Avaliação de genótipos de feijão-caupi de porte ereto e semiereto na safrinha em Botucatu-SP.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o ciclo e produtividade de 20 genótipos de feijão-caupi, sendo 16 linhagens e 4 cultivares, identificando os genótipos mais produtivos e bem adaptados. Foram realizados dois experimentos nos anos de 2011 e 2012, em condições de safrinha, em Botucatu-SP. Os genótipos foram avaliados quanto aos seguintes caracteres: número de dias para o florescimento, número de dias para a maturação e produtividade de grãos (kg ha-1). Dentre os materiais avaliados em 2011, as cultivares BRS Cauamé e BRS Tumucumaque e as linhagens MNC02-675F-4-2, MNC02-675F-9-2, MNC02-675F-9-3, MNC02-684F-5-6, MNC03-737F-5-1, MNC03-737F-5-11, MNC03-737F-11 se mostram altamente produtivas. Em 2012 os materiais com maior produtividade foram as linhagens MNC02-675F-4-2 e MNC02-675F-9-2. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que é possível selecionar genótipos produtivos, para cultivo no período da safrinha, na região de Botucatu-SP.CONAC 2012. Disponível em: http://www.conac2012.org/resumos/pdf/047a.pdf. Acesso em: 03 jul. 2013

Self-collimated axial jets seeds from thin accretion disks

We show how an appropriate stationary crystalline structure of the magnetic field can induce a partial fragmentation of the accretion disk, generating an axial jet seed composed of hot plasma twisted in a funnel-like structure due to the rotation of the system. The most important feature we outline is the high degree of collimation, naturally following from the basic assumptions underlying the crystalline structure. The presence of non-zero dissipative effects allows the plasma ejection throughout the axial jet seed and the predicted values of the accretion rate are in agreement with observations.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Detecting the Collapse of Cooperation in Evolving Networks

The sustainability of biological, social, economic and ecological communities is often determined by the outcome of social conflicts between cooperative and selfish individuals (cheaters). Cheaters avoid the cost of contributing to the community and can occasionally spread in the population leading to the complete collapse of cooperation. Although such collapse often unfolds unexpectedly, it is unclear whether one can detect the risk of cheater’s invasions and loss of cooperation in an evolving community. Here, we combine dynamical networks and evolutionary game theory to study the abrupt loss of cooperation with tools for studying critical transitions. We estimate the risk of cooperation collapse following the introduction of a single cheater under gradually changing conditions. We observe an increase in the average time it takes for cheaters to be eliminated from the community as the risk of collapse increases. We argue that such slow system response resembles slowing down in recovery rates prior to a critical transition. In addition, we show how changes in community structure reflect the risk of cooperation collapse. We find that these changes strongly depend on the mechanism that governs how cheaters evolve in the community. Our results highlight novel directions for detecting abrupt transitions in evolving networks

A Wide Extent of Inter-Strain Diversity in Virulent and Vaccine Strains of Alphaherpesviruses

Alphaherpesviruses are widespread in the human population, and include herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) and 2, and varicella zoster virus (VZV). These viral pathogens cause epithelial lesions, and then infect the nervous system to cause lifelong latency, reactivation, and spread. A related veterinary herpesvirus, pseudorabies (PRV), causes similar disease in livestock that result in significant economic losses. Vaccines developed for VZV and PRV serve as useful models for the development of an HSV-1 vaccine. We present full genome sequence comparisons of the PRV vaccine strain Bartha, and two virulent PRV isolates, Kaplan and Becker. These genome sequences were determined by high-throughput sequencing and assembly, and present new insights into the attenuation of a mammalian alphaherpesvirus vaccine strain. We find many previously unknown coding differences between PRV Bartha and the virulent strains, including changes to the fusion proteins gH and gB, and over forty other viral proteins. Inter-strain variation in PRV protein sequences is much closer to levels previously observed for HSV-1 than for the highly stable VZV proteome. Almost 20% of the PRV genome contains tandem short sequence repeats (SSRs), a class of nucleic acids motifs whose length-variation has been associated with changes in DNA binding site efficiency, transcriptional regulation, and protein interactions. We find SSRs throughout the herpesvirus family, and provide the first global characterization of SSRs in viruses, both within and between strains. We find SSR length variation between different isolates of PRV and HSV-1, which may provide a new mechanism for phenotypic variation between strains. Finally, we detected a small number of polymorphic bases within each plaque-purified PRV strain, and we characterize the effect of passage and plaque-purification on these polymorphisms. These data add to growing evidence that even plaque-purified stocks of stable DNA viruses exhibit limited sequence heterogeneity, which likely seeds future strain evolution

A DNA vaccine prime followed by a liposome-encapsulated protein boost confers enhanced mucosal immune responses and protection

A variety of DNA vaccine prime and recombinant viral boost immunization strategies have been developed to enhance immune responses in humans, but inherent limitations to these strategies exist. There is still an overwhelming need to develop safe and effective approaches that raise broad humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses systemically and on mucosal surfaces. We have developed a novel mucosal immunization regimen that precludes the use of viral vectors yet induces potent T cell responses. Using hepatitis B surface Ag (HBsAg), we observed that vaccination of BALB/c mice with an i.m. HBsAg-DNA vaccine prime followed by an intranasal boost with HBsAg protein encapsulated in biologically inert liposomes enhanced humoral and T cell immune responses, particularly on mucosal surfaces. Intranasal live virus challenge with a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing HBsAg revealed a correlation between T cell immune responses and protection of immunized mice. A shortened immunization protocol was developed that was successful in both adult and neonatal mice. These results support the conclusion that this new approach is capable of generating a Th-type-1-biased, broad spectrum immune response, specifically at mucosal surfaces. The success of this design may provide a safe and effective vaccination alternative for human use

An N-Terminal Domain of Herpes Simplex Virus Type I gE Is Capable of Forming Stable Complexes with gI

Using limited proteolytic analyses, we show that gE present in soluble herpes simplex virus type 1 gE-gI complexes is cleaved into a C-terminal (CgE) and an N-terminal (NgE) domain. The domain boundary is in the vicinity of residue 188 of mature gE. NgE, but not CgE, forms a stable complex with soluble gI