Concise reviews: in vitro-produced pancreas organogenesis models in three dimensions: self-organization from few stem cells or progenitors.

Three-dimensional models of organ biogenesis have recently flourished. They promote a balance between stem/progenitor cell expansion and differentiation without the constraints of flat tissue culture vessels, allowing for autonomous self-organization of cells. Such models allow the formation of miniature organs in a dish and are emerging for the pancreas, starting from embryonic progenitors and adult cells. This review focuses on the currently available systems and how these allow new types of questions to be addressed. We discuss the expected advancements including their potential to study human pancreas development and function as well as to develop diabetes models and therapeutic cells

Thermal requirements and estimated number of generations of Neopamera bilobata (Say) in strawberry-producing regions of Brazil.

The thermal threshold and thermal requirements of Neopamera bilobata were determined, and the number of generations that this species may produce in the main strawberry-producing regions of Brazil was estimated. In a climate chamber (70±10% RH and 12h photophase) at 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, or 30±1°C, the development of 120 eggs was monitored until the adult stage, at each temperature. Nymphs were maintained in individual cages and fed on strawberry fruits of the cultivar Aromas. The mean duration and viability of the egg and nymph stages were calculated by estimating the lower and upper developmental thresholds and the thermal constant, and this information was used to estimate the number of generations per year in different strawberry-producing regions of Brazil. The egg-to-adult duration decreased as temperatures increased, up to 28°C (93.4, 83.2, 43.9, and 31.4 days at 19, 22, 25, and 28°C, respectively). Viability of nymphs was highest between 22 and 28°C. At 30°C, the egg-to-adult duration increased (36 days), while the viability decreased (11.11%). The lower egg-to-adult developmental threshold was 15.2°C and the thermal constant was 418.4 degree-days. Calculating the number of generations indicated that the largest number (5.1 generations yr?1) was obtained for the municipality of Jaboti, Paraná, and the smallest for Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul (1.9 generations yr?1). Our findings demonstrated that important strawberry-producing regions in Brazil are suitable for the development of N. bilobata. Key words: environmental factors, thermal requirements, predictive models

How Good Is the Samaritan, and Why?

What is the extent and nature of religious prosociality? If religious prosociality exists, is it parochial and extended selectively to co-religionists, or is it generalized regardless of the recipient? Further, is it driven by preferences to help others or by expectations of reciprocity? We examined how much of a $0.30 bonus Mechanical Turk workers would share with the other player whose religion was prominently displayed during two online resource allocation games. In one game (but not the other), the recipient could choose to reciprocate. Results from both games showed that the more central religion was in participants’ lives, the more of the bonus they shared, regardless of whether they were giving to atheists or Christians. Furthermore, this effect was most clearly related to self-reported frequency of “thinking about religious ideas”, rather than belief in God or religious practice/experience. Our findings provide evidence of generalized religious prosociality and illuminate its basis

Técnicas de preparação de amostras para estudos de insetos com microscópio eletrônico de varredura.

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Efeito de formulações de Bacillus Thuringiensis (Berliner) aplicados em diferentes substratos alimentares sobre Grapholita Molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

Grapholita molesta (Busck, 1916) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) é uma das principais pragas das rosáceas de clima temperado. Neste trabalho, foi avaliado o efeito de dois produtos comerciais à base de Bacillus thuringiensis sobre lagartas neonatas (1°instar) de G. molesta aplicados sobre diferentes substratos alimentares: dieta artificial (Arioli 2007), ponteiros e frutos de ameixeira (cv. Leticia) e macieira (cv. Gala). Os tratamentos avaliados foram (1) Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Dipel®, 100g.100L-1); (2) B. thuringieses var. aizawai e kurstaki (Agree 100g.100L-1), comparados com (3) Clorantraniliprole (Altacor® 10g.100L-1) e uma (4) testemunha (água). Ponteiros e frutos de ameixeira e macieira foram mergulhados nas caldas dos respectivos tratamentos e deixados à sombra por três horas para secagem. Em seguida os ponteiros foram transferidos para recipientes plásticos (300 ml) com ágar no fundo para a fixação e manutenção da turgidez e os frutos foram colocados em copos plásticos (250ml). Em cada ponteiro e fruto foi inoculada uma lagarta recém-eclodida de G. molesta criada em dieta artificial, em seguida os recipientes foram fechados com tecido tipo "voil". Para a dieta artificial a mesma foi preparada e vertida em poços das placas de cultura celular (24 poços COSTAR®) aplicando-se 30μL em cada célula, inoculando-se uma lagarta por poço. A mortalidade das lagartas foi avaliada 7 dias após a inoculação. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com 50 repetições (frutos e ponteiros) e 96 repetições (dieta artificial) empregando-se uma lagarta por repetição. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey (PB. thuringiensis aplicados na dieta artificial apresentaram mortalidade de lagartas de G. molesta de 73% e 79% para Agree e Dipel, respectivamente, indicando que a espécie é suscetível a bactéria. A mortalidade em ponteiros e frutos foi de aproximadamente 50% e 20% respectivamente. O inseticida Clorantraniliprole causou mortalidade acima de 90% independente do substrato no qual o produto foi aplicado. Não foi observado diferença significativa na mortalidade causada pelos dois produtos à base de B. thuringiensis em função dos substratos aplicados. Conclui-se que a mortalidade de G. molesta causada por B. thuringiensis é dependente do substrato em que o produto é aplicado

Mite (Acari) diversity on peach trees in different production systems in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

A study was conducted to determine the mite fauna 01' peach trees cultivated under "conventional" and "integrated" systems, 111 Pelotas and Bento Gonçalves municipalities, State of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil.Resumo

Evaluation of efficacy of 18 strains of entomopathogenic nematodes (Rhabditida) against Planococcus citri (Risso, 1813) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) under laboratory conditions.

Planococcus citri (Risso, 1813) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is an important plant virus vector in grapevine crops in Brazil and other countries. The mealybug grows in roots and leaves of the grapes. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are efficient control agents against insects associated to the soil and could be applied with the same equipment used for chemical insecticides. The aim of this study was to select effective EPNs for controlling P. citri females in laboratory conditions (25 ± 1 C, UR 60 ± 10%). We tested 17 native [Steinernema rarum (6 strains), Steinernema glaseri, Steinernema feltiae, Steinernema riobrave, Steinernema sp., Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (7 strains)] and only one exotic strain (Steinernema carpocapsae ALL). The bioassays were done on Petri dishes infested with females of P. citri, which were sprayed with EPNs juveniles. The strain with larger pathogenicity and virulence in laboratory was H. bacteriophora RS33 (from 69.0% to 92.2% of mortality), native of Rio Grande do Sul

Teores nutricionais em folhas de videira infestadas e não infestadas por pérola-da-terra em condições controladas de cultivo.

Este trabalho teve o objetivo de avaliar a influência da pérola-da-terra sobre o status nutricional das folhas de videiras infestadas e não infestadas pela praga em condições controladas.Resumo