Effect of temperature and relative-humidity on the development of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in Vigna unguiculata

A pesquisa teve como objetivo estudar a influência da temperatura e da umidade relativa do ar (UR) no desenvolvimento de Liriomyza sativae Blanchard, durante o período ovo-adulto, em feijão caupi, para fornecer subsídios a futuros projetos de controle biológico da praga. Verificou-se uma relação inversa entre o aumento da temperatura na faixa de 15°C a 32°C e a duração do desenvolvimento. A sobrevivência larval não foi afetada na faixa térmica estudada, enquanto a 32°C houve alta mortalidade de pupas (59,9%). A UR não afetou a duração dos estágios imaturos, embora tenha influenciado a sua sobrevivência. O limiar térmico inferior de desenvolvimento obtido para o período ovo-adulto foi baixo (7,3°C), se comparado a outras espécies de Liriomyza, e bastante reduzido para a fase larval (3,4°C). De acordo com as exigências térmicas constatadas para L. sativae foi possível estimar a ocorrência de 24,5 gerações anuais na região produtora de melão, em Mossoró, RN. Para criações de laboratório, visando à implementação de programas de controle biológico da praga, as melhores condições são temperatura de 30°C e UR de 50% para a fase de larva e 90% para o estágio de pupa de L. sativae.This research aimed to study the influence of temperature and relative-humidity (RH) on the development of Liriomyza sativae Blanchard during the egg-adult period, in cowpea, to provide essential information for future biological control projects against the pest. An inverse relation was observed between temperature increase in the range from 15°C to 32°C and development duration. Larval survival was not affected in the temperature range studied, while a high mortality of pupae was observed at 32°C (59.9%). RH did not affect the development time of the immature stages, although it influenced their survival. The lower developmental temperature threshold obtained for the egg-adult period was low (7.3°C) when compared with other species of Liriomyza, and was rather low for the larval stage (3.4°C). Based on the thermal requirements for L. sativae, it was possible to estimate the occurrence of 24.5 annual generations at a melon producing region in state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. For laboratory rearing aimed at biological control pest programs, the best rearing conditions are 30°C and 50% RH for the larval stage and 90% RH for the pupal stage.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES

Cryo-EM Grid Preparation of Membrane Protein Samples for Single Particle Analysis

Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) have made it possible to solve structures of biological macromolecules at near atomic resolution. Development of more stable microscopes, improved direct electron detectors and faster software for image processing has enabled structural solution of not only large macromolecular (megadalton range) complexes but also small (~60 kDa) proteins. As a result of the widespread use of the technique, we have also witnessed new developments of techniques for cryo-EM grid preparation of membrane protein samples. This includes new types of solubilization strategies that better stabilize these protein complexes and the development of new grid supports with proven efficacy in reducing the motion of the molecules during electron beam exposure. Here, we discuss the practicalities and recent challenges of membrane protein sample preparation and vitrification, as well as grid support and foil treatment in the context of the structure determination of protein complexes by single particle cryo-EM

Gestão de recarga induzida de aquíferos. Exemplos do projeto Marsol no Algarve

A utilização de técnicas de MAR (managed aquifer recharge, em nomenclatura inglesa ou gestão de recarga induzida de aquíferos) visa armazenar água em aquíferos durante períodos de excedentes podendo ajudar a resolver posteriores desafios de escassez de água e, assim, melhor gerir a variabilidade temporal da disponibilidade de água. Além disso, a qualidade da água pode ser melhorada através da sua circulação pelo meio poroso até ao aquífero, como resultado de processos químicos e biológicos, para além da própria diluição. Nesse contexto, a recarga induzida de aquíferos pode ser um importante contributo para resolver a crise de água da Europa, ligando o uso de excedentes hídricos com a reutilização de água e a gestão de recursos hídricos. Neste artigo apresenta-se uma síntese dos ensaios de demonstração sobre MAR realizados nos aquíferos da Campina de Faro (PT1) e Querença-Silves (PT2), no Algarve, pelo Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC), pela Terra, Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos (TARH), e pela Universidade do Algarve (UAlg), parceiros do projeto MARSol "Gestão de recarga induzida de aquíferos como uma solução para a escassez de água e secas", do 7.º Programa-Quadro da União Europeia. As fontes de água alternativas exploradas no âmbito do MARSol são excedentes hídricos superficiais gerados em eventos extremos durante as estações chuvosas e efluentes de águas residuais com tratamento secundário. Ambos estão a ser estudados no sentido de avaliar os volumes disponíveis e sua importância no contexto do balanço hídrico regional e da sua qualidade, o primeiro para a Campina de Faro e o segundo para o Querença-Silves. A melhoria da qualidade da água é o objetivo principal em ambos os aquíferos, no primeiro através da recarga por bacias, furos e noras e, no segundo caso, melhorando a qualidade das águas residuais por processos de atenuação e de filtração naturais de tratamento aquífero do solo (SAT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Paternal Adjustment and Paternal Attitudes Questionnaire: Antenatal and postnatal portuguese versions

The Paternal Adjustment and Paternal Attitudes Questionnaire (PAPA) was designed to assess paternal adjustment and paternal attitudes during the transition to parenthood. This study aimed to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Portuguese versions of the PAPA-Antenatal (PAPA-AN) and -Postnatal (PAPA-PN) versions. A nonclinical sample of 128 fathers was recruited in the obstetrics outpatient unit, and they completed both versions of the PAPA and selfreport measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum period, respectively. Good internal consistency for both PAPA-AN and PAPA-PN was found. A three-factor model was found for both versions of the instrument. Longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis revealed a good model fit. The PAPA-AN and PAPA-PN subscales revealed good internal consistency. Significant associations were found between PAPA (PAPA-AN and PAPA-PN) and depressive and anxiety symptoms, suggesting good criterion validity. Both versions also showed good clinical validity, with optimal cutoffs found. The present study suggested that the Portuguese versions of the PAPA are reliable multidimensional self-report measures of paternal adjustment and paternal attitudes that could be used to identify fathers with adjustment problems and negative attitudes during the transition to parenthood.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by FEDER Funds through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade–COMPETE and by National Funds through FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia under the project PTDC/SAU/SAP/116738/2010. This research was also supported by FEDER funding from the Operational Programme Factors of Competitiveness–COMPETE and by national funding from the FCT–Foundation for Science and Technology (Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science) within the project “Health, Governance and Accountability in Embryo Research: Couples’ Decisions About the Fates of Embryos” (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-014453), and a PhD grant (SFRH/BD/75807/2011), cofunded by the POPH (Programa Operacional de Potencial Humano) Programme

New test of the gabardine infiltration basin for mar in rio seco (Campina de Faro aquifer system, Algarve)

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Demonstrating managed aquifer recharge as a solution to water scarcity and drought: description of MARSOL Project demo sites in Portugal

This paper presents a synthesis of the work developed in Portugal, by LNEC, TARH and UAlg, for the European Union Seventh Framework Programme project "Demonstrating Managed Aquifer Recharge as a Solution to Water Scarcity and Drought – MARSOL". The main achievements gathered in the DEMO sites during 2014, the first year of the project, are briefly presented.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Heterologous Complementation Studies With the YscX and YscY Protein Families Reveals a Specificity for Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Type III Secretion

Type III secretion systems harbored by several Gram-negative bacteria are often used to deliver host-modulating effectors into infected eukaryotic cells. About 20 core proteins are needed for assembly of a secretion apparatus. Several of these proteins are genetically and functionally conserved in type III secretion systems of bacteria associated with invertebrate or vertebrate hosts. In the Ysc family of type III secretion systems are two poorly characterized protein families, the YscX family and the YscY family. In the plasmid-encoded Ysc-Yop type III secretion system of human pathogenic Yersinia species, YscX is a secreted substrate while YscY is its non-secreted cognate chaperone. Critically, neither an yscX nor yscY null mutant of Yersinia is capable of type III secretion. In this study, we show that the genetic equivalents of these proteins produced as components of other type III secretion systems of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PscX and PscY), Aeromonas species (AscX and AscY), Vibrio species (VscX and VscY), and Photorhabdus luminescens (SctX and SctY) all possess an ability to interact with its native cognate partner and also establish cross-reciprocal binding to non-cognate partners as judged by a yeast two-hybrid assay. Moreover, a yeast three-hybrid assay also revealed that these heterodimeric complexes could maintain an interaction with YscV family members, a core membrane component of all type III secretion systems. Despite maintaining these molecular interactions, only expression of the native yscX in the near full-length yscX deletion and native yscY in the near full-length yscY deletion were able to complement for their general substrate secretion defects. Hence, YscX and YscY must have co-evolved to confer an important function specifically critical for Yersinia type III secretion

Interpretation of an injection test in a large diameter well in south Portugal and contribution to the understanding of the local hydrogeology

This paper refers to the interpretation of an injection test in a traditional large diameter well in Querença-Silves aquifer, south Portugal, under the scope of the project FP7-ENV-2013-WATER-INNO-DEMO MARSOL. Hydraulic parameter estimates were found within a high level of uncertainty regarding aquifer and well configuration. Given the injection test results together with the knowledge acquired on the field and from previous well logs and pumping tests on this aquifer section, it seems plausible to assume that the water injected in the well is locally flowing to an opposite direction to the regional aquifer flow. This forcing could possibly be caused by the existence of a local confinement or aquitard separating the injection well from the regional aquifer, or simply due to local scale heterogeneities and fracturation patterns.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Feasibility and efficacy of transcatheter interatrial shunt devices for chronic heart failure : a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Aims: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of interatrial shunt devices (IASD) for the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods and results: MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from inception until April 2021 were searched for prospective studies investigating dedicated transcatheter IASD for the treatment of CHF. Standardised mean differences were calculated for the within‐group changes before and after implantation of the IASD. The pre‐defined primary outcome was change in 6‐min walking distance (6MWD) from baseline to 12 months. Other outcomes were change in New York Heart Association class, health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), echocardiographic and haemodynamic data, device performance and safety. Subgroup analyses were crude univariable meta‐regression analyses. Six studies (five single‐arm open‐label studies, one sham‐controlled trial) were included. In these, 226 patients underwent IASD implantation using four different devices. From baseline to 12 months, 6MWD increased by 28.1 m [95% confidence interval (CI) 10.9–45.3] with no evidence for a difference between devices (P for interaction = 0.66) and patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >40% or ≤40% (P for interaction = 0.21). At 12 months, HRQoL improved by 17.7 points (95% CI 10.8–24.6) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) decreased by 2.0 mmHg (95% CI −3.6 to −0.4). There were no changes in LVEF or N‐terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide during follow‐up. Shunt patency ranged from 50% for the first‐generation v‐Wave to 100% for the Corvia IASD II and the second‐generation v‐Wave system, respectively. The summary risk of serious adverse device‐related effects was 8% (95% CI 1–20) at 12 months. Conclusions: Interatrial shunt device implantation in CHF is feasible and associates with improved submaximal exercise capacity (measured by 6MWD) and HRQoL, and reductions in PCWP

The cyanobacterial saxitoxin exacerbates neural cell death and brain malformations induced by zika virus

The northeast (NE) region of Brazil commonly goes through drought periods, which favor cyanobacterial blooms, capable of producing neurotoxins with implications for human and animal health. The most severe dry spell in the history of Brazil occurred between 2012 and 2016. Coincidently, the highest incidence of microcephaly associated with the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak took place in the NE region of Brazil during the same years. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that saxitoxin (STX), a neurotoxin produced in South America by the freshwater cyanobacteria Raphidiopsis raciborskii, could have contributed to the most severe Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) profile described worldwide. Quality surveillance showed higher cyanobacteria amounts and STX occurrence in human drinking water sup-plies of NE compared to other regions of Brazil. Experimentally, we described that STX dou-bled the quantity of ZIKV-induced neural cell death in progenitor areas of human brain organoids, while the chronic ingestion of water contaminated with STX before and during gestation caused brain abnormalities in offspring of ZIKV-infected immunocompetent C57BL/6J mice. Our data indicate that saxitoxin-producing cyanobacteria is overspread in water reservoirs of the NE and might have acted as a co-insult to ZIKV infection in Brazil. These results raise a public health concern regarding the consequences of arbovirus outbreaks happening in areas with droughts and/or frequent freshwater cyanobacterial blooms.Fil: Pedrosa, Carolina da S. G.. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; BrasilFil: Souza, Leticia R. Q.. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; BrasilFil: Gomes, Tiago A.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: de Lima, Caroline V. F.. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; BrasilFil: Ledur, Pitia F.. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; BrasilFil: Karmirian, Karina. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Barbeito Andrés, Jimena. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Universidad Nacional Arturo Jauretche. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital Alta Complejidad en Red El Cruce Dr. Néstor Carlos Kirchner Samic. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Unidad Ejecutora de Estudios en Neurociencias y Sistemas Complejos; ArgentinaFil: Costa, Marcelo do N.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Higa, Luiza M.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Rossi, Átila D.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Bellio, Maria. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Tanuri, Amilcar. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Prata Barbosa, Arnaldo. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; BrasilFil: Tovar Moll, Fernanda. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Garcez, Patricia P.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Lara, Flavio A.. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Molica, Renato J. R.. Universidad Federal Rural Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Rehen, Stevens K.. D’Or Institute for Research and Education; Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasi