Genotyping-by-sequencing Approach Indicates Geographic Distance As The Main Factor Affecting Genetic Structure And Gene Flow In Brazilian Populations Of Grapholita Molesta (lepidoptera, Tortricidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)The oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta is one of the major pests of stone and pome fruit species in Brazil. Here, we applied 1226 SNPs obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing to test whether host species associations or other factors such as geographic distance structured populations of this pest. Populations from the main areas of occurrence of G.molesta were sampled principally from peach and apple orchards. Three main clusters were recovered by neighbor-joining analysis, all defined by geographic proximity between sampling localities. Overall genetic structure inferred by a nonhierarchical amova resulted in a significant phi(ST) value=0.19109. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that SNPs gathered by genotyping-by-sequencing can be used to infer genetic structure of a pest insect in Brazil; moreover, our results indicate that those markers are very informative even over a restricted geographic scale. We also demonstrate that host plant association has little effect on genetic structure among Brazilian populations of G.molesta; on the other hand, reduced gene flow promoted by geographic isolation has a stronger impact on population differentiation.85476485Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)NSERCFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)CNPq [578509/2008-3]CNPq [PDE/CSF 200942/2012-3]FAPESP [2011/00417-3

Genotyping-by-sequencing Approach Indicates Geographic Distance As The Main Factor Affecting Genetic Structure And Gene Flow In Brazilian Populations Of Grapholita Molesta (lepidoptera, Tortricidae).

The oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta is one of the major pests of stone and pome fruit species in Brazil. Here, we applied 1226 SNPs obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing to test whether host species associations or other factors such as geographic distance structured populations of this pest. Populations from the main areas of occurrence of G. molesta were sampled principally from peach and apple orchards. Three main clusters were recovered by neighbor-joining analysis, all defined by geographic proximity between sampling localities. Overall genetic structure inferred by a nonhierarchical amova resulted in a significant ΦST value = 0.19109. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that SNPs gathered by genotyping-by-sequencing can be used to infer genetic structure of a pest insect in Brazil; moreover, our results indicate that those markers are very informative even over a restricted geographic scale. We also demonstrate that host plant association has little effect on genetic structure among Brazilian populations of G. molesta; on the other hand, reduced gene flow promoted by geographic isolation has a stronger impact on population differentiation.8476-48

Genotyping-by-sequencing approach indicates geographic distance as the main factor affecting genetic structure and gene flow in brazilian populations of grapholita molesta (lepidoptera, Tortricidae)

The oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta is one of the major pests of stone and pome fruit species in Brazil. Here, we applied 1226 SNPs obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing to test whether host species associations or other factors such as geographic distance structured populations of this pest. Populations from the main areas of occurrence of G.molesta were sampled principally from peach and apple orchards. Three main clusters were recovered by neighbor-joining analysis, all defined by geographic proximity between sampling localities. Overall genetic structure inferred by a nonhierarchical amova resulted in a significant phi(ST) value=0.19109. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that SNPs gathered by genotyping-by-sequencing can be used to infer genetic structure of a pest insect in Brazil; moreover, our results indicate that those markers are very informative even over a restricted geographic scale. We also demonstrate that host plant association has little effect on genetic structure among Brazilian populations of G.molesta; on the other hand, reduced gene flow promoted by geographic isolation has a stronger impact on population differentiation85476485CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP578509/2008-3; 200942/2012-32011/00417-3Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canad

Impacts of the “Plastic Bag Law” in the Grocery Retail in the city of São Paulo/Brazil

Among the waste generated by retail, the plastic bag, which has its main use for the transportation of products, is a constant component of household waste and negatively impacts the environment. In this context, Municipal Law 15,374 prohibited the free distribution of plastic bags in the city of São Paulo / Brazil, as of April 2015, and brought as an alternative the use of returnable bags and biodegradable bags in an attempt to reduce environmental impact caused by improper disposal of the plastic. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to analyze the impact of said Law on the reduction of the purchase of plastic bags made by the grocery retail in the city of São Paulo. A survey was conducted with data from two grocery retail stores in the city of São Paulo, between January and December 2015. The results showed that the implementation of the law reduced the volume of plastic bags provided by supermarkets without compromising the flow of people and financial income

Development of porous alumina membranes for treatment of textile effluent

Published online: 27 Feb 2015Ceramic porous membranes sintered at two different temperature using polyvinyl alcohol and ethylene glycol as binders, and composed of two types of α-alumina with different particle sizes were investigated for the microfiltration of a textile effluent containing indigo dye, auxiliaries, heavy metals, oils, and solids. The physicochemical properties of the membranes and effluent were evaluated. X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis confirm that the thin membrane is composed of high crystalline and pure α-alumina. Scanning electron microscopy observation indicates that the membranes have smooth porous surface making it suitable for microfiltration applications. The membrane sintered at 1,450˚C exhibited higher water absorption (WA) and apparent porosity than that sintered at 1,475˚C. The apparent specific gravity and flexural strength are in inverse correlation with the WA due to the enhanced densification of the membranes. The filtered effluent was evaluated using a membrane with an average pore size of 0.4 μm and a total porosity of 29.6%. The average values of rejection were 90% for color, 93% for suspended solids, 95% for turbidity, 60% for metals, and 73% for chemical oxygen demand. These results demonstrate that low-cost ceramic alumina membranes are a very promising advanced treatment for textile industrial effluents.Andrea Zille (C2011- UMINHO-2C2T-01) acknowledges funding from Programa Compromisso para a Ciencia 2008, Portugal

Análise da morfologia interna do tronco encefálico de macaco-prego (Cebus apella)

The gross anatomy and the internal morphology of the brainstem of the monkey Cebus apella were described based on the observations made on adult brainstens. Six adult Cebus apella monkeys were used for anatomical observations and for the study of the internal morphology they were cut into serial sections at six different levels (pyramidal decussation; superior portion of the olive; inferior portion of the olive; pons; superior colliculus and inferior colliculus) and properly stained for studies of the internal structure. Our results show that the Cebus apella brainstem is characterized by the presence of a bulbpontine sulcus; an enlarged brainstem, particularly of the medulla oblongata, with a consequent laterization of the trapezoid body, the presence of inferior olivary complex, the apparent origin of cranial nerves distant from the pyramids and of its decussation; presence of the antero-lateral sulcus separating the pyramids of the olives; expressive development of the trapezoid body, of the pons, nuclei of the pons and of the cerebral peduncle. These results are consistent with previous descriptions for other primates and suggest that the organization and development of the Brainstem structures share similarities with superior primates including humans which reflect the motor abilities of the studied species.A anatomia e a morfologia interna do tronco encefálico (TE) do macaco-prego (Cebus apella) foram descritas com base nas observações feitas em troncos encefálicos de macacos adultos. Seis macacos Cebus apella adultos foram utilizados para as observações anatômicas. Para os estudos da morfologia interna os TE foram cortados seriadamente em seis níveis diferentes: decussação piramidal, porção superior da oliva, porção inferior da oliva, ponte, colículo superior e colículo inferior. Após esse procedimento eles foram corados com a técnica de Mulligan modificada por nós. Nossos resultados mostram que o TE de Cebus apella é caracterizado pela presença do sulco bulbo-pontino, aumento do tamanho do TE, especialmente da medula oblonga, com consequente lateralização do corpo trapezoide, presença do sulco ântero-lateral separando as pirâmides das olivas; desenvolvimento expressivo do corpo trapezoide, da ponte, dos núcleos da ponte e do pedúnculo cerebral. Estes resultados são consistentes com descrições prévias para outros primatas na literatura e sugerem que a organização e desenvolvimento do TE exibe semelhanças com primatas superiores, incluindo o homem, o que reflete as habilidades motoras da espécie estudada

Multifunctional chitosan/gold nanoparticles coatings for biomedical textiles

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), chemically synthesized by citrate reduction, were for the first time immobilized onto chitosan‐treated soybean knitted fabric via exhaustion method. AuNPs were successfully produced in the form of highly spherical, moderated polydisperse, stable structures. Their average size was estimated at ≈35 nm. Successful immobilization of chitosan and AuNPs were confirmed by alterations in the fabric’s spectrophotometric reflectance spectrum and by detection of nitrogen and gold, non‐conjugated C=O stretching vibrations of carbonyl functional groups and residual N‐acetyl groups characteristic bands by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier‐Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. XPS analysis confirms the strong binding of AuNPs on the chitosan matrix. The fabrics’ thermal stability increased with the introduction of both chitosan and AuNPs. Coated fabrics revealed an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of +50, which established their effectiveness in ultraviolet (UV) radiation shielding. They were also found to resist up to 5 washing cycles with low loss of immobilized AuNPs. Compared with AuNPs or chitosan alone, the combined functionalized coating on soy fabrics demonstrated an improved antimicrobial effect by reducing Staphylococcus aureus adhesion (99.94%) and Escherichia coli (96.26%). Overall, the engineered fabrics were confirmed as multifunctional, displaying attractive optical properties, UV‐light protection and important antimicrobial features, that increase their interest for potential biomedical applications.: This research was funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Competitiveness Program – COMPETE and by National Funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) under the project POCI‐ 01‐0145‐FEDER‐007136 and UID/CTM/00264/2019. A. Zille also acknowledges financial support of the FCT through an Investigator FCT Research contract (IF/00071/2015) and the project PTDC/CTM‐TEX/28295/2017 financed by FCT, FEDER and POCI. This work was funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Competitiveness Program – COMPETE and by National Funds through Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)—under the project POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐007136 and UID/CTM/00264/2019. A. Zille also acknowledges financial support of the FCT through an Investigator FCT Research contract (IF/00071/2015) and the project PTDC/CTM‐ TEX/28295/2017 financed by FCT, FEDER and POCI

Production of fermented cheese whey-based beverage using kefir grains as starter culture : evaluation of morphological and microbial variations

Whey valorization concerns have led to recent interest on the production of whey beverage simulating kefir. In this study, the structure and microbiota of Brazilian kefir grains and beverages obtained from milk and whole/deproteinised whey was characterized using microscopy and molecular techniques. The aim was to evaluate its stability and possible shift of probiotic bacteria to the beverages. Fluorescence staining in combination with Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy showed distribution of yeasts in macro-clusters among the grain’s matrix essentially composed of polysaccharides (kefiran) and bacteria. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis displayed communities included yeast affiliated to Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kazachatania unispora, bacteria affiliated to Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. Kefirgranum, Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. Kefiranofaciens and an uncultured bacterium also related to the genus Lactobacillus. A steady structure and dominant microbiota, including probiotic bacteria, was detected in the analyzed kefir beverages and grains. This robustness is determinant for future implementation of whey-based kefir beverages.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), CAPES-GRICES

Tinctorial behavior of curaua and banana fibers and dyeing wastewater treatment by porous alumina membranes

Physicochemical and dyeing properties using reactive dyes of curaua and banana fibers were studied by means of color strength (K/S), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analyses. SEM analysis of alkali-treated fibers showed an increase in roughness due to surface lignin and hemicellulose defibrillation. DSC analysis showed for all the samples an endothermic and an exothermic peak at 70–80 and 340–360 ̊C due to the loss of adsorbed/ absorbed water and to decomposition of α-cellulose, respectively. Alkali-treated fibers dis- played a second peak around 290 ̊C attributed to the degradation of hemicellulose. FTIR spectra of the studied fibers show similar bands with different intensities attributed to the main components of cellulose-based materials. Alkali-pretreated fibers demonstrated excel- lent dyeing ability for all the tested dyes. Dye absorption depends on the chemical fiber, dye structure, and concentration. The results of washing fastness are very good for all the tested fibers. The dyeing effluent treated with an advanced microfiltration method using an improved alumina ceramic membrane shows an average efficiency of 98% in turbidity and color reduction. Low-cost ceramic alumina microfiltration membranes are a very promising advanced treatment for textile industrial effluents allowing water reuse.C2011-UMINHO-2C2T-01 acknowledges the funding from Programa Compromisso para a Ciência 2008, Portugal