Lutzomyia longipalpis urbanisation and control

Since the description of Lutzomyia longipalpis by Lutz and Neiva more than 100 years ago, much has been written in the scientific literature about this phlebotomine species. Soares and Turco (2003) and Lainson and Rangel (2005) have written extensive reviews focused on vector-host-parasite interactions and American visceral leishmaniasis ecology. However, during the last two decades, the success of Lu. longipalpis in colonising urban environments and its simultaneous geographical spreading have led to new theoretical and operational questions. Therefore, this review updates the general information about this species and notes the more challenging topics regarding the new scenario of urbanisation-spreading and its control in America. Here, we summarise the literature on these issues and the remaining unsolved questions, which pose recommendations for operational research.

Work-related stress according to the demand-control model and minor psychic disorders in nursing workers

This was a cross-sectional study that aimed to assess the association between work-related stress according to the Demand-Control Model, and the occurrence of Minor Psychic Disorder (MPD) in nursing workers. The participants were 335 professionals, out of which 245 were nursing technicians, aged predominantly between 20 and 40 years. Data were collected using the Job Stress Scale and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20. The analysis was performed using descriptive and analytical statistics. The prevalence of suspected MPD was 20.6%. Workers classified in the quadrants active job and high strain of the Demand-Control Model presented higher potential for developing MPD compared with those classified in the quadrant low strain. In conclusion, stress affects the mental health of workers and the aspects related to high psychological demands and high control still require further insight in order to understand their influence on the disease processes of nursing workers.

Checklist of aedine mosquito species (Diptera, Culicidae, Aedini) occurring in Middle and South America (south of the United States) reflecting current generic and subgeneric status

A list of species of tribe Aedini from Middle and South American, south of the United States, with their current generic combinations is provided. Its purpose is to enable entomologists, public health personnel and mosquito control workers to more quickly become familiar with recent formal taxonomic changes within the tribe.

Effects of traffic control on the soil physical quality and the cultivation of sugarcane

The cultivation of sugarcane with intensive use of machinery, especially for harvest, induces soil compaction, affecting the crop development. The control of agricultural traffic is an alternative of management in the sector, with a view to preserve the soil physical quality, resulting in increased sugarcane root growth, productivity and technological quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical quality of an Oxisol with and without control traffic and the resulting effects on sugarcane root development, productivity and technological quality. The following managements were tested: no traffic control (NTC), traffic control consisting of an adjustment of the track width of the tractor and sugarcane trailer (TC1) and traffic control consisting of an adjustment of the track width of the tractor and trailer and use of an autopilot (TC2). Soil samples were collected (layers 0.00-0.10; 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.30 m) in the plant rows, inter-row center and seedbed region, 0.30 m away from the plant row. The productivity was measured with a specific weighing scale. The technological variables of sugarcane were measured in each plot. Soil cores were collected to analyze the root system. In TC2, the soil bulk density and compaction degree were lowest and total porosity and macroporosity highest in the plant row. Soil penetration resistance in the plant row, was less than 2 MPa in TC1 and TC2. Soil aggregation and total organic carbon did not differ between the management systems. The root surface and volume were increased in TC1 and TC2, with higher productivity and sugar yield than under NTC. The sugarcane variables did not differ between the managements. The soil physical quality in the plant row was preserved under management TC1 and TC2, with an improved root development and increases of 18.72 and 20.29 % in productivity and sugar yield, respectively.

Control of Structures with Cubic and Quadratic Non-Linearities with Time Delay Consideration

This paper studies the effect of time delay on the active non-linear control of dynamically loaded flexible structures. The behavior of non-linear systems under state feedback control, considering a fixed time delay for the control force, is investigated. A control method based on non-linear optimal control, using a tensorial formulation and state feedback control is used. The state equations and the control forces are expressed in polynomial form and a performance index, quadratic in both state vector and control forces, is used. General polynomial representations of the non-linear control law are obtained and implemented for control algorithms up to the fifth order. This methodology is applied to systems with quadratic and cubic non-linearities. Strongly non-linear systems are tested and the effectiveness of the control system including a delay for the application of control forces is discussed. Numerical results indicate that the adopted control algorithm can be efficient for non-linear systems, chiefly in the presence of strong non-linearities but increasing time delay reduces the efficiency of the control system. Numerical results emphasize the importance of considering time delay in the project of active structural control systems.

Influence of corn sowing density and gliricidia intercropping on weed control

There is interest in the identification of the best seeding density for new corn hybrids and on reduced use of herbicides for weed control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of seeding density (30, 50, 70, and 90 thousand plants ha-1) and weed control on green ear yield and grain yield in corn cultivar AG 1051. A completely randomized block design was adopted with split-plots (seeding densities assigned to plots) and ten replicates. Weed control was achieved by means of two hoeings and by planting corn intercropped with gliricidia (between corn rows, in pits spaced 0.3 m apart). A "no weeding"treatment was included as well. Increased seeding density increased the total number and weight of marketable green ears and decreased the biomass of both weeds and gliricidia. In non-weeded, intercropped and hoed plots, the maximum grain yield values achieved as seeding density increased were 7,881, 7,021, and 9,213 kg ha-1, respectively, obtained with populations of 67 thousand, 74 thousand, and 67 thousand plants per hectare, respectively. Intercropping did not control weeds (26 species) and provided weed growth, green ear yield, and grain yield (at the lowest densities) similar to those obtained without hoeing, except for total number of green ears, in which no influence of weed control was observed. At densities of 70 thousand and 90 thousand plants per hectare, grain yield with two hoeings was not different from yield values obtained without weeding or in the treatment intercropped with gliricidia, respectively, indicating that increased corn seeding density as well as gliricidiamay help to control weeds.

S-metolachlor efficacy on the control of Brachiaria decumbens, Digitaria horizontalis, and Panicum maximum in mechanically green harvested sugarcane

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of S-metolachlor applied in pre-emergence conditions for the control of Brachiaria decumbens, Digitaria horizontalis, and Panicum maximum in sugar cane mechanically harvested without previous burning of the crop (green harvest) with the crop residue either left or not on the soil surface. The experiments were established in the field according to a randomized complete block design with four repetitions in a 7 x 2 split-plot scheme. In the plots, five herbicide treatments were studied (S-metolachlor at 1.44, 1.92, and 2.40 kg ha-1, clomazone at 1.20 kg ha-1, and isoxaflutole at 0.188 kg ha-1), and two control treatments with no herbicide application. In the subplots, the presence or absence of sugar cane crop residue on the soil surface was evaluated. S-metolachlor efficacy was not hampered by either 14 or 20 t ha-1 of sugar cane crop residue on the soil surface. When sugar cane crop residue was covering the soil surface, S-metolachlor at a rate of 1.44 kg ha-1 resulted in weed control similar at their larger rates, where as without the presence of crop residue, S-metolachlor controlled B. decumbens, D. horizontalis, and P. maximum at the rates of 1.92, 1.44, and 1.92 kg ha-1, respectively. The herbicides clomazone and isoxaflutole were effective for the studied species, independently of the crop residue covering the soil surface. S-metolachlor caused no visible injury symptoms to the sugar cane plant. Clomazone and isoxaflutole caused visible injuries to the sugar cane plant. None of the herbicides negatively affected the number of viable culms m² or the culm height and diameter.

Imazapyr herbicide efficacy on floating macrophyte control and ecotoxicology for non-target organisms

the aims of this study were to determine imazapyr efficacy for floating macrophyte control and ecotoxicology for non-target organisms. For the floating macrophyte control efficacy tests were used the doses of 0,5; 1,0; 2,0; 2,5; 3,0; 3,5 and 4,0 L ha-1 and a control with 10 replicates. The acute toxicology for non-target organisms was estimated by lethal concentration 50% (LC50 and EC50). The floating macrophyte control efficacy was over 90%. Imazapyr was classified as moderately toxic for the following biomarkers: L. minor, H. eques, B. rerio, P. caudimaculatus, P. canaliculata, and P. mesopotamicus and lightly toxic for A. caroliniana. Thus, imazapyr herbicide is a tool with great potential to be used on floating macrophyte control (E. crassipes, P. stratiotes e S. molesta) in Brazil and this practice can be evaluated by the use of application biomarkers.

Effectiveness of Diquat, Copper Hydroxide, Copper Oxychloride and their Association in Control of Submerged Macrophytes Ceratophyllum demersum

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of diquat, copper hydroxide, copper oxychloride and their associations diquat + 0.1% copper oxychloride and diquat + 0.1% copper hydroxide to control Cerathophyllum demersum. Therefore, the concentrations used were 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 and 1.5 mg L-1 oxychloride and copper hydroxide and 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.2 mg L-1 diquat and their associations with 0.1% copper oxychloride and 0.1% copper and a control hydroxide. The experimental design was completely randomized with ten replications for 45 days. For evaluation we used a scale of 0-100% control of notes and rated the weight (g) and length (cm) of pointers at the end of the trial period. Diquat showed 100% efficacy at 30 DAA, associations in 21 DAA and copper sources promoted regrowth of C. demersum. Diquat and its associations were more effective in controlling C. demersum. The use of herbicide in combination with a copper source is more efficient for the control of submerged weeds because it potentiates the effect of the herbicide in weed control

Endogenous vasopressin and the central control of heart rate during dynamic exercise

The present article contains a brief review on the role of vasopressinergic projections to the nucleus tractus solitarii in the genesis of reflex bradycardia and in the modulation of heart rate control during exercise. The effects of vasopressin on exercise tachycardia are discussed on the basis of both the endogenous peptide content changes and the heart rate response changes observed during running in sedentary and trained rats. Dynamic exercise caused a specific vasopressin content increase in dorsal and ventral brainstem areas. In accordance, rats pretreated with the peptide or the V1 blocker into the nucleus tractus solitarii showed a significant potentiation or a marked blunting of the exercise tachycardia, respectively, without any change in the pressure response to exercise. It is proposed that the long-descending vasopressinergic pathway to the nucleus tractus solitarii serves as one link between the two main neural controllers of circulation, i.e., the central command and feedback control mechanisms driven by the peripheral receptors. Therefore, vasopressinergic input could contribute to the adjustment of heart rate response (and cardiac output) to the circulatory demand during exercise.

The selective and non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitors valdecoxib and piroxicam induce the same postoperative analgesia and control of trismus and swelling after lower third molar removal

We compared the clinical efficacy of orally administered valdecoxib and piroxicam for the prevention of pain, trismus and swelling after removal of horizontally and totally intrabony impacted lower third molars. Twenty-five patients were scheduled to undergo removal of symmetrically positioned lower third molars in two separate appointments. Valdecoxib (40 mg) or piroxicam (20 mg) was administered in a double-blind, randomized and crossed manner for 4 days after the surgical procedures. Objective and subjective parameters were recorded for comparison of postoperative courses. Both agents were effective for postoperative pain relief (N = 19). There was a similar mouth opening at suture removal compared with the preoperative values (86.14 ± 4.36 and 93.12 ± 3.70% of the initial measure for valdecoxib and piroxicam, respectively; ANOVA). There was no significant difference regarding the total amount of rescue medication taken by the patients treated with valdecoxib or piroxicam (173.08 ± 91.21 and 461.54 ± 199.85 mg, respectively; Wilcoxon test). There were no significant differences concerning the swelling observed on the second postoperative day compared to baseline measures (6.15 ± 1.84 and 8.46 ± 2.04 mm for valdecoxib and piroxicam, respectively; ANOVA) or on the seventh postoperative day (1.69 ± 1.61 and 2.23 ± 2.09 mm for valdecoxib and piroxicam, respectively; ANOVA). The cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitor valdecoxib is as effective as the non-selective cyclooxygenase inhibitor piroxicam for pain, trismus and swelling control after removal of horizontally and totally intrabony impacted lower third molars.

Green and brown propolis: efficient natural biocides for the control of bacterial contamination of alcoholic fermentation of distilled beverage

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of natural biocides, brown and green propolis, for the control of bacterial contamination in the production of sugarcane spirit. The treatments consisted of brown and green propolis extracts, ampicillin, and a control and were assessed at the beginning and end of harvest season in ten fermentation cycles. In the microbiological analyses, the lactic acid bacteria were quantified in the inoculum before and after the treatment with biocides, and the viability of yeast cells during fermentation was evaluated. The levels of acids, glycerol, total residual reducing sugars, and ethanol were analyzed for the wine resulting from each fermentation cycle. A reduction in the number of bacterial contaminants in the inoculum in the treatments with the natural biocides was observed, but it did not affect the viability of yeast cells. The control of the contaminants led to the production of higher levels of ethanol and reduced acidity in the wine produced. The results of the use of brown and green propolis to control the growth microorganisms in the fermentation of sugarcane spirit can be of great importance for using alternative strategies to synthetic antibacterials in fermentation processes including other distilled beverage or spirits.