148/2016). RLA was supported by FCT (PD/BD/114266/2016). AM was supported by FCT (IF/00753/2014). Author contributions: RS, TS, and JBR designed the project. RS, JFH, CCP, TOA, JTM, RLA, TC, CS, and AM performed experiments. RS, TS, and JBR co-supervised the study. RS and JBR wrote the original draft. RS, CCP, TS, and JBR reviewed and edited the manuscript. TS and JBR acquired funding

Delivering effective care through mobile apps:Findings from a multi-stakeholder design science approach

In this paper, we use a design science approach to develop a mobile app for lung cancer patients that facilitates their interactions with their clinicians, manages and reports on their health status, and provides them access to medical information/education. This paper contributes to the information systems literature by demonstrating the value of design science research to co-create solutions that advance health care outcomes through technological innovations. The design process engaged a diverse cast of experts and methods, such as a survey of oncologists and cancer patients, a workshop, roundtables and interviews with leading patient and clinician association representatives and focus groups, including two panels each of clinicians and cancer patients. Our approach also develops actionable knowledge that is grounded in evidence from the field, including design guidelines that recapitulate what we learned from the design-testing-redesign cycles of our artefact

A Dynamic Model of Interactions of Ca^(2+), Calmodulin, and Catalytic Subunits of Ca^(2+)/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II

During the acquisition of memories, influx of Ca^(2+) into the postsynaptic spine through the pores of activated N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptors triggers processes that change the strength of excitatory synapses. The pattern of Ca^(2+) influx during the first few seconds of activity is interpreted within the Ca^(2+)-dependent signaling network such that synaptic strength is eventually either potentiated or depressed. Many of the critical signaling enzymes that control synaptic plasticity, including Ca^(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), are regulated by calmodulin, a small protein that can bind up to 4 Ca^(2+) ions. As a first step toward clarifying how the Ca^(2+)-signaling network decides between potentiation or depression, we have created a kinetic model of the interactions of Ca^(2+), calmodulin, and CaMKII that represents our best understanding of the dynamics of these interactions under conditions that resemble those in a postsynaptic spine. We constrained parameters of the model from data in the literature, or from our own measurements, and then predicted time courses of activation and autophosphorylation of CaMKII under a variety of conditions. Simulations showed that species of calmodulin with fewer than four bound Ca^(2+) play a significant role in activation of CaMKII in the physiological regime, supporting the notion that processing ofCa^(2+) signals in a spine involves competition among target enzymes for binding to unsaturated species of CaM in an environment in which the concentration of Ca^(2+) is fluctuating rapidly. Indeed, we showed that dependence of activation on the frequency of Ca^(2+) transients arises from the kinetics of interaction of fluctuating Ca^(2+) with calmodulin/CaMKII complexes. We used parameter sensitivity analysis to identify which parameters will be most beneficial to measure more carefully to improve the accuracy of predictions. This model provides a quantitative base from which to build more complex dynamic models of postsynaptic signal transduction during learning

Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Is Associated with Breast Cancer Risk

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in peripheral blood is associated with increased risk of several cancers. However, data from prospective studies on mtDNA copy number and breast cancer risk are lacking. We evaluated the association between mtDNA copy number in peripheral blood and breast cancer risk in a nested case-control study of 183 breast cancer cases with pre-diagnostic blood samples and 529 individually matched controls among participants of the Singapore Chinese Health Study. The mtDNA copy number was measured using real time PCR. Conditional logistic regression analyses showed that there was an overall positive association between mtDNA copy number and breast cancer risk (Ptrend = 0.01). The elevated risk for higher mtDNA copy numbers was primarily seen for women with <3 years between blood draw and cancer diagnosis; ORs (95% CIs) for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th quintile of mtDNA copy number were 1.52 (0.61, 3.82), 2.52 (1.03, 6.12), 3.12 (1.31, 7.43), and 3.06 (1.25, 7.47), respectively, compared with the 1st quintile (Ptrend = 0.004). There was no association between mtDNA copy number and breast cancer risk among women who donated a blood sample ≥3 years before breast cancer diagnosis (Ptrend = 0.41). This study supports a prospective association between increased mtDNA copy number and breast cancer risk that is dependent on the time interval between blood collection and breast cancer diagnosis. Future studies are warranted to confirm these findings and to elucidate the biological role of mtDNA copy number in breast cancer risk. © 2013 Thyagarajan et al