Diversity of fungal endophytic community in Quercus suber L. under different climate scenarios

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is an evergreen oak tree species, typically found throughout the Mediterranean Basin that presents a great ecological and economic importance in Portugal. The ecological importance is due to the role in the protection of the soil, biodiversity control, water quality and oxygen production. The cork production and processing confer cork oak a great economic relevance in Portugal. An increase of cork oak decline due to biotic and abiotic stresses has been reported, which could damage the ecosystem and lower cork production. Fungal species as D;plod;a corticola and Biscogniauxia mediterranea are cork oak pathogens that cause tree decline and affect cork productivity. The incidence of both diseases seems to increase when trees are under several environmental stresses, such as increased temperatures or drought. In this work, fungal endophytic species of cork oak were collected in different sites of Portugal (Bragança, Gerês, Alcobaça, Grândola e Gavião). The collection sites displayed differences in water availability and cork oak trees in different phytosanitary conditions. The community of fungal endophytes of young twigs and one/two-years old branches were studied by detecting fungal outgrowing from aseptic plant pieces and grouping them into morphotypes. A differentiation between live and death (xylem) branch tissue was considered by culturing the most superficial branch wood or the most inner wood. Collection sites with higher precipitation seem to display a more diverse community. Branches displayed a more diverse fungal community than young twigs, being the endophytic community, present in inner wood, more similar between sites, than young twigs or outer branch tissues. This study allowed the comparison of fungal endophytic communities living in cork oak trees with different water availability levels and disease symptoms. The results provide a good starting point towards the comprehension of the fungal community influence in disease occurrence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The rare genus Leptofoenus Smith, 1862 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae, Leptofoeninae): new records, and aspects of its distribution

Despite being the largest and most remarkable species of Chalcidoidea, species of Leptofoeninae are very rarely collected. Here, we expand the distribution range extension of the Leptofoenus howardi (Ashmead, 1895) for Rondônia and Minas Gerais, Leptofoenus stephanoides (Roman, 1920) for Rondônia, Espírito Santo and São Paulo and Leptofoenus westwoodi (Ashmead, 1895) for Roraima, Amazonas, Rondônia, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul

Alianças e redes estratégicas: as tendências nas empresas líderes no Brasil

Bibliografia: p. 309-312Em virtude das novas exigências do mercado, as empresas se voltam, cada vez mais, para a formação de alianças e redes estratégicas, na tentativa de agrupar os recursos necessários para atender a esse mercado e criar uma vantagem competitiva sustentável. Este estudo propõe-se a analisar as tendências das empresas líderes no Brasil quanto à sua atuação em alianças e redes estratégicas. O texto foi desenvolvido a partir de uma ampla revisão da literatura e de um levantamento de dados com 230 empresas líderes no país, podendo-se constatar que a grande maioria delas tem estabelecido alianças e/ou redes estratégicas, tendo como principal motivo para tanto a necessidade de compartilhar recursos e competências. Também foi identificada, na grande maioria das empresas, uma deficiência que pode se constituir em barreira significativa à eficácia das alianças e redes estratégicas no país: a falta de medidas e indicadores de desempenho das alianças e redes, principalmente no que se refere aos benefícios intangíveis, tais como o capital social e informacional, que elas podem proporcionar.More and more firms are establishing strategic aliances and networks in an attempt to acquire the necessary resources to attend to increasing market requirements, and, thus, create sustainable competitive advantage. Considering this context, the present study aims at analyzing the tendencies of leading firms in Brazil with respect to their strategic alliances and networks. The study was carried out by way of an extensive literature review as well as a survey about the perceptions of the CEOs in 230 leading firms in the country regarding their strategic alliances and networks. It confirmed that a great majority of the leading firms in Brazil have indeed established strategic alliances or strategic networks. It also helped revealing a deficiency in a large number of firms that could constitute a significant barrier to the effectiveness of their alliances and networks: the lack of measures and indicators regarding alliance and network performance, especially with respect to intangible benefits, such as social and informational capital that they can potentially offer

Self-organizing maps and VolSurf approach to predict aldose reductase inhibition by flavonoid compounds

Aldose Reductase (AR) is the polyol pathway key enzyme which converts glucose to sorbitol. High glucose availability in insulin resistant tissues in diabetes leads into an accumulation of sorbitol, which has been associated with typical chronic complications of this disease, such as neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy. In this study, 71 flavonoids AR inhibitors were subjected to two methods of SAR to verify crucial substituents. The first method used the PCA (Principal Component Analysis) to elucidate physical and chemical characteristics in the molecules that would be essential for the activity, employing VolSurf descriptors. The rate obtained explained 53% of the system total variance and revealed that a hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance in the molecules is required, since very polar or nonpolar substituents decrease the activity. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) was also employed to determine key substituents by evaluating substitution patterns, using NMR data. This study had a high success rate (85% accuracy in the training set and 88% accuracy in the test set) and showed polihydroxilations are essential for high activity and methoxylations and glicosilations primarily at positions C7, C3' and C4' decrease the activity.CNPqFAPES

Cleaning efficiency in packing lines for fresh market tomatoes

On the last years, in Brazil, sorting and classifying fruits and vegetables using packing lines have increased. This work aimed at characterizing the cleaning process for fresh market tomatoes at two packing lines, one imported and one national located at Campinas, São Paulo State. Characterization included data, number, types and brushes velocity, water use, fruit standing time and cleaning efficiency. Standing time was measured correlating to fruit diameter (CEAGESP). For measuring cleaning efficiency an equipment was developed that was mainly composed of a ring involved with white cloth. Samples were taken before and after the cleaning step and evaluated using a colorimeter HUNTER Lab. The results showed a strong difference between the two equipments. The imported equipment showed lower number on brushes and rotation than national one, however a higher water consumption. For imported equipments this relation was not found. Both packing lines showed the same cleaning efficiency. Cleaning efficiency is related to be an interaction among the studies parameters, and it could be necessary a better management than the one used on both equipments.No Brasil, nos últimos anos, tem aumentado o beneficiamento e a classificação de frutas e hortaliças em equipamentos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a etapa de limpeza de dois equipamentos de beneficiamento de tomate de mesa, um nacional e outro importado, instalados na região metropolitana de Campinas - SP. A caracterização foi realizada quanto ao número, tipo e velocidade de rotação das escovas, aplicação de água, tempo de permanência dos frutos e eficiência de limpeza. O tempo de permanência foi mensurado com relação ao tamanho dos frutos, segundo os padrões da CEAGESP. Para mensurar a eficiência, foi desenvolvido um equipamento composto de um anel deslizante envolvido por um pano branco. As amostragens foram realizadas antes e após a etapa de limpeza e avaliadas utilizando colorímetro HUNTER Lab. Por meio dos resultados, observaram-se diferenças entre os dois equipamentos, em que o importado apresentou menor número de escovas, rotações mais baixas e maior consumo de água que o nacional. No equipamento nacional, o tempo de permanência dependeu do tamanho dos frutos, não sendo encontrada essa correlação no equipamento importado, e ambos tiveram a mesma eficiência de limpeza. Conclui-se que a limpeza está relacionada à interação entre os parâmetros estudados, sendo também necessário realizar manutenções nos equipamentos das unidades para a melhoria no funcionamento.782786Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES